To mention all the places of the Old Testament where the name of angel is found would be too long.Therefore to comprehend them all at once,I say there is no text in that part of the Old Testament which the Church of England holdeth for canonical from which we can conclude there is,or hath been created,any permanent thing (understood by the name of spirit or angel)that hath not quantity,and that may not be by the understanding divided;that is to say,considered by parts;so as one part may be in one place,and the next part in the next place to it;and,in sum,which is not (taking body for that which is somewhat or somewhere)corporeal;but in every place the sense will bear the interpretation of angel for messenger;as John Baptist is called an angel,and Christ the Angel of the Covenant;and as (according to the same analogy)the dove and the fiery tongues,in that they were signs of God's special presence,might also be called angels.Though we find in Daniel two names of angels,Gabriel and Michael;yet it is clear out of the text itself that by Michael is meant Christ,not as an angel,but as a prince:and that Gabriel (as the like apparitions made to other holy men in their sleep)was nothing but a supernatural phantasm,by which it seemed to Daniel in his dream that two saints being in talk,one of them said to the other,"Gabriel,let us make this man understand his vision":for God needeth not to distinguish his celestial servants by names,which are useful only to the short memories of mortals.Nor in the New Testament is there any place out of which it can be proved that angels (except when they are put for such men as God hath made the messengers and ministers of His word or works)are things permanent,and withal incorporeal.That they are permanent may be gathered from the words of our Saviour himself where he saith it shall be said to the wicked in the last day,"Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels":which place is manifest for the permanence of evil angels (unless we might think the name of Devil and his angels may be understood of the Church's adversaries and their ministers);but then it is repugnant to their immateriality,because everlasting fire is no punishment to impatible substances,such as are all things incorporeal.Angels therefore are not thence proved to be incorporeal.In like manner where St.Paul says,"Know ye not that we shall judge the angels?"And II Peter,2.4,"For if God spared not the angels that sinned,but cast them down into hell";and "And the angels that kept not their first estate,but left their own habitation,he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the last day";though it prove the permanence of angelical nature,it confirmeth also their materiality.And,"In the resurrection men do neither marry,nor give in marriage,but are as the angels of God in heaven":but in the resurrection men shall be permanent,and not incorporeal;so therefore also are the angels.
There be diverse other places out of which may be drawn the like conclusion.To men that understand the signification of these words,substance and incorporeal (as incorporeal is taken not for subtle body,but for not body),they imply a contradiction:insomuch as to say,an angel or spirit is in that sense an incorporeal substance is to say,in effect,there is no angel nor spirit at all.Considering therefore the signification of the word angel in the Old Testament,and the nature of dreams and visions that happen to men by the ordinary way of nature,I was inclined to this opinion,that angels were nothing but supernatural apparitions of the fancy,raised by the special and extraordinary operation of God,thereby to make His presence and commandments known to mankind,and chiefly to His own people.But the many places of the New Testament,and our Saviour's own words,and in such texts wherein is no suspicion of corruption of the Scripture,have extorted from my feeble reason an acknowledgement and belief that there be also angels substantial and permanent.But to believe they be in no place,that is to say,nowhere,that is to say,nothing,as they,though indirectly,say that will have them incorporeal,cannot by Scripture be evinced.
