Herein we continue, from part 1, part 2, part 3, considering info on Angels in Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD). The fuller complete result consists of quotations of those sections within the text that refer to Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Devil, Satan, demons, serpent and dragon. The point is not to elucidate these references but to provide relevant partial quotations and citations. See my section on Angels here, Cherubim and Seraphim here, Satan here and Demons here.
Angels in Augustine of Hippo’s The City of God, Book VII-VIII.
Book VII
Chapter 30 For although they can be nothing without Him, they are not what He is. He does also many things through Angels; but only from Himself does He beatify Angels. So also, though He send Angels to men for certain purposes, He does not for all that beatify men by the good inherent in the Angels, but by Himself, as He does the Angels themselves.
Chapter 32 This mystery of eternal life, even from the beginning of the human race, was, by certain signs and sacraments suitable to the times, announced through Angels to those to whom it was meet.
Chapter 35 For Numa himself also, to whom no prophet of God, no holy Angel was sent, was driven to have recourse to hydromancy, that he might see the images of the gods in the water (or, rather, appearances whereby the demons made sport of him), and might learn from them what he ought to ordain and observe in the sacred rites.
Book VIII
Chapter 6 …that which adds to all these intelligence, as the life of man; or that which does not need the support of nutriment, but only maintains, feels, understands, as the life of Angels—all can only be through Him who absolutely is.
Chapter 11 Plato was not ignorant of those writings, is the answer which was given to the question elicited from the holy Moses when the words of God were conveyed to him by the Angel; for, when he asked what was the name of that God who was commanding him to go and deliver the Hebrew people out of Egypt.
Chapter 24 Hermes again comes back to the subject of the gods which men have made, saying as follows: “…they associated with it a suitable virtue borrowed from universal nature, and being incapable of making souls, they evoked those of demons or of Angels, and united them with these holy images and divine mysteries, in order that through these souls the images might have power to do good or harm to men”…When, however, they are permitted, it is not because they, being midway between men and the gods, have through the friendship of the gods great power over men; for these demons cannot possibly be friends to the good gods who dwell in the holy and heavenly habitation, by whom we mean holy Angels and rational creatures, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers, from whom they are as far separated in disposition and character as vice is distant from virtue, wickedness from goodness.
Chapter 25 Wherefore we must by no means seek, through the supposed mediation of demons, to avail ourselves of the benevolence or beneficence of the gods, or rather of the good Angels, but through resembling them in the possession of a good will, through which we are with them, and live with them, and worship with them the same God, although we cannot see them with the eyes of our flesh.
Chapter 26 …when invented, they associated the appropriate virtue which is inherent in universal nature, and by mixing up that virtue with this art, they called forth the souls of demons or of Angels (for they could not make souls), and caused them to take possession of, or associate themselves with holy images and divine mysteries, in order that through these souls the images might have power to do good or harm to men.
Chapter 27 For it is to God that sacrifices are offered at their tombs—the God who made them both men and martyrs, and associated them with holy Angels in celestial honor; and the reason why we pay such honors to their memory is, that by so doing we may both give thanks to the true God for their victories.
In the next segment, we will consider more on Angels in Augustine of Hippo.
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