her parents laboured very much but could not nether by faire or foule meanes enforce her euer to contract with any of the great Lordes that were suters to her so constant she was in her purpose of dedicating her virginity to her maker her parents seeing nothing could preuaile with her sent her into Ireland to S. Patricke who instructed her in the Christian religion and after receiuing the blessed Sacrament being in prayer she yeilded vp her pure soule which was carried betweene Angells into the bed chamber of her heauenly spouse Holy water made by the Saint was no sooner besprinkled vpon a noble man named Darius who lay sicke vpon a dead horse but the noble man recouered his health and the horse his life Of a vision S. Patricke had touching the building of Ardmuch and of the cure of 16. Leapers CHAP. XVII THE formentioned noble man Darius being willing to gratify the Saint bestowed vpon him a faire pleasant and delightfull peece of ground antiently called Druimsallac and now Ardmuch the next night after the saint saw the Angells squaring the forme and compasse of a faire Citty that was to be built in that pleasant and delightful field One of the Angels commanded him the next day to goe to a place called S. Patrickes well where he should cure 16. leapers couered ouer with vgly soares the Saint did accordingly and baptized the leapers in the well aforesayd which miracle comming to the notice of the people was a mayne helpe towardes the building of the citty At the Saints request an Angel remoued out of his place a great rocke that was like to make the entrāce into the citty very cumbersome and difficulte 2. The glorious Bishop with Gods help and fauour begun throughly built a citty faire for the situation greatnes and compasse brought many principall cittizens to inhabit therein The citty it selfe was adorned with faire and decēt churches wherin were ordained by the Saint Cleargy men for the singing of the diuine office the gouernement of soules and instruction of the people There were besides Monasteryes furnished with Monkes and others replenished with sacred Virgins In a monastery of holy Virgins liued a virgin the King of Englands daughter nine other ladyes which accompanyed her when she came to S. Patricke the Saint saw with his owne eyes three of his holy number ascend vp to heauen In this Citty did the Saint erect his Archepiscopall sea intending to make it the principall and metropolitan Church of all Ireland and that this his intention might be established for all succeeding ages he purposed to make a iourney to Rome there to haue it confirmed and ratifyed by Apostolicall authority The Angell appearing liked well thereof and because for the present the Saint wanted horses he prouided him miraculously of coaches to carry him and his retinue to the water side 3. The glorious Bishop after that with infatigable trauaile of preaching marueilous plēty of miracles he had conuerted the kingdome to the Christian religion hauing ordained Bishops Priests and other Cleargy men in all places that he thought conuenient blessing and taking his leaue of them all he went with some of his company to Rome Comming thither he acquainted the Popes holines with the affaires of Ireland and the cause of his iourney His holynes imbracing the Saint as the Apostle of Ireland honoured him with a palle and constituted him as his owne Legate ouer all Ireland confirming with his apostolicall authority all what the Saint had ordered disposed or done in Ireland His holynes gaue him rich presents and pretious guifts among other his guifts were relicques of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and S. Stephen the Protomartyr and that which passeth all his Holynes bestowed vpon him a certaine sheet died with our Sauiours blood The Blessed Bishop after his returne placed all these rich relicques behinde the high Altar in the Metropolitan Church of Ardmuch It was the custome in that church euery yeare to expose these relicques at Easter and at Whitsontide to be seene and honoured of the people 4. It passeth our abilityes to set downe the innumerable signes which he wrought in his iorney going and comming from Rome for in all places did he manifest signes of his sanctity In Englād his natiue soyle he made some stay where he built many Monasteryes and repaired many more destroyed by the Pagans which he furnished with Monkes which liued according to the forme of religious discipline life that the Saint prescribed them he also prophetically foretould many aduerse