venerial motions and immodest postures before the whole Assembly And then becoming as it were distracted they fell bitterly upon one another changing their superficial Love into Cruelty and Hatred And then were by the Infernals in like manner as the former as also all Fornicators are with punishments beyond description Then two Backbiters enter'd with wry faces and odd grimaces The two heads of a burning Spear were put into their mouths which knawing upon with distorted looks they quickly met at the middle and then tearing one another they all embru'd their faces with biting Then Thieves Incendiaries and Violators of holy places were introduc'd and were rackâ—d by the Devils upon burning Wheels and sundry other Instruments of torment The Rustick likewise saw near the entrance of the lower Hall as it were four Streets the first was full of innumerable Furnaces and Cauldrons fill'd with flaming Pitch other Liquids and boiling of souls whose heads were like those of black Fishes in the seething Liquor The second had its Cauldrons stor'd with Snow and Ice to torment souls with horrid Cold. The third had thereof boiling Sulphur and other materials affording the worst of stinks for the vexing of souls that had wallow'd in the filth of Lust. The fourth had Cauldrons of a most horrid salt and black Water Now sinners of all sorts were alternately tormented in these Cauldrons Now returning to the Temple upon the Mount of Joy the Rustick had a sight of the introduction of pure white souls and was made sensible how much they were help'd to the possession of eternal Joys by the means of the Masses of their Friends in the World nay and saw many of his Acquaintance dancing Attendance upon St. Michael for admittance That Saint likewise shew'd him the several Mansions and Apartments of those that gradually mounted up to infinite Happiness and how they at certain hours each day heard Canticles from Heaven as if all the sorts of Musick in the World had joyn'd in consort Then he led him to a place all bedeckt with infinite variety of Flowers and Herbs having a most clear Fountain branching it self into four streams of a various Liquor and colour Upon this Fountain stood a most beautiful Tree of a wonderful bigness and immense height affording all sorts of Fruits and the flavour of all Spices Under this Tree near the Fountain lay a man of a graceful mien and Gigantick stature having a Vestment on from his breast to his feet of various colours and wonderful beauty he seem'd to laugh with one Eye and weep with the other This is Adam quoth St. Michael who by his smiling Eye denotes the joy he receives from the ineffable glorification of his Sons that are to be â—aved and by the other weeping one denounces the sorrow he undergoes on the account of the rebrobation of some of his Sons and the just Judgment of God upon the damned The Vestment with which he is covered but not a compleat Robe is the Vest of Immortality and Glory which he was stript of at his first prevarication for he began to receive this Vest from Abel his just Son till now thro' the whole succession of his just Sons And as the Elect shine with various Virtues so this Vest is pictured of a various colour When the number of the Elect Sons shall be compleat then Adam shall be all over cloath'd with a Robe of Immortality and Glory and so the World shall be at an end Then the Saint led the Rustick into a much more ravishing place than any yet seen and there shew'd him St. Catharina St. Margareta and St. Ositha whose beauty having admired St. Michael bid St. Iulian convey him back to his Body and accordingly did so but how is not known He lay as it were in a Trance for two days and two nights after but after that repairing to Church he was sollicited by the Priest and his Parishoners to acquaint them with his Revelations but he declining so to do St. Iulian appear'd to him the night following and commanded him to gratifie them in that point And in obedience to the Saint he gave an account of his Vision in the English Tongue with such Eloquence as created admiration in all his Auditors and the more as having been known to have ever been a man of narrow sence and few words The occasion of the Institution of a set and solemn day for the Praying for Souls out of Purgatory THE Cardinal Peter Damian a very holy and very learned man writes in the Life of St. Odilo Abbot of Cluny who died in the year of our Lord 1048 that a Religious man of France returning from Hierusalem was by a Tempest carried to an Island or Rock where there was an holy Hermite who told him that there hard by were great burning flaming fires where the souls of the Dead were tormented that he heard the Devils oftentimes howl and complain for that by the Prayers and Alms of the Faithful the pains which those souls suffered were mitigated and the souls freed out of their hands and that particularly they complained of Odiolo Abbot and his Monks for their care and vigilance in favouring and helping them and conjured the Religious