ſwéete ſhewings, as ſaith Ambroſe. Lu. 1.ibi. Ve timeas Zacharias, &c. A fiend or euill Angell doth the contrarye, for whome he affraieth with his preſence, he ſmiteth them with more dreadfull feare, as ſaith Ambroſe. Alſo an Angell is ſeene when he will. And when he will he is hid from mans ſight, as ſaith S. Ambroſe in the ſame place. Alſo an Angell when he will taketh a bodye couenable to his working, that he maye bée ſéene: and when he hath done his office, he ſeaueth that body that he tooke.[1]Iud. 14. Euanuit, &c. And the ſpirit of the Lord began to ſtrengthen him in the hoſt of Dan[2], And the ſpirit of the Lord came vppon him, and hee went downe to Aſcalon. Alſo though an Angell tooke a body for any needfull dooing, hée doth not quicken that bodye, neither giueth thereto lyfe, but onely he moueth it. And ſo ſometime it ſeemeth, that hée eateth and drinketh as a man, and yet be eateth not neither drinketh: But by his might he deſtroieth and waſheth the meate, as appeareth. Tobie. 12. Where it is ſaid. It ſeemed that the Angell eate & dranke, &c. Alſo an Angell eateth for no néede, but only by might. For as Auſten ſaith vpon Luke, the laſt Chapter. The Sunne beame waſteth the water by might, but the earth ſwalloweth by neceſſitie, And ſo eating was by might touching the ſhewing of the meate and the waſting, but it was not néedfull to the féeding of the body. So theſe light things and plaine, that be ſaid of good Angelles ſhall ſuffice at this time.
¶ Of euill Angells. Chap. 19.
[3]As a good Angell is giuen to men for helpe and kéeping, ſo to euerye man is giuen an euill Angell to aſſailing & attempting. The head of theſe euill ſpirites and leader, is Lucifer, the which as Gregory ſaith, hath that ſame, for he was made more cléere and height then other Angells. For the firſt Angell was beautified as a precious ſtone for whileſt he was aboue all the companies of Angells, by compariſon he was the more bright and cléere then they. But he waring proud againſt his Creator, loſt light and cléereneſſe, and faireneſſe: and as he was worthy, he gate him a foule darke ſhape of Apoſtacie. Thereof ſpeaketh Damas. li. 1. Chap. 18. Of theſe vertues of Angelles, he that was aboue other, and to whome God had committed the charge of the earth, was not made euill by kind, but good, and of the maker, no fire of maltice in himſelfe, not ſuffering the illumination and worſhip, that the maker had giuen him: by election and choiſe of his owne frée aduiſement, hée turned out of kinde into a thing that is aboue kinde: and became a rebel againſt God, and failing of the firſt good, came into euill. Et infra. He was of the creator made light, and by his owne will he became darkneſſe. Alſo with him was ſent out an endleſſe multitude of Angels, that followed him, and were ordeined vnder him, and wilfullye became euill, and fell out of good into euill. Alſo it is ſayd, that they haue no power neither vertue againſt men, except it be graunted by the diſpoſition and ſufferaunce of God: But by ſufferance of God they diſguiſe themſelues, and take what manner Image, figure, or ſhape them liketh. Then it ſeemeth that all mallice and vncleane thoughts come of their dooing, the which they may put in mans thought: But they may not doe to: men by violence & ſtrength. Alſo that death of men is a chaunge of life, the alterations of Angels loſſe of ſon. After fliding, Angels lack the cléere proſēce of God, as after death men lacke life. Hetherto be Damaſcenes words. Alſo Gregory ſaith, that grace hath forſaken him, and he abideth obſtinate in mallice, ſo that by his will, hee will nothing that is good. He hath frée aduiſement, but it is borne downe, and bendeth alway to euill, without ceaſing: So that alway he forſaketh the good and chooſeth the euill. Therefore it happened as Caſſidore ſayth, he willed and coueted to vſurp ouer the Godhead; and therby loſt proſperitie: alſo becauſe he in an vndue manner coueted highneſſe, that belonged not to him, therefore by a right decrée he fell downe into a lowe place.
