After their deaths the gouernor Almachius entended to get the goods of the two brethren into his hands but vnderstanding that Cecilie had distributed them vnto the poore he caused her to be brought before him She confessed vnto him the truth namelie that all the goods of the two noble gentlemen Tiburtius and Valerian were giuen vnto the poore The gouernour therefore seeking a quarrell and desiring to be reuenged on her said in a great rage I think we shall haue a Christian of you also but I will haue you to sacrifice vnto the Gods in my sight that I maie be witnes whether you deserue the same punishment that those brethren deserued and had The officers of the gouernour vrged her to sacrifice to whom she said Harken to me brethren You be the officers of the gouernour and you think it meet that I should obey his comandement but I on the other side think it verie vniust in him to comaund me to sacrifice vnto those Gods which be not such indeed and to leaue of to sacrifice vnto the true God that is IESVS CHRIST Be assured that I will suffer and endure and the torments that can be inflicted vpon me and at the end rather lose my life then do his cōmaundement The officers made shew of pittie compassion toward her seing a damosell so yong so discreet so faire and gratious readie to abandon and leaue all these yea life and all for her faith and religion They said vnto her Consider thy youth and beautie haue compassion on thy self and change not all other thy good parts in these tender yeares for vntimelie death The holie virgin said vnto them To change earth for gold is not to loose but to gaine Or to giue a cottage half-ruinated for a house built with perles and pretious stones or a life repleat with troubles and miseries which shall quiklie end for a life replenished with riches and treasure that shall endure for euer These and the like speaches vsed S. Cecilie and her words were of such force and wrought so that many that were present resolued to be Christians and were afterward Baptised by S. Vrban The gouernor was astonied to heare the holie virgin speak and viewing her angelike beautie asked what her name was for till that time he knew no other name but only that she was the wife of Valerian She told him that her name was Cecilie and then the gouernour replyed knowest thou not that the Emperours of Rome haue comaunded that the Christians either do sacrifice vnto the Gods or else that they be put to death I know it right well said the holie saint What wilt thou then do said the gouernour I determine to die said she For it is farre better to dye for confessing IESVS CHRIST then to liue denying him Consider said the gouernour that it wil be best for thee to leaue and forsake this thy oppinion and to sacrifice vnto our Gods S. Cecilie said It were better for thee to open thine eyes and to consider that those whom thou callest Gods be but stocks and stones If thou wilt not beleeue me touch them with thy hands or throwe them into the fire and there will come lime from the stones which maie serue to build with so shall there be no deceit in them as there is nowe Then said the gouernour How should I suffer thee to speak such words in my presence knowest thou not that I haue power to giue thee life or to take it awaie at my pleasure S. Cecilie answered thou thinkest my words void of reason and I know thy words to be false and no truth in them Almachius said doest thou saie Cecilie that I speak not truth The holie virgin said I saie it and auouch it in that thou saiest thou hast authoritie to giue and take awaie my life Thou maiest take life from the liuing but to giue life vnto the dead it is most cleere and certaine thou canst not So that I maie well call thee the minister of death I wil be such an officer vnto thee said Almachius if thou wilt not sacrifice So when he sawe she was constant and resolute and would not sacrifice he caused her to be put into certaine bathes which were in her owne house and hauing shut her in one of them being empty without water they made a great fire vnder which burned a whole daie and a night The holie saint receaued not any hurt thereby but it seemed to her a place rather of pleasure and refreshing then other wise when Almachius heard thereof he comaunded one to cut of her head in that place The hangman gaue her three blowes yet did he not cut of her head altogether but left it euen as it was hanging by the skinne The blessed virgin being thus wounded liued three daies many Christians coming to visite her Among these were some that had receaued the faith by her meanes whom she seing sorowfull comforted They dried vp the bloud that ran from her wound with napkins and other clothes with intent to keep them as reliques S. Vrban went also to visite her and she told him that she had desired of God to liue three daies that she might dispose of her goods and request him to consecrate that house of hers into a Church When the three daies were ended this holie virgin and glorious martyr being in prayer yeelded her blessed soule vnto God on the 22 of Nouember Her bodie was buried by pope Vrban in the Chruchyard of Callistus and her house was consecrated into a Church In processe of time pope Paschalis translated the bodies of SS Cecilie Tiburtius Valerian and pope Vrban into the Church of S. Cecilie The Catholique Church celebrateth the feast of this holie saint on the daie of her martyrdome At the end of the life of SS Tiburtius and Valerian on the 14. of Aprill is rehersed the saying of Canisius to wit that these saints were martyred in the time of Alexander Seuerus in the yeare of our Lord 225. the same he saith of S. Cecilie also and because mention is made there of pope Vrban the account cometh to be iust at that time But the Romane Breuiarie of Pius 5. putteth her martyrdome about 50. yeeres before in the times of the Emperours Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Commodus Her name is in the Canon of the masse The life of S. Clement Pope and Martir GREAT was the fame and credit which Moises the guide Exod. 27. and captein of the Hebrewes acquired and got when the said people being in the desert and at the point to dy for thirst he by the apointement of God strook a rock out of which issued water in abundance sufficient for them all to drink and to be refreshed and comforted No lesse glorious and worthy of fame was S. Clement the holie Pope and martir who did the like He liued in a desert banished thither with many other Christians for the profession of the name of IESVS CHRIST and they all
it well deserueth The Church beside all her other merits holdeth and accounteth her for aduocate of the eyes and for the sight It is therefore requisite that we all haue particuler deuotion and recommend our selues vnto her that God may by her merites and intercession preserue our corporall sight and grant the light of our soules that we may be able and worthie to see his diuine maiestie in heauen Amen The Catholique Church celebrateth the feast of S. Lucy on the day of her martirdome which was on the 13. of December in the yeare of our Lord 305. in the time of Maximian and Dioclesian Spanish Her name is in the Canon of the Masse One of the handes of S. Lucy is shewed in the vestrie of the Church of Toledo Of S. Lucy write Sigisbert the Breuiarie and the Romane Martyrologe The life of S. Thomas Apostle WHEN it happeneth sometimes that the predestinate and iust man falleth by negligence into a heinous sinne cap â—4 God vseth the words of the Prophet Esay vnto him and saith A little moment will I hide my face from thee and in euerlasting mercy will I remember thee haue pittie on thee Which is as if he had said I will turne my face from thee because thou hast offended me but for that thou didst quicklie acknowledge thy sinne and the vnhappie estate in which I found thee and didst not continue long in thy fault but forthwith didst craue pardon I will turne my face toward and thee and will behold thee with the eyes of my mercy I haue made peace with thee and will take thee into my fauour wherein thou shalt continue for euer This sentence fitteth and agreeth with S. Thomas the Apostle who offended God in not beleeuing the article of his resurrection wherefore God turned his face from him yet he returned forthwith when he remembred his error and touched with his hands the wounds of his maister which caused him to become as softe as waxe and to say My God my Lord I confesse my sinne and I confesse that thou art true God and my Lord. I confesse thou art him whom I saw dead naâ—led on the Crosse and I confesse that thou art risen againe For this cause God looked wildlie and louinglie vpon him renewed friendship with him and tooke him againe into his fauour in which he continued till his death The life of this blessed Apostle is gathered out of the Euangelistes S. Isidore Simeon Metaphrastes and Gregorie of Toures in this sort SAINT Thomas the Apostle was a Galilean but it is not knowne how or when he was called to the Apostleship S. Iohn the Euangelist maketh of him particuler mention when Mary Magdalene and Martha sent to IESVS CHRIST to tell him that their brother was dead And when he talking with his disciples told them that he would returne into Iudea and the Apostles sought to stay his iourney saying to him Maister they would latelie haue stoned thee and wilt thou yet returne amongst them he answered there be twelue houres in the day Giuing them to vnderstand that so many times their harts might be changed and altred from that they intended to doe S. Thomas seing he was determined to go said to the other disciples with a stout resolution Let vs go also dye with him S. Thomas in these wordes shewed himselfe to be of a good courage and that he loued IESVS CHRIST sincerelie At the euening after the last supper which our Sauiour made with his disciples S. Thomas was present also and was made Priest and communicated as others did When our Sauiour made that sweete and louelie sermon saying among other thinges that he went to prepare mansions for them and that they knew whether he went S. Thomas said to him Ioan 14. Lord we do not know whether thou goest how is it possible for vs to know the way After the death of our Lord and after his resurrection yea the verie same day he rose againe late in the euening the Apostles being assembled in the dyning parlour none being wanting but Iudas that had hanged himselfe and Thomas who was gone forth vpon especiall busines Ioan 20. IESVS CHRIST appeared vnto them and shewed them his wounds letting them know that he was the same that had conuersed with them dyed for them and that he was raised againe When Thomas was returned the other Apostles said to him O brother whilest thou wert absent we haue seene our Lord and Maister the very same whom we saw taken in the garden the same that was beaten and crowned with thornes nailed and dead on the Crosse whose side was opened with a speare that was taken downe from the Crosse and laid in his sepulchre This our Lord we haue seene risen againe glorious and immortall We haue seene the signes of his woundes which seeme not as they were all stained with bloud but they be adorned wonderfullie they shew as Diamonds and Rubies set in Gold and but euen now he departed from vs. S. Thomas answered It is assuredlie some fantasticke vision and for my part I tell you plainlie that before I shall see him with mine owne eyes and put my hands into his wounds and my fingers into his side I will not beleeue that you haue seene him or that he is risen againe Thus S. Thomas remained in his hardnes of heart eight dayes Iohn 19. v. 27. without relenting We may piously beleeue that the Apostles the Maries and perhaps the Mother of God also said thus vnto him As it is the signe of a light-headed person to credit and beleeue all things he heareth so is it the signe of a stubborne and peruerse mind not to beleeue that which so many affirme especiallie such people as these be How shall the Iewes which be enemies to my Sonne beleeue that he is risen againe if thou which art an Apostle wilt not beleeue it Doest thou not remember that he said oftentimes with his owne mouth that he must suffer yea he named some of the torments which he was to endure withall he said that he should arise againe the third day Now if thou hast had triall that he said truth in these things why shouldest thou thinke that hee lyed in the other If thou thinkest that the Apostles and the Maries be deceiued and that he whom they saw is another be assured that at least I am not deceiued but that I know him perfectlie well For I haue brought him forth I haue attended and borne him companie this thirtie and three yeares Although the rest should be mistaken yet I cannot be deceiued And I tell thee againe that my Sonne and thy Maister is raised to life and I beseech thee not to be obstinate or incredulous any more These and the like words we may well suppose that the glorious Virgin said to S. Thomas who neuertheles remained in his hardnes and vnbeliefe saying If I do not see him I do not beleeue it I know not the
relligious men sawe it they gaue vnto God infinite thanks and the yong man that had tasted of death was baptised and liued many yeares after S. Martin raised to life another dead man who had hanged himself as it was thought vpon a melancholick humor predominant in him depriuing him of his vnderstanding but by the praier of S. Martin he recouered and was restored to his life and health also The fame of this holy saint was spread very farre wherwith the citizens of Towers being moued sought meanes to haue him to their Bishop but it was a hard matter to get him out of his monastery They that went for him vsed this wile to get him away Aman that loued the monastery told him his wife was sicke in Poiters and desired him to goe thither to visite and heale her S. Martin vpon this occasion departed from the monastery and the messagers of the city of Towers carried him away by force before the monks who had laboured to hinder his departure perceiued it S. Martin was receiued in Towers with great ioy by all the common people who said all with one voice They were now happie since they had to their father and pastour so holy and humble a man After he was made Bishop though he changed his estate yet he altred not his life for he was as lowely and was appareilled as meanely as he was before time He discharged his office and duety to the full for he was very diligent in procuring the good of his flock and in repelling all euill from them He reproued vice commended vertue he preached he punished he rewarded and did not omitt any thing that was couenient and fit to be done so that thereby he discharged fully his duety toward his neighboure To discharge his duety toward God he caused a monastery to be built vpon a craggy mounteine two miles from the city to which place were assembled many relligious men and there he had a cell into which he withdrew himself oftentimes to pray and to liue in contemplation The relligious men who arose in short space to the nomber of 80. moued by the example of S. Martin liued a holy life in chastity pouerty obedience and continuall fasting and prayer and their habites were made of camells hayre Their diet was very temperate none dronk wyne except he was sick and they went very seldome out of their cells S. Martin had some of these monks always in his company and when he stayed any time in the monastery and returned into the city they that were posessed of the deuill gaue notice therof by the feare and dread they shewed and by the paine they suffered before he entred the towne and this befell into what city so euer he came This holy prelate vsed great dilligence in the extirpation of Idollatry out of his diocesse and trauelled into many places throwing to the ground the Idolls of the Gentills cutting downe and burnyng the groues and trees wherin the deuills gaue oracles and aunswers for which cause he was oftentimes in daunger to be murdered by the common people but his deportment and cariage was so discreet in all his affaires accompanied with some myracle in the sight of them that were agreued at his doings that sometimes whole compaines fell at his feet and besought him they might be made Christians It would be a long story to recount how many sicke he healed by his prayers but among others one was Paulinus ouer whose eyes was growne such a webbe that it made him blind and also put him to much paine The holy saint did clense them one time with a napkin and he was made whole his sight restored and his grief ceased After this S. Martin being Bishop raised to life the sonne of a distressed poore mother whofinding him in the city of Chaâ—tres in the company of many Idollaters layd before him her dead sonne and requested him very earnestly to raise him vnto life The holy saint made his prayer for him and he reuiued This myracle caused many of those pagans to come to the faith of CHRIST S. Martin after he was Bishop raised to life none but this child and bycause he had raised vnto life two before that he vsed to say vnto his disciples and friends that he was better by two parts before he was Bishop then after and that his high dignity had diminished his vertue It is apparant the holy man said these words for lowlines and humility for it is well known that after he was Bishop he did many admirable and vertuous deeds which he had not done in the former time But this declareth and sheweth his charity and humility He was Bishop when he came into Paris and sawe at the gate a leprous man soe full of soies and blaines that the only sight of him was greeuous and importable to many the good prelate came close to him and embraced him and layd his face on the face of the leper he kissed him very charitably there with cuted him and made him whole This leper whom the whole city had seene came the day following to the Church and gaue thanks publiquely vnto God for the recouery of his health He was Bishop when Sulpitius who wrote his life visited him whoÌ„ he receiued most kindly and gaue him harty thankes that he was come from Tolose to Towers only to see him The blessed man himself washed his feet made him sitt at his table at the which he filled more his soule then his body hearing his words enkindled with the fier of celestiall loue and the grauity of his reasons This Autor said I neuer sawe nor conuersed with any mortall man furnished with such science witte and eloquence such aboundance of pure chast words as I found in Martin it made me more to marueile for that I know he was vnlettered The somme of his speaches were of the contempt of the world to auoid vice to loue vertue and that which he said he performed also in deed Noe tounge is able to expresse that which I noted to be in this holy saint in the time I liued in his company I neuer sawe him angry I neuer sawe him displeased or discontent much lesse to laugh after a dissolute maner and this was because that what so euer befell he receiued it as sent from God The austerityes of his fastings watching continuall wearing of sackcloth were things rather to be admyred then imitated He slept continually on the ground he vsed to eate and sleep so litle that it seemed impossible he could liue with it He was neuer idle when he had dispatched the affaires and busines of his Church he spent the rest of his time in reading the holy scripture mixing it with praier Herin he did as the smithes doe striking vpon the hotte iron who that they may continue the better giue now and then an idle blow euen so did S. Martin as for a recreation praying one while and reading another O blessed man in
THE LIVES OF SAINTS Written in Spanish by the learned and Reuerend Father ALFONSO VILLEGAS Diuine and Preacher Translated out of Italian into English and conferred with the Spanish BY W. E. K. B. Rom. 8. v. 17. Sitamen compatimur vt conglorificemur Yet if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him Printed at DOWAY By the Widow of LAVRENCE KELLAM at the signe of the holy Lambe M.DC.XIV To the Reader WE present the now at length deere Chriâ—tian Reader with the foure last moneths of â—heyre glorious liues whose names as renowned Sainctes of God are in the Roman Calender This debt I must confess hath bin due this long time but could not be discharged vntill this present wherein the grace of God hath freed our passage through a maine sea of difficulties For such is the nature of all Catholique writings in oure distressed countrie what through penurie pressure and long imprisonment of they re authors at home ignorance neglect carelesnes of suche as are put in trust abroade wee must wynde oure selues out of a laberynth of crosses before wee can bring to light oure laboures And euen then must they runne so manie hard fortunes and haue suche bad well come and entertainment that only this were able to check all endeuoures not strengthned by the hand of God And yett could I neuer finde anie reason why this worke of oures should not be wellcome to people of all sorts and conditions For yf the liues of those auncyent worthies whose highest ayme was a fayned shadowed transitorie glorie or els the loue and renowne of they re natiue countrie be so gratefull to most men principally suche as follow they re steppes they who taking vp they re crosse and following CHRISTE did beate the narrow path that leadeth to saluation they whose ayme was euerlasting glorie whose loue Hierusalem they re mother citty in heauen they whose valour and violence did winne the Kingdome purchased for them with the bloud of CHRISTE why should not theyr liues be acceptable to all whose name doth wittness theyr profession to be nothing els but a following of CHRISTE Or why should wee gleane with a hungrie delight greedie appetite some few barren eares of morall vertues scattered in the liues of Heathnish authors care not for the chiefe croppe and principall haruest of all naturall supernaturall vertues which are to be found in that hundreth-yielding field of the Churche of CHRISTE Especially seing that what is most emineÌ„t in suche as only walked by light of reason may no wayes compare with the verie beginnings of those sainctes that were guided by the light of faith These God therefore hath placed in the churches firmament to serue vs as light to guide oure steps these he did leaue vs as patternes and myrrhoures wherein wee might behold oure offences to shunne them they re vertues to embrace them In them all callings professions shall finde how to rule and square they re actions to the honoure of God and profiâ—t of they re soules They will teache vs how to wage warre with oure enemies VVorld Flesh Deuill how to preuent they re wiles trappes when they goe about to win vs with coloure of sanctity how to arme order ward oure selues when they assaile vs with open force and hostility There wee shall see howe to behaue oure selues in the boysterous stormes of aduersitie how in the deceytfull calme of prosperitie Finally they re liues will be oure card compasse teaching vs how to direct oure course that without suffering shipwracked of oure soules wee may arriue at the hauen of health saluatioÌ„ VVherefore deere Christian Reader doubt not to wellcome entertain that ghuest whose presence with pleasure will affoord thee such profitt And when thou doest finde some few suche things as are more to be admired then imitated past not thy iudgement vpon theÌ„ with passion measure not the vertues of God his Sainctes by thy owne feeblenes goe not about to weaken or discredit the promisses of CHRISTE nor confine the omnipoteÌ„t hand of God within the narrow bounds of humaine reason for the holie Ghost hath all ready fore told vs that God is admirable in his sainctes and CHRISTE did promise that his disciples should worke greater wonders then they re maisters SEPTEMBER The life of S. Giles Abbot WE READE in the beginning of Genesis that when our Lord God would forme man Gen. I. he said these wordes Let vs make man vnto our image similitude who shal rule ouer the fishes of the sea the foules of the ayre and beastes of the earth The holy Doctors say that if the first man had perseuered in the state of innocency and had conserued original iustice in the which God created him all the creatures had acknowledged him for their Lord and had bene obedient vnto him but for that he was disobedient vnto God all creatures were disobedient and became foes vnto him The same thing happened vnto man which befalleth vnto a hunter who going out to hunt all the dogges leap about him and fawne and lick him but if he should put on a visard it is likly inough they would not acknowledg him but would look angerly grin and swarle at him Euen so befell it vnto our first father Adam after that he put the visard of disobedience on his face Before that all creatures esteemed and serued him and acknowledged him for the superiour but afterward they all rebelled making warre against him as against their common enemy Neuertheles God being merciful to the end that some signe of that happy estate might be seene permitted that there should be some so holie and faithfull that vnto them many creatures should serue and be obedient As we haue an example of S. Giles VVho was cherished by a hinde a while and mainteined by her milk the time he remained in a caue of a soltary and craggy mountaine The life of this holy Abbot and Confessor was written by Gilbertus B. of Carnotum and other Authors in this manner SAINT Giles was borne in Athens of the Royall bloude His father was called Theodorus and his mother Pelagia From his childhood he was instructed in the studies of humanity and diuinity also and in the same age he gaue himself vnto the seruice of God exercising himself in good workes He was of singular charity and gaue much almose He went one day vnto the church sawe a poore sick man in the street who asked an almes of him and he taking the garment he wore gaue it to the poore man who took it and put it on and forthwith he became perfectly whole Not long after this his father died and he distributed al his patrimony which was very great amongst the needy God shewed many miracles by the meanes of this holy Saint one was when he healed a man that was bitten by a venemous serpent so that he was at the point of death Another was he being one sonday
