ANGEL. 
earth, he has done it in language intelligible and accurate, 
and in terms fufficiently explicit. 
As to the nature of thefe beings, we are told, that they 
arefpirits: but whether pure fpirits diverted of all mat¬ 
ter, or united to fome thin bodies, or corporeal vehicles, 
has been a controverfy of long (landing. Not only the 
ancient philofophers, but fome of the Chriftian fathers, 
were of opinion, that angels were clothed with ethereal, 
or fiery, bodies, of the fame nature with thofe which we 
(hall one day have when we come to be equal to them. 
But the more general opinion, efpecially of later times, 
has been, that they are fubdances entirely fpiritual, tho’ 
they can at any time aflume bodies, and appear in humau 
or other (hapes. 
That the angelical powers and abilities vaftly excel thofe 
of man, cannot be denied, if we confider, that their fa¬ 
culties are not clogged or impeded, as ours are, by any of 
thofe imperfections which are infeparable from corporeal 
beings: fo that their underftandings are always in perfect 
vigour; their inclinations regular; their motions (trong and 
quick; theiraftions irrefiltible by material bodies, whofe 
natural qualities they can controul, or manage to their 
purpofes, and occalion either blellings or calamities, pub¬ 
lic or private, here below ; inftances of which are too nu¬ 
merous to mention. 
Befides their attendance on God, and their waiting and 
executing his commands, they are alfo prefutned to be 
employed in taking care of mankind and their concerns: 
and that every man had fuch a tutelar or guardian angel, 
even from his birth, was a firm belief and tradition among 
the Jews; and our Saviour himfelf feems to have been of 
the fame fentiment. The heathens were alfo of the fame 
perfuafion, and thought it a crime to neglect the admoni¬ 
tions of lo divine a guide. Socrates publicly confelfed 
himfelf to be under the direction of fuch an angel, or dae¬ 
mon, as feveral others have fince done. And in this tu¬ 
telar genius of each perfon they believed his happinefs and 
fortune depended. Every genius did his bed for the inte- 
relt of his client; and, if a man came by the word, it was 
a (ign the drength of his genius was inferior to that of his 
opponent, that is, of an inferior order; and this was go¬ 
verned by chance. There were fome genii, whofe afeen- 
dant was fo great over others, that their very prefence en¬ 
tirely difconcerted them ; which was the cafe of that of 
Augudus in refpect of that of Marc Antony; and, 
likewife, for the fame reafon, perhaps, fome perfons feem 
to have wit, and to (peak well, when others are abfent, 
in whofe prefence they are confounded, and out of coun¬ 
tenance. The Romans thought the tutelar genii of thofe 
who attained the empire to be of an eminent order; on 
which account they had great honours diewn them. Na¬ 
tions and cities alfo had their feveral genii. The ancient 
Perfians fo firmly believed the minidry of angels, and their 
fuperintendance over human affairs, that they gave their 
names to their months, and the days of their month ; and 
afligned them didinCt offices and provinces : and it is from 
them the Jews confefs to have received the names of the 
months and angels, which they brought with them when 
they returned front the Babylonilh captivity. After which, 
we find, they alfo afiighed charges to the angels, and in 
particular the patronage of empires and nations ; Michael 
being the prince of the Jews, as Raphael is (uppoied to 
have been of the Perfians. 
