Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 26
XXVI. That every Man hath not an Angel-Guardian, or Keeper.
Anſwer.
MEN may believe, either that every one hath, or hath not, and yet not contradict our Church, which hath determined nothing about it; nor hath it been reſolved in any Church, but every one left to think as he pleaſes. For all that Suarez and Vaſquez (other kind of men than this) durſt ſay in this caſe, is this; that tho this Aſſertion be not expreſt in Scripture, nor defined by the Church (mind that) yet it hath been received with ſuch an univerſal conſent, and hath ſuch great foundation in Scripture, as underſtood by the Fathers, that it cannot be denied without great raſhneſs, and almoſt Error. See here how cautiouſly theſe Learned men ſpeak, and and how ingenuouſly they confeſs the Church hath determined nothing in this Point, but it is a kind of popular opinion. As for Scripture, in direct contradiction to this man, they tell us, it is not expreſly delivered therein: And whatſoever foundations they think are there laid for this Opinion, it ſeems to me, upon ſerious conſideration, that the Scriptures rather ſuppoſe, that every man (no, not the good) hath not a particular guardian Angel, that conſtantly attends him: But God ſends either one or more Angels, as there is occaſion, and as he thinks fit, to do what he appoints: Who after they have diſpatch'd that buſineſs, depart from them, till he thinks fit again to employ thoſe, or ſome other Heavenly Meſſengers for their good. This ſeems very manifeſt to me, in that which is reported, concerning Abraham, Daniel, St. Peter, St. John, and the Bleſſed Virgin her ſelf in the I. of St. Luke. Let him, or any one elſe, ſhow ſuch proofs, if he can, out of Scripture, That the Angels do conſtantly remain with thoſe whom they ſometimes attend, and are fixed in their Office of Guardianſhip to them.
XVIII. Matth. 10.XVIII. Matth. 10. Speaks not of One Angel, but of more: and doth not ſay, they Guard Chriſts little ones, but that they alway behold the face of his Father in heaven; that is, wait to receive his Commands (as Servants who ſtand before their Maſter) which they are ready to execute. This confirms the other Opinion, I now mentioned, that Angels are only ſent as God Orders, and are not fixed in their Attendance. Neither doth this Text ſpeak of every man, as this Scribler idly talks; but of Chriſtians, and particularly the weaker ſort, called little ones, who moſt needed their Miniſtry. Mr. Calvin alſo in that very place, which this man mentions, reſtrains his queſtion to the faithful; who, he dare not ſay, have every one of them a particular Angel to miniſter to them, but rather inclines to the contrary Opinion.
The XCI. Pſalm 11, 12.XCI. Pſal. 11, 12. Proves the very ſame, That God gives his Angels charge of Good men. But it neither ſpeaks of one who is the Angel-keeper, nor that the Angels, whether more or fewer, remain always with good men. There were a great many about one Prophet Eliſha, 1 Kings VI. 12. But it is not likely, that thoſe Troops were his conſtant Guard. But it is in vain to appeal to S. Cyril of Alexandria his opinion, that it is meant of the Angel-keeper; for they will not in other caſes, as I ſhall ſhow ſhortly, ſtand to his judgment.
It is true, in the XII. Acts 13.XII. Acts 13. The Jewiſh Chriſtians, who were aſſembled in Mary's Houſe, were of opinion, That it was the Angel of St. Peter, who knock'd at the door: But whether this opinion was true, or no, is the queſtion: which the Scripture doth not reſolve: Nor can we gather the Faith of the Primitive Church (which this man thinks is apparent from this place) from the opinion of a few of the Jewiſh Chriſtians; who had many opinions, which I hope this man will not juſtifie. And though this ſhould prove ſuch a man as Peter had an Angel-Guardian, it will not prove that every man hath. For this ſeems to have been the old opinion among the Jews, That only excellent men, Perſons of great integrity and uſefulneſs, had ſuch attendants to take care of them; for inſtance, Jacob, as one may gather out of St. Chryſoſtom's Third Hom. upon the Coloſſians. But it doth not appear that they thought they had them always; nor one and the ſame, when God favoured them with their Miniſtry. And thus Mr. Calvin (in that place of his Inſtitutions, which this man quotes) ſays he does not ſee what ſhould hinder us from underſtanding this Angel of St. Peter, of any Angel whatſoever, to whom God committed the care of him at that time, whom we cannot therefore conclude to have been his perpetual keeper.
Let who pleaſes ſee more; he will not find one of the Scriptures he quotes, ſpeak home to the point: No, not thoſe out of Tobit (which he knows we do not own for any part of the Rule of our belief) for it doth not follow, that every man hath an Angel-Guardian, if Tobit had one who accompanied him in that journey. No, Tobit himſelf had not his company alway; but the Angel when he had finiſhed his journey, departed from him. See how fooliſh this man is, who not only quotes Books, which we allow not to be Holy Writ, but alledges places there, that make againſt him.
And his Fathers he quotes as madly, beginning with St. Gregory; and putting even Gregory of Tours before St. Auſtin. And the Reader may judge of what value his Teſtimonies are, by what he alledges out of St. Hierome; whoſe words if he would have given us intirely, it would have appeared they carry no Authority with them. For it immediately follows, Whence we read in the Revelation of St. John, to the Angel of Epheſus, of Thyatira, and the Angel of Philadelphia: As if theſe had been Guardian Angels of theſe Churches, to whom our Saviour wrote; when all agree, they were the Biſhops of thoſe Churches; as Ribera confeſſes; who juſtly wonders that St. Hierome, or any one elſe, ſhould think them to be Angelical Spirits. If St. Hierome wrote thoſe Commentaries, it is manifeſt he departed from the opinion of other Fathers, when he ſaith, That every ſoul hath its Angel aſſigned it, from its Nativity: For they ſay only, That every Believer hath this privilege. There needs no more be ſaid in this matter, which can at moſt be no more than a probable opinion; and therefore it is not contrary to the Faith, to deny, that every one of us hath an Angel for his cuſtody and patronage.