The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes.

About this Item

Title
The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes.
Author
Sikes, George.
Publication
[London :: s.n.],
Printed in the yeer 1667.
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Subject terms
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
Conduct of life -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62084.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The book of nature translated and epitomiz'd. By George Sikes." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62084.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 1, 2024.

Pages

SECT. II.
The sin of Angels.

ANgels sin'd before men. Sin and depravation were first found in intellectual nature. Ange∣lical nature sin'd without any instigation to evil, by any superiour nature, already fallen. Humane nature sin'd and fell by the instigation of angeli∣cal, the highest kind of created nature, already fal∣len. Sin therefore was first in angelical nature. For, till angels were sinners, they would not tempt man to sin.

Sin was brought into humane nature, diffe∣rently from the way it entred into angelical. It

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was first brought into the weaker part, the wo∣man: then, by her into the man; and so, into all mankind. 'T is the right method in the art of tempting, to assault the weaker part, for entrance. When evil is to be introduced by way of instiga∣tion, this is the surest course. But the evil of ange∣lical nature, entred first into the stronger part; then, by it, into the weaker; because that nature sin'd and fell of its own proper motion, without any instigation from another. The stronger, more excellent and capacious angel, whose will was of the most flexible, active temper, was most apt to assume unto himself a soveraign and uncontrolled excercise of his own will, in a proud and presump∣tuous opposition to God's, with an ERO SIMILIS ALTISSIMO, I wilbe like the most high. This was the case of the Luciferian head of the fallen an∣gels.

The evil of sin then may seem to have begun in him that by creation was the most excellent of all the other angels that fell. They fell by freely and instantly complying with his rebellious will. In humane nature, man, the stronger part, became evil, by adhering to and complying with the wea∣ker, the woman's disorder'd will. Angelical na∣ture first fin'd. By that, was the woman tempted: by her, the man. So sin entred upon all mankind:

The chief evil angel, proudly exalted himself and his will, into competition with God and his; and so became the first capital enemy of God. He

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affected soveraignty: he would not remain sub∣ject to any superiour will. He erected a kingdom, empire, and dominion within himself, against the Kingdom, empire, and dominion of God. And he presently became obstinate, resolute, and fixed in this deviation from and enmity against God. He can never return from it, to all eternity. Conse∣quently, will he ever hate and oppose, to the ut∣most, the will of his creatour, as most opposite to his. Thus came there to be two totally distinct, contrary, and opposite wills; the most absolutely pure and holy will of the omnipotent creatour, and the depraved will of the first angel that sinn'd. And the said leading angel, the devil, does con∣tend, with all his might, for the maintenance and defence of his own will, in opposition to God's. To these two contrary wills of God and the devil, are all other wills of men or angels reducible. E∣very will truly good, is joyn'd with the will of God; every evil will, with the will of the devil. All the other angels, that adhered unto, joyned with, and took complacency in the will of the devil, became fixedly one with him, so as that they cannot will any thing but what he will's. He is the head, they the members, in opposition to Michael and his angels. Rev. 12. 7. All the wills of of the good angels are bound up in a state of ever∣lasting and unchangable harmony with the will of their head, the head of all principality and power. The evil angels are a compacted army, resolved

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to fight for the defence of the depraved will of their head, and for the fulfilling thereof, in oppo∣sition to the will of God. The good angels are an opposite army, united with the will of their head, and contending for the fulfilling thereof, in oppo∣sition to the devil and his followers.

By how much the more high and excellent a creature the first angel that sinn'd was made, so much the more vile and inferiour did he become, by the voluntary corrupting of himself. He is the lowest, basest, and vilest of all creatur's. His will, perverted by pride and self-love, became the root, and fountain of all evils. When once his will was perverted, he resolved to employ the over-rea∣ching subtlety of his understanding, in all possible arts, methods, and wayes of delusion, for the de∣ceiving and drawing of men into the same perdi∣tion with himself. So much be spoken concerning the voluntary evil of the fallen angels; sin.

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