most pure and chast as she was before and euer shall be Shee shall haue another spouse in heauen which shal be God himself to wit The Holy Ghost the third person of the holy Trinity He shall be her spouse and by him shee shall conceiue without losse or dammage vnto her virginity and hauing conceiued shall bring forth into the world our Sauior and Redeemer After we haue thus reioiced with Ioachim and Anna for that thy haue such a daughter borne vnto them we may also reioice with their other kinsfolke for that they haue gotten nowe such a kinswoman Let vs reioice also with the sinners for that nowe this day is borne their aduocate Let vs reioice with the Angels since that on this day is borne their Queene let vs reioice with God since on this day is borne his mother daughter and spouse And at the last let vs reioice with the virgin her selfe since God hath elected her to such gretnes and dignity And the occasion of this being for that we be sinners for if sinne had not bin God had not bin made man and if he had not bin made man shee had not bin his mother Therfore without doute shee being aduaunced to this gretnes by our occasion will remember vs and obteine for vs of the same God who is her sonne pardon and mercy for our sinnes transgressions and also his heauenly grace that we may be partakers of his glory The life of S. Adrian Martir THE worthy king Dauid speaking with God in one Psalme said Ps 118 I haue inclined my hart to do iust and good workes for retribution sake that is hauing regard vnto the reward which ariseth in doing them It is not euill to exercise and do good and holy workes in hauing regard vnto that which is gained therby in doing them The reason hereof is that the guerdon or reward which is expected is God himselfe In such sort that he who for that respect doth good workes doth them for the loue of God In the number of those may the glorious martir S. Adrian be accounted who by hearing of the greate guerdon the martirs expected did voluntarilie offer himselfe vnto martirdome His life was written by Ado. B. of Triers and it was in this manner THE Emperour Maximian commaunded that the Christians that were in the citie of Nicomedia a city of Bithinia should be diligently sought out Many were apprehended and after that the Emperour had admonished and willed them to adore the Idoll and sawe them constant and firme in the profession of the faith of IESVS CHRIST he bad them all to be chained vnto wodden postes and to be beaten with the rawe sinewes of beastes and when he heard them in they re tormentes to praise the name of IESVS CHRIST he caused their tounges to be cut out and theire mouthes to be beaten with greate stones The number of these martirs was 23. Adrian was present there as an officer to attend and see that the commaundement of the Emperour should be executed He was an Idolater and a man of good account with Maximian And when he sawe howe patiently the holy martirs tollerated those terrible tormentes wondering therat he said vnto them I coniure you by the God which you adore and for whom you suffer these torments to tell me truly what guerdon or reward you expect for I suppose it to be very greate The holy martirs though they had no tonges by the permission of God answered him thus The reward we expect is such so greate that eyes neuer sawe it nor eares haue hard it nor the hart of man cānot conceiue it for it is an vnspeakable good which God hath prepared for his frends Adrian hearing this desired not to heare any more but being inspired by God and shewing himselfe desirous to be partaker of so greate good entred into the midst of the martirs and said to the Register before whom the matter was handled write also my name with these soulders of CHRIST for I will be a Christian also as they be The Emperour was certified hereof and when the name of Adrian was read vnto him among the other Christians which were prisoners he caused him to be called said vnto him O Adrian what art thou become foolish that thou seekest to lose thy life wretchedly Adrian aunswered I haue been but nowe I am not a foole for that I am a Christian and no more an Idolater as I haue bene before time The'mperour being desirous to make him alter his purpose discoursed and conferred long with him but seeing his words did not preuaile in rage and fury he caused him to be chained and fettered and put in prison Adrian was about 28. yeares old had to wife a woman called Natalia who was a Christian When shee heard what had befallen vnto her husband shee went with greate ioy vnto the prison and fell at his feet and kissing his fetters wherewith he was gyued said vnto him Blessed art thou ô Adrian my husband and my Lord nowe thou hast found the riches which thy father left not vnto thee Passe securely vnto IESVS CHRIST in whom thou hast reposed thy treasure which thou shalt find herafter in the time of necessity when no man shall be able to deliuer from punishment the wretch which shal be condemned The father shall not be able to deliuer the sonne nor the mother the daughter nor the transitorie riches of the world nor the ambition to haue many seruants and a great patrimony the freind shall not be of ability to help the freind only the deedes which a man hath done shall do a man good and pleasure Thou my Lord hast IESVS CHRIST in thy company in whom thou hast deposed and laid vp thy treasures walk in the way thou hast begon be not wery therof to the end thou maiest enioy the promises Take heede let not the remembrance of earthly and momentary things moue thee to turne backward from thy way begon nether let thy kinsfolks nor the wailings of thy father and mother nor the flattery of thy freinds nor the menaces of thy enemies moue thee Let not the torments of the tirant put thee in feare but fixe thy eyes vpon the constancie patience of these holie martirs which be with thee Imitate them in life and thou shalt be rewarded with them in death The blessed woman hauing said these words went vnto the holy martirs one by one and kissed their gyues and fetters saieng I beseech you ô seruants of IESVS CHRIST to animate and encourage my husband gaine you his soule Be vnto him a father that by your meanes he may be regenerated vnto euerlasting life Adrian said vnto his wife Goe home from hence my deare and chast sister for when the time shall come that we shal be examined and iudged I will bring thee notice therof that thou maiest be present and see the end of this work Certein daies after S. Adrian vnderstood that they resolued to
base because the too much or excesse was a thing reprouable for his person the too litle was not fit nor conuenient in respect of his function He was very merciful toward the poore and gaue them much almose of the mony which many rich men gaue vnto him very largely By these pious deeds Ciprian became in few daies so famous that among the heathen also he was renoumed and no lesse hated as one by whose meanes many left their paganisme and were made Christians For which cause they conferred among themselues howe they might take his life away and to haue a commaundement for it from Themperours Valerian and Gallien who at that time persecuted the Church most cruelly and put many Christians to death euery day God did not permit that this their purpose should come to passe as yet Because a man of such holy life and excellent learning as Cyprian was for some short time necessary to be in the church to the end he might with this holy sermons and admonitions draw many soules out of the bandes of sinne bring them vnto pennance and to the end he might exhort many to forsake the world and enter into relligion and that many damosells liuing in monasteries might keep perpetuall chastity This excellent doctor was also necessary for no preach the truch vnto the heretiks the vnion vnto the schismatiks and peace vnto the children of God He was asso necessary for the incouragement of the martirs to persuade them with a willing mind to suffer torments and death for the sake of IESVS CHRIST with hope to acquire the crowne of glorie in heauen He was likewise necessary to the end that they which only lost their goods in the persecution should be by him comforted in making them assured that they should haue them doubled in heauen This persecution being runne through diuers provinces and cities came also vnto Carthage and was put in execution with such rage and fury that it was worthy of note to see the miserable Christians to goe one this way another that way all of them in feare and dread labouring one while to saue their goods another while to preserue their liues In a short time the prisons were replenished with Christians not with thiefs or malefactors There was no offence punished but that which seemed most heinous vnto the painimes to be a Christian After certein daies expired the ChristiaÌ„s which were imprisoned were taken forth and executed in the high streets with diuersity of tormeÌ„ts Theire dead bodies lay in heapes and no man was so hardy as to touch or bury them What did the holly Bishop S. Ciprian in this time of great calamity and misery He called the Christians to him some times one and sometimes another and led them into certeine secret places where he preached vnto them telling them that the time was euen nowe coÌ„me in which it was to be clearly seen who was in deed the frend of God by perseuering in the confession of the faith by not fearing the tirants that had power to do harme only vnto their bodies and not vnto their soules but rather the more the bodies were abused the more glory should redound vnto their soules that therefore they should not hate the tirants which persecuted them but rather loue and pray vnto God for them knowing that IESVS CHRIST hath said that the difference between the Christian and the pagan is that the Christian doth loue his frends and foes also whereas the pagan loueth none but his frends He made vnto them demonstration of this verity by the example of CHRIST who praied for them that Crucified him and that therefore if they would be his true children they ought to imitate him in works Many other things said the good prelate vnto theÌ„ which if the tirants had heared they might haue bene conuerted by these words Yet they brought forth very gret fruite in the harts of the catholikes because they did much animate them not to fear the rigour to the persecution Ciprian also ordeined many things to preuent and auoid many incoueniences which happened euery day As to apoint stout and lusty fellowes who in the night at certein howers of security took away the bodies of the Martirs which lay in the streets and buried them to others he gaue in charge that the Christians which came out of prison with life yet very euill entreated with torments should be led by them vnto their houses there they should see them haue phisik with all speed He ordeined others to helpe the Christians which were designed to be taken and fled hither and thither and to prouide them sustenaunce and clothing These and such others the like prouisioÌ„s did the Blessed Bishop make in that time full of calamity and he had such a notable gift in commaunding things to be done that euery one obeied him And though they put them selues in manifest daunger yet did they performe all his commaundements The Proconsull who had the charge in Carthage to persecute the Christiants was aduertiezed of the good deeds that Cyprian did wherupon he would be informed who he was and when he heard that the people loued him and that he was of great autority with euery one he durst not arrest him to put him to death but caused his commaundement to be declared vnto him which was that he should depart from Carthage and go vnto a city called Corubitana In that place he staied about a yeare but the Proconsull deceasing he retruned vnto a place neere vnto Carthage and staied in certein gardeins which had bene sometimes parcell of his owne patrimony and which he had sold to be spent in almose But he which had purchased them had giuen restored them agein vnto him freely without any recompence And if the persecution had ceased S. Cyprian had sould them ageine and had giuen the price coming of them agein vnto the poore Remaining certein daies in these gardeins accompanied with manie priests and deacons and other friendes among whom was Pontius who wrote his life many of the city of Carthage and of other places also came to visite S. Cyprian and to confer with him of heauenly matters and at all times they found him affable and curteous Euery one was by him comforted euery one holpen and he persuaded and exhorted them all to serue God Some of his frends besought him to depart from thence and to remaine a litell further of from the Proconsul who being newly come might seek to get him into his handes and put him to death therefore staying there he was in great daunger But he who had receued a reuelation that about one yeres end after his banishment he should obtein the crown of martirdome had not the power to depart out of that place for he had a gret desire to die for the faith of CHRIST The Proconâ—ull had notice where Cyprian dwelt and howe much people came thither to visite him wherefore he sent officers to attach him
