Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 01.djvu/643

ANGEL. spirits. But they were simply called Elohim, or "sons of gods," not "angels."

It was the growth of monotheism that forced reflection upon the character of these superhuman beings. The second Isaiah looked upon the gods of the nations as mere lifeless statues. This view could not gain permanent ascendency. It was too superficial. Only the subordination of all spirits to Yahweh was essential. The gods of the peoples ceased to be independent rulers and became Yahweh's servants, henceforth to do his bidding in connection with the natural forces and elements with which they had been previously associated, or as guardians of the nations they had once governed. In Daniel the celestial princes of Persia and Greece are mentioned. The sons of the gods have become angels in the prologue to Job. An increasing emphasis on the divine transcendence caused a reluctance to ascribe to him certain activities. He no longer reveals himself directly, but through an angel, to his prophets; he does not tight his people's battles, but his chief angel stands up for Israel: he no longer tempts to evil or inflicts it himself, but allows an angel, the Satan, to do this. Angels receive individual names, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel. Under the influence of Persian thought the conception of seven archangels is introduced, corresponding to the seven amesha spentas, and these angels arc spoken of as "watchers." The idea of a fall of angels is not found in the Hebrew Bible, but is distinctly taught in the Book of Enoch.

Jesus in his discourses mentions angels, and, indeed, represents each human being as having a celestial patron (Matthew xviii: 10); pictures the angels as rejoicing over the repentance of sinners (Luke xv: 10), and states that those who are permitted to share in the resurrection will be like angels, having no conjugal relations (Matthew xxii: 30). The Evangelists expected his return upon the clouds of heaven as the Mes- siah accompanied by his holy angels. In the Apocalypse angels figure prominently. They also occur frequently in Paiil's writings. Angels are said to be created (Colossians i: 16), and should not lie worshiped (Colossians ii: 18); they were the agencies through which the law was given (Galatians iii: 19); on account of their sensibility to female beauty women should wear veils (I. Corinthians xi: 10); they are powerful beings, "thrones" and "principalities," and men should not turn away from Christ to these "elementary spirits of the world" (Gala- tians iv: 3).

In the Christian Church the belief in angels has continued until the present time, though gradually losing its intensity through the accession of martyrs and saints to the class of intermediaries between God and man, and in more recent times through the spread of rationalistic tendencies of thought. An excellent summary of our present knowledge of Jewish angelology is found in Dr. K. Kohler's article on this subject in The Jewish Encyclopædia; the relations to Babylonian thought are well treated in R. Stübe's Jüdisch-Babylonische Zaubertexte (Halle, 1895), and the relations to Mazdaism in Nathan Söderblom's La vie future dans le Mazdeisme (Paris, 1901).

The creation of the angels was placed, by the Platonizing Church Fathers, before that of the material world; others assigned to it some one of the six days. Equally various were the opinions as to the nature of the angels. The second Synod of Nice (787) assigned them a subtle, ethereal, or fire-like body; the scholastics, on the other hand, and the Lateran Council of 1215, maintained their immateriality; while others, owing to the appearing of angels, mentioned in Scripture, attributed to them the power of assuming momentarily the corporeal form.

Some of the Fathers also spoke of good and bad guardian angels, the former of whom were always ready to prompt to good actions, and to avert evil, while the latter were equally quick in bringing about mischief, wickedness, and calamity. From the belief in the guardianship of angels, and their participation in the govern- ment of the world, arose naturally the practice of invoking and worshiping them. Many Chris- tian teachers condemned it, appealing to Colos- sians ii: 18; and the Council of Laodicea (300) called it disguised idolatry. But after the Coun- cil of Nice had conceded that, though angels were not to receive divine worship, they might receive reverential obeisance, the practice mentioned be- came more and more rooted, and continues in the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches to this day.

ANGEL, (1815-94). An American diplomat, born at Burlington, N. Y. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, and served as surrogate in 1838-41 and 1844-47. He was sent as United States consul to Honolulu in 1853. The same year he was special commissioner to China for the settlement of differences between the Chinese Government and American merchants with regard to the levying of export duties. He was minister to Sweden and Norway in 1857-62.

AN'GELA MERICI, ma-re'che. Saint (1470- 1540). Founder of the Roman Catholic order of Ursulines (q.v.). She was born at Desenzano, near Brescia, was of the Franciscan tertiaries when she founded in Brescia the order in 1535, and died there, January 27, 1540. See her life by Sintzel (Regensburg, 1842), and by J. A. At (Notre Dame d'Alet. 1885).

AN'GEL FISH (Alluding to its large, wing-like fins), or Angel Shark, or Monk Fish. An elasmobranch (Squatina angelus) very closely related to the shark, with a broad and flattened body and with the much enlarged pectoral fins expanded laterally like wings. It attains a size of three to four feet, and is harmless. It is found in tropical seas, is common in the Mediterranean, and also occurs upon both the eastern and western shores of the warmer parts of North America, keeping near the bottom and being nowhere numerous. It is also known to American fishermen as "monk fish."

Another angel fish in the United States is one of the porgies (Chætodipterus faber). See. In Bermuda the name is applied to chætodonts of the genus Holacanthus, and especially to the widely distributed emperor fish (Holacanthus ciliaris). Goode says that it attains a weight of four pounds and "far surpasses all the other fishes of the region in the delicious flavor, and in its lovely hues." A second species is the black angel fish (Holacanthus tricolor), which, like the other, is common throughout West Indian waters. See, and plate of.