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ἀγαθοὺς καλεῖν ἔθος, ὡς ὄντας δαήμονας καὶ ἐπιστήμονας τῶν θείων νόμων.—Ὅθεν καὶ ‘Θεοῦ παῖδες'· οἱ ἥρωες εἰκότως ἐπευφημοῦνται." They are, as the Clarian Apollo said at Colophon (Orac. v. ed. Gall. p. 14; Lact. lib. i. c. 7):—
—"μικρὰ δὲ θεοῦ μερίς ἄγγελοι ἡμεῖς."
who, (Orph. fr. iii. p. 454, ed. H.; and Euseb. Pr. Ev. p. 686, ed. Col.) around θεοῦ—
—"θρόνῳ πυρόεντι παρεστᾶσιν πολύμοχθοι
ἄγγελοι οἶσι μέμηλε, βροτοῖς ὡς πάντα τελεῖται."
and stand " ποτὶ πρᾶτον Θεὸν καὶ νοατόν," says Onatas, "ὥσπερ χορευταὶ ποτὶ κορυφαῖον, καὶ στρατιῶται ποτὶ στρατηγόν" (Stob. Ecl. Ph. i. 2, 28),—"στρατία θεῶν τε καὶ δαιμόνων" (Macrob. Sat. i. 23). They are (Orph. fr. iii. 3) subject to him,—
"δαίμονες ὅν φρίσσουσι, θεῶν δὲ δέδοικεν ὅμιλος·"
and they obey (Aristoph. Nub. 555)—
—"Ὑψιμέδοντα μὲν θεῶν
Ζῆνα τύραννον"
a) As regards Elohim, we read in his word, "The Scripture of Truth," of the ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις (Eph. iii. 10; comp. with Asc. Isaiæ v. vii. 9); and that even πλῆθος (St. Luke ii. 13), "a multitude" is but a small band of that Heavenly Host. We are told of שַׂר־צְבָא־יְהוָֺה, "The Prince," or "Captain of that Host" (Josh. v. 14);—of "Cherubim" (Psalm Ixxx. 1; xcix. 1)—فرشتکان نزدیک
