On what Records we most rely in this enquiry on lyable to no exception are certain and no other than the very Authentique Depositions of Faithful Witnesses rigidly and severely examined in the Processe of our Saint's Canonization The Original Records I mention carefully preserved to this day in the Vatican Library at Rome sent thither by our King and all the Bishops then in England Those two worthy men often cited Godesridus Henschenius and Daniel Papâ—brochius after their visiting many Libraries up and down the world in order to their great Work now in hand had Licence granted by Pope Alexander the VII freely to make use of what Manuscripts they pleased extant in the Vatican and about 14. years past besides other Collections gathered sincerely out of the Original there all the juridical proved and approved Miracles which God wrought by this glorious Saint in number about 429. This Extract or Copy I have now by me very long 't is true Yet pleasant to read where you may see an ingenuous candour and plainenisse on the one side Through the whole Processe And so rigid à Search made to find out Truth on the other as if Damnation had been concerned and it was no lesse in case of Perjury or giving in false Evidence Not one past for an approved Miracle But under Solemn Oath which the examined Witnesses deposed to be most true upon the Holy Gospel laid open before them Some Choise ones mong many most clear and Evident you shall have presently In the mean while it will not be amisse for the Readers better Satisfaction to touch briefly upon à few Particulars whereby more light may be had of the whole Procedure in the Processe concerning our Saints Canonization 11. No sooner had those many Signal Miraculous Wonders wrought upon the living and dead by the Intercession of S. Thomas raised his Sanctity and Miracles to à publick Of the addresse the English made to the See Apostolicke For the Canonization of S. Thomas Fame all England over but the whole Nation as well Prince as People the learned Bishops also with the Clergy and Religious joyntly concurred and petitioned the See Apostolick to have their Bishop declared à Saint in Heaven by whom God had certainly wrought Innumerable Miracles here on earth The most active in this pious Enterprise was the Lord Bishop Richard Successor to S. Thomas who had long lived with the Saint and knew much of his Virtues The Other was Henricus à Schorha deputed Procurator by the Chapter of Hereford that presented à Writing to the Lords Commissioners containing the great respect and Veneration all had of the Saint grounded upon his Virtues and frequent Miracles wrought in à manner dayly at his Monument To this Transcript or Writing ten Bishops all named set their hands where upon the publick Processe in order to his virtuous life and Miracles began The Commissioners appointed by the Popes Holinesse for the hearing all that passed in the Processe were first two Bishops Mimatensis saith my copy Londinensis and one Arch-Deacon called Wilhelmus de Testa besides four Authoriz'd Notaries by the See Apostolick The Notaries Authority stood without limit of time but the Lord's commission Dated the 13. July 1307 lasted only 4. Months and Therefore no more were examined by them The depositions sent up to Rome obtained the CanonizatioÌ„ but 39. Miracles whereunto they subscribed The Notaries Commission continuing irrevocably brought the whole Processe to an end Depositions made and exactly reviewed by the Commissioners à clear Information of every particular was in due and Legal Form sent up as the manner is to the Congregation of Rites for à Further Trial if necessary whereupon saith the Relation his Holyness Pope John the XXII having had by what was done full Satisfaction at the Instance of our King and Prelates procedeed to à Solemn Canonization which was Celebrated at Rome with great joy with greater in England chiefly in the Carhedral Church of Hereford Thus much premised 12. The mainest Point remain's and it is The depositions made by sworn Witnesses are many to give the Reader satisfaction concerning those innumerable Depositions made by sworn Witnesses who brought in Evidence of our Saints Virtuous life and Miracles The Work would be Immense and not suitable to à short Treatise should I run throught all the Depositions with their Circumstances as they are in my Manuscript I must therefore content my selfe with à few only And if these most undeniably manifest prevail nothing upon our Sectaries Incredulity the whole Manuscript I have though I should Transcribe all particulars with their Circumstances as they lie in order would prove inefficacious and do them little or no good at all 13. The first Deponent or sworn Witness The first deponent was the Lord Bishop Richard was no less à man than Richard Lord Bishop of Hereford and it is à Wonder to see how rigourous an Examination pass't upon him in this Tribunal had he been one of the Vulgar sort the Lords Commissioners could not have used greater Severity The Holy Gospel as my Manuscript has it laid open before him with the forme of an Oath presented to every one rich or poor Noble or ignoble He swore according to that Tenor that his Answer to all Interrogatories in this weighty matter should be without fraud and fiction exactly true The very most of the Questions proposed Bishop Richard being one who had long conversed with