68. Consider this similitude: Out of the sun and stars go forth the elements, and they make in the Salitter of the earth a living spirit, and the stars remain in their circle or sphere, and that spirit likewise getteth the quality of the stars. 69. But now the spirit, after its compaction, is a severed distinct thing, and hath a substance of its own, as all the stars have; and the stars also are and remain severed and distinct things, each of them is free to itself. 70. Nevertheless the quality of the stars reigneth in the spirit; yet the spirit can and may raise or demerse itself * in its own qualities, or may live in the influences of the stars, as it pleaseth: It is free, for it hath got for its own the qualities which it hath in itself. * "raise or demerse itself," or "assert or sink itself." St M. renders this, " se corroborer ou s'affoiblir," " assert itself or weaken." 71. And though it had them at the beginning from the stars, yet they are now its proper own: Just as a mother when she hath the seed in herself, as long as she hath it in her, and that it is a seed, it is hers; but when the seed is become a child, then it is no more the mother's, but is the child's proper own. 72. And though the child be in the mother's house, and the mother nourish the child with her food, and the child could not live without the mother, yet both the body and the spirit, which are generated out of the seed of the mother, are the child's proper own, and it retaineth its corporeal right to itself. 73. And in this manner it is with the angels, they also are all composed, framed or figured out of the divine seed, but every one hath its own body to itself. Though they are in God's house, and feed on the fruit of their mother, out of which they were made, yet the bodies are their proper own. 74. But the quality externally without them, or externally without their bodies, viz. their mother, is not their propriety, as also their mother is not the child's propriety; also the mother's food is not the child's propriety; but the mother giveth it to the child out of love, seeing she hath generated the child. 75. She may well also thrust the child out of her house, when the child is stubborn, and will not be obedient, and may withdraw her food from it, which also thus befell the principality of Lucifer. 76. Thus God may withdraw his divine power, which is externally without the angels, when they elevate themselves against him; but when that is done, a spirit must pine away and perish. 77. As when the air, which also is man's mother, is withdrawn from a man, he must needs die; so also the angels cannot live without their mother.
THE FIFTH CHAPTER Of the Corporeal Substance, Being and Propriety of an Angel. Question. 1. NOW here the question is, What manner of body, form or shape hath an angel, or what figure is it of? Answer. 2. As man is created to be the image and similitude of God, so also are the angels, for they are the brethren of men, and men in the resurrection will have no other form or image than the angels have, as our King CHRIST himself testifieth. (Matt. xxii. 30) 3. Besides, the angels never shewed themselves in any other form or shape to men here on earth, than in a human form and shape. 4. Therefore seeing that in the resurrection we shall be like the angels, the angels must needs be shaped and figured like us, or else we must assume to ourselves another image or shape in the resurrection, which would be against and contrary to the first creation. 5. Thus also, on mount Tabor, Moses and Elias appeared [Matt. xvii.], in their own form and shape, to the disciples of Christ, though they had been a long time in heaven before. 6. And Elias was taken up into heaven alive [Kings ii. 12], with his living body, and yet had now no other form or shape than he had when he was on earth.
68. Consider this similitude: Out of the sun and stars go forth the elements, and they make in the Salitter of the earth a living spirit, and the stars remain in their circle or sphere, and that spirit likewise getts the quality of the stars. 69. But now the spirit, after its compaction, is a severed distinct thing, and has a substance of its own, as all the stars have; and the stars also are and remain severed and distinct things, each of them is free to itself. 70. Nevertheless the quality of the stars reigns in the spirit; yet the spirit can and may raise or demerse itself * in its own qualities, or may live in the influences of the stars, as it pleases: It is free, for it has got for its own the qualities which it has in itself. * "raise or demerse itself," or "assert or sink itself." St M. renders this, " se corroborer ou s'affoiblir," " assert itself or weaken." 71. And though it had them at the beginning from the stars, yet they are now its proper own: Just as a mother when she has the seed in herself, as long as she has it in her, and that it is a seed, it is hers; but when the seed is become a child, then it is no more the mother's, but is the child's proper own. 72. And though the child be in the mother's house, and the mother nourish the child with her food, and the child could not live without the mother, yet both the body and the spirit, which are generated out of the seed of the mother, are the child's proper own, and it retains its corporeal right to itself. 73. And in this manner it is with the angels, they also are all composed, framed or figured out of the divine seed, but every one has its own body to itself. Though they are in God's house, and feed on the fruit of their mother, out of which they were made, yet the bodies are their proper own. 74. But the quality externally without them, or externally without their bodies, viz. their mother, is not their propriety, as also their mother is not the child's propriety; also the mother's food is not the child's propriety; but the mother gives it to the child out of love, seeing she has generated the child. 75. She may well also thrust the child out of her house, when the child is stubborn, and will not be obedient, and may withdraw her food from it, which also thus befell the principality of Lucifer. 76. Thus God may withdraw his divine power, which is externally without the angels, when they elevate themselves against him; but when that is done, a spirit must pine away and perish. 77. As when the air, which also is man's mother, is withdrawn from a man, he must needs die; so also the angels cannot live without their mother.
THE FIFTH CHAPTER Of the Corporeal Substance, Being and Propriety of an Angel. Question. 1. NOW here the question is, What manner of body, form or shape has an angel, or what figure is it of? Answer. 2. As man is created to be the image and similitude of God, so also are the angels, for they are the brethren of men, and men in the resurrection will have no other form or image than the angels have, as our King CHRIST himself testifies. (Matt. xxii. 30) 3. Besides, the angels never showed themselves in any other form or shape to men here on earth, than in a human form and shape. 4. Therefore seeing that in the resurrection we shall be like the angels, the angels must needs be shaped and figured like us, or else we must assume to ourselves another image or shape in the resurrection, which would be against and contrary to the first creation. 5. Thus also, on mount Tabor, Moses and Elias appeared [Matt. xvii.], in their own form and shape, to the disciples of Christ, though they had been a long time in heaven before. 6. And Elias was taken up into heaven alive [Kings ii. 12], with his living body, and yet had now no other form or shape than he had when he was on earth.
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