All, righteous and unrighteous, shall be judged.

119

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above, not the things which are upon earth: for ye have died, DEFIDE and your life is hid with Christ in God. However, that SPE ET which we confess concerning Christ as future; how that He TATE. is to come from Heaven, to judge the quick and dead, relates liv. not to that life of ours which is lived here; in that neither is it among the things which He hath done, but among those which He is to do, at the end of the world. To this belongs what the Apostle goes on to add: When Christ our life shall have appeared, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. But that He will judge the quick and the dead may be lv. understood in two ways: either to understand by the quick them whom His coming shall find not yet dead, but still living in this flesh; but by the dead, them who, before His coming, have departed, or are to depart, from the body: or whether by the living the just, by the dead the unjust: since the just also shall be judged. For at times the judgment of God is used in an evil sense; whence is that saying, But they who have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment1: at times also in a good sense, according to that1 so Gr. which is said, O God, in Thy Name save me, and in Thy Ps.54,1. Forasmuch as by the judgment of God

might judge me. takes place that very separation of the good and bad, that the good, being to be freed from evil, not to be destroyed with the evil persons, may be set apart at the right hand. Mat. 25, By reason of which he cried out, Judge me, O God: and as if setting forth what he had said, And separate, says he, my Ps.43,1. cause from a nation not holy.

32. 33.

15. But now when we have spoken concerning Jesus Christ lvi. the only Son of God, our Lord, what pertains to the brevity of confession, we thereunto add that we believe also in the Holy Ghost, that that Trinity may be complete, Which is God: then next the Holy Church is mentioned. Whereby it is given to understand, that, after mention made of the Creator, that is, of the supreme Trinity, it were fitting to subjoin the reasonable creation pertaining to that Jerusalem Gal. 4, which is free. Seeing that whatsoever hath been spoken concerning the man Christ, pertaineth unto the unity of Person of the Only-begotten. Therefore the right order of confession demanded, that to the Trinity the Church should be subjoined, as to Him that dwelleth therein His own house,

26.

120 The Church in Heaven and Earth God's Temple.

ENCHI- to God His own Temple, to the Founder His own city. RIDION Which is here to be understood as a whole, not only in respect 1 al. of that part wherein she sojourneth' upon earth, from the sojourn rising of the sun even unto its setting, praising the name of eth.' the Lord, and after its captivity of the old estate singing a

(which

Ps. 113,

3.

new song; but also of that which in Heaven ever, from the time that it was created, hath cleaved unto God, neither hath experienced in itself any evil of falling. This in the holy Angels continueth blessed, and, as is fitting, helpeth that part of itself which is a sojourner: because both will be one by partaking in common of eternity, and are now one by the bond of charity, being that it was wholly instituted for the worship of the One God. Wherefore neither doth the whole, nor any part of it, will that it be worshipped in the place of God, nor that it be a God to any one who belongs to the Temple of God, which is built out of gods whom the uncreated God creates. And so the Holy Ghost, if He were creature, not Creator, would assuredly be a reasonable creature; for that is the highest creature. And therefore in the Rule of Faith He would not be placed before the Church, in that He Himself also would pertain unto the Church in respect of that part of it which is in Heaven. Nor would He have a temple, but Himself also would be a temple. But a temple 1 Cor. 6, He hath, concerning Whom the Apostle says, Know ye not, that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God? Concerning whom in another Cor. 6, place he says, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? How then is not He God, Who hath a temple? or less than Christ, Whose members He hath as a temple? For neither is His temple other than the temple of God, in 1 Cor. 3, that the same Apostle says, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? in order to prove which He adds, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. God therefore dwelleth in His temple, not only the Holy Ghost, but also the Father and the Son, Who also concerning His own Body, (whereby He was made the Head of the Church, which is among men, Col. 1, that He may be in all things holding the preeminence,) says, John 2, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The temple therefore of God, that is of the whole supreme Trinity, is the Holy Church, [the Church,] that is, universal

19.

15.

16.

18.

19.

What we know of Angels, and what not.

121

SPE ET

13.

2.

Hosts.

in Heaven and on earth. But concerning that which is in DEFIDE Heaven, what can we affirm, but only that there is in it no CARIone that is evil, nor hath any one since fallen thence, or TATE. is about to fall, from the time that God spared not the Angels lvii. 2 Pet.2, sinning, as writes the Apostle Peter, but thrusting them forth 4. delivered them unto prisons of darkness of hell, to be reserved unto punishment in judgment. But of what nature that most lviii. blessed and lofty society is, what differences there are there of preeminencies in them, so that, all being named, as it were, by a general name Angels, (as in the Epistle to the Hebrews we read: For to which of the Angels said He at Heb. 1, any time, Sit on My right hand, seeing that in this manner he shewed universally that all are called Angels,) there yet are there Archangels, and whether these same Archangels are called Powers; and so it was said, Praise Him, all His Ps. 148, Angels; Praise Him, all His Powers'; as if it were said, virtutes 'Praise Him all His Angels, Praise Him all His Archangels;' E. V. and how those four words differ one from another, wherein the Apostle seems to have embraced the whole of that heavenly society, saying, Whether they be Thrones, or Col. 1, Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, let them speak 2 Poteswho are able, yet so that they be able to prove what they tates. say I confess that I am ignorant of these things. But neither am I assured of that other, whether the sun and moon and all stars belong to that same society; although to some they seem to be shining bodies, not bodies possessing sense and understanding. And also of Angels, who can lix. explain, with what kind of bodies they have appeared to men, so as not only to be seen, but also to be touched; and, again, not by bodily bulk, but by spiritual power, they bring certain visions, not to the bodily eyes, but to the spiritual, i. e. to minds; or speak something not to the ear from without, but within to the soul of man, themselves also having their place there: as is written in the Book of the Prophets, And the Angel who was speaking in me said unto Zech. 1, me; for he says not, who was speaking to me, but in me, or also appear in dreams, and converse after the manner of dreams; we have for example in the Gospel, Behold, the Mat. 1, Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in dreams, saying?