S. Thomas chiefly concerned the Sainct's Charity Sanctity Prudence Mortification Sobriety abstinence c. where in the Commissioners received full Satisfaction That done the Bishop also gave in Evidence of 3. or 4. Miracles wrought by S. Thomas after his bones had been translated from our Ladies Chappel to his other Sepulcre But because I find the Relation of these Miracles very long having no time to run over The life and Gests of S. Tho. Cantelupe c. 20. from p. 238. the tenth part of all I wave them and pitch upon Some more compendiously set down no lesse choise and clear They are an Overplus to those Six or seven you have already very faithfully recounted by Mr R. S. Cited 14. One clear Miracle was wrought by S. Thomas upon à Child about two years and three Months Old called Roger Son to one Gervase One memorable Miracle wroâ—â— hâ— by S. Thomas upon à Young Child that served in the Castle of Coneweye in Walrs The Child unfortunately fell down in the night time from à Bridge belonging to that Castle into Ditch under the Bridge distant from it 28. foot the mischance happened in the year 1303 and 6. of September The Mother of the Child called Dionisia living in à little House neer the Castle thought her little one had lodged that night with his Father in the Castle but next morning making enquiry after him the found to her Sorrow the Child half naked and dead upon à hard stone in the bottom of the Dith where
The certainty of this Miracle being known to the Canons of the Cathedral Church the Bells rang out and the People assembled together à Te Deum was sung Solâ—mne thanks given to God for the Cure seen by Many with à Solemn Procession made by the Clergy to the Shrine of S. Thomas at which time whole Multitudes heard the Miracle published and beheld with their eyes Holourton the man cured present who lived many years after and Usally once à week came to Hereford Market and which is most memorable so perfect was the Cure that there remained not the least Scarr Mark or token of that Bunch at all This particular deposed also upon Oath before the Lords Commissioners took all doubt away and made the Miracle most certain 18. Reader Should I entertain you with other Stupendious VVonders wrought by our glorious Bishop I could give you à long Catologue and Show every particular proved by Oath I might tell you how one VVilliam One hanged and certainly found dead restored to life Crah à Malefactor hanged upon the Gallows many houres and certainly found stark dead was revived at the Interceâ—sion of three or four devout People all named in the Processe who petitioned S. Thomas for the mans life and obtained it The Eyes of this Crah saith my Manuscript violently forced out of his head by strangling hung down upon his face and were by the devout Prayer of these pious Persons Miraculously in à moment of time replaced where nature had first set them This very Crah then living and in perfect health brought before the Commissioners at S. Catherin's and examined upon Oath was proved to be the same Person that dyed upon the Gallowes 19. I might also recount here those innumerable Lame blind deaf and dumb cured with their due Circumstances the many drowned both men and women brought to life again by S. Thomas But this would require à just Volume and therefore am forced to wave them These few you have already with one more which happened at Wallingford Castle related afterward are abundantly sufficient to silence Dr. Still while Impudence it selfe can make no Exception against them For who is there unlesse above all measure Why no exception can be made against these registred Miracles frontlesse that dare say so many Witnesses having touched the Holy Gospel and sworn that they spake Truth were all damnable perjured Persons Who dare aver that the Lords Commissioners impowred by the See Apostolick to examin every particular most rigidly as was done perfidiously betrayed their Trust and contrary to the Law of God and Nature approved Miracles as most certain that never were attested by Oath or ever done Who finally can be so Shamlesse as to avouch that the King of England and all his learned Bishops when they sent these Records to the See Apostolick conveyed nothing thither but Fictions dreams or in plainer Language vast bundles of Lies and hideous Impostures Reader such horrid enormous Knaveries done and practized by Christians and These English men more just and pious than hundreds who live now would I think be rejected as desperate Improbabilities should they enter into the thoughts of many Iewes or Turks yet Dr. Still to the eternal Disgrace of our Nation must either swallow down all these absurdities or openly Confesse that God has wrought most glorious Miracles by our renowned Bishop S. Thomas Cantilupe Of other great Miracles wrought in England we shall have occasion to speak afterwards 20. In the mean time that Miraculous wax Of the Miraculous Wax Candle yet seen aâ— Arras Candle yet seen at Arras the chief City of Artois may give the Reader entertainment being most certain and never doubted of by any Though thousands have seen the Candle burn and distill little drops of VVax into an Urn or Guilielmus Gaâ—aeus Pastor S. Mariae Magd. P. Syl de Petra Sauctâ â—om 2. sub Titulo Miracula perpetua c. 8. Basen full of water not at all wasted by its burning or ever in the least diminished yet because all know not the