man because he was a French-man and knew the Monastery of Cluny as he said and the Abbot Odilo to entreat the said Abbot and to charge him in his name to persevere in that holy Exercise and by his fervent Prayers and continual Alms to endeavour to give refreshment to the souls of our Brethren that are tormented in Purgatory that so the joy of the Blessed might be increased in Heaven and the sorrow of the Devils in Hell. The Religious man returned into France communicated that which he had heard of the holy Hermite with Odilo Abbot and with all that blessed Congregation which was under his charge And the Abbot ordained that in all his Monasteries upon the second of November the day after the Festivity of All Saints should be made a particular Commemoration of the Dead and that especial care should be used to succour and relieve them by Prayers Alms and Masses And that which St. Odilo instituted in his Convents was afterwards received and established by Apostolical Authority in the whole Universal Church Peter Galefinus Protonotary Apostolical says that many write that Pope Iohn XVI instituted this Commemoration by the counsel and advice of St. Odilo It is true that Almarius Fortunatus Bishop of Trevers who lived about 200 years before Odilo in a Book of the Ecclesiastical Offices which he wrote to Ludovicus Pius Emperour after the Office of the Saints he puts that of the Dead and he says that he did so because many depart out of this Life who do not go presently to Heaven for whom that Office was wont to be said which is a sign that even in his time this was done as Cardinal Baronius has noted And this is sufficient to declare the Institution of this Commemoration of the
Peter asked him if he had any Provision Who answered that partly being stupified with seeing so great a Light and partly detained by his return he had taken nothing being withal assured of a good Reward from him hereto the Apostle replyed Let down thy Net The Fisher man obeyed and immediately the Net was filled wâ—â—h a multitude of Fishes They were all of the same kind except one Salmon of a wonderful largeness Having then drawn them to shoar St. Peter said Carry from me this great Fish to Militus the Bishop and all the rest take for thy hire And moreover be assured That both Thou all thy life-time and thy Children after thee for many years shall be plentifully furnished with those kind of Fishes only be careful that you fish not on the Lord's Day I who speak now with thee am Peter And I my self have Dedicated this Church built to my Fellow-Citizens and to my Honour so preventing by my own Authority 〈◊〉 Episcopal Benediction Acquaint the Bishop therefore with the things that thou hast seen and heard and the Signs yet marked in the Wall will confirm thy Speeches Let him therefore â—urcease from his Design of Consecrating the Church and only supply what I have omitted The Celebration of the Mystery of Our Lord's Body and Blood and the Instruction of the People Let him likewise give notice to all That I my self will oftentimes visit this Place and be present at the Prayers of the Faithful and will open the Gates of Heaven to all that live Sâ—berly Iustly and Piously in this World. And as soon as he had said this he presently vanished from his sight The next Morning as the Bishop Militus was going in procession to the Church with an intention to Dedicate it the Fisher-man met him with the Fâ—sh and related to him whatsoever St. Peter had injoin'd him at which the Bishop was astonished and having unlocked the Church-door he saw the Pavement marked with Letters and Inscriptions both in Greek and Latin and the Walls anointed in twelve several places with holy Oyl He saw likewise the remainder of twelve Torches sticking on as many Crosses and the Church every-where yet moist with Aspersions All which being observed by the Bishop and People present they rendered praise and thanks to Almighty God. The same Author relates That the Children of this Fisher-man having received a command from their Father of paying the Tythes of all their Gain by fishing and offer'd them to St. Peter and the Priests attending Divine Service in this Church But one amongst them having presumed to defraud the Church of this presently was deprived of the wonted benefit of his Trade till having conâ—est his Fault and restored what he had reserved he promised amendment for the future William of Malmsbury adds to this Story That the Fisher-man who was very simple and as yet not a Christian discovered to the Bishop very exactly the Shapes and Lineaments of St. Peter well known to the Bishop by his Picture publickly extant at Rome In the Year 635. says Father Cressy S. Bâ—rinus being advised by Pope Hâ—norius to repair into Britany for the Conversion of the West-Saxons does assert this Apostolick Mission of S. Birinus our Lord to have been approved by a Divine Miracleâ— and for the truth of his Assertion quotes Baronius who cites for it as he says William of Malmsbury Huntingdon Florentius