The Institution of Christian Religion

For if this honour be given to princes & governors, that in their office they stand in the stead of God that is sovereign king & judge, much greater cause there is why it should be given to the Angels, in whom the brightness of the glory of God much more abundantly shineth.

For if this honour be geuē to princes & gouernors, yt in their office they stād in the stede of God that is soueraigne kynge & iudge, muche greater cause there is why it shuld be geuē to ye Angels, in whom the brightnes of the glory of God much more abundātly shineth.

But the Scripture standeth most upon reaching us that, which might most make to our comfort and confirmation of Faith: that ⟨p. 46⟩is to wit, that the Angels are the distributers and administrators of God's bounty toward us. And therefore the Scripture reciteth, that they watch for our safety: they take upon them the defence of us, they direct our ways,¹ they take care that no hurtful thing be•ide unto us. The sentences are universal, which principally pertain to Christ the head of the church, and then to all the faithful.² He hath given his angels charge of thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, least thou chance to hit thy feet against a stone. Again, The angel of the Lord standeth round about them that fear him, and he doth deliver them. Whereby God showeth that he appointeth to his angels the defence of them, whom he hath taken in hand to keep. After this order, the angel of the Lord doth comfort Hagar when she fled away, & commandeth her to be reconciled to her mistress. God promiseth to Abraham his servant an Angel to be the guide of his journey. Jacob in blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh prayeth, that the Angel of the Lord by whom he himself had been delivered from all evil, may make them prosper. So the Angel was set to defend the tents of the people of Israel. And so oft as it pleased God to rescue Israel out of the hands of their enemies, he raised up revengers by the ministry of Angels. So finally (to the end I need not to rehearse many mo) the Angels ministered to Christ, and were ready assistant to him in all necessities. They brought tidings to the women of his resurrection, and to the disciples of his glorious coming. And so to fulfil their office of defending us, they fight against the devil and all enemies, and do execute the vengeance of God upon them, that are bent against us. As we read that the angel of God to deliver Jerusalem from siege, slew in one night a hundred fourscore and five thousand in the camp of the king of Assyria.