i Ben.' in animo,' in the mind.' Mss. animæ.

16.

9.

20.

4. and

19, 2.

solidà.'

24.

122 Hard questions. What deceits of Satan dangerous.

ENCHI- For in this manner the Angels as it were point out that they RIDION have not bodies which may be handled: and cause it to be a Gen. 18, difficult question, how the Fathers washed their feet, how Jacob wrestled with the Angel with handling so palpable'. 1tam, When these inquiries are made, and each one, as he can, Gen. 32, conjectures concerning them, the abilities are exercised not without profit, if only the disputation be moderate, and there be not there the error of them who think that they know what they know not. For what need is there, that these and such 2 cum like things be affirmed, or denied, or defined with contention2, mine. when without reprehension3 one may be ignorant of them? 16. It is more necessary to distinguish and discern when lx. Satan transforms himself as an angel of light, lest deceiving 2 Cor. us, he lead us astray unto some hurtful things. For when he 11, 14. deceives the bodily senses, and yet moves not the mind from

discri

3' sine

crimine.

lxi.

that true and right thinking, whereby each one lives the life of faith, there is no danger in religion: or when feigning himself to be good, he says or does those things which are suitable with good angels, even if he be believed to be good, it is not an error which endangers or infects Christian faith. When, however, by means of these things which are not his, he begins to lead us unto his own, then to discern him, and not to follow after him, is matter of great and necessary watchfulness. But how few of men are able to escape his deadly guiles, unless God do guide and protect them! And the very difficulty in this matter is hereunto useful, that each man be not a hope unto himself, neither one man unto another, but God unto all that are His. For that this is rather expedient for us, no pious person at all can doubt.

This Church then which standeth in the holy Angels and Powers of God, will then at length become known to us as it is, when at the last we shall have been joined with it, to possess together with it eternal blessedness. That part however which is separate from it and sojourning upon earth, is thereby the more known to us, in that we are in it, and in that it is of men, which we also are. This, by the Blood of a Mediator Who had no sin, hath been redeemed from all Rom. 8, sin, and her words are, If God for us, who against us? Who hath not spared His own Son, but hath delivered Him up for us all. For not for the Angels hath Christ died. But

31. 32.

Peace in Heaven and Earth through Christ's Sacrifice. 123

SPE ET

10.

therefore is it done even for Angels, whosoever of men are by DEFIDE His death redeemed and freed from evil, in that they in some CARIsort return into favour with them, after the enmities which TATE. their sins have caused between men and the holy Angels, and from the very redemption of men the losses of the fall of the Angels are repaired. And assuredly the holy Angels lxii. know, being taught of God, in the eternal contemplation of Whose truth they are blessed, what number from among the human race to fill it up, that City waiteth for ere it be complete. Wherefore the Apostle says, That all things are Eph. 1, restored in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are in earth, in Him. Inasmuch as they are restored which are in heaven, when that which in the Angels hath fallen thence, is given back from among men: but they are restored which are in earth, when the very men-who have been predestinated to eternal life, are renewed from their old state of corruption. And so by that single Sacrifice wherein a Mediator hath been slain, of which one Sacrifice many victims in the Law were figures, things heavenly are set at peace with things earthly, and things earthly with things heavenly. Since, as the same Apostle says, In Him it hath pleased Him that all Col. 1, fulness should dwell, and that by Him all things should be reconciled unto Himself, making peace by the Blood of His Cross, whether they that be in earth or that be in heaven. That peace surpasseth, as it is written, all understanding, lxiii. nor can it be known by us, save only when we shall have Phil. 4, come unto those things. For how are heavenly things made at peace, except with us, that is, by agreeing with us? For there is peace there ever, to the whole of the reasonable creatures, both one with another, and with their Creator. Which peace surpasseth, as has been said, all understanding; surely, however, ours, not that of them who see the face of the Father. But we, however great human understanding there be in us, know in part, and see now as by a glass in a riddle: 1 Cor. but when we shall be equal with the Angels of God, then, in Luke20, like manner as they, we shall see face to face and shall have 36. as great peace towards them, as they also towards us, in that we shall love them as greatly as we are loved by them. And so their peace will be known to us, in that ours also will be such and so great, nor will it then surpass our under

19. 20.

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13, 12.