after this manner iomtlie martired and buried Manie Christians had gathered themselues once together in a caue to celebrate the feast of these holie martirs Numerianus the Emperour vnderstanding this sent a companie of souldioures commaundinge them to stop vp the mouth of the caue and let not one escape with life There was amonghst them a priest whose name was Diodorus he said mass and gaue them all the B. sacrament encouraging them to suffer that death with ioy and constancie for the loue of CHRIST they did according as he did exhorte them and ended theire lifes gloriouslie in that place The Churche doth celebrate the feast of SS Chrisantus and Daria the 25 of October and theire death was in the yeare of oure Lord God 284. in the raigne of Numerianus Emperoure The martir dome of these saints was written by Verinus and Armenius priests of saint Steuen Pope and martir Metaphrastes enlarged it some what more S. Damasus made certain eloquent verses in praise of these saintes In annot and 2. to annal de glor mart â— 38. and set them on they re tombe There is mention of them allso in the Romaine Martirologe and in that of Vsuardus as allso in the 5 tome of Surius in Cardinall Baronius and Gregorius Turonensis The life of S. Euaristus Pope and Martir OVR Sauior saith in S. Mathew Mat 7 that none can gather grapes of thornes nor figgs of thistles This cometh to passe because a mans power is bounded and limitted but the power of God is infinite without bounds or measure he can therefore if he please gather figgs of thistles and grapes of thornes as it appeareth he did by S. Euaristus Pope who was made a sweet and delicious fruite being in his life holy and in his death a martir God gathered this grape from a thorne viz from a Iew that was his father The life of this holy saint collected by Damasus and out of an epistle decretall of the same Euaristus and out of other Authors was this EVARISTVS was sonne to a Iewe called Iudas and was borne in Bethlehem and when then holy Poper Anacletus was dead he was chosen to succeede in his place He was a verie learned and holie man and the first that diuided the parishes of Rome into sundrie titles among sundrie priests which were after-ward called Cardinalls The same Euaristus ordained that seuen deacons should accompany the Bishop where soeuer he went and should stand by his side whensoeuer he preached to the end his ministery should be honoured his doctrine wittnessed and also that he might shew some kind of autority be defended if any Gentill made shewe of violence against him He also prouided that matrimony should be publikly solemnized and not in secret and that the spouses should go vnto the Church to haue the nuptiall benediction Tertull lib 2. ad vxor Ca siour vir 7. q. 1. 2. q. 7. si quâ— sunt though as Tertulian saith the espousalls and marriage were made in the Church euen from the time of the Apostles Moreouer he commaunded that Bishops should not leaue of forsake their Churches to go vnto others which thing is agreeable with the condition of maried folks who may not abandon their own wifes for other women He also ordeined that the accusations of the people should not be receued against their owne Bishops if they had not notice before or els some pregnant suspition of fault in him It is not knowen how S. Euaristus died but that the Catholik Church hath doth account him in the nomber of the Popes which were martirs In such sort that hauing holden the Papacy 9. years 10. months and 2. daies and hauing giuen holy orders three times in the moneth of December and at them ordered 5. bishops 6. priests and 2. deacons he exchanged this temporall life for the eternall and was buried in the Vatican nere vnto the supulcher of S. Peter chief of the Apostles on the 26 day of October and on that day the Church doth celebrate his feast The death of this holy saint was in the yeare of our Lord 120. in the time of the Emperour Traiane The life of SS Symon and Iude Apostles HOLY writ in the first booke of Machabees speaketh of Mattathias who hauing done noble acts in the defence of the people of Israel and finding himselfe now tired old and neere his death called to him his sonnes kinsfolke and freinds and the chief of them that had serued vnder his standard When they were all come he made vnto them a large speech exhorting them earnestly to perseruer in the seruice of God and in his holy faith for that he was able to deliuer them though all the world was against them as he had done in former times when they put their trust in him He to this purpose recounted vnto them the examples of Abraham Phynees Dauid Daniel and his three freinds After this he concluded his speech with these words Behold Symeon your brother is a man of wisedome giue eare to him as to your father Iudas Machabeus also is valiant and corragious euen from his child bode let him be the captein of your hoast This history agreeth much for the B. Apostles Symon and Iude for that Mattathias is the figure of IESVS CHRIST our Lord who hath done worthy acts in the world for the defence of all Christians which haue serued vnder his banner and speaketh thus to them Behold you Christians Symon my Apostle is your brother and a man of wisdome listen to him and esteeme him as your father and imitate him in his holy and vertuous life Iudas also his companion in martir dome is valiant euen from his youth let him be your captein in the battle take him for your Aduocate and commend your self to him for that will help you much to obtein the victory The life 's of these two Apostles taken out of that which is written of them in the holy Scriptures and out of diuers Authors was in this manner SAINT Symon and S. Iude were the sonnes of Alpheus and Mary Cleophae and brethren to S. Iames the lesse and Ioseph the iust Symon was called Cananeus for that he was borne in Cana of Galyly and S. Luke calleth him Zelotes in the Greeke toung for that Cana by interpretation is zelous He was thus surnamed to be knowne from S. Peter who is also called Symon as Iudas was surnamed Thaddeus to distinguish him from Iudas Iscariot It is not written when or howe they were called to the Apostle ship but there is mention made of them in the Ghospell when the names of the twelue Apostles are reconed As also when IESVS CHRIST in the sermon of the supper Ioan. 14. said He that loueth me shal be loued of my Father and I will loue him and manifest my self to him Iudas answered him How is this to be done that hout wilt manifest thy self to vs and not to the world CHRIST spake of his death and of
that their bodies should be burned and whilest the officers hauing already gotten all their bodies together prepared to performe it and had laid wood on the top of them and put fire vnto them behold on a sodeine the sky was couered with dark and black cloudes and dredfull thunders were hard and thunderboltes killed some of the Pagans who were busied in burning the bodies of the holy martyrs and the other fled away to saue their lifes wherat the Christians took hart and gathered together the reliques of the holy Martirs taking them out of the fire which was alredy quenched and putting them into a bark sailed with them vnto Bizantium and there they buried them very honorably After a few daies the couragious matrone Natalia desirous to remaine in the same place where the holy reliques were passed from Nicomedia vnto Bizantium where shee made a blessed end in our Lord and was buried at the side of S. Adrian her husband whose body was in processe of time caried vnto Rome and buried in a Church builded to his name The death of S. Adrian was on the. 8. day of September and the death of Natalia his wife was on the first day of December in the yeare of our Lord. 306. vpon a munday as the spanish saith Dioclesian raigning iointly with Maximian on the earth and IESVS CHRIST with the father and holy Ghost in perfect Trinity reigning in heauen to whome be all praise and glory for euer Amen * ⎠* The life of S. Gorgonius Martir IESVS CHRIST speaking of his comming into the world Math. 10. saith as S. Mathew writeth in his ghospell Doe not you think that I am come to make peace in the earth for I am come to set warre therin Although that the Angels sang when I was borne Glory be vnto God in the heauens and in earth peace vnto men of good will Although I am become man to treate and conclude peace betwene mine eternall father and men and though my salutations when I rose from death were nothing but peace because I desire that euerie man should haue it neuertheles let not any man be deceaued for I am come to make controuersie and variance betwene the wicked and the good I am come to make a diuision betwene the father and the sonne the mother the daughter the stepmother and the daughter in lawe and I am come to make the houshold seruants and familier freinds enemies vnto the master of the house This is euident and apparant to be so for when the father and the sonne the mother and the daughter the stepmother and the daughter in lawe the master of the house and his houshold people and familiar freinds be wicked and vicious if God touch the hart of any of them and they be conuerted vnto him and the other continue in their wickednes forthwith discord and dissension ariseth among them and they make war one against another but this do the wicked against the good by persecuting them euen to the taking away of their lifes because they forsake and abandon their conuersation Of this we haue an example in S. Gorgonius the martir who was chamberlain vnto the Emperour Diocleasian who as long as Gorgonius was a Gentill and worshipped the Idols liued quietly with him and he shewed much kindnes vnto him but when he vnderstood that Gorgonius was a Christian forthwith he fell out with him and vsed him with great tiranny and lastly with greate cruelty put him to death l. 8. c. 9. Howe it came to passe Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea reherseth after this maner SAINT Gorgonius was borne in the city of Nicomedia and was chamberlein vnto themperour Deoclesian This man hauing receiued the faith of CHRIST IESVS by the meanes of Dorotheus his fellowe companion in the same office These two conferred what they might do to get others of the Emperours chamber to be made Christians It fell out that one day one Petrus that had receaued also the christian faith who was a man noble in bloud of high esteeme in themperours Court hauīg an honorable office in the same sawe in the city of Nicomedia in the high street and edict or proclamation set vp which was made against the Christians threatning death and torments to them that should be discouered This man vpon a greate zeale of our faith took downe the edict and in the sight of all the people rent it in pieces when this happened Dioclesian and Maximian whom the former had chosen to be his colleague and companion in the Empire and had giuen vnto him the title of Cesar were both together in Nicomedia and vnto them it was tould what Petrus had done wherat both enraged and mad with fury commanded he should be brought before theire presence When he was brought and the other two also being there present he reproched and reuiled Peter out of measure and gaue strict commaundment he should not be fauored in his torments which although they were excessiue yet did he neuer showe in his countenaunce any signe but of ioy and neuer spoke word but it declared a vallerous and inuincible mind Gorgonius was present at this spectacle for he and Dorotheus had bene instructors of Peter in the faith of CHRIST These two seeing the cōstancy of the B. martir there grewe in them also a desire to die for the loue of IESVS CHRIST this his example working much in them and by accord betwene them they spoke vnto the Emperour in this maner what meanest thou o Emperour that thou tormentest Peter only for that thing in which if it be in him any fault we also are culpable if thou puttest him to the endurance of these torments because he professeth the faith of IESVS CHRIST the same faith we confesse also The same intention he hath we haue also therfore reason willeth that thou puttest vs vnto the same torments which thou hast made him to suffer when Dioclesian heard them say this he grewe into gret choller The loue he bore towards them before was not so greate and the desire to do them good as was nowe the indignation he cōceiued against them and the determination he had to handle them euill and in his fury and rage he said vnto them Since you seek the way like fooles as this man is to be tormented you shall haue your minds satisfied Then he commaunded they should be scourged without pitty which was performed forthwith so that their flesh was rent and torne in diuers places Then the tirant commaunded the officers to lay salt and power vineger into their wounds and lay them on the gridiron and vnder it a fire to be made but not a greate one to put them to the more torment Peter was nowe dead by this martirdome and bicause Gorgonius and Dorotheus semed yet to liue and the tirant was wearied to see their torment vpon the gridiron he made them to be taken from it and with a rope tied aboute their necks to be hanged by
came vnto them a priest and seruant of God dwelling in Rome called Nicomedes who said masse and gaue them the B. Sacrament S. Petronilla hauing communicated began a long and feruent speech vnto IESVS CHRIST saieng that she had offered her virginity vnto him with a perpetuall vow and therfore desired him not to permit it to be violated against her will S. Felicula also as a true friend aided her importunating our Lord to deliuer his handmaid out of that danger though she desired not her death It was Gods pleasure to giue Petronilla remedy by that means for hauing ended her oraisons she went vnto bed and yelded vp her soule vnto God The matrones and damsells Flaccus had sent to accompany the spouse vnto his house on the wedding day came in god time to solemnise the funeralls of the holy saint When Flaccus was certefied and sawe Petronilla to be dead he cast his eies vpon Felicula who was very sorowfull for the death of her friend being very beutifull which drew the affection of Flaccus in such sort that he was enamored of her also and after many wordes he vsed to that purpose he finished his speach thus Felicula elect one of thes two things please thy self either to be my wife or els sacrifice vnto the Gods The good damsell made him this bold answere I will not be thy wife for I haue IESVS CHRIST to my spouse and I will not sacrifice vnto thy Gods for that I am a Christian when Flaccus hard the resolute answere of Felicula he deliuered her into the hands of the liuetenant to giue iudgment vpon her He kept her fast in a dark roome for seuen daies and beside other vexations he kept her from any sustenance Some women that belonged vnto the prison said vnto her Alas poore girle why art thou so fond as to dy willingly this euill death Take this great Lord vnto thy husband who is beutifull riche and in the flower of his youth and highly fauored of th' emperor who hath made him gouernour of this city other women would haue ben right glad therof and thou makest no account of him which may turne to thy damage and losse of life The blessed damosell replied I am the spouse of IESVS CHRIST and I will not mary any other but him After that seuen daies expired Felicula was led vnto the Vestall virgins where she remanied certein daies but she would neuer eate of the meat that they did eate bicause it was offered and sacrificed vnto the goddesse Vesta for if she had eaten therof she had giuen a signe to consent vnto their Idolatry and other Christians would haue bene much scandalised therat When the deputy vnderstood the constancy of Felicula he caused her to be taken out of that place and to be tortured with the torture called Eculeus and when she was tortired there with she said with a loud voice Now do I see my beloued IESVS CHRIST vpon whom I haue fixed my loue The excutioners said vnto her Say that thou art not a Christian and thou shalt be deliuered from this torture She answered I do not deny neither will I deny my beloued IESVS CHRIST who for my sake was crowned with thornes and had gall giuen him for drink and also died on the Crosse The executioners tooke her of from that torment and threw her in a gutter or sink in the which the blessed damosell yelded vp her soule vnto Almighty God Nicomedes the priest that had said masse giuen the B. sacrament vnto S. Petronilla on the day of her death and had laine cloâ—e and hidden in a caue for feare of the persecution was aduertised therof and one night he departed out of the caue and took the body of S. Felicula from thence and buried it a mile out of Rome in the way toward Ardea Flaccus being told what Nicomedes had done caused him to be apprehended for the same and being instigated by the fiend willed him to sacrifice vnto the gods The good priest said he would not sacrifice to any but to Almightie God that raigned in the heauens for that they whom they reputed gods were no other but stocks and stones which remained in their temples like prisoners The gouernour commaunded he should be whipped which was done with such vehemency that the good priest passed out of this vnto a better life in this torment and his body was cast into the riuer Tiber by the commandement of the cursed Iudge but one Iustus his seruant sought carefully after it and caried it being found vnto a garden of his nere vnto the walles of the citty in the way called Numentana there he buried it Vnto which place many Christians resorted and there by the merits of that holy Saint obteined many graces of God The death of S. Nicomedes was on the 15. day of September Spanish saith 52. vnder Clâ—â—dius and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast It was then as Canisius saith the yeare of our Lord. 90. in the raigne of the Emperour Domitian and the same he saith of S. Petronilla as is already said in her life But many think it was much sooner for if S. Petronilla died in the yeare of our Lord. 90. she must be of necessitie at that time 60. years old because she was borne before that our Lord gaue the chiefest prelacy or Papacy vnto S. Peter her father for froÌ„ thenceforth he obserued chastity And againe if she was so old it is not a thing likely that Flaccus should be ennamoured of her We reade also in the life of Pope Paule 1. that he translated from one place vnto another All this the Spanish hath not in this place the body of S. Petronilla and that he found an epitaph which S. Peter the Apostle had made at her death Which being so it followeth that before the yeare of our Lord. 70. in which S. Peter was crucified S. Petronilla was dead wherfore in mine opinion her death and the martirdome of S. Nicomedes was not in the yeare of our Lord. 90. as Canisius saith but in or about the yeare of our Lord. 60. in the reigne of Nero. The life of S. Cornelius Pope and Martir SALOMON saith in Ecclus Ca. 23. The man that sweareth much shal be full of iniquitie and the plague shall not depart from his house The wise man doth not say he that sweareth falsly but he that sweareth much For that speaking morally he that sweareth much sweareth false at one time or other This sinne displeaseth God so much that he deferreth not the chasticement till the world to come but punisheth it in this life sending plagues vpon the house where such poople be So then if the swearer be afflicted with necessities infirmities and other troubles of this life we may think he hath deserued it for his many oathes Those that be free from such miseries if they desire to be alwaies free let them abstaine from othes swearing The holie Pope Cornelius
extasi as vsuallie he accustomed in the meditation of the passion of CHRIST to the which he was deuoted more then can be expressed And at this time he was transformed into the similitude of CHRIST crucified the figure of his blessed wounds remaining imprinted in this flesh his hands were pierced through the middest with nailes of flesh the heads of which nailes appearing in the palmes of his hands were round and black and the points long and crooked the like appeared in his feet and vpon his right side he had a wound as if it had bene with a speare the wound being both red wide S. Bonuaenture affirmeth that he heard them say so that had seen them with their eies and touched them with their hands When Ionathas desired to shewe kindnes to Dauid 4. Reg 4. he gaue him his garments and when IESVS CHRIST would shew his fauour to S. Francis he bestowed on him his wounds 1. Reg 18. when Eliseus would resuscitate the dead infant he lay ouer the child and it may be he said to God Lord ioine these my eies to him that they may see in him and these my hands that they may haue feeling in him so CHRIST lay ouer S. Francis and gaue his wounds to him CHRIST visibly ascended in to heauen and for that his will was to haue in his Church a perfect pourtraiture of him for a small time he made S. Francis one for considering his holy life streight after his conuersion it seemeth that S. Francis did set down his foot in the steppe from whence CHRIST took vp his foot And to the end he should be likened vnto him in euery thing he imprinted his wounds also in his body Sometimes one that is vitious or one that is good is bidden to imitate God and if perhapps he thinketh he can not do it God giueth him a patterne or a modell which he may imitate when he will S. Francis preached the despising and contempt of the world and it seemeth that many men did not giue credit vnto him Wherfore to the end he should be credited CHRIST gaue him his wounds like an instrument which is written sealed for that is should be of sufficient creditt S. Francis is like the keeper of the common standard of measure vnto which all the other keepers of measure resort CHRIST on the Crosse got many children some were martirs some Confessors and some were virgins The children are likened vnto the father some had his similitude in their patience others in their humility and others in other vertues but for that none had the similitude of him in the wounds God elected S. Francis for that purpose and gaue them vnto him imprinted in his flesh The courtiers that be fauored of the king are apparailled in his liuery and because S. Francis was highly fauored of IESVS CHRIST he was therfore cloathed in the liuery of his wounds Iacob wrastled with God and remained lame S. Francis wrastled with God and he was made lame also for the wounds of his feet suffered him not to trauell but he was compelled to ride on a litle Asse The death of this glorious patriarch drawing nighe he was much diseased with a grief in his stomack and in his eies as also with the paines of his wounds sixe moneths before his death he fell sick of the dropsy which thinge persuaded him he had not long to liue The citizens of Assisium doubting that if he died in any other place they should loose the pretious treazure of the holy maÌ„s body sent for him to Sienna where he remained and conducted him to their city and lodged him in the Bishops house The holy saint being there and knowing that the hower of his death approached commaunded them to cary him to the Church of Sancta Maria de portinncula other wise called dy Angeli Being come thâ—ther he made his testament in which he left his friers heires of his holly pouerty which he much recommended vnto them to keep and obserue ioyntly with charity and obedience and gaue vnto them his benediction On a saterday in the euening on the. 4. day of October in the time of pope Honorius 3. and of Fredericque 2. themperour in the year of our Lord. 1226 twenty years after his conuersion and in the. 45. year of his age this holy father heard the voice of God who called him out of this life vnto him And because he would make a true demonstration that he had not any thing common with the world not the world any thing with him The holy father with feruor of spirite did arise stark naked out of his bed and lay on the ground He had before receued the sacraments of Confession Eucharist and extreame vnction and hauing at the reasembly of his friers who wept and lamented pitifully remenbred them and ageine commaunthem to loue pouertie and to be subiect and obedient to the Church of Rome He gaue them his finall benediction aswell to the absent as to the present saieng to them My children remaine in peace and feare of our Lord and continew alwais in the same for I depart hence to God vnto whom I commend you all Then he willed them to read vnto him the passion according to S. Iohn After which the holy saint said the psalme of Dauid which beginneth thus Voce mea ad dominum clamaui and went vnto the last verse which is Educ de custodia animam meam ad confitendum nomini tuo me expectant iusti donc retribuas mihi and with those words his blessed soule vnloosed from the bands of the flesh and went out to enioy the euerlasting felicity His body continued so beutifull that only to behold it would moue a man to celestiall desires There resorted to his buriall innumerable people He was caried to the city of Assisium by the way the laid it in the Church of Damian at the instancy and petition of S. Clara for there was her monastery to the end shee and the other Nonnes her daughters might see him The sight of him caused them to shed aboundance of deuout teares especially when they sawe the wounds of his hands feet and side which might be seene of euery man From thence he was caried into the city and buried in the Church of S. George vntill that foure years after A sumptuous Church was builded for him into which he was translated and therin buryed Pope Gregory 9. hauing first vsed the accustomed diligences canonized him vpon a sonday one yeare mine months and a half after his glorious death Spa Marius Antonius Sabelliâ—â—s saith that in this time which was in the yeare of our Lord. 1494 there were Franciscan friers to the number of 60000. in forty prouinces The life of S. Placidus and others THE hautie pride and boldnes of Pharao with the help of the praier of Moises was the cause that he was drowned in the red sea the people of God escaped out of his cruell handes But
barbarous natured man to the end that he should draw them to offerre vp sacrifice or put them to most grieuous torments Besides that in this he also had another respecte to haue Sergius the more auiled and disgraced by hauing appointed for his judge Antiochus aman that in former times was one of his followers and had bin preferred to the dignitie of Gouernor of Prefect of the East by the meanes of Sergius The holie Saincts were brought before him and he committed them first to prison where they spent they re time in prayer and deuotion beseeching oure Lord to graunt them strength and affoord them succoure in they re battaile Afterwards Antiochus fending for them vsed all meanes to winne they re willes to offer vp sacrifice to his Idolls But they answearing that his Idolls were diuells and no Gods he commaunded foure lustie and merciless fellowes to whip and scourge Bacchus with the toughest and hardest finewes of Oxen. This torment was so terrible and the lashes so cruell tearing his fleshe and wounding him so deepely that heerewith the martyr ended his lyfe and yielded vp his spiritt to God He afterward appeered vnto Sergius shining with glorie ad heauenly brightnesse he declared vnto him the endless reward which he had receaued for those short torments and encouraged him to vndergoe what paine soeuer was prepared for him to the end that as in they re punishment they might be partners in they re victorie and triumph Antiochus earnestlie to make Sergius more plyant and reduce him to his opinion but seing all he could doe was in vaine led by his fierce and cruell nature and desirous to satisfie the Emperoure he commaunded a paire of shoes all bestudded and thick sett with points of sharp nailes to be putt on his feete so to runne before his chariott and after this manner he did driue him nine miles to the excessiue paine of the holie martyr our of whose feet ranne streames of bloud But the night next ensuing an Angell did come and cherish him and so healed his feet as yf he had suffered nothing at all The iudge attributed to Magicke this fauoure of God and being therewith more enhardened did commaund him to endure againe the same torment Then seeing nothinge would auaile nor worke the martyr to his will he commaunded that his head should be stroken of Sergius kneeled downe vpon his knees and made his prayer to allmightie God beseeching him to accept the loss of his lyfe as a sacrifice to pardon those that did persecute him and graunt them knowledge of his light and his trueth He heard a voyce which inuited him to the kingdome of heauē did congratulate his victorie wherefore stretching forth his necke he was streightwaie beheaded the 7 of october in the yeare of oure Lord 306. God did honoure Sergius from Heauen with miracles and on earth he was honoured with great gyfts of Princes For Cosroes king of Persia though a pagan and Infidell did send to his temple a most riche Cross of gold with other precious gyftes in token of preat fauours receaued at his hands as childen by his wyfe queene Sira and safetie in manie great daungers and perilles Iustinian the emperour built two fayre churches in his name one at Constantinople the other at Ptolemaida At Rome a churche with the title of a Deacon Cardinall is dedicated vnto them And the verie citie wherein S. Sergius was put to death was called by his name Sergiopolis Of these two Saincts there is mention made in the second Nicene councell actione 5. in the Roman martyrologe and manie famous authors The life of SS Marcellus and Apuleius martyrs ON this self same dai the 7. of Octob. the Churche doth make a commemoration of Marcellus Apuleius martyrs They had bin disciples of Simon Magus but seeing by his disputations with S. Peeter that he was nothing but a false deceaver they forsooke and left him astonied at the wondrous works miracles of the glorious Apostle receaued his doctrine were made Christiās followed him all the dai of his life After his death thei liued according to his heauenlie doctrine vntill they came to be so happie as to shed they re bloud for that Faith and religion which they had learned of so good a maister They were putt to death and martyred by the commaundement of a Consull called Aurelian in the raigne of Domitian and in the yeare of our lord 93. the 7. of October and were buried without Rome neere the walles of the cittie The life of S. Dionise Areopagite and others SALOMON in the booke of wisdome saith that God disposeth all things sweetlie ordaining most conuenient meanes to obtaine such ends as he intendeth This was the reason why in his birth he vsed a starre to guide the three Eastern Kinges to adore him For they being Magi that is men skillfull in Astrologie by seing a starre of so new a fashion so different in place in course and motion from all other starres would be the more easilie wonne and allured to seeke the author and cause of that starre as they did effectuallie finding and adoringe IESVS CHRIST To conuert S. Dionise the Areopagite a great Philosopher and Astrologer God vsed the like propertionable meanes and it was that rare and singular Ecclips which at the time of oure sauioures death happened beyond the course of nature For Dionise marking the strangeness there of and maruailing at such a neuer seene wonder noted the yeare the day and houre and after vnderstanding by S. Paule the true cause and misterie of that Ecclipse he was conuerted to embrace that religion which was established by his death who was principall author and only motiue of that wonder which surpassed nature The life of this Sainct with Rusticus and Elutherius his fellow martirs collected out of Michaël Singelus priest of Hierusalem out of Suidas and Simeon Metaphrastes is as followeth THE cittie of Athens was famous in all Greece for that it was the chief place of learning the wellspring of knowledge and mother of Wisemen Dionise the Areopagite was borne therein of a riche and honourable familie and of parents morallie iust and courteous louelie to strangers and liberall in his youth he gaue himselfe to learning wherein he became so eminent that aswell for his knowledge as for his Nobilitie he had the chiefe place amonghst the Magistrates which gouerned the cittie He was most eloquent in the Attick tongue a most skillfull Rhetorician a rare man in the doctrine of Stoicks Epicureans and other Philosophers But aboue all he was accounted a iust man and vertuous in exercising his office not fauouring the riche nor oppressing the poore not cōdemning the innocent nor leauing the culpable without due chastizement He went into Egypt to studie the better vnderstand the course of the heauē the force influence of the starres and all that knowledge of Astrologie Being about the age of fiue and twentie and residing in the cittie