Emperours seruice that they should not think much to offer it for the seruice of God for that their death and torment should haue an end very shortly and tollerating it for such a cause they should afterward possesse the ioies of heauen cuerlastingly These such other words that Maurice said made such an impression in the minds of those seruants of CHRIST that euery one endeuored to be the first martir and to enter into heauen before his fellow souldier The legion being tenthed the second time the other which were left were demaunded if they would obey the Emperour Maximian and they answered Tell Th'emperour from vs that we do acknowledg our selfs to be his souldiers and withall that we be the seruants and worshippers of the true God we be bound to obey Maximian in things apperteining vnto the warre but much more bound vnto God in matters of religion from Maximian we haue pay for our seruice but of God we receaue our being and our life we may not nor will not deny IESVS CHRIT to obey Cesar Maximian receauing this answer finding the martirs resolute and seing the double decimation of them was to small auaile be commaunded the wholl army to set on them and to cut and hew them to pieces without reseruation of any this quailed not their noble courages but rather their death being occasioned for so good a cause they kneeled on the bare ground and lifting vp their hands and harts vnto heauen yealded to the butchery and slaughter their Coronell Maurice continually and incessantly incouraging and chearing them vp and in this maner they were all massacred Many of the bloudy villans were so fleshed herewith that not content with death they stripped them and put on their apparell and at mour and sat downe to eate the prouision the martirs had It happened a Christian souldier called Victor who was not a Theban but of another nation came by and beholding so many dead bodies ly in that plaine not knowing howe it came asked why those that eate thereby shewed such mirth and gladnes and did not loth and abhorre to eat and drink among so many dead bodies One related vnto him point by point what had befallē they bade him come eate and be mery with them for ioy they had done such pleasing seruice vnto themperour when Victor had heard all their speech he said aloud Oh wretch that I am I wishe I had bene partaker in their death By these words of Victor they which sat at the bloudy banket gathered that Victor was a christian wherefore leauing their banquet and taking their weapons they incontinent cut him in pieces as they had done the Thebans and by this meanes Victor merited the same reward that the Thebans had deserued This was the martirdome of S. Maurice and of his Theban souldiers and the holy church celebrateth it on the. 22. day of September in the year of our Lord 301 in the time of Dioclesian and Maximian After certein years passed the same holy martirs reuealed vnto a Bishop called Theodore where their bodies were and commaunded him to translate them to a place more conuenient The good Bishop was not slack or negligent in fulfilling it for the people of that countrey hauing made many pits and hauing put the bodyes of the holy martirs into them the good Bishop caused them to digge them out of them and out of theother places where those blessed bodyes were as he vnderstood by the diuine reuelation and sent them into diuers countreis where many Churches were builded vnto their honour and in them God graunted many fauors vnto such as being in tribulation and affliction did recommend themselfs vnto these blessed martirs In the vestry of the church in Toledo in Spaine is shewen the head of one of these holy martirs and they say there it is the head of S. Maurice * ⎠* The life of S. Linus Pope and Martir AMONG other precepts which S. 1. ep Paul gaue vnto the Corinthians there is one in especiall for Christians to vse when they go vnto the Church to pray He saith that men must stand vncouered when they be in the Church O holy Apostle shall this be vsed both by men and women shall the women also stand with their head vncouered in the Church The Apostle answereth and saith for the women we haue another lawe which is this that women must be in the Church with their head couered for as it is an vnseemely thing for a secular woman to be shauen and without long haire so is it an vnseemely thing for women to be in the Church with their head vncouered S. Ambrose yealdeth a reason of this and foundeth it vpon these wordes of the Apostle to wit that the man is the image of God and the woman is the image of the man of whom she is formed This glorious Doctor saith also that it was the ordinary vsage that slaues had their heades couered or bound with certaine bandes And the difference that was betweene the slaues and freemen was this that the salues had the head bound or couered and the freemen had it vncouered we may perceiue hereby that God would haue vs when we be in his presence to acknowledg our quality and condition The man that is superior in house and that hath authority to comaund therein must haue his head vncouered and bare as a free man and a master but the woman who is his inferior and who is obliged to obey in the house ought to haue her head couered by that meanes confessing her quality of obedience That the man do comaund and the woman do obey is a matter of such importance that not only S. Paul doth comaund it as is aforesaid but S. Peter also as chief and highest Bishop ordeined and comaunded the same But for that he left it not in writing S. Linus who was his disciple and successor in the Papacy comaunded it and left it written that it might be obserued and kept perpetually and in deed it is not read that he left any other order then this which yet if it might be obserued among all faithfull Christians were very comendable and praise worthy Now let us see the life of this holy Pope collected on of that which Damasus and other graue Authors write of him yet first I think good to admonish you that S. Peter being neere to his death thought it conuenient to nominate a worthy and weldeseruing sucessor to be in his place after him who might take care and charge of the Catholique Church To this entent he named Clement his disciple who for his great humility willed that Linus and Cletus who had bene coadiutors vnto S. Peter should haue that dignity before him So Linus had the Papacy vnto whom Cletus succeeded and after him the same S. Clement was Pope Returning vnto our purpose the life of S. Linus was this SAINT Linus was borne in Vol-terra a citty of Hetruria and was sonne of Hercolanus of the noble
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
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
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
write a letter vnto Chrisogonus after this manner Vnto the holie confessor of IESVS CHRIST Chrisogonus Anastasia sendeth greeting Although my father which begot we was an Idollater yet my mother that bore me who was called Fausta was a Christian and a vertuous chaste woman She instructed me in the Christian faith euer from my childhood and after her death I was maryed vnto a sacrilegious and cruell man whose bed and companie I haue oftentimes refused excusing it with infirmities which I desired God to send me for that purpose I spent the night and the day in prayer desyring my sweet Sauiour that I might imitate his blessed example This most cruell man after he bath consumed my patrymonie amongst wicked and lewd company like vnto himself hath imprisoned me as if I were a malefactor or a detestable offender and forbiddeth any sustenance to be guieÌ„ vnto me that I may perish and dye for want of food Although I shal be glad to loose my life for CHRIST his sake neuerthelesse I find great grief that my goods be wasted in such lasciuious sort in such lewd company and in the seruice of the false Gods Therefore I beseech thee thou seruant of IESVS CHRIST to pray vnto God Almightie for me and that the either alter the mind of this my husband that he may be conuerted or els if he continew and perseuâ—r in his hardnes of hart and obstinacy that he take him out of this world And better it shal be for him to be taken out of this life then to adde daily sinne to sinne which will put him to double torments in hell I promise and vowe vnto Almightie God and to thee his seruant â—hat if euer I get cleere and freed from this affliction to spend all my time in the seruice of my Blessed Sauiour IESVS as my vse and custome was and in helping and prouiding fot thy necessities and to releeue the wants of all other holie confessors Our Lord keep thee euer thou B seruant of God Remember me and praie for me S. Chrisogonus hauing receiued this letter made his prayers and oraysons for Anastasia and then together with other confessors that were in the same prison he answered her in this manner Among the tempestuous stormes of this world in which at this present thou art enwrapped be assured that thou shalt be relieued by IESVS CHRIST who will easilie cast headlong into the bottomeles pitte the diuell that doth assaâ—le and torment thee Haue patience in the middest of thy troubles and put thy trust in him for he wild deliuer thee Cry out aloud vnto him Exalt thy voyce with the prophet and say why art thou so sad o my soule and why art thou so disquieted with in me Trust in God still for I will euer confesse that he is my saluation and my God Thinck Lady that it is his will to bestowe on thee the riches and treasures of heauen since he taketh away and depriueth thee of wordly comforts Be not too much troubled nor afflicted for that crosses and tribulation lighteth vpon thee that liuest vertuously God doth try vs but doth not deceaue vs. To trust in man is vayne and deceitfull an he that putteth his hope or confidence in him is accursed and euer deceiued but blessed is he that putteth his trust and affiance in God who neuer deceaued any Continewe in thy vertuous excercises and hope for rest and quietnes only in God whose comaundemers thou keepest when it shall best please him and thou thinkest least he will send thee traÌ„quillitie a calme tyme. The darknes shall flie away and the light shall appeere The