will shut up this whole matter: "Abstinenced from corporal meats is unprofitable without charity. They are therefore the better men who do not fast much, nor abstain from the creature of God beyond measure, but carefully keep their heart within pure before God, from whence they know cometh the issue of life; than they who eat no flesh, nor take delight in secular dinners, nor ride with coaches or horses, thinking themselves hereby to be as it were superior to others, upon whom death hath entered through the windows of haughtiness."

Meliores ergo

d Abstinentia corporalium ciborum sine charitate inutilis est. sunt, qui non magnopere jejunant, nec supra modum a creatura Dei abstinent, cor intrinsecus nitidum coram Domino sollicite servantes, a quo sciunt exitum vitæ quam illi qui carnem non edunt, nec prandiis secularibus delectantur, neque vehiculis et equis vehuntur, pro his quasi superiores cæteris se putantes; quibus mors intravit per fenestras elationis. Gildas, ibid.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Church, and various state thereof, especially in the days of Antichrist: of miracles also, and of the Head of the Church.

CONCERNING the Catholic Church, our doctors taught with St. Gregory, that God "hatha a vineyard, to wit, the universal Church, which from just Abel until the last of the elect that shall be born in the end of the world, as many saints as it hath brought forth, so many branches, as it were, hath it budded": that " the congregation of the just is called the kingdom of heaven, which is the Church of the just"; that "the sons of the Church be all such as from the beginning of mankind until now, have attained to be just and holy:" that what is said of the body, may be said also of the members; and that in this respect, "as well the apostles and all believers, as the Church itself, have the title of a pillar given them in the Scriptures:" that thee Church may be considered two manner of ways;

a Habet vineam, universam scilicet Ecclesiam ; quæ ab Abel justo usque ad ultimum electum qui in fine mundi nasciturus est, quot sanctos protulit, quasi tot palmites misit. Claud. lib. 2. in Matth.

b Congregatio quippe justorum, regnum cœlorum dicitur; quod est Ecclesia justorum. Id. lib. 3. in Matth.

c Ecclesiæ filii sunt omnes ab institutione generis humani usque nunc, quotquot justi et sancti esse potuerunt. Id. lib. 2. in Matth.

d His et cæteris instruimur, tam apostolos omnesque credentes, quam ipsam quoque Ecclesiam, columnam in Scripturis appellari; et nihil interesse de corpore quid dicatur in membris, cum et corpus dividatur in membra, et membra sint corporis. Id. in Gal. cap. 2. ex Hieronymo.

e Ecclesias vocat, quas postea errore arguit depravatas. Ex quo noscendum, dupliciter Ecclesiam posse dici : et eam, quæ non habeat maculam aut rugam, et vere corpus Christi sit; et eam quæ in Christi nomine absque plenis perfectisque virtutibus congregetur. Id. in Gal. cap. 1. ex eodem.

both that which "neither hath spot nor wrinkle, and is truly the body of Christ, and that which is gathered in the name of Christ without full and perfect virtues;" which notwithstanding, by the warrant of the apostle, may have the name of the Church given unto it, although it be depraved with error; that" the Church is said not to have spot or wrinkle, in respect of the life to come;" that when the apostle saith, "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold, &c. but some to honour and some to dishonour" by this "great house he doth not understand the Church, as some have thought, which hath not spot nor wrinkle; but the world, in which the tares are mingled with the wheat:" that yet in "the holy Church also, the evil are mingled with the good, and the reprobate with the elect;" and that in this respect it is resembled unto the wise and foolish virgins; as also to "the king's marriage, by which this present Church is designed, wherein the good and the bad do meet together." So that "in this Church, neither the bad can be without the good, nor the good without the bad: whom the holy Church notwithstanding doth both now receive indifferently, and separate afterwards at their going from hence."

The number of the good, Gildas complaineth to have been som exceeding short in his time among the Britons,

f Ecclesiam non habituram maculam neque rugam dicitur, respectu futuræ vitæ. Sedul. in Ephes. cap. 1.

g 2 Tim. cap. 2. ver. 20.

h Magnam domum non Ecclesiam dicit (ut quidam putant) quæ non habet maculam neque rugam : sed mundum, in quo zizania sunt mixta tritico. Id. in 2 Tim. cap. 2.

i Sancta Ecclesia decem virginibus similis denuntiatur : in qua quia mali cum bonis et reprobi cum electis admixti sunt, recte similis virginibus prudentibus et fatuis esse perhibetur. Claud. lib. 3. in Matth.

* Per has regis nuptias præsens Ecclesia designatur; in qua cum bonis et mali conveniunt. Id. lib. eod.

