fplendid and shining Judgments of God, who is a Burning-Lamp, (Fire) which are wont to pass between the divided, and even oppofite Conditions of which this whole Frame confifts: For it is thus written

And Burning-Lamps paffed between the diffected Animals, to the end that you might know that the divine Potentates can pass through the midst of Things and Bodies, without hurting them; for the divided Parts remain unhurt, and feveral Natures are aptly divided by these Potentates."

Of fupernumerary Beings, p. 270. "For among created things in this mundane Frame, Heaven or the Air is the Holy Place where immortal and ever-living Beings walk about. P. 345. There is alfo in the Air a facred Choir of incorporeal Souls, the Attendants of the Celeftial, whom the divine Oracles call Angels. This whole Army ranked into its several Corps, executes the Orders of its Commander in Chief; and obeys, as is its Duty, the One fupreme Sovereign: Nor is there found in all these Forces a fingle Deferter from his Corps. The King furrounded with these his Minifters, employs them in fuch Affairs as it is not fit for God himself to meddle with :

For

For though the Father of all ftands in need of no Affistance when he wills to do any thing, yet he fees what becomes him, and what his Creatures; and he fuffers these his fubject Potentates to act in some things, but gives them not a plenary Power, left they should make bungling Work of the Formation of things.-The primary Divifion of the Nature of Animals is into Parts oppofite to each other, the brute and rational: The rational is again fubdivided into mortal and immortal Species: Mankind is the mortal Species, the immortal is the Species of incorporcal Souls, which dwell in the Heaven and Air. Thefe are free from Vices, having obtained from the Beginning an happy Allotment, fubject to no Calamitics-God, when he communicates to his Under-Agents his Will, faying, Let us make Man, thereby intimates that Man's Rectitude and good Qualities are to be imputed to God the fole Author; his Sins, or (ill Qualities) to others. For it was not becoming God to fow the Seeds of Wickedness in the rational Soul, and therefore he committed that Part to the Workmanship of his Minifters. For the Complement of the whole Work required that the Contraries of voluntary

and

and involuntary fhould be joined together, &c.-For it becomes God's Works to be fuitable to his Nature; perfect, must ptoduce perfect: So the Punishment of wicked Men must be executed by his inferior Minifters" (To prove this cites Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. and then fays)" hence it appears that the Good which nourishes the Souls of fuch as follow after Virtue, has God alone for its Author; but that the Portion of Evil is committed to Angels (and thefe have not the full Power of punishing) left his faving and merciful Difpofition might be an Occafion to any to go on in their deftructive Ways: Wherefore he fays (Gen. xi. 7.) Let us go down and confound; this Cenfure the Wicked deserve, but the Punishment was to be inflicted by his benificent, benign, and propitious Potentates: Which God knowing to be falutary to Mankind, inflicted by others. P. 216. There are in the Air - other Powers or Potentates not perceptible by any of our Senfes. This is an Affembly of incorporiate Souls, ranged into different Orders: Some are configned to mortal Bodies, and after a certain Period are fet at Liberty again: Some having a more divine Cloathing allotted them, difdain the

Earth:

Earth: The pureft Souls inhabit on high near the very Ether, and these the Greek Philofophers call Heroes: But Mofes, by a Name taken from their Office, Meffengers, or Legates, because they are the Meffengers of good things from the chief King to his Subjects, and according to their Neceffities make Interceffion to him for them*: P. 1153. These Souls, Demons and Angels differ in Name, but confider them as one and the fame thing, and you will be freed from that dead Weight of Superftition: For as the Vulgar divide thefe Demons into good and evil one, fo likewife do they, Souls. P. P. 1134. And fo fome of the Angels are worthy of that Appellation of good, as being the Mediators between Men and God, and between God and Man; and on Account of this their commendable and good Miniftry are ftiled holy and facred. Others again, if thou thinkeft profane and unworthy of this Appellation, thou wilt not think amifs. P. 286. Those who are called good, are Meffengers who go to and fro between God and Men, and are holy on account of their unblameable and honourable Office: Others on the contrary, are profane and wicked, whom you may juftly call abominable (cites above and here)Pfal. lxxvii. 49.

Here is the Rife of Saint-Worship.

for

for Proof.) P. 586. The Heaven or Air he has filled with Stars, for each of these is not only faid to be animated, but to be the pureft Mind-Some of these, such as are nearer to the Earth, and Lovers of Bodies, defcend in order to be joined to mortal Bodies. Others return above, being feparated after a certain Period from Body: And of these, fome being fmit with the Defire of this mortal Life, return again to it. Others weary of this vain World have called the Body a Prison and Grave, and fly from it as from a Dungeon or Sepulchre; and with light Wings feeking the fublime Ether, spend their Time there in divine Contemplation. There are indeed fome of the Purcft and moft Excellent of all whose Wisdom is of an higher and diviner Nature, who defpifing low and carthly things are the Ministers of the Omnipotent, the Eyes and Ears as it were of the great King, feeing and hearing all things. Thefe, other Philofophers call De-mons or Genii; but the holy Word Meffengers, and by a very proper Name: For they are the Go-betweens to carry the Commands of the Father to the Sons, and the Prayers of the Sons to the Father *. Therefore they are introduced as afcending and * Another good Apology for Saint-Worship.

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