frost and pinching cold of the winter shall passe and the ioyfull sweetenes of the spring shall succeed A quiet and comfortable tyme shall come that thou maiest cherish and relieue those againe that suffer persecution for the loue and profession of CHRIST God giuing thee heere meanes that thou mayst help other with temporall necessities and receiue thy self of him euerlasting rewards Our Lord be with thee good lady and pray for me With this Epistle S. Anastasia receiued great consolation endeavoring to equall if not to surpasse thereby the many complaâ—nts she had made of her hardharted and cruell husband Her persecutions encreased still he giuing to her now but the fourth part or one quater of a a smalle oridinary loaffe And she thincking verily that her death approached wrote another letter to S. Chrisogonus after this tenor and to this effect To the blessed martyr and Confessor of CHRIST Chrisogonus Anastasia sendeth greeting The end of my life draweth neere vouchsaffe to remember me and to pray vnto God to receaue my soule when it departeth from my body since for his loue and the profession of his holie name I suffer all this torment The holie man returned this answere Chrisogonus to Anastasia As darknes precedeth and goeth before light so after infirmitie ensueth health and life cometh after death Prosperities and aduersities haue the like and the same endes therefore let not the heauy and sorrowfull fall into desperation nor the happy and fortunate be proude or too much puffed vp Be of good comfort ô handmaid of CHRIST for thy peregrination which hath beene repleat with tempestuous stormes shal be finished with a prosperous and happy conclusion thereby desires shal be acomplished enjoying CHRIST by the palme of Martyrdome The further course and processe of her greeuous persecutions may be seene in her life on the 25. day of December Of S. Chrisogonus you are to vnderstand that the Emperour Dioclesian being in the cittie of Aquileya martyrising the Christians he sent to Rome to haue Chrisogonus brough thither to him who being come the Emperour said to him I will bestowe on thee high dignities I will make thee Prefect of the cittie that thou maiest so arise to be Consull And indeed such places and preferments are fittest for men of noble linage and such worthie partes as thy self hath but vpon this condition that thou wilt worship our Gods S. Chrisogonus answered I adore one onely God With my soule and hart I reuerence him and with all externall signes and tokens I confesse IESVS CHRIST to be the true God And as for thy Idolles which be habitacles of diuells and fiendes I detest and accurse them Dioclesian comaunded that he should be beheadded and that his body should be cast into the sea and so it was done A priest called zoilus found his bodie afterward and buried it honorablie His martyrdome was on the day whereon the Church celebrateth his memorie which was on the 24. of Nouember on a Tuesdaie in the yeare of our Lord. 302. Dioclesian being Emperour His name is in the Canon of the masse Of this holie saint wrote Suidas Ando venerable Bede Vsuardus and the Romane martyrologe The life of S. Catherine of Alexandria IN the Book of kings it is said of king Salomon that he had many wines It was the will of God that the Hebrewes should
verses at the sepulcher of the Apostles SS Peter and Paule and another work in the which he wrot the lifes of the Popes who were his predecessors He also ordeined that the psaâ—mes of Dauid should be song one part of the quier sayeng one verse and the other part another verse which is obserued vnto our time through all the vniuersall Church though it was vsed before in some particuler Churches by the notice of S. Ignatius vnto whom it was reueiled that the Angells in heauen song in this maner as he sawe it himself being in a traunce Also Damasus Councelled thereto by S. Ierome commaunded there should be said at the end of euery psalme Gloria patri filio spiritui sancto sicut erat in principio nunc semper in secula seculorum Amen He ordeined also that the priest before he began masse should say the generall confession He also gaue authority approbation to the translation of the holy Bible made by S. Ierome for before the translation of the 72. interpreters was commonly vsed This good Pope ended this life on the 11. day of December in the year of our Lord 380. in the time of Theodosius being 80. years old of which he was Pope 18. years 3. months 11. dayes He gaue holy orders 5. times in the month of December and ordered 32. priests 11 deacons and 62. Bishops His body was buryed in the Church of the Apostles which he had buâ—â—ded in the same where his mother and sister were buried He was afterward translated vnto another Church which he had builded called S. Laurence in Damaso The life of S. Lucy virgin and Martir AT such time as Gedeon was captaine of the people of God Iudiâ— 7. they were in great danger and feare because their enemies were neere them and verie potent and strong themselues being but fewe in number and weak God commaunded Gedeon to do some enterprise and the people trusting in God hoped to atchieue victorie yet they conceiued not any meanes how it should come to passe For to fight hand to hand they might seeme rash and foolish to run headlong on their owne deaths The people remaining thus in doubt God spake vnto Gedeon and bad him to diuide his people which were 300. into three parts and when night came euerie souldier should haue in one hand a Trompet and in the other hand a vessell of earth and within it a burning light In this manner they should assault their enemies on three sides and when they came neere them they should sound the trompetâ—s and break the vessells of earth knocking one against the other that the burning lampes might be seene on a sodeine and then all of them should make a great shoute As God apointed so it was done The souldiers sounded the Trompets which awaked the Madianits who seing on a sodeine so many lights and hearing such a noise remained astonied and full of dread and knew not how to defend themselues or to offend their enemies but in steed of striking the Hebrewes they wounded one another By this straâ—ageme the madianites were ouerthrewne and quite discomfited and the Hebrewes obtained a notable victorie By this figure we learne that when the vessels of earth are broken the lights are discouered and the enemy ouerthrowne which thing noteth that in the warâ—e which IESVS CHRIST figured in Gedeon maketh against the Madianites which are the diuells vessells of earth are vsed hauing within them burning lampes that shine most clearlie when the vessells of earth be broken These earthen vessells signifie the holeâ— martyrs for their bodies were of earth which being broken when they were diuersly tormented their burning and liuelie faith did shine more gloriously It is seene by experience that holy men are most knowne and reputed the light of the world by the meanes of their death Then is laid open their constancie fortitude and patience their liuely faith and other vertues where with they were adorned whilest they liued their vertues were couered as the torch is in the earthen vessell but when the vessell is broken that is to saie when the holie person dyeth the light is discouered and their death weakneth the diuell vtterlie Though this figure maie be apropriated to all the martyrs yet in perticuler it agreeth verie fulie vnto S. Lucy who by her death showed the light and discouered the brightnes of her liuelie faith and other vertues which were in her soule Moreouer she is the aduocate for the sight the obiect of which is the light Yet we will not saie that she had her name Luce of the light The life of this glorious saint was written by venerable Bâ—dâ— Ado Archbishop of Treuers and other approoued author SAINT Lucy was borne in the Cittie of Syracusa in the is'le of Sicilia of honorable parents and of a great familie She was a Christian from her infancie and so instructed in the faith that shee perswaded her owne mother to exercise her selfe in all vertuous workes and especiallie in giuing large almose and relieuing the necessities of their neighbours The holie damosell finding a fit opportunitie distributed to the poore all her patrimonie which was verie great to set her selfe free from a rich Nobleman who by the consent of her mother and kinsfolke should haue beene her husband though she neuer consented to it An occasion fell out in this sort The mother of S. Lucy called Eutitia had bene sick foure yeares of the bloodie flixe no worldly helpe could be had to cure her At that time the report of S. Agatha was spread ouer all Sicilie who a little before had beene martired her bodie being in the Cittie of Catanea where many miracles were done and many sicke persons of sundrie infirmities were cured by visiting her sepulchre S. Lucy perswaded her mother that they might goe together and visite the reliques of the holie saint not doubting but that by her meanes she might be deliuered from her infirmitie Eutitia was content and went with her daughter vnto Catanea attended in such manner as was fit for their degree and estate When they came vnto the sepulchre of S. Agathata Lucy fell to prayer requesting the glorious Martir to obtaine of God by her intercession health for her mother Lucy being thus in prayer S. Agatha accompanied with many Angels appeared vnto her and with a familier pleasing countenance said vnto her Sister Lucy wherefore doest thou demaund that of me which thou thy selfe maiest giue vnto thy mother Aske thou this fauour of God for if he loue me he loueth thee also and if he will heare my prayers he wil also heare thine and where I haue giuen my life for his sake so shalt thou also giue thy life for his loue And if I be the cause that the cittie of Catanea be famous and and renowned for that it is washed and bathed in my bloud and posesseth my bodie so shall the citty of Syracusa by the same meanes be famous and
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
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