true Origen of the VVonder thus two approved Authors have set it forth in Print 21. In the year 1105. that is much above 569. years of so great Antiquity the Candle is à merciless Plague raged in Arras and sent forth Loathsom Ulcers or hideous swelling Botches full of corrupt Blood which grievously afflicted all that were tainted No humane Art though remedies upon remedies had been â—sâ—â— could cure them The whole City ever devout to the Mother of God experienced Her in this their Necessity to be à true Mother of Mercy The manner was thus The Blessed Virgin first showing her selfe visibly to two different Persons the one called Itierus the other Nortmanus enjoyned them to tell Lambert then Bishop of Arras that the next Saturday towards morning she would The blessed Virgin appeared and gave the Bishop à Wax Candle burning appear in the great Church and Put into his hands à wax Candle burning from whence drops of wax should fall into à vessel of water prepared by the Bishop She said more over that all the diseased that drank of this water or powred any drops of it into their Ulcers should forthwith be cured This truly promised truly happened Our Blessed Lady appeared all beautiful having in her hands à wax Candle burning which diffused light the whole Church over this She presented to the Bishop He blessing it with the Sign of the Crosse set it in the Urn of water when placed there drops of wax plentifully fell down into the Vessel The water given to the diseased They drank of it and no sooner had they done so but all were cured about one hundred and fifty then were expecting the Miracle Hereupon the Violence of the Contagion presently ceased the whole City over and All gave humble thanks to Almighty God and his Sacred Mother for the singular favour 22. This Miracle gave beginning to à Sodality The Candle to this day burn's not at all consumed called Sodalitas Ardentium into which the very first and best of the City entred and there Enroled their names The Candle to this day preserved with great Veneration spend 's it selfe yet loses nothing that is like the Bush which Moses saw burn's not at all consumed and therefore remain's still in the same length and greatness it had five hundred years agoe A vast quantity of wax made up of the many drops which fall into the water upon those Festival dayes when the Candle burn's may be justly called as Petra Sancta who saw it Writes Perpetuum Miraculum à Standing indeficient Miracle 23. If from Arras we passe into France and Spain we shall find Miracles there as clear as the Sun whereof I shall give à large Account in the ensuing Chapters of this Treatise as also of the Stupendious Wonders wrought by S. Xaverius in the Indies Here I will only touch and very briefly upon one or two Miracles
c. And thus all dissenting Christians stand as it were equally ballanced in their Plea for Truth one is no more advanced than another nor shall any ever know where Christ's Truths are taught unlesse he first find out à Church evidenced by Christ's own Signatures I mean glorious Miracles 19. Some may here Ask whether God cannot set other Marks on à Church besides Miracles Sufficient to distinguish it from all false Conventicles I answer the Question by another like Demand Could not God have set other Marks on Christ and his Apostles excluding Miracles sufficient to distinguish them from all false Prophets Reader we enquire not in this place what God can do his Power is Omnipotent but speak of what he has already done and Say that as his Power and Wisdom marked Christ Apostles and the Church marked by Miracles out our blessed Lord and the Apostles by many clear Signs as great Sanctity Purity in Doctrin admirable Conversions and one most choise Gods own Signatures glorious Miracles So also he has set all and every one of these Signal Marks upon his own Oracle the Catholick Church the chiefest and choisest whereof are illustrious Miracles by these she is clearly distinguished from all false and misled Teachers CHAP. III. Some Choise Manifest Miracles proved upon the Deposition of many Sworn Ey-witnesses Of à Late famous Miracle wrought at Calais in Picardy None can call into doubt the Authentick Miracles done by S. Thomas Cantilupe our renowned Bishop of Hereford Other grat Miracles yet obvious to all mens eyes S. Bernard's known Miracles proved most certain 1. MIracles being Matters of Fact and Objects of sense cannot but gain credit when Authors of unquestionable Fame produce many faithful Ey-witnesses who upon Oath attesâ—ed they saw them done Of these I shall chiefly speak in this chapter and remit the Reader to my former Book as also to some ensuing Chapters in this Treatise Reas. and Relig. Dis 2. cap. 8. where I bring to light à whole Torrent of most ancient Fathers not lightly but upon set design teaching That God in all Ages has adorned his Church with renewned and undeniable Miracles Cardinal Bellarmin begin's from the Bellar. lib. 4. de notis Ecclesiae Cap. 14. first Century with the known Miracles wrought by Christ and the Apostles and showes à continuance of them ever after to the 16.th Age when that learned man lived The exact Brerely Protes Apol Tract 2. c. 3. Sect. 7. Sub. 3. pag 534. having proved à confessed want of Miracles in Luther and Calvin and other Sectaries lead's you from the eight Century downwards and points out Miracles so manifestly attested by approved Authors that our very Adversaries as Osiander the Centurists and others cannot for shame either Question the sincerity of these Witnesses or deny the matters of Fact but shamefully recurre to à desperate Plea and say plainly God had no hand in them No. All were done by the Divel's power Now to the Task we have undertaken 2. One glorious and most certain Miracle being but lately done at Calais à Town in Picardy neer England shall first give the Reader entertainment The whole Processe whereof the rigid Examination made the Depositions taken from many Ey-witnesses and every particular at last confirmed by Episcopal Authority those two laborious Writers Godefridus Henschenius Acta Sanct. Mens April Tom. 1. 