our peregrination by all the Churches S. Matthew being among the Hebrews had written his Gospell in the Hebrew toung and S. Mark remaining in Rome among the Romaines in Latin S. Luke wrote his in Greek because he preached among the Greeks It is said that at all times that S. Paule saith in his epistles After my Gospell Ierom. de scri eccles he meaneth of the Gospell of S Luke for that he wrot it being in his company S. Dorotheus B. of Tyrus saith that S. Luke wrot his Ghospell by the apointment of S. Peter not of S. Paule because he saith in the beginning therof that he wrot it by the relation of them who sawe it from the beginning S. Paule did not so This holy man wrot also another treatise which is called the Acts of the Apostles In the beginning of which he speaketh of the Ascension of CHRIST into heauen and of the coming of the holy Ghost Then speaketh he of the miracles and preachâ—â—g of the Apostles of their persecutions the death of S. Stephen the conuersion of S. Paule the death of S. Iames the Great and the imprisonment and escape of S. Peter After this he goeth on with 〈◊〉 peregrinations of S. Paule his persecutions and trauells of all which he himself bore no litle part and goeth on till he leaueth S. Paule in Rome Then S. Luke departing from thence returned into the Orient traueled ouer a great part of Asia arriued in Egipt He visited Thebais the higher the lower in all places preaching the faith of CHRIST sand conuerâ—ing soules in euery place where soeuer he went At the end of his peregrination he came to the great city of Thehais and was the prelate and pastor therof and as such a one laboured to destroy the Idolls and to build Churchs Which he might the better doe by reason of the great multitude that receued the faith of CHRIST and were Baptised by hearing his exhortations S. Luke remained there many years ordered bishops and priests whom he sent into diuers countreis to preache In such sort that this prouince brought forth many good plants worthy of the eternall life This holy Euangelist catied alwais with him two Images he had made himself the one of our B. Sauiour and the other of his B. mother which were good means to conuert the Painims for that not only he did miracles with them but all they that sawe them were moued to great deuotion These two Images were so like the one to the other that he which did not know whose pictures they were might yet easily know that there was some neere kindred between the two persoÌ„s represented by them To conclude the holy Euangelist being 84. years old passed froÌ„ this mortall vnto the eternall life Nicephorus Callistus in his ecclesiasticall history saith that S. Luke died a martir in Grecia and that he was hanged on a Oliue true lib 2. Cap. 43. but it is commonly holden that he died a naturall death The same Author and others with him say that Constantin the sonne of Constantin the Great by the meanes of one Artemius who whas after ward a glorious martir brought to Constantinople the bodies of S. Andrew from Patrasso a city of Achaia though at this time the body be at Amalphi a city of the kingdome of Naples in Italy of S. Timotheus from Ephesus in Asia and S. Luke from Thebes where it remained and that he builded a sumptuous Church to lay in all the said blessed bodies Nowe the citisens of Padoa say that they haue the body of S. Luke the Euangelist in their city in the Church of S. Iustina The Church celebrateth the feast of S. Luke on the day wheron he died which was on the. 18. day of October in the yeare of our Lord. 90. and in the raigne of Domitian as Canisius accounteth * ⎠* The life of S. Hilarion the Abbot THE Apostle S. Peter Cap. 4. in his fiirst Canonicall epistle hath one sentence fear full for the good and dreadfull to the euill viz If the iust shall scant be saued what shall become of the sinner If he that hath serued God all his life doth tremble at the hower of death what shall he do who hath bin a wicked man and is a sinner at that dreadfull hower This was verified in S. Hilarion the Abbot who being at the point of death felt a great fear in his â—oule but he incouraging it said Depart my soule out of my body of what art thou afraid thou hast serued CHRIST 70. years and dost thou nowe fear to dy The life of this holy Abbot was written by S. Ierome in this sort SAINT Hilarion was borne in Tabata fiue miles from the city of Gaza in Palestina His father and mother were both Idollaters so that he grewe as a rose among thornes Being a litle child he was sent to study in Alexandria in which place he made demonstration of his rare towardlines and inclination vnto goodnes rare witt morall vertues which caused all men that knew him to loue him But he was much more beloued of God for in that place he atteined vnto the knowledge of the Christian faith which he receiued and was Baptised So that he who before was only accounted a vertuous man was now such a one in verity and in deed and delighted in nothing but in vertuous actions and the seruice of God spending the greater part of his life in the Church and in the company of godly priests and by meanes of them he came to the knoweledg of S. Antony who dwelt in the desert and amazed all worldly men to see and heare of his strict life and his sanctity in confounding the deuills in which he reioiced the heauenly court Hilarion had a great desire to see him in the desert which when he had done he chaunged his ordinary clothes and put on such weedes as the moÌ„ks that were in the company of S. Antony wore with whom he also staied two months In this time he marked the order of his life his grauity in behauior his incessant praier his humility in the entertainment of straingers his seuerity in correcting offenders the austerity he vsed toward his body in diet apparell and sleeping he sawe the multitudes of people which came from all costs vnto him to obtein remedy and help for all maner of necessities by his intercession and praiers Hillarion thought that this was the beginning of the reward of the long endured trauels of Anthony and that he should do well to follow his steppes This being determined he returned into his country where the found his father and mother deceased wherfore he diuided his patrimony and bestowed part on his brethren and part on the poore hauing in mind these words of CHRIST He that doth not renounce all that he posesseth cannot be my disciple At that time Hillarion was 15. years old and by this means being poore yet accompanied by CHRIST he went vnto
vpward being so painfull and he said Let me look vp toward heauen since that very shortly my spirit is to go that way which I behold When the agony of death came he saw the deuill the ennemy of mankind and said vnâ—o him what doest thou heere thou cruell beaâ— Thou shalt find in me nothing for which I shall eâ—damned and hauing said thus he rendered his spirit to our Lord being 81. yeares old His blessed soule was borne into heauen accompanyed with many Angells who made much ioy and song melodiously This musique was heard by sundry persons that were in places farre distant as of seuerinus Arch B. of Collein and by S. Ambrose Arch Bishop of Millan Who sayeng of masse fell a sleep from the which he awaked after three howers and then said to the standers by know you that my brother Martin B. of Towers is departed out of this life and I haue bene present there to bury his body S. Martin liued on the earth poore and humble and intred into heauen rich and with great maiesty His death was on the. 11. day of Nouember and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast and it was in the year of our Lord. 399. in the time of the Emperour Honorius This holy saint did many myracles in his life time and also after his death Whilest he liued he was the meanes that many were conuerted vnto God by his good example and excellent doctrine and after his death many were holpen by his merites and in tercession God of his great bountie and infinit mercie graunt that we may be in the number of the chosen to the end we may enioy his glory in the company of S. Martin Amen Many Authors write of S. Martin beside Seuerus Sulpitius as S. Paulinus Bishop of Nola Fortunaus the priest Gregory of Towers Odo the first Abbot of Cluny Hebernus Bishop of Turen and many others The life of S. Menna Martir OVR sauiour CHRIST saith vnto his seruants in S. Mathew Ca. 30 WheÌ„ you shal be brought before kings Iudges take no thought what you shall speak for at that time you shal be tought howe to answere This sentence is verefied in a holie souldier called Menna who haning spent his time in the warre among swords and lauâ—ces being brought before a tirani that did examine him of the faith of CHRIST which he professed made some answeres as if he had bene exercised in the studie of the holie scriptures all the daies of his life Of this holie saint Metaphrastes writeth as ensueth IN the second yeare of Caius Valerius Dioclesianus and in the first yeare of Caius Valerius Maximianus after the death of Numerianus who had gouerned the Empire before them there was raised a sore persecution against the Christians through all the lands subiect to the Empire Into which were sent publike proclamations conteining the will of the Emperours and the punishment that should be inflicted vpon those that disobeied the same There was in the cittie of Cottieum which is in the prouince of Phrigia or in Asia minor a president calsed Pirrhus Arginiscus who had the gouernement of that prouince had also authority ouer the men of warre which were resident in the same as a garrison for defence therof Notwithstanding they had a generall captaine ouer them called Firmilianus Among the souldiers there was one in the regiment of Rutilus called Menna by nation an Aegiptian and by profession a Christian whose vertue shone among the rest as the sunne doth aboue the starres The Emperours edict came vnto this cittie the tenor whereof was this Dioclesian and Maximian Emperours to all their subiects seÌ„deth greeting Forasmuch as we acknow ledg to haue receaued many fauours and graces of of the soueraigne Gods for which we thinck our selues obliged and bound to procure all honour and seruice to be done vnto them and their Temples We therefore coÌ„maund all magistrates and captaines of our Empire that assoone as they haue notice of this our Edict that they endeauour with all dilligence as a thing that concerneth the saffetie of our estate the honor of the Gods our benefactors that all our subiects aswell men as women of what estate or condition soeuer they bee do worship and adore them and do offer sacrifice in visiring often their temples And those that be disobedient and rebellious against our comaundements that they be tormented in the most cruell forte that may be inuented This was the tenor of the Edict Assoone as the president receaued it he caused it to be proclaimed through all the cittie other places of his prouince CoÌ„maunding withall that presently after the proclamation all men and women should go vnto the Temples to the end the disobedient persons might be knowne In most places where the proclamation was made there were great murmurings amongst the people for that it was thought both vniust and cruell yet the greatest part of people went of force vnto the Temples to obey the Edict When the valiant souldier so Menna vnderstood hereof he was not able to endure so vniust and vnrighteous proceedings as to haue the veneration and worship of the true GOD IESVS CHRIST to be abolished and that in stead thereof reuerence should be done vnto the fiends Because he would be free and not be partaker of this wicked transgression nor so much as see it he departed from the armie and withdrew himself into a desert where he remained fiue yeares leading a sollitarie life in continuall fasting and works of penance which was as an exercise and an entrance into the warre and battaile which he expected shortly to make At the last inspired by God he returned into the cittie vpon a day which was kept very sollemne as the birthdaie of one of their Godds The people of the cittie were generally assembled into a Theatre expecting certaine martiall exercises as Iusts and turneis And there was also the president Pirrhus for the same purpose S. Menna entred into the middest of the show and with a loud and cleere voice he rehersed a text out of the Pophet Esay Ca. 65. which saith I haue bene found of them that sought me not and manifested to them that asked not after me At these words all the standers by fixed their eies vpon him and seing him to be a rude plaine man meanely apparelled they know not what to make of his words nor what he ment by them The president Pirrhus causing him to be brought neerer vnto him demaunded of him who he was He aunswered I am Menna the seruant of IESVS CHRIST who is Emperour of heauen and earth The president enquired further Art thou a stranger or a citisen that thou seekest to disturb our feastiuall showes in this manner what is thy meaning herein One of them which stood by said vnto Pirrhus I know the man well He is a souldier of the regiment called Rutilica whose Coronell is Firmilianus and it is about fiue yeeres since he abandoned
they sought for them found them out aprehended them put them in prison and at the end vnto some cruell death Notice was giuen by some informers that Gregorie laie hidden in the mountaine whereupon officers were sent forth with to aprehend him for the iudges thought that if they put him to death being the cheif the inferior Christians would be discouraged to make such bold profession of their faith S. Gregorie being on the mountaine comaunded his deacon to make his oraisons So both of them kneeling with their hands lifted vp to heauen somewhat distant the one from the other they besought God if it were for his seruice that he would deliuer them from the persecution but if his will was that they should dye for his sake and loue of his holie Gospell they did like wise desire that his will might be done The souldiers arryuing at the mountaine went vp and downe all the hill searching for them and returned vnto the Iudge telling him that they had found noting but two trees somewhat distant the one from the other The Iudg knew for certaine that Gregorie was on the mountaine and therefore he went thither in person alone finding those that seemed to the souldiers to be trees to be Gregorie and his deacon at their praiers When the Iudg saw this wonder God so touched his hart that he went vnto S. Gregorie and fell at his feete confessing IESVS CHRIST to be the true God And he that before persecuted them from thenceforth was one of them that fled from the persecution Another time the holie saint being in praier and with him some of his disciples with his deacon he lifted vp his voice on a sodaine saying these words of Dauid Psa 123. Blessed be our Lord who hath not suffred vs to be taken in their teeth His disciples asked him why he said these wordes and he answered that in that very instant of time was finished in the citie the martyrdome of a Christian who had valiantlie ouercome his persecutors by cōtinuing firme and constant in the faith of CHRIST and said he was called Troadius The deacon asked leaue of the holie saint and went secretlie into the cittie finding all that the blessed man had said to be verie true The persecution then ceasing S. Gregorie returned vnto this Church and recollected together the faith full beleeuers that were dispersed by flight into sundrie partes setling himself againe vnto the preaching of the faith By which meanes some that shewed themselues weak in the time ef persecution were reduced againe to a good estate and many Gentiles were Baptised He vsed great dilligence to know them that had bene martyred and apointed that their feasts should be kept euery yeare on the same daie on which they had beene put to death The good father was now verie old and knowing that his death aproached he desired to be certifyed how many Idolaters and vnbeleeuers remained in that cittie It was told to him there was left but 17. that continewed obstinate in their Idollatrie I am much agreeued said the holie faint that these continew in such an error but yet I yeeld infinite thancks vnto God because I leaue behind me vnto my successor but so many vnbeleeuers in the Bishoprike as I found beleeuers when I was consecrated Bishop Then made he his praier for the Catholique Christians desiring God to giue them grace to continew in his seruice and he besought those that were present that they would bury him amongst others and not in any peculier graue of his owne For I would haue it said of me when I am gone that I had not in my life time an house of mine owne nor after my death a sepulcre This glorious saint rendred his soule vnto God on the 17. daie of Nouember and on the same daie the Catholique Church celebrateth his feast His body was buried as he had apointed all the people making great lamentation but especially his disciples and houshold seruants for loosing so louing a father and so good a master although they were comforted knowing for certaine that they had him for their patrone and aduocate in heauen His death was in the yeare of our Lord. 267. in the time of the Emperour Gallien Nicephorus Callistus writeth the life of this holie saint in the 6. book and 17. chapter The Dedication of the Church of SS Peter Paule THE wise king Salomon was not content to build a house and temple for the great God but hauing finished that work He entended to do another which was to build a lodging for his chiefest Queene among all his other wife 's who was the daughter of king Pharao In like sort also our Lord God would not only haue Churches builded by the Christians for himself to inhabite and dwell and therin to be honored reuerented but his pleasure was that there should be also others builded for his saints whose soules were his spouses by faith For this cause the holy Church of Rome celebrateth the feast of the building of the Church of our Sauiour and of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule The which I haue gathered out of the lessons of the mattins of this solemnity out of some particulers which are redd in the liues of the Popes and Emperours which was in this manner IT was a custome in the Primitiue Church for the Christians to assemble together in priuar and set places to celebrate the diuine office to hear masse to receue the B. sacrament to heare the word of God preached and to make praier They were assembled to do these things especially in the places where the martirs had bene buried and among other one part of the Vatican was highly regarded which they called the Confession of S. Peter for that his B. body had bene in that place enterred and thither resorted people from all parts of the world to giue honor and reuerence vnto it To that same place came th'emperour Constantin the Great 8. daies after he was Baptised where he made his praier and shed many tears Then he took a mattock and digged vp 12. baskets of earth which he himself caried away in honor of the. 12. Apostles in which place they should build a Church vnto S. Peter the head of them Hauing thus begon the work was continewed finished and S. Siluester the Pope consecrated it on the 18. day of Nouember in the year of our Lord. 325. euen as he had consecrated the Church of S. Sauiour on the 9. day of the same moneth He made there an Altare of stone and consecrated it ordeining that from thensforth the Altars should be made of stone The same Emperour Constantin caused another Church to be builded in the honor of the Apostle S. Paul in the way to Hostia and enriched the one theother with reuenewes and adorned them with vessells and iewells of great value Great was the feruour and desire this Prince had to raze to the ground the temples of the Idolls through
virgine Mary might be kept on the 21. Nouember The life of S. Cecilie ONE of the vertuous excercises that the holie matrone Iudith vsed in the seruice of God and to please him was that she wore a course haire-cloth by which she tamed her flesh and brought it in subiestion This was the cause that she had the victorie ouer her flesh and that she liued many yeares a continent and chast life and was freed from all danger and brought home an honorable victorie at such time as she was in the handes of Holofernes We maie saie the same of the glorious virgin and martyr S. Cecilie who amongst many other her pious and vertuous excercises wore continually a haire-cloth and she was deliuered from a danger like vnto that of Iudith for she was preserued a virgin though she were espoused and brought her husband to be a Christian and to keep perpetuall chastitie with her which both of them obserued during their liues The life of this holie saint was written by Symeon Metaphrastes after this manner MANY and great were the graces and fauours that IESVS CHRIST bestowed vpon men discending from heauen vnto earth and deliuering them with his owne death from eternall death ouercoming thereby him that had power in the world and then guiding them by his doctrine vnto heauen Many men acknowledging this good done vnto them by our blesses Sauiour followed him The first were the Apostles then the martyrs Confessors priests virgins wydowes and maried people and those that excercise themselues in all vertuous workes To conclude his diuine maiestie calleth euerie one by the meanes of his euangelists saying Come vnto me all you that be wearied and afflicted and I will refresh you I will lighten the waight that lyeth so heauen vpon you This comfortable saying was heard by S. Cecilie a virgin of Rome who was beautifull of bodie noble of bloud and ritch in posessions Shee beleeuing the Gospell caried it alwaies about her reading often thereon and praying vnto God continually Her father had espoused her to a verie goodlie gentleman of Rome called Valerian who being inflamed with the loue of Cecilie desired much the wedding daie At last the daie came and the glotious virgin though she were in rich apparrell of silk and gold conformeable to her owne birth and the estate of her husband yet vnder her said apparrell next to her skinne she wore a course haircloth Three daies before the apointed tâ—me of the wedding she fasted wept and prayed continuallie desiring God to preserue her virginitie for that this mariage was not by her desired neither should it be by her will since she had giuen herself whollie to IESVS CHRIST and offred to him her virginitie And that her praier might the rather be heard she desired the Angells Apostles martyrs virgins and all the court of heauen to make intercession for her The time at last being come that she and Valerian were to be priuate in their chamber alone she spake to him after this manner My honorable Lord and deare loue I will discouer vnto you a waighty matter if you will promise to keep it secret Valerian forth with promised and then Cecilie said vnto him The secret is this I haue an Angell of God in my companie who is iealous of me and guardeth my bodie verie dilligentlie If he see thee so hardie as to come neere or touch me with carnall or lasciuious loue he will chastice thee rigorously but if he see that thou loue me with pure and chast loue he will loue thee as he loueth meâ— and will bestowe the like pretious fauours as he bestoweth on me Valerian hearing thâ—se words was some what troubled and fearefully said If thou my dearest Cecilie desire that I beleeue thy wordes let me see the Angell If I see him not I shall thinck it is some person that thou louest in dishonest sort which is a wrong to me that am thy husband And if I find it so I wil not faile to kill you both To this S. Cicilie answered If you desire to see the Angell you must be Baptised beleeue in one God eternall and Omnipotent Creator of heauen and earth The conclusion of their long speech was they agreed that on the next daie Valerian should talk with the blessed Bishop Vrban who at that tyme sat in the Chaire of S. Peter and by him Valerian being first instructed in the faith was Baptised Then returning home and coming into the chamber where Cecilie was he found her at prayer and an Angell by her in the shape of a beautifull yongman from whose face came a glorious brightnes The yong man had two garlands in his hand made of Lillies and fresh odoriferous Roses The one he gaue vnto S. Cecilie and the other vnto Vallerian When he deliuered them he said I haue brought these garlands for you wrought with flowres gathered in paradise and in signe I saie true they will continew allwaies fresh and smell verie sweet and maie not be seene but of them that endeauour to liue chast as you do And because thou Valerian hast giuen credit vnto thy spouse and hast receaued the faith of CHRIST the same IESVS hath apointed me to tell thee from him that demaund what thou wilt and he will grant it vnto thee When Valerian heard this he kneeled on the ground and rendred thanckes vnto God for the great benefitt bestowed on him and said I desire this fauour that my brother Tiburtius whom I loue most hartelie maie be conuerted vnto the faith I shall not shew the loue that I beare him if I being now deliuered from the blindnes of Idollatrie wherein I liued do not help to deliuer him also out of it if it be in my power To this the Angell answered with a cheerful countenance Since thou hast demaunded so iust a thing God doth grant it vnto thee And as Cecilie thy spouse hath bene the meanes of thy saluation so shall she also be a meanes for thy brother Tiburtius All came to passe as the Angell said for Tiburtius coÌ„ming by hap into the chamber and feeling a sweet smell of lillies and roses and seing none demaunded of them whence the fragrant smell came that he felt Valerian told him that it came from two garlands which he and Cecilie had on their heads and had bene brought vnto them from heauen Valerian took occasion hereupon to giue him knowledg of IESVS CHRIST and told him also that he himself was Baptised Then leading his brother Tiburtius to Vrban the pope he instructed him in the faith and Baptised him also It befell afterward that the two brethren excercising themselues in good works and especiallie in burieng the Christians that were martyred information was giuen of them to a gouernor called Almachius who imprisoning them and tormenting them in diuers manners as is written in their liues on the 14 of Aprill they were beheaded for the profession of the faith of CHRIST and S. Cecilie buried their bodies
