I answer, first God charged them with folly comparatively, respecting himself. As (1 Tim. 6. 16.) the Apostle saith of God, that he only hath immortality; that speech is exclusive, shutting out all other creatures from a participation of Gods immortality. Yet we know Angels are immortal, Angels dye not, therefore also they are opposed to men (in the next Verse to the Text) who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, and are crushed before the moth; Angels are not crushed, they dye not, yet God only is immortal; because the immortality of Angels compared with the immortality of God, is but mortality. And the reason is this, because Angels are not immortal in themselves, or of themselves, they have not original or absolute immortality, their immortality is dependent and derivative; God only is independently 1and originally immortal, and hence he only is said to have immortality. As it is in the point of life, so also of righteousness, wisdom, and faithfulness. God only is faithful, he only is wise, that's the Apostles phrase, To God only wise: Men, yea Angels, are unfaithful, unwise, foolish, compared with God. He is wise of himself, and in himself, in his own compass creatures have only what they borrow or receive from him. To this sense on of the Ancients speaks fully, In comparison of the justice of God, if the holy Angels in heaven be called unjust, I see no hurt in the assertion not because they have fallen from justice, but because they are creatures, and not God. All is resolved into this, they are creatures, that's ⟨p. 137⟩enough to prove their folly, and unfaithfulness And, if a man that hath not only some smattering of learning and knowledge but is a professed Scholar, be looked upon as ignorant, compared with the Ben-clerks and great Scholars of the world; is it any wonder that Angels should be called fools, in reference to the infinite wisdom of God? The foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God is stronger then men. And it is as true of Angels, the foolishness of God is wiser then Angels, and the weakness of God is stronger then Angels. Angels are called Principalities and powers, but yet, it is only because they act in the power of God; and go forth in his strength, that's the first answer. The whole nature of Angels is unfaithful and foolish, weighed with God.
I answer, first God charged them with folly comparatively, respecting himself. As (1 Tim. 6. 16.) the Apostle saith of God, that he only hath immortality; that speech is exclusive, shutting out all other creatures from a participation of Gods immortality. Yet we know Angels are immortall, Angels dye not, therefore also they are opposed to men (in the next Verse to the Text) who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, and are crushed before the moth; Angels are not crushed, they dye not, yet God only is immortall; because the immortality of Angels compared with the immortality of God, is but mortality. And the reason is this, because Angels are not immortall in themselves, or of themselves, they have not originall or absolute immortality, their immortality is dependent and derivative; God only is independently 1and originally immortall, and hence he only is said to have immortality. As it is in the point of life, so also of righteousnesse, wisdome, and faithfulnesse. God only is faithfull, he only is wise, that's the Apostles phrase, To God only wise: Men, yea Angels, are unfaithfull, unwise, foolish, compared with God. He is wise of himself, and in himself, in his own compasse creatures have only what they borrow or receive from him. To this sense on of the Ancients speaks fully, In comparison of the justice of God, if the holy Angels in heaven be called unjust, I see no hurt in the assertion not because they have fallen from justice, but because they are creatures, and not God. All is resolved into this, they are creatures, that's ⟨p. 137⟩enough to prove their folly, and unfaithfulnesse And, if a man that hath not only some smattering of learning and knowledge but is a professed Scholer, be looked upon as ignorant, compared with the Ben-clerks and great Scholers of the world; is it any wonder that Angels should be called fools, in reference to the infinite wisdome of God? The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men, and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men. And it is as true of Angels, the foolishnesse of God is wiser then Angels, and the weaknesse of God is stronger then Angels. Angels are called Principalities and powers, but yet, it is only because they act in the power of God; and go forth in his strength, that's the first answer. The whole nature of Angels is unfaithfull and foolish, weighed with God.
- 1In comparatione justitiae Dei sinec sancti in coelis Angeli justi essedicantur, non mihi videtur importuna sententia, non quia ut hoc essentà justitia lapsi sunt, sed quia facti sunt & Deus non sunt. August. cont. Prisc.