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
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
and being aprehended he remained one night in the house of one of them that had taken him To that place resorted much people euery one desiring to see their prelate aliue for they were assured that right soone they should see him dead Thither came also many deuout women but he caused them to depart to auoid occasion of offence On the next morning the holy Bishop was brought before the Proconsull Galerius Maximus apparellend in pontificall vestures which made a goodly maiestical shewe when the Proconsull sawe him he said Art thou that Cyprian that hast the title of Pope or gret Bishop I am Cyprian said the good Bishop Tell me said the Proconâ—ull if thou knowe what our Emperours haue commaunded which is that thou must either sacrifice vnto the Gods or els thou must loose thy life Cyprian answered I am a Christian and I cannot nor may not sacrifice vnto your Gods wherefore do whatsoeuer hath bin coÌ„manded vnto thee The proconfull waxing wroth said Thou hast liued sacrilegiously and hast drawen many vnto thy deuotions you all haue made a confederacie against the Gods whom the Romain Emperous adore thou wouldest neuer obey their decrees But because thou art the author of this euill my will is that thy doctrine be writteÌ„ with thy bloud to the end thy adherents may take example by thee and be aduised by thy death Hauing said thus he pronounced the sentence that Cyprian should be beheaded The blessed Bishop said then I render infinite thanks vnto God who is pleased to deliuer me from the prison of this body The officers of Iustice inconâ—inent led him to be executed according to the sentence Much People followed him euery one lamenting and all of them saieng with a loud voice Cut of all our heads together with his When they came to the place of martirdome the B. Bishop put of his pontificall attire and wrapped and foulded vp the same agein and gaue it vnto his deacons and remained only in his last linnen garment He then requested one of his frends to giue him some mony who gaue him 20. pieces of gold all which he gaue vnto the headsman in recompence of the seruice he expected to receaue of him His frinds and the cleargy that were in the place lamented bitterly and laid their garments on the ground that his blessed bloud might fall on the same He himself put the napkin ouer his eies and being on his knees the headsman performed his office Assone as S. Ciprian was beheaded the priests that were in that place very reuerently took vp his body and caried it vnto the graue But they fearing lest the pagans would take it out of that publike place and vnbury it and pull and dismember it in pieces the same priests by night took it out of that place and caried it vnto the field of Macrobius Candidus S. Cyprian was the first prelat that was martirized in Africa Of him his life and death much mention is made by many holy men and graue Authors As S. Augustine S. Ierome S. Gregory Nazianzen Prudentius Maximus B. of Turine Paulus Diaconus Lactantius Firmianus and Eusebius Cesariensis You must note that S. Gregory Nazianzen saith that S. Ciprian was a magitian or inchaunter who tried by his art to gett the loue of a yong woman called Iustina and that hauing sent the euill spirits to bring her vnto him they could not bring her no not come neere her And this he saith was the occasion of his conuersion and that the yong maid Iustina was martired with him Marcus Marulus saith the same They the others that say thus ar deceued for they make but one Ciprian of two that were Ciprian B. of Carthage a most holy doctor and martir was one and Ciprian the sorcerer or coniurer was another The times wherin thes two Ciprians liued were diuers and the Church celebrateth their feasts on seuerall daies The feast of S. Cyprian B. of Carthage whose life we haue written at this time is celebrated on the same day that the feast of S. Cornelius the pope is vnto whom he was a great frend and many letters were written from the one vnto the other and they were martired on the same day but in sundry places and not in the same yeare as S. Ierome and Ado of Vienna say The day of the martirdome of S. Cyprian was on the. 14. day of September in the yeare of our Lord 259. But the Church translateth his feast vnto the 16. day of the same moneth because that on the 14. day is celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the holy Crosse and on the 15. day is celebrated the octaue of the natiuity of our Lady The Spanish Dioclesian about 300. The feast of S. Cyprian the sorcerer who was martired with Iustina the virgin is celebrated on the. 26. day of September This S. Cyprian liued in the time of the Emperour Claudius 2. And S. Cyprian B. of Carthage was in the time of Valerian and Galien One was borne in Carthage and the-other in Antioche God some times permitteth the saints to erre in some matter for if they should not erre in some one thing they might be thought to be more then men The which be fell vnto S. Cyprian whose life we haue written for he was in an opinion that those which had bene Baptised by heretiks although they had obserued the forme which the Church obserueth in Baptisme should and ought neuertheles to be rebaptised and herein he erred but as S. Augustin saith the spot of this error was washed away with the bloud which he shed in his martirdome Venerable Bede saith that the reliques of S. Cyprian were brought from Africa into Fraunce and that they be in Lyons The life of S. Euphemia Virgin and of SS Lucy and Geminian Martirs IESVS CHRIST speaking vnto his Apostles of the persecutions that thy were to suffer for his sake as allso others Math. 10. which should come after them said thes words The sonnes shall arise against their owne fathers and shall procure their death by accusing them vnto tirants This was accomplished acording to the letter in a Romain matrone called Lucy who was accused by her owne sonne before a tirant that shee was a Christian for the which shee was allso put to death The church celebrateth her feast together with that of SS Geminian and Euphemia for that thy were martired all three on one day by the ordinance of one and the same tirant though in sundry places Their martirdome was written by venerable Bede Vsuardus wrote the same and like wise Ado Archbishop of Triers in this maner IN the time of the Emperour Dyocletian there was in the citty of Chalcedon a Senator called Philophronius he had only one daughter named Euphemia that being a Christian was as much ennobled for her vertue as for her bloud Shee was put into prison by a Proconsull called Priscus who commanded her to sacrifise vnto his gods The holy virgin
mention of this miracle of raising the kings sonne from death to life by S. Matthew and also of the two dragons and of other miracles and admirable acts the Apostle did in Ethiope although he do not particularize the same he saith also that much people came vnto the place where S. Matthew lodged and would haue done sacrifice to him as if he had bene a God and presented many gifts vnto him and that the Apostle said vnto them I am not a God but a mortall man and the seruant of IESVS CHRIST who is the true God Then he requested them to bestow those presents and gifts which they would haue giuen him vpon the building of a temple to the same IESVS CHRIST for he whom he preached and by whose power he did those miracles was the true liuing God exhorting them to be Baptised in his name for that was the true waye and meanes to obteine euerlasting life To conclude the Apostle said such words and confirmed them so with miracles that the king with all his court and a great number of other people were Baptised The king had a daughter called Iphigenia who was very beautifull but much more commended for her wisedome who hauing heard S. Matthew oftentimes in his sermons to commend and extoll virginity conceiued a good liking of him and vsing his aduise was closed in a monastery with 200. other damosells desiring to do the same S. Matthew staid in Etiope 23. years continually conuerting soules to our Lord IESVS building Churches ordering priests consecrating Bishops gaining many soules and augmenting the faith of CHRIST and that which he preached with the mouth he performed also in deeds to the edification of others lib. 2. pedagog his life being holy and exemplary Clement of Alexandria saith that S. Matthew neuer eate flesh and that he liued only with herbes King Egippus afterward deceasing his brother Hyrtacus succeeded in the kingdome This newe king to establish himself more suerly in the kingdome and also moued with the rare beauty of Iphigenia intended to marry her To bring this his purpose to effect he acquainted the Apostle with his intent thinking it a good meanes to drawe the mind of the yong woman to his will The Apostle aunswered the king that he would giue notice vnto Iphigenia of the good that ariseth of matrimony and howe it is a holy thing and that then he might come and talk with her himself The king thought this would be a very good course and for that the Apostle said he would declare this matter in a sermon the king said that he would also be present therat Sonday came and the Apostle in the presence of Iphigenia and the other relligious women the king being there also and all the cheifest Lords of his court began to discourse of matrimony and to shewe howe necessary it was for the conseruation of mankind and gaue it other commendations He also said that matrimony was ordeined and instituted by God and howe good it was to haue children All this pleased Hirtacus very well and he awayted to hear the Apostle say that Iphigenia might forsake and leaue the estate of a relligious woman and take a husband and be made Queene of Ethiope But the conclusion of Apostle was farre otherwise then Hirtacus exspected for then he fell in hand to treate of the grieyous punishment that adulteres deserued out of which he seemed to inferre that if the seruant of any king was so bold as to take away his wife from him he did not merite only to be put out of fauour and to be disgraced but also he deserued to dy an euill death though he did not effect but only attempte it Therefore ô king I giue thee to vnderstand said Apostle looking vpon him that Iphigenia is the spouse of IESVS CHRIST the king of heauen and if thou seek to take her away from him thou shalt fall into his heauy displeasure When Hirtacus perceaued the conclusion of the Apostles words and wherunto they tended he was moued to great indignation which he vttered in his countenance and so threatning him he departed out of the Church Iphigenia was heereat surprised with great feare and with the other relligious women kneeled at the feet of the Apostle and asked his aduise what shee and they should do to be quit of the persecution and assault the king had begon against her virginity The Apostle incouraged them all with good words and put a veile vpon euery one of their heads making them hereby and by their vowing the three vowes of Pouertie Chastity and Obedience true Nonnes and these were the first Nonnes the were among the Christians This being done the Apostle said Masse and hauing ended the same there came thither a cruell fellow sent by Hirtacus who gaue the Apostle many wounds with a speare so that the Altar was all stained with bloud and his body lay dead in the place The grief and compassion of the people for the death of S. Mathew was so great that they made a commotion and rose in armes entending to kill the tyraunt and had effected it if some priests had not intromitted themselues and said them sayeng that God would not be pleased there with and that therefore he commanded Peter to put vp his sword into the sheath Then Hyrtacus laboured by the meanes of some ladies to persuade Iphigania to be his wife but seeing that this way would not remoue the holy virgin from her good purpose in a diabolicall rage he caused the monastery to be fired but S. Mathew was seene in the aire to quench it The sacrilegious tyraunt escaped not this deserued punishment for God strook him with the leprosy which was so sore that he killed himself for paine and the kingdome came to the brother of Iphigenia sonne to Egippus who was a Christian ruled that prouince many years to the honour and glory of God which was spred through all Ethiope where the body of S. Matthew was kept and holden in great veneration and reuerence vntill the time of pope Gregory 7. when it was translated ro the city of Salerno in Italy where it is holden in great veneration to this day by all good Christians Great reason there is to doe so for that this glorious Apostle hath three honorable titles for euery of which he meriteth to be honored The first is of Apostle the second of Euangelist the third of martir His death was on the 21 day of September and on that day the Church celebrateth his feast and in the year of our Lord. 90. in the raigne of Domiâ—ian after Canisius It is not with out mistery that among all the other Euangelists whom the Church vseth in her seruice S. Matthew holdeth the first place as likewise doe S. Paule and Dauid of the one of which almost euery day the epistles be red of the other the psalmes be song The mistery may be for that all three were great sinners to giue hope to all
them that hartily are conuerted vnto God that he not only pardoneth them but also sheweth vnto them especiall fauors honouring them first vpon earth and then making them great also in heauen Concerning the ghospell of S. Matthew I write this to satisfy curious witts it is commonly said that he wrote it in Hebrew and some say the contrary This happeneth for that as Guido Fabricius saith there were two manners of speaking Hebrew the one was the Auncient which the Patriarchs and Prophets spake and the other was called Moderne or Hyerosolimitan for that it was vsed in that city For in Ierusalem there traded many forremeâ—s and strangers and by the commerce they had with them being Syrians and Chaldeans and other nations there were mingled words of sondry languages therin This Hebrew Hyerosolimitane laÌ„guage IESVS CHRIST spake as it is to be seene by many words in the gospell as Abba father Mammona Iniquity and such like Then I say that S. Matthew wrote his gospell not in that Auncient Hebrew language but in the Modern Hyerosolimitaine in which CHRIST spake The same which Guido Fabricius saith is affirmed also by Petrus Gallesinus in his annotations vpon Doroteus Bishop of Tyrus in his book of the life 's of the disciples of CHRIST S. Ierome saith that the Ghospell of S. Matthew was translated into Greek and that it is not knowne who did it The same holy saint saith that in his time the Hebrew text of S. Matthew was in the city of Cesarea but it was lost after that and was found again in the time of Themperor Zeno or of Anastasius who succeeded him hard by the body of S. Barnabas the Apostle who at that time was found in the Island of Cyprus as Nicephorus Callistus saith It was lost again Nicep lib. 16. cap. 37. and as Iohn Eckius that learned Catholike Doctor in the life of S. Matthew affirmeth Pope Nicholas 5. being desirous to find it send word into all parts where he thought he might haue notice therof and promised 5000 ducats of gold to him that brought it to him But for all that it was not found vntill the time of Themperouor Charles 5. vnto whom God reserued many good fortunes among which this was not the least This is not in the Spanish Afterward the Catholike king Philip. 2. his sonne caused it to be put into the Bible Royall which he caused to be printed and it is in it at this present and was againe translated into Latine by the aboue named Guido Fabricius The life of S. Maurice and other holie Martirs THE Euangelist S. Iohn rehearseth in the Apocalipse Ca. 9 that he saw a huge multitude of locusts to come out of a great pitt who were permitted and had leaue for fiue months to do all the euill they could on the earth These locusts represented the tirants who afflicted the martirs and vexed them in the fiue outward sences They killed their bodies and not their soules and herof it cometh that the holy martirs perseuered in the confession of the faith with such courage because they knew all the euill and mischiefe the tirants could do them was not extended further then the body This being considered by a noble and valiant regiment of Theban souldiers whose Coronell was called Maurice permitted themselues to be euill intreated and slain being assured that only their bodies endured paines and that the crueltie of the tyrant could not hurt their soules by any meanes The tirant that martired them was Maximian of whom and of Dioclesian one may rightlie say that there was neuer serpent so pernicious nor dragon so fell in the craggie mountains of Arabia or in the thick woods and deserts of Ethiop as these two before-named tyrants were against the Catholiks as may be seen in the life of S. Maurice and his companions martired with him which martirdome is written by Eucherius Bishop of Lyons Venerable Beda and other Authors of Martirologes THE Emperour Maximian entending to passe out of Italy into Fraunce to pacyfy certein people which were in rebellion against the empire for the better effecting of his enterprize had commaunded legions or Regiments of souldiers to be sent vnto him out of sundry prouinces One legion as Vsuardus saith coÌ„teined 6666 souldiers And bicause the great populous city of Thebes in Egipt which standeth on the bank of the riuer of Nilus was subiect vnto the Romain empire that sent also a legion of the which Maurice was Coronell and Exuperius was standerd bearer The other principall officers of the Regiment were Candidus Gereon Vitalis Innocentius and Tirsus All the common souldiers of this Regiment were Christians and had bin Baptised by Zabdus B. of Ierusalem This goodly company came first vnto Rome and visited the pope who was called Marcellus This good pope confirmed them all in the faith and gaue them his benediction and dismissed them Then they departed in the company of Maximian and passed the Alpes and came vnto a city which at that time was the head of the people of Sedun called Agaunum at this present it is called S. Maurice di Sauoya In that place Maximian had a mind to make a solemne sacrifice vnto his gods to the end they might be his aiders in this his entreprise and commaudned all the principall officers of the army to be present thereat Maurice and his Thebans hearing the same stepped all aside somewhat out of the way sayeng that they being Christans would not be present therat Maximian being certefied therof was much displeased and tooke it as a mutiney worthy of seuere punishment To which purpose he sent to their quarter the marshall and prouost to chastice some of them for a terror to the rest to reduce the others vnto the army and to the sacrifice The chasticement inflicted was this The officers made them passe vnder a spear and told them and when they came vnto the tenth man they incontinent cut of his head This was the ordinary punishmenr of that time when an host or Regiment coÌ„mitted a trespasse The Thebans which remained and escaped in patient and quiet maner boldly said that they would not be present at the sacrifice do what they could Themperour seing them to be resolute renewed his anger and bad that they should be tenthed or decimated againe for so that punishment was called This sentence no lesse cruell then vniust being begun to be executed it is a thing considerable to behold with what inconquerable courage the holly martirs seemed to tollerate the slaughter made of them The Thebans were by nature valiant and bigge of body but herin they shewed singular and rare valour in that they did not complain of the tirant and also for that they looked cheerefully on the matter They animated one the other but aboue all Maurice their Coronell went amongst them exhorting sometimes this man otherwhiles that man and told them that since they had heretofore endaungered their lifes for and in the
family to the Mauri Being fully 20. yeeres old he was sent by his father to Rome to study where he remained in the house of Quintus Fabius his fathers friend vntill S. Peter the Apostle came to Rome to preach the Gospell Then this S. Linus was of his first disciples who followed him asisting him alwaies in his preaching and in the administration of the hely Sacramēts S. Peter seing in him many good partes as his holines learning and curteous affability he made him his coadiutor in the dignity to the which he was also elected after the death of the Apostle So that first he was coadiutor then Pope and head of the Church for the which with great care and prudence he prouided all thinges necessarie for the good gouernement thereof He comaunded in particuler that women hould not enter into the Church with their haire loose and vntied but bound vp and couered as S. Peter had comaunded and S. Paul had left written He gaue holy orders twise in the month of December and at them he consecrated 15. Bishops and ordered 18 Priests with some Deacons In the primitiue Church there was great care had in giuing holy orders and in receiuing any to the office of a priest or the other orders and therefore they kept a reconing and conserued the memory of the times when holy orders were giuen and how many were ordered Those ancient fathers did this for that this office was so reuerend holy and so hard to discharge that many deputed and apointed to take orders refused it yea some there were that cut of some member or other as their finger eare nose or the like to make themselues incapable to receiue an office so great and waighty as Priesthood is Moreouer the Christians at that time were fewe in number so that there was not such need of so many Pastors If the same were done at this present it would surely be a notable benefit aswell for the one part as for the other if that prelates were not so liberall and ready in giuing holy orders nor secular Christians so bold and hasty in procuring to receaue the same the Priests should not be so litle esteemed nor the seculars haue such occasion to murmure of the Ecclesiasticall state S. Linus wrote the deeds and doctrine of S. Peter the Apostle his maister and especialy his martirdome S. Linus being a most holy man cast out diuells and raised the dead to life He deliuered from the diuell a yong woman daughter to the Consul Saturninus who in recompence of that receaued benefitt by the handes of the good Pope comaunded he should be put to death and so he was made the martir of IESVS CHRIST It is no smal honour to S. Linus that the Catholike Church hath put his name in the Canon of the masse among other holy martirs there mētioned The feast of S. Linus is celebrated on the daie of his martirdom which was one the 23 of September in the yeare of our Lord 81. in the time of Vespasian the Emperour This holy Martir held the Papacy 11. yeeres 3. monthes and 12 daies was buried neere vnto the body of S. Peter the Apostle Shortly after his holy reliques were translated vnto the citty of Ostia and laid comely in the Church of S. Lawrence by Gregorie Bishop of that citty S. Paul maketh mention of Pope Linus in the second Epistle he wrote vnto Timothie his disciple in the 4. chapter The life of S. Tecla virgin THE Apostle S. Paule writing vnto the Corinthians saith 1. Cor. 7. that the virgin sinneth not in taking a husband but doth a good work though it should be better not to take a husband but to remaine a virgin I may be that the Apostle preached this doctrin in a sermon and that a yong woman named Tecla who had determined to take a hushand was present therat Who vnderstanding that it was better to conserue her virginity left and forsooke her earthly spouse taking IESVS CHRIST to her heauenly spouse for whose loue she tollerated very great afflictions and torments which were procured vnto her by him that thought to be her husband The life of this glorious saint gathered out of the writings of S. Ambrose Ado Arch of Triers and out of other graue authors was as followeth ON a time S. Paule departing from Antioch went vnto a city called Iconium in the prouince of Cilicia There had bene there before that time Titus his disciple and had giuen notice and signes of him vnto Onesiphorus who was a very vertuous man and dwelt in that city He had related allso vnto him the doctrine which he preached his life and behauior and informed him of the quality of his personage to wit that he was a man litle of body and that he had a hooked nose and faire in the face like an Angell When the Apostle came vnto the city Onesiphorus knew him by the signes before told him wherefore he led him to his house where some people of good intention and desirous to finde the true way to eternall life and happines were assembled The Apostle preached vnto them to the great profit of them that gaue due attention vnto him In the next house to the place where the Apostle preached there dwelt a damosell very beautifull but much more vertuous called Tecla This damosell had a mother liuing who had made a match and apointed to marry her to a yongman called Tamirus It hapened on a time that Tecla standing in a windowe of her house heard from thence the preaching wordes of S. Paul which made very great impressiō in the mind of the yong damosell She being not content to haue heard him this one time endeauored and made meanes to heare him sondry other times and so long that her mother came to the knowledge thereof how the wordes of the Apostle had made her daughter to alter her intent and purpose to marry Yea the virgin Tecla her self who was a pagan before said now boldly that she was a Christian and she that before was resolued to take an husband said now that she desired rather to loose her life then her virginity The mother made report of these things vnto the spouse of her daughter who finding the same to be very true because Tecla her self told him her mind freely and what she entended to do which was that she would not marry but remaine a virgin went vnto the Proconsull of the citty and gaue him notice that there was a forreiner come into the towne who took wiues from their husbands and brought in new and strange Gods to the notable preiudice and damage of them all as being contrary to that their fore fathers had beleeued This information was the cause that the Apostle was apprehended cruelly scourged and put in danger of his life had he not made it knowne vnto them that he had the priuiledge of a citisen of Rome by being borne in Tarsus a citty of Cicilia yet for all