and prosperous euents that should happen in England In like manner did he forsee and fortell the sanctity of S. Dauid being as yet in his mothers wombe After his returne from his tedious paynefull iourney bringing with him from beyond the seas thirty Bishops whome he sent to labour in the feild of our Lord he began in time conuenient to celebrate solemne councells in which he cut off any thing he found to be preiudiciall to Christian religion or contrary to the churches canons placed established such constitutions as were conformable to the holy Canons and made for the aduancement of religion piety and good life in the meane space he dayly shined with the splendour of infinite miracles whereof this insuing as it cannot but be deemed most stupendious so questionles is to be accounted most beneficiall How S. Patricke freed Ireland from the encombrance of Diuels Magitians and venemous beasts And how he fasted 40. dayes without corporall food CHAP. XVIII IRELAND since its first inhabitation was pestered with a triple plague to wit with great aboundance of venemous beastes copious store of Diuells visiblely appearing and infinit multitudes of Magitians that the like is not recorded of any other country or kingdome The glorious and most holy Bishop laboured by intercession of most feruent prayers and other exerecices of deuotiō to deliuer the Iland of that triple pestilēce the most excellent Prelate taking the staffe or wand of Iesus into his sacred hand and eleuating it after a threatning manner as also by the fauourable assistance of Angels he gathered together in one place all the venemous beastes that were in Ireland after he draue them vp before him to a most high mountaine hanging ouer the sea called then Cruachanailge and now Cruach Padruig that is S. Patrickes mountaine from thence he cast thē downe in that steepe precipice to be swallowed vp by the sea O singuler signe O magnificent miracle vnseene vnheard of since the beginning of the world now known spoken of by al nations after directing his face towards the I le of Man blessing it with all the other Isles by him conuerted to Christ by help of his prayers he procured them the same singuler benefit Of the Magitians he conuerted and reclaimed very many and such as persisted incorrigible he rooted them out from the face of the earth By his prayers
which difficulty he made knowne to S. Patricke who offered deuout and feruent prayers vp to God for this effect And loe the next night after God trāsferred the water and the pallace so farre of that it wrought his seruant no annoye who afterwardes though very much against his will was ordained Bishop departed this life shining with vertues and miracles How S. Patricke penetrated S. Fiechus his conscience of S. Fiecus his sanctity and some great miracles wrought by S. Patricke CHAP. XIII A Young gentleman of excellent education and learning named Fiechus had marryed a wife which within few dayes dyed As this man came where S. Patricke was the Saint by inward illustration of the holy Ghost penetrating his conscience said Behould a man or one wife who according to the Apostle may be worthely aduanced to the sacred order of preisthood and Episcopall diginty The younge gentle man admiring how he came to see the secrets of his hart receiued the lauer of regeneration and by vertue of Saint Patricks blessing made such progresse in learning that in one day he learned the whole Psalter and in a short time attayned to the vnderstanding of sacred Scriptures he was successiuely inuested with holy orders and in fine made Bishop in the Church of Sclepten who in his episcopall sea erected a faire conuent of Monkes 2. Because this holy Bishop in regarde of his many infirmityes weakning by long fasts could not visite his Diocesse on foote or exercice his Bishop-like function S. Patricke sent him a Coach which S. Secundinus being ouercome by humane frailty tooke ill thinking that himselfe deserued it better S. Patrike knowing of the trouble Secundinus was in sayd vnto him fearing that by following of our own iudgmēt we may erre let vs leaue the discussiō of the matter to the arbitremēt of an Angel With that the Saint prayed to God who sent an Angel by whose order the horses were put into the coach dismissed without any to driue thē adding further that they were sent to him with whome they would make a stay The horses being harnished and dismissed in manner as the Angell had set downe the first night they came to S. Secūdinus dwelling place the next night to