Spirits; and of Their Operations. The Ninth Sermon
Next unto this sermon of the Holy Ghost 1 will add a treatise of good and evil spirits, that is, of the holy angels of God, and of devils or wicked spirits, and of their operations: of whom since the holy scripture delivereth us an assured doctrine and in all points profitable, it seemeth that we ought not lightly to regard it, but with as much faith and diligence as we can to bring it unto light. It were a foul fault in him that studieth after godliness, to be ignorant of the dispositions of good and evil angels, of whom so often mention is made in the holy scriptures; yea, it were a thing most dangerous, not to know what manner of creatures the devils are, which under that name might easily deceive and spoil us. But first we will speak of holy angels, and then of devils or spirits.
The word angel some say to be a name of office?, not of nature, and is common to the Latins and Greeks, of whom it is borrowed, and it signifieth an ambassador or legate, and therefore it hath a larger signification. For the preachers of the truth are called angels, as in Malachy, and in the apostle Paul?; for they are the ambassadors or “messengers of the Lord of hosts.” St Peter also calleth evil spirits angels: as Paul also doth saying, that the faithful shall one day judge the angels; and that the angel or messenger of Satan was sent unto him, Howbeit the scripture peculiarly calleth angels the blessed spirits of God, ministers, and messengers, and heavenly armies’.
[1 or spirits, not in Lat.] [2 Angelus enim officii nomen est, non naturse.— August. Tract. de]
[eo quod dictum est a Deo ad Moysen, Ego sum qui sum. (Incerti auc-]
[toris.) Opp. Tom. vi. fol. 179. col. 4. Par. 1532.] [3 In his Commentary on 1 Cor. xi. 10, Bullinger first explains]
[“the angels” of the heavenly beings, and then says: Alii per angelos]
[verbi ministros intelligunt. ] [2 Hune locum exponens (Theophylactus) angelos, ait, deemones]
[ipsos appellat. Sunt enim et Li per nos condemnandi. Bulling. Com-]
[ment. in 1 Cor. vi. 3.] [5 satellites, Lat.; heavenly, the translator’s addition.)]
But the Sadducees denied that there be angels; for Luke in the Acts of the Apostles saith: “The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.” And indeed the whole scripture doth testify that there are angels, making mention in many places that they have appeared unto men, and have revealed unto them the will of God, or otherwise accomplished his work. Truly the Lord Jesus reasoning against the Sadducees in the gospel saith: Ye err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrecticn they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” Let us therefore believe that there are angels. For the authority of the Son of God, and the irrevocable truth of the holy scriptures, ought worthily to win more credit with us than the toys of all Sadducees and wicked men. What, have not the heathenish poets and philosophers confessed 6th book that there are angels, whom they call gods? For they, feigning that gods in the likeness of men were lodged and entertained of righteous men, seemed to all learned men to have meant nothing else than that which the holy scriptures make mention of, how Abraham and Lot received angels into their houses resembling strangers. But howsoever the case standeth, most certain it is, both by the holy scripture and by manifold experience, that there are blessed spirits of God, that is to say, good angels.
Now what the nature of angels is, it cannot throughly be declared of any man. For there are many things in the order of creatures, whose nature cannot directly and perfitly be expounded: they may nevertheless after a sort, according to our capacity, be shadowed out. Some therefore there are which say that angels are good spirits, ministers, of a fiery nature, created for the ministery or service of God and good men. Other some say angels are heavenly spirits, whose ministery and service God useth to execute all things which he hath determined. Wherefore we shall not seem to miss much of the mark, if we say that angels are good spirits, heavenly substances (I mean uncorruptible), created for the ministery or service of God and men.
[1 Augustini Steuchi Eugubini de perenni philosophia. Lib. vir.]
[cap. 6, 8. in which he quotes Callimachus, Homer, Catullus, and Virgil.]
[Opp. Tom. 11. foll. 140, 142. Venet. 1591.]]
That angels are created of God, the writings of the prophets and apostles do witness. For Paul citeth that saying of David, “Which maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.” The same apostle saith: “By Christ all things are created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be majesties? or lordships, either rules or powers.” Wherefore heretics have set forth toys, saying that angels are workers in the creation of all things and co-eternal with God: for God in time by the Son as well created angels as all other creatures.