Mathew of Westminster c. I have thought expedient saith he to describe here out of the Acts of St. Birinus a wonderful Miracle beseeming an Apostolick Man which is omitted by St. Beda It was thus The Holy Man being arrived to the Shore of the British Sea and ready to take Ship celebrated the Divine Mysteries offering to God the Sacrifice of the Saving Host as a Viaticum for himself and Followers After which the Season being proper he was hastily urged to enter the Ship and the Wind serving them they sailed speedily when on the sudden Birinus called to mind that he had lost a thing infinitely precious to him which by the urging hast of the Seamen having his mind other ways busied he had left behind him at Land. For Pope Honorius had bestowed on him a Pall or Corporal upon which he consecrated the Body of our Lord and afterward used to wear it in a Particle of the said Sacred Body which he hung about his Neck and always carried with him but when he celebrated Mass he was wont to lay it by him upon the Altar Armed therefore with Faith he by Divine Inspiration went down from the Ship into the Sea and walk'd securely upon it to the Shore Where finding what he had left behind he took it and in like manner returned to the Ship which he found standing still immoveable whereas a little before he had left it sailing extreme swiftly When he was entred into the Ship not one drop of water appeared on his Cloaths which the Mariners seeing kneel'd before him and worshipped him as a God and many of them by his Preaching were converted to the Faith of Christ. How St. Edmund's Head was miraculously found and interred with his Body St. Edmund King of the East-Angles having had his Army under the Command of the valiant Count Walketule routed by the Danes in the time of their Invasion of this Island that Pious King was likewise after some farther Opposition taken by them and being tied to a Tree by order of their General was first most cruelly whipped and then those Barbarians did as it were in sport so pierce with their Darts his whole Body in all places that in a short time there was not left place for a new Wound yet he willingly sustaining all these Torments for the Faith of Christ and Defence of his Countrey they cut off his Head. But the Rage and Malicious Fury of those Pagans not ceasing after they had thus slain King Edmund but casting out his Body despightfully they kept the Head to revenge themselves yet further on the Tongue which had so constantly sounded forth the Name of Christ and after they had used all manner of Contemptuous Scorns upon it they cast it into a secret place in a thicket of a Wood adjoining lest the Christians should venerate it and decently bury it with the Body There it remained a whole years space after which the Pagans retiring out of the Countrey the first care of the Christians was to honour their Holy King and Martyr Assembling themselves therefore together out of their lurking Places they reverently took his Body out of the unclean Place where it had been cast and then with all diligence sought for the Head. And whilst every one of them with equal Affection searched each corner of the Wood there hapned a Wonder not heard of in any Age before For whilst they dispers'd themselves in all parts and each one demanded of his Companions where it was that the Danes had cast the Head the same Head answered them aloud in
the sign of the Cross and after Nine a Clock the Liquor ceas'd to flow St. Ruadanus hearing that his Master S. Finnian and several others were come to him he called his Servant and bid him prepare a Dinner for his Guests who going to the Tree he found the Vessel that stood under it wholly empty and told his Master how it was who bid him carry his Vessel to the Fountain and fill it to the top with Water which when he had done presently the Water was changed into the taste of that Liquor which dropt from the Tree Moreover he found a Fish of great bigness in the Fountain and carried all to the Man of God who commanded him to set these Gifts before St. Finnian He seeing what was done Crossed the Liquor and it was changed again into common Water and said Why is this Liquor of a false Name given unto me The Disciples of St. Finnian seeing all this desired their Master to go to the Fountain and Cross it as he had done the Tree But St. Finnian answered them My Brethren do not grieve this holy Man for iâ— he go before us to the next Bog he will he able to do the same that he did in the Tree and the Water namely make such Liquor flow thence Wherefore St. Finnian and the rest all entreated St. Ruadanus that he would live as others did which he yielded to and he held the common course of living St. Augustin's Miracle St. Augustin disputing with the British Bishops about the Observation of Easter and arguing That they did not keep it in its due time When the Britains after a long Disputation would not be moved to give their Assent but would follow their own Traditions St. Augustin brought the Dispute to