Milton, however, would find ample material for the picture in the Book of Enoch. The question of the "sons of God," and especially of who they were, is also interesting for Miltonic criticism. Milton was of course bound by his subject to reject the notion that they were angels, since his angels had to fall before man did. But he rejected it with a bad conscience. I have pointed out already that in the De doctrina he does not become too precise on the point. In Book XI of Paradise Lost he follows Augustine and orthodox tradition, and speaks of that sober race of men, whose lives, Religious titl'd them the sons of God,20 but who fell to the lures of women. (This was surely the appropriate time to make Satan say The Son of God I also am, and claim his share of feminine booty.) But then Enoch had evidently made a deep impression on Milton's mind, and when off his guard he contradicts himself very beautifully. In Paradise Regained, in a burst of rhetorical ardor against Belial, he adopts the version that the "sons of God" were the fallen angels - pure Enoch doctrine. Satan says to Belial: Before the Flood, thou, with thy lusty crew, This is all the more amusing for that comment of Satan's on the inspired writer's words: "False titl'd sons of God." Satan (or Milton?) corrects Moses. Finally, in the fifth 21 P. R., II, 178–81. 20 XI, 617-18. book of Paradise Lost, Milton again forgets his orthodoxy, and reverts to the Book of Enoch: Meanwhile at table Eve Ministered naked, and their flowing cups With pleasant liquors crowned. O innocence Then had the sons of God excuse to have been Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts The sons of God here are certainly the angels, Adam being already" enamour'd." 22 P. L., V, 443-49. I CHAPTER II THE CHRISTIAN ERA N Jewish speculation immediately before and about the beginning of the Christian era, there developed a tendency to refer the origin of evil to the fall of man, seen especially in the fourth Esdras. Paul is, to a certain extent, heir to this general tradition. But his importance is such that it is preferable to consider him separately. I. PAUL For Paul, Satan as yet seems to play no part in the fall of man: "by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." 1 For Paul, as for the ancient Hebrews, the serpent who tempted Eve was merely a serpent, and Paul nowhere identifies him with Satan: "the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty."" Paul's chief interest is not in the myth, but in the human psychology of the Fall. He seeks the source of evil in man himself; and he finds it in "the flesh," that is to say, passion in general, and more particularly, sensuality. Milton, naturally, follows Paul as closely as he can, and grounds his own opinions as frequently as possible on this solid basis of Christianity; the De doctrina, in many of its most important parts is mainly a commentary on Paul; ' naturally also Milton uses Paul, 1 Romans 5:12. 2 II Corinthians 11:3. 3 3 The necessary work on this has been done by Sumner in his edition of the De doctrina, as has most of the theological work. It is the historian of religions that must investigate Milton now. as he uses the whole Bible, to prove what he likes, and follows Paul no further than he cares to go. Here are the chief Paulinian texts from our point of view: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance. . . . The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." And I Corinthians 7, entirely: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband. . . . I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. Ephesians 5:22-23 is likewise important: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church.. ... This enables us to see how far Milton follows Paul. "To avoid fornication" becomes: By thee adulterous lust was driven from men And" the husband is the head of the wife " becomes: He for God only, she for God in him. But Milton refuses to follow Paul in accepting marriage as a necessary concession; and in a passage com 4 Galatians 5:19-20. I Corinthians 6:18. menting on" the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body," he concludes: "for marriage must not be called a defilement." The flesh is not naturally evil for Milton. Fornication is the Fall, but "wedded love, as saints and patriarchs used," is holy and good. Milton has on this essential point entirely broken away from Paul; he knows of a sensuality that is legitimate, and commanded." even Yet another of Milton's most important ideas is sanctioned by Paul: "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." For Paul, as for Milton, Adam fell 8 Against his better knowledge, not deceived, II. LATER JUDAISM Before and around Paul, the elements of what was to become the Christian tradition on the Fall were being shaped. About the first half of the first century after Christ, the Jews came to the idea that Satan and the Serpent were one. The ways had been prepared for this notion. The Wisdom of Solomon 10 had said: "Through the envy of the devil death entered the world." But that was not very precise yet. The Book of Enoch 11 had said that one of the fallen angels had seduced Eve, but this was contradicted by the rest of the book, in which the angels fell later than man, and it remained a passing trait. • Apology for Smectymnuus, in Prose Works, III, 122. See above, p. 46. 7 See above, pp. 155 ff. 8 I Timothy 2:14. 11 Bousset, p. 469. A Jewish Life of Adam of the 1st century is the principal proof. 10 2:24. 11 73:4. Cf. Charles, p. 137. |