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 in54    Concretus 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 one55    Alii, ἄλλῳ indeed,” saith he, “is given by the Spirit discourse of wisdom; to another56    Alii, ἄλλῳ discourse of science according to the same Spirit; while to another57    Alteri, ἑτέρῳ faith in the same Spirit; to another58    Alteri, ἑτέρῳ the gift of healings in one Spirit; to one59    Alii, ἄλλῳ workings of miracles; to one60    Alii, ἄλλῳ prophecy; to one61    Alii, ἄλλῳ discerning of spirits; to one62    Alii, ἄλλῳ kinds of tongues; to one63    Alii, ἄλλῳ interpretation of discourses. But all these worketh one and the same spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”64    1 Cor. xii. 7–10 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.

20. Quanquam ista quaestio vires intelligentiae meae vincit, quemadmodum opitulentur martyres iis quos per eos certum est adjuvari; utrum ipsi per se ipsos adsint uno tempore tam diversis locis, et tanta inter se longinquitate discretis, sive ubi sunt eorum memoriae, sive praeter suas memorias ubicumque adesse sentiuntur: an ipsis in loco suis meritis congruo ab omni mortalium conversatione remotis, et tamen generaliter orantibus pro indigentiis supplicantum (sicut nos oramus pro mortuis, quibus utique non praesentamur, nec ubi sint vel quid agant scimus), Deus omnipotens qui est ubique praesens, nec concretus nobis, nec remotus a nobis, exaudiens martyrum preces, per angelica ministeria usquequaque diffusa praebeat hominibus ista solatia, quibus in hujus vitae miseria judicat esse praebenda; et suorum merita martyrum ubi vult, quando vult, quomodo vult, maximeque per eorum memorias, quoniam hoc novit expedire nobis ad aedificandam fidem Christi, pro cujus illi confessione sunt passi, mirabili atque ineffabili potestate ac bonitate commendet. Res haec altior est quam ut a me possit attingi, et abstrusior quam ut a me valeat perscrutari: et ideo quid horum duorum sit, an vero fortassis utrumque sit, ut aliquando ista fiant per ipsam praesentiam martyrum, aliquando per Angelos suscipientes personam martyrum, definire non audeo; mallem a scientibus ista perquirere. Neque enim nemo est qui haec sciat, non qui sibi scire videatur et nesciat: dona enim Dei sunt, his alia, et illis alia largientis, secundum Apostolum, qui dicit unicuique dari manifestationem Spiritus ad utilitatem: Alii quidem, inquit, datur per Spiritum sermo sapientiae; alii sermo scientiae secundum eumdem Spiritum; alteri autem fides in eodem Spiritu; alteri donatio curationum in uno Spiritu; alii operationes virtutum; alii prophetia; alii dijudicatio spirituum; alii genera linguarum; alii interpretatio sermonum. Omnia autem haec operatur unus atque idem Spiritus, dividens propria unicuique prout vult (I Cor. XII, 7-11). Horum omnium spiritualium donorum, quae commemoravit Apostolus, cuicumque data est dijudicatio spirituum, ipse scit ista sicut scienda sunt.