which was written by Nicetas a philosopher and recounted by Simeon Metaphrastes and their martir dome was written by Ado Archbishop of Triers SAINT Cosmus and S. Damianus were brethren and phisitions and were borne in Egea a city of Arabya in Asia Their father and mother were Christians and Catholiques Their father died when they were yet litly children wherfore their mother Theodora brought them vp with great care and dilligence And being a woman of good behauior and chiefly because shee was a good Christian shee would not permit them to comit any fault or offence but endeuored to enstruct and direct them in vertue and godlines So that they became good children like to their good mother and good schollers like vnto their good mistris Amongst the other good qualities of these two breathren the profession of the Catholique faith shined most in them for which cause they despised and contemned Idolatry and other wicked superstition They were chast and honest in life and fled from all sensuall delight and tamed their flesh with austere sackcloth disciplines and fastings which be the most certein remedies to ouercome that enemy euen as they ouercame it by the grace of God Also couetousnes that abhominable vice neuer entred into their hart but rather bicause they made small account of mony and liued in poore and meane estate they were called Anargeni which is to say Men without monie and in this sort obseruing the Ghospell they liued an Angelicall life And to auoid Idlenes which is the mother of vices and stepmother vnto vertue they vsed the science of phisicke euen from theire childhood became skilfull and expert phisitions They gaue and ministred phisicke vnto the sick without any expectation of temporall gaine but only for the loue of God When the infirmity was perillous and not to be cured by art they resorted vnto God by praier and making the signe of the Crosse they healed and cured them and heerein they followed the steps of the Apostles They imitated the Patriarcks in being benigne piâ—tifull charitable in liuing a life in simplicity without doublenes or hypocrisy They imitated the Prophets in that they were zelous of Gods honor in reproouing them that were stubborn and obstinate in euill deeds They imitated the martirs in the valiancy of their minds shewed against the common enemies of mankind the world the flesh and the deuill They imitated the preists in their religious life chastity and grauity offering their body and soule for an acceptable sacrifice vnto God to serue him withall humility and obediencence to obserue and keepe his holy commaundements They imitated the monks in obedience concinency and pouerty in silence and repose of soule And at one word they imitated all the saints as much as lay in their power Thus they ranne their race making the world to wonder at their sincerity so that the report of them was spred very farre The rumor of them being dispersed came to the eares of Dioclesian and Maximian those noted persecutors of the Christians who had decreed that all the Iudges gouernours lieutenants and other officers of the prouinces subiect to them should put to death all that denied to sacrifice vnto the Idols Lisias the gouernor in the city of Egeas hauing notice of the blessed phisitions Cosmus and Damianus caused them to be brought before him and demaunded of what countrey they were and their names They answered that they were Arabians and borne in the city of Egea and that their names were Cosmus and Damian and that they were both Christians The gouernour persuaded them to sacrifice vnto the Idols but seeing them coÌ„stantly to refuse it he commaunded them to be tied hand and foot and to be cruelly beaten and after he had giuen them other torments he caused them to be throwne into the maine sea bound as they were They were no sooner cast into the water but an Angell came to their aide who vntyeng all their hands brought them aliue and vntied vnto the shore The gouernor was certified of that wonder wherfore he caused them ageine to be brought before him and requested them to teach him their Art magicke and inchauntments wherby they were deliuered from the sea and then he promised to be their good friend They answered We be Christians and haue no skill in Art magike but were deliuered our of the sea by the power of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The gouernor caused them againe to be put in prison and the next day a great fire to be kindled then he threw the blessed martirs into the same but the flame was deuided into two parts and the holy saints remained in the midst at their praiers The gouernor was astonied to see such a wonder yet he did not repent of his wickednes but caused them to be hoised aloft and to be beaten againe with wands and stones and beholding the holy saints cheerefull in countenaunce and to contemne the torments he caused them to be lifted vpon two Crosses and there to be stoned to death The officers threw the stones and though they cast them with all their might yet came none of the stones so farre as the holy martirs but fell vpon them that stood by to see the spectacle and wounded many of them but especially them tha threw them The gouernour seeing this an beleeuing assuredly that it was done by inchauntment enraged with fury and indignation commaunded them to be shot to death with Arrowes and the same happened to the Arrowes as did before vnto the stones for they did light on them that shot them and none touched the bodies of the martires At last he commaunded they should be both beheaded and in this sort the holy martirs finished their lifes and obteined the crowne of Martirdome Their bodies were buried by some vertuous people with out the walles of the city Egea It is said that ioyntly with these holy martirs SS Cosmus and Damian three other holy martirs were beheaded whose names were Antimus Leontinus and Euprepius and were their brethren as some Authors write There is a booke of the miracles that God showed by the merits of SS Cosmus and Damian wherof this is one A clowne sleeping in the field a serpent crept into his mouth and so further into his body wherby the poore man was in great danger of death He with great deuotion craued the help of the holy martirs and they were seene visibly by his side and commaunded the serpent to come out of his body and so it did These holy saints also gaue him phisike which cured him and then they vanished away the second Nicen Councell in the third action maketh mention of the booke of the myracles of SS Cosmus and Damian The Church celebrateth their martirdome on the 27 day of September which was in the yeare of our Lord 301 and in the time of Dioclesian and Maximian The bodies of these holy saints be in Rome in a Church dedicated to their name The venetians say not
maner of speach their low and disordered stile displeased me much About the middest of Lent a grieuous feuer tooke me and brought me to that state of body that they who were with me prepared for my buriall Remaining thus I was taken vp in spirite and brought vnto iudgment before the roiall throne of IESVS CHRIST and being demaunded of my quality and of my faith I aunswered boldly that I was a Christian Then the Iudge replied Nay thou seemest rather to be a Ciceronian then a Christian for where thy treasure is there is thy hart At this word I was strooke dombe and the Iudge commanded me to be cruelly beaten I sighing and sobbing said Pardon me ô Lord Pardon me ô Lord neuertheles my punishment endured and my teares continewed many Angells who were present seing it fell on their knees before the Iudge beseeching him to pardon me the errours of my youth and to giue me time also of amendment vpon condition that if I did not amend my fault I should vndergo a greater punishment I would at that time and in that estate haue promised greater things so I did sweare to obserue this which whē I had done I was set free and came to my self Let none think it was a vaine dreame witnes is the iudge in whose sight I was beaten the Angells be also witnesses and so be the marks of the scourging which continued in my body for many daies From that time S. Ierome addicted himself vnto the study of Diuinity and spent not his time any more in other vnprofitable and vaine studies and therfore he saith in the prologue before S. Paul vnto the Galathians It is 15. yeares since I took in my hand any book of secular learning and if it happen sometime that I neede the science of any such books I take it out of my memory Writing to Damasus the pope he reproueth ecclesiasticall persons that leaue the reading of holy writt and spend their time in reading of heathnish books and fables which do hurt vnto many S. Ierome thought it time to set downe his rest and to followe some course of life And seing that in the ecclesiasticall state there was daunger for the great obligement they haue to be good and to seeme to be so also by giuing good example to all seing likewise the great charge they had that took wifes he refused this vtterly and feared to assume the other vpon him So he resolued to be a monk Their order at that time was to weare a meane and course garment different from the clergy and the lay men yet did not all the monks vse one maner of appareill for they differed in the stuf collour and also in the fashion for some of them were clothed with course and rough cloth others with beasts skinns sowed together but in this they all agreed that their garments were course bare and very meane They exercise themselues continually in fasting watching and reading of the holy scriptures they could not haue any publique office but all their busines was to serue God Some of them liued in common and had a superior vnto whom they gaue obedience others liued a solitary life in the deserts and S. Ierome determined to take that kind of life He had some frends vntowhom he disclosed his minde and what his determination was to do They although they had followed him vntill that time and had receaued comfort of his holy conuersation aboundantly and had profitted much by his hole some aduises and by the example of his holy life yet at that pinch they all abandoned him only one called Eliodorus staid and took the habite remained within him in the desert a short time but being tired and aweried not able to endure that austerity of life he also forsook him and returned vnto the world S. Ierome wrote of this departure of Eliodorus vnto Iulian the deacon in these gratious words Our brother Eliodorus came vnto the desert with me and for that he is holy and I a great sinner and he not being able to suport my maners is departed and left me Assoone as S. Ierome had taken this course of life he set his temporall goods in order and recommended the charge of them to an honest man During the time he staied in the desert he staid not long in a place because at that time certain heresies were dispersed in those countries and the prelats of Antioche Alexandria and Cypres and of other places vnder whose iurisdiction the monks and solitary liuers were sent ordinarily visiters to examine them of their faith These visiters had no trust in S. Ierome and he had no confidenee in them He was suspitious of them because of some words and phrases they vsed in the mistery of the B. Trinity Ep. 77 ad mar Celeden and they suspected him because their conuersation and company did not like and please him To free himself of this molestation and to auoid the often visitations of his friends who kept him more occupied thē he desired to be he withdrew himself into a desert and solitary wildernes in Siria and there he shutvp himself with his books in a caue where he remained foure years doing pennance and leading an austere life His chief exercise was to lament the sinnes of his youth to chastice his body with fasting watching and other austerities that it would make a man to wonder at them sooner then to imitate them Rawe herbes and roots were his meat faire water was his drink the bare ground was his bed he was neuer Idle nowe he studied then he praied and when he felt him self awearied he song himnes to the praise and glory of God This was the life of this holy saint and though it was thus yet the deuill assalted him with terrible and wicked temptations He saith himself ep 22. writing to Eustochium in this maner O howe many times when I was in the desert where by the vnmeasurable heate of the sunne men are scorched their bodies enfeebled their flesh burned consumed stretching my bones which scarce hong together on the bare ground taking for nutryment herbs and cleare water and thus I continued in this exile yea rather prison vnto which I had voluntarily condemned my self for dread of hell and had no other company but the sauage beasts how often thought I that I was at the daunces of the Damosells of Rome my face was pale with much fasting and yet my will was enkindled with wanton desires In the body cold as ice yet in my dry skinne which was in manner dead liued the motions of dishonest appetits and when I resisted and thought to oppresse them thy laboured stil to bud and encrease like weedes and bad herbs Sometimes finding my self abandoned I fell at the knees of my Lord and washed them with my teares and dried them with my haires I macerated my body with long fasting day by day and eating nothing Do not think that I am a shamed to
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
was a shame reproach to all his kindred Hauing put this into his head shee vnloosed his bandes and set him at liberty and away went he from his fathers house who shortly after coming home finding Francis gone was wrothe therat and went to seek him At last he found him and to end all controuersies between them they agreed to go before the Bishop of Assisium that there Francis should renounce his right and heritage due to him and that his other brethen should haue it among them lest he should spend it prodigally S. Francis the true perfect louer of pouerty was content herewith and when they came before the Bishop he not only fulfilled his fathers request but also stripped himself of all his clothes euen to his shirt and gaue them to his father sayeng vntill this time I haue called thee father but from hensceforth I will acknowledge no other father but oure father in heauen The Bishop seeing this feruent act and wondering therat stood vp and embraced him weeping for tendernes couered him with his cloake and commaunded his seruants to bring him some cloths to put on They brought him a verie poore and course suite and the holy man receued it cheerfully Taking leaue and blessing of the Bishop he departed from Assisium and went to a hospitall of lepers and there remained certaine daies attending on the sick very charitably He washed their sores he clensed their filth and did eate that meat which they did leaue This mortification of the holy man was great for before his conuersion it was death for him to see a leper yea he would stoppe his nose and be ready to vomit but when he began a new life he was of a contrary mind for if he sawe a leaper he thought he sawe and Angell and his soares seemed to be pretious stones In the time of this exercise he vsed vncessant praier One day the B. man being at his praiers he heard a voice which said to him FRANCIS Change sweet into sower and despise thy self yf thou wilt please me The holy man iudged by this voice that God required of him some further seruice then to stay in that hospitall wherfore he departed entending to go vnto Gubbio As he went by the way singing in the Frenche toung thieues mett asked him who he was he aunswered I am trompetter to the great king The thieues beign wroth at this his aunswer and seing they could make no booty of him being meanely arraied they buffetted kicked him and then threw him into a ditch full of snowe Poore Francis got out of the ditch and the snowe with much a do but iocond he was and began a fresh to sing spirituall songs When he came to Gubbio an old friend who knew him and wondered to see him in that weede led him home and gaue him very good cloths of his owne to weare The study and care of this seruant of God was how he might best please almightie God wherfore vnderstaÌ„ding how the relligious men of S. Augustines order liued in pouerty obedience chastity and holy life he had a desire to try if that manner of liuing liked him wherfore he went to one of their monasteries and desired them to receue him into their house Those relligious men receued him and gaue him as Antoninus and Sabellicus say a habite of black say and a lether girdle which he wore but a while neither did he perseuere in this auncient order for that God had apointed Frauncis to institute a new relligious order One day being in in the Church and hearing in the Ghospell that IESVS CHRIST sent his disciples to preach and commaunded them to cary neither gold nor siluer nor any thing to eate nor staf nor shoos nor two garments with them he felt in his hart a sodaine and vnwonted ioy thinking these words were spoken to him and that all which he had searched to know to wit â—n what course he might serue God best was in these words declared vnto him that he must expect no other aunswer This coÌ„ceit was so imprinted in the mind of Francis that he thought it no time to stay any logner but forthwith he put of his black habite of S. Augustine and left of also the leather girdle and put about him a poore and bare garmeÌ„t of course cloth guirded himself with a cord He pluckt of his shoos and went barefoot and thus hauing property in nothing he began to lead a true penitent and Apostolicall life He went from place to place from one city to another and preached euery where as God inspired him his words were lowely simple and cleare yet so efficatious that many which hard him were moued to compunction and amended their lifes and some despising wholie the world clothed themselues in sack cloth or other course habites as S. Francis did and went and followed him So that he had II. disciples of which some were well studied in diuinity and humanity all which desired to serue God The blessed man acquainted them all with his mind which was to go and preach penannce in diuers places diuiding themselues and so they did After a while they mett againe all at the place where S. Francis was euery one giuing account of what he had done And beholding the great profit of soules arising thereby he had a greater desire to continew this exercize in regard the verie seeing of men ragged barefoot with such palefaces together with the consideraton of their profound humility renouncing all property to any thing yea although they should not speake was a preaching of Penannce and did much good But when they adioined words agreable therunto the more plaine and the more simple they were the more did they kindle the loue of God and were imprinted in the harts of the people to their great good S. Francis considering well all this to the end that the institution might haue a firme foundation and go well forward and encrease he thought it meet to acquaint the Apostolik sea there with and to desire the Pope to confirme it for which purpose he and his disciples went to Rome and caryed the Rule with them in writing to be showen vnto the Pope Inocent 3. There arose some difficultie when they treated of the obseruation of the Rule for the Pope many Cardinalls were of opinion that no newe relligious order should be instituted and that if any had an intention to serue God in relligion he might enter into some relligious order alredy approued as into the order of S. Augustine or S. Benedict It came to passe that the Pope went to bed toiled with affaires of the Church and falling a sleep dreamed that the Church of S. Iohn Lateran was ready to fall and that he sawe a poore bare and abiect man vnder propping it with his shoulders susteining and keeping it from falling Assoone as the Pope did behold S. Francis he knew straight that he was that poore maÌ„ who
vpheld the Church of S. Iohn Lateran with his shoulders And considering the purity and sincerity of his hart howe he despised the world and loued pouerty his constancy in this purpose of following that Euangelicall life written in his Rule according to which he desired to liue and regarding also his great zeale for the saluation of soules his feruent desire to imitate IESVS CHRIST he said without doubt this same is the man I sawe in my sleep I suppose that this man with his good example of life and doctrine will help to susteine and vphold the Church of God and with all he graunted vnto S. Francis his request and desire and confirmed his Rule Viuae vocis oraculo viz by word of mouth Then the holy man made a solemne profession in the hands of the Pope so did all his company promising to liue after that Euangelicall Rule when this was done the Pope ordeinted S. Francis Generall of all the order These things happened in the year of our Lord 1209. But because there was no Bull made therof at this time therefore the confirmation of this order of Friers Minors is not accounted but from the time of Honorius the Pope who 15. years after this confirmed the same by a particuler Bull and other Popes since haue confirmed and illustrated the same with speciall graces and priuiledges S. Francis returned to Assisium and with his brethren withdrew him selfe into a litle house nâ—ere to the city and there continued in praier and meditation From this house they went to a litle Church or chappell belonging to the Benedictine monks who bestowed it freely vpon S. Francis This chappell was called S. Maria de Angelis or by another name S. Maria de Portiuncula This was the first house or formed monastery of al the order The first time S. Francis came thither he seemed to be very ioifull and said to his Friers that this place should be the head of all his order S. Francis then departed from thence and so did all his brethren and went preaching not only in the city of Assisium neere vnto them but also in other places especially the Seraphicall father becoÌ„ming an Euangelicall troÌ„pet passed thorough cities castles and townes preaching the word of God not with eloquent words or worldly wisedome but with feruour and power and spirit of the liuing God The people who sawe and heard him speak thought him to be a man of a higher and another world for his hart and visage was euer â—rected toward heauen and he laboured to direct euerie one in his company to think of the world to come many were conuerted by his wordes and many did keepe him company who for the desire they had to imitate IESVS CHRIST followed the footsteps of the holy saint whom they took for their guide despising all kind of worldly goods and embracing holy pouerty It would be tedious to recount all the things this holy father did as his godly exercises and the holy life he led when he began to found his relligious order First he was most abstinent in eating and drinking his ordinary diet was bread and water with some pulse and sodden herbs If at any time he was forced by sicknes to eat flesh when he was recouered he would for a requitall repaire the abstinence brokeÌ„ with double austerity on his body He so diuided the yeare into lents that he fasted almost all of it eating but only once a day His first lent began at th end of twelftyde vntill Easter Another he kept after Easter for the coÌ„ming of the Holy Ghost Another for the Apostles S. Peter and Paul Another against the Assumption of our Lady and when that feast was gone he fasted tille the feast of S. Michaell tharchangell and then at the blessed feast of All Saints he began his Aduent vntill Christmas The bare earth was the ordinary bed for his weak and feeble body and for a pillowe he laid a stone vnder his head He slâ—pt very litle but watched almost all night in praier His apparaill was one gowne with a hood and a rope was his girdle he went some times vnto the desert places and mountains to pray the more quietly It happened on a time that S. Francis being in the night in the desert Sacianum in a litle caue the deuill called him by his name and the blessed man answered him not knowing who it was that called him The fiend said to him There is not so great a sinner in the world but God will pardon him if he be conuerted but they that will shorten their daies with rigorous penances shall find no mercy before the heauenly maiesty The seruant of God hearing these words was astonied and studied whither he did well or no in doing such and so austere penance But that he might know who it was that talked with him by the permission of our good God he was surprised with a greuous temptation of carnallity assoone as he perceaued it he threw of his cloths and gaue him self a very sore discipline and bicause it did not repell the assault he hasted out of the caue naked as he was and tumbled vp and downe in the snowe of which there was much in that desert When he had so done he made seuen heapes of snow in a round compasse and coming into the middest of them said to himself Thou my body yonder great one thou seest is thy wife these four be thy children two boies and two girles the other two be thy seruants nowe thou must take paines to maintein them and prouide cloths for them all least they dye for cold But if thou thinkest it chargeable endeuor thy self to liue chast and to serue God only which is a great deale better and more easye In this sort the holy saint ouer came the tentation and the deuill with shame departed away The glorious father aduised his friers to be abstinent and to auoid Idlenes if they would be freed from such tentations The great loue S. Francis bare to CHRIST may be knowen by this that there was neuer any so much desired to liue as he did to dye for CHRIST his sake this moued him to go into Siria among the Infidells that he might obtein the crowne of martirdome but he returned for that he could not obtaine his desire Also the glorious father bare great loue vnto his neighbour helping euery one in their necessities aswell of the body as of the soule It was his ordinary vsage if he sawe any poore man with ragged clothes to exchange with him he vsed to all of them great respect and reuerence for he thought he sawe CHRIST in euery one of them The wonderfull miracles he did worke as casting out of deuills healing of the sick and raising of the dead be so many that only of them a iust volume might be made many of them are mencioned in the Bull of his Canonisation which is a sufficient proofe that they be of good credit and Authenticall