another Saints house and the third night to S. Fiechus house where they stayed giuing therby to vnderstand that they were chiefly sent to him 3. Another tyme the Angell commanded S. Fiechus to build a monastery and the Angell himselfe designed the Refectory Oratory all other houses belonging thereunto This holy Bishop was accustomed in the beginning of lent to retire himselfe to a solitary place bringing with him for his sustenance but fiue barly loaues mingled with ashes On Palme Sunday or Maundy Thursday he would returne bringing with him halfe of one of the loaues vneaten this Blessed Fiechus sent before him to heauen 60. Saintes whome himselfe followed being renowned both for sanctity and miracles 4. Some wicked men sent the Saint as it were by way of present some poysoned cheses which to the great astonishment of many he conuerted into hard stones wherwith they were nothing reclaimed from their malice but rather became more obstinate for conspiring together against him they sent fifty men to kill him As they entred a certaine Forde to passe ouer it the Saint seeing them and knowing by diuine instinct what mischiefe they intended sayd vnto them with a loud voyce You shall neyther come hither to vs nor yet returne backe to your owne people for your bodyes shal remaine in that water vntill the day of iudgment According to the Saints censure they were without delay drowned neither could their bodyes be euer after found albeit great and diligent search had beene made after them 5. Another tyme some children of Beliall digged vp deep pits and holes in the way which the Saint with al his retinue was to passe couering them ouer with greene grasse The Saint full of confidence in God gaue his benediction to his holy family and so he and they passed without receauing any hurt or detriment the green grasse like solid earth yealding them firme passage The Saint commanded a yong mayd who gaue them notice of the ambush layd for to call her Father whome with his ten sonnes and three daughters he conuerted to the Christian faith the daughters became Nunnes and were vayled with the Saints owne handes Of the sonnes fiue florished in the world in great prosperity and the fiue others became Monkes of great perfection and sanctity as the Saint had prophecied of them 6. A certaine mā named Domnardus being blind for a long time hearing that S. Patricke passed by went forth to meet him hoping by the Saints merits to recouer his eye-sight As the blind came along in the way he stunbled very often which moued a cleargy man who was in the Saints cōpany to laughter which when the Saint vnderstood that none of his cōpany should euer after presume to do the like he spoke as followeth to the Clergy mā Amen I say to thee that the eyes of this blind shal be opened thy eyes excyting to thee irrilegious laughter shal be stricken with blindnes with that making the signe of the crosse he opned the blind mās eyes shut the eyes of the cleargy man The same day did the Saint erect vpon their feet three criples 7. Nine Magitians cōspired the Saints death to haue the more free accesse to him they coūterfeited thēselues to be Monks putting on religious weeds The Saint by diuine inspiration knew thē to be wolues wraped in sheeps cloathing making therfore the signe of the crosse against the childrē of Satan behould fire descended from heauen consumed them all nine The Saint lifting vp his hāds anathematized anidolatrous wood dedicated to Idols O most strāge remarkable miracle all the wood like vnto the figge tree spoken of in the holy Ghospel withered by by and neuer after was seruiceable for any other vse then the fire Of a mountaine swallowed downe by the earth and cast vp againe at the Saints intercession and of seueral other great miracles CHAP. XIIII ONE of the noble men of Munster named Coruallus would not permit S. Patricke to build a Church within his territoryes Not farre from the noble mans house was a faire spacious poole very pleasāt to behold but the house by the interposition of a great mountayne was depriued of the pleasure of that gratful prospect the Saint vrged the noble mā very much to giue him leaue to build a church who answeared If you remoue this great mountaine that depriues my house of the pleasāt prospect of the broad spatious poole that lyes on the further side I will then yeild to your request The Saint offered his prayers vp to God and with that the earth swallowed downe the mountaine notwithstanding the wicked man would not stand to his former promise wherefore the Saint prayed to