which meanes the two holy martirs rendered vp their soules vnto their Creator Their bodies being taken away were buried by some Christians But Dioclesian vnderstanding that the Christians came secretly to make their praiers at the place where the holy martirs were buried caused their bodies to be taken out of their graues and to be thrown into the sea At such time as Dioclesian commaunded it he said Let them be cast into a place where they may be no more seen least they be accounted for gods by the Christians who are so ignorant that they do think it better to adore them that haue been our seruants then those whom we adore for our gods God Almighty did not permit those blessed Relikes to ly hidden but rather his pleasure was to cause the sea to do them honour and to bring them vnto the shore When the Christians sawe them they tooke them vp with reuerence and buried them in a place vnknowen vnto the pagans Afterward in processe of time the body of S. Gorgonius was caried vnto Rome and was buried in the way called Lauicana betwen the two bay trees The Spanish book saith Via Latina After this Pope Gregory 4. caused it to be translated into the church of S. Peter The church celebrateth their feast on the day of their Martirdome which was on the 9. day of September in the yeare of out Lord 280. in the time of the afore named Emperour Dioclesian The life of S. Nicholas of Tolentine THE Apostle S. Iames in his canonicall epistle Iac. 5. admonisheth vs to pray vnto God one for an other because the cōtinuall praier of a iust man is of greate force But if it be so as it is indeed and that the praiers of the iust men that be here vpon the earth do help much notwithstanding that they be subiect yea rather falling as IESVS CHRIST saith seuen times a day Prou. 24. though they be slight faults howe much more may we beleeue the praiers of them who do alredy enioy the vision of God and the diuine Essence and be confirmed in grace and be certein and assured neuer to loose it nor neuer to sinne do help and do vs good The holy saints gaue vp their lifes for Gods sake some in effect as the martires and others by the way of goodwill as the Confessors and to be brief they all offered it vp readily in the seruice of God endeuoring all they might not to offend him by any meanes Such like as these without doubt be hard of God when they ask any fauour of him But omitting the examples and testimonies of the holy scriptures which make this thing an Article of faith we haue most euident examples in many holy saints vnto whom God graunted many fauors and graces which they requested of him not only in their life time in this world but also after their passing into heauen to possesse the euerlasting glorie One of these was S. Nicholas the Bishop and Confessor by whose praiers God graunted vnto a man and his wife a sonne who was also called Nicholas and was a holy man by whose merits God graunted many fauors and graces vnto them that deuoutly recommend themselfs vnto him His life was written by S. Antoninus Archibishop of Florence and by a relligious man of his order in this maner SAINT Nicholas was borne in the Marcha d' Ancona in a village called S. Angelo in the territorie of Fermo His father was called Compagnone and his mother Amata These two were borne of noble bloud rich they were and good Christians but they liued in some discontent for that hauing bene married together a good space they had yet no children They had a particuler deuotion vnto S. Nicholas the Bishop and Confessor and him they besought continually that he would of God obteine that fauor for them that they might haue a fruit of benediction With this entent they went to visite his church in the city of Bari in Puglia In that place the holy saint appeared vnto them and did assure them that they should haue a sonne whom thy should name Nicholas after him and also that he should be a blessed seruant of God Euery thing fell out iust as the Saint said for the being returned home Amata conceiued and at her due time brought forth a sonne whom they called Nicholas and as he tooke his name of S. Nicholas Bishop and Confessor by whose intercession he was obteined euen so he was like vnto him in many things From a child he was inclined to serue God he frequented the Church he hard masse and praied with greate deuotion moreouer he fasted gaue almes and followed his study so that as he encreased in age euen so he did in vertue learning and science and to be short he determined to be a man of the Church He was already made a chanon of the church of S. Sauiour in the place where he dwelt and it happened that a worthy and renowned father of the order of S. Augustine came thither to preach One day among others Nicholas was at the sermon in the which the preacher expounded these wordes of S. Iohn 2. Iohn Do not you loue the world nor the things that be therin The preacher spoke such good matter vpon that text that Nicholas resolued to abandon the world and to take the habite of S. Augustine in that same cōuent where the said preacher dwelt with whom he had bene acquainted before that time When he entended to execute in deed the resolution he had made before time he asked leaue of his father and mother who though they were aggriued to want the sight of their sonne yet did they giue him licence Nicholas went vnto the conuent of Tolentinum to craue the habite of S. Augustine which was giuen him readily for they had before then notice of his good life Hauing receiued the habite he proceeded from vertue to vertue labouring to atteine vnto perfection So that being a relligious man he was a mirrour for other relligious men and being a priest he was a looking glasse for other priests and when he was a preacher a spectacle for other preachers to behold their duety and function In this holy saint among other vertues his abstinence shined most clearly for in 30. years space that he continewed in the conuent of Tolentinum he did neuer eat flesh eggs fish milk nor any thing made with milk He fell one time into a greuous infirmity which brought him vnto deaths dore wherupon the phisitions told him that if he would recouer his health he must eat flesh wherunto he answered that in so doing he should by desiring to auoid one danger fall into another and that in flieng the infirmity of the body he should incurre the malady of his soule by giuing liberty vnto his sensuallity and appetite The prior of the conuent seeing the phisitions to affirme that it was necessary for the blessed man Nicholas to eate flesh commaunded him in the vertue of
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
our lord and Sauyor IESVS CHRIST was borne therin when he came to liue in this world and also but in farre lower degree for the S. Ierome dyed there to liue in heauen But aboue all other prouinces Spaine oweth an especiall duety vnto S. Ierome for the many epistles he wrote to particular persons therin as also for that after many hundreth years that he dyed in Bethlehem it seemed he was raised to life in Spaine not he in person but his name and religion for in the time of Pope Gregory II. the king Don Alonso the. II. raigning in Spaine there came out of Italy two holy hermites into the kingdome of Toledo in Spaine and by their good example of life and holy admonitions others were conuerted vnto that holy religious order Don alonse Peccia Bishop of Iaen and Petro fernandez Peccia his brother and Hernando Laguez chief chaplen of the kings Chappel Chanon of Toledo who being elected Arch-Bishop therof refused that dignity beside these many other noble men of marke and quality Many of the before named chose that life for that they had conceyued a great dread and fear of the king Don Pedro who at that time reigned in Castile after the death of the king Don Alonso his father because he had a delight to shed mans bloud so much that if the offence or fault were neuer so small he caused very rigorous punishment to be inflicted vpon the delinquents which seuere kind of Iustice was not vsed to be excuted in Spaine Wherefore the king gained thereby the surname of Cruell to this day I cannot tell if the doing of his Chronicler who did smally befrend him as it seemeth for some priuat respect did not help forward to settle confirme that odious name of Cruell vnto him from that time vnto this All these liued together certein years in the desert then they besought Pope Gregory to giue them a habite and a rule vnder the name of the hermitts of S. Ierome but the Pope gaue vnto them the rule of S. Augustine the name and habite they haue at this daie This order was confirmed in the third yeare of the Popedome of S. Gregorie on S. Lukes daie in the yeare of our Lord 1373. The order which is called in Spaine of the Isidori which is also of S. Ierome was instituted in the time of Pope Martin the 5. by frier Lopes de Ouiedo professor of the monasterie of Guada Lupe who out of S. Ieromes workes tooke a rule which is printed with his other workes and with the helpe of some that desired to followe it and with licence from the sea Apastolike he founded certaine monasteries in Italy which are called Isidori or the congregation of frier Lopes Of the first named relligious men of the order of S. Ierome there be in Spaine many worthie monasteries but in especiall fifteene which are called Royall because alwaies they haue bin fauoured by the kings They were especially fauoured by the Catholique king don Phillip the second of that name who built them a monastery an college in the Escuriall vnder the title of S. Laurence the Royall and the rule institution of the glorious S. Ierome In which place be many rare singular reliques of saints many pictures Images the workes of famous painters and caruers manie bookes of great vale we much riche stuffe for the church Challices Crosses and other things for the seruice of the Altar and there also is buried the corps of the mightie Emperour Charles the fifte of that name and other of the blood Royall By these and other the great and costlie things in this Royall house euidentlie appeareth the deuotion of the said king Don Phillip toward the glorious Doctors S. Ierome and his blessed religious order wherefore we maie hope that the same saint wil be his good aduocate vnto God that his Royall person and also his Realme shall encreasein temporall and wordlie goods and also that he shall inioye the celestiall kingdome of heauen by the intercession of this blessed saint To the wich God bring vs also of his infinite mercy Amen The end of the month of September OCTOBER The life of S. Remigius THERE shall spring a fountaine saith the prophet Ioel Cap. 3 and come from out of the house of God and passe by water the brooke of thornes in which words the prophet doth fortell us what shall happen after the latter iudgemeÌ„t The bodie of a mortall man is fitlie resembled in a brooke for it runneth swiftlie to death and perdition nay further it is a brooke of thornes for that of it selfe it produceth nothing but euill desires and worser deedes shat wound and pierce the soule like thornes But a fountaine after the latter day shall spring from out of the house of God and water these thornes whereby are deciphered those streames of glory which shall ouerflow the bodies of the elect and adorne them together with they re soules The Gloss saith this text may be well applyed to the primitiue Churche when the Apostles and preachers of the Ghospell did in the manner of a fountain spring from out of the house of God from the Catholicke Churche to water wich they re heauenlie doctrine the thornie brooke of Paganisme In this sence it fitteth that glorious Archb. of Rhemes S. Remigius who was indeede a fountaine of lyfe that springing from out of the house of God with the sweete and pleasant streames of his lyfe and doctrine watered that riuer of thornes Clodoueus who being a king and worshipper of Idolls was conuerted to the faith by S. Remigius and with him all his court and armie of men The lyfe of this glorious Saint was written by Hinc marus Archbishop of Rhemes in this manner following VVHEN the hand of our Lord did chastize the Frenchmen for they re sinnes with along bloudie warre which the Vandalls a fierce and cruell nation did wage against them there dwelled in the desert a holy Monk called Montanus who had lost his sight by continuall bewailing the sinnes of his nation For knowing that all they re afflictions and scourges were caused by they re many fold offences he coÌ„tinually prayed and with teares beseeched allmightie God to redress all they re miseries and graunt them pardon for all they re sinnes and be coÌ„tented with that punishment he had allreadie inflicted vpon them God vouchsafed at length to heare his prayers and graunt his request where fore he did reueale vnto him that shortlie there should be borne a child whose name should be Remigius that comming to be Bishop should with his preaching and good example with draw men from vices conuert them to God appease his wrath and stay his punishment He reuealed allso to this holie man the parents of this Childe Emilius and Ciliâ—ia people of great religion and charitie of noble bloud and great reuenews liuing in the tertitory of Laudum Montanus went and acquainted them whith his reuelation whereof both