praied deuoutely and ended his praier thus God restore thee to thy former health and all they that were present said Amen And at that instant the headache which had vexed him many yeres departed and he praised allmightie God for the same In that verie city he healed a blind man by making the signe of the Crosse vpon his eies The fame and report of these miracles caused sickmen to come from all parts and though he was displeased therat yet moued with charity he praied for theÌ„ and healed theÌ„ and among other manie were these that followe A child that was yielding vp the ghost one that had the palsey one that had a quartain one that could sturre nothing but his eies in all the rest was like to a dead body one that had the goute a maid blind deaf doÌ„b she was brought to hiÌ„ he called vpon the name of the holy Trinity and forth with she was deliuered froÌ„ three infirmities Wheresoeuer he went he healed sick meÌ„ there was no infirmity nor malady so great but he cured theÌ„ where soeuer he came he could not liue secret for men posessed by the deuill howled and manifested his comming whom he cured and cast the deuill out of them Placidus staied a time in some cities of Italy as in Cairosa which is Puglia a prouince of the kingdome of Naples in Reggio which is in the prouince of Calabria and continually he healed the sick and did many strange miracles At the last he embarked and passed into Sicilia and came vnto the City of Messina and before he went therinto he sent to one Messalino a noble citizen and his fathers great frend to come vnto him which he did and had him home vnto his house All the citty gaue him great honour for that he was the disciple of S. Benedict as also for the miracles and marueillous things they vnderstood he had done in Italy But Messalino for the loue he bare to Tertullius his father and his auncient frend knewe not how to shew him kindnes enough he kept him his companions all that day in his house on the next day Placidus said vnto him Sr. it is not fitting for monkes to lodge in the house of seculer men for that their manner of life is different and therefore I entend to goe vnto my fathers land and posessions where I may build a monastery They went away in the morning and nâ—ere vnto the hauen they found a place fitt for that same purpose Placidus with a staff which he caried drewe out the plott where to the honoure of S. Iohn Baptist the Churche should be built and all the cellâ—s and chambers of the conuent Forthwith he sett theÌ„ to building of it and followed it dilligently and carefully and in that space he restored his sight to one that had bin blind 18. yeres and cast out the deuill from an other wherby the fame of him was spred ouer all the Is'land it passed ouer into Africa so that froÌ„ those costs sick men were brought to be healed by him and by his praiers they were cured For these deeds Placidus was extolled vnto heauen by the mouthes of euery one and the more he was praised and exalted the more he humbled and meeked him self He was mercifull good and gracious vnto all he was euen consolation it self vnto all those that were in distresse comfort to the afflicted health to the diseased helpe and releif to the needy a father to the poore and a teacher to the rich he did good to euerie one and all receaued benefit at his hand He had often conference and communication with the bailies and ouerseers of his fathers land and posessions that were informer times though now belonging to his order about diuers things and left them all well pleased and willed them to administer that which euery one had vnder his charge with all fidelity that making to them selfs some reasonable gaine his religious order might susteine no damage nor haue anie euill report spread of it In the fourth yeare after he came into Sycilia the building of the monasterie with the Church of S. Iohn Euangelist which was coÌ„secrated by the B. of Messina was finished Placidus with his companions led a life of great example whereby manie were moued to abbandon the world and came vnto him so that in a short space there was thirty of them The life of Placidus was wonderfull his words sauoured of celestiall feruour with which he comforted and taught them to despize and contemne the world to hate Lordships dignities delights and noysome pleasures that they might more freely serue IESVS CHRIST to which end he alleaged manie reasons full of autority modesty part of the day he spent in praier and mediation wherin it was strange to see how manie teares he shed to heare the sobbes which came from his brest as he lifted vp his spirite to God In lent he fasted the sonday the tuesay and thursday with bread and water only the other dayes he eate not any thing and in all the yeare he drank no wine and besides he wore a haire cloth next his skinne When he was ouer wearied with praying and kneeling he slept a litle rather sitting then lyeng For any accideÌ„t that befell he was neuer angry but alwais graue mild and benigne He neuer spake but vpon constraint or necessity to giue the monks or the poore consolation or els for affaires belonging to the monastery and notwithstanding all his affaires he had alwaies his spirit eleuated to God When it was made knowen once in Rome that Placidus was in Sicilia and that he had made there a monastery in the whith were already 30. monks what a blessed life he led what great miracles God shewed by him Eutichius and Victorinus his brother and Flauia his sister desirous to see him hauing obtained leaue of their father passed by sea into Sicilia being disembarqued they weÌ„t to the monastery of S. Iohn where they sawe Placidus their brother but knewe him not either for the long time he had bin absent S. Benedict receauing him at the age of 7 yeares or els for that he was so leane and diffigured through his exceding abstinence But vnderstanding he was the man they all embraced him weeping amaine They visited the monastery and staied with him certein daies It befell at that time that a great host of Moores sent by Abdalla a mighty tirant of Africa and guided by Mamucha came into Sicilia with intent to do all possible hurt and damage in the countrey of Christians as it had done alredy in sondry places and because the monastery of S. Iohn was nere the sea they went thither forthwith and brake downe the gates tooke all that they found but Gordianus who came with him from Monte Cassino being a yong man and finding a back gate escaped away Donatus who was an old man and came from Monte Cassino also was beheaded Placidus with his brethen Euâ—chius
Victorinus and Flauia with Faustus and Firmatus deacons and 30. monks was bound in chaines and presented to Mamucha who with a sterne look asked Placidus who he was he aunswered a Christian. The Captain replied deny CHRIST thy God blaspheme him and adore God in that maner our mighty kinge Abdala adoreth and I will sett thee at liberty Placidus said I will neuer deny IESVS CHRIST my Lord I rather desire to die for him The tirant was wroth and said to Eutichius and the other 30. monks What say all the rest of yow Obey our king Abdalla deny your CHRIST and adore oure God The holy meÌ„ with one consent as if they had had but one toung aunswered Our will and our desire is all one our faith is one our maner of life is one that which one hath said think thaâ— euery one hath said For CHRISTS sake we are prepared to loose our liues The tirant was verie wroth at their aunswer made theÌ„ all be stripped and cruelly beaten saieng let words giue place to deedes and your presumptuous aunswers to the cudgell The holy martirs reioiced that they were worthy to suffer beatings and torments for CHRIST his sake The tirant on the one side and the executioners on the other side moued them to deny CHRIST but the holy men perseuered in confessing him whom they requsted to giue them strength to susteine the tormeÌ„ts which hourely encreased at the hands of the bloody butchers But finding the constancy of the martirs they were tired to torment them and so was the tirant to see them tormented and left them bound comaunding them to be kept Now because the sea was rough which hindered their nauigation toward Italy where they had a mind to do all the hurt they could they put it first in practise in that Is'land ouerrunning all sauing such strong cities as defended themselfs with robbing adulteriâ—s spoiling of Churches and ruinating them to the verie ground Placidus with his brethren and the other monks remayned certein daies in prison hauing no vitailes giuen them yet the barbarians ceased not to tormeÌ„t theÌ„ with scourging and bastonadoes and when they sawe these things could nowaies make theÌ„ alter their minds by the apointmeÌ„t of the Captaine they tied theÌ„ aloft by the feete making a smoke vnder their heads and beating them again very cruelly When they were taken from this torment the tirant commanded to giue them a litle rawe barley and water to keepe them in life that they might be able to endure their tormentes He made them fayre promisses in the behalfe of his king Abdala if they would once deny their faith but these holy men contemned his promisses and also his torments That night came to them secretly Cordianus who escaped out of the monastery and craued pardon of Placidus and desired to be tormented but Placidus commaunded him to take care to note that which he and others that were with him did suffer that he might certify in particuler the blessed father S. Benedict and the monks of his relligion of all that did happen So he did writing euery particular accident in the martirdome of these blessed saints which endured many daâ—es the tiraÌ„t Mamucha dragging them vnto his sight and tormenting them from the head to the foote with blowes and with renting and scorching they re flesh with fire the blessed damosell Flauia susteined a good part therof she being naked and hoised vp a loft before many people the tirant asked her how being a Romaine of noble parentage she could endure such a shamefull reproach She aunswered That she not only was ready to suffer to be depriued of her cloths and her honour for CHRIST sake but also of her life by sword or fier or any other torment that he could imagine The hellish man seing torments preuailed not sbught to ouer come her by another way And so he caused fiue lusty shameles villanes of the Moores to come and abuse her The good damosell had excessiue griefe to heare this and turned to God allmightie with teares beseech him to help her he heard her praier and made such as came neere and touched her with their lothsome hands to become lame and maimed wherby they let her alone in quyet and shee was freed from that reproache Great was the cruelty these ministers of the deuill exercised in all the Is'land in afflicting the Christians they bound them hand and foote and put in their mouths staues to hold them open and then cast in durt and filth into some and into others salt water of the sea and vineger wherewith they did choake them They caused others to walk barefooted vpon piks of iron seâ— in the grod they dragged others by the leggs vntill they were torne and rent asonder they burned the skinnes of others with plates of iron made red hotte others they rosted others they sawed and cut in pieces of others they bored the brest bones and vntill they came euen to their bowels they dragged others at theire horse tailes and spared not the infants but dashed out their braines against the walles They vsed as litle mercy toward the feeble women some of them they hanged by the heare others by one foote and tied a great stone at the other They rubbed the shoulders and brests of others with plates of iron made red hoate and great was the number of them that died euery day The tyrant Mamucha was not slowe to torment Placidus and his companyons They were brought euery day before him and he persuaded them first to deny CHRIST seeing that to be all in vaine he ageine would cause them to be whipped and because he sawe Placidus praysed God and was confortable in the midst of his torment he made the executioners to stryke his mouth with a greaâ— stone which filled all his mouth full of bloud yet ceased he not to payse allmightie God wherat the tyrant raging more made them cut out his toung which being cut out yet he praised God more more giuing him thanks for that he suffered for his sake The tyrant found out a new torment for them he put vpon theyr thighes glowing hoate the crooked heads of IroÌ„ anchors fastened like boots hanging on their feete In which torment they contyneued a wholl night and Placidus songe himnes and his companions praysed God When the day came and they still remained constant in the confession of their faith he gaue sentence of death against them in this maner For that Placidus Eutichius Victorinus with Flaâ—ia the damosell and Faustus and Firmatus with the other Christians dispise the commandement of our mighty king Abdalla and adore CHRIST for God who was crucified of the Iewes and hated of the God whom we adore our will is that they be beheaded and their bodyes left vnburied to be foode for the beasts of the field and birds of the ayre The ministers of the enraged Mamucha hearing the sentence led the holy saints away scourginge them till
of Heliopolis in companie of one Appollophanes an Athenian and a famous sophister he did behold that strange Eclypse which happened at the death of oure Sauioure when viewing the creator of al things the author of lyfe and fountaine of all light so darkned soe ecclypsed so ignominiously suffering death the Sunne as one ashamed to behold that spectacle did hide an whollie loose his beames in the midst of the day S. Dionyse as a man that was skillfull in learning did quicklie perceaue this Ecclypse was against the course of nature by reason it lasted aboue the naturall periode but much more bicause the Moone was at the full and whollie opposite to the sunne so that supernaturallie running a violent course she alltogether couered the sunne and keeping him so for the space of three houres returned againe to her former place of opposition He wondered at so rare a miracle that neither was heard nor seene before and being amazed said to Appollophanes and others Either the God of nature doth suffer or els the wholle frame of the world doth perish and is dissolued He noted the yeare the day and the houre in which this strange noueltie and wonder succceded which was so deepelie imprinted in his minde that he neuer forgot it all his life He returned to Athens and liued in his owne cōmon wealth with great moderation and reputation the Athenienses honouring him as a most wise Philosopher and vprighte Iudge They made him president or chiefe of the highest courte of Iustice that was in all Athens This courte was called of the Areopagites who tooke theire name from a place where the court was kepte which was in a streete or litle hill called in Greeke Pagus dedicated to Ares that is to say Mars and the Iudges of this court were so graue vpright that in ancient times to call a Iudge vnspotted seuere vncorrupted vnflexible either for loue or feare or flatterie or briberie they would call him an Areopagite It came to passe that about this time S. Paule did preache the Ghospell in Athens He disputed sundrie times with the Epicurean Pithagorean Academicall Stoicall Peripateticall philosphers and laboured to reduce them to the faith of IESVS CHRIST and draw them from theire Idolatrie He told them of an other life of resurrectiō of the bodies of a generall Iudgement of a supernaturall reward or punishment according to eache mans good or bad works These Philosophers hearing a matter of such consequence and fearing the daunger of new religions and thinking it a thinge of greatest importance brought him before the chiefe court of Areopagites and theire supreme Iudge Dionisius For allthough the Romaines were in actuall posession of the wholl world in a maner and Lords of all Greece yet the Lacedemonians and the Atheniens were permitted to liue in their auncient liberty gouerned by theire owne Lawes officers magistrats freely elected by themselfs When S. Paule was brought before Dionyse the other magistrats in the presence of the philosophers who had before giuen informatiō of him he with a Retorique more diuine then humain meaning not to exasperat so wise and learned a nation by telling them he was come to teach them a thing wherin thy were ignorant and to giue them notice of gods that they knewe not of all which they would hardly haue disgested or els taken in euill part said thus vnto them You men of Athens I haue sene by experience that you be a very superstitious people more addicted to your gods then the other Greeks for you labour to haue more honoure them more then all the rest as you haue more knowledg and be more learned thē the rest Now I walking through your city and beholding the many temples which be therin I sawe one vpon whose altar there was this Inscriptiō To the vnknowen god That same God whom you doe honor vnknowen is he whom I doe preach vnto you and wish you to honor carefully He is not for from you nor from any mortall man since as one of your owne poets said very well we liue in him by him we moue and remain in him of him we gaue oure being oure motiō lyfe Then speaking against the multiplicitie of God he tould them at last of the day of iudgement and of the resurrection of the dead The answere they gaue him was this that they would giue him audience some other day and so dismissed him These fewe words of the Apostle were so full of misteryes that they put all these wise lerned mē to silence yea and astonied and amased them The Apostle departed but not empty handed for he caught in his net the chief magistrat Dionise with whom he had conferēce in priuate and in the end the Apostle gaue him prefect and full notice of our faith He preached vnto him IESVS CHRIST God and man his death passion resurrection and ascēsion vnto heauen And bycause the Apostle made particuler mention of the eclipse which happened at the time of our Sauiours death S. Dionise was desirous to know that wonder assone as it was laid open vnto him he yielded forthwith and said he would be a Christian It might seeme a lightness in S. Dionise to giue creditt so soone vnto a strāger in a matter of suche importāce as it is to renoūce the gods so lōg time adored by his forefathers and to receue a newe God that was crucified and the more for that he was so lerned and was therefore more obliged to consider very well thereof before he altered his opinion in a matter of such cōsequence Vnto this I aunswere by the same reason S. Dionise because he was wise and learned resolued vpon an honorable and worthy matter so soone For euen as he and all other wisemen of the Paynims were reprouable to adore them for gods whom thy knew had bene infamous wycked men so they desired to find some that should giue them knowledge of another God more worthy to be worshipped then they were They knew likewise by the light of nature that there ought not to be many gods but one God only So that Dionise hauing this desire and S. Paule coming to incounter him he fled not from the combat but did rather holpen by God follow the Apostle with out resistaunce and by Baptisme was made a Christian There were others also conuerted but S. Dionise did surpasse them all in vertuous and holy works for which cause the Apostle made him priest and also Bishop of that city S. Dionise was the first Bishop that Athens had and that was great glory vnto the city bycause it had brought vp and giuen learnyng vnto her first pastour This holy saint had priuate frendship and conuersed a long time with the Deuine Hierotheus a Spaniard borne after the opinion of many Autors who was instructed in like maner by S. Peter in deuine letters and ther vpon he was called Diuine S. Dionise confesseth that he was his instructor and that of
serued him both for meat and drink This thing may cause men rather to wonder then to put any in hope to be able to imitate him because the grace of God strengthened him and the long vse of therof and abstinence in his youth from all carnality which debilitateth the body made it to him more easy and more able to liue such an austere life wherin he merited much and perhaps an other man should offend God by shortening his daies in doing the same S. Hillarion liuing now in his cabbin the thieues had notice and came to him but seeing the estate he was in they said vnto him scoffingly What wouldest thou do to see they self assailed by thieues He aunswered The poore and naked man feareth not the thief They replied At left thou maist lose they life And he said It is true they may depriue me therof but I care not a beane if they do so at this present The thieues were astonied and amased to heare his words and to see his constancy which might haue bene a motiue for them to amend their life spent in wickednes seing a man that had chosen rather to lead such a streight life then to fall into any offence toward God Hilarion liued in this maner 22. years and was knowne in all the Land of Palestina Vpon a day a woman came vnawares vnto him and fell at his feet shee perceiuing that he seemed to be displeased to see her in that place and to make signes to haue her depart she shed many rears and said vnto him Oh Seruant of God pardon my presumtion and boldnes for my great afflictions enforce me so to do Do not shunne me turne thy eies of pitty toward me behold me not as a woman but as a person afflicted Remember that a woman was mother vnto our B. Sauiour They that be hole haue no need of the phisition but they that be sick At the words S. Hilarion staied and asked of her the cause of her coming thither and why shee wept The woman made aunswer That this 15. years she had bene maried and neuer had child for which cause her husbande determined to depart from her and leaue her desolate The holy saint lifted vp his eies vnto heauin and praied for her and so dismissed her After a yeare that same woman retorned to visiâ—e him with her sonne in her armes which God had giuen her at the praiers of S. Hilarion and this was the first miracle that God shewed by him After this fellowed another mroe wonderfull viz A noble lady returned home from visiting S. Antony with her three litle sonnes and being come vnto Gaza all three fell sick there and died whether it was by the chaunge of the aire or whether God would haue it for the honor of S. Hilarion The disconforted mother seing such a desolation in her house was in maner out of her witts and called vnto mind one whiles one sonne another time the other sonne and knew not which of them to bewaile first And hearing that in the desert nere vnto the city Hilarion did Dwell came vnto him accompanied with two hand maies and said vnto him with vnspeakable grief I besech thee o holy man by IESVS CHRIST by his sacred bloud to come with me vnto the city of Gaza and raise my three sonnes lying dead in that place which thing wil be for the glory of God and the confusion of the Idollaters S. Hilâ—rion refused to do it saieng it was not his vsage to go into the city no not out of his Cell but the woman weeping bitterly said o Seruant of God giue me thy three sonnes whom Antony hath seen aliue in Egipt cause that I and thou may see theÌ„ aliue also in Siria The people present heating the womans words wept aboundantly and so did S. Hilarion who vanquished with the tears of the woman went into the city of Gaza at sonne sett and called one the name of IESVS vpon the dead chileren who arose incontinent and gaue thanks vnto the holy saint and all the company rendered infinite praised vnto God This miracle was diuulged in many places wherfore much people resorted only to see the holy man And many that were heathens and pagans by the only sight of him receued the Christian faith and took the order of monasticall life and staie with him There had not bene before his time any monks in Siria so that S. Hilarion was the first bringer of that holy institution and to liue in monasteries in to thos parts There was brought to him a woman who had bene blind ten years and had spent all her goods in phisike which when S. Hillarion vnderstood he said vnto her It would haue done thee more good to haue giuen all thy possessions vnto the poore bicause IESVS CHRIST would haue cured thee When he had said this he laid a litle of his spittle vpon her eies and incontinent shee recouered her fight perfectly There was in Gaza a Chariott man posessed with the deuill who had left nothing free in him but his toung This poore man was brought to S. Hillarion who said vnto him Beleeue in IESVS CHRIST and vse this trade no more which is perilous for thee thou being of an impatient nature And he promised so to do and instantly he was hole and sound both in body and mind Another man called Marsitas was able and did cary on his back 15. bushells of corne and was in great estimation for it for there was neuer an asse in all Siria that was able to carry such a load Into this man the deuill entred and made him so fierce that he did much harme and it was in vaine to bind him with cords or chaines for he brake them all in sonder One while he assailed this man another time that man and with his teeth did bite of the nose of some and the eares of others He was led vnto S. Hillarion in such sort as men vse to lead a bull when he goeth to be baited When the monks sawe him they were all afraid because he was a man of a great stature of a terrible aspect and of a grimme countenance S. Hillarion commaunded them to vnlose all his bands and to take of all his fetters he wore When he was vntied he said vnto him Come hither vnto me Marsitas trembled and held downe his head fell at his feet and licked them with his â—oung all his former fiercenes being vanished away The Blessed man kept him seuen daies in his company and made continuall praiers vnto God for him and to conclude perfectly cured him There was brought also vnto him another man posessed with the deuill whose name was Orion a very rich man who had a legion of Deuills in him S. Hillarion expounding a passage of holy writte vnto his monks the roan posessed came on a soodein and flipping out of the hands of them that led him ranne toward the holy saint and took him vp in his armes and hoised
