64. ‘The showers of the mountains’ are the words of the learned. Of which same ‘mountains’ it is delivered by the voice of Holy Church; I lifted up mine eyes unto the hills: and so those persons, ‘the showers of the mountains wet,’ in that the streams of the holy fathers fill them to the full. But as we have already said before, ‘the garment’ we take for the covering of good practice, with which a man is covered, that in the eyes of Almighty God the filthiness of his depravity should be clothed over. Whence it is written, Blessed are they whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [Ps. 32, 1] Whom do we understand by the title of ‘the stones’ but the strong ones within the bounds of Holy Church, to whom it is declared by the first shepherd; Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house. [1 Pet. 2, 5] And so those who on the grounds of their own practice have no reliance, fly to the protection of the holy Martyrs, at their sacred bodies set themselves to tear...
