Letter to Francis Knolles, Resolution of question by argument
A QVESTION RESOLVED BY A LEARNED DOCTOR, whether the Angels of the ſeaven Churches, Revel. 2, & 3. make for Epiſcopall prae-eminence Jure Divino.
For the Negative. Firſt Did theſe ſeaven Angels denote ſeaven praeſidents of the Praesbyteries of thoſe ſeaven Churches, yet this would not conclude for epiſcopall praeeminence over Presbyters.Cicero pro Mu…aenaicum multi pares dignitate ſunt, vnus tamen primum locum ſ…lus poteſt obtinere. For D Reignolds was of opinion (in his conference with Hart) that in each of theſe 7. Churches, there was praeſes praesbiteri…, and th…t ſuch a one is noted by the Angell; yet was he utterly againſt the Ius divinum of Epiſcopal praeeminence over praesbiters. as appeareth by his letter to Sir Francis Knolles.
2. But there is no ſufficient evidence to prove that in thoſe ſeaven Churches there was any ſuch praeſes, praeſiding over the reſt of the praesbiters, for theſe Reaſons.
1. When Paul ſent to Epheſus for the praeſbiters Act. 20 when he tould them they ſhould ſee his face no more, we find no collour of any ſuch praeſidency among them. to them the Church is commended to be fed by them, without all reſpect to Tymothy who ſtood at his elbow, and had ben with him in Macedonia, and was now waiting upon him to Ieruſalem.
2. M. Mede in his Cōmentary vponupon the Revel. pag 265. hath theſe words. Deni que (vt iam ſemel iterum que monvimus) quoniam Deus Angelos adhibit providentiae ſuae, in rerum humanarummotubus, & converſionibus ciendis, gubernandiſ que adminiſtros, id cirquo que multorum manibus perag ū ur, Angelo tamē tanquam rei gerend… pre sidi & duci pro cōmuni, loquendi modo tribunntur. Laſtly (as we have already once & againe admoniſhed) becauſe God vſeth the Angels of his providence, as miniſters in the mooving and managing of the motions and converſions of humane affairs; therefore thoſe things which are performed by many, are nevertheleſſe attributed (as we ſpeake commonly, to the Angell as the preſaes and author of the managing of the buſinſſe. Now if it be ſo, that in other places, where one Angel is mentioned, many are ment, may it not be ſo in this?
3 If by the Name of the Angell in each place is comprehended the whole Church, how much more by that Angell may, yea muſt bee comprehended the whole company of presbyters? But under the Name of that Angel is comprehended the whole Church, as Ambroſiv… An…bertus in his ſecond booke vponupon the Revelation, not onelyonly writeth but proveth in theſe words: Vna eadem que locvtione & Angelos & ecclesias Vnum eſſe deſignat: Nam cum in principio locutionum, quaead ſeptem fiunt Angelos dicat, et Angelo illius eccleſiaeſcorbe, in fine tamen earundem noe dicit: qui habet aurem, audiat quid ſpiritus dicat Angelo, ſed quid Eccleſia dicat.
Thirdly, For further evidence unto this Truth it is obſervable from the very Text it ſelfe, that albeit the ſeven Candleſtickes are ſaid to be the ſeven Churches;In heaven that goes for a ſtarr which ſome times is found to be a compound of many ſtarrs. yet the ſeven Starres are not ſayd to be ſeven Angels of the ſeven Churches, but thus, The ſeven ſtarres are the Angels of the ſeven Churches. Revel. 1.20.
Fourthly, This is further confirmed by Epiphanius, who writing of the Hereſy of the Mileſians, ſaith, that in ancient times, this was peculiar to Alexandria that it had but one Biſhop, whereas other cityes had two. And he being Biſhop of Cyprus, might well be acquanted, with the condition of the Churches of Asia, which were ſo nigh vntounto him.
5 yet is there a more pregnant argument thē theſe, out of the very text, & it is takē out of the epiſtle to Thyatira, where a diſtinction is made between the mēbers of that Church thus foreign, vobis & reliquis: Now who are ſignified by vobis, but thoſe to whom he ſpake under the name of the Angel? And by Reliquis, who are ſignified but the reſt of the people? The people governed, and you governing, and that in the plurall number, vobis: what can be more evident to proue, that by the Angell is ment all the presbiters which hauehave a ioynt preeminence over the people, not one in preeminence over the presbiters? Yet what is this preeminence of presbiters over the people, not a preeminence of Dominion, but a preeminence of ſervice, and therefore ought to be called not foreign an Hierarchy, or ſacred government, as commonly it is, but foreign rather, a ſervile Government: as the Author of the Hiſtory of the Councell of Trent well obſerves, & all the authority of the Church in the exerciſe of eccleſiaſtical cēſures, even of the ſoreſt Excōmunication it ſelfe, is but the fruite of louelove, and for their good on whom it is exerciſed, mourning for them, who through hardneſſe of heart could not mourne for themſelues, and therefore to excommunicate is in Scripture phraſe to mourne 1 Cor. 5.2. and 2 Cor. 12 2.
Laſtly, The cenſures of the Church were foreign, the cenſures of many, and not the cenſures of one, 2. Cor. 2.6. And ſurely, when our Saviour referres us to the Church, under theſe words, Dic Ecclesiae, Mat. 18. he referrs us not to one, but to many.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Rainolds, Letter to Francis Knolles (1641)