But the couetous churle who would not suffer any to enter within his vineiard had much lesse then he vsed to haue and that litle which he had became sower and then he repented but to late that he had ben so churlish and discourteous toward the holy saint This blessed old man had a guift of God by the smell of bodies of garments and things which any man touched to know the vices they had and to what euill spirit they were subiect and with what vertues they were adorned Being now fully 6 years ole and seing the multitud of relligious men that were vnder his obedience and the great concourse of people that came to him dailie to haue remedy of their afflictions he was much discontent there at lamented for the same His religious men askindg him the cause he aunswered them It seemeth to me being esteemed holy by men that God hath rewarded me in this life for the small seruice I haue done vnto him It seemeth to me also that I retorne vnto the world sins vnder the colour of susteining and mainteining the relligious men there are presented vnto me many occasions of sinne His disciples hearing thes words did watch him dilligently especially Isichius for the great loue and affection he bore vnto him fearing he would strale away from thence One a time a venerable matrone came to visite him with intention to go further and visite S. Antony also He vnderstanding her intention wept and said vnto her I was also of that mind if the gouernement of this monastery had not said and with hed me but nowe it is to late for two dais since the worle is depriued of that worthy father This matrone credited his words and went no further and within a few daies after came vnto their eares the newes of S. Antonies death It were a wonderfull thing to consider the graces and gifes of this saint his miracles his abstinence and his profound humility S. Ierome saith of him I am amazed and astonied to consider the great enmity Hillarion had with worlely pompe and glory and with the estimation of men This blessed old man was visited by priests by relligious men by clerks by all maner of people and he to fly from honour which was dome vnto him by euery one determined to depart and trauell into some other country When this was knowen he was beset and enuirouned with more then 10000. persons who besought him not to leaue them but he striking the earth With his walking staffe said I cannot abide that my God should be accounted a deceuier or a lyer I cannot endure to see the Churchs demolished theâ— Altars troden vnder feet and my children slaine with the sword By thes words he said many gathered that God had reuealed vnto-him some great euill and persecution that should ensew vnto his brethren as it came to pase after in the time of Iulian the Apostata To conclude the blessed man would not stay with them any longer and told the people he would neuer eate bit of sustenannee if they did not permit him to go quietly and they hindring him be would not eate any thinge for seanen daies to geathey They seing his resolution to be such permitted him to depart in peace thought it was much against their willes and because the good old man was so feeble that he could not trauell on foote he rode and choose for to keep him company 40. monks whom he iudged to be most abstinent and most prepared to abide trauell and paine Passing with them through many countreis he at the last arriued at the Cell of S. Antony There he talked with the disciples left by that blessed man and conforted them being sadde for the death of the death of their master He recreated himself a while with them in visiting diuers places which they showed vnto him In this place said they S. Antony vsed to pray here he exercised himself in digging the earth These trees were planted with his hands here he made the founâ—ein handsome for their vse with his owne hands Then they shewed him his Cell the length wherof was fit to receue a man lieng out in length They also rehersed vnto him some of his miracles S. Hillarion demaunded of two of those monks for the place of S. Antony his buriall they only knowing it It is not knowen if they did shew it vnto him or no bicause S. Antony had commanded them and bound them by othe not to disclose it vnto any and he did it lest any man should honor or reuerence his body After the death of S. Anthony for three years space it had not rained in all that prouince wherefore the common people said it was bicause the clements lamented for the death of that blessed man They besought S. Hilarion to pray for them which he did and then it rayned Wherfore he was for that benefit highly esteemed among the people of that country they sayeng that God had sent him vnto them in the steed of S. Anthony He departed from thence and went to visite two holy Bishops Dracontius and Philo who were banished from their churchs by themperor Constantius for that they would not follow the heresy of Arrius These holy bishops were comforted much to see S. Hilarion who departed from them and went to Alexandria and was lodged by certein relligious men neere vnto the city When night came he saddled his litle beast meaning to depart and when they asked of him why he would go a way thus sodenly he aunsweted lest my stay be the cause of some great trouble On the next day it proued euen so as he had said for thither came officers of themperour Iulian the Apostata guided by some of the citisens of Gaza to apprehend him by order from that tirant but when they found him not they wondred saieng nowe we find it true that hath bene said vnto vs of this man viz that he is a coniurer and a sorcerer knowing things to come Behold howe he is escaped out of our hands The B. Abbot went like a pilgrime in diuers countreis but he was easilie knowen where soeuer he came for men posessed with the deuill discouered him He knew that Iulian the renegat had made a search for him and his disciple Isichius with an intention to put them to death if he had taken them In which because he missed he set their monastery on fire and persecured the monks with extreme rigour But within a while after the wicked emperour being dead and also Iouinian who liued a very short time Valentinian succeded in the Empire S. Hilarion was entreated to returne and gather his monks together and to reedify his monastery which he would not do but rather be took sea to go and dwell in some Islands vnhabited that the sea might keep that secret which the land did diuulge and publish but he could not be hid for the people came likewise vnto him in that place also So he departed from that Island and
same being the 21 of October oure holy mother the church doth celebrate the Martirdome of S. Vrsula and and the 11000 virgins her companions Beda Adon in Martâ—ol Molan in Addit ad Maâ—â—â— Vsuar in whose historie some things are certaine other some doubtful This is certaine that S. Vrsula and all her holy compainons were Virgins martyrs and were 11000 in number For although neither he Romaine Martyrologe nor the Collecte vsed in their feast doe affirm that they were 11000 yet because venerable Bede and Adon in their Martyrologies and Molanus in the additions he made vnto the Martyrologe of Vsuardus and other authors together with the tradition of the church do auerre it we haue sufficient authoritie to beleaue it But that which is vntertaine and doubtful is the maner of theire martirdome the voyage which these virgins made to Rome with soe great a traine and theire returne from thence with Pope Sâ—ricius when he left his Popedome and other such things which some write without either ground authoritie or any probabilitie contradicting the trueth of Ecclesiasticall Histories and reason it selfe Wherefore leauing out that which commonly is reported of the maner of their meeting and the end for which these 11000 were gathered together and that they all died for the faith of Christ our Lord therby purchased vnto them selues the crounes of virgins and martirs I will relate heere what Cardinalle Baronius and William Lindanus Bishope of Rurimund men of rare learning Baron in An not Maâ—tirol 21. Octo. br tom 4 Annal an 383. Lindan apud Baron haue iudged most probable and secure taking it out of a very ancient booke of the Vatican librarie of Rome which treateth of Brittanie whose author is Gaufridus Bishop of Assaffe in the kingdom of England and is after this maner GRACIAN sonne vnto Valentinian the elder being Emperour a certaine captaine of his called Maximus a very stout and valiant man naturall of the Is'land of Britanie which now is called England rebelled against him and was proclaimed Emperour and by the fauour of the soldiers and of other Englishmen his friends and acquaintance entered into France and possessed himselfe of it all but especially of one prouince which then was called Armorica is that which now we call litle Britanie because the Brittons and Englishmen did conquerre and raze it and with great rage and furie putting to sword all the naturalls thereof left it vninhabited as a wildernes Maximus thought it necessarie to people that prouince againe because it lay fit for him therin to conserue and transport his English soldiers and for that purpose he deuided the fertill fields and lands of the lesser Britanie amongst his soldiers which came to him out of England to the end they might till and husband and mannure them reape the fruit therof But because his soldiers might marry and haue succession and settle them selues in that prouince where there were noe woemen for that they were also putt to the sword he determined to send vnto the Ilands of Britanie which comprehend England Scotland and Ireland for a great number of virgins which being brought vnto the newe lesser Britanie might marrie with those soldiers whoe were for the greatest part naturals of their owne countrie The chiefe commander of all that army was called Conanus a man of great birth and of greatest estimation of all the English nation whom Maximus had made his lieuetenant generalle Warden of all the ports of that coaste Conanus desired to marrie with the daughter of Deonocius kinge of Cornwall called Vrsula a most noble and vertuous lady in whom did shine all the gifts of chastitie beautie grace which might be desired in a woman Throughout all the prouinces of Britanie there were culled forth 11000 virgins as well for the intent aboue mentioned as also that they might accompaine Vrsula who was to be their leader and lady Some of these virgins went of their owne accord and others by constraint but seing the coÌ„maund of Maximus then Emperoure or rather tirant was soe peremptorie that no excuse could be admitted they imbarked them selues in those ships which were prepared for their passage vnto the new prouince of Brittanie It pleased our Lord that these ships lanchinge out of the hauen meâ—t with a quite contrary winde which in stead of carrying that blessed and holy companie towards Brittanie it furiously carried them quite contrarie and passing by the Ilands of Zealand and Holland droue them into the mouth of the riuer Rhene a riuer of greate capacitie depth and bredth and carried them soe highe as the water did ebb and flowe At that time which this hapned Gratian the Emperour vnderstanding what Maximus had done in England and France and that he carried himselfe as Lord and Emperour not as his Captaine and creature for to represse and chastize him he entertained into his seruice the Picts Hunnes a fearce cruell and barbarous people who had conquered the Gothes and done wonderous thinges by their force of armes These beinge gathered together vnder the commande of Melga Captaine of the Picts and Gaunus generall of the Huns began to molest the seas and to lye coastinge about after the manner of pirats robbinge and spoilinge all that fell into their hands with intent to passe ouer into England to expulse Maximus the tirant and to serue Gratian th'emperour who for that purpose had entertained them These barbarous people were at that present where these blessed virgins arriued perceauinge that the ships which brought the virgins belonged to their enemies and to Maximus in particular against whome they had vndertaken that voiage they encountred with them seing that they were loaden with virgins beinge as dishonest and lasciuious as they were cruell and furious they entended to rauish them But those holy virgins Vrsula their leader incouraginge and exhorting them determined rather to loose their liues then their chastetie and heere vpon as well in deedes as in wordes shewinge their valour and coÌ„stancy that they were prepared rather to suffer what torments soeuer then to offend God those barbarous people conuerting their loue into fury and detestation of the Christian faith fell vpon them like wolnes vpon a flocke of lambes and put them all to the sword because they would remaine there no longer but passe ouer speedely into EnglaÌ„d which they thought had been vninhabited because Maximus had drawne so many soldiers from thence Of all that holy and virginall companie onely one called Cordula remained aliue who through feare hid herselfe at the time of that slaughter but seeinge what had passed and that all the rest of her companions were martirized being encouraged by the motion of our Lord A don in suo Mart. 21. Oct. who had chosen them all for himselfe the next day followinge discouered herselfe and was also martirized as the Roman martirologe recounteth The principall of these virgins which there shed
so honoring them and imitating their vertues we shall receiue help and benefit by their asistance and prayers in this world and be receiued into the glorie which they posesse in the eternall beatitude Vnto the which God bring vs for his great mercy sake Amen The commemoration of the faithfull deceased THE prophet Daniell being in Babylon discouered a fraud and deceyt which the ministers of a temple vsed in making men to beleeue that their I doll called Bell did cate vp those meates that were offred vnto it when as they themselues indeed did eate it vp Darius the king punished these men with death where vpon the people raised an vproare and commotion against the prophet and the king not being able to restraine their furie they threw him into a denne among Lions to be by them rent and torne in pieces In this wofull state the holie man remained sixe daies being grieuous aswell for the continuall sight of the lions as for that the place was filthie and stincking and beside all this honger afflicted him exceedinglie It fell out at that season that the prophet Abacuc being in Palestina and carying victualls to his sheapheards an Angell told him that God comaunded he should carry that Victuall vnto Daniell who was in the Lions denne in Babilon Abacuc excused himself saing that he knew not where Babilon was neither did he know Daniell The Angell said I will shew thee and with that he took him by the haire of the head and in a moment set him in Babilon in the Lyons den and shewed him Daniell readie to die with hunger Abacuc said vnto him Daniell eate of this meat that is sent thee by God Daniell did eate thereof and was some what refreshed and enabled thereby to support and beare the affliction of that place of punishment vntill at last he was taken out by the kings comaundement By this figure is represented liuely vnto vs the commemoration the Catholique Church maketh for the dead on the next day after the feast of all saints Daniell in the lions denne representeth the soules that be in the paines of purgatory It agreeth also verie fitlie that the lions did not rent nor teare Daniell in pieces also that the sight of them was grieuous in that place of paine and also hunger afflicted him very much So the soules that be in the paines of purgatorie be not tormented by the diuells which is very iust as not firt that they should chastice those that they could not ouercome The place it self which is allotted vnto them is painfull and grieuous for it is full of fire which is the same with the fire of hell as S. Augustine affirmeth Honger doth afflict them also which is the great desire and longing they haue to see God For though they be secure to see him at length yet it is a great grief vnto them that the time is prolonged The prophet Abacuc who caried meat vnto his sheepheards is a figure of euerie good and faithfull Christian which doth good vnto the soules in purgatorie For in the carying of meat vnto his sheapheards viz vnto his Curate or any other priest in bringing bread and wyne vnto the Church and the other almes which are done for the soules such as praiers and sacrifises bee an Angell cometh and bringeth it vnto Daniell in the denne And in deed it is an article of the Catholique faith that all those things that be offred for the soules in purgatorie by persons that be in the state of grace or else if the work it self doth merit and deserue it as the holie sacrifise of the masse both comforteth and helpeth the soules that be in purgatorie exceedingly THE vndoubted veritie that there is a purgatorie is an Article of the Catholique faith and he that denieth it shall thereby prooue himself an heretique This truth is prooued by the testimonies of the scripture as that excellent learned man frier Alfonce de Castro saith in his book he made against hereticks Esay saith Our Lord shall wash the vncleanes of the daughters of Syon and the bloud of Ierusalem in the spirit of Iudgment in the spirit of heat The prophet Malachy also threatning sinners with the coming of Almightie God to chastice them saith of him that he is a fire in which the siluer is molten and purified These two places are alledged by S. Augustine to prooue that there is a purgatorie after this life IESVS CHRISTOUR our sauiour saith the same viz that he that shall speak wordes against the Holie Ghost shall not be pardoned neither in this World nor in the World to come S. Gregorie vseth this sentence and so doth S. Bernard also as an effectuall proof of this veritie For they say if sinnes be not remitted in the other world this sentence shall not be remitted in the other world should not haue beene written And the truth beinge that in all holie writt there is not any superfluous word fot to say there were any as S. Basile saith in his Exameron were blasphemie it followeth then that there is a purgatorie for it is a cleare case that no sinne is pardoned in hell S. Paul also writing to the Corinthians saith 1. Cor 3. that the workes euery one hath done be they gold siluer or stones wood haie or strawe the fire shall try them And then he saith imediatly that he whose workes shall haue need of this tryall shall suffer detriment so that such shall not be saued but by fire hom 6 sup exod â— Origen alleadgeth this sentence to prooue this veritie There is another verie forceable reason for this point S. Iohn saying in the Apocalips speaking of the holie heauenly cittie of Ierusalem that none shall enter thereinto with any spot or staine of sinnes Cap. 21. yet manie meÌ„ dye with veniall sinnes others that haue mortall sinnes are coÌ„fessed haue not time to do their enioined penance Of these who are pardoned and absolued of their faults it is cleare that they shall do penance in purgatorie before they enter into heauen for thither they cannot come with any spot Therefore we must needs confesse that there is a Purgatory where the soules shal be purified refined from all their filth defects with which they depart out of their bodies before they enter into heauen Moreouer many holy persons of vertuous life who are worthy of credit herein haue had reuelations of this truth as S. Gregorie writeth in his dialogues But beside all these reasons alleadged I wil relate one which is of great authoritie and was as it is said the first cause and beginning that mooued the Catholique Church to ordaine Gui lâ—el in rationall ib 7. cap. 25. and institute the Commemoration of the faithful departed on the next day after the feast of all saints and this it is In the life of the holie Abbot Odilâ— written first by Peter Damian Cardinall of the Church of Rome and related by frier Laurence