2. April pag. 229. and Daniel Papebrochius have amply drawn out to whom I must remit you for further Satisfaction and briefly recount the Miracle visibly wrought upon à Gentlewoman in Calais by the intercession of that great Servant of God S. Franciscus de Paula Founder of à most Holy Religious Order Vulgarly called Minims 3. In the year 1661. the forenamed Gentlewoman The nature af Peronna's Infirmity about 30. years old by name Peronna Raoult daughter to an honourable man called Lewis Raoult had been 13. whole years griveously afflicted with à violent cough and stoppage at her lungs caused by á continual Defluxion of humours comming from her head Physicians though often consulted found no remedy saying ingenuously they well knew not the cause and nature of her strange Asthtmatical disease which for the four last years more and more encreasing brought frequent and fearful convulsion fits upon the afflicted Patient whence followed such à contraction of nerves and Sinewes in her left Leg that first it became four fingers soon after halfe à foot shorter than the other This innumerable Witnesses saw and gave Evidence of as also that the bone of her right Leg and Hip put out of joynt gave her such intolerable pain that the could not sit without drawing her body into à round lump in which Posture she suffered many Sowing fits and unexpressible Torments When the most Christian King came to Calais anno 1658 His Majesties chief Physician Mons t Valet and three other expert Doctors were there also and several times visited the infirm creature which done all unanimously concluded the infirmity to be incurable and that poor Peronna was to remain Paralitick all the dayes of her life 4. Thus left confortles still enduring excessive Torment she thought it high time to implore help from Heaven and resolved to make à Novens or nine dayes of prayer by her Peronna implores assistence from Heaven selfe or others to the glorious Saint Francis of Paula and began it in the Minims Church at Calais the fift day within the Saints Octave Now because of her great weaknes she could not repair thither without much pain she often sent her Maid servant to perform the Devotion for her yet encouraged to doe some thing herselfe during the Novens though usually carried to the Church in à chair she called that day for her Crutches and with the help of her Maid to hold her up after many à wearisom step and stop in drawing breath at last got to the Church where she heard Masse said for her intention and communicated When behold at the reading of the last Gospel Peronna felt an excessive pain all her body over but chiefly in her left Leg and both hipps then all her nerves were violently stretched out by à humour as she thought dispersing it selfe through every member and heard the noyse of her bones long out of joint brought again to their natural posture Immediatly after these Torments Peronna Cured in an Instant by Miracle the vigour and agility of her whole body were perfectly restored in à moment in so much that without help or the least sign of weaknes she rose up and knelt before the Altar to the great admiration of all the Beholders The Priest who said Masse by name F. John de Beaumont when he saw her kneeling wondred at it and because he yet knew nothing of the Miracle advised her to fit down O Father said she blessed be God that is now needless for I am perfectly cured and as well as if I had never been infirm Then she went to the
his Spouse the Militant Church with the same Signal Marks of Credibility which he favovrably demonstrated while he lived here on earth Why then do you like that depraved and wicked Generation of men mentioned in Luk 11. 29. Scripture require more Signs than are done Why should Missionaries come to you and work Miracles If the greatest were wrought before your Eyes your Dulness would slight all and account them either fallacious Charms Necromancy Luk. 16. 