them was Clodoueus sonne to Childericus who was possessed of the greatest and best part of that Realme This Clodoueus was a Painim Idollater but had to his wife Clotidis a holy vertuous Christian woman of the house of Burgundy Shee had many times persuaded the king to be Baptised and to be come a Christian and he excused himself alleaging that the souldiers of his army would kill him if he did so On a time being in warre against the Allemans and Sueuians and fighting with them he fell into great danger not only to be discomfited but also to be slaine in the field Clodoueus had in his company a Christian the duke of Orleance who aduised the king to make a vowe vnto God to be made a Christian assuring him thereby the victory ouer his foes Clodoueus made the vowe euery thing succeeded according to his desire for he not only was victorius in that encounter but he also made that prouince subiect vnto his crowne Then he returned with victory vnto Paris his place of residence and made relation vnto the queen Clotildis of the vowe he had made who being ioifull of it sent messengers for S. Remigius to come and confer with the king The holy Bishop came and spake with the king and shewed to him such pregnant reasons that he was fully resolued to be Baptised The thing that staied him was the fear that his subiects would rebell against him To put that doubt out of the kings mind S. Remigius talked priuatly with â—he principall men of the kings host and some times he preached to them in publik These priuate and publik speeches of S. Remigius were of such force that all said they would be Baptised if the king was The day wherin the king should be Baptised was apointed and much people were assembled and all the chiefe men were in the Church where the blessed Sacrament was to be celebrated The king being vpon the fonte the priests by Gods permission had forgot to bring thither the holy oile and when the king should haue bene aniointed there with S. Remigius perceaued the want therof The throng of the people was so great that it was impossible to haue it brought so soon as was fit so that the holy saint was much perplexed but he had in his hart recourse vnto the father of mercies beseeching him to help him in this necessity lest ther should arise any offence among the people and behold a Doue carrieng in her bill a violl with holy oile therin was seene euidently to come and put it into the hands of S. Remigius and then to fly away againe The holy sainct after he had giuen thanks vnto God for this fauor receiued anointed the king with that oile after the accustomed vsage The sweet odour of that oile was so great that the king and others who had seene the miracle were astonied therat and rendered vnto God infinit thanks for the same Clodoueus was then named Lodouicus and vnto S. Remigius aswell the king as the other noblemen that were Baptised that day shewed many fauors and gaue him many possessions and other reuenews which he distributed among the Churches of his Diocess S. Remigius in his old age knew by reuelation from heauen that there would ensue a great dearth and scarcety of corne in all Fraunce and therefore he like another Ioseph gathered good store therof against that time of necessity and heaped and staked it vp in a village called Celtum This being done certein countrie clownes vpon a festiuall day hauing litle to do talked together of the great store of graine he had collected And one of them said This Lazie old man for so they called him for his great age will I think by his ingrossing become a merchant of corne Another instigated by the deuill said let vs set it on fier burne it and so he shall not gaine by his merchandize The others assented and so in an instant they sett fire to the stacks and burned much As it happened S. Remigius was not farre of and being told of this accident he speedilie got to his horse and went to see if he could remedy it but when he came he found it past recouery It was in a cold euening in the winter which also was a vexation to the holy man by reason of his age and so he alighted from his nagge and came neere to the fire to warme himself with out any alteration of his countenance and said God will not forget to punish him that hath done this euill losse vnto poore men and so it came to passe for the pesants that set fier to the corne became crook backt and al their children that came of them were so also The Author that wrote this life saith he hath sene some of their race crook backt To end the time long desired by S. Remigius the day of his death aproached by which he hoped to haue the rewarde of his trauell tollerated for the loue of his Church in gouerning the same by the space of 74 years for so long he had bin Bishop In all which time he neuer did thing that was not fit or conuenient neither did he omitt to do that which he ought to do Vnderstanding that the hower of his death approached first he set in order the affairs of his Church then he pâ—ouided to haue long oraisons made for him and desired to receaue the holy Sacrament and so finally he yielded vp his soule vnto his redeemer who had bought it with his pretious bloud being then 96 years old in the year of our Lord 545 on the 13. day of Ianuary But because the holy Church on that day solemniseth the octaues of the Epiphanie the feast of S. Remigius is put ouer vnto the 1. day of October because on that day his body was translated He was first buried in a Church of S. Christopher in the same city of Rheimes but bicause the Church was litle and the concourse of people which came to visite his sepulcher great it was made bigger and larger and of more curious and costly workmanship in especiall there was made a most beautifull sepulcher for the body of the holy sainct but when they would haue caried it thither they fouÌ„d it so weighty so heauy that no humain force and strength was able to moue it in such sort that all the clergy and people which were assembled to make that translation were pensiue and sorowfull yet staied in the Church singing himnes and spirituall songs Staieng in this maÌ„ner they fell in a fast sleep and when they awaked they found the blessed body caried into the new sepulcher by the hands of Angells wherupon it was ordeined in regard of this miracle that the feast of S. Remigius should be celebrated on that day which was the. 1. of October as nowe it is The life of the Seraphicall Father S. Frauncis WE READ of king Dauid that when he was persecuted by Saul 1. Reg 27.
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
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
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
rather to die then to deny my Lord CHRIST I am a Christian and therefore expect not that I will sacrifice vnto the diuells The Iudg was so wroth with this answere that he caused calthropes to be set thick on the ground the blessed martir to be dragged and haled ouer them In this torment the holie saint said Seek out other tortures for these be of too smalle force to make me worship thy diuells Pirrhus being now more enraged said Beat him with cudgells and knotted thongs of leather and buffet him on the face till he cease to call our Gods by the names of diuells But all these things preuailed not to make the valiant souldier of CHRIST shew any signe of feare or yeelding There was present a noble man of the court called Eliodorus who said vnto Pirrhus my Lord these Christians be a people which regard no torments yea death is more welcome vnto them then life Do not vexe nor trouble thy self any more with this man but giue iudgment of death vpon him as he hath well deserued for that he hath abandoned his captaine and refused to serue in the warres Thâ—n Pirrhus said vnto Menna If thou wilt resolue to sacrifice vnto the Gods I will cause thy captaine to pardon thy former offence and to giue thee more honorable office and degrees Menna said God forbid that I should desire such offices and honors I desire to haue them in heauen where true honor is to be had not those of the world which be vaine and transitorie The president seing the constancy of the blessed martir by the aduise of the other courtiers coÌ„demned him to die with these words Because Menna the souldier doth not obey the proclamation of the Emperours and because he followeth the religion of the Christians and will not sacrifice vnto our Gods we comaund that he be beheaded that others by his example may feare to comitt the like trespasses The blessed martir was led by the officers vnto a place called Potemia vnto which all the cittie was assembled The holie saint with a cheerefull countenance though meanely apparelled as making smalle account of any worldly thing went comunicating with some of his acquaintance as if he had not bene going vnto death Recomending them vnto God and taking leaue of them he lifted his eies toward heauen saying I blesse and praise thee o father eternall for that thou hast hitherto kept me and hast not turned thy face from me Thou hast giuen me strength that I should not loose my soule with this treacherous and faithles people but that I might confesse constantly thy blessed name and thy holie lawe I beseech thee through IESVS CHRIST thy sonne that thou wilt help me at this houre of death and deliuer my soule in granting it victorie in this last assault that it may appeere free before thy iudgment seat and there worship thee Saying this he came to the place of execution where falling on his knees and looking toward heauen the hangman cut of his head Then they cast his bodie into a great fire but the fire consumed it not so that some deuout persons took it and buried it in a place conuenient whither many Christians resorted crauing mercy at Gods hands by the praiers and merits of this his faithfull seruant Menna Who was of Egipt honorablie borne iust faithfull mild and vertuous and replenished with the grace of the Holie Ghost He was martired in the cittie of Cottieum in the prouince of Phrigia on the. 11. of Nouember in the yeere of our Lord 301. Spa saith 296. And on the same daie the Church maketh of him a commemoration The bodie of this holie saint was after ward translated vnto Constantinople The life of S. Martin Pope and Martyr THE noble king Dauid would not giue leaue 2. Râ—g 2 nor permit one of his souldiers to kill his father in lawe Saul when he might easily haue done it and theother well deserued it coming to pursue and search him out with an army and a full intention to kill him if he could haue gotten him within his daunger And though Dauid found him fast a sleep in his pauilion and in like maner all his guard who should haue watched in his defence yet would he not once touch him The reason which Dauid alleaged was because Saul was the anointed of the Lord. It happened farre otherwise vnto the glorious S. Martin Pope and martir who being annointed and consecrated and moreouer the vicar and lieutenant of CHRIST in earth yet some Christians in name but in their deeds worse then Pagans were so bold as to take him and vse him villanously as may appeare by his life collected out of the book of Poper lifes called Pontificall and out of other good Authors SAINT Martin the first Pope of that name was the sonne of one Fabritius and borne in Todi a city in Tuscane a very holy man and vertuous Assoone as he was elected to the gouernment of the Church he emploied all his vttermost dilligence endeuor to extirpat roote out some heresies about the person of IESVS CHRIST already condemned in former Councells The man who did bring them againe out of hell where they had bene a good space buried into the world was a Patriarch of Constantinople called Paulus who had some other prelaâ—s that abbetted him and were wrapped in the same error These wonne th'emperour Constans the second of that name to be of their sect and opinion such sleights and deuises they wrought with him The legats of the Pope who resided there certefied him of the proceedings of Paulus the Patriarch The Pope incontinent apointed by his letters what order should be taken therin and wrot vnto the same Paulus louing letters beseeching him not to be so determinately stubborne in ruynating the peace of the Church and in patronizing of his errors so many times condemned by the holy prelats ingreat assembles and generall Councells Paulus being by nature proud and obstinate to shew what small accouÌ„t he made of the Popes aduertisements caused an Aultar which the legats had set vp in the Church founded by Placida vpon which they said masse after the Roman vse to be cast to the ground and defaced The malice of Paulus was so much augmented that because the legats on the Popes behalf required him when they sawe his obstinacy to amend his fault and reforme his errors or els they would proceed against him as a contumacious person by the censures of the Church he made meanes to th'emperour to cause the legats to be restrained of their liberty and euill entreated and afterward he sent them into banishment into sondry parts of Christendome which was as if he had sent trompets to sound and publish the malignity of the Patriarch the tiranny of th'emperour and the misbelief of them both being obstinate in the error condemned by all the Catholike Church when Pope Martin had vnderstanding thereof he had recourse vnto the ordinary remedies in the
