Object. 2.
Psal. 104. 4.
Heb. 1. 7.
2. There is only another argument that the persons of the other opinion have urged, such asAquinas, and the rest of the Scholastick rabble, to wit, the Text in the Psalm, which is this:Who maketh his Angels spirits: his ministers a flaming fire. From whence they would positively conclude that they are spirits, and absolutely incorporeal; but fail of their purpose for these clear reasons. 1. The Text there cannot be rationally understood of their creation, or of their creaturely nature, but of their offices and administrations, because the word used there is not fromבָּרָאto create, or form forth of nothing, but fromעָשָאfecit, that is by ordering them in their offices and ministrations. And again the wordרוּחַdoth not alwaies or of necessity signifie an incorporeal thing but that which is a body, as the winds, and so dothLutherand diverse others render it, and it is commonly attributed to beasts as well as Men, as in that ofSolomon,Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?Where the word spirit, which is all one in the Hebrew, is attributed to beasts as well as to men, but no man (I suppose) will believe that the spirit of a beast is simply incorporeal, and therefore by the word spirit in the Psalm cannot necessarily be understood a simple incorporeal substance, and therefore the consequence is not necessary.
Metaphys.l.2.c.4.p.222.
Vid. August.
Tom.2.l. de spir. & an.c.8.
But the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews must needs be taken for the best Expositor of these words of the Psalmist, who doth quote them only for this purpose, to prove that Christ in dignity and office is far above the Angels who are all ordered to serve and obey him, and are by their offices all but ministring spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation. By which it is manifest that this place is to be understood of their ministration and offices, and not of their nature or substances. 2. They can no more be meerly and literally said to be spirits, understandingspirit to intend an absolute incorporeal substance, than his ministers can be literally understood to be flaming fire, they must either be both literally true, which is absolutely absurd, or else those words must have a metaphorical interpretation, as they may and must have, and there is no inconvenience in that exposition. For as the winds, which is but a strong motion of the air, and the shining or flaming fire, are two of the most quick, agile and operative agents that are known unto us in nature, so the Angels and Christs Ministers are strong, quick and most nimble and powerful in performing their offices and administrations. Therefore we shall conclude this asScheiblerdoth from S.Augustine:Nihil enim invisibile & incorporeum naturâ credendum est, præter solum Deum, qui ex eo incorporeus & invisibilis dicitur, quia infinitus, & incircumscriptus est, & simplex, & sibi omnibus modis sufficiens se ipso, & per seipsum: omnis verò rationalis creatura corporea est, Angeli & omnes Virtutes corporeæ sunt, licet non subsistunt in carne.
Judges 13. 20.
Dan. 3. 24, 25.
Luke 24. 39.
Now though we have sufficiently proved that they are corporeal, that is, that they have bodies naturally united unto them, and so have aninternum, or moving power, and anexternum, or a part moved, that is, as Dr.Mooreconfesseth, a spiritual and incorporeal part, and a corporeal part or vehicle, yet to assign what kind of bodies they have, or what proper difference there is betwixt their substance and other corporeal substances is no easie matter to determine. Only we shall give two differences whereby they are distinguished from other substances that are corporeal, and that as the Scripture holdeth them forth unto us. 1. The first differential distinction is, that their bodies do not suffer, or are altered or dissipated, by the most strong, and operative sublunary agent that is known unto us: Amongst which we have none of greater force and activity than our culinary fire, yet it is manifest that that Element did not work upon nor burn the Angel that appeared toManoahand his Wife,who ascended in the flame of the altar, and was not touched, or altered at all, which plainly sheweth that his body was not to be wrought upon by the fierce flame of sublunary fire, and he is there called the Angel ofJehovah. This also is confirmed by that whichNebuchadnezzarsaw, and confessed, that thoughthere were three men only cast into the fiery furnace, yet he saw a fourth (which by all the learned is judged to be an Angel)and they had no hurt upon them, that is, the fire did not work upon their bodies to burn, alter, or consume them. So that in this the bodies of Angels differ from the most of other bodies, because they do not suffer by sublunary fire, the most violent agent that we know. And this must needs rationally be taken to be proper unto Angels in regard of their created natures, and not as superadded by a Divine and Almighty Power, as in some other cases it may be granted. 2. A second difference is, that what bodies soever spirits or Angels have, or appear in, they have not flesh and bones such as Christ had in his true and numerical body in which he did appear after hisresurrection, which was the same individual body which he had before he was crucified. But though they have bodies, yet to feeling and tangibility they have not flesh and bones as humane bodies have, which have a renitency and resistibility to our touch, which their bodies have not, being as it were ethereal, airy and shadowy; and yielding and giving way to the touch, and though to be divided and separated, yet, maybe, do as soon close by counition, and so suffer nothing at all by that division.
Saints Everlast. rest,c.7.part2.p.255.
Sup. Cantic.p.504.
