Quest. 35. Of the apparition of Angels in humane shape, what manner of bodies they appeared in.
Because the opinion of the most is, that this was an Angel, which was here seene in the middes of the fornace by Nebuchadnezzar, it shall not be amisse to insert something of their manner of apparition.
1. That Angels, yea and the sonne of God himselfe sometime appeared visibly vnto men, though in their nature they are invisible spirits, it is most euident by the manifold visions and apparitions, which were shewed vnto the Patriarches, and Prophets, so that this needeth no further proofe.
2. They appeared not in shewe onely, as it were in imaginarie, and fantasticall bodies, as Marcion held, whom Tertullian confuteth, but in verie sensible and palpable bodies, which might be felt, handled, and touched: such bodies had those Angels, which came vnto Lot.
3. Nor yet were their bodies taken out of any celestiall matter, such as the starres are made of, which was the fansie of Apelles, whom Tertullian confuteth, lib. de carne Christ. but rather they consisted of some terrene matter, because their bodies were palbable, and they did eate and drinke.
4. Neither were these the proper bodies of Angels, which are of a spirituall nature: we must not thinke, Angelos propriam carnem gestasse, that the Angels did beare their owne flesh, neither was it hypostatically vnited vnto them, as part of their person, but as Augu∣stine saith, tanquam vestes sumebant & dep••nebant, they did assume them, and lay them downe againe as garments.
5. Great difference there was betweene the bodies, wherein the Angels appeared, and the bodie which Christ walked in: for this bodie Christ tooke by birth; so did not the An∣gels, as Tertullian saith, non venerant mori, ideo nec nasci, they came not to die, therefore they needed not to be borne.
6. And some difference there was betweene the bodies, which the Angels assumed, and wherein Christ manifested himselfe in the olde testament: for Christ made vnto him a bodie for the time of nothing, and layd it downe againe, as it pleased him: but the Angels could not make their bodies, but they were prepared of God, either of nothing, or out of some preexistent matter: but this beginning rather their bodies had, the other of nothing was Christs: Tertullian then hath here a bold assertion, proprium esse Angelicae potestatis, ex nulla materia sibi corpus sumere, that it is proper vnto the Angelicall power to take vnto them a bodie of no matter, &c. but this power belongeth onely to the creator.
7. Now these bodies, if they were made of nothing, they were annihilated againe; if out of some matter, they were resolued againe into it, as Tertullian saith, corpus Angelorum ea∣dem ratione interceptum est, qua & editum, the bodie of Angels was by the same meanes in∣tercepted, and dissolued, by the which it was made and came forth: si non fuit initium vi∣sibile, nec finis, as the beginning of them was not visible, so no more the ende, Polan.