with the sacrifices offred vpon them This was verie pleasing to the Emperour who yet to encourage others apointed a sollemne sacrifice of 100 Oxen to be made which being readie to be performed it happened That a yong damosell of Alexandria borne of the bloud royall learned in diuers sciences and also verie beautifull called Catherine who acknowledged no other God but IESVS CHRIST desirous to defend the lawe of her lord and sauiour and greeuing that so many people should be drowned in Idollatrie and especiallie for that the Emperour caused these people thus to offend determined to go speak to him and to reprooue him and to preuent if she could possiblie this mischeif that it might go no further Departing with this entention from her house well attended by her men-seruants and handmaides she came vnto the Temple and sent one to tell the Emperour that she desired to speak with him and he gaue her leaue to come in S. Catherine came into the Temple and at her entrance all the people present were amased at her wonderfull and Angelicall beautie as also for her modest and lowelie behauiour The Emperour wondred also to see a yong maid so gratious and desired to heare her speak that he might know the entent of her coming This render virgin verie modestlie yet with a Christian boldnes said vnto him O mightie Emperour it seemes to me that thou shouldest in thine owne discretion take notice of thine error and not to sacrifice in this sort vnto Idolls which represent vnto thee men subiect to many vices And if perhaps thou doest not know who they were that thou adorest enquire of those that can certifie thee who will tell thee that they were principall men in the world that for some benefits done in the countrie where they dwelt obtained of the people to haue statues erected vnto them that their memorie might be preserued and that others seing them might be incouraged to do the like deedes and thereby attaine such like honor and reputation But the rude and ignorant people began to call them Gods and to sacrifice vnto them as Gods not regarding that they had beene men And though in some respect they were rare and deserued honour and regard yet in many other things they deserued reproach and infamie for that they had bene vitious of life and wicked Thou ô Emperour oughtest to draw the people from this their error and blindnes and not to perswade them thus to runne further from the light to the preiudice of their soules Acknowledg the true God that created thee and hath giuen thee the Empire who being immortall was made man for our sake and of his owne will did subiect himself to dye that we might be deliuered from death which oure disobedience deserued This Lord will not know them that know not him nor suffer them to enter into his kingdome But those that acknowledg him he rewaâ—deth and giueth to them euerlasting life The Emperour hearing the bold speaches of the virgin stood still a while and could not speak a word for anger considering withall that vnto the reasons the damosell alleadged answere could hardlie be made yet he said vnto her yong girle we will first end our sacrifice and then we will make you an answere withall he commaunded she should be led vnto his pallace The sollemnitie of the sacrifices being ended the Emperour returned vnto his pallace and causing her to be brought before him he said vnto her Tell me yong damosell who thou art and of the words that thou hast spoken this daie Catherine answered It is well knowne in this cittie what bloud I am of my discent being both from Emperours and kings My name is Catherine and I haue spent my time in the studie of Rhetorique philosophie and other sciences but that which I most esteeme and regard is that I am come to the knowledg of IESVS CHRIST true God and true man whoÌ„ I haue taken to my spouse and he hath said I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and refuse the prudence of the prudent for all the wisdome and prudence of man compared to that which I haue learned is nothing worth and not to be regarded Whilest Catherine spoke the Emperour viewed her and wondered at her rare beautie her comelie feature and force of her reasons He thought her not a woman borne on the earth but did liken her to one of the goddesses which he and the other pagans adored The more he talked with the holie maid the more he was confounded for the more stronglie she prooued and concluded that his Gods were diuells and that IESVS CHRIST was more potent then they for that the signe of the Crosse made in the ayre did both feare them and driue them away wherefore he douting to be ouercome by her and put to reproach determined to send for wise and learned orators to dispute with Catherine and to conuince her by their reasons The Emperour himself told the saint hereof and in the meane space caused her to be kept in his pallace vnder a strong guard This being done he gathered famous men out of diuers countries and fiftie such were assembled at his pallace They vnderstanding the cause wherefore they were called the chief of them said vnto him Though there be found o mightie Emperour women of good intendment and sharp witt and though I think this woman maie be such a one yet vnto vs hast thou done apparant wrong since thou makest such account of her by equalling her vnto vs and by thinking that her wisedome and learning maie be compared with ours Some of our disciples maie dispute with her though that be also superfluous and more then needeth for that she hath not the methode to propound nor order to alleadg not to deny nor grant Yea if she speak with a philosopher that can dispute with her she shall not haue a word to saie but will presentlie shew her ignorance and yield The Emperour answered him I would not haue you deceiued I haue studied my self though not so much as you and as farre as I can gather I thinke her worthie to be compared to Plato or any other famous philosopher Be assured that if you ouercome her you shall haue victorie not of a woman but of another Plato On the contrarie part if you be ouercome by her remember you shal be vanquished of a woman If this happen you shal be put to great reproach but if you ouercome her you shal be highlie honored and bountifully rewarded by me The daie apointed for the disputation being come the holie damosell was called for that purpose but first she making her praier vnto IESVS CHRIST an Angell appeared who said vnto her Feare not thou spouse of CHRIST for vnto thy humane wisedome gotten by studie and paines shal be adioyned wisedome infused and supernaturall with which thou shalt ouercome those philosophers and shalt reduce them and many others to the faith of CHRIST the true God and ioyntlie with
Idolls fell downe on the ground and broke to pieces Two souldiers the one called Papias and the other Maurus seing this cryed out and sayd Assuredly IESVS CHRIST whom Saturnine and Sisinnius do adore is the true God The prefect being in a great rage comaunded his officers to torment them they put them on the torment or Rack called Equuleus and hoysing them vp they scourged them very grieuously and rent and tore their bodies with yron bookes and scorpions They being in those torments song Himnes and said Glory be to thee O Lord IESVS CHRIST for that we are found worthie to be partakers of afflictions with thy seruans The tWo souldiers Papias and Maurus which were conuerted when the Idoll fell to the ground as is afore said were present and neere the holie martir These men being stiered vp with a desire of the crowne of martyâ—dome and repleat with holie anger against the excecutioners that tormented them with such rigor and cruelltie said to them with a loud voice How great is the diuell with you that he maketh you so cruell against the seruants of the liuing God When the Prefect Laodicio heard their wordes he was enraged against them and comaunded the officers to strike them on the mouth with stones and to carry them to prison from whence they were after taken and maâ—tyred After this he comaunded the officers to set burning torches to the sides of Saturninus and Sisinnius And when he saw all this would not make them yeeld and that they showed no signe of griefe or sorrow by their countenance he caused them to be taken from that torment and to be led two miles out of Rome into the way toward Numenium and there they were beheadded Their bodies were buried by a deuout man called Thraso in one of his posessions This was on the 29. day of Nouember and on the same day the holie Catholike Church maketh a commemoration of S. Saturninus His death was about the yeare of our Lord. 307. In the raigne of Maximian and Dioclesian Of S. Saturninus wryteth Ado venerable Bede Vsuardus and the Romain martyrologe The life of S. Andrevv Apostle THE sacred scripture saith of that proud captain Holophernes Iudith that as he went with his army and banners displayed against the city of Bethulia there happened a thing which did before neuer befall vnto him for the Hebrews shut the gates against him and fortified the city for their defence Holophernes wondered therat not litle wherfore he assembled all his captains to councell and said that the desired to know the cause why the people of that city did stand more to their defence then all the other thy had ouerpassed and desirous to know wherin they trusted he willed them to certify him what any of them knew TheÌ„ arose vp a captein of the Ammonites called Achior who said vnto him know you most poteÌ„â— Lord that in this city dwelleth a nation called Iewes who haue a God so mighty that if they haue his fauour and freindship neither the mighty army vnder thy conduct nor all the world if they should assault them can ouercome them But if perhaps they haue offended him as they do oftentimes it shal be very easy to vanquish them and to take this city let them fortify it as much as they can So that my councell is first to informe thy self whither they be in the fauour of their God and according to that relation if they be in his fauour to stay but if he be displeased with them to assault them Holophernes took great indignation against Achior for his words for he thought no force was able to resist his puissant army Vpon this he commaunded some of his souldiers to lead him vnto the city of Bethulia to the end that when he had taken the city by force of armes Achior should with his bloud and life pay the penalty of his rash vnaduisednes in taking vpon him the defence of the Hebrews The souldiers led Achior vp on the mountein neere vnto the city and there they left him tied vnto a tree The Iewes issued out found him and led him into the city where Achior in the presence of Ozias the high priest of all the people recouÌ„ted what had happened vnto him They heard his speech with great admiration and then feasted and enterteined him kindly because they thought he had defended the honour of God euery one embraced him and sheaâ—ed to him great tokens of loue But aboue all Ozias took him to his house and made vnto him a solemne banquet This figure agreeth very fitly to the gloryous Apostle S. Andrew who being figured in Achior defended the honouâ— of God as he did preaching the Ghospell among the infidells where Egeas the tirant figured in Holâ—phernes took him and deliuered him vnto his officers who led him vp on a mountein and bound him to a crosse where he remained a while vntil the Angells citisens of heauen vnbound him viz when his blessed â—oule departed from his body and leâ— him to the supreme city of God and there in the presence of the high priest IESVS CHRIST diuulging how he took the defence of his honour all the blessed spirits that illustrious and honored nation made him cheare and enterteyned him kindly embracing him as their brother And the priest IESVS CHRIST made him a feast apointing him a speciall seat in his celestiall beatitude The life of this gloryous Apostle collected out of the ghospell and the writings of his disciples who were present at his martirdome was in this maner SAINT Andrew the Apostle was borne in Behsayda a twon in the prouince of Galily and was the elder brother vnto S. Peter the Apostle and also disciple vnto S. Iohn Baptist With whom being one day he saw him when he pointed his finger at IESVS sayeng This is the lamb of God Andrew staid not a whit but ioyntly with another disciple left S. Iohn Baptist and followed IESVS CHRIST who turnyng his celestiall face and seeing asked them what they sought They answered that they desired to speak with him in his house Our Lord lâ—d them with him and kept hem one day in his company in which time thy talked together and they knew him to be the Messias Andrew departed then from our Sauiour and mett Symon his brother and said vnto him with great ioy O brother Symon that thou haddest seen that which I haue seene Knowe thou that the Messy as so much desired and so long expected by the Iewes is come My master Iohn Baptist shewed him vnto vs and I haue bene with him and I tell thee that his words and deeds confirme that he is that same Come thou and see him So the two brethren came together vnto IESVS who said Thou art SymoÌ„ the sonne of Iohn but thou shalt be called Caeâ—has that is Peter Another time those two brethren being a fishing in their barck IESVS CHRIST passed by the bank and called them saâ—eng follow me and
commendest so much S. Andrew answered I sacrifice euery day to the omnipotent lyuing and true God not the smoke of incense nor flesh of bulles nor bloud of skeep but the immaculate lamb in consecrating his most blessed body which being receiued by the faithfull the lamb remayneth intyer and whole as he was before although the faithfull do truly really eate his flesh drink bloud How may that be said Egeas The Apostle answered if I should tell thee and if thou wouldest vnderstand it it were first necessary for thee to be a Christian Egeas replyed I shall make thee by force of torments to tell me howe and by what meanes I may vnderstand it Then put he him in prison vnto which place resorted much people who would haue taken the Apostle away violently if he had not hindâ—â—ed it for out of the prison he preached to them and persuaded them not to rebell against the tirant whose cruelty would be vnto him an occasion of merit If he shall afflict the body said the Apostle he hath no power to hurt the soule his torments will quickly end but the reward shall endure for euer We ought rather to make much of him and to honor him then to vse him displeasantly since he may do vs much good and but a litle harme with these and the like words the Apostle stayed the people from any commocion or insurrection against the Proconsull The next day Egeas caused the Apostle to be brought before him and said I am persuaded thou art now better aduised and wilt fortake thy follyes which haue darkned thy mynd and that thou wilt leaue the worship of that thy CHRIST and enioy the sweet and delightfull life of this world and auoid withall bitter death The Apostle answered without the beliefe of CHRIST there is no true content nor true life as I haue always preached in this prouince whither he sent me to the end men should leaue and abandon the adoration of Idolls and receaue the true faith of IESVS CHRIST and so escape eternall death and obteine euerlasting life For this same cause said Egeas I will also procure thee to adore the Gods to the end these people whom thou hast deceiued may forsake the vanity of the doctrine and returne to the relligion of the auncient Gods for as I gesse there is not a city in all Achaia but the Temples are abandoned and thou art the cause of it I will haue thee also to be the cause to alter their course and to frequent the Temples againe and to renew their sacrificing in which doing the Gods wil be appeased toward the for now against thee they be sore offended But if thou be resolued to do other wise prepare thy selfe to endure and support terrible torments which shal be inflicted on thee and lastly thou shalt dy on the Crosse To this the Apostle answered Listen to me thou son of death thou dry rotten logge designed to nourish hell fire hitherto I haue spoken myldly to thee thinking that thou being a reasonable creature wouldest haue made vse and benefit of my words and haue forsaken thy false and vaine Gods but since I see thee so obstinate and hard harted I tell thee plainely think not to terrify me with thy threats do thy worst for the greater the torments be so much more shall the reward be which IESVS CHRIST will bestow on me and the greater shall the paines be which are prepared in hell fire for thee where the Gods whom at this time thou adorest shall giue thee thy due reward tormenting thee eternally for indeed they be no other but deuills Egeas raging exceedingly at his words caused the Apostle to be stripped apointed seueÌ„ fellows to beate him with all cruelty who gaue ouer three times for others to come in theire place And so many were the blowes they gaue to the Apostles body that it powred bloud out so abondantly that there was not one place free from wounds from the head to the foote Then Egeas said oh Andrew haue coÌ„passion of thy self consider that the bloud thou sheddest is mucâ— if thou doest not change thy oppinion I must crucify thee The holy Apostle answered sayeng I am the seruant of IESVS CNRIST and do not fear but loue the Crosse Thou hast more reason to fear for that if thou doest not beleue in CHRIST thy torments shall differ from myne for myne shall end in two dayes and thine shal be euerlasting Egeas could keep patience no longer but comaunded that he should be crucified yet not nailed to the cross with nailes but bound with cords which he apointed not for any pitty he had but to the end the torment might continew the longer Whilest the executioners led him to his martirdome an infinite company of people resorted to him crieng with a loud voice What hath this iust man and friend of God done that he should be Crucified The holy Apostle entreated them not to hinder his martirdome but went ioifull and merry and by the way preached to those that acompanied him When he saw the Crosse a farre of he said deuoutlie I adore thee o pretious Crosse consecrated with the bodie of CHRIST and adorned with his members as with perles and Iewells Before CHRIST came to thee thou diddst terrifie men but now thou causest ioie and delight O good Crosse made so beautifull by the bodie of CHRIST I haue desired thee a long time I haue sought thee diligently and now I haue found thee receaue me in thine armes and lift me vp from men present me to my master that he maie receaue me by thy meanes who hath redeemed me by thee Hauing said this and being now neere vnto the Crosse he stripped himself out of his clothes and gaue them to the officers who binding him to the Crosse lifted him vp as the sentence iudgement was There was a great number of people about the Crosse all lamenting and complaining of the cruell and wrongfull torments that the Apostle suffred But he comforted and encouraged them to suffer ioifully the like torments for CHRIST his sake when occasion was offred S. Andrew remained two daies on the Crosse the people complaining and criyng out aloud It is not iust that a man so holie so modest of so good partes and that teacheth so good doctrine should die in this manner Egeas vnderstanding that the people murmured against him fearing some tumult determined to take the Apostle from the Crosse and for that intent went vnto him The Apostle said vnto him What doest thou heere Egeas If thou comest to beleeue in CHRIST he will as readilie pardon and receaue thee as any other But if thou come to take me from the Crosse it is in vaine for I am now going to my Lord and king It seemeth I am now before his iudgment seat where I shal be rewarded and thou shalt be chasticed The Apostle seing that they yet laboured to take him from the Crosse and that
as I haue said before who after Trithemius liued in the yeare of our Lord. 660. and adding the time this holy Saint liued after his death he died in the yeare of our Lord. 700. or there aboutes The Spanish originall saith 720. vpon a Sunday The tvvelue brethren Martyrs ON THE same day that the Church celebrateth the feast of S. Giles it also maketh a commemoration of the twelue brethren martirs The martirdome of these twelue holy men was written in heroicall verse by Alfan monke of Monte Cassin◠who liued in the yeare of our Lord. 1108. That which we can extract out of this Author and out of other martyrologes concerning the life of these holy Saints is That they were martirized in Beneuento in the time of Valerian Emperour of Rome in the yeare of our Lord. 258. The names of the holy martires were thes Donatus Faelix Acontius Honoratus Fortunatus Sabinianus Soptimius Ianuarius Faelix Secundus Vitalis Satyrus and REPOSITVS They were in bloud noble and all of them had bene well instructed in humanity diuinity They all preached the Ghospell of IESVS CHRIST and many were conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST by their doctrine They were all layed in most dark prisons Then were they taken foorth and brought into the high street where they thrust their handes hard into certain pieces of wood and afterward made fier vnderneth them Then in the presence of the same Valerian they bound them vnto certain cordes and ropes which ranne in polleis and so hoised them alofe into the aire then they let them falle on a soodaine and gaue them the most cruell strappado This sufficed not but they also scourged them and then tore and rent their flesh with hookes of Iron to the execessiue paine torment of the holy martires the officers herin displaying their cruell mindes Then they put them to the fier again and set the kindled torches to their bare sides but the holy Saints endured and abode all very constantly which the tyrant seing and awearied in putting them vnto so many torments did lastly cause all of them to be beheaded and by this martirdome their mortall liues ended and their soules went to the ioyes of heauen * ⎠* The Natiuitie of our B. Ladie THE sacred scripture in the booke of Exodus recounteth that Moyses Cap 2. being borne his father and mother knewe not howe to deliuer him from death for that king Pharao had made a decree that all the male children that were borne of the Hebrewes should be put to death The resolution of his parents was this They made a baskett of Rushes and dawbed it ouer with claye wherein they put Moyses and laying him thus in the Ryuer Nylus they let him go to take his aduenture By this inuention he escaped death for the daughter of Pharao seing him caused him to be taken out and to he brought vp as if he had bene her owne sonne After this he came to be the captaine of the Hebrewes Moyses was a figure of IESVS CHRIST who for that he was to be cast into the water of this world which is full of stormes there was made a litle basket wherein he was put which signifieth the blessed virgin his mother who is a basket annoynted ouer on the outside The holie virgin is like vnto the rushes for she had no bark of Actuall sinne nor no knott of Originall sinne She remained neere vnto the torrent of waters for that she enioyed those goodes that spring from that liuelye fountaine of God in great aboundancy for that she is neere conioyned vnto his maiestie This litle basket hath the claie without which was the grace wherwith God preserued and defended her that her soule could receaue no damage neither after she was borne into the world nor in the wombe of her mother Anna. God was put in this basket being made man in her sacred and holie wombe and for that respect that she was to be his mother God bestowed graces and fauours vpon her aboundantly And that we may see for what reason the church celebrateth the feast of the natiuity of this glorious virgin before that we recount the history therof it shal be well done for vs to consider the dignity for the which shee was borne the worthy and eminent estate shee ought to haue and her great familiarity with God I SAY then that though this virgin had diuers names and titles all maiesticall and stately yet are none to be equalized to the name of the Mother of God for this cause alweis when the euangelists name her in the discourse of the ghospell they call her the mother of God Math. 1. The Euangelist S. Matthew fetching the pettigree of her most noble linage from Abraham when he cometh to name her and her spouse Ioseph forthwith he addeth of whom Iesus that is called Christ was borne When he writeth of the commyng of the three kings or sages to adore Iesus Christ Math. 2. he saith they found him with Mary his mother S. Luke also writing howe the B. Virgin went to visitte S. Elizabeth her cosin Luc. 1. saith the good old woman resaluted her with thes words Howe haue I deserued this that the mother of my Lord cometh to visite me The same S. Luke saith that when Iesus was 12. Luc. 2. yeres old and staied behind her at Ierusalem and was found after three daies his mother said vnto him Sonne why hast thou done this vnto me Ion. 3. S. Iohn speaking of the wedding in Cana of Galilee where Iesus Christ and the glorious virgin were present he repeateth twise the name of the mother of Iesus The same Euangelist writing also of the mystery of the passion saith Ioan. 19. that Iesus Christ being on the Crosse there was his mother present in such sort that in this and the other places of the ghospel the Euangelist always giue vnto her this most noble name of the mother of God The same Christ our Lord as often as he nameth himself is called the sonne of man which words meane after the opinion of many holy doctors the sonne of the virgin The holy church hath alwaies had such care of that name that in the Ephesine councell which was one and the third of the same generall counceles which was celebrated in the time of Pope Celestinus and of thempeior Theodosius where Cyril the great was present and. 200. Bishops were assembled the principall thing that was determined therin and for which thy were assembled was that it should be helden for a Catholike verity and an article of faith that the glorious virgin Mary was Cyrill in tract pecul Dam. l. 4. c. 15. de side orthod Aug. in c. 2. Ioan. D. Tho 3. p. q. 31. ar 4. and is the very true mother of God as truly and verytably as other mothers are to their true and naturall children The same was confirmed in the time of Pope Leo the first Martian themperor
heare and determine the causes of him and of the other prisoners which were with him wherupon he gaue a large some of mony vnto the keepers of the prison some of his acquaintance interceding and being his suerties that he might go home vnto his house promising to retorne back with speed Adrian was so well beloued of all men that they seemed not to desire his returne vnto the prison they let him depart and to escape if he would though they knew and sawe themselfes in apparant daunger of life And it is to be thought his suerties were in the same daunger Forthwith some ranne before him to giue notice vnto his wife that he came home Shee hearing this newes did not beleeue it at the first but said Who hath power to put of the gyues with the which I left him fettered herewithall came thither a yong man theire seruant who told them Adrian came home free and discharged She imagining that he had yeelded and now fled to escape Martirdome was much troubled in mind began to weep and when shee sawe him to approch the gate of the house shee threw her sowing work which shee had in her hands on the ground and running locked the gate fast and said I will not haue any thing to do with this vile base dastarly coward that hath returned back and forsaken the good way he had begon and much les will I see him with mine eies I will not heare him speak word vnto me neither will I listen to that tounge which hath dealt deceitfully in the sight of his Creator When he came some what neerer shee held the gate shut very close all the while and said vnto him O man of all men most miscreant and irreligious what hath enforced thee to begin that course which thou wilt not accomplishe who is he that hath gotten thee out of the society of the blessed men with whom I left thee who hath deceiued thee and made thee to depart out of the company of peace and perpetually ioy Tellme tellmee wherfore hast thou tourned thy back and fled before the conflict begin Wherefore doest thou cast downe thy armour on the ground like a dastard before thou sawest thy enemy come to assaile thee wherfore doest thou enroll thy name among the wounded men before there be a sword drawen or arrowe shot what shall I do wretch that I am who was he that ioyned me to a faithles person I haue not deserued to be the wife of a martir nay nowe I shal be called the wife of a Renegate A small time endured my ioye and gladnes and long shall last my shame and reproche S. Adrian staied with out the gate very glad to heare his wife say thes things wherfore he said vnto her Natalia my sister open me the dore for I do not fly to escape death as thou thinkest but come to call thee that thou maiest be present at our martirdome as I haue heretofore promised thee Natalia did not beleiue him but rather called him deceiuer He auerred earnestly vnto her that his words were truth and that if shee would not open the gate quickly he would returne vnto the prison that he might keepe his word and not be depriued of the crowne of martirdome Natalia gaue him then credit and opened the gate and fell humbly at his feet and he embraced her and then both of them returned back vnto the Iaile By the way S. Adrian said vnto his wife Natalia Tell me my dearest what order hast thou taken with thy goodes and patrymony lest after my death all be confiscated and taken from the Natalia made answere my lord and husband take no thought for the temporall and transitory goodes lest they do captiuate thy hart and desire Call to thy remembrance and reuolue in thy mind the goodes that be permanent and euerlasting vnto which thou drawest nere to be partaker together with the other holy men in whose company thou doest desire to dy for the loue of IESVS CHRIST They both being come vnto the prison all wondered that Adrian would returne for they were assured that he came back to his death Then did Maximian comand that all the Christian prisoners should be brought forth before him Some came with ther flesh wounded putrefied for in those places where their Irons and gyues had bene wormes were engendred as was apparant to be seene Natalia came close vnto her husband and said vnto him Be carefull my lord that thy soule be firme stable in God beware thy hart doth nor wauer when they present the tortures before thy corporall sight The present troubles shall endure for a small time but the guerdon and the beatitude shall endure for euer The Emperour looked first vpon Adrian and said vnto him wilt thou continue still in thy folly The blessed man answered I am prepared to giue my life for this which thou callest folly Maximian tooke such indignation at this answere that he caused him in his owne sight to be stripped out of his clothes and to be cruelly scourged The officere were tired and changed they were first one and then another but the tirant was not tired but bid them scourge the holy martir in cruell sort and no lesse the martir stroue to tollerat the torment with a resolute mind and greate patience Oh that one had then seene Natalia howe often the collour chaunged in her face sometimes shee feared that her husband should yeld and shrink at the cruelty of the torments and then shee was pale as a clothe but when shee sawe him endure all constantly and courageously her liuely and cherefull colloure returned into her face Sometimes Adrian looked toward her and though nothing shee said yet only by her countenance he vnderstood howe shee bad him be valliant and resolute and to haue consideration that the more the tormēts encreased so much greater should his reward be The holy martir was beaten with such cruelty that they hauing torne and rent his flesh and laid his ribbes open to the view might also see vnto his bowels The tirant nowe weary to see any more vsed on that fashion at that time commanded him into the same prison where he was before in which place he remained certain daies in the company of the other Christians who had endured the same torment and suffered the same molestation as he had done After this Maximian caused them to be ageine presented vnto him in the place of iudgment The martirs were taken out of the dark prison where thy were brought vnto that state that it affrighted men and moued them to compassion to behold them yet they remained constant as before in the faith of IESVS CHRIST The tirant commaunded the bones of all their legges to be broken to shiuers and one of the hands of St Adrian to be cut of The holy martirs in this torment passed from this vnto a better life euen as they made their prayers vnto our Lord. Then Maximian gaue commaundement
