LIFTING HIS EYES FROM GOD'S FOOTSTOOL to His throne, Hooker pays a quick visit to the law which governs the spiritual creation, those "heavenly and divine creatures," "spirits immaterial and intellectual," that are known as angels. The eternal law that governs the angels is, as Hooker previously called it, Celestial or heavenly law. I.3.1, 63.
Although the law as it pertains to Angels is probably not within the scope of a blog dedicated to the natural law, there are some concepts arising out of Hooker's treatment that merit mention.
First, one may note that the existence of law is not restricted to situations where there is evil or where love is lacking. It is a fallacy to believe law inconsistent with love, or goodness, or a rightly ordered will. St. Augustine's Dilige et quod vis fac, "love God and do what you will," (Epist. Joann. Tractatus, vii, 8) is not a excuse for lawlessness. In Hooker's view, law is required even "where nothing but light and blessed immortality, no shadow of matter for tears, discontentments, griefs, and uncomfortable passions to work upon, but all joy, tranquility, and peace, even for ever and ever does dwell." I.4.1, 69. Hooker therefore rejects, and properly so, the negative vision of law that one finds, for example, in Calvin. In his sermon on Galatians 3:19-20, Calvin spouted off:
The angels are subject, and obey perfectly, "that law which the Highest whom they adore, love, and imitate, has imposed upon them." I.4.1, 69-70. It is this perfect state of governance that Christ refers to when, in the Lord's prayer, the Christian asks that it be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, we pray that man may follow the natural and divine law with as equal fidelity as the angels their Celestial law. Heaven is not a place where there is no law, but a place where law is obeyed faithfully in love. Law and love, like justice and mercy, kiss in heaven.
Celestial law governs "Angelical actions," including relationship of God to angel, thus comprehending angels' love of God, their adoration of Him, and their imitation of Him. According to Hooker this is the intendment of David who mentions in Psalm 148:2: "All ye his Angels praise him." I.4.2, 71.
Law is also present in the relationship of angel to angel, and of the angels corporately who, 'linked into a kind of corporation amongst themselves," act in unison as an army. [Cf. Luke 2:13, Matt 26:53, Ps. 148:2] "[T]heir law is that which disposes them as an Army, one in order and degree above another," states Hooker. I.4.2, 71.
Title Page of Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
There is also a Celestial law that governs angels' relationship to man.
Finally, Hooker completes his treatment of Celestial law by a disquisition on the fall of the angels before their confirmation. Hooker attributes the deviation of the wicked angels to the sin of pride. I.4.3, 71-72. Pride, then, not love, is what is contrary to law. "The fall of Angels was therefore pride. Since their fall, their practices have been the clean contrary unto those before mentioned." I.4.3, 72. Pace Calvin and Madison, then, it is not angels who are without law, but the Devils and his demons. These, dispersed "some in the air, some on the earth, some in water, some among the minerals, dens, and caves that are under the earth: they have by all means labored to effect a universal rebellion against the laws . . ." I.4.2, 72. (One may perhaps mention that there must be some sort of law, however attenuated and however corrupt its end, that governs even the Devil and his minions, for as St. Augustine reminds us, even the devil is not completely evil, for if completely evil he would cease to be. Similarly, if the evil angels had no law, they would cease to be governed, and could carry on no real war against God and his creation. Since in Augustinian thought evil is the privity of good, it may also be said to be the privity of law.)
Our next blog entries will address Hooker's treatment of that part of the eternal law of God that relates to mankind.
Portrait of Richard Hooker
Although the law as it pertains to Angels is probably not within the scope of a blog dedicated to the natural law, there are some concepts arising out of Hooker's treatment that merit mention.
First, one may note that the existence of law is not restricted to situations where there is evil or where love is lacking. It is a fallacy to believe law inconsistent with love, or goodness, or a rightly ordered will. St. Augustine's Dilige et quod vis fac, "love God and do what you will," (Epist. Joann. Tractatus, vii, 8) is not a excuse for lawlessness. In Hooker's view, law is required even "where nothing but light and blessed immortality, no shadow of matter for tears, discontentments, griefs, and uncomfortable passions to work upon, but all joy, tranquility, and peace, even for ever and ever does dwell." I.4.1, 69. Hooker therefore rejects, and properly so, the negative vision of law that one finds, for example, in Calvin. In his sermon on Galatians 3:19-20, Calvin spouted off:
If we were all like angels, blameless and freely able to exercise perfect self-control, we would not need rules or regulations. Why, then, do we have so many laws and statues? Because of man's wickedness, for he is constantly overflowing with evil; that is why a remedy is required.This negative vision of law fundamentally Protestant is carried over into our thinking by, for example, James Madison. Madison's famous statement in Federalist No. 51 is informed by Calvin's legal negativism.
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.The notion that there is no law in heaven, or that there is no law where love reigns ought to be banished.
The angels are subject, and obey perfectly, "that law which the Highest whom they adore, love, and imitate, has imposed upon them." I.4.1, 69-70. It is this perfect state of governance that Christ refers to when, in the Lord's prayer, the Christian asks that it be done on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, we pray that man may follow the natural and divine law with as equal fidelity as the angels their Celestial law. Heaven is not a place where there is no law, but a place where law is obeyed faithfully in love. Law and love, like justice and mercy, kiss in heaven.
Celestial law governs "Angelical actions," including relationship of God to angel, thus comprehending angels' love of God, their adoration of Him, and their imitation of Him. According to Hooker this is the intendment of David who mentions in Psalm 148:2: "All ye his Angels praise him." I.4.2, 71.
Law is also present in the relationship of angel to angel, and of the angels corporately who, 'linked into a kind of corporation amongst themselves," act in unison as an army. [Cf. Luke 2:13, Matt 26:53, Ps. 148:2] "[T]heir law is that which disposes them as an Army, one in order and degree above another," states Hooker. I.4.2, 71.
Title Page of Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie There is also a Celestial law that governs angels' relationship to man.
Consider the Angels as having with us that communion which the Apostle to the Hebrews noted, and in regard whereof Angels have not disdained to profess themselves our fellow servants; from hence there springs up a third law which binds them to works of ministerial employment.I.4.2, 71
Finally, Hooker completes his treatment of Celestial law by a disquisition on the fall of the angels before their confirmation. Hooker attributes the deviation of the wicked angels to the sin of pride. I.4.3, 71-72. Pride, then, not love, is what is contrary to law. "The fall of Angels was therefore pride. Since their fall, their practices have been the clean contrary unto those before mentioned." I.4.3, 72. Pace Calvin and Madison, then, it is not angels who are without law, but the Devils and his demons. These, dispersed "some in the air, some on the earth, some in water, some among the minerals, dens, and caves that are under the earth: they have by all means labored to effect a universal rebellion against the laws . . ." I.4.2, 72. (One may perhaps mention that there must be some sort of law, however attenuated and however corrupt its end, that governs even the Devil and his minions, for as St. Augustine reminds us, even the devil is not completely evil, for if completely evil he would cease to be. Similarly, if the evil angels had no law, they would cease to be governed, and could carry on no real war against God and his creation. Since in Augustinian thought evil is the privity of good, it may also be said to be the privity of law.)
Our next blog entries will address Hooker's treatment of that part of the eternal law of God that relates to mankind.
Portrait of Richard Hooker
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