Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XI/John Cassian/Conferences of John Cassian, Part I/Conference VIII/Chapter 15

Chapter XV.

Of the fact that it is not without reason that the names of angels and archangels are given to holy and heavenly powers.

no one doubts that not without cause or reason are the same titles of rank assigned to the better sort, and that they are names of office and of worth or dignity, for it is plain that they are termed angels, i.e., messengers from their office of bearing messages, and the appropriateness of the name teaches that they are &#8220;archangels&#8221; because they preside over angels, &#8220;dominions&#8221; because they hold dominion over certain persons, and &#8220;principalities&#8221; because they have some to be princes over, and &#8220;thrones&#8221; because they are so near to God and so privy and close to Him that the Divine Majesty specially rests in them as in a Divine throne, and in a way reclines surely on them.