to celebrate the feast of the dedication of Churches as namely in Rome is celebrated the dedication of the Church of S. Saluator The historie thereof taken out of the life of S. Siluester the pope was this EVEN from the time of the Apostles there was alwaies amongst the Christians some especiall places dedicated vnto God which of some were called Oratories and by others Churches Thither came the Christians and met together especiallie vpon the Sundaies to heare the word of God to be present at the diuine seruice to pray to heare masse and to receiue the body of our Lord IESVS CHRIST in that most holie Sacrament But after that the Emperour Constantine was Baptised by S. Siluester and was healed by the meanes of his Baptisme not only in his soule of his sinnes but also in his body of his leprosie he as a person thanckfull to the deuine maiestie of whom he confessed to haue receiued this grace and benefitt made a lawe and published a decree through all the lands subiect to the Empire of Rome that euerie one might build Churches where it best pleased him And that by his example he might encourage others thereunto in the yeare of our Lord 325. he caused a Church to be builded in the honor of IESVS CHRIST Sauiour of the world in his owne palace of Lateranum adorning it with many rich Iewells and vessells of Gold and Siluer but aboue all he beautifyed it with an Image representing our Blessed Sauiour himself very liuelie and this place was deuoutlie visited by the faithfull beleeuers S. Siluester the pope consecrated that Church which was the first that had bene publiklie consecrated among the Christians for the celebration of the diuine offices In that place the same Bishop set the Altar vpon which S. Peter celebrated the holie masse and it was of wood like vnto an emptie chest The Apostle vsed this manner of Altar euen as the other popes his successors did compelled by the necessitie of the time For the persecution being very sharp the afflicted Christians flying from one place vnto another carried with them this portable Altar to celebrate thereon sometimes in the caues vnder the ground sometimes in the Churchyards where the bodies of martyrs were buryed and sometimes in the priuate houses of Catholiques The mind of S. Siluester was that this Altar should remaine for a memorie in the first Church of the Christians and comaunded that none but the Bishops of Rome should celebrate vpon it And that all other priests should celebrate not vpon an Altare of wood but vpon an Altare of consecrated stone And to the end the memory hereof should continew and be perpetuall he ordained that euerie yeare the dedication of this Church should be celebrated And this is the feast which is sollemnised on the 9. day of Nouember It is a thing very necessarie and conuenient that among Christians there should be some places dedicated vnto God as Churches and Oratories bee to the end they might resort thither to pray demaund help of God in their needes and troubles For if in citties and other townes be diuers shoppes for perticuler thinges and if in the house be seuerall roomes for sundrie offices it is also necessarie that among the multitude of Christians there should be some places where they may treat and speak with God And these being dedicated to such a worthie work it is also conuenient that they should be consecrated and also that all due respect and reuerence be giuen vnto them All this our Lord would giue vs to vnderstand by the example of the Temple of Salomon the workmanship whereof was of exceeding great Maiestie as may be seene in two things especially which the holie scripture reciteth to witt That in the Temple there was not a thing but it was of Gold or ingraued or set in Gold The other was that the fabrick or workmanship being so magnificent and stately yet in all the time of the building thereof there was not heard the noise of hammer or any other toole therein Some expound these words thus saing that this was a kind of speech commonly vsed when they would shew what speed a thing hath beene done withall as when it is said such a thing was done before it was seene or heard So although the work of the Temple lasted many yeares yet in respect of the hugenes and magnificence thereof it may be said that therein was not seene nor heard the stroke of an hammer Others say that euery thing was brought thither ready wrought from other parts and that they did nothing but lay and couch things in their due place And so this Temple was a figure of the B. Martirs who are hewed and squared in the Quarries of this world suffring heere diuers troubles and afflictions but then in heauen they suffer no more strokes nor feele more troubles but haue their reward for that which they haue borne and supported in the world In these things then is shewed the statelines and magnificene of this Temple In the which although it was the Temple of God yet was there only in it the Ark of the Testament and that not alwaies neither for at the time of the captiuitie of Babilon the Prophet Ieremy hid it in a hill and then they put into it another made like it and yet for all that it was greatly honoured not only by men but euen by God himself Then by greater reason ought we to reuerence and honour our Churches in the which resideth IESVS CHRIST true God and true man and that really in the B. sacrament of the Altare There are not sacrificed Bulles and weathers but the vnbloodie sacrifice of IESVS CHRIST vpon the Altar of the Crosse is there represented where he is offred in a liuely sacrifice to his eternall father for the saluation of mankind and the same doth the Priest daily in his name in the holie sacrifice of the Masse In our Churches be also the sacraments by which are healed and cured sundrie infirmities Some be weak to encounter and fight against the Diuell the world and the flesh and to make such men able and strong the sacrament of Confirmation is giuen vnto them To others for the same puâ—pose and to make them rich in vertue there is giuen the sacrament of the holie Eucharist And to the end others should be continent the sacrament of Matrimonie is giuen vnto them For others that be wounded hurt and ready to die of sundrie infirmities and they whose soules are already and whollie dead in mortall sinne are prouided the sacraments of penance and extreame vnction So that the Church is as an Apothecaries shop stored with spirituall medicines for all the infirmities and maladies of the soule and body also Besides these in the Catholike Church be the treasoâ—s of God For therein are pardoned sinnes in it are giuen the giftes of the holy Ghost in it the praiers of the faithfull are more meritorious and be sooner addressed and
on the walles the heroycall acts of this glorious martyr On the one side are the tyrants with their sterne and fell lookes on the other side the flame and fire of his martyrdome the holy saint keeping alwaies a mild and quier countenance These images and pictures serue vs in stead of bookes because without speech they continuallie publish and shewe vnto vs the worthy deedes of this glorious martyr For it is the property of a picture by silence to speak being painted on the walle serueth vs in stead of a lecture in the schoole If one hath entred into the Church and enjoyed the sight of these things and yet being desirous to go further if he approch vnto the sepulchre of the holie saint and touch it with his hands it seemeth a holie and deuout work But if he be worthie to haue the sepulchre opened and that he may see the holie bodie there inclosed O what great content hath he for that there was neuer meadowe decked with odoriferous flowers that gaue a better smell or would be more pleasing to the sight then this He that is thereof worthy forth with approcheth his eyes fixed and his mouth ioyned vnto the blessed reliques from which issueth no euill sauour but a fragrant smell There are shed warme teares there are powred out inflamed sobbes the saint is hartely besought to make intercession for vs vnto the maiesty of God But it one be worthie to haue a litle of the earth into which his blessed bodie was conuerted this is accounted a chief happines The vse is to lay it vpon sick men hoping thereby the may recouer their health as oftentimes they do I wishe the faithfull beleeuers to consider hereof and withall whether it be granted vnto the Emperours and monarks of the world to haue the worthie honor and veneration that is done vnto this saint But leauing this I come vnto the historie of his life His natiue country was in a part of this region which looketh toward the East In that place he was borne and in that place he was brought vp but at this present the whole world is his natiue country for euery martyr may call himself Natiue of what country soeuer is vnder the sunne This blessed saint was a souldier and serued vnder the standerds of Dioclesian and Maximian at such time as they ruled the Empire These Emperours being lodged in that country for the winter time by aduise of their captaines there arose a most perillous warre not with the Barbarous nation but in the same army which was caused by a diuelish decree made by the Emperours and put in excecution by the captaines in which Edict all Christians that refused to sacrifice to the Idolls were condemned to dye The blessed souldier not now of the Emperour but of IESVS CHRIST seing the wicked ordinance made and how cruelly it was executed shewed not any basenes in mind nor altered not his countenāce though he knew for certaine that he was accounted by all men for a Christian but said boldlie that this decree was detestable and that he ment not to obey it though he lost this life for the same These wordes came vnto the eares of the Coronell who called vnto him the captaine and euen as Herod and Pilate did before when they conferred together of the death of CHRIST and were made friendes by depriuing him of life so these two consulted and accorded together against S. Theodore Causing him to be brought before them with roughe wordes and sterne countenance they demaunded of him how he durst be so arrogantlie bold as to despise this lawe of the Emperours and to saie that he would not obey it s. Theodore with a constant and cheerfull countenance said I do not disobey the Emperour when he commaundeth things that be iust and reasonable and wherein he is to be obeyed but when he commaundeth me to adore for Gods those which be none and which I do not acknowledg for such I entēd not to obey him I confesse IESVS CHRIST to be God the only begotten sonne of his father consubstantiall with the holie Ghost who is likewise God and yet not three Gods but one God whose faith and religion I professe If this seeme to be euill vnto you heere am I ready offer my self Let the hangman come and cut of my head let fire come and consume me and let him that is offended at my wordes cut our my toung I am resolued and my bodie is heere ready patiently to suffer any torment what soeuer in any part or in euery member thereof for the loue of his creator and maker The two vniust iudges hearing the couragious resolution of the yong man were cōfounded studying what answere to make him A certaine souldier of that company who was accounted discreet wise presenting himself before them said vnto him ô Theodore if the God whom thou adorest haue a sonne as thou saist tell me whether he hath begotten him after the manner of men who seek out solitarie and obscure places as being loth to be seene in so base and shamefull an acte S. Theodore answered my God feeleth no shame in the generation of his only begotten sonne but it is a heauenly generation conuenient vnto God onlie and so I do beleeue and reverence it But do thou which seemest to be a discreet and considerate man tell me doest thou not hold and repute it for great reproch and infamy to adore for God a woman as your Cibele mother of the Gods who after the manner of a shee wolfe from tyme to tyme is great with child and bringeth forth children At this question of S. Theodore not onlie that sawcy fellow was put to silence but also the iudges cast their eyes to the ground noting well the substantiall reason of the yongman and how vnfit it was to adore for a Goddesse a woman who was alwaies either with child or els that was deliuered of child Afterward studying what to do with S. Theodore they determined to let him go at liberty and they gaue him time wherein he should be better aduised what he would doe It may be said they among themselues that when he hath thought better on it he will leaue his foolish opinion and obey our Emperours These men called the wisedome of the yongman folly as they which be stark dronk vse to call them dronck which be sober and most free from that distemper The time which was assigned vnto S. Thedore to aduise and deliberate he conuerted to the effecting of a renowned deed which was this There was in Amasia the chief cittie of that prouince a Temple dedicated vnto Cybele mother of the Gods which Temple was neere vnto a ryuer that ran by the citty S. Theodore determining to burne it to the ground for the better performance expected a wind that should driue the flame and so setting fire vnto it the Temple and all therein contained was consumed to ashes By this heroicall deed he gaue answere
the Ensigne and left the warre Then said Pirrhus vnto him Tell me Art thou a soudier as this man saith S. Menna answered It is true I was a souldier but when the wicked Edict of your Emperours was proclaimed I left the army and departed from the warre What mooued thee said Pirrhus to leaue the warfare Art thou a Grecian or a Christian S. Menna answered I haue bene I am and I desire to be euer a Christian I left the host because I would not be partaker of your impieties So Pirrhus comitted him to close prison On the next daie giuing audience he comaunded that Menna should be brought before him and then he said vnto him Come hither thou presumptuous fellowe what mooued thee to come into the Theater and to hinder our festiuall daies which are celebrated in the honor of our Gods Whence art thou why diddest thou leaue the armie S. Menna answered I am of Egipt and because I desire to fight vnder the banner of IESVS CHRIST I forsook your armies which be but seeble and weak And where hast thou bene said Pirrhus all this time Menna answered I had rather liue a sollitarie life for the loue of my God in the companie of sauage and wild beastes then contine we with you that know not the true God and loose my soule for it is written Lord do not destroy my soule with the sinners nor my life with the bloodthirstie men Softe not so many words said Pirrhus Offer sacrifice vnto the Gods and they will restore vnto thee the honorable offices thou haddst in the host and augment the same also Menna said I only desire to please the eternall king and of him to receaue the crowne of imortallity Loose not time in threatning mee for I regard not thy torments at all but desire rather to suffer for the loue of Iesvs CHRIST my Lord and my God The Iudg comaunded that Menna should be laid flat on the ground and then to be beaten with rawe sinewes of beastes vntill he obeied the commaundment of the Emperours The executioners began to beat him rigorouslv and during the torment a minister of the Idolls laboured by perswasion to bring him to sacrifice to their Gods The blessed Mâ—itir said to him Why doest thou perswade me thus thou counsellor of darknes and captaine of iniquitie If I would not do it at the commandment of the Iudg doest thou think that I will do it at thy perswasion I giue thee to vnderstand that I haue by my side IESVS CHRIST who for this which I suffer and endure for his sake will giue vnto me an eternall reward and vnto you and your Emperours he will giue perpetuall torments not only for your owne sinnes Idollatrie but also because you do your endeauour that he should not be loued not serued by his owne faithfull seruants goe to said Pirhus make ready the other torments to tame the stub brone hart of this fellowe Forth with was prepared for him the torture with the cord in the which the holie saint hanging on high the Iudg said vnto him Menna doest thou yet remeÌ„ber thy self wilt thou yield or shall we prouide greater torments The blessed martir answered very litle is that I haue yet suffred to that which my Lord and king deserueth I should suffer for his sake because he keepeth about me many Angells that asist and help me encouraging me not to shrink at thy torments Pirrhus said Scourge this villaine and rebell yet more seuerely who having a king alreadie faith he hath another which is not knowne Then said the saint Thou indeed doest not know him for if thou diddst to haue his loue thou wouldest forsake thine Emperours since he can better reward thee then they can And who is this great and potent king said Pirrhus S. Menna answered This is IESVS CHRIST the sonne of the liuing God creator of all things vnto whom all that is in heauen and earth is subiect Then said Pirrhus Doest thou not know Menna that to be the only cause why our Emperours haue commaunded you Christians to be tormented namely that you should neither professe IESVS CHRIST for God nor adore and worship him Menna answered what is that to me If that be their intention their power and torments are of no auaile Rom. 8. to make me forsake my dearest Lord God It is said Who shal be able to seperate vs from the lone of CHRIST or from his seruice not tribulation nor affiction nor famine nor persecutson nor dangers much lesse the world Be assured that what soeuer persecution is raised against vs shall not make vs alter our mindes The Iudg commaunded his gashed and wounded body should be rubbed ouer with rough sharp clothes which paine he tollerated very patiently Pirrhus remained astonished hereat and said vnto him verely Menna it seemeth thy bodie which is thus tormented is not thine owne but borrowed of some other The martir answered him I feele not thy torments because I haue my God by me who doth helpe defend me vnto those that haue him with them all things succeed prosperously Then said Pirrhus set other burning torches vnto his sides that we may ouercome this his obstinacy The fire was brought applied and although they burned his sides two whole houres together yet the martir spake not one word Where vpon Pirrhus said Doest thou not feele the fire that burneth thee S. Menna answered I feele it not for CHRIST giueth me strength who hath said to me in his holie writt Esay 43. That if we passe by the fire the flame shall not burnevs He saith also in another place Mat 10. that we must not feare them that kill the bodie and cannot kill the soule but him we must feare that can send both bodie and soule into euerlasting fire Then said Pirrhus How canst thou alleadg these testimonies out of the bookes of thy God being a souldier when hadest thou time to read and study them Then said the blessed martir The same IESVS CHRIST our God said vnto vs That when we should be brought before kings nad Iudges for the profession of his name we should not care what to speak for that he would direct vs what we should answere Pirrhus said Tell me Menna whether your CHRIST did foretell you that you should suffer those torments yet surely said Menna for that he being God knew right well all that was to happen in after times Well well said Pirrhus leaue this vaine talk made and diuised of thine owne head and sacrifice vnto the Gods or I will condemne thee to be consumed with fire Do thy will said Menna for as I haue told thee already although thou hast power to torment my bodie yet hast thou none ouer my soule The Iudg said wilt thou haue daies of respitte to consider of this matter that thou maist free thy self from this thy blindnes and error The blessed martir made answere Long since haue I determined and resolued
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
with the sacrifices offred vpon them This was verie pleasing to the Emperour who yet to encourage others apointed a sollemne sacrifice of 100 Oxen to be made which being readie to be performed it happened That a yong damosell of Alexandria borne of the bloud royall learned in diuers sciences and also verie beautifull called Catherine who acknowledged no other God but IESVS CHRIST desirous to defend the lawe of her lord and sauiour and greeuing that so many people should be drowned in Idollatrie and especiallie for that the Emperour caused these people thus to offend determined to go speak to him and to reprooue him and to preuent if she could possiblie this mischeif that it might go no further Departing with this entention from her house well attended by her men-seruants and handmaides she came vnto the Temple and sent one to tell the Emperour that she desired to speak with him and he gaue her leaue to come in S. Catherine came into the Temple and at her entrance all the people present were amased at her wonderfull and Angelicall beautie as also for her modest and lowelie behauiour The Emperour wondred also to see a yong maid so gratious and desired to heare her speak that he might know the entent of her coming This render virgin verie modestlie yet with a Christian boldnes said vnto him O mightie Emperour it seemes to me that thou shouldest in thine owne discretion take notice of thine error and not to sacrifice in this sort vnto Idolls which represent vnto thee men subiect to many vices And if perhaps thou doest not know who they were that thou adorest enquire of those that can certifie thee who will tell thee that they were principall men in the world that for some benefits done in the countrie where they dwelt obtained of the people to haue statues erected vnto them that their memorie might be preserued and that others seing them might be incouraged to do the like deedes and thereby attaine such like honor and reputation But the rude and ignorant people began to call them Gods and to sacrifice vnto them as Gods not regarding that they had beene men And though in some respect they were rare and deserued honour and regard yet in many other things they deserued reproach and infamie for that they had bene vitious of life and wicked Thou ô Emperour oughtest to draw the people from this their error and blindnes and not to perswade them thus to runne further from the light to the preiudice of their soules Acknowledg the true God that created thee and hath giuen thee the Empire who being immortall was made man for our sake and of his owne will did subiect himself to dye that we might be deliuered from death which oure disobedience deserued This Lord will not know them that know not him nor suffer them to enter into his kingdome But those that acknowledg him he rewaâ—deth and giueth to them euerlasting life The Emperour hearing the bold speaches of the virgin stood still a while and could not speak a word for anger considering withall that vnto the reasons the damosell alleadged answere could hardlie be made yet he said vnto her yong girle we will first end our sacrifice and then we will make you an answere withall he commaunded she should be led vnto his pallace The sollemnitie of the sacrifices being ended the Emperour returned vnto his pallace and causing her to be brought before him he said vnto her Tell me yong damosell who thou art and of the words that thou hast spoken this daie Catherine answered It is well knowne in this cittie what bloud I am of my discent being both from Emperours and kings My name is Catherine and I haue spent my time in the studie of Rhetorique philosophie and other sciences but that which I most esteeme and regard is that I am come to the knowledg of IESVS CHRIST true God and true man whoÌ„ I haue taken to my spouse and he hath said I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and refuse the prudence of the prudent for all the wisdome and prudence of man compared to that which I haue learned is nothing worth and not to be regarded Whilest Catherine spoke the Emperour viewed her and wondered at her rare beautie her comelie feature and force of her reasons He thought her not a woman borne on the earth but did liken her to one of the goddesses which he and the other pagans adored The more he talked with the holie maid the more he was confounded for the more stronglie she prooued and concluded that his Gods were diuells and that IESVS CHRIST was more potent then they for that the signe of the Crosse made in the ayre did both feare them and driue them away wherefore he douting to be ouercome by her and put to reproach determined to send for wise and learned orators to dispute with Catherine and to conuince her by their reasons The Emperour himself told the saint hereof and in the meane space caused her to be kept in his pallace vnder a strong guard This being done he gathered famous men out of diuers countries and fiftie such were assembled at his pallace They vnderstanding the cause wherefore they were called the chief of them said vnto him Though there be found o mightie Emperour women of good intendment and sharp witt and though I think this woman maie be such a one yet vnto vs hast thou done apparant wrong since thou makest such account of her by equalling her vnto vs and by thinking that her wisedome and learning maie be compared with ours Some of our disciples maie dispute with her though that be also superfluous and more then needeth for that she hath not the methode to propound nor order to alleadg not to deny nor grant Yea if she speak with a philosopher that can dispute with her she shall not haue a word to saie but will presentlie shew her ignorance and yield The Emperour answered him I would not haue you deceiued I haue studied my self though not so much as you and as farre as I can gather I thinke her worthie to be compared to Plato or any other famous philosopher Be assured that if you ouercome her you shall haue victorie not of a woman but of another Plato On the contrarie part if you be ouercome by her remember you shal be vanquished of a woman If this happen you shal be put to great reproach but if you ouercome her you shal be highlie honored and bountifully rewarded by me The daie apointed for the disputation being come the holie damosell was called for that purpose but first she making her praier vnto IESVS CHRIST an Angell appeared who said vnto her Feare not thou spouse of CHRIST for vnto thy humane wisedome gotten by studie and paines shal be adioyned wisedome infused and supernaturall with which thou shalt ouercome those philosophers and shalt reduce them and many others to the faith of CHRIST the true God and ioyntlie with