this Conclusion saying Let us beseech our Lord who makes Brethren of one mind in the House of his Father that he would vouchsafe by Celestial Signs to make known unto us which of the Traditions is to be followed and which is the right Path leading to his Kingdom Let some Person be here produced among us and he by whose Cares he shalt be cured let that Man's Faith and Practice be believed acceptable to God and to be followed by Men. This Proposition being accepted with much ado a blind Man was brought before them and was first offered to the British Bishops but by their Endeavors and Ministry found no Cure and Help At length Austin compelled thereto by just Necessity kneeled down and prayed to God to restore the blind Man his sight whereupon immediately the blind Man upon his Prayer received sight and Austin was proclaimed by all a true Preacher of Celestial Light. St. Keyna turns Serpents into Stones THE Holy British Virgin St. Keyna was Illustrious for her Birth being the Daughter of Braganus Prince of that Province of Wales which from him was called Brecknockshire but more Illustrious for her Zeal to preserve her Chastity for which she was call'd in the British Tongue Keynvayre that is Keyna the Virgin. When she came to ripe years many Noble Persons sought her in Marriage but she utterly forsook that state having consecrated her Virginity to our Lord by a perpetual Vow At length she determined to forsake her Countrey and find out some desart place where she might attend to Contemplation wherefore directing her Journey beyond Severn and coming to certain woody places she requested the Prince of that Countrey that she might be permitted to serve God in that Solitude The Prince was willing to grant her Request only he told her The place did so swarm with Serpents that neither Man nor Beasts could inhabit in it To which she replied That her Trust was fixed in the Name and Assistance of Almighty God and therefore she doubted not to drive all that poysonous brood out of that Region Hereupon the place was readily granted to the Holy Virgin who prostrating her self to God in servent Prayer obtain'd of him to change all the Serpents and Vipers there into Stones so as to this day the Stones in that Region resemble the windings of Serpents through all the Fields and Villages as if they had been so fram'd by the hand of the Engraver The History of St. David and his Miracles THE King of the Region call'd Ceretica travelling to Dunetia met by the way a Religious Virgin call'd Nonâ—ita of great Beauty which he lusting after by Violence deflowr'd She hereby conceiv'd a Son but neither before nor after had ever knowledge of any Man. The King thus Father of St. David is call'd Xanthus and his Mother by some nam'd Melaria others Nonnita His Eminency was predicted by St. Patrick long before For that Saint being in the Valley of Rosina in the Province of Dimetae North-West Wales meditating on his Mission into Ireland had a Revelation by an Angel That after Thirty Years a Child should be born in that Province which should give a great Lustre to that Countrey And his Nativity was usher'd in by another Miracle For when Gildas Albanius was from the Pulpit teaching a great Congregation on the sudden he became dumb and unable to speak but afterwards broke forth into these words A Holy Woman call'd Nonnita now present in this Church is great with Child and shall shortly be brought to Bed of a Son full replenisht with Grace It was in regard to him that I was hindred from speaking by a Divine Power restraining my Tongue This Child shall be of so eminent Sanctity that none in these our Parts are comparable to him I will surrender this Region to him who will from his Infancy by degrees increase in Grace and Sanctity An Angel God's Messenger hath revealed this unto me This Holy Child not long after born being baptiz'd and growing up in Grace became the first Bishop of Menevia to which place he translated the Bishoprick of Caerleon and which from him was called St. Davids Now in the Year of Grace 519 a British Synod being assembled on the occasion of the detestable Heresie of the Pelagians Paulin a Bishop with whom St. David in his Youth had been educated earnestly persuaded the Fathers to send for St. David in the Name of the Synod who was lately consecrated Bishop by the Patriarch to afford his assistance to God's Church now in great danger but could not prevail with him to forsake his Contemplations until at last two Holy Men Daniel and Dubritius by their Authority brought him to the Synod And then all the Fathers there assembled enjoin'd St. David to preach He commanded a Child which had lately been restor'd to Life by him to spread a Napkin under his Feet and standing upon it he began to expound the Gospel and the Law to the Auditory All the while he continued a snow white Dove descending from Heaven sate upon his shoulder and the Earth on which he stood rais'd it self under him till it became a Hill from whence his Voice like a Trumpet was clearly