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
of th'emperour Traian The life of S. Felicitas Martyr ONe of the affections which parents ought to conquer and bring to a meane is the ouer-great fondness of loue to they re children For though nature hath engrafted a loue vnto them and reason teacheth that loue is due to them yett is it due with such proportion and measure that the loue of they re children depriue them not of the loue of God which ought to be prized and preferred aboue all other Moreouer they ought to marke well and regard wherein consisteth the true loue of they re children For manie times parents desire and procure for they re children the false fayned fading goods of this world with such painfull endeuoure such vnquencheable thirst that euerie thing seemeth to meane and to little in repect of that which most they wish them and faine would haue for them And herein they bound the limitts of they re loue this they prefixe as they re only marke not regarding how to enrich they re children with vertues nor make them worthie of those verie goods which they painfully scrape and carefully heape vp together for them litle mindfull of instructing them how to purchase those euerlastinge vnspeakeble treasures of glorie in whose comparison all the good and riches of earth are only shadowed conterfayted goods To teache and instruct parents in this trueth and set before they re eyes a rule and patterne of they re duety the holie Churche makes this day a commemoracion of Holie S. Felicitas She was a most honourable Matrone of Rome where being lefte a widow with seauen sonnes she liued without blame or reprehension bending her greatest care and endeuoure to serue her selfe and make her children serue allmightie God And so much preuailed her good example and holie education that Gods loue was so deepelie rooted in they re harte as to make them holie martyrs of his in the time of the Emperoure Antoninus when before the eyes of they re blessed mother with cruell torments and sundrie kinds of death they bought one euerlasting lyfe as hath bin said in the month of Iulie But after those glorious Knights of CRHIST IESVS the sonnes of blessed Felicitas had manfully fought and wonne the victorie all the rage and furie of the Emperour was turned againste that holie mother whose woords had encouraged and giuen her sonnes weapons to fight the battaile The Tyraunt therefore commaunded that she should be cast into a loth some prison to the end that sparing for some time her lyfe he might make her grieue daylie more and more for her childrens death For though she reioyced as knowing that now they were cittizens of heauen yett could she not as a mother but feele some sorrow they being lost to her allthough she had gained them to God There he kept her foure months in prison to afflict her and molest her the more and at the length seing that still she perseuered constant in the faith of IESVS CHRIST he commaunded her to be beheaded Of this blessed mother the patterne of all christian mothers of this martyr or as S. Gregorie saith more then martyr for she was eight tymes martyred seauen in her children and once in her selfe the same S. Gregorie hath these words Let vs behold my brethren consider this woeman and be ashamed to see her so much surpasse vs. Often times one only word said against vs doth trouble and vexe and make vs breake all oure good purposes whereas neyther torments nor death it selfe was able to conquer blessed Felicitas nor make her yield or giue backe one foote Wee with a blast of contradiction are streight waies dismayed and shamefully fall she wrought a way thorough steele and flint to obtaine and euerlasting crowne We giue not the least part of oure goods to the poore for the loue of CHRISTE she offered him her flesh in sacrifize Wee when God calleth backe for oure children which he had giuen vs in loane waile euerlastingly without comfort she be-wayled her children vntill they died for CHRISTE and reioyced when she did behold them dead And Peeter Archeb of Rauenna saith B holde a woman whose children liuing were cause of her care dead of her securitie Most happie she that now hath as manie faire shining lights in heauen as heretofore she had sonnes on earth Happie in bringing them into this world most happie in sending them vp into heauen She was farre more diligent and industrious when the tyraunt commaunded them to be slaine and when she walked amonghst they re dead bodies then when she did rocke them in the cradle and gaue them milke with her owne brests she viewed full well with the eyes of her soule that as manie wounds as they receaued so manie should be the pretious jewells of they re victorie how manie they re torments so manie they re rewards the crueller they re combats the more glorious they re crowns what shall I say of this valerous woman only this that she 's no true mother that loues not her children as this loued hers Hitherto are the words of S. Peeter of Rauenna The martyrdome of S. Felicitas was on the 23 day of Nouember the yeare of oure Lord 175. There is mention made of her in the Roman and other Martyrologes * ⎠* The life of S. Chrisogonus Martyr GREAT was the ioje and content the holy man Ioseph conceiued when he was taken out of prison in which he had remayned a long tyme suffring therein many troubles â—fflictions especially being vpon his deliuery ouâ— made gouernour ouer all ihe land of Egipt No lesse was the content and spirituall ioye S. Chrisogonus had when he departed out of prison where he had continued two yeares and had endured the ordinary molestations incident to prisons though he was not taken out to be a prince on the earth but to be a glorious and happie Saint in heauen whether his soule presently ascended by meanes of his martyrdome The life of this holie Sainct was written by Venerable Bede and by Ado Archbishop of Treuers in this manner SAâ—NT Chrisogonus was borne in Rome of a noble and honorable family and was in all his cariage and behauiour no lesse worthie and gracious with all men He was apprehended by the comaund and apoyntment of Dioclesian the Emperour and was kept in prison two yeeres contynually being there releeued with all things necessary by a vertous woman his disciple called Anastasia wife vnto Publius a man great and potent in the cittie but an Idollater This Phlius hauing knowledg of that which this wife Anastasia did shutte her vp and locked her stronglie in a chamber of his pallace setting a guard and watch ouer her to the end she should not send any help or relief vnto Chrisogonus as also that the should not haue any sustenance for here self determining that both the one and the other of them might dye by famine Notwithstanding the blessed woman was shut vp in this sort yet she found meanes to
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
regard were not had of those garments and that men and women were not so proud and curious of them This was then the chastisement God inflicted vpon Adam of the which some lighteth on his posterity as this vniuersall law that we be all conceiued in originall sinne and borne the children of wrath This law was promulgated in the world three times first in the law of nature secondly in the law written and thirdly in the law of grace Iob was the trumpet of the law of nature but first preceded the musicke of the trumpet conformable to the lawe for the law was rigorous the musicke rigorous as thonder stormes and thonderbolts which fell on his flocks and heards of cattell and killed and consumed them all The miserable man being thus afflicted and oppressed with infinite aduersities and troubles opened his mouth and said Let the day wherein I was borne perish and so let the night also wherein I was conceiued let that night be turned into darkenes and be filled with misery and bitternes The Holy Ghost saith that Iob did not sinne in saying these words whereby it is euident that Iob did not curse the day wherein he was borne nor the night wherein he was conceiued but he cursed the originall sinne for that he endured and suffered so many troubles and aduersities because he was conceiued and borne in originall sinne which is the fountaine and spring of all euils The trumpetter in the law written was Dauid who saith in one psalme My mother hath conceiued me in sinnes as if he had said That which I say of my selfe I say also of all them that are borne and shall be borne S. Ierome in his translation doth not say sinnes but sinne although it be all one and the selfe same thing for the originall sinne in Adam was one sinne only and all men commit it in him This sinne is called in the plurall number because it is the occasion of all the sinnes committed in the world The denouncer of this law in the law of grace was S. Paule who writting to the Romans saith All haue sinned and haue neede of the grace of God Hitherto we haue shewed the publication of the law now let vs see how it comprehendeth the posterity of Adam if there be any exempt from it To this I say that although the soule of it selfe is not distained because God created it yet assoone as it is infused into the body at that very instant that they be together body and soule that creature is one of the posterity of Adam and per consequens the child of wrath and is in originall sinne Of this IESVS CHRIST was free and cleare for that he was the naturall sonne of God and by the same of nature Impeccable He was also free of this sinne for he that contracteth this sinne must discend from Adam by naturall propagation as to be borne of a woman by the worke of man And CHRIST though he was borne of a woman yet was it not by worke of man So that he descended from Adam after the corporall substance as the diuines say which is the same we haue said to wit that CHRIST was borne of the virgin Mary and was conceiued without originall sinne After IESVS CHRIST I say the same of the B. Virgin his most holy mother that she was conceiued without sinne but not for the reasons spoken before of the sonne but by grace and especiall priuiledge which it pleased God to graunt vnto