The Mahometans have fo great a refpeft for the angels, 
that they account a man an infidel who either denies their 
exidence, or loves them not. They believe them to be 
free from fin, enjoying the prefence of God, to whom they 
are never difobedient: that they have fubtile pure bodies, 
being created of light; and have no didindfion of fexes, 
nor do they need the refrefhment of food or deep. They 
fuppofe them to have different forms and offices: that 
-fome adore God in feveial podures ; others fing his prai- 
fes, and intercede for men; fome carry and encompafshis 
throne; others write the actions of men, and are alligned 
guardians to them. As the numbers of tliefe celeftial fpt- 
% 
rits are very great, it is likewife reafonable to believe that 
there are feveral orders and degrees among them ; which 
is alfo confirmed by Scripture; whence fome (peculative 
men have didributed them into nine orders, according to 
the different names by which they are there called ; and 
reduced thofe orders into three hierarchies: to the fird of 
which belong (eraphim, cherubim, and thrones ; to the 
fecond, dominions, virtues, and powers; and to the third, 
principalities, arch-angels, and angels. They imagine far¬ 
ther, that there are fome who condantly relide in heaven ; 
others who are miniders, and Cent forth, as there is occa- 
fion, to execute the orders they receive from God ?>y the 
former. The Jews reckon but four orders or companies 
of angels, each headed by an arch-angel; the drd order 
being that of Michael, the fecond of Gabriel, the third of 
Uriel, and the fourth of Raphael; but, though the Jews 
believe them to be four, yet it feems there were rather fc- 
ven. The Perfians alfo held, there were fubordinate de¬ 
grees among the angels. 
Although the angels were originally created perfeftj 
good, and obedient to their Mader’s will, yet lome of 
them finned, and kept not their fird ellate, but left their 
habitation ; and fo, of the mod blelfed and glorious, be¬ 
came the mod vile and miferable, of all God’s creatures. 
"I hey were expelled the regions of light, and cad down to 
hell, to be referved in everlading chains under darknefs, 
until the day of judgment. With heaven they lod their 
heavenly difpofition, which delighted once in doing good 
and praidng God ; and fell into a fettled rancour againd 
him, and malice againd men : their inward peace was 
gone ; all defire of doing good departed from them ; and, 
indead thereof, revengeful thoughts .and defpair took po{- 
fefilon of them, and created an eternal hell within them. 
When, and for w hat offence thefe apodate angels fell from 
heaven, and plunged themfelyes into fuch an abyfs of 
wickednefs and woe, are quedions very hard, if not impof- 
fible, to be determined by anv clear evidence of feripture. 
As to the time, we are certain that it could not be before 
the fix-th day of creation ; becaufe on that day it is faid, 
“ God favv every thing that he had made, and behold it 
wms very good;” but that it was not long after is very 
probable, as it mud have preceded the fall of our fird pa¬ 
rents. Some have imagined it to have been after ; and 
that carnality, or luffing to converfe with women upon 
earth, was the fin that ruined them. LaiSlantius fuppofes 
the angels, w-ho were guilty of this enormity, had been 
fent down by God to .guard and take care of mankind; 
and, being endued with free-will, were charged by him not 
to forfeit the dignity of their celedial nature, by defiling 
themfelves with the corruptions of the earth ; but that the 
devil at length enticed them to debauch themfelves with 
women. He adds, that, being not admitted into heaven 
by reafon of the w ickednefs into which they had plunged 
themfelves, they fell down to the earth, and became the 
devil’s miniders; but that thofe who were begotten by 
them, being neither angels nor men, but of a middle na¬ 
ture, w'ere not received into hell, no more than their pa¬ 
rents were into heaven. Hence arofe two kinds of daemons, 
celedial and terredrial. Thefe are unclean (pints, the au¬ 
thors of whatever evils are committed, and whofe prince 
is the devil. From hence very probably proceeded the 
notions of Incuhi, or daemons who are fuppofed to have 
carnal knowledge of women. Others have fuppofed, that 
the angels, being informed of God’s intention to create 
man after his own image, and to dignify his nature by 
Chrid’s a (fuming of it, and thinking their glory to be e- 
clipfed thereby, envied man’s happinefs, and fo revolted : 
and with this opinion that of the Mahometans has fome 
affinity ; w'ho are taught, that the devil, who was once 
one of thofe angels who are neared to God’s prefence, and 
named Azazil, forfeited paradife for refilling to pay ho¬ 
mage to Adam a’ the command of God. But, on what 
occalion foever it fird (hewed itfelf, pride feems to have 
been the leading fin of the angels ; who, admiring and va¬ 
luing themfelves too much on-the excellence of their na¬ 
ture 
