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20. Howbeit it is a question
which surpasses the strength of my understanding, after what manner
the Martyrs aid them who by them, it is certain, are helped;
whether themselves by themselves be present at the same time in so
different places, and by so great distance lying apart one from
another, either where their Memorials are, or beside their
Memorials, wheresoever they are felt to be present: or whether,
while they themselves, in a place congruous with their merits, are
removed from all converse with mortals, and yet do in a general
sort pray for the needs of their suppliants, (like as we pray for
the dead, to whom however we are not present, nor know where they
be or what they be doing,) God Almighty, Who is every where
present, neither bounded in2761
with us nor remote from us,
hearing and granting the Martyrs’ prayers, doth by angelic
ministries every where diffused afford to men those solaces, to
whom in the misery of this life He seeth meet to afford the same,
and, touching His Martyrs, doth where He will, when He will, how He
will, and chiefest through their Memorials, because this He knoweth
to be expedient for us unto edifying of the faith of Christ for
Whose confession they suffered, by marvellous and ineffable power
and goodness cause their merits to be had in honor. A matter is
this, too high that I should have power to attain unto it, too
abstruse that I should be able to search it out; and therefore
which of these two be the case, or whether perchance both one and
the other be the case, that sometimes these things be done by very
presence of the Martyrs, sometimes by Angels taking upon them the
person of the Martyrs, I dare not define; rather would I seek this
at them who know it. For it is not to be thought that no man knows
these things: (not indeed he who thinks he knows, and knows not,)
for there be gifts of God, Who bestows on these some one, on those
some other, according to the Apostle who says, that “to each one
is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal; to one2762
indeed,”
saith he, “is given by the Spirit discourse of wisdom; to
another2763
discourse
of science according to the same Spirit; while to another2764
faith in
the same Spirit; to another2765
the gift of healings in one
Spirit; to one2766
workings
of miracles; to one2767
prophecy; to one2768
discerning
of spirits; to one2769
kinds of tongues; to one2770
interpretation of discourses. But all these worketh one and the
same spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”2771
Of all
these spiritual gifts, which the Apostle hath rehearsed, to
whomsoever is given discerning of spirits, the same knoweth these
things as they are meet to be known.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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