World was, or of old, or from Everlasting. See Sect. L. LI. LII.

XXXIV. And as God may communicate what Proportions he pleases of his Attributes, to the different Gradations of created Beings, with which he hath been pleased to fill the Universe: Each of thefe, with regard to Beings of their own Species, may have fuch Faculties and Properties communicated to them, as may render them knowable to each other. But, with regard to Beings of a different Nature, those of a fuperior, or more excellent Kind, may not be cognifable, by Beings of an inferior Order; though Beings of an inferior Kind may be eafily cognisable to thofe of a more exalted Nature; the Properties of the one being of too exquifite and delicate a Frame and Contexture, to affect the Perception or ftrike the Senfes of the other. And hence it is, that human Beings may be furrounded with Myriads of fpiritual Agents, without ever being fenfible thereof; unless thofe fuperior Beings are pleafed to affume fuch Forms, and condefcend to furnish themfelves with fuch Qualifications, as are capable of making an Impreffion on the human

Spirit from within, or the human Senses from without.

XXXV. Hefiod, one of the firft Heather Authors extant, fuppofeth Myriads of invi fible Spirits cloathed in Air, attending upon this terreftrial Globe, and employed as Angels, that is, Messengers, between the great God and Mankind, obferving their Actions, And reporting them to Jupiter. And [5] Plato fays, that "Saturn well knowing "there was no Man who could have "abfolute Empire over others, without "abandoning himself to all Kinds of Vio"lence and Injuftice, fubjected the Nations "not to Men, but to more noble and ex"cellent Beings, as their Lords and Go"vernors; namely to [6] Dæmons, or intelligent Spirits, of a more divine and "better Nature than themselves, after the "fame Manner, as we deal with our Cat

σε

[5] Plato, de Leg. lib. iv.

[6] ̓Αλλὰ γίνεις θειοτέρα τε καὶ αμείνονος, Δαίμονας. By the Word Demon, we are not to understand Evil-Spirits, as it hath been vulgarly thought to mean; but rather happy ones, the Word Aai, Demon, originally fignifying happy. But as thofe Spirits to which the Heathen gave the Appellation of happy, have been deemed by Chriftians to be rather unhappy and evil Spirits; therefore this Word is generally misapplied,

tle :

"tle: For, as we do not fet a Bull over "an whole Herd of his own Kind, nor a "Goat to govern a Flock of Goats; but

put those of both Kinds, under the Con"duct of a Man; fo God, who loves Mankind, placed them, at firft, under "the Conduct of Angels."

XXXVI. The [7] Greeks, it is certain, and Plato, in particular, borrowed many of their theological Sentiments from the Hebrews; among whom this, of a Number of invifible Spirits attending upon this Globe of Earth, and prefiding over States and Kingdoms, was certainly one. For the Opinion of the Jews upon this Head was, that Almighty God, the first Author and Creator of all Things, was of fo transcendent a Nature, that, before he created Beings of the lowest Rank, he produced an infinite Variety of Beings, in a gradual Defcent, which were still greater and fuperior to others, who yet were employed by him to act in a middle Station, between him and the lower Productions of his Almighty Power. The Septuagint Tranflation of the Bible therefore renders that Paffage in [7] See Eufeb. Prap. Evang. p. 507. D

the

the Song of Mofes, which is mentioned, Deut. xxxii. 8, 9. after this Manner: Ak thy Father, and he will fhew thee; thy Elders, and they will tell thee: When the Moft High divided to the Nations their Inheritance; When be feparated the Sons of Adam, he fet the Bounds of the Nations according to the Number of the Angels of God, and the Lord's Portion is his People Jacob, the [8] Line of his Inheritance Ifrael. And the wife Son of Sirach faith, [9] For in the Divifion of the Nations of the whole Earth, God fet a Ruler (or Governing Angel) over every People; but Ifrael is the Lord's Portion. The Jews accordingly supposed some of these Angels to have been appointed as Guardian or Governing Spirits [1], over the feveral Nations of the Earth; and that the Portion of Ifrael was particularly committed to the Care of that Being, who is here denoted by the Name of the Lord.

[8] Or Boundary. See 1 Cor. x. 16.

[9] Ecclus xvii. 17.

[1] It appears alfo from Clemens Alexandrinus, that this was the Opinion of the Chriftian Church in his Time. See Clem. Alex. Strom. p. 309, 822, 828, 830, 832. Edit. Oxon. Pot.

XXXVII. It

XXXVII. It ought to be acknowledged, however, that the Words here quoted out of the Book of Deuteronomy, as rendered by the Septuagint, do not exactly agree with the Hebrew Copy of the Bible. For, according to the Hebrew, it fhould run thus: When the Most High divided the Nations, when he separated the Sons of Adam, he jet the Bounds of the Nations according to the Number of the Children of Ifrael, and JEHOVAH's Portion is his People: Jacob is the Lot of bis Inheritance. But it should be observed, that although this Separation, or Difperfion of the Sons of Adam, this fettling the Bounds of the Nations, was a Tranfaction which came to pafs long be fore Ifrael had any Children to number, or was even himself in Being; yet the Commentators have taken much Pains to reconcile this Text with the Matter of Fact; and to make the' Number of the various Nations upon Earth, agree with the Number of the Children of Ifrael; which, nevertheless, they have not been able to accomplish: For, if the Number of the Children of Ifrael be computed by the Number of his immediate Defcendents, which were