for their Abbot Who was vnwilling to take the charge on her but the entreaty of the monks who were much pleased with hir holy life preuailed There was in Alexandria a matrone called Melantia who had bin cured and healed of a great infirmitie by the praiers of Eugenius who adiudged her to be a man Eugenius went oft vnto her house at her importunate inuitations The matrone was indeed ennamoured of her and they two being alone without any regard of her estate or credit laid open her loue imagining her to be a man Eugenius sharply reproued her and so departed and left hir alone Melantia seing her self contemned and refused like the mistris of Ioseph shricked out and said Gen. 39. that the Abbot Eugenius would haue forced her And not content with that did also accuse her falsely vnto the Gouernor who was the father of Eugenia The Regent hauing heard the accusation of Melania commanded the Abbot Eugenius to be brought in before him When the blessed Saint vnderstood the cause wherefore shee was called she tooke thhe Eunuchs Protus and Iacinctus in the habite of religious men with her being come before Philip her father he vsed rough words and asked them if CHRIST their God counselled them to force honorable Ladies The virgin with a modest and cherefull face said There is time to be silent and a time to speak Eccle. 3. If Melantia saith that I would vse force it is not true and thou ô Philip peraduenture doest but iest with me in asking if the God that I adore doth will me to do such things Now thou shalt see the verity of this womans acusation Hauing saith this she rent her habite before her breast and opened it that euery one might see by her breastes that she was a woman Then she proceeded and told him that she was Eugenia his daughter and moreouer she spake so well vnto hir father that he was conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST and so was Claudia his wife and all the rest of his family Philip gaue vp his office and place and not long after was chosen Bishop and afterward in the persecution raised by the Emperours Valerian and Gallyen he was martired Claudia Eugenia Prothus and Iacinctus returned vnto Rome where by the labour of the holy damosell Eugenia and of the two holy Eunuches Protus Iacinctus many were conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST Gallien being certified herof caused Eugenia to be apprehended after the indurance of many torments to be beheadded Then he caused the two Eunuchs Prothus and Iacinctus to be taken and hauing vsed sundry enducements to moue them to sacrifice vnto the Idolls which they refused to do shewing themselues very couragious and constant in the faith of CHRIST the tirant caused them to be cruelly scourged and after many other torments giuen vnto them he caused them in like maner to be beheaded Their martirdome and death was on the 11. day of September and on that day the Church celebrateth their feast It was in the yeare of our Lord. 263. in the reigne of the aforesaid Gallyen The exaltation of the holy Crosse ALMIGHTY God glorieth by the mouth of the prophet Ezechiel to haue done a famous work Ezech. 17. and indeed worthy of himselfe as he showeth by the maner of rehersing the saue saieng I the Lord haue humiliated and abased the lofty and stately wood haue enhaunced the lowly and humble wood S. Ierome saith that this humble wood is IESVS CHRIST and he saith very well for he being so humbled that at the last he died on the Crosse God for that cause did exalt him as S. Paule saith to such height that the Angells in heauen Phil. 2. the men on earth and vnder the earth in purgatory do bowe their knees at his name and do him reuerence And IESVS CHRIST was not exalted only to that height for that he was humiliated but the wood also which was the instrument of his humiliation was exalted and honored by God since as S. Augustine saith the Crosse which was alwaies before reprochefull bicause thieues and other malefactors were put to death on the same now Emperours and kings beare it on their heads for that IESVS CHRIST died vpon the same Themperour Heraclius honored and respected it especially wresting it out of the hands of Cosdroes king of Persia who had taken it from Ierusalem and carried it into his kingdome and putting it in the former place Nowe let vs see howe it passed framing a history therof out of a sermon that Andreas B. of Candia made of the Exaltation of the holie Crosse rehersed by Lippomanus and the lections of the Romaine Breuiary and diuers martirologes and historiographers yet first we will propound an important doctrine which is this OVR Lord God desiring to be serued and not to be offended by men seing their condition and seuerall estates and that some be noble and to be dealt with all mildly and that others be rude and are to be handled roughly he gaue premonitions vnto them to the end they should not lament nor complaine of him as if they had not ben warned He talking with the Hebrewes as we reade in Leuiticus said to them Leuit. 26. If you obserue my commaundements among other good and profit you shall reap therby one shal be this that if you haue enemies that molest and make warre on you five of you shall put a. 100. of them to flight and a. 100. of you shall put to flight 10000. of them But if on the other side you shal be disobedienr to me a fewe of your enemies shall make many of you to fly and that in dread and feare though none pursue you This which God said then vnto the people was apparant and seen as we read in the booke of Iosua where it is said Ios 7. that the Hebrues hauing beseiged Iericho certein daies finally they took it without drawing their sword bicause the walles fell downe and they which were within made no resistance all was put to the fire and sword not sparing any thing for so God had comaunded bicause his indignation was kindled against that nation as also to terrify his other enemies It came to passe in the pilling therof that there came to the hands of a souldier called Achan a scarlet robe some mony and a wand or rod of gold which things he kept against the commaundement of God And to be more secure he hid them all in the ground This being done part of the army dislodged and went to fight against Hay the citisens wherof issued out and encountred with them and preuailed killing many Israelites and fewe returned with this dolefull newes Iosua generall of the host seing the same fell on the ground and weeping said vnto God Howe happeneth it o Lord be these thy promises Doth it seeme to thee a iust thing to haue thy people so euil entreated by thine enemies Assoone as we be entred into this
considering this to auoide so euill am vse and custome among Christians ordained by a decree That lawfull othes as those that be made by order and before superiors and by the lawe should be taken fasting as a holie thing where of we should aduise vs well He would for the reuerence of the oath that they which should sweare should be fasting to the end they should doâ— it with more aduise and regard The life of this pope written by Damasus and other authors was in this manner SIXE daies after S. Fabianus the pope was martired Cornelius a man no lesse learned then holy was placed in the chaire of S. Peter who receaued that dignity agaist his will S. Ciprian saith he was a Romaine Lib 4. epist and sonne vnto Castinus When he was chosen pope the Church was in great troubles for beside the temporall sword where with the Christians were sharply afflicted they were encombred also with the treacherous heresie of Nouatus which they could not wholly root out yet this blessed pope Cornelius endeauoured with all dilligence to confound them by preaching and doctrine by which he reduced many of those hereticks to the vnion of the Catholique faith After this the pope being aided by Lucina a noble Romane matron determined to take the bodies of SS Peter and Paul out of the Catatumbae where they then were and to put them in a more comely and eminent place The bodie of S. Paul was caried vnto the posession of the aforenamed Lucina in the Via Ostiensis not far from the place where he was beheaded and there was built a sumptuous and magnificent church to his honour The reliques of S. Peter were caried into the Vatican where in like manner was built a church neere to the place where he was crucified For these good workes and many other which he did as also for that many pagans were conuerted vnto the faith by his meanes Decius the Emperour banished him from Rome and sent him to Centum-Celle S. Cornelius remaining there wrote oftentimes vnto S. Cyprian bishop of Carihage a holy man and very eloquent who in like manner returned him answeres and at this daie many of those Epistles be extant in his workes Decius being certified of the neere and priuate friendship of these two holy men took great indignation thereat and comâ—unded that Cornelius should be led vnto Rome and brought before his iudgment seate which being done Decius said vnto the blessed pope in great coller Thinkest thou Cornelius that thou doest well and that which thou oughtest to doe in doing no reuerence to our Gods nor obeying our Imperial comaundements nor fearing our threats yea thou writest vnto our enemies of the estate of the weale-publike both in disgrace of it and to the preiudice of the same To this S. Cornelius answered the letters that I haue receiued meddle not at all with the comonwelth neither treat of anything appertaining to the same but they be wholy written in the laud and honor of IESVS CHRIST and of matters only appartaining to the saluation of soules Decius was much more moued to indignation then before at this bold answere and commaunded that the blessed pope should be beaten in his sight After that he apointed that he should be led vnto the Temple of Mars and if he refused to sacrifice that he should be beheaded The holy Pope went with determination to suffer not one but a 1000. deathes rather then he would deny his faith his God By the way he met with Stephen his Archdeacon vnto whom he gaue in charge to distribute the Treasures of the church vnto the poore and he gaue vnto him also some records appertaining to the gouernment of the Church When the officers perceiued that there was no way nor meanes to drawe S. Cornelius to sacrifise vnto the Idolls they led him into via Appia neere vnto the Churchyard of Callistus and in that place they cut of his head After his death certaine priestes in the companie of Lucina took vp his bodie and buried it in a possession in the San-field The martirdome of this holy Pope was on the 14. daie of September about the yeare of our Lord 253. the aboue named Decius being Emperour He held the seat of S. Peter 2. yeares 2. monthes and 3. daies He gaue holy orders twise in the month of December and therein ordered 4. Priests 4. Deacons and 7. Bishops There bee in the decrees certaine Canons of this holy Pope as the afore said that he who is by lawfull order and authoritie to take an othe should do it fasting Also 22. q. 5. cap. honest that Priests be not enforced to sweare Also that he that is vnder the age of 14. yeeres should not be compelled to take an othe Some hold this holy Saint for an especiall aduocate against the falling sicknes but the occasion thereof is not knowen It sufficeth that the praiers of the saints are of great force and valewe with the maiestie of God for all humaine infirmities aswell spirituall as corporall We maie well think him an aduocate for the palsey for as they led him vnto martirdome he healed a woman that had the palsey which woman was called Salustia who with her husband Cereall was also martired the same daie This holy S. Cornelius is one of the fiue Popes of whom mention is made in the Canon of the masse The life of S. Cyprian Bishop and Martir THE Apostle S. Paul lothing the world Ca. 1. and all the things therin desired much to go vnto heauen to enioy IESVS CHRIST and to that purpose in the epistle vnto the Philippeans he saith I desire to be freed vnloosed from the bondes of this flesh and to be with CHRIST The notice he had that to come to enioy his desire must be by beheading did not hinder this his longing The glorious martir S. Cyprian seemed to haue the same desire who when the iudge pronounced the sentence of death vpon him aunswered ioyfullie Deo gratias as if he would say that he did not appeale from this sentence but gaue God thanks that it pleased him to call him by that meanes When he came vnto the place of execution to shew that he was beholding to the officer for the good turne in taking away his life he requested some of his freinds who were present there to giue him some mony which he bestowed vpon the headsman as a recompence of his labour Pontius his Deacon wrote the life of this holy Saint faithfully and in an eloquent stile Of Pontius this testimony is giuen by S. Ierome in his book of ecclesiasticall writers Pontius Deacon vnto Cyprian wrote a worthy booke of his life vntill the day of his martirdome for he was familier with him and also his companion in banishment For which testimony of S. Ierome which giueth him auctority I thinke best to followe Pontius and to leaue other authors that wrote that life of this holy Sainâ— THOVGH the memory
mention of this miracle of raising the kings sonne from death to life by S. Matthew and also of the two dragons and of other miracles and admirable acts the Apostle did in Ethiope although he do not particularize the same he saith also that much people came vnto the place where S. Matthew lodged and would haue done sacrifice to him as if he had bene a God and presented many gifts vnto him and that the Apostle said vnto them I am not a God but a mortall man and the seruant of IESVS CHRIST who is the true God Then he requested them to bestow those presents and gifts which they would haue giuen him vpon the building of a temple to the same IESVS CHRIST for he whom he preached and by whose power he did those miracles was the true liuing God exhorting them to be Baptised in his name for that was the true waye and meanes to obteine euerlasting life To conclude the Apostle said such words and confirmed them so with miracles that the king with all his court and a great number of other people were Baptised The king had a daughter called Iphigenia who was very beautifull but much more commended for her wisedome who hauing heard S. Matthew oftentimes in his sermons to commend and extoll virginity conceiued a good liking of him and vsing his aduise was closed in a monastery with 200. other damosells desiring to do the same S. Matthew staid in Etiope 23. years continually conuerting soules to our Lord IESVS building Churches ordering priests consecrating Bishops gaining many soules and augmenting the faith of CHRIST and that which he preached with the mouth he performed also in deeds to the edification of others lib. 2. pedagog his life being holy and exemplary Clement of Alexandria saith that S. Matthew neuer eate flesh and that he liued only with herbes King Egippus afterward deceasing his brother Hyrtacus succeeded in the kingdome This newe king to establish himself more suerly in the kingdome and also moued with the rare beauty of Iphigenia intended to marry her To bring this his purpose to effect he acquainted the Apostle with his intent thinking it a good meanes to drawe the mind of the yong woman to his will The Apostle aunswered the king that he would giue notice vnto Iphigenia of the good that ariseth of matrimony and howe it is a holy thing and that then he might come and talk with her himself The king thought this would be a very good course and for that the Apostle said he would declare this matter in a sermon the king said that he would also be present therat Sonday came and the Apostle in the presence of Iphigenia and the other relligious women the king being there also and all the cheifest Lords of his court began to discourse of matrimony and to shewe howe necessary it was for the conseruation of mankind and gaue it other commendations He also said that matrimony was ordeined and instituted by God and howe good it was to haue children All this pleased Hirtacus very well and he awayted to hear the Apostle say that Iphigenia might forsake and leaue the estate of a relligious woman and take a husband and be made Queene of Ethiope But the conclusion of Apostle was farre otherwise then Hirtacus exspected for then he fell in hand to treate of the grieyous punishment that adulteres deserued out of which he seemed to inferre that if the seruant of any king was so bold as to take away his wife from him he did not merite only to be put out of fauour and to be disgraced but also he deserued to dy an euill death though he did not effect but only attempte it Therefore ô king I giue thee to vnderstand said Apostle looking vpon him that Iphigenia is the spouse of IESVS CHRIST the king of heauen and if thou seek to take her away from him thou shalt fall into his heauy displeasure When Hirtacus perceaued the conclusion of the Apostles words and wherunto they tended he was moued to great indignation which he vttered in his countenance and so threatning him he departed out of the Church Iphigenia was heereat surprised with great feare and with the other relligious women kneeled at the feet of the Apostle and asked his aduise what shee and they should do to be quit of the persecution and assault the king had begon against her virginity The Apostle incouraged them all with good words and put a veile vpon euery one of their heads making them hereby and by their vowing the three vowes of Pouertie Chastity and Obedience true Nonnes and these were the first Nonnes the were among the Christians This being done the Apostle said Masse and hauing ended the same there came thither a cruell fellow sent by Hirtacus who gaue the Apostle many wounds with a speare so that the Altar was all stained with bloud and his body lay dead in the place The grief and compassion of the people for the death of S. Mathew was so great that they made a commotion and rose in armes entending to kill the tyraunt and had effected it if some priests had not intromitted themselues and said them sayeng that God would not be pleased there with and that therefore he commanded Peter to put vp his sword into the sheath Then Hyrtacus laboured by the meanes of some ladies to persuade Iphigania to be his wife but seeing that this way would not remoue the holy virgin from her good purpose in a diabolicall rage he caused the monastery to be fired but S. Mathew was seene in the aire to quench it The sacrilegious tyraunt escaped not this deserued punishment for God strook him with the leprosy which was so sore that he killed himself for paine and the kingdome came to the brother of Iphigenia sonne to Egippus who was a Christian ruled that prouince many years to the honour and glory of God which was spred through all Ethiope where the body of S. Matthew was kept and holden in great veneration and reuerence vntill the time of pope Gregory 7. when it was translated ro the city of Salerno in Italy where it is holden in great veneration to this day by all good Christians Great reason there is to doe so for that this glorious Apostle hath three honorable titles for euery of which he meriteth to be honored The first is of Apostle the second of Euangelist the third of martir His death was on the 21 day of September and on that day the Church celebrateth his feast and in the year of our Lord. 90. in the raigne of Domiâ—ian after Canisius It is not with out mistery that among all the other Euangelists whom the Church vseth in her seruice S. Matthew holdeth the first place as likewise doe S. Paule and Dauid of the one of which almost euery day the epistles be red of the other the psalmes be song The mistery may be for that all three were great sinners to giue hope to all
this he was driuen and banished out of the citty After this S. Telcla was taken and hauing beene examined and her intention found that she desired to be a Christian and determined to conserue her virginity she was condemned to be consumed with fire The fire was kindled and a huge multitude of people were assembled to behold that most beautifull yong damosell that would willingly go to dy such a cruell death The blessed damosell was set in the midst of the fire which did not any hurt at all vnto her persons And on the sodaine fell from heauen such a storme with thunderclapps with such aboundance of raine that it put out the fire and afrighted all them that were present in such sort that euery one departed and the holy virgin was left at liberty whereby she might go free And so she went to the house of Onesiphorus where she found S. Paul with some other Christians who had continually for sixe daies made their praiers for her and they were all exceeding glad of her comming The Apostle did Baptise her and instructed her fully in the faith but because they were assured that the Proconsull would send againe for her the Apostle departed from that house and citty also recomending much the virgin Tecla vnto all the Christians that were in that place Though all dilligence that might be was vsed to keep her secret yet within a fewe dayes Alexander a lewd person apprehended her and brought her before the Proconsull who seing her to preseuer constantly in that she would not marry her spouse but continue a Christian gaue sentence that she should be deuoured of wilde beastes in the citty of Antioch whether the Proconsull was to go An especiall daye was apointed for this spectacle and in the meane space S. Tecla was deliuered vnto the custody of a matrone called Triphona When the apointed daie was come S. Tecla was brought into the Theater and a fierce Lionesse was let out against her which drawing neere vnto the holy saint lay downe quietly at her feete without doing her any harme S. Ambrose wondring much at that which the wild beasted did to the holy virgin said these wordes The firstly onesse which was let out against the blessed virgin was mild lay downe at her feete and hurt her not and also gaue example vnto the other lyons Beares and fierce Bulles who hauing bin let loose against her stood round about her peaceably and licked her feete The people were seuere cruel and the sauage and wild beastes were tame and pittifull though they were kept hungry and almost famished that they might haue their fill and make their praie vpon the holy damosell And though they were prouoked and pricked forward by their keepers that they might deuoure the holy saint yet could they not make them to hurt or harme her in the least degree The Iudge seing that the wild beastes spared her she being taken out of the Theater cōmaunded she should be cast into a ditch wherein were many dreadfull and venimous serpents when S. Tecla was put into that deep ditch there discended from heauen a fierie cloud that slewe all the serpents and by this meanes S. Tecla remained free from this third torment euen as God had deliuered her from the other two to wit from the fire and the wild beastes The people seing such great maruailes and especially the matrone Triphona who had her in keeping and in that time had conceiued great good affection vnto her she beginning and the cōmon people following her cried out iointly together That the God of Tecla was most potent and most worthy to be adored that had deliuered her from such and so great dangers The Iudge fearing some cōmotion of the people set S. Tecla free and Triphona led her vnto her house adopted her to be her daughter The holy virgin Tecla departed from that citty and went to make her abode in Seleucia In which place many by her meanes receaued the faith of CHRIST Spanish addeth being 90 yeeres old and there she ended her daies blessedly There is extant a history of S. Tecla in the which be many fabulous and vncertaine things As that she clothed her self in mans apparell and would haue gone so in the compaine of S. Paul and that he would not permitt it but willed her to go in her ordinary and vsuall attire of a woman moreouer it saith that a great Lord in the citty of Antioche would haue giuen vnto S. Paul a great summe of mony if he would haue giuen that yong damosell vnto him to be his paramour and that S. Paul would not do it These and other such like things are read in the abouenamed legend but Pope Gelasius commanded that those stories should not be credited and put them among the writings apocriphall and of none auctority but that which I haue written of this saint is auowed by graue authors and is authorised and of credit the Church also giueth credit thereto who in the praiers which are said in the commendations of soules saith these words O Lord deliuer this soule euen as thou didst deliuer S. Tecla from three most cruell torments The Catholik Church maketh commemoration of S. Tecla on the day of her death which was on the. 23. day of September in the year of our Lord 90. as Canisius saith in the time of Themperour Domitian It is said that the body of this holy saint is in Spaine in the city of Tarragona in the prouince of Catalonia spanish addeth In the Cathedrall church of that citty dedicated to her name The life of SS Cyprian and Iustinia Martirs SAINT Paul to confound the wise men of this world writing to the Corinthians saith God hath chosen the foolishnes of this world This was especially said vnto the Apostles who being people vnlettred and by consequens were holden as folish in that intending them selues to teach a new doctrine would preach vnto people learned and full of knowledg and yet their preaching was the cause that many were conuerted vnto God and receued glaldy the Ghospell This same is verefied by S. Iustina a damosell vnlettered in humain Wisdome yet God made chose her for an instrument to cōuert a Pagan who was very lerned not only in Philosophy but also in magike and sorcery and had dealing and practise with the diuell and though he was such a one yet was he conuerted vnto the faith of IESVS CHRISTE by the meanes of S. Iustina was martired with her The life history of theise two holy saints was written by S. Gregory Nazianzen though he was deceiued in that he thought he had bin Bishop of Carthage well he venerable Bede and other Authors wrote of these holy saints in this maner EVEN as it is no reproch vnto S. Paul to say of him that he had bene a persecutor of the Church of God nor any infamy vnto S. Matthew to say of him that he had bene a customer or vsurer before that either