them though they shall suffer before thee thou shalt be crowned with the crowne of martyrdome With this the Angell vanished awaie and Catherine was led before the Emperour the great and famous philosophers of the gentiles being on the other side against her There resorted vnto this great meeting an infinite companie of noblemen and gentlemen The philosopher that was accounted more learned theÌ„ the rest turning toward Catherine and as it were in scoffing manner said disdainfully vnto her Art thou shee that with saucy and malapert words hast so wronged our Gods yea said Catherine I am euen shee yet I do it not with saucie and malapâ—rt words as thou saiest but with true and certeine arguments The philosopher replied If thou hast read the famous poets thou shouldest also haue noted the statelie and magnificent names that they attribute vnto them farre different and more honorable then those that thou giuest them S. Catherine answered what be those ports and what be the names they giue vnto thy Gods The philosopher said Homer is one of them who calleth Iupiter the most glorious and greatest Orpheus also a famous poet speaking of Apollo the sonne of Latona calleth him potent that seeth and comaundeth mortall men These by them honored and highlie esteemed and called Gods you cannot shew me that any of them said that a crucified man was a God To this S. Catherine answered It is true the poets that thou hast named giue vnto thy Gods names of excellencie yet with all thou canst not deny but many times they lay vpon them most hainous crymes and abhominable deedes Mark what Homer chieif of the poets saith of Iupiter Sometimes he calleth him a lyer and peruerse then a deceiuer and that the other Gods haue coÌ„spired to chaine him with fetters that if he had not bene certified thereof he had come into manifest daunger Orpheus also who is the other poet thou hast named saith of thy Gods that they know not the troubles and afflictions of men and when they do know them they cannot deliuer them out of them Sophocles also affirmeth that those that adore and do reuerence to the statues and Idolls of many Gods do euill and offend greeuously for saith hee there is but one true God which is none of these who created heauen and earth and all that is therein Where you saie that IESVS CHRIST crucified whom I adore is not famous nor knowne of the poets and ancient wise men this sheweth plainlie your small reading Know therefore that the Sibills were renowned for their excellent skill in poetrie being illuminated by the holie Ghost One of the Siâ—ills wrot long before it came to passe that IESVS CHRIST should be taken by enuy and slaine by his owne people That he should rise againe and ascend into heauen and that he should come at the last daie to Iudge the quick and the dead Another Sibill said IESVS CHRIST being God is made man conuerseth with men and doth great marueiles and miracles both on the sea and land But let vs leaue the Sibills The same Apollo not vsing his accustomed dark manner of speeche said in plaine words long before it came to passe He that is the light and splendor of heauen he that is God and man hath suffred not in the diuinitie but in his bodie he hath suffred reproaches and was buried he hath shed many teares form his eyes he fed 5000. men in the wildernes with bread by the power of God â—he was crucified and dyed on the Crosse was buried and after ascended into heauen These be the words of Apollo thy God and by his oppinion thou oughtest not to adore him but him whom he calleth God These and the like were the words of S. Catherine alleadging the sayings and sentences of the philosophers and wisemen who contemned the Gods of the Gentiles proouing how coÌ„trarie it was to good philosophie to saie there should be many Gods But yet if it were possible that there should be many Iupiter Saturne Mars the others which the pagans adored were not nor could not be Gods for certaine it is that they were men And if they had bene good for any respect or had done any notable proffit vnto the people by their industrie or new inuâ—ntion as of plowing and reaping graine of making armour of defence or offence and such like yet in some respects they were most bad and vitious The holie virgin prosecuted her speach and declated what IESVS CHRIST preached of his life his deeds his miracles and shewed how they were all conformable to the nature of God This holie sainte spake these things so discreetlie and eloquentlie and with such feruencie of spirite that is was most euident and apparant that it was the work of God and that within her was somewhat more then humane wisedome And in such sort that the philosopher which began the disputation was not only conuinced but also turned to her side whereof he gaue plaine proof by his words The Emperour perswaded the other philosophers to take the defence of the matter which the chief had giuen ouer as being ouercome and to dispute with the damsell but they answered that it was to no purpose For now their chief man being vanquished they were also ouercome And they confessed withall that the damosell had said truth and that themselues till that time had benâ— blind worshippers of those for Gods which were not so indeed and that there was but one God to wit IESVS CHRIST whom Catherine confessed and adored It cannot be expressed how these words caused the Emperour to storme and rage which he shewed by this for without staie or obseruing any order of law or course of Iustice or without any examination he commaunded there should be kindled a huge fire to burne them all to ashes The fire being kindled forth with the wisemen fell at the feet of S. Catherine and weeping besought her to praie vnto God for them that he would pardon the sinnes they had committed against him through ignorance and they said they were prepared and desirous to receaue the sacrament of Baptisme The glorious saint reioycing in spirite as we maie well think to haue gained so good a praie animated them saying Assure your selues that God will pardon you since that for his sake you leaue the earthlie king and loose your owne liues The fire which is prepared shal be in steed of Baptisme vnto you and shall cleanse your soules that they maie be forth with presented vnto God who will bestow vpon you a reward for the seruice you now do vnto him These words confirmed the wisemen exceedinglie and they often making the signe of the Crosse and naming IESVS CHRIST were in this manner cast into the fire where they yealded their soules vnto God on the 17. daie of Nouember Some Christians came in the euening to gather together the reliques of the saints and they found their bodies entire and whole and not a haire of their heads
perished God suffered this to shew and manifest the new friendship he had made with theÌ„ This strange accident caused many pagans to be conuerted to the faith The Emperour was sollicitous what he should do with Catherine and it came into his head to deale mildlie and louinglie with her He made her great offers and promises and said vnto her yong and tender damosell be content at least to do sacrifice vnto Mercurius father of the Muses of whom thou hast receaued thy great wisedome and vnto whom thou art much bound If thou do but this thou shalt remaine in my pallace I will haue the same care of thee as I haue of myne owne daughter The blessed virgin answered him loose not time in vsing such flattering and deceitfull words those cannot perswade me for I had rather lose a 1000. liues then to forsake the profession of IESVS CHRIST my God whose pleasure is without any desert of myne to take me for his spouse and to giue me those Iewells which he giueth to his best beloued and I hope he will giue me the garment of Martyrdome which I more esteeme then all the purple and princelie roabes that be Aduise thy self said the Emperour or I will cloth thee with the purple roabe thou speakest of and I will cause thee though against my will to be put to most cruell torments S. Catherine answered do what pleaseth thee for thy torments be they neuer so cruell will quicklie end but the reward that I shall enioye shall endure for euer I hope IESVS CHRIST my spouse will giue me grâ—ce that by my meanes many of thy house and familie shall obtaine eternall life and be saued It pleased Almightie God to confirme in heauen the words his holie seruant spoke vpon earth The Emperour beginning now to shew rigor and seueritie against her caused her to be stripped naked which was no smalle affliction vnto the modest virgin being so honest and shamefast as to be seene naked in the sight of so many people After she was stripped the Emperour commaunded she should be beaten with all cruellty and the officers for two houres together whipped that yong and tender virgin Her bodie and flesh which before was as white as snow was altred in coullor being black and blew all bathed in her owne bloud This did so pittie the standers by that many of them wept aboundaÌ„tly The holie damosell endured this torment so couragiously as though her body had bene made of stone and not of flesh yet no man could imagine it seing the bloud run downe in streames ouer all her bodie Then the holie sainte was taken from the torment and put into a dark dongeon a watch being set that none should dresse her wounds nor giue her any comfort yea he forbad also to giue her any meat The mallice of man is of no force against the power of God as apeareth by this God prouiding all necessarie things for his spouse by the ministerie of his faithfull seruants the Angells who not only comforted her but also cured her and brought her victualls And for twelue daies that she remained in prison a doue prouided her things necessarie S. Catherine remaining thus in prison the Empresse Faustina desired to visite her which at the last she did by the meanes of a great captaine of the Emperours called Porphirius The Empresse had heard much of Catherine and had affection vnto her in her absence but when she had seene her and heard her profound speaches and enioyed her delightfull conuersation it came to passe that she Porphirius and 200. souldiers of the Emperours guard receiued the faith of CHRITS and were made Christians with a firme purpose to laie downe their liues for the profession of his name when occasion serued The twelue daies being expired the Emperour caused her to be taken out of prison for he vndersterstood she was yet aliue which made him to wonder both for that she had bene so long without meaâ— as also for that her bodie was in so pittifull estate as the whipping had brought it vnto He was much astonied to see her more cherfull then before for that in stead of beatings imprisonment famine and other afflictions it seemed she had bene in continuall comforts and cherishings Vpon which occasion the Emperour with a dissembling and fained smile said vnto her Trulie thou deseruest to be an Empresse for thy excellent parts and rate beautie The virgin said It is to no purpose to esteeme or regard temporall beautie which is soone lost the estimation and account must be made of the beautie that lasteth for euer which the saints in heauen enjoy With this there came vnto the Emperour a gouernour being a conning enginer but of cruell disposition and said vnto him My Lord if you be pleased I will inuent and make an engine wherewith this rebellious damosell shall either do that which you commaund or els she shall be torne in pieces vnto death This engine shal be made with foure wheeles in the which shal be sawes of Iron sharp nalles and sharp knifes the wheeles shal be turned one against another and the sawes the knifes and the naiâ—es shall meete and when they be mooued they shall make such a noise as when she seeth them she shall fall downe with feare and so she shal be brought to do your will but if she be still stubbeâ—ne in her opinion she shall be put betweene the wheeles and shall dye a most cruell death This wretched inuention pleased the Emperour well and he commaunded the engine to be made vp within three daies In that time he laboured to perswade the holie virgin to leaue her stubbernesse and not to be so obstinate but seing that he laboured in vaine that the engine was now readie he brought the holie saint thither and caused the wheeles to be turned in her sight She showing no signe of feare he commaunded to tye her to one of the wheeles to the end that the other being turned the contrarie waie might rent her bodie in diuers places with the sharp instruments S. Catherine was tyed to a wheele and they laid their hands on the other wheele to turne it about but it fell our farre otherwise then was expected by the cursed wretches for an Angell of God descended from heauen who brake the bands where with the virgin was tyed and she fell to the ground without any hurt Then the same Angell strook the wheeles which fell among the pagans and killed many of them Those which escaped the daunger by running awaie cryed out with a loud voice Great is the God of the Christians This altred not the wicked Emperour from his cursed purpose but he studying to dâ—uise new torments for S. Catherine the Empresse his wife came vnto him and sharplie reprooued him for his crueltie vsed against that holie damosell and the other Christians and told him plainlie that she also was a Christian The Emperor astonied and almost madde with anger to see
I will make you Fishers of men at this they left their bark and netts and followed him and from that houre they kept him company and he made them his Apostles S. Iohn maketh mention of S. Andrew in the recouÌ„ting the myracle our Sauiour did on the mouÌ„t when he would seed 5000. persons that followed him and asked S. Philippe where he might buy asmuch bread as would suffice all those people and he made an answer shewing little faith S. Andrew shewed a little more faith then he sayeng there was a boy that had fiue loaues two fishes though he doubted some what sayeng it was too litle for so many The same S. Iohn saith also of S. Andrew that some Gentills desired to see IESVS CHRIST vpoÌ„ the â—ame that was of him spoake to S. Philip to being theÌ„ to see him he spoke to S. Andrew both of theÌ„ told IESVS how some desired to see him There is no other particuler thing written in the Ghospell of S. Andrew though it be very certain that he was present in those things where it is said that all the Apostles of CHRIST were there as being one of them He was present at the resurrectioÌ„ of Lazarus he was at the entrie in to IerusaleÌ„ on Palme-sonday He was at the Supper where he was made priest and Bishop communicated Then with the rest he abandoned our Lord flyeng as the others did hee sawe our Sauiour raised to life and also ascend into heauen and receaued the holy Ghost and his gifts also He preached in Scithia Europea which fell to his lotte He passed into Thracia Epyrus in all which countryes he preached did myracles and conuerted much people to the faith of CHRIST Finally he came to the city of Patras in Achaia and there he staied and made it his place of abode and residence preaching and gainyng many soules by conuerting them to the faith not only in that prouince and city but also in the countreys adiacent in a small space there was not staÌ„ding one temple of the Idolls for that they were all turned into Chappell 's or into oratoryes where the Apostle said masse as occasioÌ„ serued He ordered deacons other ministers to help him in this holy misterie Euery one loued reuerenced him for that they knew our good God had bestowed many benefits on theÌ„ by his meanes His life was an example to them all with his words he coÌ„forted euery one his deeds were very gracyous vnto them for that he healed the sick and cast out the deuills To euery one he did good and did not permitt any to do euill There came into this city as Proconsull Egeas sent by the Romaines to gouern that prouince He seing how matters went began to persecute the Christians compelling them to sacrifice vnto the Idolls S. Andrew came sayd vnto him It is good reasoÌ„ that thou who art a Iudg ouer men shouldst acknowledge thy Iudg which is in heauen and honour him for the true God as he is indeed and leaue the honouring of them who be no Gods Egeas said perhaps thou art that Andrew who did destroy the temples of the Idolls and persuade men to receaue the superstityous sect of the Christians which the Romaines haue apointed to be persecuted and to be rooted out S. Andrew replied The Romaines haue not yet vnderstood how the sonne of God is come from heauen vnto earth for the saluation of mankind who hath taught that these Idolls be deuills and deceiuers who bring men from the true seruice of God that they may depart out of this life replenished with synne and be punished in the life to come with eternall torments Egeas said these be the things your CHRIST preached to the Iewes for the which they crucified him you say true said the holy Apostle that IESVS CHRIST died on the Crosse but that was done by his owne proper will Howe by his will said Egeas Is it not knowen that one of his disciples sold and deliuered him into the hands of the Iewes who presented him before their gouernour and he caused him to be crucified All these things shew that he dyed not of his owne will S. Andrew replyed I was and am still his disciple and I auow that he died by his owne will for that he knew and said these things before viz that he should be taken crucified and rise againe the third day yea and I tell there more that my brother Peeter would haue hindered him to the end he should not haue permitted such thing to be done and was called Satan for the same in which he shewed that the hinderance of his death was vnto him displeasing And wheÌ„ he said that one of vs that were with him at the table should betray sell him his best beloued disciple called Iohn asked him who it was that should be so treacherous he answered that it was he vnto whom he gaue a soppe dipped in the platter at which word he gaue it to Iudas who was the man that sold him and had already bargeined to betray him by this you may know that my maister who knew all things might haue preuented it and if he did it not you are compelled to confesse that he dyed by his owne will Egeas said were it of his owne will were it by force I reckon not but I meruell at thee that thou wilt worshippe for God a man crucified S. Andrew said very great was the mystery of the Crosse and I will declare it vnto thee if thou wilt heare me with patience Egeas said I will hear thee patiently but after that if thou doest not harken and obay me I will make thee to feele the mistery of the Crosse vpon thy shoulders Menace not me said S. Andrew for that if I feared it I would not preach the glory therof The first man hauing incurred the punishment of death for eating the fruit of the forbidden tree it was conuenient that with the fruit of the tree of the Crosse should be cancelled the death of the world and remedy giuen to the losse of mankind And as the first man was formed of the virgen earth and the ruyne of the world was caused by him so it was fitt that CHRIST should be borne of the imaculate virgin Mary true God and true man that he should be the cause of the redemption of the world Adam stretched out his armes to gather the fruit of the forbidden tree and CHRIST stretched his out because they should be nayled to it Adam tasted the fruit and CHRIST tasted gall To conclude I tell thee that my Lord was clothed with mortall flesh and would dye vpon the Crosse that he might cloth vs with immortality and giue vs eternall life Egeas hauing giuen care to the Apostle a while said Tell these thy tales to them that will beleeue thee and beleeue thou me that if thou doest not sacrifice to our Gods I will put thee on the Crosse thou
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
Pope and Confessor THE prophet Malachy said Cap 2. The lippes of the priests ought to keep wisedome and the lawe must be learned from their mouths for he is the Angell of the Lord God of Hosts These be the properties of a good priest And for that S. Damasus was really good this sentence fitteth and agreeth vnto him For the prophet saying that the lippes of the priests ought to keep wisedome he would inferre that they should be wise and so was S. Damasus That the lawe must be learned from his mouth this also agreeth â—ohâ—m for that he expounded many important things of the faith there being celebrated in his time diuers councels in which many things apperteinyng to the faith were determined which he approued That the priest is the Angell of our Lord agreeth most fitly vnto S. Damasus for that his life was Angelicall Chast and honest The which taken out of the â—ontificale and other graue authors is as followeth POPE Damasus was a Spayniard borne the Sonne of one Antonius It is hard to say for certein of what prouince therof he was Doctor Beuther in the history of Spaine saith he was of Taragona Maâ—yneus saith he was of Madrill and that in the Church of S. Saluator of that citty there is some letters that say so Vaseus saith he was a Portughez and borne in Guimaranes a place in the countrey called Beyond Duero and Minio three leagues from Braga There is no particuler knowledg of his life and for what cause he came to Rome and what he did there vntill he was Pope onely it is said that Liberius his Predecessor being banished from Rome he neuer abandoned him and he took such kindnes at his charity and consolation at his words that he told him he should be his successor in the chaire of S. Peter after his death And that which the good Pope Liberius said came afterward to passe Assoone as Damasus was elected Pope there fell great contention betweene those his electors and the friends of Vrsicinus the deacon They fell from words to blowes in the cathedrall Church of Licinius so that many were wounded and some slaine on both parts The which as we may well beleeue happened against the will of Damasus When th' emperor Valentinian was certified of this vprore and tumult he took order to displace Vrsicinus wherupon Damasus was coÌ„firmed peaceably in the Apostolik dignity Of this schisme of this broile mention is made by S. Ierome Ammianus Marcellinus Ruffinus Theodoretus Sozomenus the other authors of the ecclesiasticall historyes After a few dayes the faction of Vrsicinus seing they could not preuaile against Damasus this way suborned two lewd men that were deacons the one was called Concordius the other Callistus who accused the holy Pope of Adultery He was enforced to defend his cause publikly which moued him to call a councell of 40. Bishops to be kept at Rome who treating of his cause found him innocent and without fault and condemned his accusers cast them out of the bosome of the Church In the same Councell with consent of the fathers that were present therin it was ordeined that the punishement duâ— vnto the accused if he were not found guilty should be inflicted vpon the accuser if he failed in his proofe S. Damasus was a famous Pope and did many things in the defence of the faith in the gouernment of the Church for the which he is comended diuersly by all the writers of that time Theodoretus saith that Damasus was an admirable man and worthy of souerein praise and adorned with the splendour of many vertues S. Ierome writing vnto Pammachius among other praises of Damasus saith he was a virgin as a true Pope of the Church pure without spot S. Ambrose saith that Damasus was chosen to the papacy by the ordinance of God The fathers of the sixth Constantinopolitan CouÌ„cell call him the Adamant of the faith for his firme constancy against diuers heresyes In the time of S. Damasus was celebrated one of the foure Generall Councells of the which S. Gregory saith that he reuerenced them as the foure Ghospells and this was the first Councell of Constantinople in thâ— which were assembled 150. prelats in the time of th'emperour Theodosius and they all with one consent confessed the faith of the Nicens Councell and condemned Macedonius and other heretiks and Damasus confirmed all the decrees of that Councell In his time was celebrated another Councell at Aquilegia also This good pastor laboured not only to destroy the heretiques and heresies but also to take away the abuses which had crept into the Chuch this was one From the time of the primitiue Church there was a kind of priests who serued in the place where was fewe people as in the villages These kept company with the Bishops and were called Chorepiscopi and at that time they were thought to be conuenient and fit to be there for a principall charge of the Bishops was to prouide things necessary for the poore and to distribute among them the goods of the Church in helping the sick and needy And bycause the Bishop alone could not performe all things with his owne person he had need of some others to help him These Chorepiscopi though they had not a greater function or degree thâ—n other priests yet they began to intrude themselfs vpon pâ—ide into some things apperteining only to the office of a Bishop as to consecrat deacons subdeacons nonnes Churches Crisme wherfore it was fit to remedy and take away the abuse And so the Church by a publick decree ordeined that the Chorepiscopi should be taken away considering that our Lord IESVS had only Apostles whom the Bishops represented and disciples represented by the priests And that there was neuer any such order in the Church different from others wherfore the holy Pope Damasus in one epistle among many which he wrote saith that in the Catholik Church there neither be nor ought to be any Chorepiscopi as needfull yea rather the contrary is true and the holy Canons are expressely against them By this diligence of the holy Pope grewe in the Church of God a vniuersall peace and repose th'emperour Theodosius helping thereto who was in like maner a Spainiard borne in Italica a city not far from Ciuill This quiet repose of the Church gaue time and meanes to the good Pope Damasus to build some Churches in Rome As he builded one to the most blessed martir S. Laurence with a goodly pallace which vntill our time serueth for the Popes Chauncery and is called S Laurence in Damaso he builded another out of Rome in the way to Ardea at the Catacumbe where he consecrated Platonia which was the sepulcher of S. Peter the Apostle and there he offered many vessells of siluer and brasse Also he beautified another Church of S. LaureÌ„ce with rich guifts S. Damasus wrote some works of which are extant 5. decretall epistles and a work in