purer times of christianity let them examine it let them search it point vs out what they shall find in it to couÌ„tenance their cause or to aduance their religion but sure I am they will shrincke from such a disquisition as would turne to their notable preiudice and open confusion by discouering the fondnes and nouelty of their religion For nothing will occure heere but quires of sacred virgins cap. 17. § 2. and cap. 18. § 4. and troupes of holy monkes ibid. c. 13. § 5. cap. 12. § 3. They will admire at the frequent mention of holy Vayles cap. 10. § 1. c. 13. § 5. and Ecclesiasticall tonsure cap. 4. § 1. Holy water cap. 16. § 5. Vessels of holy oyles cap. 15. § 4. Hallowed fire cap. 5. § 2. The signe of the Crosse cap. 18. § 2. alibi sound very harshly in Protestants eares Our wiuing Ghospellers hold no commerce or society with a contineÌ„t and chast Monke cap. 20. § 3. cap. 22. § 1. The refined Ritualists of Geneua will neuer acknowledge our glorious Prelate walking in the maiesty of a Romaine Pallium These delicate reformers wil neuer challenge a religious consumed with fasts and weakned with hayre-cloath cap. 1. § 7. cap. 20. § 3. as a disciple of their sensuall Palenesse comming of long standing in cold water cap. 20. § 3. a thing neuer practised by our tender â—olifidians Short and broken sleepes taken all alone on a hard flint cap. 20. § 3. seeme strange and absurd in the Theology of our libidinous Ministers who lie immersed in beds of downe not alone but embracing their sweet harts with greater deuotion then euer any Genua Bible This rigid tenor of life sauoureth much of Martin and German those austere old men whome S. Patricke glorieth to haue been his masters instructors c. 3. § 1. This child of grace glorieth to haue had so worthy educators whose liues if any list to peruse he shal quickly discerne how far they were from impressing in his hart any thing that relisheth to Lutheranisme or Caluinisme But what need I run so far into these proportionles parales WheÌ„ as the monasteries our glorious Apostle erected the Churches he fouÌ„ded the Cloisters he gouerned the Bishops he coÌ„secrated the Priests he ordained the Virgins he vayled the pennance he preached the mortificatioÌ„ he exersiced the progeny froÌ„ him descended proclaime to the world that he aduaÌ„ced no other colors of religioÌ„ theÌ„ those vnder which Christs militant spouse the Catholike Roman Church marcheth at this present day And though the whole body of the reformed religioÌ„ lyeth a bleeding at al her veynes and had been long since buryed in the cenders of obliuioÌ„ did it receaue no more support from the teÌ„poral sword then it doth froÌ„ the sword of the spirit being so deeply lanced cruelly wounded by the irresistable weapons wherwith Ekius Castro Bellarminus Baronius FeuardeÌ„tius Becanus Cano Stapleton Panagaroll other valiant chaÌ„pions of the Catholike cause haue copiously stored the Arsenals of their famous writings yet wil I here to remoue all ambiguity in behalfe of S. Partrick furnish the scrip of your memoryes with fiue most bright stons taken vp out of the torrent of our glorious Apostles life wherwith if you charge the sling of your tongues the weakest among you shal be able to encounter cast downe any temerarious Goliah-harted protestant that should vndertake to renew the lost field or to recouer the gayned breach or to breath life a new into these fiue for exaÌ„ples sake death-sicke members of the fift Ghospell Euery King teÌ„porall Prince is head of the Church within his own dominions and signeories The holy SacrameÌ„t of the Eucharist is but a bare type naked figure no religious worship is to be exhibited to the sacred reliques of Saints the Masse deserueth not the honour or name of a sacrifyce it being but a phantastical stage-show fraught with ridiculous gesticulatioÌ„s sole naked fayth is able to traÌ„port vs to the hauen of interminable happines What is this the symbole that Patricke hath planted with infatigable paynes roborated with stupendious miracles Is this the forme of belief that hath ingendred in our worthy Ancestors such contempt of sublunar felicity such detestation of sensuall blandishments such thirst of heauenly beatitudes Why then did Patrike seeke and accept of his mission from the Roman chaire c. 3. § 2. 4 Why did he procure her priuiledges and indults c. 17. § 2 Why did he not misprize the title of Apostle the office of Legat the Pallium of Bishop she bestowed of him c. 17. § 33 Where doth he treate with Kinges touching the vndergoing this care of preaching Or where is the least mentioÌ„ to be fouÌ„d that he was emploied by them in this charge We find in this volume c. 10 § 2. 