Numbers — Chapter 5

anda halfe , asis noted v. 14 in the margent, [n vviich tame for aithac, the Chal not vvane our Lordes protestion,nor true Paitors,mor defo fecrere,our The Church al faithtul men fhal knovv and folovy her:much leile (hal (he decay, errein taith, or degenerate (hal tee as to and tolovy Antichnift, as Hererikes do vvickedly feine. As the Churcn Cacholike novv in England a defertin An- in chis time of perfecution, becaute ic hath no publike {tate of regiment nor open free exercitt of ticheifts time, holy functions , may be faid ro be fled into the deterr, yctitismenher vnknovven to the faithful but nor decay that folovy it,nor the enemies that perfecuteit: asthe hidde company thatthe proteitantstalke or be vaknow- of, vvas forfome vwvorldes together, acither knovven co their frendes. nor toes,becauie there en,no net for vvasin deedenone fuch for many ages together. And thisis crue. if vve tane this Hight foravery fo fhort a corporal retiring into vvildernes. Vvhere in deede it may be, and ts otfmott expounded, te bea time. {piritual flight, by forfaking the ioyes and folaces of the vvorld, and giuing her telf to cantempla- tion and penance, during the time of perfecution vnder Antichrifl. And by enlarging the fente, it maay alfo very vvel Gignifie the defolauon and affli@ion that the Church tufereth and barn uttered from time totime inthis vvildermes of the yverid, by al the torerunmers and miniiters of Anti- chrilt, Tyrants and Heretikes. . 7.-A great bateel.] Inthe Church there isa perpetual combat beryvixtS. Michael (protector $. Michael ofthe Church militant as he vvas tometime of the levves Synagogue Dan, 10, 21) and his Angels, fighting vvith andthe Deuil and his minilters. the perte@ victorie quer vvhom,{hal be at the iudgement. Marke che dragon. here alfo the caufe vwhy 5. Michael is commonly painted hghting vwvithadragen.

body there Confecration already. And for correfpondence to their place or ftate ia heauen, che Church laieth com. Of altars vvith monly their bodies aifo or relikes neere or vnder the altars, yvhere our Sauiours body is Saimdts relikes, offered in the holy Maffe : and hath a {pecial prouifo that no altars be erected-or confecra- ted vvithout fome part of a Saincts bady or relikes, Cone. African, san. 50, Carthag, 5. cam. 16. See S. Hierom cone. vigtlame s.3.S. Auguitine de ciust le. 8.¢.27- 5. Gregorie ss. ep. fo. 4.4, ep. su a ep. 8 V vhervato the Propbetfeemeth here to aliude, making their toules aifo tohaue their being in heauen, as ievvere vnder the aicar. Dut for chis purpofe nore vyel the wordes of S. Auguitine (or vvhat other aunciene writer foeuer vvas the author there- Of) Ser.11 de Sandu, Under te altar (faith he) of God fav the faules af the flaine, What ts more res uerent or henorable, then to reff Under thas altar on VUbica facrifice 1s done to God, andin UUich our Lord ts the Priefé sas it is vuritten, Dhow art a Prisff according te the order of Melcnifedec? Rightly do the foules of she iuft reft under the altar, besaule upon the altar our Lordes body is sffered, nasener Uvishons canfe do the ineft clere call for reuenge ot their bloud , wubere alje the bloud of Chrit is (Led fer finners, and niany other goodly vvordes to that purpote. This place aifo the vvicked heretike Vigilantius (as S. Hicrom vvritirig againft ¢.i:nae be pre- him wvitnefleth c. 2) abufed to proue, tha: the loules of Martyrs andother Saincksvvere cae ot aie included in (ome certaine place, that they couidnot be prefent at their bodies and-mo- ¢oinbes and re- numents (vvhere Chriitian people vied in the primitive Church to pray vnto them, as Ca- jir eg thalike men doe yet ) nor be yvhere they lilt, or vvhere men pray vatothem, Tovwhich ri. Caluiniftes the holy doctor anivvereth at large , thatthey be vvherefocucr Chriltis according to his perete concer- humaaite:tor vader thai altar they be. Parte of bis vvordes be chefe,tha: you may (ce hovy ning the Sainds this bieifed father refuted in that Heretike the Caluiniftes fo long before they wvere borne. contured by S. Doeft thou ( faith he ) prefertoe lavves to God? Dos;t thow fester the Apoftles , that they may be keptim yiierom long prifon cil the day of indgement, and be kept fromtheir Lord , of vvhemit is uvristen , They folevy the agoe. Apes. ths Lambe vuhitherjoewer be geeth. If tie Lambe be in enery place, tien they chat be vvith the Lambe, mujt be ewery vubere, vind if the diuel and vuicked [pirites gadding abrodein the vuertd uvitir pafling eelerieie, be prejent eusry vuhere: {hal holy Martyrs asser the j heading of sieir bloud, be kept cloje under an altar, that they can net flurre ont from thence? So anivvereh tis learned doctor. V vnich mudiketh our Caluiniftes fo much , that they charge him of greaterrour, in thathe faich, Chriftaccording tohis humaaitie is ewery vvbere, as though he yvere an They ynlear. V biquetarie Proteitant. V vhere,if they had any iudgement, they might perceiue that he nedly accufe S, meancth nos, that Chrift or his Saincts {hould be perfonally prefent at once in cuery place Hicrom as an alike, as God is: bu that their motion , fpeede, and agilitie to be vvhere they lift, 15 10. Vbiquifte. comparable, and thattheir povver and operation is accordingly. vvhich they may learne .o to be the holy doctors meaning, by the vvordes thar folovv of the Diuel and his minutters: Hovy 5S. Hiers yvhé he arfirmeth to be euery vyhere no athervvife but by their exceding celeritic ot being nich » Chrift 6¢ and vvorking mitcheefe novvin one place, novv in an other, and thatin a moment. For ™s Sainds are though they be tpirites , yet are they noteuery yvhere at once according to their effence. SUCrY vvhere, lob, And tor our acvy Diuines it were a hard thing todetermine, hovv Jong Sataa (thattold oo our Lord he had circuited the earth ) vvas in his iouracy, and in the parciculat contidera tion and tentation of lob: and hovy many mea he affauited in that his one circuite. No,ao. fuch curious companions knovv nothing, nor belceue wothing, but thar cacy {ce vvit corporal cies, and teach nothing but the vvay to iafidelstic.

