Ch. I. The Seven Stars: Revelation. The Church of Ephefus. Ch.t, tropolitan over many Dioceffes of fuch fingle Bithops. I am far from believing, I. that any fuch Metropolitans were then fitted , 2. or that fuch Churches had but one Pallor, 3. or that the Tingle Bifhop ofa Metropolis was blamd for the faults ofinanyDioceflès ofChurches ; ¢. orthat the Bithops ofthe excellent Primitive Churches, were fo quickly degenerate, mid guilty of the crimes heremention', 'fpecially if Timothy was one. And this Expofition too grofly Ours Epi- fcopacy. But if they were but Tingle Paflors, of Jingle Churches, the difference is ofnogreat moment : What he fpeaketh of the Apoftles in- tending fo great a change afterward as Dioce- fans havemade, requireth proof. joyful to his Servants, tho' terrible to hisEne- mies) : He is my Almighty, Eternal God, and my 8 I am he that liveth, and was dead : and behold, I am alive,for ever- more, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death. IS. I am Chrill, whowas lately incarnate on Earth, and crucified for yyont Sins, andnow live your Kingand Interce(for in Glory, and í1a11 die no more : And Death, and all feparated Souls are in my power, to be taken intoHappi- nefs, or cafe our. 19. Write the things which thou haft feen, and the things which are, and the things which (hall be here- after. 19. Write thefe Revelations for Pofterity, which contain what thou feeft, and the expoli- tion offome things that already exift, and the Prophecy ofmany things to come. so. The myftery of the feven (tars which thou fawell in my right hand, and the feven golden candlefticks. The feven liars are the angels of the feven churches: and thefeven candle- flicks which thou faweft, are the feven churches. 20. Note, It is a great Controverfie what is meant by .angels here : r. Some fay, that the Prophetical Phrafe being primarily of proper .angels, as the Guardians of the Churches, yet as in their Names intending the meffage to the Churches themfelves, fo it is here fpoken of, and to the Churches,but as denominated from their fevers! Angels o And this feemeth to me the molt like! fence, viz. to the whole Churches, Paflersand People under the nameoftheir Guar- dian .Angels, rho' binningthe Churches, andnot the .Angels a which thould not feem ffrange to them who feign fuch good menas Trmorhy to be the angels, who were not guilty of the crimeshere reprov'd: Thus.auguJline deDo/Ïr. Chriff. lib. 3. c 30. citeth and feemeth to like Tyconiaás Expofitions who.fippofeth the whole Church meant under the .angels name. 2. Others fuppofe the Presbytery of each Church collefhively governing them, are called the tngrls. 3. Others think that only the Metropolitans are meant, as Hearts of Presbyters, and other Bifnops, 4. Dr. Hammond thinks there were no .Sub- Presbyters in Scripture,times, and fo that it is Metropolitans that are here meant, but fuch as werebut fingle Paftors of Congregations, like a Parifh-Paton now that hathnot fo much as. a Curate under him, fave Deacons, but was Me- CHAP.II. I. Nto the angel of the church U of Ephefus , write, Thefe things faith he that holdeth the feven liars in his right hand, who walketh in the midft of the feven golden can- dleflicks : t. To the Paftors and Flock of the Church of Ephefus, meant by the name of their Angels, thefe things faith Cbrill before defcrib'd, and commandeth me towrite them. Note, i. I believenot that Timothy was their Bifhop in the ordinary f.nfe as a fixed Pallor of that Church alone, but that he is his itinerant courfe (defcrib'd in ,Scripture, doing the work of an Evangelift) wasthere Come time, and is therefore by the Ancients calla their Bithop, as Apofiles were call'd. Bithops, for planting and taking care for many Churches; whenas there is not the leakproof that theyappropriated any Diocelles or Churches to each, as their proper charge, which other Apofeles mightnot ufe the fameAuthority with, or were fixed to any. 2. I believe it yet lels probable that Timothy was the Angel here accus'd of leaving and fl- Iing from his firftLove. 2. I know thy works, and thy la- hour, and thypatience, and how thou canft not bear them which are evil, and thou haft: tried them which fay they are apofiles, and arc not, andhaft found them liars : 2. Thy good works and great labour in the Golpe!, and thypatience in fuffering for it,are not unknownor difregardedby me a And it is thy praife that thou aloft not countenance nor tolerate among you the feducing Hereticks and wicked meÁ,and that thole that have pretended Infpiration, as fent ofGod, thouheft tried and rejected them, as tirov'd Liars and falfc Ape- fçles. 3. And
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