4. that he reuoked to life enspirited againe the dead bodyes of Kinges but neuer that he entituled them heads of the Church surely he was no lesse faythful in designing of these liuing vnder one supreme and soueraigne Pastour then he was fortunate in reuiuing them By S. Patrickes verdict then not Kings but Bishops are gouernors of the Church Presidents of fayth The moderne sect masters depriue you of the substaÌ„ce and substitute but a bare shadow of Christs body in the holy Eucharist But more liberall is Patricke who confidently teacheth q the bloud body of our spouse to be shrouded vnder these visible symbols c. 6. § 6. c. 16. § 5. and stileth it a diuine Viaticum c. 10. § 2. These pure Gospellers daigne not scarce the honor of sepulture to sacred bodies of whose cinders S. Patrick deliuereth magnificent eulogies prophecieth gloriously c. 12 § 5. and brought himselfe froÌ„ Rome reliques of the Apostles Martyrs togeather with a sheet died with our Sauiours bloud causing theÌ„ to be shrined sumptuously worshiped religiously c. 17. § 3. Calum Luthers progeny are so incensed against the holy sacrifice of masse that they are not only coÌ„tent to abrogat the vse therof but they would haue the very name obliterated But S. Patrike was a most earnest establisher of the Masse by the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of protestants theÌ„selues so that with the bare instrumeÌ„ts used in that misterious oblatioÌ„ he wrought stupeÌ„dious signes c. 11. § 2. deliuered many honorable encomioms of it Now as for saluatioÌ„ attained by sole fayth the Proto-patriark of the fift gospell is so serious to establish this wicked Theorem that in fauour of it he shameth not to discard canonicall Scripture thinking perchance that himselfe being the Apostle of a god goddes Bacbus Venus might by authority down waigh ouer the Apostle of Iesus Christ. S. Patricke was so farre from allowing of this exoticall and vnchristian paradoxe the sluce to all flagitiousnesse that he tearmeth with S. Iames Fayth that is not animated by good workee a dead and life-lesse fayth nay no fayth
at all that in any wise auailes towardes our finall happinesse By this Antithesis of these fiue articles in debate betweene vs and Protestants not to enterlarge me any more in a cause so perspicuous in any dispassionate eye the Antinomy or opposition of the fift ghospell and S. Patrickes religion is rendred so luculent and manifest that the proudest Achilles of the Protestant side vnlesse he be moone-sicke wil neuer presume to accept of the combat on the open playne of S. Patrickes life Now to declare the triall of so indifferent and vnpartiall a barre and to flinche from the vnpreiudicate verdict of Saint Patricke who liued within the compasse of the fiue prime ages of the confessed purity of fayth and religion cannot but put all Catholikes and especially Irishmen in suspicion of their fraudulent dēportement and foule wracking impostures since it was Patrike that brought to them the brightsome light of true and neuer fayling fayth if euer she blazed her glorious beames on the face of Ireland and I suppose none will be soe impudent as to deny she did since it was Patricke that planted Ireland a Paradise of pleasures whether Elias would not disdaine to be transported in his fiery Caoch to glut his mind with her marueilous delights since it was he that consecrated her as it were a third heauen whether S. Paul would willingly be rauished to contemplate her delightfull maruayles since it was he that disimpestered her by the soueraigne influxion of his sacred benediction of the encombrance of serpents scorpions other venemous animals since it was he that beautifyeth her with the stately structures of religious monasteries garnished her with many miriades of renowned Saints enriched her with copious treasures of sacred priuiledges so that scarce any corner can be found in Ireland that is not sanctifyed with some worthy monument of his holy benediction What hitherto we haue instanced in a more ample and diffuse manner concerning S. Patricke our chiefe patron and Apostle the same we may auouch no lesse of S. Bridgit the seconde in the number of our holy patrons how farre she was from houlding with Protestants or breaking with Catholikes her life will giue ample testimony The same we may as well auerre of