her This is confessed in celebrating the feast of her conception to wit that there was not a moment nor instant in which her soule was in the disfauor of God but that assoon as she had her being she was gratious in his eyes she was faire and without any spot That this is so may be prooued by many reasons and congruencies very efficacious One is that of and from originall sinne arise two dammages and losses which be the effects thereof The first is the rebellion which we haue within our selfes making vs to be slow and negligent to doe good and dilligent to doe euill This saith S. Paule writing to the Romaines I feele a law within my selfe I feele a subiection an enemy who hindereth me and will not let me doe that which reason willeth The other dammage is that we are subiect to corruption and to be turned to dust after our death This said God vnto Adam assoone as he sinned Thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne So that these being the effects of original sinne and not being found in the most B. virgin as indeed they were not it is a necessary Consequens that there was no sinne in her That these two defects were not found in her of the first it is a thing certaine and the doctors confesse it to wit that in her that biting dog who is called by the diuines Fomes peccati was quite quenched and tied and therefore she had no inward temptations but most assured peace and quiet in such sort that though she had appetite and sensuality yet did they neuer annoy her but were alwayes subiect vnto reason And hereof it cometh that she committed not any sinne either mortall or veniall in all her life She neuer spoke idle word she neuer was wroth out of reason no not when she saw her sonne hang on the Crosse and that the officers and other souldiers who stood about him scoffed at him haled him and vsed reuiling and opprobrious words to him This would haue mooued any mans hart vnto indignation yet the B. Virgin was not wroth with them nor gaue vnto them any euill language whereby to commit sinne and this is the common opinion We may then say that in her was not that spot of originall sinne And that her body was exempt on the other side from being conuerted into dust it is the tradition of the Catholicke Church that her body and soule was assumpted into heauen Then if the effects of originall sinne which be found in them that are stained therewith were not in the virgin it followeth that she had not that sin and that her Conception was most pure The other reason is this That either God was able to preserue the B. Virgin from this defect and would not doe it or else that he would haue done it and could not If you say that he was able to doe it and that he would not herein you put want of will to be in God that he would not doe vnto his mother all the good that he could and this you may not say by any meanes Then if we say that he was willing and could not doe it in saying so great preiudice is done vnto his omnipotency yea it is great blasphemy Let it be said then that he was able and would doe it and that really he did it Moreouer the greatest dignity that God could impart vnto a pure creature was to make her his mother and this so rate and singuler gift was bestowed on
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
you look for one alone why murder you so many Oh come now Sauiour of the world let these souldiers see thee without any perill ar danger vnto thee since the power to liue and dye is at thy pleasure so shalt thou deliuer vs from this great sorrow and our children from death S. Gregorie Nissen saith It was pittifull to see the mothers of the inocents how they imbraced their litle infants and bathed them in teares awaiting to haue them shortlie bathed in their owne blood The cruell edict of Herod hauing bene brought to Bethleem and the cruell souldiers being come they assailed the litle infants so furiosly that they wounded the mothers also and mingled the blood of the mother and the infant together Some mothers sawe the sword to come and pierce the bodie of her infant as she gaue it suck so that at one time the mother gaue milk vnto the child and the child restored asmuch blood vnto the mother There was one sorrowfull mother that had two sonnes at one birth She saw the sword drawen against them both and she knew not which to defend first from the blowe she looked on the one and held it fast to her brest and left the other further from her Then seing the blow come she pulled it close to her and thrust out the other The poore distressed mother had not much time to deliberate which of their liues she should longest saue for no sooner was the one wounded to death but the sword was thrust quite through the other and this was the case of many wofull mothers that had two children in their armes It happened also in this massacre that two butcherly villaines came vnto a mother that had two sonnes they seuered themselues to kill them and withall seuered the hart of the afflicted mother The one infant wailed and the other cryed also The wofull mother knew not which to answere first with the like musick Lastly she could but lament and sodeinlie she saw them dead at her feet S. Basill Bishop of Seleucia cited before saith that in all the cittie of Bethleem nothing could be heard for the confused noise which endured as long as the slaughter of the innocents continewed because the Infants that were killed cryed pittifully the elder brothers and sisters lamented and so did the fathers but the outcries of the mothers exceeded all the rest The oldmen said that there was neuer committed such a cruelltie in any place no not in a long susteined warre for though all were put to the sword yet infants were spared Complaints were generallie made yea of the sunne it self that stayed so long to keep back the darknes of the night whereby the furie of these enraged people might cease When these ruffian 's found no more infants in the cittie to murther they departed into the villages thereabout to do as they had done in Bethleem Then the lamentable outcries of the woefull mothers was renewed when they went to seek out the bodies of their dead infants Some that found them cut in pieces laid their seuered members together vsing pittifull and compassionat complaints Some kneeling downe to their slaughtered prettie babe said vnto him A wake now my sonne thou hast slept inough shake of this heauie drowsines which the cruelltie of Herod hath caused Come come arise my sweet babe take thy mothers breast which thou hast so often tasted Ah wilt thou not speak doest thou slumber still Alas alas too long lasteth this heauie sleep that thus oppresseth thee would to God it were possible for thee to enter againe into my womb that thy prettie members thus mangled might be reioyned and returne vnto life These and such like words said the mothers of the Innocents When Herod vnderstood that his commaundement was performed he made shew of great ioye and adorned himself with a crowne of victorie as if he triumphed ouer some dangerous enemie Neither did the cruell tyrant care though his owne child that was nursed in a place neere Bethleem was murthered among the residue Macrobius reporteth Lib 2. Satur. Cap 4. that this came vnto the eare of Octauius Augustus and that he said that it were better to be a hogge in the house of Herod then his sonne By which speach he ment that Herod being a Iew the hogge had bene secure for he would not haue killed it nor haue eaten thereof but his sonne was not so safe for he was killed amongst the other children Herod could not haue deuised a better meanes then this to diuulge and spread abroad the birth of CHRIST For hereby it came to the knowledg of all that a child was borne who was a king and had bene adored of the kings and of whom he was afeard that his kingdome should be taken from him But he stayed not so long for before CHRIST was of age Herod was depriued of his kingdome by loosing of his life killing himself with those hands with which he had persecuted our Sauiour CHRIST It is often seene that God doth punish and chastice men by the same thing and meanes wherewith they taken occasion and whereby they offend him Saul desired to kill Dauid with his owne hands 1. Reg 31. Mat. 27. and with the same he killed himself Iudas sinned by selling IESVS CHRIST and the wretch hanged himself with his owne hands Some thinck that the number of the slaine children was the same which S. Iohn nameth in the Apocalipse Cap 14. v. 1. when he saith that 144000. follow the lamb but this is not certaine It seemeth rather a thing impossible that in the towne and territorie of Bethleem should be so many children of two yeeres old and downwards The Euangelist S. Mathew saith that thē was fullfilled the words of the prophet Ieremie A loud voice was heard weeping and lamentation Math 2. v. 18. Rachell weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not In this place Bethleem is called Rachell because the faire Rachell who was wife to the patriarch Iacob was buried neere to the cittie of Bethleem The holie Innocents were the first martyrs that dyed for CHRIST and he being come into the world offred them to his eternall father as the first fruites of the garden of his Church He did them also an especiall fauour for that they were all saued Their patents also had no cause to be aggrieued for if they were depriued of their liues which he had before giuen vnto them for his sake we may also belieue that he bestowed others on them in their place Iob 42. as it happened to Iob who being depriued of seuen sonnes and two daughters God gaue vnto him as many more when he returned vnto his former prosperitie Lastly we may know as by the euent hereof that when the people of Israell departed from Egipt one may well say that God departed out of that countrie in the company of his people and that the Egiptians remained in lamentation For one and the last
of the Church Afterwards kneeling vpoÌ„ his knees continuing his prayers his enemies crying out kill him kill him his head was clouen with many woundes all lighting in one place his braines were scattered about the ground his bodie did fall close besides the Aultar before which he had offered himselfe to God as a sacrifize The Monkes and cleargie men fearing to leese that precious treasure of their Prelats bodie assembling together did strippe him of his cloathes found all his bodie from the neck to the knees couered with a rough haire shirt and his breeches also made of hairecloth With this token of his santity the remeÌ„brance of his vertues they did shed many teares saying one vnto another how farre was he from affecting the Crowne and seeking after earthly honour that did so despise and chastize his owne flesh as if it had bin his mortall enemies They apparailed him in his Pontificall roabes and buried him before the aultar of S. Iohn Baptist and of S. Augustine first Bishop of that citty God that is wonderful in his sainctes working manie miracles to witnesse his santity and glorie This renowned champion of IESVS CHRIST Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of England Legate of the Sea Apostolique and glorious martyr suffered in the yeare of our Lord 1171. in the 53 yeare of his age scarce a moneth after his exile after he had bin Prelate 12. yeares 5. whereof he liued peacebly in his chaire and 7. in banishment Of him Petrus Blesensis a Frenchman by birth a great fauourite of Henry the 2. King of England and a graue writer of those dayes hath these words Thomas was the publisher of Gods word trumpet of the Ghospell friend of the spouse pillar of the cleargie sight of the blinde tonguÌ„e of the dumbe foote of the lame salt of the earth ornament of his