In hac ergo Ecclesia, nec mali esse sine bonis, nec boni esse sine malis possunt; quos tamen sancta Ecclesia et nunc indiscrete suscipit, et postmodum in egressione discernit. Id. ibid.

m Exceptis paucis, et valde paucis, qui (ob amissionem tantæ multitudinis, quæ quotidie prona ruit ad tartara) tam brevis numeri habentur; ut eos quodam

in comparison of the other, that their "mother the Church in a manner did not see them lying in her own lap, albeit they were the only true sons which she had." And for external pressures, our doctors have delivered, that "the" Church sometimes is not only afflicted, but also defiled with such oppressions of the Gentiles, that if it were possible, her redeemer might seem for a time utterly to have forsaken her:" and that, in the raging times of Antichrist, "the Church shall not appear, by reason that the wicked persecutors shall then exercise their cruelty beyond all measure;" that in those "times of Antichrist, not only more often and more bitter torments shall be put upon the faithful, than before were wont to be; but (which is more grievous) the working of miracles also shall accompany those that inflict the torments: as the apostle witnesseth, saying, Whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all seduction, signs, and lying wonders:" namely, juggling ones: " as it was foretold before, They shall shew such signs that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived, by such a fantastical power, as Jamnes and Mambres wrought withal before Pharaoh.” "What' unbeliever therefore (say they) will then be converted unto the faith? and who is he that already be

modo venerabilis mater Ecclesia in suo sinu recumbentes non videat, quos solos veros filios habet. Gild. epist.

n Nonnunquam Ecclesia tantis gentilium pressuris, non solum afflicta, sed et fædata est; ut, si fieri possit, redemptor ipsius eam prorsus deseruisse ad tempus videretur. Claud. lib. 2. in Matth.

• Ecclesia non apparebit, impiis tunc persecutoribus ultra modum sævientibus. Id. lib. 3. in Matth.

P Temporibus antichristi non solum tormenta crebriora et acerbiora, quam prius consueverant, ingerenda sunt fidelibus; sed (quod gravius est) signorum quoque operatio eos qui tormenta ingerunt, comitabitur : teste apostolo, qui ait ; Cujus est adventus secundum operationem Satanæ, in omni seductione, signis, et prodigiis mendacii. Id. lib. eod.

4 Præstigiosis: sicut ante prædictum est; Dabunt signa, ita ut seducantur, si fieri potest, etiam electi, per phantasticam virtutem: sicut Jamnes et Mambres coram Pharaone fecerunt. Sedul. in 2 Thess. cap. 2.

Quis ergo ad fidem convertitur incredulus? cujus jam credentis non pavet et concutitur fides? quando persecutor pietatis sit etiam operator virtutis: idemque ipse qui tormentis sævit ut Christus negetur, provocat miraculis ut Antichristo credatur. Claud. lib. 3. in Matth.

lieveth, whose faith trembleth not and is not shaken? when the persecutor of piety is the worker of wonders and the same man that exerciseth cruelty with torments, that Christ may be denied; provoketh by miracles, that Antichrist may be believed?" And "whats a pure and a single eye is there need of, that the way of wisdom may be found; against which so great deceivings and errors of evil and perverse men, do make such a noise? all which notwithstanding men must pass through, and so come to most certain peace, and the unmoveable stability of wisdom."

Hence concerning miracles, they give us these instructions: first, that "neither if an angel should shew himself unto us to seduce us, being suborned with the deceits of his father the Devil, ought he to prevail against us; neither if a miracle should be done by any one, as it is said of Simon Magus that he did fly in the air: neither" that signs should terrify us, as done by the Spirit; because that our Saviour also hath given us warning of this beforehand". Secondly, that "the faith having increased, miracles were to cease; forasmuch as they are declared to have been given for their sakes that believe not;" and therefore that "now" when the number of the faithful is grown, there be many within the holy Church that retain the life of virtues, and yet have not those signs of virtues:

* Quam ergo mundo et simplici oculo opus est, ut inveniatur via sapientiæ, cui tantæ malorum et perversorum hominum deceptiones erroresque obstrepunt ? quas omnes necesse est evadere, hoc est, venire ad certissimam pacem, et immobilem stabilitatem sapientiæ. Claud. lib. 1. in Matth.

Nec si se angelus nobis ostendat, ad seducendos nos subornatus fallaciis patris sui Diaboli, prævalere debebit adversum nos: neque si virtus ab aliquo facta fiet, sicut dicitur a Simone Mago in aere volasse. Sedul. in Rom. cap. 8.

" Neque signa vos terreant, tanquam per Spiritum facta: quia hoc et Salvator præmonuit. Id. in 2 Thess. cap. 2.

w Matth. cap. 24. ver. 24, 25.

* Hic ostenditur, crescente fide signa cessare: quando fidelium causa danda esse prædicantur. Id. in 1 Cor. cap. 14.

Unde nune cum fidelium numerositas excrevit, intra sanctam Ecclesiam multi sunt qui vitam virtutum tenent, et signa virtutum non habent: quia frustra miraculum foris ostenditur, si deest quod intus operetur. Nam juxta magistri Gentium vocem: Linguæ in signum sunt, non fidelibus sed in fidelibus. Claud. lib. 1. in Matth.