Four more last things....

A portable (allegedly) altar used by St Hugh

 Green and his fellow priest martyrs at Chideock

This is the second post instalment regarding St Hugh Green, leading up to his feastday on 19th August 1642.

This holy priest ploughed his spiritual furrow in rural Dorset, dodging and weaving to avoid the pursuivants, those officials who hunted down priests, tortured them and then brought them to trial so that they could have the satisfaction of watching them butchered like hogs.

He spoke, in his last few days, on "The last four things" and then, closer to the time of his execution he spoke to his accusers and fellow jailmates.....

"There be four things more: one God, one Faith, one Baptism, one Church. That there is one God we all acknowledge, in whom, from whom, and by whom all things remain and have their being.

That there is one Faith appears by Christ's praying that St Peter's faith (He said not faiths) should never fail; and He promised to be with it to the end of the world.

That there is one Baptism; we are all cleansed by the laver of water in the Word.

That there is one Church, holy and sanctified: doth not St Paul say that it is a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? Now the marks of this Church are sanctity, unity, antiquity, universality, which all of us in all points of faith believe. But some will say that we are fallen off from this Church of Rome, but in what pope's time, in what prince's reign, or what are the errors none can discover.

No, this holy Church of Christ did never err. By the law I am now to die for being a priest.

Judge you, can these new laws overthrow the authority of God's Church?

Nevertheless, I forgive you, and pray God for all."

ST HUGH GREEN AND THE MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

                                          ORA PRO NOBIS