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become, as many learned men say that have seen the model of it, the best library in the Christian world, and a jevel not misbeseeming the greatest potentate's study. God Almighty give both means and heads and hands to effect it: to whom must be the glory, praise and honour! Amen, Amen, Amen.

66

Σέβειν δὲ δεῖν ἐγκελευόμεθα καὶ τιμᾶν τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ λόγον σωτῆρά τε αὐτὸν καὶ ἡγεμόνα εἶναι πεισθέντες καὶ δι ̓ αὐτοῦ τὸν πατέρα οὐκ ἐν ἐξαιρέτοις ἡμέραις, ὥσπερ ἄλλοι τινές, ἀλλὰ συνεχῶς τὸν ὅλον βίον τοῦτο πράττοντες καὶ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. ἀμέλει τὸ γένος τὸ ἐκλεκτόν· “ ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ᾔνεσά σοι,” φησί, κατ' ἐντολὴν δικαι ούμενον. ὅθεν οὔτε ὡρισμένον τόπον οὐδὲ ἐξαίρετον ἱερὸν οὐδὲ μὴν ἑορτάς τινας καὶ ἡμέρας ἀποτεταγμένας, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάντα βίον ὁ γνωστικὸς ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, κἂν καθ ̓ ἑαυτὸν μόνος ὢν τυγχάνῃ καὶ ὅπου τινὰς ἂν τῶν ὁμοίως πεπιστευ κότων ἔχῃ, τιμᾷ τὸν θεόν, τουτέστιν χάριν ὁμολογεῖ τῆς γνώσεως τῆς πολιτείας. εἰ δὲ ἡ παρουσία τινὸς ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐντροπὴν καὶ τὴν αἰδῶ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἀεὶ σχηματίζει τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα, πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον ὁ συμπαρὼν ἀεὶ διὰ τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς εὐχαριστίας

ἀδιαλείπτως τῷ θεῷ οὐκ εὐλόγως ἂν ἑαυτοῦ παρ ̓ ἕκαστα κρείττων εἴη εἰς πάντα καὶ τὰ ἔργα καὶ τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν ; τοιοῦτος ὁ πάντῃ παρεῖναι τὸν θεὸν πεπεισμένος, οὐχὶ δὲ ἐν τόποις τισὶν ὡρισμένοις κατακεκλεισμέ νον ὑπολαβών, ἵνα δὴ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ποτὲ οἰηθεὶς· εἶναι καὶ νύκτα καὶ μεθ ̓ ἡμέραν ἀκολασταίνῃ. πάντα τοίνυν τὸν βίον ἑορτὴν ἄγοντες, πάντῃ πάντοθεν παρεῖναι τὸν θεὸν πεπεισμένοι, γεωργοῦμεν αἰνοῦντες, πλέομεν ὑμνοῦντες, κατὰ τὴν ἄλλην πολιτείαν ἐντέχνως ἀναστρεφόμεθα, προστ εχέστερον δὴ ὁ γνωστικὸς οἰκειοῦται θεῷ σεμνὸς ὢν ἅμα καὶ ἱλαρὸς ἐν πᾶσι, σεμνὸς μὲν διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐπιστροφήν, ἱλαρὸς δὲ διὰ τὸν ἐπιλογισμὸν τῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἀγαθῶν, ὧν ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός.

S. Clem. Alex. Strom. vii. 7. § 35.

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Nihil, inquam, de his loquar: videntur enim nonnullis res

humanas plus quam oporteret deseruisse, non intelligentibus quantum nobis eorum animus in orationibus prosit, et vita ad exemplum, quorum corpora videre non sinimur. Sed hinc disputare longum et supervacaneum puto: nam hoc tam excellens fastigium sanctitatis, cui non sua sponte mirandum et honorandum videtur, oratione nostra videri qui potest? Tantum isti admonendi sunt, qui sese inaniter jactant, intantum processisse temperantiam et continentiam sanctissimorum catholicæ fidei christianorum, ut restringenda nonnullis, et quasi ad humanos fines revocanda videatur: usque adeo supra homines illorum animos evasisse, ab iis etiam quibus id displicet, judicatur.

S. Aug. De moribus Eccl. Cathol. § 66.

LIFE OF NICHOLAS FERRAR.

MR.

R. Nicholas Ferrar of blessed memory was born in London the 21st1 of February in the year of our Lord 15913, and born again of water and the Holy Ghost February the 28th3. A day (I find) he registered as more memorable than his birth-day, esteeming it (as he ought) a greater blessing to be received into the Catholic Church, than to come into the world. He was the third son of Mr. Nicholas Ferrar, a rich East India merchant, and of Mary his wife, and as he became a follower of St. John the Baptist in a retired and mortified life, so his parents had that good character the word of God bestows on Zacharias and Elizabeth,

1 22nd.

2 1592-3. See note on pedigree.

3 "His godmother was a Mrs. Riggs, wife to Capt. Riggs, who recommended herself highly to the esteem of queen Elizabeth by a heroic act which she performed upon the sea-shore at Dover in 1588."-Peckard.

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