292 ANNAXS OK BOGER DE nOTEDEN. A.D. 1166. thinks thus, when He shall see him acting thus ; because His day is near at hand, even now He is at the gates, and will say, ' Behold the men who have not placed reliance in their God, but have put their trust in the multitude of their riches, and have waxed strong in their vanity !' But it is in vain that they do thus ; the Lord will not leave His church, nor His clergy, without a defender, without the heaviest vengeance. For it has been founded upon a firm rock ; and that rock is Christ, who has founded it with his own blood. Assuredly, if they do not make amends herein, they will not escape with impunity, inasmuch as they have trodden under foot the Holy of Holies, the house of God, and have afflicted His priests with injuries and abusive words. These are those to whom the Lord himself has said, ' I have said, ye are gods ; and all of you are children of the Most High ;'61 and also, in another place, ' He that hateth you, hateth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me ; and he that toueheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye.'62 Let them then return to their senses ; let them avert evil from themselves ; let them with the greatest humility show repentance. But if, they do not, then it is to be feared, and, oh may it be averted ! that the Lord will speedily come, and will bring upon them and their land great tribulation and the most heavy vengeance of His retribution. Behold! our Lord shall come and shall not delay, and He shall save us ; inasmuch as He wiB never forsake those who put their trust in Him. For the prophet saith, ' Trust in the Lord, and do good, and thou shalt be fed upon his riches ; '62* and, again, ' Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart;'63 and, ' put your trust in the Lord, and He shall soon deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.'64 And, that I may end all that I have said herein with a becoming conclusion, inasmuch as the Lord has shown what and how great things we ought to endure for His name and in the defence of His Church, I hold it necessary for you to pray, both you and the whole Church entrusted to your charge, continually for us ; to the end that, what through our own merits Ave are unable to endure, by your intercession and that of the holy men who are subject to you, we may be enabled to endure, and that thereby we may deserve to obtain 61 Psalm lxxii. 6. 6i Partly from Zech. ii. 8. 62* Psalm xxxvii. 3. 6î Psalm xxvii. 14. 61 Psalm xci. 3.