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THE TVVELFTH BOOKE▪ OF THE CITTIE OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
Of the nature of good and euill Angels. CHAP. 1.
BEfore I speake of the creation of man, wherein (in respect of mor∣tall reasonable creatures) the two Citties had their originall, as we shewed in the last booke of the Angels: (to shew as well as wee can) the congruity and conuenience of the society of Men with Angels: and that there are not foure, but rather two societies of Men and Angels qualitied alike, and combined in eyther, the one consisting both of good Angels and Men, and the other of euill: that the contrariety of desires betweene the Angels good and euill arose from their diuers natures and beginnings, wee may at no hand beleeue: God hauing beene alike good in both their creations, and in all things beside them. But this diuersity ariseth from their wils: some of them persisting in God, their common good, and in his truth, loue and eternity: and other some delighting more in their owne power, as though it were from them-selues, fell from that common al-bles∣sing good to dote vppon their owne: and taking pride for eternity, vayne de∣ceit for firme truth, and factious enuy for perfect loue, became proud; deceiptfull and enuious. The cause of their beatitude was their adherence with GOD; their must their miseries cause bee the direct contrary, namely, their not adhe∣rence with GOD. Wherefore if when wee are asked why they are blessed, and wee answere well, because they stucke fast vnto GOD, and beeing asked why they are wretched, wee answere well, because they stucke not vnto GOD: Then is there no beatitude for any reasonable or vnderstanding creature to attaine, but in God. So then though all creatures cannot bee blessed, for beastes, trees, stones, &c. are incapable hereof; yet those that are, are not so of them-selues, beeing created of nothing, but they haue it from the Creator. Attayning him they are happy, loosing him, vnhappy: But hee him-selfe is good onely of him-selfe, and therefore cannot loose his good, because hee cannot loose him-selfe. * 1.1 Therefore the one, true blessed God, wee say is the onely immutable good: and those thinges hee made, are good also, because they are from him, but they are •…•…able because they were made of nothing. Wherefore though they bee not the cheefe goods, God beeing aboue them, yet are they great, in beeing able to adhere vnto the cheefe good, and so bee happy, without which adherence, they cannot but bewrteched Nor are other parcels of the creation better, in that they cannot bee wretched: For wee cannot say our other members are better thē our eies in that they cannot be blind▪ but euen as sensitiue nature in the worst plight, is better then the insensible stone: so is the reasonable (albeit miserable) aboue the brutish, that cannot therefore bee miserable. This being so, then this nature created in such excellence, that though it bee mutable yet by inherence with God that vnchangeable good, it may become blessed: Nor satisfieth the own neede without blessednesse, nor hath any meanes to attayne this blessenesse