S. Columbe who is the third in the glory of patronizing Ireland for he taught no other religion in Brittany or the lesser Scotland then that himselfe learned in Ireland or the greater Scotland What this religion was Protestant or Papisticall I leaue it to the arbittement of any that wil with conscience peruse his life which heere we haue compendiously set downe Heare then O worthy childrē with an obsequious eare the doctrin of your thrice worthy Father S. Patricke and of your two other holy Patrōs bind it on your fingers and write it in the tables of your hartes to preuent that you sincke not so deepe in the gulfe of true misery as you haue soared high in the ayre of Christian glory to preuent that the world that hitherto hath proclaymed your impregnable fidelity declayme not against your damnable perfidie If sinners entise you do not condescend to them for their feete do run to euill What greater euill can they runne into then to varnish their nouuell religion with the graue colours of venerable antiquity Or what greater imposture can they impose on you then to father their protestant paradoxes on the primitiue Christians Can any conceaue that our moderne sect-masters after the reuolution of so many ages see more clearely or practise more faithfully the religion that flourished in the first fiue centuryes after our redemption then S. Patricke who liued within the compasse of the sayd tymes O no! This bragge then of their pretensed concordance with the Christians of these purer tymes is a vaine flourish a painted shew a mere collusiō who is meanly conuersant in the Epistles of Anacletus the first Sixtus the first Euaristus the first Alexander the first or in Dionysius Eusebius Syluester Damasus or Anastasius but knowes what to hould and embrace concerning the primacy and headship of the Roman sea Who euer perused Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine but see how patently they confesse the reall presence of our Sauiours bloud body in the holy Eucharist There is none so little versed in Alexander Telesphorus Anacletus S. Cyprian Euseb Syluester S. Hilary S. Hierome but can tell that they acknowledge the masse to be a true and perfect sacrifice Who is so alphabeticall a Controuertist but can beare witnesse that Basil the Great Gregory Nissen Nazianzen S. Ambrose S. Cyrill of Hierusalem S. Chrisostome S. Hierome allow of religious honour done to Saints reliques Euery yesterday-reader of the famous monumēts of the holy Fathers can tel you that h Origen i Didimus Alexandrinus k Cyril of Hierusalem l Nazianzen m S. Gregory Nyssen n Theophilus Alexandrinus o S. Hierome p S. Austin q Sedulius r Saluianus openly teach and publikly professe the necessity of good works and generally declaime against the Lutheran iustification by sole fayth By these points insisted vpon and instanced by vs you may learne the sympathy between vs moderne Catholikes and S. Patricke betweene S. Patrike and the Primitiue Christiās and on the contrary discouer the discrepancy of the Protestāts not only with S. Patcrike whome I am sure they wil discard for a very superstitious papist but from all the current of the anciēt Catholiks hauing no more alliance with thē then truth with falshood light with darkenes or Christ with Belial And to returne home deere Contrymen it is not they that conuerted Ireland being a pagan Kingdome but rather peruerted her being a Catholike country they haue not illuminated her faythlesse with the light of faith but on the contrary obscured her faythfull with the fogge of heresy For which respect that remarkable censure of Tertullian may be deseruedly pronounced of them Of the administration of the word what shall I say Since it is their study not to conuert the Ethnicks but to peruert ours and this glory they ayme at if they may procure the ruine of such as stand and not the erection of them that are prostrate for their worke consists not of their owne proper building but of the destruction of the truth they digge vp our workes to build their owne so it comes to passe that they contriue more easily the ruine of stāding houses then the structure of ruinous buildings Sinc it is so deer Contrymen perseuer constantly to the end in that fayth our glorious Apostle S. Patricke hath denounced preached to you keep your selues intrenched within the strong impregnable fortresse of the Catholick Roman Churche which the fraud of heretiks shall neuer vndermine nor the force of Tyrants could neuer ouerthrow and to the new and late borne-ghospellers