Martyrs That Sains cried for reuenge,and could not obraine, but vve vvil report his vvordes, that you may {ee pray for vs, 5. how like one heretike is toanozher, thefe of our daies to thofe or old. Thos jate/t in tl.y Hierom pro- beoke ((aith 8. Hierom 3.) shar vubiles vue be aline, one of Us may pray for an other : buc atter ve ucth againit the be dead, ne mans praser {hal be beard for an ether: pecially cing tue Mart; rs a/ king renenge of therr bloud, Heretike Vigi- sould nos ebsasne. SOtaid the Heretike. Againit vvhich the holy Lioctur maketh a long re- lantius. futation, prousng that they pray much more atter they be in beauen, then they cid herein earth: 712 THE APOCALYPSE, Cua. VII. earch, andthat they Chal be much fvoner heard of God, then when they yvere in the yvorld. But for the Heretikes argument framed out of thefe vvordes of the Apocalypfe thus, Thefe Martyrs did not obtaine , ergo Saints de not pray forvus: itvvas fo friuolous, andthe ante- cedent{o manifeftly falfe, that he vouchfaued not to ftand abourit. For it is plainethat the Martyrs bere vvere heard, and that their petition fhould be fulfitied intime appoia- ted by God ( vvherevntothey did and do alvvates conforme them felues:) for it vvas (aid vntothem , That they fhould reff yet «litle time , til de. Andthat Martyrs praiers be heard in this cafe, our Saviour teftifieth Luc 18 faying , dndvuil not God renence his elest that crie to bim day and night ? I fay to you, he uvil quickly reuenge them. And if God donot heare the Saincts Sometime nor graunt their requeffes, is it therfore confequent that they do not or may not pray? Then Chrift him felf {hould not haue praied his father to remoue the bitter cuppe of death from him, becaufe-that petition vvas not graunted. FO. Reuengeft thou not?) They donot defire reuenge vpon their enemies for hatred, but of charitic and zeale of Gods honour, praying that his enemies and the perfecutors of his Church and Saindts,that vvil not repent,may be confounded: and that our Lord would accelerate his general judgement, that fo they might attaine the per fect crowncof glori¢ promifed vntothem, both in body and foule: which is to defire the refurreCtion of their bodies , vwhich then {hal triumph perfe@tly and fully over the perfecutors that fo cruelly bandled the bodies of the ele, vvhich (hal then appeare glorious to the enemies céfuhion,

every one ot ce faichful cleat , gladly bearing their part thereof, oucrcome his tépts to draw tyrannie Ar vrhote conitancic he being the more offended, vvorketh malicious attempts in aflaul- from the true ting tae frailer fore, vvho are here fignitied by sive reff of ner jeede thas keepe the commanndements, buat faith, are not to pertect as che former.