When it was diuâ—lged bruited in that countrey that Ierome had chosen his habitation in that place it cannot be expressed how people resorted thither from all parts especially from Rome The holy woman Paula with other deuour women went thither though the other returned and shee only staied there vntill her death Paula sold her lands and possessions in Rome and with the money comyng therof builded foure monasteries in Bethlehem three for women and one for men It may be that shee caused the monastery which S Ierome had built before to be enlarged and made bigger S. Ierome was the superior and gouerned the monastery of men and Paula gouerned the other three made for the women being so discreet and holy that she ruled those three in good sort dwelling now in the one and then in another There S. Ierome ended the writing of his admirables works which the church keepeth and esteemeth at this day He translated the Bible viz the old testament out of the Hebrew into latine thee newe testament out of Greek into latine and wrote commentaries out of Greek into latine and wrote commentaries on the greatest part there of and expounded it excellently His books being spread through the world beside the many epistles which he wrote almost with out intermission vnto sondy persons caused euery one to find and knowe his sanctity and profound doctrine and to accept and account him for a very good and sound Catholike for some had at the first doubt therof by cause of that which Ruffinus his aduersary wrote against him One of these was S. Augustine who at the first had a distrust in him but afterward he bare vnto him such loue and affection that being Bishop of Hippo he sent one of his trusty friends called Alipius and other of his priests to visite him on his behalf and to be instructed by him reputing it for a great honour and credit knowing as he knewe to be the disciple of the disciples of S. Ierome There went persons of great account from all countreys to visite him as Paulus Orosius did who was also sent by S. Augustine Seuerus Sulpitius Apodemius and other rare and renoumed men And though the voyage was long and the daunger great yet all that seemed a small thing to see thee venerable old man S. Ierome replenished with sanctity and learning This holy doctor wrote incessantly against heceticks and persecuted them with out any intermission and they were afrayd and trembled to heare him named Origen had written many books before the time of S. Ierome all which he read taking great delight in his delicate and fine witt and for affection called him his teacher but for all that he did not pardon nor spare the errors he found in his books yea he impugned them to the vttermost of his ability S. Ierome was subiect to many infirmities caused by continuall study and the hard austerity he had vsed to ward his body so that some times he remayned whole years bedrid yet ceased he not but endited to others that wrote so that he composed many books being occupied in that exercize 30. years as he writeth himself The countrey of Greece did much honour this glorious doctor by translating the works he wrote in latine into the Greek toung It is said by S. Ierome that as he red one day vnto his disciples wherof he had many in ordinary from many parts there entred into his schoole or place of lecture a lyon halting All the schollers ranne away but the holy doctor receued him without dread when the lyon came neere he lifted vp and shewed one of his forefeet wounded with a thorne which was runne into his foot and the holy man dressed it and when it was hole the lyon would not depart but attended in the monastery as if he had bene tame and domesticall This story I tell because he is painted with a lyon by him It is also said that S. Ierome apointed thereto by Damasus the pope set in order the office of the Church diuiding the psalmes for euery day of the week and apointing that euery one should end with this versicle Gloria Patri c. Sicut erat c. He apointed also the Epistles and Ghospells for all the yeare with the lectures and prophecies that are red in the office of the masse S. Ierome being employed in these holy exercises and such like in aunswering and assoiling douts which Bishops and other relligious persons sent vnto him from all parts of Christendome and also in giuing aduise to people that were in necessity he came vnto such perfectioÌ„ that he was rapt and translated some times in spirite among the Quiers of Angells and began in this life to tast the reward of his paine and traueill though there remained some other afflictions for his old age which was a feeblenes that he could not rise from his bed and as Sigibertus saith he had a corde tied to a piece of wood ouer his bed and he held by that when he desired to turne from one side vnto the other His infirmity encreasing and he knowing the hower of his death approched commaunded the B. Sacrament to be brought vnto him and then communicated with great deuotion which when he had done he yielded vp his spirite vnto God on the 30. day of September about the year of our Lord 422. Honorius and Theodosius the second being Emperours Marianus victorius in the life of S. Ierome saith that this holy Doctor dyed at the age of 99. years as some Authors hold for some others say otherwise It is most true and assured that he liued till his decrepit age as S. Augustine saith in the first book against Iulianus His blessed body was buryed in Bethleham and after ward in processe of time it was brought to Rome and laid in the Chuch of S. Maria ad presepe which at this day is called S. Maria Maior God shewed many miracles by meanes of this holy saint aswell in his life as after his death The Church accounteth him for one of the foure Doctors and maketh a great feast of him and especially in Rome for that there he studied there he was Baptised and there resteth his blessed body It is also very fit that fraunce should keep it festiuall for there he was a good space and sawe the principall places of that king dome Germany is also obliged in like maner vnto S. Ierome for that he wrote a book of it and made the countrey famous Greece is in the same debt for the commodity they reape by the books of this holy doctor which are traÌ„slated into their language Egipt is also deeply in his debt for that it enioyed a long time his company and blessed conuersation The deserts of Siria are in the same debt for the austere penance S. Ierome did there doth nobilitate and make them famous Bethlehem shal be reconed in this account yea and we may call it happy for two respects first and principally because
he neuer staid long but continuallie trauailed from one place to another to escape his handes Once he came to the court of Achis king Geth who was a Phillistin being knowen of the courtiers he was led vnto the king that he might also see and knew him that had killed in the field the most valiant Champion of all the Philistians Golias the Giant Dauid feared that comming before the king he might incurre danger of his life wherefore to free himself of that perill he vsed a kind of pollicy in which he shewed himself as wise as he had before time valerous His craft was to faine himself foolish mad make faces and diffigure his countenance in diuers strange fashions to pulle at one and after at another and yf any catched at him againe to slip away from them as allso to let spiâ—tle fall on his beard and such like frantick toyes The king seing and thincking this to be done for nought but meere foolishnes scoffed at him and said to his courtiers To what end haue you brought this fellow hither want I fooles in my house take him away By this deuise Dauid was deliuered from the danger of death and out of the hands of the Phillistims O blessed Patriarch and Seraphicall Father holie S. Frauncis howe well and how perfectly wast thou pictured in this patterne Thou like a newe Dauid being yet verie yong wast persecuted not by Saule but by the deuill that endeuoured and laboured to depriue thee of the life not only of bodie but allso of soule Achis the king of Geth is this world in whose court thou wast and continuedst for a time in companie of other worldly men These made thee knowen to the world and the world did fixe his eyes vpon thee But thou fearing dauÌ„gers which hong ouer thy head to deliuer thy life out of his handes didst like a wise man faine thy selfe a foole Thou didst alter thy countenance when forsaking all that the world esteemeth thou didst embrace that which he most dispiseth When flying from all pleasures and delights thou didst make choice of contempt and afflictions Thou sometimes didst cherish one sometime another therby seeming to catche hold of them but if anie beganne to lay hold on thee to make the liue in sinne as others thou didst auoide and flye away from them Thou diddest many other things as a foole according to the iudgment of the world as in louing and seeking pouertie in appareilling and vsing of thy body not only meanely but also rigourously whereby the world reputed thee a foole and a verie dizard But thou like Dauid by this dilligence wast deliuered from out of the hands of Philisteans the hands of this world that so thou mightest fight and make fierce and cruell warre against him not only by thy owne person but also by thy sonnes and by thy daughters the religious people of thy holie order who continually waging warre against this enemie obteine many glorious spoiles and victories I haue taken the life of this blessed Saint out of the writings of S. Bonauenture S. Antoninus of Florence and others SAINT Frauncis was borne at Assisium a city in the valley of Spoleto in Italy in the yeare of our Lord 1182 and his father was a marchaunt called Peter Bernardo At his Christning he was named Iohn which name was after at his Confirmation chaunged into Francis for so was the will and pleasure of his father He was brought vp well and had good education as being the eldest sonne of his father who set him to learne both Latine and French intending to make him his factoure in marchandise whereunto the knowledge of many languages was as he knew well verie necessary S. Frauncis being come to years of discretion began to help his father in his trafficque aswell within as without the cittie And for that by this meanes he was as chiefe master and much money was returned thorough his hands a thing most perillous and pernitious for yong men he spent verie prodigally in what he liked This wrought many yong men of his years and of euil behauior into his company whoe moued him to liue as they did drowned in lasciuiousnes in ryot and youthfull vanities Thus he gaue himself wholly to delights to feastings and vaine company and yet alwaies in this euill behauioure he shewed some tokens of what he should then and what he woud be after ward On the one side he omitted not to commit all sinnes with out any feare yett on the other side he did some good deeds as giuing of almose in liberall sort for naturally he was very compassionat to the poore One day it fell out that a poore man asked an almose of him and he because he was verie busy gaue him none The poore man departed assoone as Francys perceued it he reproued himself and ruÌ„ning after him found him out and not only gaue him almose but also very lowely craued pardon of him and forthwith he also made a vowe that from theÌ„ceforth he neuer would deny to giue any thing that was demaunded of him for Gods sake if it lay in his power And perseuering in the obseruation of so worthy a vowe euen vntill his death he receaued manie especial great fauours of God one was that as often as euer he heard these words for Gods sake so often he felt a great tendernes of hart the cause of great consolation In regard of the Almose and other good deeds S. Frauncis did God sent him many good inspirations which serued as meanes to pull him out of that euill course of life in which he liued One of these meanes and motions was a whole yeares imprissonment in the city of Perugia among other citisens of AssisiuÌ„ caused by a controuersie between these two cities Francis in this prison shewed himself a man of great courage in aduersity as being always mery and comforting other his fellow prisoners that were pensiue and sad Peace was concluded between these citties the prisoners were discharged and Francis fell againe to his former courses prodigally spending his fathers goods among his companions in feasting gaming and carnallity and this life he led vntill he was 25. years old Comming to that age God did call him againe by a long and grieuous infirmitie the booke wherein man learnes manie good lessons First he learneth a liuelie and feeling knowledge of this trueth that he is mortall and that his health is not of himselfe He learneth moreouer to know his sinnes seing that sicknes is often times caused by them He learneth allso to feare hell fire as more neerely threatning deserued punishment which feare doth more earnestly stirre him vp to desire and thirst after eternall ioyes He learneth to despise all worldly riches as things that cannot restore him to health He lerneth to prepare himselfe to dye seinge infirmitie the harbinger of death in his lodginge He learneth to feare the iust iudgements of God making this discourse if in time of Mercie he chastizeth
they came to the sea shore where they were for to loose their heads Placidus made his prayer in that place and lifted vp his eyes and sayd My lord IESVS CHRIST sonne of the liuing God which didst descend from heauen vnto earth for our saluation didst abyde death vpon the Crosse haue mercy on vs ô lord and by thy merits and intercession of Benedict thy seruant our maister wee beseech thee to giue vnto vs the vertue of constancy to the end that passing this cruell passage of death without any impediment or stay layd in our way by our enemy the deuill we may come to enioy the eternall felicitie of thy heauenly kingdome let thy holy Angell S. Michaell receaue oure soules in peace and present them before thy heauenly tribunall This we request and beseeche of thee who art our God blessed and gloryous for euer Placidus hauing said these words all the other auÌ„swered Amen And as they kneeled they were beheaded forthwith in Sicilia in the hauen of Messina and their bodies remayned foure dayes vnburyed The Barbaryans not content herewith destroyed the monastery so that they left not one stone vpon another and though the Church of S. Iohn Euangelist stood very neere it whether it was for deuotion for the moores do reuerence him highly or whether for Gods pleasure it was not touched nor defaced And for that the stormes and roughnes of the sea was now ceased Mamucha comaunded euery one to be embarked to goe vnto Reggio in Calabria As they were passing the Faro there rose such a tempest that they could not goe forward nor returne back and by the iust iudgment of God they were drowned and sunke all of them being 100. vessells and 16800. men The bodyes of the holy martyr Placidus and of his brethren were buryed in the Church of S. Iohn Baptist by Gordianus his familier freind who came with him froÌ„ Monte Cassino The same man buryed the other 33. martirs in the same place where they were beheaded And in the one place and the other God did for them many myracles many sicke men recoueryng from all diseases by theyr intercession S. Placidus at his death was 26. yeares old for when he was 7. years old the blessed father S. Benedict receaued him into his company he remayned in Sublacque 5. yeares and vpon Monte Cassino 9 years in building the monastery he spent foure and there he was Abbot one year All which make the somme of 26. years He was borne in the yeare of our lord 515. and he was martyred in the yeare 541. on the first day of October being saterday The life of S. Marke Pope and Confessor BY the death of that holy Pope Siluester was chosen to succeede in his place in the chaire of S. Peter Marke a cittizen of Rome sonne of one Priscus endued with rare and excelent vertues The churche of God enioyed in his dayes great peace outward tranquillitie being fauoured freed by Christian Princes from all forreine enemies Yet inwaâ—dly the Arian hereticks infested the same as spitefullie as they could They had wonne them selues fauoure and wrought an entraunce in to the Emperours house and familie and inueagling one of his verie sonnes drawen him into the snares of they re heresies which was after a cause of great persecution in the churche of God and manie afflictions layed vpon Catholiks The old Emperour continued sound and allwayes a good Catholique and accordinglie affected and fauourâ—d S. Marke asmuch as he had before honoured S. Syluestre Wherefore this holie Pope furthered and cherished with the Emperours countenance employed his care and best endeuoures in resisting these Arrian hereticks and setling and ordaining such good orders as for the gouernement of the Churche were adiudged necessarie Amonghst which one was to prescribe that on Sundayes and chiâ—fe festiuall dayes the Creed or beliefe should be said in the masse to the end that the hearers might the better learne it and be more strengthned in they re fayth by this publique profession made thereof He moreouer builded two churches one in the way to Ardea three miles from Rome the other in the cittie called by the name of him that built it both which churches Constantine endowed with great reuenues and possessions and adorned with vessells of gold and syluer He graunted the Bisshop of Ostia leaue to vse the Pallium by reason it was his auncient priuiledge to consecrate the Pope of Rome He gaue holie orders twice in the moneth of December wherein he ordered 8. Bisshops 25. Priests and 6. Deacons And hauing liued 2. yeares 8. moneths 20. dayes in the chayre of Peeter he dyed the 7. day of october on which the churche doth celebrate his feast and in the yeare of oure lord 340 and was buried in the churchyard of Balbina in the same churche he made in the way to Ardea Spa S. Ierome saith he dyed in the yeare 334 Onuphrius 336. * ⎠* The life of SS Sergius Bacchus Marcellus and Apuleius Martyrs THE holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus liued in the time of the Emperoure MaximiaÌ„ serued him in an honorable office the one being Primicerius the other Secundicerius that is Sergius principall and Bacchus second secretarie of staâ—e both for their vertues especiallie beloued and honoured by the Emperoure ignorant as yett that they were Christians Being in the cittie of Augusta in the prouince of Eufratesia he came to haue some knowledge heereof by reason of certaine accusations layd against them And desiring to be further certefyed he called them to waite vpon him to Churche wither he was going to sacrifize vnto his Idolls The holie Saincts accompanied him and gaue they re attendance yett in such sort that hauing brought him to the churche doore they stayed without when the Emperours went in When the time came to offer sacrifice Maximian looked about for them and not seeing them commaunded others to looke where they were The messengers found those holie Saincts at the gates of the temple making they re prayer vnto God who vnderstanding the Emperouâ— did send for them came to his presence He shewing himfelfe displeased dimaunded of them why they came not in whith him and offered sacrifice to the great Iupiter They answeared boldly bicause thei were Christians and thought that sacrifice was due to none but onlie him who was the true God that made heauen and earth The Emperour all in a rage coÌ„maunded to plucke of they re golden chaynes from they re neckes and strippe them out of they re rich apparail the tokens of rheyre nobilitie then to cloathe them in woemens garments lade them with yrons with gyues and fetters leade them with open reproache and ignominie through out all the cittie and soe cast them in prison And hauing tryed that all his cruelltie and craft could not make those noble spiritts relent nor swarue in in the least thing from they re Religion he sent them to Antiochus gouernour of the East a fierce cruell
him he learned the knowledge of holy writ This holy saint vnderstanding that the Blessed Virgin was yet aliue in Ierusalem had a great desire to see her and so he went thither and sawe her Hubertinus recounteth of him that seeing the great brightnes of her face her heauenly beauty her celestiall words and the great company of Angells that attended vpon her he said of himself that he had adored her for God if by faith he had not knowen there could be none but only one God The same S. Dionise relateth how he was present at her glorious passage out of this to euerlasting lyfe and reckoneth the names of the Apostles there present also He returned to Athens where he continued exercising his office of pastour and in conuerting soules vnto God vntill the last year of the raign of Nero in the which he went to Rome to see his maister S. Paul at whose martirdome he was present as he saith in an epistle of his to S. Timothee who was also the disciple of S. Paul Then he returned vnto Athens where he staied vntill S. Clement the disciple of S. Peter came to be Pope who beholding in S. Dionise good qualities enioyned him to go and preach the faith of CHRIST in Gallia nowe called Fraunce and adioined vnto him a priest called Rusticus and Eleutherius a deacon S. Dionise thus accompanied went into Gallia and came vnto Lutetia now called Paris which city he found to be great and rich populous and furnished abundantly both from Heauen and earth the climat very temperate producing noble and haughty minds the earth very fertill bringing forth all things necessary for the body S. Dionise reputed it euen another Athens as Diuining it should be both in literature and study such as it after wards came to be He resolued to make his abode it that place and began to open his heauenly brest and show the riches inclosed therin by preaching the Gospell He added to his words many great miracles and wonders as restoring theire sight vnto the blind hearing to the deafe and speache to the domb curing many also of sondry other infirmities Wherfore in a short space such was his fame he grafted in that place most fertill plants and there made a garden which brought forth quicklie abundaunce of fruit He not only preached IESVS CHRIST in that city but also blessed and sent his disciples to preach in sondry costs of the world He sent S. Eugenius the first prelate of Toledo a great city of Spaine into that countrie where he preached the Ghospell and conuerted many vnto the Christian faith Some others were sent into Germany who likewise gained many soules unto God yea not only many men were conuerted and made Christians but also the temples of the Idolls were razed to the gorund and moreouer many Churches built where the name of IESVS CHRIST was lauded and praised This was a grat tormēt to the deuill the deadly foe of mankind wherfore he incensed diuers to persecute S. Dionise imagining that with takinge away his life all this would fade and vanishe like smoake and the adoration of Idolls would returne to its former estate and credit So some of his ministers instigated by him went to Rome to certefy themperor Traian therof as Suidas and other Authors affirme though Metaphrastes saith it was vnto Domitian who in his deeds was a deuill incarnate it may be these complaints were addressed vnto Domitian and that he ment to send Fessenius Sisinius the gouernor of that prouince to apprehēd S. Dionise or put him to death and that Domitian deceasing in the meane space and the Senate reuoking and repealing all the decrees of that bloudy tirant the execution of this decree was staied vntill the time of Traian vnto whom new complaints of Dionise being come he reuiued the decree made by Domitian vpon which Fessenius caused the B. Bishop to be apprehended S. Dionise was 90. years of age when he with Rusticus and Eleutherius were taken The gouernor discoursed a long time with them accusing S. Dionise very much for preaching of new gods against the edict of themperour and Senate of Rome and for labouring to extinguish the adoration of the auncient Gods so much renowned in the world gods which had bin so fauourable to the Romain empire as to extend and enlarge their dominion ouer all the world Haue compassion ô Dionise said the gouernor of this they old age And make some recompense for the harme thou hast done Confesse they errors and recant thy opinions which be vaine and with out all foundation persuade the people to abandon these new fangles and returne to their former vsages S. Dionise hearing this repleat with the zeale of Gods honor answered that he had persuaded many to leaue the adoration of the Gods knowwing it to be a vaine and foelish thing to account those for gods who were vnworthy to be called men their wickednes and infamy was such when they liued that it was a great blindnes to adore stocks stones pieces of wood that what he had preached was verie true concerning IESVS CHRIST his being true God and that neither fear nor threats nor torments should moue him or stur his fellows from their faith The gouernor was angrie at this aunswer and arose on a rage out of his chaire and said The Gods be despised the Emperour disobeied his subiects and people seduced by your forceries in doing false and counterfeit myracles These your transgressions deserue a rrigorous punishment wherfore I giue sentence that you be forth with put to death SS Dionise Rusticus and Euleutherius not shewing anie the least signe or token of feare or basenes of mind said with a cheerfull countenaunce Let them that adore your Gods be like vnto them we only adore the God of heauen and by his power and not by sorcery we haue restored sight to the blind speeche to the dōb health vnto the sick and freed many that were posessed with the deuill Let the ministers of the Idolls do such things if they can to conserue their credit estimation but they are farre from working such wonders whose Idolls haue mouths yet cannot speake haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not They doe only kindle and nourish the fire wherin they themselfs burne and they that serue them shal be partakers therof with them These words put the gouernor into a further chafe so that he confirmed the sentence of death and committed them to the hands of the executioners So the glorious martirs were led forth of the city to the toppe of a high hill where they were to be executed Then S. Dionise kneeled downe lifting vp his eies and hands vnto heauen said O Lord God omnipotent IESVS CHRIST sonne of God Holy Ghost the comforter holy and vndeuided Trinity receaue in peace the soules of thy seruants who for thy sake do loose our lifes Rusticus and Eleutherius aunswered with a loud voice Amen After this
