The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better vnderstanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: in the English College of Rhemes

ANNOTATIONS CHAP. VI.

9. Vnder the altar.] Christ as man (no doubt) is this altar, vnder vvhich the soules of al Martyrs liue in heauen,* 1.1 expecting their bodies, as Christ their head hath his body there already. And for correspondence to their place of state in heauen, the Church saieth com∣monly their bodies also or relikes neere or vnder the altars, vvhere our Sauiour: body is offered in the holy Masse: and hath a special prouiso that no altars be erected or consecra∣ted vvithout some part of a Saincts body or relikes. Con••. Asrican, can. 50. Carthag. 5. can. 14. See S. Hierom cont. vigilant c. 3. S. Augustine de ciuit. li. 8. c. 27. S. Gregorie li. 5. ep. 50. li. 1. ep. 52. li. 2 ep. 58. Vvher vnto the Prophet seemeth here to allude, making their soules also to haue their being in heauen, as it vvere vnder the altar. But for this purpose note vvel the vvordes of S. Augustine (or vvhat other auncient writer soeuer vvas the author there∣of) Ser. 11 de Sanctis. Vnder the altar (saith he) of God I savv the soules of the slaine. What is more re∣uerent or honorable, then to rest vnder that altar on vvhich sacrifice is done to God, and in vvhich our Lord is the Priest: as it is vvritten, Thou art a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec? Rightly do the soules of the iust rest vnder the altar, because vpon the altar our Lordes body is offered. neither vvithout cause do the iust there call for reuenge of their bloud, vvhere also the bloud of Christ is shed for sinners. and many other goodly vvordes to that purpose.

This place also the vvicked heretike Vigilantius (as S. Hierom vvriting against him vvitnesseth c. 2) abused to proue,* 1.2 that the soules of Martyrs and other Saincts vvere included in some certaine place, that they could not be present at their bodies and mo∣numents (vvhere Christian people vsed in the primitiue Church to pray vnto them, as Ca∣tholike men doe yet) nor be vvhere they list,* 1.3 or vvhere men pray vnto them. To vvhich the holy doctor ansvvereth at large, that they be vvheresoeuer Christ is according to his humanitie: for vnder that altar they be. Part of his vvordes be these, that you may see hovv this blessed father refuted in that Heretike the Caluinistes so long before they vvere borne. Dcst thou (saith he) pres••••ribe savves to God? Doest thou fe••ter the Apostles, that they may be kept in prison til the day of iudgement, and be kept from their Lord, of vvhom it is vvritten, They folovv the Lambe vvhither soeuer he goeth.* 1.4 If the Lambe be in euery place, then they that he vvith the Lambe, must be euery vvhere. And if the diuel and vvicked spirites gadding abrode in the vvorld vvith passing celeritie, be present euery vvhere: shal holy Martyrs after the sheading of their bloud, be kept close vnder an altar, that they can not sturre out from thence? So ansvvereth this learned doctor.

Vvhich misliketh our Caluinistes so much,* 1.5 that they charge him of great errour, in that he saith, Christ according to his humanitie is euery vvhere, as though he vvere an Vbiquetarie Protestant. Vvhere, if they had any iudgement, they might perceiue that he meaneth not, that Christ or his Saincts should be personally present at once in euery place alike, as God is: but that their motion, speede, and agilitie to be vvhere they list, is in∣comparable, and that their povver and operation is accordingly. vvhich they may learne to be the holy doctors meaning,* 1.6 by the vvordes that folovv of the Diuel and his ministers: vvhō he affirmeth to be euery vvhere no othervvise but by their exceding celeritie of being and vvorking mischeefe novv in one place, novv in an other, and that in a moment. For though they be spirites, yet are they not euery vvhere at once according to their essence. And for our nevv Diuines it vvere a hard thing to determine,* 1.7 hovv long Satan (that told our Lord he had circuited the earth) vvas in his iourney, and in the particular considera¦tion and tentation of Iob: and hovv many men he assaulted in that his one circuite. No, no. such curious companions knovv nothing, nor beleeue nothing, but that they see vvith corporal eies, and teach nothing but the vvay to infidelitie.

10. And they cried.] S. Hierom also against the said Vigilantius reporteth, that he vsed an argument against the praiers of Saincts out of this place,* 1.8 for that these Martyrs cried for reuenge, and could not obtaine. But vve vvil report his vvordes, that you may see how like one heretike is to an other, these of our daies to those of old. Thou saiest in thy booke (saith S. Hierom c. 3.) that vvhiles vve be aliue, one of vs may pray for an other: but after vve be dead, no mans praier shal be heard for an other: specially seing the Martyrs asking reuenge of their bloud, could not obtaine. So said the Heretike. Against vvhich the holy Doctor maketh a long re∣fu••ation, prouing that they pray much more after they be in heauen, then they did here in

earth: and that they shal be much sooner heard of God, then vvhen they vvere in the vvorld.

But for the Heretikes argument framed out of these vvordes of the Apocalypse thus, These Martyrs did not obtaine, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Saincts do not pray for vs: it vvas so friuolous, and the ante∣cedent so manifestly false, that he vouchsaued not to stand about it. For it is plaine that the Martyrs here vvere heard, and that their petition should be fulfilled in time appoin∣ted by God (vvherevnto they did and do alvvaies conforme them selues:) for it vvas said vnto them, That they should rest yet a litle time, til &c. And that Martyrs praiers be heard in this case, our Sauiour testifieth Luc 18 saying, And vvil not God reuenge his elect that crie to him day and night? I say to you, he vvil quickly reuenge them. And if God do not heare the Saincts sometime nor graunt their requestes, is it therfore consequent that they do not or may not pray? Then Christ him self should not haue praied his father to remoue the bitter cuppe of death from him, because that petition vvas not graunted.

10. Reuengest thou not?]* 1.9 They do not desire reuenge vpon their enemies for hatred, but of charitie and zeale of Gods honour, praying that his enemies and the persecutors of his Church and Saincts, that vvil not repent, may be confounded: and that our Lord would accelerate his general iudgement, that so they might attaine the perfect crowne of glorie promised vnto them, both in body and soule: vvhich is to desire the resurrection of their bodies, vvhich then shal triumph perfectly and fully ouer the persecutors that so cruelly handled the bodies of the elect, vvhich shal then appeare glorious to the enemies cōfusion.

11. Til their fellovv seruantes be complete.] There is a certaine number that God hath ordai∣ned to die for the testimonie of truth and the Catholike faith, for conformitie of the mem∣bers to the head CHRIST our cheefe Martyr, and til that number be accomplished, the general condemnation of the vvicked persecutors shal not come, nor the general reward of the elect.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Consecration of altars vvith Sainct•• relikes.
• * 1.2

  Saincts be pre∣sent at their tombes and re∣likes.
• * 1.3

  The Caluinistes heresie concer∣ning the Saincts consuted by S. Hierom long agoe.
• * 1.4

  Apoc. 14.
• * 1.5

  They vnlear∣nedly accuse S. Hierom a•• an Vbiquiste.
• * 1.6

  Hovv S. Hierō saith, Christ & his Saincts are euery vvhere.
• * 1.7

  Iob. 1.
• * 1.8

  That Saincts pray for vs, S. Hierom pro∣ueth against the Heretike Vigi∣lantius.
• * 1.9

  Hovv Martyrs crie for re∣uenge.