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298 CITY OF GOD
320. Before going farther I will state, that saint James
was one of the most intimate and beloved disciples of the
great Mistress of the world. Though he was related to
Her, as was also saint John, his brother, not much of
this predilection could be seen in her exterior conduct,
on account of the impartiality of the most prudent Lady,
already referred to in chapter the eleventh. With regard
to saint John the whole apostolic college knew that the
Lord had appointed him as the Son of his most pure
Mother; therefore the most prudent Lady was not under
such restrictions in regard to exterior tokens of love with
saint John as She was with saint James and the other
Apostles. But interiorly the blessed Lady loved saintjames
with special tenderness, as I have already stated in the
second part, and She manifested it in extraordinary
favors, conferred upon him during his life until his
martyrdom. Saint James deserved these favors on ac
count of his special piety and affection toward Mary,
distinguishing himself therein from all the rest. He
needed the protection of the great Queen, because he was
of a generous and magnanimous heart, and of a most
fervent spirit, being resistlessly drawn on to offer him
self for labors and dangers. Hence he was the first one
to go forth preaching the faith and the first of all the
Apostles to suffer martyrdom. While on his missionary
journeys he was indeed like the lightning flash, like the
son of thunder, as he was called and designated by his
brethren upon entering into the apostolate (Marc. 3, 17).
321. During his labors in Spain the demons raised up
incredible persecutions through the unbelieving Jews. Nor
were those of small import which he afterwards met
in Italy and Asia Minor, whither he had returned to
preach and to suffer his martyrdom. This he under
went in Jerusalem, having in the few years of his apos-
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