the venerable and B. Prelat S. Dionise bad the headsman to do his office And he being ready began with him and then went to Rusticus and lastly to Eleutherius and cut of all their three heads in that order Although God permitted these his seruants to be put to death as is aboue said yet was not he forget full of them yea because he would the more glorify them and not suffer their bodies to be dishonored his will was to worke a wonderfull miracle in that place The headles body of S. Dionise arose on his feet and tooke vp in his hand his owne head and went as it were in maner of triumph untill it mett a vertuous woman coming out of her own house not farre distant from the place where the holy saints were martired The body of S. Dionise being come vnto that place where the woman was deliuered his head vnto her as a pretious treasure and shee also receued it as a most goodly Iewell The bodies of SS Rusticus and Eleutherius continued still in the place of execution and the headsman and the other officers talked and deuised to cast them into the riuer to be deuoured by the fihses and with all to bereaue the Christians of them who as they knew well would reuerence and esteem them very much A woman called Caâ—ulla who had bin a defender and helper of S. Dionise and his companions in this persecution heard of their wycked designe intention and inuited the headsman and the officers vnto her house to make good cheare and accordingly did sett meat and drink before them In the meane space shee sent for certain Christians secretly who conuayed away and hid the bodies of the holy martirs When the officers and headsman had eateÌ„ their fill they went out to looke for the bodies of the blessed saints to haue put in practise their lewd designe and not finding them they streightwaies made a tumult and threatned exceedingly such as had stollen them away but the discreet woman appeased them with gifts and with fair words and so they departed quietly away The Christians laid the bodies of the holy saints in a priuate house without the walls of Paris and after certein years there was builded for them a goodly sumptuous and stately Church where they now do rest They who do visite their holy relicks do obteine many graces by the intercession of these holly martirs The death of these holy saints fell on the same day that the Church celebrateth the same viz on the 9. of October in the year of our Lord. 96. in the time of Domitian or Traian as others say S. Dionise was 90. years old when he was martired as Trithemius saith He wrote certein books replenished with merueillous and profound doctrine viz De Ecclesiastica Caelesti hierarchia De mistica Theologia De diuinis moninibus and others out of which the faithfull beleeâ—ers reap no les fruit of his doctrine them the former had gathered by the good example of his holy life as the third Countell of ConstaÌ„tinople affirmeth in which place 6. Sinod CoÌ„staÌ„tinop they were acknowledged for his books and were highly esteemed The life of S. Callistus Pope and martir SALOMON saith in Ecclesiasticus cap. 37. The abstineÌ„â— man encreaseth the daies of his life This sentence is verified in Gallen the prince of phisike and medicine who liuing 140. yeares and being asked howe and by what meanes he liued so long answered I neuer rose from the table satiate and full More are they that dy by furfet and to much then by abstinence and too litle This being considered by the B. Pope Callistus he ordeined the fast called the Ember by commaunding the faithfull that in the foure times of the year viz the Spring Sommer Autumne and Winter they should fast three daies in one week in euery one of these quarters and likewise in those daies pray vnto God that he would giue and conserue the fruits of the earth and also that prayer maie be made vnto God for them that take holy orders at those times Also as the church saith in a praier fasting was instituted for the good of body and soule being vnto them bothe a holesome medicine oration Quadrag The life of this holy Pope was written by Damasus and other Authors in this maner BY the death of S. Zepherinus Pope and martir Callistus the first of that name was placed in the Chair of S. Peter He was borne in Rome and was the sonne of Domitius He builded a Church in the honor of the glorious virgin which is called Santa Maria trans Tiberim though as Plaâ—â—na saith it cannot be that which is so called at this present bicause at that time the Christians had not such large liberty as to build sumptuous Churches yea those which they had were litle meane and priuat as this was then because of the persecutions but Gregory the 3. enlarged it and before him Pope Siluester the first that builded publik Churches Pope Callistus at this owne cost caused to be made a Churcheyard in the way called Appia which is called the Churchyard of Callistus where many martirs are buried In this Churchyard was afterward built the Church of S. Sebastian therein are conserued many relicks and many alters and litle chapples are vnder the ground where masses were said in great secrecy for feare of the Pagans This same Pope as is afore said ordeined the feast of the Quaâ—uor tempora or Ember daies And bicause the giuing of holy orders was vsed to be done but once in the yeare which then was not sufficient for that the number of the faithfull was very much augmented it was also necessary to encrease the number of priests and Deacons and so it was permitted to giue holy orders at those foure times of fasting Callistus for bad all faithfull beleeuers to participate or conuerse with persons excommunicate and also commaunded that no excommunicate person should be absolued Cap. Consang 3 q. 4. except the cause was first heard and the party satisfied He also was the first who prohibited matrimony betwene kinsfolks and apointed the same consanguinity vntill the seuenth degree though it after was limited to the fourth degree as it is at this present This good Pope gouerned the Church of God vertuously 6. years 2. months and 10. daies in the which he gaue holy orders fiue times in the moneth of December and ordered 8. Bishops 16. priests and foure deacons and then was martired Vsuardus recounteth his martirdome in this ensuing maner saâ—eng That the Emperour AlexaÌ„der Seuerus hauing kept him long in prison caused many bastanadoes to be giuen him allowing him with all verie litle sustenaunce and lastly he caused him to be thrown out of a window of the prison and in that sort he yielded vp his soule vnto God The Church celebrateth his feast on the. 14. day of October which was the same day he was martired in the year of our Lord. 224. It
a desert place which was haunted by robbers Wherfore they that heard of his boldnes wondered therat and told him in what danger he was like to be by dwelling there but he feared no temporall perill to escape eternall death This holy saint was of a weak complexion slender and leane but in mind he prepared himself to endure all maner of heat and cold though it afflicted him neuer so much neuerthelesse he was clothed with a â—ackcloth vpon which he wore a garment like a mantle wouen with rough haire of beasts as of camels this S. Antony gaue him at his departure from him His diett was this after the setting of the sonne he took 15. fruits of Carica which is a fruit peculier to Siria much like figgs but bicause as it hath bin said aboue many robbers dwelt in those deserts he staied not long in a place so that he had no cell Lucifer being much aggreiued to see himself so ouer maistred by a monk before he had beganne warre against him began nowe to molest him with sundry temptations He represented vnto him filthy and lasciuious things so that the seruant of God was enforced to think of that which he knew not and to haue that in his imagination which he had neuer proued nor tried He was wroth with himself and knocked his brest at this thinking he was able by force to vanquish this temptation with blowes he was enraged against his own body and said vnto it Thou Asse I will so vse thee that thou shalt not kicke for I will take thy prouender from thee and I will giue thee no meate but strawe I will quell thee with hunger and thirst and will lay heauy loads on thy back I will torment thee with heate and cold and will make thee to haue more mind of thy meat then of thy pleasure This said the blessed yong man and as he said so he did for the continued some times 3. or 4. daies with out meat and yet he laboured hard in digging the ground not entending to sowe any graine theron but only to get out the thorns and euill herbes that budded in his owne body He also made baskets of bulrushes as the monks of Egipt vsed to do yet not omitting for it his oraisons wherin he spent the greatest part of the night and day When he felt his body faint and weak by trauell he tooke ordinary diet which was a few wilde herbs whilst he eate he said to his body Take heed my body for thou shalt not eate before thou dost faint and for that thou nowe doest eate prepare thee and fall to thy labour By this course he brought his body to such a state that he had nothing on it but skinne and bone The holy hermite was one night at his praiers and he heard the crieng of children the weeping of women the alarums of armies the bleating of sheep the bellowing of bulls the roaring of lions the hissing of serpents and sundry voices of different monsters At the first hearing he was some what affrighted therwith but calling to his mind the craft of the deuill he fell flat on the ground and made the signe of the Crosse And as he looked on either side if with his eis he could discerne what it was that he had heard with his eares the moone shining bright he sawe sodeinly a chariot drawn by furious horses who made a shewe to kick and runne ouer him The holy young man with a zelous and feruent voice called on IESVS and in an instant he sawe the earth to open and to swallow the chariott and ther with departed the noise and fear the chariott made The blesssed man rendered thanks to God saing that which the Israelits said when the red sea ouer whelmed and drownes Pharao and all his hoast Viz Our Lord hath drowned in the sea the horse and the horseman Many other were the temptations where with the deuill did try him Sometimes as he lay resting on the earth to giue a litle repose vnto his afflicted body there was presented before his face naked women an other time when he was mollested with famine there appeared vnto him moste costly tables couered and loden with many delicate viands If he was at his praiers wolfs semed to go about him houling If he song himnes in prais of our Lord he sawe some braule or fray made before him and some of them semed to be dead at his feet seeming to say Burime On time being at his praiers and some what distracted as thinking vpon some thing not belonging to his oraisons there came close to him a grime and stern fellow like vnto those they call Sworde players in Rome and gaue him two terrible kicks on the sides with his feet and then with a whippe lashed him on the shoulder saieng to him Holla what nowe why doest thou sleep and hauing said this laughed out of measure And hauing thus soundly beat him said to him ageine Wilt thou haue a litle barley but Hillarion said not a word vnto him This holy saint from the age of 16. vnto 20. to defend his body from the cold and from the beames of the sunne in the place where he staied vsed the shelter of a litle cottage made of bulrushes and of another prickled herb called Carica from that time afterward he builded a litle Cell which as S. Ierome saith stood vntill his time was 4. foot wide and 5. foote highe so that it was some what lower then he was and some what longer theÌ„ his body was So that it is was more like the graue of a dead body then the lodging of a liuing man It was his vsage to cut the heare of his head once euery yeare and that at Easter He slept vpoÌ„ a bundle of bulrishes laid on the bare ground and had no other bed all the daies of his life He neuer chaunged the sackcloth which he once put on nor euer mended it for he said it was a thing superfluous to seek finenes in a sackcloth He had by hart the greatest part of the holy scripture and after he had said many psalmes and himnes he recited a great part therof by order and alwais continued in deuout and reuerent behauiour for that he considered God allwais present and speaking with him He vsed to alter his diet according to his years in some years he eate lentills steeped in cold water at another time he eate bred only steeped in water with a litle salt at another time herbs and rootes were his only sustenaunce and another season he did eate euery day sixe ounces of barly bread with some litle pittance of sodden herbes when he came to be feeble and weak he put a fewe oliues vpon the herbs and this was dainty meate And thus he spent the time vntill he was 63. years old from this time vnto 80. he would eate no bread nor any other thing but a certein meat made of floweâ— and of stamped herbs mingled together which
passed into Africk and from thence into Cycile where he made his stay vpon a cragey mountein In the day he made a bundle of wood and laid it on the back of one of this disciples to cary vnto the next towne to be sold and with the mony arising therof they bought bread with the which those few that were with him liued and sustenied their lifes He could not liue vnknown in that place nether for a man posessed with euill spirite in Rome cried out and faid Hilarion the seruant of God is in Cycilc So that many diseased people came thither to recouer their health by his meanes By cause he perceiued himself honoured in that place also he departed and went into Dalmatia where was a dragon that destroied all the countrey deuoured the oxen and other beasts and killed the husband men and the shepheres The blessed man hauing compassion on the people caused a great stack and pile of wood to be made and when he had praied he commeunded the dragon to go vpon the stack of wood and when he was on it he bad the people set fire ther vnto and thus the dreadfull dragon was brent and consumed with fire in the sight of all the people Then he determined to depart from that place also for which cause he was embarked and being on the sea he was assailed by pirats His disciples with the others that were in the shippe doubted they should be slaine but the good man reprooued them for distrusting in God And Then standing on the deck he praied and stretchinh out his hard against the pyrats said Come no further this way O straunge and wonderfull thing at the saieng of these words they turned aside and returned back as swiftly as though a strong gale of wind had caried them away The sea was also obedient vnto him for at such time as he was at Ragusium the sea swelled and rose out of measure and so much that the people of the country feared all of them should be ouerflown and drowned The blessed old man took land made the signe of the Crosse in the sand and held vp his armes against the storme and the sea was asswaged and ceased incontinent to the great admiration of all the country who kept this deed in memory and the fathers vsed to tell the same vnto their children Another time as he sailed and not hauing any thing to pay for the fraight he would haue giuen vnto the owner of the bark a book in the which he had written the foure Ghospells with his owne hand which he alwais carried about him because he had cured before time the sonne of the master of the bark he would not receiue the book of him but he gaue him his fare and rendered vnto him infinite thanks for his former benefit Finally this blessed old man remaining in Cypres and hauing sent Isichius his disciple to visit the ashes ruines of his distroied monastery and to salute the monks remaining in that prouince staid in the city of Papho vnto which place many sick men and men possessed came out of all parts of the Island and the holy saint by praier healed them Isichius being returned from Siria the reuerend father conferred with him of his departure from thence which he did not vpon inconstancy but only to fly from credit and honour which was bestowed vpon him in that place So hauing found out a place not far distant from the city which stood out of the way and was vnhabitable for the craggines knowing that the going vp vnto it was very difficult for they must go vp creeping with their hands and that at the toppe therof was a plesante and delightfull place furnished with many trees and cleare founteins and that as the fame went many euill spirits haunted and vsed in that place and therefore none was so hardy as to dwell there the holy man resolued to make the same his habitation There were some that came to visite him yea many diseased persons and among others one sick of the palsy who was the owner of the place Great were the conflicts and encounters the seruant of God endured in that place by the deuills who did incessantly disquiet him because he was come to thrust them out of their long continewed habitation The blessed man took thereat great consolation for that he had there some enemy with whom to contend and striue S. Hilarion being nowe come to the age of 80. years Isichius his disciple being absent fell sick and perceuing that the hower of his death drew nere he wrote a schedule or note of his hand in which he left by his testament Isichius his disciple to inherite all his treasures the book of the Gospells written with his owne hand his long relligious weede the sackcloth or hoode with which it was couered When it was known in the country that the holy saint was sick some came to visite him and he charged them deeply that assoone as he was dead they should bury him in the same place where he dwelt and that they should not keep him aboue ground the moment of an hower When the pangues of death came all things failing but his sences which were perfect looking with his eyes open he spake to his soule and said Depart forth nowe depart feare not thou hast serued CHRIST 70. years and doest thou nowe feare death In speaking these words he ended his life His body was buried incontinently as he had apointed so that his death and buriall was reported in the city both at one time His disciple Isichius being certefied of his death returned into Cypres and faining that he desired to dwell in the same place where is master did dwell and was buried after ten moneths passed he stole away the blessed body of his master venturing his life for the same for if the Cypriots had knowne it he had bene slaine by them and caried it into Siria and buried it in his auncient monastery an infinite company resorting thither to see it The blessed body was found hole perfect and entier and so were all his cloths and garments euen as he and they were when he was aliue casting a very sweet pleasant smell S. Ierome saith that vntill his time there had ben variance and controuersy for the Syrians say they haue his body as they haue indeed and the Cypriots say they haue his spirite but aswell in the one as in the other place are seen many miracles done by the intercession and merits of this glorious saint but much more in the place of Cypres for in that place the blessed father took great delight The death of S. Hillarion the Abbot was on the 21. of October and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast It was also in the yeare of our Lord 379 Valentinian being the Romain emperour Nicephorus Callistus wrote of this holy saint in the 11. book cap 14. The life of S. Vrsula and the eleuen thousands Virgins ON the selâ—e
their blood for the faith of Christ and their virginity were accordinge to Adon S. Vrsula guide and theife leader of all the rest and Sentia Gregoria Pinnosa Mardia Saula Britula Saturnina Saturnia Rabacia Palladia Clementia and Grata On That day in with they suffered Christ their sweet and beloued spouse triumphed in these holy virgins ouer infidelity and carnality ouer sinne and hell and declared of what greater force the vertue of a Christian is in sufferinge death then the crueltie of the diuell and his ministers in inflicinge it for that his soldiers by their fall arise by their death ouercome and thereby receane a nowne of eternall glorie The bodies of these holy virgins were gathered together by the Christians with great deuotion and carried to the citie of Collen which is seated vpon the same riuer of Rhene where was erected a famous monastery of Nuns and euen vntill this day many heads of these holy virgins are to be â—eene and are reuerenced with singular deuotion although they be distributed into many parts of Christendome Some are of opinion that the place in which the holy bodies of these virgins now remaine is the verie same in with they were martirized because the earth on which that Church is built will not retaine any dead bodie although it be of a child newly baptized but by niâ—ht it casteth it forth as Lindanus Bishoppe or Ruremund recounteth giuinge this as a token that God will not haue any other body to be buried where the bodies of these so many virgins and martirs his spouses lie who there shed their purest blood for the confession of his faith and defence of their chastitie It is recounted also that S. Vrsula and her holy companions fauour and assist them at the hower of their death who in their life-time haue been deuoted vnto them The martirdome of these virgins was accordinge to Baronius in the yeere of our Lord 383. Baron tom 4. Annal an 383. Graetian and Valentinian and Theodosius the elder rulinge the Empire whome Gratian had made his compartener in the Empire seeinge himselfe to be straightened on euery side by the warres of so many barbarous people and standinge in neede of the assistance of so valourous a Captaine It was also vpon the 21. of October vpon which day the Holy Chuch celebrateth their feast Of these 11000 virgins besides those authors we haue already rehearsed haue written wandalbertus Vide Baron in Annâ—t Martirol 21. Oct. Claud-Rota Cap 134. Bonfin decad â— lib. 5. Petrus de Natal lib. 9. cap. 87. Polid lib 3. Surius tom 5. who florished in the yeere of our Lord 850 Sigibertus Moncke of the Monestery cald Gimblacense who liued almost 500 yeeres since Rogerius Cisterciensis Richardus Praemonstratensis Claudius de Rota Bonfinius in his Historie of the affaires of Hungarie Petrus de Natalibus Polidore Virgill in his Historie of England and aboue all the rest more copiousely Laurentius Surius in his fift tome of the liues of Saincts * ⎠* The life of SS Chrisantus Daria martirs SAINT Chrisantus was borne in the cittie of Alexandria he was sonne to an honourable Gentleman of the order of senators called Polemius who together with his sonne and the rest of his familie came to dwell at Rome where he was most graciouslie and friendlie wellcomed and honourablie aduaunced by Numerianus the emperoure Being once setled at Rome the greatest care of Polemius was to haue his sonne Chrisantus that was of a quick and piercing witt and great capacity trained vp in learning As Chrisantus was turning ouer manie bookes and seeking out suche as were most for his purpose it happened by the especiall prouidence of God that he mett with one wherein were written all the foure ghospells He did peruse them attentiuely and read them from the beginning to the end he plainely perceaued the steppes of darknesse and shade of death wherein he had walked and that our soules had no other light sauing online CHRIST IESVS And being desirous to haue the riches hidden in that booke more disclosed vnto him and vnderstanding how a famous clearke in holie writte named Carpophorus lay secrett in a caue for feare of the persecution he went vnto him and with teares besought him to instruct him in the faith and the ghospell of CHRIST Carpophorus did willingly accomplish his desire he instructed him first and then Baptized and lasty so confirmed and strenghthned him in oure faith that seauen daies after he openlie auouched and taught in Rome that IESVS CHRIST was the onlie true God Polemius came to haue notice heereof and partly for zeale of his blinde religion parely for feare of the cruell lawes and punishments established against the Christians he was greatly enraged with his sonnes proceedings whom he therefore committed to a darke and close prison assigninge him his meate with a scant and verie hard allowance But findinge this punishment was to litle purpose and wrought no other effect in Chrisantus but online to strengthen him in his faith he tooke another course of kinde vsage and gentleness and pamperinge seekinge by the meanes of certaine bond woemen of his owne yonge beautifull and gallantly attired to peruert him and allure him to naughtiness that leesing his chastitie he mighe the more easilie loose faith They brought him out of prison they apprailed him richely they lodged him in a goodly chamber most costly furnished and hanged the woemen came in to performe theire lewd and wicked intent but Chrisantus fearinge his frailtie and feebleness lyfted vp his eies to heauen crauing helpe and succoure of oure Lord. Metaphr in vit Chrisanti And he did affoord it him so boundantly that as Simeon Metaphrastes writeth a heauie sleepe and drousiness so deepelie possessed those woemen that none could awake them except they were caried out of the chamber and by this meanes God preserued his seruaunt from so great a daunger Polemius did iudge it more conuenient for his purpose to seeke our some faire yonge gentlewoman wise louely discreet and gracious and matche her with his sonne and make her his heire to the end that she as his lawfull wife might work his minde and make it more pliant which the others being seruants could not bring to pass Amonghst the virgens of Minerua they found out one called Daria endued with all the rare gifts and qualities that might be desired wished in a woman They acquinted her with all theire designes and purposes yet hardly could perswade her to marrie Chrisantus and vndergoe that taske of healinge him from that which they called madness Not withstanding at length the teares of old Polemius and a strong imagination that heerein she did her Gods great good seruice did make her relent and win her to doe it She aparailed her selfe most goregeouslie she came into the place where the yonge mau was with a comely behauioure yert some what streigning it to a light wantoness aad heedeless demeanure she assailed him with
sent vnto he Iudgment seat of the great God For in it in very deed is the ladder of â—acob Gen. 28. whereby the Angells go vp and come downe They go vp with the praiers and petitions of the faithfull and present them vnto God and then come downe with their dispatch for the good and profitt of the faithfull beleeuers In the Church is preached the Gospell the obseruation of the commaundments of God is taught vertue is comended and vices be reprooued So that in it some are stroke with feare some haue compunction these weepe others reioice some are comforted and others are inflamed with the loue of God In the Church the faithfull soule talketh with God there he is praied vnto and in that place he is honored In the Church the Angells are present because there is the heauenly court yea the very same God is there really and personally and hath promised to be there vntill the end of the world In all these things you may see how much our Churches be more worthy then the Temple of Salomon So then if that Temple be so much magnifyed by men and God also it is conuenient and most iust seing that our Churches be in so high manner honored with the presence of God himself that they be also honored and reuerenced by vs and that therein nothing may be said or done vnseemely or vnfitting of so worthie a place Let presumptuous people and the prophaners of Churches feare the like seuere punishment as God gaue to that wretched king Antiochus who prophaned the Temple of Ierusalem 2. Macha 9. God striking him with a most terrible and horrible infirmitie This wretched caitife knew that this euill happened vnto him for prophaning the Temple of God in Ierusalem and therefore he bewayled his sinne exceedinglie He prayed vnto God and craued pardon of him but the text vttereth there a terrible and dreadfull sentence viz. The wretch prayed vnto God of whom he could not obtaine mercy The sorrow of this man was like the sorrow and repentance of Esau Cain and Iudas Heb 12. Gen 3. Math 27. P. Orosius that is to say defectiue and vnprofitable and therefore he was condempned as they were also We read in auncient histories that Pompey the Great was victorious in all his enterprises and affaires before he did prophane the Temple of Ierusalem but after that time he was vnfortunate in all his businesses and finally he was vanquished in battaile by Iulius Caesar and escaping by flight repaired for aide to the king of Egipt as to his friend but in steed of help he found his death the king cutting of his head and sending it vnto Caesar the conquerour as a present For prophaners of Churches and holie places these two examples are sufficient and for those that vse small or no reuerence to Churches this one is inough That our Lord and Sauiour himself chastised them with rigour which caryed not due respect vnto the Temple of Salomon For he himself in person when as man he conuersed with men did driue the people our of the same Temple with whippes and scourges because they vsed to and in the same smalle or no reuerence Let them who prophane our Churches being of farre more excellency then that was imagine yea assure themselues that they shal be chastised with much more rigour Surelie we ought to beare great respect and reuerence to our Churches and to behaue our selues in them as Dauid counselleth in a psalme where he saith In the Temple of God let euery one speak of his glorie All that which is to be spoken of in the Church ought to be to the glorie of God and if it be to his glorie it will redound and arise to our profitt since in that place he will make vs partakers of his mercyes which shal be the beginning of our Beatitude God grant vs all to find in his Church mercy for his deare sonnes sake our Blessed Sauiour Amen The life of S. Theodore Martyr IT is written in the book of Iudges how Sampson that renowned souldier of God at his death pulled downe a temple of the Gentiles whereby manie of them were killed and the temple falling to the ground was vtterly destroyed Herein Sampson did worthy seruice vnto Almightie God who had determined by this meanes to chastice that treacherous and vnbeleeuing nation The verie like befell vnto another valiant souldier of CHRIST called Theodore who set fire to a temple of the Gentiles for which cause he was afterward martyred And in the one and the other of the these things there was done vnto our Lord God great and good seruice The life of this glorious martyr is taken out of an homilie or sermoÌ„ made by S. Gregorie Nissen which he preached on the daie of his martyrdome in the same Church where he was buried He reherseth it in this wise THE cause good Christian people why you be here assembled from diuers partes with trauaile and toile of your persons by reason of the sharpnes of the winter is onlie to celebrate the feast of the glorious martyr S. Theodore This is a thing iust and reasonable since we be all obliged vnto him for the great and many benefitts which we haue receaued by his intercession One of these is well knowne vnto all namely how the Barbarous Scithians this last yeere threatening to kill vs and hauing drawne their swordes to bathe them in our blood returned back vnto their countries in manner of flight not for feare of our corporall armes but being terrified with the Crosse of CHRIST with which this glorious saint our patrone chased the away I desire you all to be attentiue and I will reherse in what manner this holie martyr came to giue his life for CHRIST whilest he liued in this world for I do not know in perticuler the reward he hath in heauen And when we know this we ought to take profitt by endeauouring to imitate him I saie then that we haue his blessed body in this Church and although it be of the same matter and nature that other dead bodies be yet it is not to be likened vnto them for if you open any of their sepulchers the bodies appeere lothesome to the sight and be displeasing to the smell so that we turne our face from them considering the miserie of our nature and the frailtie of mankind But vnto this glorious martyr it falleth out otherwise For assoone as we enter into the Church where his blessed bodie is as all we haue done this daye the sight is pleased seing the sumptuous and cunning built Church where it seemeth the caruer and the painter contended to excell each other the one in the building of the same aswell in the pauement as pillers of the finest marble in which be engrauen sondrie pictures of lyuing creatures as in the rooffe and couering of tymber which is curiouslie wrought and cunningly ioyned The painter was not inferioure in his art setting forth liuely
