fo? Because the prophetick Spirit it felf was the Spirit of Chrift, Rom. viii. 9. the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. as he is the one Lord in contradiftinction to the one God, 1 Cor. viii. 6. S. Peter himself clears this. He tells us concerning the old Prophets in general, that they fpoke, not by the Will of Man, but prevo, paffively acted by the Holy Ghoft, 2 S.Pet.

i. 21.

On this account, their Preaching or Prophefying is not fo much to be afcribed to them, as to the Spirit that infpired them: Or rather to Chrift, whofe Spirit it was. Accordingly, he tells us, that it was the Spirit of Chrift in them which fignified what was to follow, I S. Pet. i. 11. Thus it will appear, that the preaching of Noah was rather to be afcribed to Chrift than Noah. This Explication will clear the difficulty of that place, which has inclined fome to believe a defcent of Chrift into Hell, that he might preach to thofe Spirits which apoftatized in the Days of Noah. There will be no need for that fenfe. The Preaching was not to thofe Spirits when they were in Prifon, but which are now in Prifon, before they were fo. It was to them areas wolè, when they were disobedient, which difobedience they were guilty of in the Days of Noah. That is, the Preaching was to them by Noah himfelf before their imprisonment. But it is however, afcribed to Chrift rather than Noah, for the reafon now mentioned from S. Peter himself. Thus it appears, that this antient Book of Enoch was known and regarded by our Canonical Writers. This will add a greater Authority to it, than it could otherwife have pretended on its own, account. I mean, as a faithful account of their received popular Opinions, though its pretenfion to the name of Enoch had been nothing more than Perfonation. ἘΓρήγορος

S. LXI.

Traditions the Book of Enoch were elder than the Apostles.

P. 213. Ed.

T. i.

'Efenfoes indeed is the Title of thefe Apoftates, The Efenfe taken (as is commonly obferved) from the of the Pofterity of Seth, were name of Watch-man, Dan. iv. 13, 23. Theodo Angels. The tion indeed, whofe Greek Tranflation of Daniel of has alone come down to our time, keeps the Hebrew word untranflated. But Aquila and Symmachus tranflated it by the very word 'Efei foe. So alfo, Clem. Alexandrinus, Pedag. II. and the Author of Sibyllin Oracles Teńfoeg, for his Verse fake. So therefore, it is to be read Teft. Naphthal. §. 3. not 'Efsúfoges. This Office Grabian. Spicil. of Watching was proper for the Tutelar Spirits. So Clemens Al. obferves, and calls them Angels exprefly. So does alfo Irenaus, when he makes the Embaffy he speaks of to have been to the Angels. So do alfo most of the other Fathers, who take this Story from the Book of t Enoch. It is therefore very likely, that they found them called fo in this Book, which was their Authority. Accordingly, the LXXII. rendred the word in Daniel dyfex, as we learn from a Scholion, quoted by Scaliger. God's Office therefore, as the Tutelar of his People, is thus described: Behold, he that keepeth If rael fhall neither flumber nor fleep, Pfal. cxxi. 4. Thence it might have been applied to the Apocalyptical Angels; To let them understand, that the fame Vigilance was expected from them for the Churches intrufted to their care, as was fuppofed to be in the Tutelar Angels, for their refpective Peoples. Thus then it appears, that this Opinion was believed from the time of this Book, and that this Book was coeval with the Apoftles themselves. And that this Book was not thought Paradoxical, appears from the reception it has found from that very Age. It is ufually objected to our earliest Fathers from the Apoftlees Age downwards, at leaft, to the Fourth

Ad Eufeb. Gr. P. 404. Ed. Amft.

