2. The Reprobate Angels did not continue in their Sinless state, for any long time. For, although they were most excellent and glorious Creatures, yet they were but Creatures; and being Creatures, they were Mutable, and because mutable, therefore Peccable, that is, in a possibility of sinning and falling from God. Absolute immutability is a Divine Property: it cannot be affirmed of any, ⟨p. 108⟩but God alone. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. It cannot be said of any besides the Lord, that he cannot change. Austin gave a judicious Answer to that enquiry, How could Angels, that were such excellent and glorious Creatures in their first estate, not having any one to tempt them as man had, how could they sin, and loose their happiness? His Answer was, Non sunt Deus, They are not God: and▪ therefore were subject unto change, and in a possibility of falling from Heaven. He chargeth his Angels with folly, Job 4.18. The Angels are chargeable with folly in this respect. It is a Scripture Expression, Wise as an Angel of God. Nevertheless▪ the wise Angels are and always were the Subjects of a ••mparative folly: compared with the only wise God, they are foolish things. And when once they sinned, they were to be charged with infinite folly. For them to offend and fall out with their Omnipotent Creator, and by loosing his favour to loose their own happiness, was stupendous folly in the fallen Angels. As for the particular sin, which the Apostate Angels were guilty o•, the Scripture is not so clear in revealing what it was; and therefore it is not for us to be positive in the determination of it. Nevertheless, it is very probable, that God might try their Obedience unto the Moral Law, by some positive Precept o• other. As he tried mans Obedience by that positive Precept respecting the forbidden fruit on the Tree of knowledge of good & evil: so we may conceive, that he tried the Obedience ⟨p. 109⟩of the Angels, by some positive Precept. It is also a probable conjecture, that the Lord told them (and Commanded them) that they should all be Ministering Spirits for man, and that this they would not stoop unto, man being far their inferior. To be sure there was pride in the sin which the Angels became guilty of, as indeed there is in every sin. Hence it is said, that a Bishop must n•t be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 1 Tim. 3.6.
2. The Rebrobate Angels did not continue in their Sinless state, for any long time. For, although they were most excellent and glorious Creatures, yet they were but Creatures; and being Creatures, they were Mutable, and because mutable, therefore Peccable, that is, in a possibility of sinning and falling from God. Absolute immutability is a Divine Property: it cannot be affirmed of any, ⟨p. 108⟩but God alone. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. It cannot be said of any besides the Lord, that he cannot change. Austin gave a judicious Answer to that enquiry, How could Angels, that were such excellent and glorious Creatures in their first estate, not having any one to tempt them as man had, how could they sin, and loose their happiness? His Answer was, Non sunt Deus, They are not God: and▪ therefore were subject unto change, and in a possibility of falling from Heaven. He chargeth his Angels with folly, Job 4.18. The Angels are chargable with folly in this respect. It is a Scripture Expression, Wise as an Angel of God. Nevertheless▪ the wise Angels are and alwayes were the Subjects of a ••mparative folly: compared with the only wise God, they are foolish things. And when once they sinned, they were to be charged with infinite folly. For them to offend and fall out with their Omnipotent Creator, and by loosing his favour to loose their own happiness, was stupendous folly in the fallen Angels. As for the particular sin, which the Apostate Angels were guilty o•, the Scripture is not so clear in revealing what it was; and therefore it is not for us to be positive in the determination of it. Nevertheless, it is very probable, that God might try their Obedience unto the Moral Law, by some positive Precept o• other. As he tryed mans Obedience by that positive Precept respecting the forbidden fruit on the Tree of knowledge of good & evil: so we may conceive, that he tryed the Obedience ⟨p. 109⟩of the Angels, by some positive Precept. It is also a probable conjecture, that the Lord told them (and Commanded them) that they should all be Ministring Spirits for man, and that this they would not stoop unto, man being far their inferiour. To be sure there was pride in the sin which the Angels became guilty of, as indeed there is in every sin. Hence it is said, that a Bishop must n•t be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil.