not tarry to be tempted by the deuill for they themselues seek occasions to offend God and especially at those times when we be most obliged to to serue him viz on the feast day or in their Octaues which were ordeined that we might haue more time to be emploied in the seruice of God and to solemnize them The reason then why a greater feast is kept on one holy day then another and more to one saint then to another is because one signifieth a more higher mistery then another The Resurrection and Ascension of CHRIST be two high and principall feasts yet there is greater solemnity obserued in the first then in the second for the cause aboue-mentioned The same reason is of the saints The Catholike Church maketh a greater holy day vnto one saint then vnto another for that the deeds of one haue bene greater then of the other or for that his estate and dignity was greater or els for that he had done more good in the Catholik Church And for this reason the feasts of S. Peter S. Paule of S. Iohn Baptist of S. Laurence and other like saints be higher and more principall feasts then others though they which haue the lesser feasts and they who haue the greater be all in heauen contented enioyng God in his glory vnto which he bring vs for his great mercy Amen The life of S. Pontianus Pope and Martyr GOD commaunded Moises that to snuff the lights that burned in the temple vpon a candlestick which had seuen braunches he should cause to be made snuffers of the most fine and purest gold These lights be a figure of the priests who are called light by IESVS CHRIST By the name of seuen is giuen to vnderstand the seuen gifts of the Holy Ghost Then he commaunding that the snuffers where with they must snuffe the said lights should be of gold would demonstrate that vnto them they ought to beare great respect And that the reprouing and chastising of them though they deserue it is not graunted vnto euery one but only to him that shal be of such perfection that he is likened vnto the most pure gold And he that knoweth of himself that he is not gold but that he hath some defect and imperfection Let him not touch the light to wit Let him not murmure or speak euill of the priests but leaue the matter to God or els to his superiors who haue the office from God to reprehend and chastise them But if they leaue the matter vnto God the reproof punishment wil be more seuere and worthily shall the priests deserue it if their life be not correspondent vnto the dignity and function they haue aboue other men The holy Pope Pontianus hauing in mind the respect and regard that ought to be giuen to priests maketh mention and giueth many aduises in one of the two epistles he wrote out of his place of exile vnto all the faithfull for he was banished into the Island of Sardegna not for any fault he had committed but for confessing the faith of IESVS CHRIST The life of this holy saint was written in this manner by Damasus and other Authors BY the death of Pope Vrbane the first of that name there was placed in the seat of S. Peter Pontianus the sonne of Calphurnius borne in Rome He liued peaceably in the Papacy a while and attended to the gouernement of Church to the good contentment of all the Clergy people At the end of that time Alexander Seuerus th'emperour who of his owne nature was milde and no ennemy to the Christians persuaded by the priests of the Pagan Gods banished him from Rome and with him a priest called Philip by some martirologes called Hippolitus Those two were conducted into Sardegna and commanded not to depart out of that Iland In that place the blessed Pope Pontianus endured very great troubles and afflictions yet for all that he forgot not to gouern his Church with good and holy aduises and counsells when he could not do any other thing In that Island he wrote two epistles vnto all the faithfull Christians In the first he commendeth as hath bene aboue said the veneration and reuerence that ought to be vsed toward priests in regard of the high mistery they deale in consecrating by their words and holding in their hands the most Blessed Body of CHRIST our Lord. In the other he exorteth them all generally vnto charity brotherly loue Some Authors attribute vnto Pontianus the vse which is kept in the Church of singing the psalmes of Dauid in the office of the Howers and that he ordeined that the priest before he began Masse should say the psalme Iudica me Deus but to conclude the troubles and molestations of the holy Pope were so extreme which he endured in this banishment that he died in the same Island of Sardegna on the. 19. day of Nouember when he had ben Pope fiue years 5. months and. 2. dayes He gaue holy orders twise in the month of December and ordered 6. Bishops 6. priests 5. deacons His blessed body was buried in Sardegna but some years after S. Fabian the Pope caused it to be brought vnto Rome and buried it in the Churcheyard of Callistus among many other Martirs And because he died in exile through the vexation and trouble he endured he was accounted among the holy martirs His death was in the year of our Lord 236 Maximinus being then emperour of Rome * ⎠* The presentation of our B. Lady THE great king Assuerus hauing depryued Queene Vasthy his wife of the royall crowne and hauing expulsed her out of his pallace because she would not obey his commaundements All the princes and great lords of his kingdome were assembled to seeke out another wife for the king which should not only be equall to Vasthy but should rather surpasse her in all fauour and beauty For this end all the choysest damosells were sought out through the realme to whom there was apointed a roome by themselues and an Eunuch called Egeus had the charge of them who sawe them prouyded of all things necessarie aswell for their dyet as also for their apparell and adornements There wanted no odoures perfumes or Iewells which might aggrandize and shewe forth their beauties This was done the more to please king Assuerus vnto whom they were led one by one as their turne was to the end he might choose one that lyked him best to be Queene in stead of Vasthy The prudent and beautifull Esther being elected out of the rest for that purpose the day came that she was to be presented before the king Assoone as the king sawe her he was so pleased with her fauour and beautie that he chose her out from among the rest for his wife and Queene and set the royall crowne on her head commaunding all his subiects to honor her and to regard and esteeme her as their soueraigne Queene and ludy This king Assuerus is a figure of our Lord God
of their coming The holie Bishop fetching a great sigh made them this answere Arrius is already dead in the sight of God for that he hath so grieuously blasphemed against the diuine essence denying that there is one naturality of all the three persons Peter then took the two priests aside and said to them in secret Although I be a grieuous sinner God out of his mercy hath called me to martyrdome and I will shew you part of mistery reueiled vnto me and I do it the rather for that you two are to succeed me in this dignitie wherein I now am the one after the other first Achillas and then Alexander I was at my prayers with great attention as my custome is and on a so daine IESVS CHRIST my Lord and God appeared to me in the likenes of a little infant The glorie of his face could not be seene so great was the splendour and brightnes that did proceed from it He was apparailed with a long harment which reached downe to the ground but it was rent from the toppe to the bottome and with his two hands he pulled it together to couer the nakednâ—s of his breast which when I saw I was in a great feare but after being somewhat reuyued I asked him Omy Lord IESV what is this that I see how petifully is this your garment torne And he answered me Thou talkest often hereof but doest not endeuour to know it But know thou that Arrius hath done this evill vnto me who seeketh to get away may people from me which be my heritaâ—ge and which I haue purchased with the shedding of my very deerest blood This which thou hast seene I wishe thee to shew to Aquila and Alexander which are to succeed the that they may as thou hast done Anathematize and excomunicate him that his soule may he saued This being saied and charging and enioyning them so to do it being the will of God he dissimissed them and sent them away in peace And it happened that people perseuering and awayting at the dore of the prison for the defence of the life of their Pastor to auoyd a tumult and the effusion of blood the tirannous ministers of the Emperour gaue direction and order that in the nigh at the officers should make a breach through the back side of the prison and take out of the same the holie Bissop Peter and to lead him to the place where S. mark had before time beene martyred and euen thus the cruell officers did and there beheadded him His body wad buryed in the same cittie of Alexandria by the Christians This was on a wedensday being the 26. of Nouember on which day the Church celebrateth his feast And it was in the yeare of our Lord 312. Maximinus being Emperour Of this holie saint maketh mention the Councell of Ephesus and the seuenth generall Synode S. Gregorie Nazianzene Eusebius in his 8 book 14. Chapter and 9. book 6. chapt Nicephorus The Tripartite historie Vsuardus Venerable Bede and Ado. The life of S. Saturnine Martyr OVR first father Adam hauing offended Almightie God in breaking his comandement God â—â—ioyned him in penance for his sinne to digge and till the ground Hereof it cometh that all men being partakers of his sinne for as S. Paul saith all sinned in him we be also partakers of his penance and punishment So it befell to S. Saturnine that glorious martyr who being old was condemned by the Emperour Maximian to labour about the building of certaine Thermi or hote bathes by carying sand morter and stones from one place to another though the cause why he suffred this slauery and drudgery was not for any sinne he had comitted but only for that he was a Christiane which this tyrant hold and accounted to be the most heynous offence of all other and therefore he layd on him these grieuous afflictions The life of this holie martyr with the life of S. Marcellus the Pope was written by the notaries of the Romaine Church and is rehersed by Laurence Surius in this manner The Emperour Maximian returning from Africa to Rome and being desirous to please Dioclesian that had aduanced him to high estate and made him his partner in the Empire and knowing that Dioclesian had comaunded certaine artificiall hote Bathes to be made was very dilligent to further and hasten the workes for which cause he comaunded all them that were conuicted of any grieuous or heynous oftences among which he held and accounted the Christians not to be the least to worâ—k and labour about that building vnder a saffe guard and watch hauing many ouerseers and masters ouer them Among other that were condemned to this slauery an honorable old man called Saturnine was one His work was to digge sand and to carry it from one place to another and for that through his weakenes and debillitie of age he fainted and tyred oftentimes and was not able to doe his taske as the ouerseers of the work required they often rated and reuiled him But he was holpen out very charitably by other Christian that were yonger and especially by one Sisinnius who carried those burdens that were apointed for himself and most of those that belonged to Saturnine and that so cheerefully that they went singing Hâ—mnes and psalmes in the praise of IESVS CHRISTE The surueiors of the work wondering at the same acquainted a Tribune called Spuriuâ— there with and he certyfied the Emperour Maximian thereof who comaunded they should be brought to his presence They being before him he said to Sisinnius what is your name Sisinnius answered I am a sinner and a seruant of the seruants of IESVS CHRIST and I am called Sisinnius The Emperour said vnto him what verses be those that you sing as you work Sisinnius answered If thou diddst vnderstand them or haddst notice of theÌ„ thou shouldest also know thy ceator who is the Creator said Maximian but the inuincible Hercules To vs Christians said Sisinnius it is a thing abhominable and detestable to speak such a word or to name him in such sort Choose one of these two things said the Emperour eyther sacrifice to our God Hercules or els assure thy self thou shalt be put to a terrible death Sisinnius answered I haue alwaies desired to dye in that manner and to be worthie to obtaine the crowne of Martiredome for the profession and loue of my Lord IESVS CHRIST Maximian chasing at these wordes deliuered him to Laodicio a prefect charging him either to compell Sisinnius and Saturnine to sacrifice to their Gods or els to put them to a cruell death He put them into prison where they remained a while and there they conuerted many Pagans to the faith of CHRIST Then were they taken out from thence loaden with giues and fetters bare foote and barelegged and so lâ—d into a Temple to do sacrifice when they were brought before the Idoll Saturnine lifted vp his voyce and sayd O lord confound the Idolls of the Gentilles At these wordes the
the hangman began to vntie him he lyfted vp his voice to IESVS CHRIST and said Lord I beseech thee for thy holie names sake permitt me not to be taken from the Crosse aliue Receaue me my master whom I haue loued whom I haue confessed whom I haue preached and of whom I hope to be rewarded Oh good IESVS receaue my spirit in peace for now is it time to come to thee whom I haue so much desired Whilest the Apostle said these wordes there discended from heauen a great brightnes in manner of a beame of the sunne which euerie one saw and couered the bodie of the Apostle that for half an houres space it could not be seene at which time it vanished awaye and then they perceiued that the was dead One Maximilla a deuout woman a disciple of the Apostle being of that cittie and verie rich went to the Crosse with some of her seruants and took the bodie of the saint and buried it anointing it first with pretious ointments When Egeas vnderstood what Maximilla had done he ment to complaine vnto the Emperour both of her and of many other that asisted her Whilest he was in the publique hall taking informations thereof tâ—e diuell entred into him making him to roare and crie out as a beast and tormenting him in the sight of the people made him to yield his soule to be tormented in hell This iudgment of God caused many to be conuerted to the faith of CHRIST The martirdome of S. Andrew was on the 30. of Nouember and on the same daie the Church celebrateth his feast His death was in the yeere of our Lord. 62. as Canisius saith in the raigne of Nero. In the time of the Emperour Constantine the bodie of S. Andrew was translated to Constantinople and from thence to diuers other places till lastlie it was carried into Italie to the cittie of Amalfy in the kingdome of Naples where it is at this present And it is said that out of this blessed bodie cometh a most pretious liquor that cureth and healeth diuers infirmities When Pius the second was Pope his head was brought to Rome and set in a tabernacle made for that purpose in the Church of S. Peter S. Gregorie of Toures recounteth many miracles done by the intercession of S. Andrew namelie the curing of diuers and sundrie infirmities He saith also that in the time of Clodoueus king of France in a warre he made in Burgundie and in the sacking of a countrie fire was set on the Church of a holie martir called Saturninus within the which were some reliques of S. Andrew The fire enereased and the people were much agreeued that the reliques of the holie Apostle should be so consumed There was a souldier borne at Toures who perceiuing the sorrow of the people entred resolutlie into the middest of the fire and went vnto the place where the reliques of the holie Apostle were and brought them awaie safe without hurt And God was pleased to shew how acceptable this pious deed was to him preseruing the souldier from the fire that it hurt him not at all We read also of other miracles of S. Andrew as of a Bishop whom the diuell in forme of a damosell would haue deceiued and the holie Apostle went to his house in the shape of a pilgrime and told him of the deceit but for that I haue not read it in any approoued author I do not auerre it yet God can and vseth to do those or the like things by the intercession of his holie saints And we ought not to doubt but he hath done many miracles by the intercession of S. Andrew who followed and loued him so that at last he died on the Crosse for his loue as himself had done It is iust therefore that we be deuout to this holie saint that by his prayers and meritts we maie obtaine of God eternall glorie Amen DECEMBER The life of S. Bibiana virgin and Martir MANY were the vexations and great were the tribulations the holy man Dauid suffered at the haÌ„ds of sondry persons who without any cause giuen on his part endeuored to do him all the mischief they could as amoÌ„g others his father in lawe Saul did yet he supported all these troubles with patience and myldnes but the insurrection of his sonne Absalon nipped him to the hart and mollested him aboue all the rest wherefore he said in one psalme If myne enemy had said euill of me and had persecuted me Ps. 54 I would haue supported it bycause that of an enemy no friendly kindnes is expected but I am aggreiued that this my sonne he who satt at my table and eate with me in the same dish should be the maÌ„ that should persecute me Oh how worthy was he and such as he was to descend aliue into hell Many were the tyrants that persecuted the Church and many more were they that put the Christians to death but S. Bibiana had reason to complaine of none more then of Iulyan the Apostata because the others were her professed enemyes in that they were Idollaters But this wicked and damnable man was a Christian and within holy orders who put her to very great sorrow and moued her to desire God to chastise him as indeed he did by depriuing him in a short time both of his empire and life it being not knowen by whom nor in what maner This is only certain that the lewd and wicked man being in the middest of his army was wounded with a speare wherof he dyed blasphemyng and reuiling at IESVS CHRIST his cursed soule falling as a pray into the diuells hands S. Bibiana was martyred in the time of this wicked emperour Venerable Bede and other Authors of martyrologes write her martyrdome in this maner SAINT Bibiana was borne in Rome and was daughter vnto Faustus and Drafosa who were both Christians and holy matâ—yrs S. Bibiana being very yong did exercise her self in holy and vertuous woorks Shee was taken in the time of th'emperour Iulian the Apostata a cruell foe vnto Christians and deliuered to the custody of Faustus the gouernour who was apointed to heare and determyne her cause He persuaded her to sacrifice vnto the Idols the souer to drawe her to the same he threatned to put her vnto grieuous torments if shee refused it But the holy saint answered with such godly reasoÌ„s that shee persuaded the Gouernour himself to forsake and relinquish the Idolls and to be made a Christian and consequently to endure torments and death couragiously for the same The holy damsell Bibiana was very ioyous that shee had made that gaine as to gaine a soule to her spouse IESVS CHRIST Then was shee led before the Emperour who exhorted her to sacrifice vnto the Idolls and shee aunswered him that the God creator and gouernour of heauen and earth was only worthy to be adored Th'emperour hearing this answer commaunded Bibiana to be beaten with cudgells which was done with such cruelty that shee
it well deserueth The Church beside all her other merits holdeth and accounteth her for aduocate of the eyes and for the sight It is therefore requisite that we all haue particuler deuotion and recommend our selues vnto her that God may by her merites and intercession preserue our corporall sight and grant the light of our soules that we may be able and worthie to see his diuine maiestie in heauen Amen The Catholique Church celebrateth the feast of S. Lucy on the day of her martirdome which was on the 13. of December in the yeare of our Lord 305. in the time of Maximian and Dioclesian Spanish Her name is in the Canon of the Masse One of the handes of S. Lucy is shewed in the vestrie of the Church of Toledo Of S. Lucy write Sigisbert the Breuiarie and the Romane Martyrologe The life of S. Thomas Apostle WHEN it happeneth sometimes that the predestinate and iust man falleth by negligence into a heinous sinne cap â—4 God vseth the words of the Prophet Esay vnto him and saith A little moment will I hide my face from thee and in euerlasting mercy will I remember thee haue pittie on thee Which is as if he had said I will turne my face from thee because thou hast offended me but for that thou didst quicklie acknowledge thy sinne and the vnhappie estate in which I found thee and didst not continue long in thy fault but forthwith didst craue pardon I will turne my face toward and thee and will behold thee with the eyes of my mercy I haue made peace with thee and will take thee into my fauour wherein thou shalt continue for euer This sentence fitteth and agreeth with S. Thomas the Apostle who offended God in not beleeuing the article of his resurrection wherefore God turned his face from him yet he returned forthwith when he remembred his error and touched with his hands the wounds of his maister which caused him to become as softe as waxe and to say My God my Lord I confesse my sinne and I confesse that thou art true God and my Lord. I confesse thou art him whom I saw dead naâ—led on the Crosse and I confesse that thou art risen againe For this cause God looked wildlie and louinglie vpon him renewed friendship with him and tooke him againe into his fauour in which he continued till his death The life of this blessed Apostle is gathered out of the Euangelistes S. Isidore Simeon Metaphrastes and Gregorie of Toures in this sort SAINT Thomas the Apostle was a Galilean but it is not knowne how or when he was called to the Apostleship S. Iohn the Euangelist maketh of him particuler mention when Mary Magdalene and Martha sent to IESVS CHRIST to tell him that their brother was dead And when he talking with his disciples told them that he would returne into Iudea and the Apostles sought to stay his iourney saying to him Maister they would latelie haue stoned thee and wilt thou yet returne amongst them he answered there be twelue houres in the day Giuing them to vnderstand that so many times their harts might be changed and altred from that they intended to doe S. Thomas seing he was determined to go said to the other disciples with a stout resolution Let vs go also dye with him S. Thomas in these wordes shewed himselfe to be of a good courage and that he loued IESVS CHRIST sincerelie At the euening after the last supper which our Sauiour made with his disciples S. Thomas was present also and was made Priest and communicated as others did When our Sauiour made that sweete and louelie sermon saying among other thinges that he went to prepare mansions for them and that they knew whether he went S. Thomas said to him Ioan 14. Lord we do not know whether thou goest how is it possible for vs to know the way After the death of our Lord and after his resurrection yea the verie same day he rose againe late in the euening the Apostles being assembled in the dyning parlour none being wanting but Iudas that had hanged himselfe and Thomas who was gone forth vpon especiall busines Ioan 20. IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto them and shewed them his wounds letting them know that he was the same that had conuersed with them dyed for them and that he was raised againe When Thomas was returned the other Apostles said to him O brother whilest thou wert absent we haue seene our Lord and Maister the very same whom we saw taken in the garden the same that was beaten and crowned with thornes nailed and dead on the Crosse whose side was opened with a speare that was taken downe from the Crosse and laid in his sepulchre This our Lord we haue seene risen againe glorious and immortall We haue seene the signes of his woundes which seeme not as they were all stained with bloud but they be adorned wonderfullie they shew as Diamonds and Rubies set in Gold and but euen now he departed from vs. S. Thomas answered It is assuredlie some fantasticke vision and for my part I tell you plainlie that before I shall see him with mine owne eyes and put my hands into his wounds and my fingers into his side I will not beleeue that you haue seene him or that he is risen againe Thus S. Thomas remained in his hardnes of heart eight dayes Iohn 19. v. 27. without relenting We may piously beleeue that the Apostles the Maries and perhaps the Mother of God also said thus vnto him As it is the signe of a light-headed person to credit and beleeue all things he heareth so is it the signe of a stubborne and peruerse mind not to beleeue that which so many affirme especiallie such people as these be How shall the Iewes which be enemies to my Sonne beleeue that he is risen againe if thou which art an Apostle wilt not beleeue it Doest thou not remember that he said oftentimes with his owne mouth that he must suffer yea he named some of the torments which he was to endure withall he said that he should arise againe the third day Now if thou hast had triall that he said truth in these things why shouldest thou thinke that hee lyed in the other If thou thinkest that the Apostles and the Maries be deceiued and that he whom they saw is another be assured that at least I am not deceiued but that I know him perfectlie well For I haue brought him forth I haue attended and borne him companie this thirtie and three yeares Although the rest should be mistaken yet I cannot be deceiued And I tell thee againe that my Sonne and thy Maister is raised to life and I beseech thee not to be obstinate or incredulous any more These and the like words we may well suppose that the glorious Virgin said to S. Thomas who neuertheles remained in his hardnes and vnbeliefe saying If I do not see him I do not beleeue it I know not the
