A01956:112
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
6. Their ministry: from hence, some of the Fathers say, the Angels took their names. So Gregor. Angeli vocabulum nomen est officij, non naturae: Angel is a name of office, not of nature. The Inhabitants of that celestial Country are always Spirits, but cannot always be called Angels. Tunc solùm sunt Angeli, quando per eos aliqua nuntiantur: they are then only Angels, or (it is all one) messengers, when they are sent on some message. Therefore he concludes; Hi qui minima nuntiant Angeli, qui summa nuntiant Archangeli vocantur: They that are sent on business ⟨p. 42⟩of less moment are called Angels, of greater importance Archangels. August. Ex eo quod est, Spiritus est: ex eo quod agit, Angelus est. They are Spirits in regard of their Being, Angels in regard of their Doing. Good Angels, saith Isidor, are deputed for the ministry of mans salvation. God hath given man three helps: Sense to see danger near, Reason to suspect danger far off, Angels to prevent that he neither sees nor suspects. Now the ministry of Angels is three-fold; to God, to his Church, to his Enemies.
6. Their ministerie: from hence, some of the Fathers say, the Angels tooke their names. So Gregor. Angeli vocabulum nomen est officij, non naturae: Angel is a name of office, not of nature. The Inhabitants of that celestiall Country are alwaies Spirits, but cannot alwaies be called Angels. Tunc solùm sunt Angeli, quando per eos aliqua nuntiantur: they are then onely Angels, or (it is all one) messengers, when they are sent on some message. Therefore he concludes; Hi qui minima nuntiant Angeli, qui summa nuntiant Archangeli vocantur: They that are sent on businesse ⟨p. 42⟩of lesse moment are called Angels, of greater importance Archangels. August. Ex eo quod est, Spiritus est: ex eo quod agit, Angelus est. They are Spirits in regard of their Being, Angels in regard of their Dooing. Good Angels, saith Isidor, are deputed for the ministery of mans saluation. God hath giuen man three helps: Sense to see danger neere, Reason to suspect danger far off, Angels to preuent that he neither sees nor suspects. Now the ministery of Angels is three-fold; to God, to his Church, to his Enemies.