in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." Judging from such instances as these, some of the Ancients did not scruple to assert, that "not without the presidency of invisible husbandmen (so to say) and other stewards not only of the products of earth, but also of all running water and of air, doth the earth bring forth the things said to be dispensed by Nature, and the water gush and stream forth in the wells and perennial rivers, and the air is preserved incorrupt and becomes a nourisher of life to those that breathe it." It is uncertain however, whether they always meant some spiritual counterparts to these physical virtues or faculties discerned in Nature, or merely personifications of those virtues, as distinct to our apprehension only, and not really separable from the material substances.d C Besides, the Angels are regarded as presiding in some mysterious way over the destinies of kingdoms and nations. This notion is universal in Christian antiquity, and was chiefly founded on the verse, "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the Children of Israel;" but, as it is in the Septuagint, according to the number of the angels of GOD.' The idea is confirmed by other passages; as, where the Angel Gabrielone like the similitude of the sons of men' informs Daniel of the conflicts between himself and Michael the tutelar Angel of the Jews on the one hand labouring to promote by their intercessions the Return of Israel from captivity, and the 'princes' or tutelar Angels of Persia and Javan on the other, wishing to retain the Jews among the nations committed to their charge, for the promotion of their spiritual interests. "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy GOD, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." "Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I came unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince." Again, S. Paul's vision is interpreted of tutelary Angels: "And a vision appeared unto Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Especially h "f are the Angels set to protect the elect children of GOD on earth temporally and spiritually. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" "The Angel of the LORD encampeth round. about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." "He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. "i The preaching of the Gospel is that of things "which the Angels desire to look into."j The development of the Church is for their instruction; "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God; "k "for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." They assist at the universal intercessions of the Church; as we read, "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with 1 Dan viii. 16; x. 12, 13, 20, 21. Calvin writes, "Certe quum Daniel Angelum Persarum et Græcorum Angelum inducit, significat certos Angelos regnis ac provinciis quasi præsides destinari." Instt. Lib. i. c. 14. §. 7. Acts xvi. 9. Grotius interprets this and the former texts of Tutelary Angels. The Fathers do not seem to apprehend any inconvenience from the harmony of this doctrine with Platonic theories: 'Ev δὲ τούτοις ξυμφέρεται μὲν ἡμῖν, ἐν οἷς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς μεταβολὴν ἔφη· καὶ ὅτι, τοῦ Θεοῦ καταλιπόντος τοὺς οἴακας, ἀφίστανται μὲν ὅσοι τῶν ἀοράτων δυνάμεων οἰκονομεῖν τινὰ μέρη τῆς κτίσεως ékeλeúσOnσav. Theodoret. Græcarum Affectionum Curatio, Serm. iv. Opp. Tom. IV. p. 535. Heb. i. 14. Ps. xxxiv. 7. xci. 12. Of the honour due to Angels. m the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before GOD out of the angel's hand." But especially at the offering of the perpetual memorial of the Atonement, as we find almost universally in the ancient Liturgies." Nor without reason; seeing that the last "Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which GOD gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass, He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.” • Whether a special guardian angel be assigned to each of the Faithful is not evident. That the Jews thought so we may gather from the friends of S. Peter saying "It is his angel," when they were astonished at his miraculous release from prison. Our LORD doth not expressly say so: "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My FATHER which is in heaven." P §. 4. If we inquire whether any obligation of service or worship arises in consequence of the knowledge of their tutelage and intercession, the sentiment of the early Church is expressed by Origen: “Granting according to hypothesis that the knowledge concerning them, being a wonderful and mysterious one, may be comprehended; this knowledge, when it hath set forth their nature and what they have been ordained over, will not allow us to venture to pray to other Rev. viii. 3, 4. n For example, in the Alexandrian Liturgy of S. Mark: Tŵν проσφερόντων τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰς προσφορὰς τὰ εὐχαριστήρια πρόσδεξαι ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸ ἅγιον καὶ ἐπουράνιον καὶ νοερόν σου θυσιαστήριον εἰς τὰ μεγέθη τῶν οὐρανῶν διὰ τῆς ἀρχαγγελικής σου λειτουργίας K.T.λ. (henaudot. Liturg. Orient. Tom. I. p. 151.) And in the Canon of the Roman Mass; "Supplices Te rogamus, omnipotens Deus, jube hæc perferri per manus sancti Angeli Tui in sublime altare Tuum, in conspectu Divinæ Majestatis Tuæ." (Missale Romanum, p. 311.) tended persuasion on this subject: “Απαντι δαίμων ἀνδρὶ συμπαρίσταται Εὐθὺς γενομένῳ, μυσταγωγὸς τοῦ βίου. (Ap. Ammiani Marcellini Hist. Lib. xxi. §. 14.) Limborch remarks; Nos quidem nullam in sententia illa absurditatem agnoscimus: ex Scriptura tamen probari nequit ; immo quoniam Deus aliquando unum Angelum multis præfecit, ut toti populo Israelis, Exod. xxiii. 20: aliquando multos Angelos uni, Gen. xxxii. 1, 2. 2 Reg. vi. 16. Ps. xxxiv. 8. xci. 11, 12. Luc. xvi. 22: hinc rectius colligas, unicuique homini suum a nativitate Angelum assignatum non esse." (Lib. ii. c. 20, §. 20.) than to the all-sufficient GOD above all, through our SAVIOUR the SON of GOD, Who is WORD and Wisdom and Truth, and as many other things as the Scriptures of the Prophets of GOD and of the Apostles of JESUS say concerning Him. But for the holy Angels of GOD to be propitious to us and that they should do everything for us, our disposition towards GOD is sufficient, copying as far as human nature may their purpose of imitating GOD." And again; "We praise and bless them that have been entrusted by GOD with what is useful to our race: we do not however assign to them the honour due to GOD; for neither doth GOD will this, nor do they themselves who are entrusted with these things." S. Ambrose is the first Christian writer, whom I find distinctly recommending the invocation of Angels.* Adv. Celsum, Lib. v. p. 239. "Obsecrandi sunt Angeli pro r nobis, qui nobis ad præsidium dati sunt; Martyres obsecrandi, etc." (S. Ambros. De Viduis, c. 9, Tom. II. p. 200, Ed. Ben.) 190 Of the Fall of the Evil Angels. CHAPTER IX. OF SATAN AND THE FALLEN ANGELS. t u §. 1. WE are not directly told in Scripture when or in what manner some of GOD's most glorious creatures were perverted from good to evil, from holy obedience to the last degree of rebellion to the Divine Will. The Mosaic record merely implies the recognition of the existence of evil angels by the nation whom it addresses. It speaks of wicked men as the children of Belial,' without specifying whom it means by that term; and of "sacrifices unto devils," whereby is signified the innocent blood of those whom the Israelites sacrificed "unto the idols of Canaan."▾ Assuming however the Book of Job to have been known to Moses, if not composed by him, we are thence made acquainted with the existence of a spirit called Satan or the adversary,' who is represented as "going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it," w with the design of effecting evil. Extraordinary evil is attributed to his instigation, as in David's case; "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." He is said to resist mankind But it is in the New Testa before GOD as their accuser. vour; |