The Institution of Christian Religion

But before that I begin to speak more at large of the nature of man. I must say somewhat of Angels. Because though Moses applying himself to the rudeness of the common people reciteth in his history of the creation no other works of God but such as are seen with our eyes, yet whereas afterward he bringeth in Angels for ministers of God, we may easily gather that he was the creator of them in whose service they employ their travail and offices. Though therefore Moses speaking after the capacity of the people doth not at the very beginning rehearse the Angels among the creatures of God: yet that is no cause to the contrary, but that we may plainly and expressly speak those things of them, which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth. Because if we desire to know God by his works, so noble and excellent an example is not to be omitted. Beside that this point of doctrine is very necessary for the confuting of many errors. The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so dazzled y• minds of many, that they thought the Angels had wrong offered them, if they should be made subject to the authority of one God, and brought as it were in obedience. And hereupon were they feigned to be Gods. There rose up also one Manicheus with his sect, which made themselves two original beginnings of things, God, and the Devil, and to God he assigned the beginning of good things, and of things of evil nature, he determined the Devil to be the author. If our minds should be entangled with this error, God should not keep whole his glory in the creation of the world. For where as nothing is more proper to God than eternity and a being of himself as I may so term it, they which give that unto the Devil, do they not in a manner give him the title of Godhead? Now where is the almightiness of God become, if such authority be granted to the devil, that he may put in execution what he will though God say nay & withstand it? ⟨p. 45⟩As for the only foundation that the Manichees have, that it is unlawful to ascribe unto God that is good, the creation of any thing that is evil: that nothing hurteth the true Faith, which admitteth not that there is any thing naturally evil in the whole universality of the world, because neither the frowardness and malice both of man and the devil, nor the sins that proceed thereof, are of nature, but of the corruption of nature.

But before that I begin to speake more at large of ye nature of mā. I must say somwhat of Angels. Because though Moses applying himselfe to the rudenesse of the common people reciteth in his history of the creacion no other workes of God but such as are seen with oure eyes, yet wheras afterwarde he bryngeth in Angels for ministers of God, we may easily gather that he was the creator of them in whoes seruyce they employ their trauaile and offices. Though therefore Moses speaking after the capacitie of the people doth not at the very beginning rehearse the Angels among the creatures of God: yet that is no cause to the contrary, but that we may plainly and expresly speake those thinges of them, which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth. Because if we desire to knowe God by his workes, so noble and excellente an example is not to be omitted. Beside that this pointe of doctryne is very necessary for the confutyng of many errors. The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so daselled y myndes of many, that they thought the Angels had wrong offred them, if they should be made subiect to the authoritie of one God, and brought as it were in obedience. And herevpon were they fained to be Gods. There rose vp also one Manicheus with his secte, whiche made themselues two originall beginninges of thinges, God, and the Deuell, and to God he assigned the beginning of good thinges, and of thinges of euil nature, he determined the Deuil to be the author. If our mindes should be entangled with this error, God should not kepe whole hys glory in the creacion of the world. For wher as nothing is more proper to God than eternitie and a being of hymselfe as I maye so terme it, they which geue that vnto the Deuill, dooe they not in a maner geue hym ye tytle of Godhead? Now where is the almightinesse of God become, if such authoritie be graūted to ye deuil, yt he may put in execuciō what he wil though God say nay & withstāde it?