to a Temple of the Sunne where was the statue of brasse and he willed him to adore it The Apostle fell on his knees and besought God to breake that statue that the people seing the small force of their God might be ashamed and forsake the errors wherein they were enwrapped The Apostle hauing finished his prayer the statue fell on the earth into diuers pieces The ministers of the Idols being present and seing all this enraged with furie they ran the Apostle through with Launces and killed him His bodie was buried in the same Cittie of Calamina and was after translated to the citty of Edessa in Syria where as S Gregorie of Toures saith was built a sumptuous Church in which God shewed many miracles by the merits of his holie Apostle The death of S. Thomas was on the 21. of December and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast This was in the yeare of our Lord. 75. in the raigne of Vespasian Beside the afore-rehearsed things there are recounted of S. Thomas many other which be taken for vaine and Apocripha and this is one that he was brought from Cesarea euen to India to build a Pallace and that great store of treasure was giuen him to build it The king departing from thence for two whole yeares and the Apostle giuing all the mony to the poore the king at his returne put him in prison that he might gâ—t againe the mony of him It is said also that S. Thomas being inuited to a mariage whilest he dyned an Hebrew woman song certaine verses in the praise of God and the holie sunt stayed contemplating the words which she said Wherefore one of them that wayted at the table seing he eate not but â—ate musing gaue him a buffet on the face whereat the Apostle being wroth said to them I will not depart from this table vntill I see the hand that strooke me in a dogges mouth which caine so to passe for the fellow going for water vnto a spring was deuoured of dogges and one of them came in with his hand in his mouth These thinges thus reported giue testimonie what they be as hauing no great foundation nor good authoritie for them Yea this especiallie of the hand and the dogge was inuented by heretiks who mingled this tale in the life of this saint and holie Apostle to the end reuenge cursing and wishing euill vnto our neighbour should be reputeda thing lawfull Anf if any should iudge this to be euill that then the Apostle should be accounted so also and by this meanes he should loose his credit and authoritie I maruaile that of this holie saint who was so slow in beliefe such vnlikelie and vnprobable tales should readilie be beleeued of him Also I do not know of what credit it is that is said in some Cronicles of him as of his being present with the Lord of the countrie that is now called Preter Iean where they say his bodie is kept till this day We read also of a thorne that beareth grapes on S. Thomas day of which as made muste or sweete wine and they celebrate Masse therewith I thinke he that will auouch this for true had neede to haue greater authorities then the places where they be written Howsoeuer these things be this which I now say is most certaine that S. Thomas was carried to the passage and death of the glorious Virgin aswell as the other Apostles And for that when he came thither it was the third day after the death of the blessed mother of God and that her bodie was alreadie buried God willing it so he was desirous to see it The Sepulchre being opened the bodie was not found therein for that it was raised againe and was assumpted into heauen as is said in the sollemnitie of the feast of her Assumption The Natiuitie of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST AMONG the other marueilous histories of the sacred scripture 4 Reg Cap 4. we read one most notable in the book of kings of the woman Sunamite the hostesse of the prophet Eliseus Of her it is said that she had a little child an infant which she tenderlie loued This child being one daie abroad in the field with his father complained of a great paine in his head whereupon his father caused him to be carried home vnto his mother in whose presence the child dyed The woman felt as great grief as might be for the death of her child and going to the prophet Eliseus fell at his feet weeping and lamenting shewing by outward signes the inward sorrow of her hart The prophet hauing compassion on her sent with her his seruant Giezie and gaue vnto him his staffe to laie it on the dead bodie of the child which was cold as Ise The seruant did as he was apointed but the child by that meanes was not raised to life The afflicted mother returned vnto the prophet and so much her praiers and suit preuailed that she brought him in person vnto her house The prophet entred into the roome where the child laye and shut the dore close and after he lay flat on the bodie of the litle infant vsing this dilligence he laid his face on the face his hands on the hands and his feet on the feet thereof Then he cryed aloud seuen times and the child beginning to be warme opened the eyes and recouered life This being done the holie prophet restored him vnto his mother who receaued him with more ioye and gladnes then can easilie be expressed Though as it be said before that this indeed be a true historie which happened really yet was it a liuelie patterne of the high and maruailous misterie that God wrought in being made man For the woman Sunamite is a figure of the Church who hauing a litle sonne which is mankind ass one as he was created and put into the pleasant field of Terrestriall paradise felt a paine in his head for from thence issued fumes of desire to be like vnto God This was our forefather Adam who dyed of this infirmitie when he eate the fruit of the forbidden tree whereby mankind be came cold frosen and without the grace of God The miserable afflicted Sunamite went for help vnto the prophet for the holie Church did continuallie beseeche God to giue remedie for this great losse The diuine maiestie had compassion on her and sent Giezi with his staffe which were the two lawes the law of nature being figured in Giezi and the law written figured in the staffe of the prophet This yet raised not againe the dead child to life nor gaue remedie vnto the losse the world had as S. Paul saith wryting vnto the Hebrewes of the law writteÌ„ that the law reduced not things vnto perfection nor gaue not full remedie vnto our losses Yet the Church ceased not to desire God more instantlie vntill he came in persoÌ„ into the world was inclosed in the secret chamber of the bowells of the most blessed virgin He
entred in and shut the dore fast leauing it sealed with the virginall seale There that venerable prophet that Gyant that could not be comprehended neither in heauen nor on earth lay flat on the humanitie took it on him conioyning face vnto face hand on hand and feet with feet All this God did in conioyning vnto him humane nature in hipostaticall vnâ—on He cryed aloud seuen times when he infused in it the seuen giftes of the Holie Ghost Then mankind began to waxe warme to open the eyes and was restored to life and so holie Church remained glad and well content to see that she had so long praied for and desired The glorious virgin was replenished with great ioye seing her sonne and the sonne of God also in her armes as she sawe him this daie of his birth This historie is recounted by the Euangelist S. Luke in this manner THERE was a proclamation and decree made by the Emperour Caesar Augustus called Octauianus wherein was commaundement giuen that all the subiects of his empire should go vnto that cittie which was the head of the places where they dwelt and there they should register their names and pay a certaine piece of mony confessing thereby their subiection vnto the Romane empire This Octauianus being Lord of almost all the world he was thus cuâ—ious desiring to know exactly how many people were vnder his subiection peace being then generally â—uer all which lasted sixe yeares before the birth of CHRIST and sixe yeares after This decree was published in Nazareth where S. Ioseph with his blessed spouse the mother of God did then dwell and this happened in the last mouth of her being with child And for that Ioseph was of the house and familie of Dauid he was to goe to Bethleem both to pay the mony and to be inrolled to which place also all other of that linage went The deliuerie of the blessed Virgin being neere at hand although she was not bound to go thither for the decree did not oblige any but men yet would be haue with him God had giuen to him in charge that most pretious treasure and he thought it not fit to trust any other person with her nay loth he was to be depriued of so great a good as to be present at the birth of the Sonne of God not onlie to adore the Sonne but also to attend the mother All this came to passe by the apointment of God to the end IESVS CHRIST should be borne in Bethleem and so the prophesies of him be fulfilled If we consider this well we shall see that the birth of our blessed Sauiour in Bethleem came not so to passe because the Prophets had foretold it though it was coÌ„uenient their prophesies should be accomplished but rather they said so because God had determined he should be borne there This mooued almightie God to choose so poore and abiect a place for the birth of his sonne agreable to that he saith by the mouth of the Prophet Esay Cap. 55 My wayes be not as yours be my wayes be of one sort and yours be of another Men striue and desire to be honored and esteemed and they seeke all meanes that may bring them to estimation in the sight of men and auoid all things that may hinder them thereof To be borne of Noble bloud and a rich house pleaseth all and euerie one seeketh it but God doth the contrarie He came to manifest his glorie to the world and when he should be borne he chose not to that purpose the glorious Cittie of Rome much lesse the royall Cittie of Ierusalem but the little village of Bethleem He was not pleased to be borne in the house of men but in the stall of beasts And his birth being so honored by the Angels and his death so ignominious in the companie of theeues hee couered his honors in the cottage of Bethleem and published his reproaches in the Cittie of Ierusalem giuing vnto vs hereby a notable example of humillitie O happie Bethleem O fortunate stall that pleased the Lord of heauen more then the statelie Capitall of Rome or the rich pallaces of Ierusalem Thus we see how God chose Bethleem to giue vs an example of true humillitie and therefore the prophets wrot it and they hauing written it it was conuenient that it should be fulfilled Holie Ioseph as is said went vnto Bethleem and tooke with him the most blessed Virgin It cannot be expressed what troubles the holie damosell endured by the way not for her being with child which annoyed not her as it doth other women but because it was midwinter when there be snowes Ice winds and tempests If men in their houses doe often feele them much more must a young and tender Virgin trauailing at such a time and being but meanly appointed as may well be presumed her husband Ioseph and she being but poore If in their iourney on the way they had toile and trouble when they came vnto Bethleem they had little refreshing for the chambers were taken vp and filled with the great concourse of people that came vnto that towne for the same purpose The good Ioseph demaunding for a lodging was answered that they were all full so hee seeking and enquiring further the same answer was made him as before Hereupon the good old man with the holie Virgin seing they could haue no lodging got them vnder a shead or penthouse where also was a stall for beasts We may well thinke this good couple shed teares to see themselues in such a miserable straite plight Ioseph had with him two beasts as is gathered out of the prophet Abacuc Cap. 3. after the translation of the 72. interpretors which saith Our Lord shall appeare in the midest of two beasts Holie Church singeth the same in a Responsorie of this sollemnitie at Maâ—tins and of this the vsage is to paint the natiuitie of our Lord with an Asse and an Oxe by him Ioseph tooke the Oxe with him to sell aswell to pay the tribute as for the expences of the voyage and on the Asse was our B. Lady the mother of God to ryde At that time was the solstice of winter when the Sunne beginneth to rise vpon our hemispheare and maketh the day to increase And if at this time the solstice cometh before Christmas day it happeneth by reason of the day that is added in the leap yeare which yet lacketh 8. minutes being about the. 7. part of an houre and these be so increased that they haue made as many daies as be from the day of the solstice vnto Christmas day It was on the 25. of December on the saterday and in the night as Peter Comâ—stor the Maister of Histories prooueth by the computation of that yeare saying that then it was midnight the glorious Virgin knew that the houre of her deliuerie was at hand but not as other women doe who perceiue it by the afore-comming paines which be as reuengers of the delight in their lustfull
of Stephen For he propounded his reasons with such a spirit and wisedome and resolued their arguments so cleerlie that they remained ashamed and vtterly confounded Where they should haue taken profit by the same they contratiewise tooke such indignation against him that they hyred certaine false witnesses to accuse him vnto the high priest Hereupon S. Stephen was taken and the witnesses accused him that they heard him speake blasphemie against God the Lawe and the Temple And they added also that he said that IESVS of Nazareth should destroy that sacred place and change the traditions and ordinances giuen by Moyses This was an apparant slaunder for this last they had not heard S. Stephen say but the priests said to themselues that it must be so since IESVS CHRIST had said so yet they wrong vnderstood him when he said vnto them Iohn 2. Pull downe this Temple and in three daies I will build it vp againe In these words our Sauiour spoke of the Temple of his body as the Euangelist saith that they should put him to death and on the third day he would rise againe Whereupon the false witnesses inâ—yted thereunto by the Scribes and Pharisies the enemies of S. Stephen deposed that he affirmed the ruine of the Temple and the change of the Traditions and ordinances giuen by Moyses This accusation being layd all they that sate in Counsell looked stedfastly vpon S. Stephen and they saw his face Cap 6. v. 15. as the face of an Angell glistering out of measure The high priest demaunded if this were true which they affirmed to him The glorious saint hauing craued audience reduced to their memories all the accidents that had happened to that people and the graces and fauours that they had receiued from God beginning at Abraham euen vntill that present time He made relation how Iacob going into Egipt with all his sonnes in the time of Ioseph flying from the great dearth which was in the land of Canaan remained there and inhabited in that countrie And how Ioseph being the dead the Egiptians dealt euill with them Cap. 7. wherefore God sent Moises to bring them out of that countrie to deliuer them from the hands of Pharao that kept them as slaues and made them to passe the red sea on the drie land hauing drowned all their enemies therein He told them also how God gaue them the law by the hand of Moyses who prophesied and said that God would raise a prophet of the people of the Iewes and that they should and must heare and obey him euen as they had done Moyses He also charged them with their vnthankfullnes toward God they hauing receaued of him so many great benefits and graces how they left to worship him and fell to adore Idols made with their owne hands how they had persecuted the prophets and killed many of them and finally he said vnto them You indeed do shew your selues to be their children for they were obstinate and stifnecked a-against the commaundements of Gods lawe and you be also like them resisting the Holie Ghost They persecuted the prophets that spoke of the comming of that iust and Holie Prophet of whom Moyses spoke likewise but you haue imprisoned that same iust and holie Prophet who was the true Messias and the CHRIST promised in the lawe and you neuer ceased persecuting him vntill you had put him vno the death of the crosse The scribes and Pharisies which sat in Counsell were so mooued that they gnashed their teeth against him shewing thereby their indignation and offâ—ing withall to lay violent hands vpon him S. Stephen lifting vp his eyes to heauen saw the glorie of God and IESVS CHRIST standing at his right hand as it were to shew him his power and fauour to helpe him in this sharpe conflict which he vndertooke for his sake The glorious saint could not conceale nor hyde it but certified them of the great glorie cap. 7. V. 55. saying Behold I see the heauens open and the sonne of man at the right hand of God When these diuelish and hard-harted people who awaited to find any occasion against the holie man that they might wreake and discharge all their mallice and rage conceiued against him had heard him speake these words they esteeming it to be blasphemie lifted vp their voices and said Let the blasphemer dye let vs put him to death and herein they fained to shew their zeale vnto the lawe and shut their eares as if they had heard some absurd speech against God or his honour But this was not all For as thought S. Stephen had beene indeed a blasphemer who the lawe commaunded to be led out of the cittie and there to be stoned they laid violent hands on that holie Deacon and with a furious vproare and noise they led him out of the cittie where the witnesses that had giuen in euidence against him gaue their garments to be kept by a â—ong man called Saul who seemed to be verie ioyfull that S. Stephen was put to death and then they began to stone him with stones The holie saint seing that his death approached lifted vp his eyes vnto heauen and said My Lord IESVS receiue my spirite Cap. 7. V. 59 60. This prayer he made for himselfe standing on his feet but when he whould pray for his enemies to the end they might see he prayed for them from his hart he kneeled on the ground and with a loud voice said O Lord pardon them this sinne for they know not what they doe Little did this his pious act mollifie the obstinate and hard harts of his aduersaries yea they rather threw downe stones vpon him like a shower of haile Some missed him some hitte him some hurt him others returned back and some stuck fast in his sacred head In this torment the blessed Martir ended his life His â—olie bodie was buried by some vertuous people shedding ouer him many sorrowfull teares Of this holie Martyr are read great matters in particuler treatises which S. Augustine S. Gregorie Nissen S. Fulgentius S. Peter Crisologus Eusebius Emissenus Nycetas and many other authors write of him All this and much more S. Stephen meriteth aswell for his many vertues as for the great zeale wherewith he preached IESVS CHRIST and his honour and also in the great charitie he shewed in praying vnto God for them that tooke away his life Hereof it came that his prayer was heard and was so acceptable to God for as S. Augustine and S. Iohn Chrisostome affirme the Catholique church doth at this day by him enioy S. Paul who was one of the furtherers of his death It is trulie said that S. Stephen was a deacon ordained together with sixe others by the Apostles when they gaue them the charge of the ordinarie seruices that dailie occurâ—ed among the disciples Moreouer S. Augustine writeth many miracles which God did by the merits of S Stephen but for that the greater part happened at such time as
In prol in Ioh. De pres cript as Tertullian S. Ierome say out of the which he came without any hurt and then he was banished into an Isle called Pathmos which is one of the Islands called Cyclades and is not farre from Rhodes There the Apostle stayd a whole yeare and on a Sunday he had a vision and a reuelation in the which was discouered the successes of the Catholike Church that should happen vntill the day of the generall iudgement and all that he wrot in a booke which he called the Apocalipse or Reuelation Apo◠2. Whilest that S. Iohn remained in that Island he conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST almost all the inhabitants thereof and such was their loue toward him that as Symeon Metaphrases saith When he was to depart from the backe vnto Ephesus they were like to dye with sorrow Procrus Cap. 49. He was released from the exile after the death of Domitian and succession of Nerua who did by the aduise of the Senate reuoque and abrogate all the lawes his predecessor had made The Islanders vnderstanding that S. Iohn would depart from the went all vnto him lamenting and wailing some called him father others Lord and all said with one voyce he was theire ioy and comfort They besought him with great affection saying Oh Iohn thou holy and admirable man wherefore camest thou into this Island if thou art to depart hence so soone Why was the knowledge of thee bestowed on vs if we were to loose thy company so soone Whither wilt thou go to be beloued as thou art of vs Where shall thou be obeyed as thou art heere Where shall thy words be so esteemed since we listen to them as if they came from God and do beleeue that God speaketh in thee Then ô father haue pitty on vs thy children behold that without thee we are left in danger and perill to loose our selues Oh Emperour Domitian thou hast done to none such euill as thou hast done good vnto vs thou hast sent hither the elect disciple of God whom we haue knowen and receiued Baptisme by his meanes Thou hast done right well but for that to do good was far from thee of this good ariseth this present euill that now we must loose him whom before thou mad'st vs to know They all came to the holy Euangelist and kneeled at his feere tooke his garments in their hands kissed his hands with great humblenesse and reuerent behauiour for that they thought to make him stay there more by prayers and entreaties then by force or violence They holy Euangelist sawe the griefe of this Islanders for his departure but hee promising not to forget them and to send them some that should take charge of them they remained somewhat pleased and satisfied And so he embarked and returned to Ephesus where he was receiued with great and incredible ioy As the holy saint was to enter the Citty they carried out to buryall a noble Matrone called Drusiana who had loued S. Iohn very dearely He vnderstanding the same by many persons that followed the corps lamenting and mourning for the losse of so vertuous a woman that was charitable and had done many good workes of piety toward all kind of persons and he remembring the same prayed for her and God at his request raised againe the dead woman to life and the holy Apostle went to lodge at her house Then he began to gouerne that prouince again and he vnderstood that two young men in a Citty had distributed much riches vnto the poore desiring to serue God in pouerty which life S. Iohn had commended and praised much in his sermons but after perceiuing themselues in great want of necessary things they repented of what they had done S. Iohn talked with them and badde them bring him two great branches of trees from a Hill he named and some stones and the young men did so Then the Apostle by the power of God turned the stones into most pretious Iewels and the branches into Gold and said to the two young men Behold now see you may be as rich as you were before but consider well that the riches of the world doe puffe men vp and doe not satisfy them Thinke also that there is but one paradise and he that will haue it in this life and enioy and posesse worldly riches delights and pleasures cannot haue it also in the other world The Apostle did also in their sight raist to life a young man sonne to a poore widow who with many teares besought him to haue compassion on her as he had on Drusiana The two young men hauing seene this strange miracles determined to continue still in poore life and besought the Apostle to pray vnto God for them and gaue him backe his Iewels and Gold and he threw it vpon the ground and they returned to their former nature and he prayed vnto God for them and they led a holy life euer after S. Iohn had a great controuersy and variance with a priest of the Goddesse Dyana called Aristodemus who said that the miracles the Apostle did were not by the power of God but of the deuill and if he would haue him to beleeue it was by the worke of God let him drinke a cuppe of poyson that he would temper for him without any nocument or hurt to his life or health The malicious villaine thought by this meanes to take away the Apostles life and to repaire the losse his false gods sustained thereby S. Iohn accepted of the match and tooke the impoysonned cup in his hand and made thereon the signe of the Crosse and drunke it of without receuing any hurt Some Authors say for this cause S. Iohn is painted with a cuppe in his hand out of which commeth a serpent and he seemeth to blesse it which signifieth that he destroyed the force of the venime Others say this is not the cause but that he is painted so vpon the words CHRIST said to him when his mother requested that hee and his brother might haue the next place vnto him the one on the right hand and the other on the left and the words of CHRIST were these Can you drinke the cup which I must drinke and they answered I and our Sauiour replyed I say vnto you in verity that you shall drinke my cup This cuppe as some say is signified by the cuppe which is painted in the hand of S. Iohn and it may be it is painted there for both the causes S. Clement of Alexandria S. Iohn Chrisostome and other Authors recount also a story which befell betweene S. Iohn and a disciple of his being a beautifull young man And it was this S. Iohn kept the young man very strait and would haue brought him to strict and a mortified life And hauing on a time occasion to visite one of his Churches commended him vnto the care and gouernement of a Bishop desiring him to haue good regard of him In the absence of S.
Iohn the young man began by a little little to fall vnto lewdnes and at the last to be a Captaine of robbers and murderers by the high way S. Iohn being returned and vnderstanding what was become of the young man was aggrieued for the same and went vnto the desert where the young man kept and haunted in fine he met him He at the sight of the Apostle began to fly and S. Iohn followed him saying My sonne why doest thou flye behold I am weary and euen tyred in coÌ„ming to seeke thee in this desert and vnhabited place doest not thou perceiue that it is euill done of thee a young man to flye from me an old man If thou doest it for feare of the account thou hast to render vnto God for thy sinnes I offer my selfe to answer for thee at the day of iudgement The hart of the young man relented at the words of S. Iohn and at the teares he saw to fall on his white beard so he fell at his feere bewayling his sinnes S. Iohn tooke him home and the young man amended his life and serued God with great feruour after that time Sometime this seruant of God shewed indignation against them whom he knew would not amend their faults S. Policarpe his disciple writeth of him that being one time in a bayn Cerinthus the heretike came in and then he made hast to get out saying with indignation Let vs get hence quickly lest the filthy and corrupt water of Cerinthus infect vs meaning by the water the false doctrine of the heretike His disciples importunated him to write that which he preached that they might haue it in continuall remembrance The Apostle condiscended to their request and commaunded a generall fast and continuall prayers to be kept by all the people Then went the vpon a mountaine and tooke only with him his disciple Procurus Metaphrases saith they heard thunders and thunderclaps with whirlewinds which put Procurus in great feare and dread but these tempests being aleyed S. Iohn began to say In principio erat verbum and so Procurns wrot and continued the Gospell after his enditing wherein he laboureth to destroy the errour of the heretiks called Ebionits who held that CHRIST was not God and the principall entent of S. Iohn was to shew and proue that CHRIST is true God And because he flew so high the figure of an Eagle which is a foule that soareth aloft is attributed vnto him The holy Euangelist was now farre in yeares and when he talked with his disciples he had allwayes in his mouth these words My sonnes loue one another and they said Maister let vs heare some other words for we haue heard this very often And he answered them I say this thing vnto you for that this is sufficient and he that doth this doth all Hauing then had reuelation of his death being 99. yeares ald he assembled all his disciples and led them vpon a high mountaine where a Church stood In that place he caused his sepulcher to be opened and stripped himselfe of part of his cloths and put off his shoes and so aliue he went into his sepulcher his disciples making great lamentation and then there came from heauen a cleare brightnes vpon that place enuironing the body and the holy place And they that were present remained in a traunce as it seemed for great dread and being come to themselues they saw S. Iohn no more but the graue couered with earth which seemed to boyle vp a pretious liquor that cured many infirmities This was the passage of S. Iohn and as S. Ierome and venerable Bede affirme his death was without any griefe and his body neuer felt corruption Of which words S. Thomas Nicephorus Callistus and many other Authors take occasion to say that S. Iohn was raised againe and ascended into heauen both in body and soule where he hath an eminent place since the titles he had in the world were so honourable He had the title of Virgin Apostle of Euangelist and of martir at lest in will and desire yea S Augustine S. Iohn Chrisostome and Ruffinus call him martir for when he was put into the vessell of oyle he should haue dyed if God had not myraculously deliuered him and his will was always prompt and ready to dye for the loue of IESVS CHRIST Beside the said titles he had another rare and singular name of the Disciple beloued of CHRIST of his brother and sonnes of the same mother by the will and appointment of the same God This glorious Apostle did spend 70. yeares in preaching and conuerting of soules all which time he continued busy in the seruice of God alwayes louing him and alwayes perswading others to serue him But all this which we haue said is but little to equalize the great glory that he enioyeth in heauen although that which he hath and what place he possesseth there God and he best knoweth Let it suffice vs to recommend vs to him by taking him to our Aduocate and imitating his life asmuch as lyeth in vs And so ayded by him we may be rewarded by God and see S. Iohn in heauen yea God himselfe enioying him in his glory for euer Amen The Catholike Church celebrateth the feast of S. Iohn Euangelist on the. 27. day of December And his death was in the yeare of our Lord. 100. or there about in the time of Traian the Emperour The feast of the holie Innocents THERE is mention made in the booke of Kings of a most cruell woman 4. Lib. Cap 11. called Athalia who was the mother of kâ—â—g Ochozias This woman her sonne being dead vpon ambition and desire to raigne got into her hands the children which were of the bloud royall and put them all to death One only escaped heâ— hands who wâ—s called Ioas. This child was saued by the care and diligence of the nurse that brought him vp and of Ioiada the high priest who hid him so that Athalia could not get him into her possession and power and in processe of time Ioas was king of Israell This crâ—ell Arhalia was a figure of Herod who holding the kingdome of Israell by violence for that he was a forrainer and of a strange countrie to assure himselfe of that kingdome he killed many innocent children as Athalia had done before out of whose hands escaped Ioas by the industrie of his nurse and of Ioiada which kept him secret So IESVS CHRIST figured in Ioas fled from Herod by the care and industrie of his most B. mother and of S. Ioseph who deliuered and kept him free out of Herods furie when they carried him into Egipt Ioas was afterward king of Israell IESVS CHRIST was and is King of heauen and earth and the vniuersall redeemer of all mankind The historie of these holie Innocent infants was written by S. Mathew the Euangelist in this manner AFTER the birth of the sonne of God into the world Luk. 2. and after his circumcision on