countrie minister of the highest Vicar of CHRIST the annoynted of our Lord. All his conuersation was a schoole of vertue the rule of good manners a patterne of saluation He was vpright in iudging industrious in executing discreet in commaunding modest in speaking circumspect in his counsaile most sparing in his dyet most liberall in giuing peaceable in wrath in flesh an Angell meeke in iniuries fearefull in prosperitie well-assured in aduersity allmost lauish in almes giuing and euen altogether mercie the glorie of religious men and the loue and greatest delight of the people with many other prayses to the same purpose Neither is it only hee but all the most famous men of those dayes who extoll S. Thomas as the only patterne and myrrhoure of good Prelats King Henry himselfe did plainely declare how much he did lament his death For he not only swoare that he neuer so much lamented the death of father nor mother nor would haue bin so sorrowfull for the death of his owne childe but he also of his owne accord caâ—â— vnto Canterbury and going barefooted from S. Dunstans Church presented himselfe before the shrine of S. Thomas and bathing the ground with his teares stripped himselfe out of his Princely roabes and vpon his naked backe receaued â— stripes of euerie Bishop and 3. of euerie monke that was present and afterwards fasted all that day and night with great deuotion A rare example of pietie humilitie and deuotion in a Christian Prince such as scarce hath his match and paragon in all Ecclesiasticall Histories And surely God did manifestly declare how acceptable this penance of the King was in his sight For the selfe same day he by his Captaines obtained a glorious victorie wherein the King of Scottes was taken prisoner And manie other prosperous successes ensued this act of humiliation the holy Saint euidently ayding him from Heauen that humbled himselfe so much vpon earth and helping him that subdued and conquered thus himselfe to conquer subdue and gloriously triumph ouer all his enemies Moreouer his murderers notwithstanding they were men of knowen nobilitie and great possessions and in high estimation for their valoure and cheualrie yet forsooke they all riches and voluntarily crossed all the hopes of their preferments going in pilgrimage to Hierusalem where they did publique penance All of them dyed within three yeares after the facte committed verie penitent for their offence calling vpon the sainct desiring his patronage and intercession whose death they acknowledged to haue bin wickedly contriued and executed by themselues yet pretious in the sight of God and glorious in the eye of all the world That time which they liued was alwayes with a perpetuall trembling of bodie and soule like men astonied and distracted hauing euermore winde and weather against them acknowledging all to be the iust Iudgement of Almightie God for their heynous offence But especially he that gaue the saincte his first wound dyed with a consumption and rotte of all his limmes he himselfe casting away the flesh which rotted off from the very boanes and calling vpon the most glorious martyr for pardon and forgiuenesse God of his mercie and by the intercession of this holie Prelate graunt vs pardon and grace to follow his steppes The life of S. Siluester Pope and Confessor SAINT Paule writing vnto Tymotheus his disciple said a Bishop ought to liue sincerely and it is fit that in him be not any thing to be iustly reprooued And for to showe what ought to be in him he setteth downe some properties that a good Bishop ought to haue among other things he saith that he ought to giue good example to them that be without the Church which be the Pagans left he fall into reproach and into the snare of the deuill S. Iohn Chrisostome saith that one of the things wherewith the Apostles spred their doctrine through all the world and the Ghospell was receiued of all men was because they liued without reprehension and gaue good example to euery one and submitted themselues to great paines and desired no reward at all They fled from honours riches pleasures and embraced troubles tribulations and afflictions They did not complaine nor sought reuenge but pardoned and did good to them that did them euill wherefore the pagans said it was not possible for the man that liued so to be in any errour for that God as they said would not haue suffered it and so thereby they iudged the doctrine they preached to be true and veritable and so holpen by god they receued it On the other side those who by their office and function they haue are bound to giue good example and liue euill do very much hurt by their wicked life And these as S. Paule saith Fall into reproach and snares of the deuill for with their euill and wicked life they giue others occasion to do euill and chiefly vnto the painimes who as S. Iohn Chrisostome saith seing the Christians to steale murder commit fornication and other sinnes say that their God cannot chastise them or els that he is like vnto them And so by their fault the holy name of God is
his resurrection after which they were to see him againe for that he would manifest himself vnto them really and veritably in body and soule When allsoe his eternall father would truly come to inhabite by grace in him who loueth him and obserueth his lawe There is no other particuler mention of S. Iude nor of S. Symon in the Ghospell but that they were presēt in all places at all times that the Ghospell saith the Apostles were with IESVS As at the banket in the desert Io. 10. when CHRIST fed much people twise with a fewe loaues and a fewe fishes They were present at the raising of Lazarus at the entring of our Lord into Ierusalem when they sange Osanna They were present at the supper when our Lord washed their feet communicated them made them priests and consecrated them Bishops They fled also when IESVS was taken in the garden they sawe him raysed to life not as a spirite but the same that he was before he died Our Lord talked and conuersed with them as may be seene by the actions of Thomas who touched the wounds of his hands and side they sawe him also ascend into heauen they were also present at the comming of the Holy Ghost with the other Apostles when they receiued him they receued also his gifts and especially that gift of toungs with which they preached the Ghospell in diuers parts of the world Symon preached in Egipt and Thaddeus in Mesopotamia They kept company in Persia and preached therin together as S. Isidorus Ado and venerable Beda say Assoone as they came into that country all the Idolls which before gaue oracles became dumb and whereas Baradach captain to the king of Babylon whom some Authors call Xerxes hauing then in hand a great interprise desired to be enformed of the successe therof by oracle and passed from one vnto another at last one of them bad him looke for no answer as long as Symon and Iude Apostles of CHRIST were in the country Baradach caused them to be sought out and brought before him He demāded who they were from whence they came and what they did in that same country The Apostles aunswered that they were Hebrews seruants of IESVS CHRIST and that they were come into that country for the good of all maner of persons in teaching them the true faith which if they receued it should be the right meanes for the sauing of their soules Baradach said to them when I returne from the dispatch of my affaires I will heare you willingly The Apostles said It shal be better for thee presently to confesse him by whose meanes thou maist ouercome thine enemies and reduce them to the obedience of thy king Baradach said I think your God be more potent then ours sine that your comming hath put them to silence but tell me what successe shall the warre vnto which I go haue The Apostles said To the end thou maist see that thy Gods be not only impotent but also liers and deceuers we will giue them leaue to aunswer to thy demaunds that they giuing an answer of that which they know we may showe what they be and what they can do The Gods answered by their ministers whom Baradach had caused to come thither That the warre should be long and that therin much slaughter should be on both sides When the Apostles heard their answer they laughed and Baradach said to them I heare these words to my grief and sorrow and do you laugh The Apostles replied feare not for too morrow at three a clock there shall come embassadors from the Indian rebells vnto thee who shall most humbly entreat thee for peace and submit themselfs wholly to thy mercy When the ministers of the Idolls heard these words of the Apostles thy scoffed therat and in a rage against them said to the captein These fellowes come from the Indians thy enemies that thou crediting their deceitfull speeches maist not be prouided and furnished with defence and then the Indians may come and giue thee some notable discomfiture To this the Apostles replied and said to the captein we do not bid thee to tarry a moneth or longer but one day only if thou find vs to ly punish vs as thou please Baradach aunswered I think best to keep you them also in prison vntill I see which doth deceiue me and then I will punish them that do deserue it On the next day euen as the Apostles said the embassadours to the Indians came with whom Baradach hauing concluded a peace resolued to punish seuerely those false prophets but the Apostles staid him saieng that thy were not come in to that country to take away any mans life but to giue it vnto many Then the captein would haue giuen them many Iewells but they would not take any He had them vnto Babilon where the king was vnto whom he repeated what had befallen betwene him and the Apostles and commended them very much and said they had the gift of prophecy knew things to come were humble and vertuous and coueted no temporall gaine At that time the king had in his companie two magitians or Inchaunters one was called Zaroes theother Arphaxat who were fled out of India where S. Matthew preached for that he had discouered their wickdnes and deceits These mallicious fellowes seeing the Apostles to be of the colledge and company of S. Matthew their deadly foe persecuted them saieng of them much euill vnto the king And with their inchantments caused many serpents to appeare in the place to terrify the Gentills and to hurt the Apostles but they by their word only commanded the serpents to wound the inchauntors but not to kill them The serpents obeied put them to great griefe and paine and moreouer hauing lost hereby their reputation and credit they were enforced to depart from Babilon and to go vnto other cities They laboured what they could to do some mischief vnto the Apostles saieng in euery place where they passed that they were enemies to their Gods would not haue them to be adored and that they seperated wifes from their husbands vnder the collour of relligion and such other things And in the places where credit was giuen vnto them they gaue the people warning that if the Apostles came that way they should put them to death and neuer suffer them to speak The holy Apostles preached the faith without empeachment or contradiction in Babilon and conuerted many for that they did many miracles especially in healing all sickfolks from their infirmities what soeuer They baptised the king and all his family and hauing instructed many in the faith they ordered priests and deacons and made Abdias bishop who had followed them from Ierusalem and had as he saith seen with his corporall eies IESVS CHRIST in his mortall flesh If fell out at that time as the said Abdias recounteth it and S. Antoninus of florence repeateth it that a woman daughter to a noble man of Babilon was