Christianismus primitivus, or, The ancient Christian religion, in its nature, certainty, excellency, and beauty, (internal and external) particularly considered, asserted, and vindicated from the many abuses which have invaded that sacred profession, by humane innovation, or pretended revelation comprehending likewise the general duties of mankind, in their respective relations : and particularly the obedience of all Christians to magistrates, and the necessity of Christian-moderation about things dispensible in matters of religion : with divers cases of conscience discussed and resolved / by Thomas Grantham ...

SECT. III. Of the dreadful Apostacy of some of the Angels.

The Apostacy of some (and that very many) of these glorious Crea∣tures, is evidently set down in Sacred History; and most clearly in the New Testament. Our Saviour, John 8. 44. informs us, That the Devil was a Murtherer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth; and saith; He is a lyer, and the Father of it; alluding hereby to the first entrance of Sin into the World, through the Devil's instigation, when he contradi∣cted God, Gen. 3. 4. Ye shall not surely die, though God had said they should surely die. This Moses leaveth, with the mention of the Serpent, not expressing any thing of the Apostacy of the Angels in this place; which our Saviour fully openeth, and the same doth the Apostle allude to, 2 Cor. 11. 3. which is yet further explained, Rev. 12. 9. & 20. 3. That old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the World.

Many and very strange are the Opinions of Learned Men, both Hea∣thens, Jews, and Christians, touching this Matter, as Plato, Josephus;

Cyrillus, whose Opinions are recounted by Dr. Willet in his Hexapla in Genesen; to which I refer the curious Reader, and do rest satisfied in this, that here we so plainly find the defection of the Angels, from that good Estate wherein they were created; for of them it's said, 2 Pet. 2. 4. God spared not the Angels that sinned. And as they at the first made use of the Serpent's Organ, from thence to reverberate Falshood; so have they since spoken through Idols, but most of all through evil Men, to the seduction of the World, and the estranging them from the Obe∣dience due to their Creator. Thus those wretched Spirits, by these wick∣ed Engines, do even to this day militate, or fight, against the Fear of the Lord, and all Vertue, having a Prince or chief Devil among them cal∣led Beelzebub. Not that the other Infernal Spirits are subject to him to do his Will, for we read not any such Power or Authority given to one De∣vil over another: But most probably he was an Angel of an higher Or∣der, and so became a Ring-leader out of the Truth, so that the whole is often denominated as from him. As when it is said, Job 1. 7. The Devil compassed the Earth, walking up and down in it: It is necessarily to be supposed, That the whole Fraternity of the Devils was Active in that mischievous Perambulation: for they have one mind, (as our Savi∣our intimates, That Satan doth not cast out Satan) and manage one common design of mischief, as the unanswerableness of Men in their walkings towards God, gives them opportunity; Deut. 32. 17. They sa∣crificed to Devils, and not to God. And for this cause the Lord is said to send evil Angels among them, Psal. 78. 49. For when Men chuse their own ways, then God doth in judgment chuse their Delusions, and brings their fear upon them, Isa. 66. 3, 4.

This dreadful Apostacy of the Angels, caused a most sad change in the new-made World: and may strike with amazement the most conside∣rate Christian; that he that is most Wise and Omnipotent, should suffer so great a change to befal so glorious a Work in so short a time, and that by his own Servants, or Creatures, whom he had set in a good Estate! But here we must stop our Imaginations, and know it is not of concernment to us to know the occasion of the fall of Angels, about which some have thought this, another that; but it's certainly the way to avoid Error herein, to content our selves not to know it; whilst to assert any thing this way, or that, is almost a sure way to err. God knew how much Wis∣dom and Strength was fit to be committed to his Creatures respectively, and was not bound to make them stand in that state of necessity; he may do what he pleaseth with his own. That the Sin of the Angels was very great, is evident, not only from our Saviour's description of it, John 8. but also from the nature of their Punishment, God having shut them up in Chains under darkness to the Judgment of the great Day, without the least tender of Mercy; whilst Mankind (whose Sin was great) hath a Remedy offered. How their Sin was circumstanced, do not wish to know, sith it is too well known, That what Sin Men do know, they are too apt to imitate, yea, too often study to find out more. If thou knew the Sin of Angels, how knowest thou but thou shouldst commit it, and then how couldst thou escape their Condemnation? It is then a great mercy,

that of all mischief the Devils do, they are not permitted to divulge this their most black and dreadful Impiety to Men, who yet for all that find too many ways to sin themselves out of the reach of Pardon: for such Sins there are, and they that commit them, seem to vie with the Devils in their most rebellious Impieties. Great is the number of these Diabolical Spirits, Luke 8. 30. Our Name (say they) is Legion, for we are many. And sith the whole world is said to be deceived by the Devil, it must needs be that the Multitude is very great; for we must not imagine that one created Spirit can infuse it self through the Universe at the same instant, that being only proper to the Godhead to fill all places at the same time with his presence: But all Creatures, even Angels themselves, are finite, and admit of motion from place to place, and cannot know things uni∣versally: So that the number of these Spirits supplies more than enough their other deficiences to do mischief.