27. or painted Strawes and Counterfeit Trances 2. Remember I beseech you Abraham's Answer given to that Rich man in Torments who would have one sent from the dead to doe good upon his Bretheren Abraham replyed No. They have Moses and the Prophets And in The Dr has an Answer in the Cospel case no eare be given to these neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead and Preach to them In like manner I discourse of Miracles wrought in the Church They speak witness S. Austin as plain à language as ever Moses or the Prophets spake And if such visible and manifest attested Signs work nothing upon your Incredulity neither would the greatest servant of God though he should raise the dead in the City of London mollify your hearts change your minds or make you better than you are So true it is Perversi difficilè corriguntur 3. Again you Propose that which if done would do you little or no good at all Suppose one or more were raised from the dead in London Imagin also that the Missioner should like S. Bernard or S. Xaverius declare that God raises those dead for this End that all may believe the Roman Catholick Churches Doctrin what Conversions would be wrought hereby upon thousand and thousand obstinate hearts in the remote parts of England who only hear of the Miracles Must God send Missionaries to every one of these and set before their Eyes à dead Carkass restored to life Neither Christ our Lord nor the Apostles did so 4. You may Say The Fame of some dead Miracles seen by innumerable Famed and written work little upon Hereticks raised among you would be so publickly divulged that none could rationally call such matters of Fact into Question when visibly seen by many I Answer Ex ore tuo te Iudico But innumerable more Resuscitations innumerable more Miraculous Cures have been and are still famed the whole Christian world over and besides remain upon undoubted Record yet this Fame and these Records make no greater impression upon your hard heart than painted strawes and Counterfeit Trances The like or as little effect would such Miracles as you seek for work upon your numberless incredulous People dispersed over the Nation had they not beheld with their eyes what some few are now Supposed to have seen And God only knowes whether that visible Evidence were it shown would change their minds or abate in the least the Obduracy which stick 's close to the hearts of Thousands 5. The Dr has not yet done with the Poor Page 685. Boyes Leg. If all saith he that had been pleaded in the Apostles time for their divine Commission had been only that à Boy had his Leg cut off and strangely restored would this have Satisfyed the world A more simple Question was never proposed Pray Sr is all that the Church plead's for her Commission reduced to this one Miracle of à Boyes Leg restored No. She offer 's to your view the like admirable Miracles which Christ and the Apostles have done You Sr triefle no less in this your Demand than if you should Ask whether all the works our Saviour did were brought to the curing of à poor Boyes Eyes born blind Compare the one Miracle with the other and you will find that the restored Leg was in itselfe as great à Miracle as that restored sight Give me the least disparity if you can Nothing in nature could more reunite that Leg to its own Natural Body than restore Sight to one born Page 686. Suares de Fide Disp 4. sect 3. num 10. blinde and I am sure the Divel had no hand in either cure 6. The Dr Quotes Suares and fouly perverts his meaning A Miracle saies this learned Author may be wrought Two wayes 1. Without any respect to confirm à Truth but only for the benefit of him that receives it as in case of à Miraculous cure or the like 2. It may be done purposely to confirm the Truth of à Doctrin The First sort of Miracles saies Suares wrought Suares perverted by the Dr. for the Benefit of others God may doe by wicked men though this happens very seldom or if it happen it is rather done ex Fide for the Faith of him that receives it than for any good in the wicked man that work 's it All these words which explain Suares his meaning and discover the Dr ' s Jugling the Dr omit's Observe the Jugling If saith he such Miracles as the cure of Mark the Words According to Suares F. Marcellus and the restored Leg at Zaragosa may according to Suares be vvrought only for the benefit of those vvho receive them vvhat can this prove as to the Churches Infallibility Mr Dr Suares saies nothing to this The Dr's Iugling Discovered your Sence but expresly the contrary He speak's there of Miracles wrought and very seldom by wicked men Were those two cures upon F. Marcellus and the maimed youth done by the wicked The Mother of God wrought the one and S. Xaverius à Canonized Saint the other are these now glorious in Heaven according to Suares to be listed among the wicked For stark shame retract this vast Untruth and know that such Miracles may be justly numbred with those Suares mentioneth which confirm our Catholick Doctrin as is already proved 7. The Dr to little purpose Quotes Delrio Page 687. Delrio l. 4. Dis Magic c. 4. 9. 5. Sect. 2. Saying that Faith being now established there is little or no necessity of Miracles to confirm it I Answer Delrio in that place replies to an Adversary who thought Miracles not so frequent now as formerly by reason of much coldness and inconstancy in Faith That is one cause Saies Delrio but à better is because Faith being now established Minor est vel nulla necessitas Miraculorum Can the Dr draw from this Expression of lesse or no necessity à Total abatement of Mercy as if God wrought none but such as are precisely necessary Did Christ our Lord indulge no favours or Graces to mortals but just so many as were necessary Were all the Prodigious Signs which the Apostles wrought of such absolute Necessity that if one had been omitted men could not have believed or if more had been done than are recorded the world would have been overwhelmed with Miracles The Dr it seem's had little to Say while he tires his Reader with these impertinent Quotations 8. The Dr in the page cited tell 's E. W.