Concerning the properties of their bodies it seems to have been the opinion ofTertullian(as I find him quoted by Mr.Baxter) that they had thin pure and aereal bodies which they could dilate and expand, condense and contract at their pleasures, and so frame them into diverse and sundry shapes; his words are these:Dæmones sua hæc corpora contrahunt, & dilatant, ut volunt: sicut etiam lumbrici, & alia quædam insecta. So we see that some worms and insects will extend themselves into a vast length and smallness, that they can pass through a very small hole, or passage, and again contract themselves into a great bulk, drawing in the length, and increasing the breadth and thickness, which though it still be the same corporeal substance, and in general doth, in what figure soever it be brought into, but retain the same dimensions in respect of place, yet in regard of accidental shape or figure it may change the dimensions in respect of one another, as one while to be more in longitude, and less in breadth and depth, and sometimes more in breadth and depth, and less in length. So may the bodies of Angels by contraction and dilatation, sundry wayes alter their dimensions, and consequently their shapes and figures, and all this according to the motion and act of their own wills, so that still there must be limits to these acts of distention and contraction, that they can do neither in an infinite degree as either to become an insensible and indivisible prick, nor to be infinitely expanded or dilated, and this opinion hath sufficiency of rationality and intelligibility in it. Of this very point S.Bernardspeaketh thus modestly:Videntur Patres de hujusmodi diversa sensisse, nec mihi perspicuum est undè alterutrum doceam: & nescire me fateor. And though we cannot punctually enumerate, nor assign the certain properties of their bodies, yet we may rationally conclude thus much. 1. That they being creatures ordained for high and noble ends must needs have their bodies and organs fitted and suitably proportioned to fulfil and accomplish those ends, as doth most manifestly appear by the bodies and organs of all other creatures, which are most wisely and fitly framed by the Almighty, according to the several ends and uses they were created and ordained for. 2. It is most probable that considering there are creatures that as their wills are moved by their passions and affections can alter the colours and figures of their own bodies, as is manifest in worms, and in the colours of the Chameleon, as it is asserted by the experience of the learned PhysicianDominicus Panarolus, so from the less to the more, that Angels have bodies offar more excellency to perform their ministrations in, than those gross and terrestrial bodies have that are here below. And it is no small wonder to observe our ordinaryGallus Turcicus vel Gallopavus, how quiet and demissly sometimes he goes, and then again upon the suddain by some emotion of spirit, how will his train be advanced and extended, his barbles swelled and puffed up, and the appendicle that comes over the bill orrostrum, be extended or contracted at the pleasure of the animal: And much more to consider the quick and suddain change of the colours of both those parts, as sometimes to a whitishness, or an ash-colour, sometimes purple, sometimes blewish, and sometimes pure red, so quick a motion that creature can give to the spirits and blood, that they can so quickly alter and change, not only the colours, but also the magnitude. And much more may we rationally believe that Angels can alter and change the figure and colour of their bodies according to the ministrations they are imployed about.
Mark 12. 25.
1 Cor. 15. 44.
3. The Scripture informeth us that in or atthe resurrection, the bodies of men shall be as the Angels that are in heaven,sicut Angeli: Now this Analogy, comparison, or assimilation, would be altogether false if Angels had no bodies at all, but were meerly incorporeal; then it would follow, that the bodies after the resurrection were made meer Spirits, and so ceased to be bodies, which is false according to the doctrine of S.Paul, who sheweth us plainly that after the resurrection they are changed in qualities intoσώματα πνευματικὰspiritual bodies, for there is a natural Soulor Animalbody, and so likewise,there is a spiritual body. From whence we necessarily conclude that Angels have Bodies, and that they are pure spiritual ones.
Now we shall come to the other point intended in this Chapter, that is to shew that the opinion of Angels assuming bodies of the Elements here below, is a meer figment, as must of necessity follow if this be a truth that we have proved, to wit, that they have bodies; for then assuming of other bodies must needs be in vain and to no purpose: but we shall also shew the weakness and folly of that Tenent by these positive reasons following.
1. Those that maintain the assumption of bodies dare not affirm that they are so invested with those bodies, as are humane souls with their bodies: for then there must be vital union, which cannot be but by Divine Ordination: But it doth not any where either by Scripture, or sound rational consequence, appear that either God appointed, or gave power to Angels to assume to themselves bodies of what shape they pleased, or that he ordained a vital union, betwixt the Angels and those bodies they are supposed to assume either by Creation, or Generation, and therefore if they did assume any such bodies it must but be as we put on and off our Garments, or as Players put on and off their Perukes, Vizards and Garments according to the several things or persons they intend to represent and personate.
2. But the great question will be, who are the Taylors that shape and frame them these vestments? what! must it be themselves that shape and figurate these bodies, as snails are supposed to frame and make their shells and houses? Surely not, because if they be simply incorporeal, then they can make no contact with corporeal matter, and without a corporeal contact there can be no alteration nor organization of matter, and consequently, they cannot frame or shape themselves such vestments; neither can any other actor or agent be assigned that can frame them, and therefore the Tenent is a most ridiculous figment. And again if they should have such solid bodies framed of the inferior Elements, as the body of a Serpent, as the Witchmongers do suppose the Devil assumed when he deceivedEvah, and such bodies as Demons are vainly supposed to assume to carry the heavy bodies of Men and Women in the air, then those bodies must needs be of that solidity and compactness that they cannot suddainly be wasted and dissipated, and then doubtlesly we should find them sometimes, as we do the sloughs,Exuvias, or skins of Snakes, for they could not be consumed in a moment. And it were horrid to suppose that God should instantaneously create them, and as suddainly dissipate and waste them. So that in verity there is nothing of certitude, but it may be looked at as a Chimera and a Poetical Fable.
3. And if the Angels had not such bodily organs wherein they could move, walk, speak, and perform other such actions withal, before they assumed or crept into such vestments, their being inclosed and invested with them and in them would no more fit and inable them to walk or speak in them, than would an hollow Image inable a lame Man to walk, or a dumb Man to speak that were inclosed in them. Therefore (suppose) as the Witchmongers hold, that the Devil should appear to a Witch in the assumed shape of a Cat, Dog, Foal or such like, and walk and talk with him or her, if before that assumption of such a shape, the Devil could not walk and speak, the having crept into such a vestment would no more inable him to speak, than a dead Cat in an empty hogshead, or wind pent in an empty bladder.