Century,

Century, that they unanimoufly follow this Book, in believing these Sons of God who were polluted by thefe Marriage with the Daughters of Men, to have been Angels. And the clearing this Doctrine from the Prejudices imbibed against it, will at the fame time vindicate the Authority of thofe Fathers alfo. And certainly, that very confent of this firft and pureft Antiquity, ought not to be easily controlled without great evidence of the Apoftles DoEtrine to the contrary. But that cannot be pretended here. I have already fhewn two Apoftles who favour this Author. And it is certain, that the Doctrine of this Apoftafy of the Angels of the Pofterity of Seth, by the Cainite Women, was known and believed by the Jews even of the Apoftles Age. We have but two Jewish Writers of that Age whofe time is certainly known: And they are both of them very ex-. prefs in it. Philo calls them Angels, who were concerned in this Fall with Women, and fays, they were the Damons mentioned by the Phi- De Gigant. lofophers. Nay more, inftead of our prefent p. 285. Reading, Ιδόντες ἢ εοὶ τὸ Θεῖ τὰς θυγατέρας τ ἀνθρώπων, &c. he reads, Ιδόντες ἢ οἱ ἄγγελοι τὸ O, &c. Which therefore probably, was the true antient Reading of the LXXII. as it was received in the Apoftolical Age. If it were fo, it will then be plain, that the LXXII. alfo underftood Angels, by the Hebrew D. Jofeph. Ant Jofephus alfo is plain to this purpose. Having 1.3. mentioned the Apoftafy of the Pofterity of Seth, he adds : Πολλοὶ τὰ ἄγγελοι Θεῖ γιωαιξὶ συμμά θύτες, ὑβειςὰς ἐγώνη ε παῖδας, καὶ παντὸς ὑπρόπας κλη, διὰ ἢ ἐπὶ τῇ διωάμε πεποίθησιν. The connecting Particle, clearly fhews what relation thefe Angels were fuppofed to have to the Pofterity of Seth. And ufing the word "Aynor fimply,

fimply, not as equivalent with the word yoì feems to imply, that he alfo found it in the w Greek Text. Both thefe wrote in the Apostles Age, and were furvived by feveral of the Apoftles, who therefore could not be ignorant of this Doctrine received by their own Nation. No more than the next Age could unanimoufly contradict what in that firft Age was known to have been the fenfe of the Apostles. This Story therefore, and this Book too, feem to have been well known in the Age of the Apofles. But I can hardly think, but that the things contained in it were yet more antiently believed among the Jews. I do not know whence To probably, the Author of the Book of Tobit could have the name of the Angel Ra-0 phael, and give him the Office of binding an evil Spirit, exactly as we have it in these few remaining Fragments of this Book of Enoch. Hence alfo the Apocryphal Efdras might have his name of the Angel Feremiel. For there muft have been a great plenty of this kind in this Book, if the names of all the Stars were delivered in it, as we are told by Origen. But I cannot undertake, that either of thefe Apocry phal Books were fo old as the Apostles. Siracides is of a more known Age, under Ptolomy Euergetes, confiderably antienter than the Apoftles. And he feems alfo to allude to the Subject of this Book of Enoch in thefe words: He was not pacified towards the old Giants, who fell away in the strength of their Foolishness, Eccl. xvi. 7. Another Paffage there is of Cor nelius Alexander Polyhiftor from Eupolemus, an Author later than Siracides, but confiderably antienter than the Apoftles. Perhaps the fame who is mentioned in the Hiftory of the Maccabees, in the time of Judas Maccabæus. He

tells

s us of Giants who efcaped the Deluge, Ap. Eufeb. Pr. o muft therefore be begotten before the De. Eu. Lix. C.17: e. Meaning therefore, in all likelihood, the ze with thofe who are faid to have been born thefe unholy Marriages between the Pofteof Seth and Cain. He tells us alfo of Mafalab the Son of Enoch, ὃν πάντα δι' Αγγέλων ξ γνῶναι, καὶ ἡμᾶς ὕτως ἐπιγνῶναι: Here again find Αγγελοι Θεῖ reprefented as the moft tient Reading, instead of the yoìs, which s obtained fince. And it feems plainly to ude to the fubject of this Book of Enoch. he great fin there charged on thefe Angels, is eir revealing Myfteries to their Children by e Daughters of Men. Thofe were the invenons of the Cainites, mentioned in the Scripres of feveral things ufeful for human Life, nd feveral other Secrets particularized in the Book of Enoch which are not mentioned in the criptures. Prometheus's ftealing Fire from feaven, is thus underftood by the Heathen Mythologifts of his revealing Myfteries. And is making Men, might allude to thefe Sons by the Daughters of Men. He is alfo nade Immortal by the Poets, as thefe Angels were of the Pofterity of Seth. But Enoch and Matbufala of the Pofterity of Seth, were of the number of the Angels, not of the Children of the Cainites, who were inftructed by the Angels, according to the Book of Enoch. I therefore take it rather, that another Enoch and Matbufala were here meant, who were of the Pofterity of Cain. So they are called in our LXXII. Gen. iv. 17, 18. Enoch is there mentioned as the Son, from whom Cain called his City, the firft Defcendent of that wicked Race. Matbufala was not that Enoch's Son, but Grandfon; yet not inconveniently called, in a large

fenfe,