What about line 1025?. In my copy ‘such was the will of Heav’n’ is in parenthesis. If this means what I take it to mean, the phrase belongs to both slices of time and Satan, bloody but not beaten, approaches the world because it is God’s will. Heaven’s defences, the towers and battlements, not needed.. We have previously touched on the idea that Sin and Death are part of God’s plan but it still comes as something of a shock
Yes, agreed, this is a worry! As it was a worry that God's will was that Satan should shake off his chains on the burning lake and rise to rouse his troops. I think the towers and battlements were needed - certainly during the war ? and may perhaps always be needed. Perhaps - if we see Heaven/god/The Good as always under or about to be be under attack...
I read it as : the will of heaven was that spirits/creatures should have free will, freedom to choose. There has to be something to choose between - if there were no Satan, no Sin, no Death -it might be necessary for God/Milton/Christianity to invent them.
What about line 1025?. In my copy ‘such was the will of Heav’n’ is in parenthesis. If this means what I take it to mean, the phrase belongs to both slices of time and Satan, bloody but not beaten, approaches the world because it is God’s will. Heaven’s defences, the towers and battlements, not needed.. We have previously touched on the idea that Sin and Death are part of God’s plan but it still comes as something of a shock
Yes, agreed, this is a worry! As it was a worry that God's will was that Satan should shake off his chains on the burning lake and rise to rouse his troops. I think the towers and battlements were needed - certainly during the war ? and may perhaps always be needed. Perhaps - if we see Heaven/god/The Good as always under or about to be be under attack...
I read it as : the will of heaven was that spirits/creatures should have free will, freedom to choose. There has to be something to choose between - if there were no Satan, no Sin, no Death -it might be necessary for God/Milton/Christianity to invent them.