conception The holie Virgin as S. Augustine affirmeth had not that delight in the conception of the redeemer of the world and therefore she had not sorrow and paines Moreouer it was not fitting that shee should suffer paine that brought forth the ioy and comfort both of heauen and earth The sacred Virgin was aduised of that houre by new ioy which she felt in her soule euen as her virginitie and puritie deserued and it being now midnight all creatures after their trauaile were at their rest and vsuall repose The Moone shewed clearlie the Sunne enuying her himselfe being absent and she attended on that misterie with her bright beames The starres that straved in the midest of heauen desired to stay to see that great and new maruaile Those starres that were passed desired to turne back againe and those that were behind desired to hasten their iourney to be present at this happie and fortunate houre All things created yea nature it selfe stood astonied and amased beholding this strange manner of deliuerie The happie houre being come the blessed Virgin lifted vp her hands and eyes vnto heauen and said Behold O father eternall the time is come that thy only begotten Sonne is borne the pretious treasure is giuen vnto the world to pay the debt it oweth thee I offer vnto thee that art the giuer of all good things this fruit of life gathered out of the tree of my bowels I offer also vnto thee this pretious pledge which thou gauest me and which vntill this time I haue faithfully kept The blessed Virgin speaking these or the like words she felt in her soule an vnspeakable content and casting downe her eyes she saw the Sonne of God and her Sonne also newly borne Forthwith she kneeled downe before him and shedding teares for tendernes and ioy adored him and rendered thankes to him that he was made man and that he had elected her to be his mother yet kept her a most pure Virgin as she was before her deliuerie Then tooke she him in her armes and said vnto him Oh the most tender and deare Sonne of my bowels how can I now cherish thee With what shall I couer thee to keep thee from cold which is thy first torment Thou didst determine to be made man wherefore didst thou choose so poore a mother Were there not in the world many great Ladyes and Queenes that could better haue bene able to haue clothed thee in silke and gold as thou doest deserue being God as thou art I can giue thee but meane and course clothes But since it was thy pleasure to choose so poore a mother why wouldest thou be borne in so base abiect a place If thou haddst bene borne in Nazareth where thou wast conceiued I could yet something better haue attended and serued thee in my poore house but what can I do heere my dearest Sonne Thou my God hast deliuered me from the panges and throwes that other mothers endure in childbirth why wouldest thou permit me to feele now this torment I meane to see this heauenlie visage on which the Angels and all the Court of heauen desire to gaze as in a mirrour to looke sorrowfully with the cold Oh my Son how is the ioy that I haue to haue brought thee forth and to see my selfe thy mother mingled with griefe that I haue not where withall to attend and cherish thee as I would If not as thou deseruest yet at least as thou hast need I beseech thee therefore my deere Sonne that since it is thy will to choose me for thy mother that thou wilt supplie our wants so that to my will which to thee is best knowne and manifest there may be no want which my be for thy seruice We may imagine the blessed Virgin said such like words either outward and openlie or at least inwardly in her soule Then againe adored she the infant as her God and kissing his face as of her sonne and his feet as of the creator lapped him in those clothes which she had Although the Euangelist had not said as he did yet we might well beleeue that the holie Virgin was prouided according to her abillitie and was not negligent in that case especially she knowing the time of her deliuerie to be at hand Hauing then wrapped and swathed him she laid him vpon a little haye in a manger as the Euangelist saith in these words She brought forth her first begotten Sonne Luk. 2. v. 7. and wrapped him in clothes and laid him in a maâ—ger for there was no other place for him in the Iâ—ne And if when the Sonne of God was borne there was not present any humaine creature but the B. Virgin and her beloued Ioseph yea some are of opinion that he was gone to prouide victuals for himselfe and the B. Virgin there wanted not thousands of Angels who discended from heauen apparailed in the liuerie of their king that is in the shape of men and began to make triumph with musicke singing with sweet delectable and true Angellicall voyces Very fit it was that those blessed spirits should accomodate and applie themselues vnto the vsage of the world wherein at the rising of the morning Sunne the little birds sing sweetlie as it were saluting it and reioysing for the comming of the same So also when the Sunne of Iustice was borne in the world it was fit that the birds of heauen which be the Angels should shew their ioy by their sweet singing Some Authors say that the song of the Angels was begun by the blessed Virgin and that thereof began the vsage that at Masse the priest that celebrateth beginneth the Gloria in excelsis and the Quier followeth So the glorious Virgin hauing laid her Sonne in the Manger and againe adored him began to say with a loud voyce Glorie be to God in the hyest v. 14. The Angels forthwith answered And in earth peace vnto men of good will with the rest which followeth And that which was song in that stall the Angels song likewise throughout the places where they carried tydings of the birth of IESVS CHRIST The Euangelist S. Luke saith ver 8. At that time there were sheapheards watching keeping their flocks vnto whom according to the opinion of diuers Authors the Angell Gabriell appeared accompanied with many other Angels and vnto them hee told the newes of the birth of the Sauiour of the world S. Iohn Chrisostome saith he went not vnto Ierusalem to tell the Scribes and Pharisies Hom. de nat dom â—om 2. much lesse vnto king Herod because they were proud and drowned in vices deserued not that God should do them that fauour but he went vnto the sheapheards which were meane and humble And allthough at the first they were afraid yet the Angell secured them and told them the Messias was born And to the end that they desiring to go and adore him might find him he gaue vnto them sure tokens saying you shall find the infant wrapped
In prol in Ioh. De pres cript as Tertullian S. Ierome say out of the which he came without any hurt and then he was banished into an Isle called Pathmos which is one of the Islands called Cyclades and is not farre from Rhodes There the Apostle stayd a whole yeare and on a Sunday he had a vision and a reuelation in the which was discouered the successes of the Catholike Church that should happen vntill the day of the generall iudgement and all that he wrot in a booke which he called the Apocalipse or Reuelation Apo◠2. Whilest that S. Iohn remained in that Island he conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST almost all the inhabitants thereof and such was their loue toward him that as Symeon Metaphrases saith When he was to depart from the backe vnto Ephesus they were like to dye with sorrow Procrus Cap. 49. He was released from the exile after the death of Domitian and succession of Nerua who did by the aduise of the Senate reuoque and abrogate all the lawes his predecessor had made The Islanders vnderstanding that S. Iohn would depart from the went all vnto him lamenting and wailing some called him father others Lord and all said with one voyce he was theire ioy and comfort They besought him with great affection saying Oh Iohn thou holy and admirable man wherefore camest thou into this Island if thou art to depart hence so soone Why was the knowledge of thee bestowed on vs if we were to loose thy company so soone Whither wilt thou go to be beloued as thou art of vs Where shall thou be obeyed as thou art heere Where shall thy words be so esteemed since we listen to them as if they came from God and do beleeue that God speaketh in thee Then ô father haue pitty on vs thy children behold that without thee we are left in danger and perill to loose our selues Oh Emperour Domitian thou hast done to none such euill as thou hast done good vnto vs thou hast sent hither the elect disciple of God whom we haue knowen and receiued Baptisme by his meanes Thou hast done right well but for that to do good was far from thee of this good ariseth this present euill that now we must loose him whom before thou mad'st vs to know They all came to the holy Euangelist and kneeled at his feere tooke his garments in their hands kissed his hands with great humblenesse and reuerent behauiour for that they thought to make him stay there more by prayers and entreaties then by force or violence They holy Euangelist sawe the griefe of this Islanders for his departure but hee promising not to forget them and to send them some that should take charge of them they remained somewhat pleased and satisfied And so he embarked and returned to Ephesus where he was receiued with great and incredible ioy As the holy saint was to enter the Citty they carried out to buryall a noble Matrone called Drusiana who had loued S. Iohn very dearely He vnderstanding the same by many persons that followed the corps lamenting and mourning for the losse of so vertuous a woman that was charitable and had done many good workes of piety toward all kind of persons and he remembring the same prayed for her and God at his request raised againe the dead woman to life and the holy Apostle went to lodge at her house Then he began to gouerne that prouince again and he vnderstood that two young men in a Citty had distributed much riches vnto the poore desiring to serue God in pouerty which life S. Iohn had commended and praised much in his sermons but after perceiuing themselues in great want of necessary things they repented of what they had done S. Iohn talked with them and badde them bring him two great branches of trees from a Hill he named and some stones and the young men did so Then the Apostle by the power of God turned the stones into most pretious Iewels and the branches into Gold and said to the two young men Behold now see you may be as rich as you were before but consider well that the riches of the world doe puffe men vp and doe not satisfy them Thinke also that there is but one paradise and he that will haue it in this life and enioy and posesse worldly riches delights and pleasures cannot haue it also in the other world The Apostle did also in their sight raist to life a young man sonne to a poore widow who with many teares besought him to haue compassion on her as he had on Drusiana The two young men hauing seene this strange miracles determined to continue still in poore life and besought the Apostle to pray vnto God for them and gaue him backe his Iewels and Gold and he threw it vpon the ground and they returned to their former nature and he prayed vnto God for them and they led a holy life euer after S. Iohn had a great controuersy and variance with a priest of the Goddesse Dyana called Aristodemus who said that the miracles the Apostle did were not by the power of God but of the deuill and if he would haue him to beleeue it was by the worke of God let him drinke a cuppe of poyson that he would temper for him without any nocument or hurt to his life or health The malicious villaine thought by this meanes to take away the Apostles life and to repaire the losse his false gods sustained thereby S. Iohn accepted of the match and tooke the impoysonned cup in his hand and made thereon the signe of the Crosse and drunke it of without receuing any hurt Some Authors say for this cause S. Iohn is painted with a cuppe in his hand out of which commeth a serpent and he seemeth to blesse it which signifieth that he destroyed the force of the venime Others say this is not the cause but that he is painted so vpon the words CHRIST said to him when his mother requested that hee and his brother might haue the next place vnto him the one on the right hand and the other on the left and the words of CHRIST were these Can you drinke the cup which I must drinke and they answered I and our Sauiour replyed I say vnto you in verity that you shall drinke my cup This cuppe as some say is signified by the cuppe which is painted in the hand of S. Iohn and it may be it is painted there for both the causes S. Clement of Alexandria S. Iohn Chrisostome and other Authors recount also a story which befell betweene S. Iohn and a disciple of his being a beautifull young man And it was this S. Iohn kept the young man very strait and would haue brought him to strict and a mortified life And hauing on a time occasion to visite one of his Churches commended him vnto the care and gouernement of a Bishop desiring him to haue good regard of him In the absence of S.
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
morning verie earlie twelue more were serued by the Arche Bs. almoner about nine of the clocke a hundred poore men called Prebens on whome two monkes of the conuent attended The Bisshop hauing discharged his parte reposed a litle to refresh his senses bestowed all the time he could steale from his rest without great disparagement of his health in prayinge weeping and holie meditation When he was to celebrate the most dreadfull oblation then he did seeme to poure out his hart with teares and sighes and sobbes that cames as often as his words He was somewhat speedie in discharginge this office fearinge distractions yett all wayes attent recollected without vaine addinge of more then the churche appointed performing the communion with suche deuotion and teares as yf he did visibly behold the wounds of our sauiour IESVS CHRIST Not only his owne but also the hands of all his household were so free from receauing bribes that an Abbot comminge to his courte with important busines and desiring to winne his officers good will with gold and not findinge anie that would receaue it he himselfe notwithstanding receauing great satisfaction in his suite cryed oute at his departure I haue founde a court more golden then euer I could haue belieued or imagined for not onlie it walketh not after gold but also scorneth despiseth flyeth from gold Semblable to these were all his other vertues so vpright a Iudge that no might nor meanes could with-drawe him right so good a father to the poore that none departed from him without reliefe soe bountifull in giuinge almes that he twice doubled the vsuall allowance giuen to the poore by all his Predecessoures so zealous a prelate that no vice especially no schisme or errour could take roote with in his Iurisdiction so addicted to learninge that his conuersation at table vpon the way was allway of learning so prouident in giuing orders that he neuer impossed his hands vpon anie without mature and diligent examine whither he had sufficiencie enough in meanes in learninge and vertue least anie of these three being wanting priesthood should turne into scandall derision and beggerie so greate a fauourer and Patron of learned men that his moste especially be friended followers were the most especiall learned men of those dayes of English men Ioannes Salesberiensis afterward B. of Carnotum Robert Foliot afterward B. of Hereford William Glauile aftewards B. of Rochester Gerard Mayde afterwards B. of Couentrie of stranger Hughe Dantinant a Norman Archedeacon of Oxeford afterwars B. of Couentrie Herbert of Woscham afterwards Cardinall of Rome Arche B. of Beneuentum Humbert of Lumbardie afterwards Arche B. of Milan his natiue countrie and lastly Pope of Rome by name of Vrbanus tertius these were his followers of greatest name besides manie others of a lower ranke in dignitie though inferioure to none in learning and vertue Finallie his watching in meditation his teares in praying his puritie of life his modestie in speeche his vprighteousnes in his workes his trueth in his word his compassion of the poore care of the commons goode and welfare did spread his fame so wyde that it made the Kinges Maiestie hartilie to reioyce for the good election he made of so holy a prelate More ouer he was renowned in forraine countries where coÌ„ming to the Councell of â—owers in Fraunce he was so ioyfully receaued by Pope Alexander 3. all the Cardinalls and Prelates that all of them sauing the Pope and two Cardinalls who stayed to accompanie his Holines went oute of the towne to meete and well-come the Arche Bishop Hitherto he might seeme to haue had a prosperous course and nauegacion but God would haue him also tryed in aduersitie and therefore suffered a storme of persecution to be raised against him First certaine men of greate account oute of whose hands he had wrested churche-liuings which they had wrongfully vsurped began to calumniate him with his Maty alleaging that his royall fauoure emboldned the Arche B. to such attempts and wrongs which he had and did offer vnto manie yet they could not impaire the good opinion which the kinge entertained of the Arche B. Then followed his renouncing the office of Chanceloure which somewhat exasperated the Kinge next some resistance in a matter belonging to the Exchequer But lastly that which enkindled his Matys indignation was in this manner The friends of a certaine man that was slaine accused a priest for coÌ„mitting the murder he being apprehended and brought before his Bisshop so denied the facte that his aduersaries could not sufficiently conuince him by reason they re information was weake neyther he Canonically cleare himselfe He therefore remaining thus infamous and branded with suspicion his cause was referred to the Arche B who depriued him of all Ecclesiasticall benefice and shut him vp in a Monasterie commaunding that he should be perpetually recluded and made doe hard penance all dayes of his lyfe About the same time one Philip de Lidrois a Canon had contumeliously abused one of the Kings Iustices of peace the complaint being brought to the Archebishop he commaunded the Canon should be publiquely whipped for certaine yeares depriued of all Ecclesiasticall benefice and office These punishments esteemed rigorous enough could not quyet the rage of some of the laitie for laying some few mens faults vpon all the cleargie and pleading that priests and clearks presuming on their priuiledges that they were not put to death committed manie outrages offences and vilainies they made a great vproare and commotion in all the countrie The Kings Majestie as zealous of the peace and quyet of the commonwealth as the Archebishop of the Churches liberties and being informed by some of the cleargies enemies how their manifold offences daylie encreased presuming vpon their priuiledges he made an assembly of all the Bishops of the Realme and cleargie of London demaunding that all such Priestes as committed anie offence should enioy no priuiledge of the Church but deliuered ouer to the secular Iustice be punished with corporall paiue the only meanes as he said to stop the course of their wickednesse who building to much vpon their order stained shamefully debased the renoumne and glorie of their order For the higher one is seated in dignity the fouler is his crime and more exhorbitant the more scandalous his example and of greater consequence to draw meaner people into sinne and therefore such deliquentes ought to feele the smart of more heauie punishments To this demaund the holie Prelate mildly and constantly replied That sacred Canons and Generall Councels and holie Popes and glorious Kings Emperours had so ordained that cleargie men should be iudged and chastized by none but only their owne superiours and Prelates That when crimes were such as deserued death the Church did not winke at her ministers faults nor foster enormous offences with priuiledges but first degrading them from their order abandone and forsake them as none of hers and then turne them ouer
condescended to the Kings request but that S. Thomas alwayes cryed out The Church of God ought not to be ruled and directed with hypocriticall dissembling and worldly crafte and pollicie but with Iustice and Trueth which freeth her followers from all dangers At length the King of Fraunce with entreaty and the Pope with the terroure of the Churches censures made a full attonement and reconciliation betweene his Maiestie of England and the Archbishop the King not only recalling him and all his friends from his banishment but also writing into England that peacebly well and honorably he his might be restored to all which they enioyed three moneths before his departure out of England He led him also aside and talked with him so long and so familiarly as if no disagreement had euer bin betweene them he gaue him leaue to proceede against such of his suffragans as had offended during his absence and at his departure willed him to forget all former hatred and restore vnto each other their auncient loue and affection and so the Archbishop humbling himselfe at his Maiesties feete tooke his leaue and departed towards England after seauen yeares of banishment And although he vnderstood by the Earle of Bullen and manie others comming out of England that no other preparation was made there to receaue him but of prisons and bonds and treacherous proceedings and thirsting after his bloud and his life yet would he not stay his iourney but answered Allthough I should be torne in pieces I wil not break of my intended iourney no feare no force no torment shall stay me any longer let it suffice that the flocke of CHRIST hath for seauen yeares space bewailed the absence of her shepheard At his returne into his Church he was receaued with great ioy and deuotion by the cleargie and all well affected people though some others guiltie of their owne wickednesse repined thereat and endeuoured to haue hindered his landing with armed men Wheresoeuer the Archbishop went there was exceeding great ioy and triumph eache Parish with their crosses and Parish priests wellcoming him with a solemne procession and ioyntly singing and weeping for ioy and praising God that had sent them home their Father againe Whithin some few dayes after at his comming to London there was the like publike ioy and triumphing For all the cleargie and poore-schollers of the cittie to the number of three thousand men went forth to meete him without the cittie So did likewise the flower of the cittie with an innumerable number of people and all-together singing Te Deum laudamus accompanied him vnto his lodging But this reioycing and gladnesse lasted not long for some Bishops and other men of great account that were excommunicated by the Pope resorted vnto the Archbishop and earnestly required to receaue their absolution at his hands He answered that notwithstanding their excommunication suspension was from the Pope yet he would presume so farre as to absolue them in case they would make him a Canonicall caution or assurance of standing to the Iudgement of the Church in those things for which they were excommunicated They esteeming it to much pride in the Archbishop to tye them to any such conditions went ouer to the King in Normandie and complained vnto him That Thâ—mas was rather more haughtie proud and imperious after his banishment then before that he went vp and down with great troupes of men both horse and foote that attended on him as vpon the Kings owne royall person that to be a King indeede he wanted but the name and setting the Crowne vpon his head and saying that he would be King That such as were most loyall to his Maiestie were most oppressed with frequent exactions and excommunications by the Archbishop and manie other aggreeuances and calumnations to the same purpose which so much enraged and enflamed the Kinges indignation that with anxietie of minde he burst forth into these impatient words And is it possible that I cannot peaceably enioy neither Kingdome dignitie nor life and all this for one only Priest Cursed be all such as eate my bread since none will reuenge me of this fellow Vpon these words some principall gentlemen of the Kings chamber conspired together and with oathes and protestations combined themselues to kill the Archbishop imagining it would be most gratefull seruice to the King For flatterie and desire to humoure Princes and execute not only what they commaund but what they incline or bend vnto is a passion that 's ouer-powerfull in Courtes and blindeth many men to worke their owne euerlasting perdition They embarked themselues they landed in England at a castell called Flatwide associated themselues with others of great ranke but little grace and with manie armed men came marching to Canterbury and went to the Archbishop and with discurteous and vnseemely speeches reuiled him for manie treasons coÌ„mitted against the Kings Maiestie The good Prelate answered to all their obiections and with humilitie and modestie and yet with valour and constancie defended him selfe against all accusations wherewith they did charge him alleadging that for some of those which they esteemed enormious crimes he had expresse leaue and licence from the King At this they began to crye aloud and say this was to touche the honour of the Kinge appeache his Maiestie of Treason and fearing the nuÌ„ber of the Archbishops seruauÌ„ts they went forth both to arme themselues call in other companie prepared to assist them in the meane time the B. went in to euening prayer At the noyse of armes and armed men all the churche was in a tumult some flying away some hiding themselues some shutting fast the doores of the Church Only the Archbishop did so behaue himselfe as one deuoyde of all dread and feare and comming to the doores did set them wide open saying that Churches ought not to be defended as castles besieged with enemies and that he should ouercome farre better with suffering then with fighting In came they rushing to the Church crying out aloude Where is that Beket the Archbishop Where is that Traytour to the King all his kingdome He without any trouble or alteration answered Heere I am no Traitoure to the King but a Priest and seruant of IESVS CHRIST readie to leese my life for my Lord and shed my bloud in defence of his Church I coÌ„maund yee in the name of God and vnder paine of excommunication that none of yee doe hurt any of these which are present if there be any fault it is wholly mine that haue raken vpon me to defend the cause of the Church for whome I embrace death most willingly hoping that by the effusion of my bloud she shall enioy libertie and peace And theÌ„ ioyning his hands lifting theÌ„ and eyes hart to Heauen setling himselfe to prayer he said these last words To God Ladie to all the sainctes Patrons of this Church and to the blessed martyr S. Dionyse I commend my selfe the cause