Departed recounteth as from Bede in this his old English how that in a fighten Field betwixt Egfride and Edeldred two Princies of our Land it fortuned that a yonge Gentleman of Egfrides Army should be so grievously wounded that falling down both himself without sense and in all mens sights stark dead he was letten lye of the Enemies and his Body sought with care to be buried of his Friends A Brother of his a good Priest and Abbot with diligence making search for his Body amongst many happened on one that was exceeding like him as a man may easily be deceived in the alteration that streight falleth upon the Soul's departure to the whole form and fashion of the Body and bestowed of his Love the duty of Obsequies with solemn Memorials for the rest of him whom he took to be his Brother deceased burying him in his own Monastery and causing Mass to be done daily for his pardon and Soul's release But so it fortuned that his Brother Huma for so was he caulled being not all-out dead within four and twenty Hours came reasonably to himself again and gathering withal some strength rose up washt himself and made means to come to some friend or acquaintance where he might salve his Sores and close his Woundes again But by lacke of strengthe to make shifte and by misfortune he fel into his Enemies handes and therby the Capitaine examined of his Estate he denied himself to be of Name or Degrie in his Coontry Yet by the lykelyhoods that they gathered of his coomly demeanure and Gentleman-lyke taulke which he could hardly dissemble they mistruste as it was indeede that he was a Man of Arms and more than a Commen Souldear Therfore in hope of good gaine by his raunson they thought good after he was full recovered for fear of his escape to lay Irons upon him and so to make sure-work But so God wrought that no fetters could howld him For every day once at a certaine houre the bandes bracke lowse without force and the man made free The Gentleman marvailed at the case himself but his kepers and the capitaine were much more astoyned thereat and straitely examined him by what cooning or crafte he could with such ease set himself at libertie and bare him in hande that he used Characters or Letters of sum sorcery and which crafte with the practise of unlawfull artes But he answered in sadnesse that he was alltogether unskilful in suche thinges Mary quod he I have a brother in my coontry that is a priest and I knowne certainly that he saithe often Mass for my soule supposing me to be departed and slaine in batayle and if I were in an Other Lyfe I perceive my soul by his intercession should be so lowsed out of paines as my body is now from bondes The capitaine perceiving so much and belyke in sum awe of Religion seeinge the worke of God to be so straunge sould him to a Londoner with whome the same things happened in his bondes lowsing every day By which occasión he was licensed to go home to his friends and procure his ransom for chargeing him with divers sorts of surest bands none could sallfely howlde him And so upon promisse of his returne or payment of his appointed Price he went his wayes and afterward truely discharged his Credit Which doone by friendship that he fownd in the same Coontry afterward returned to his owne parties and to his brother's howse to whome when he had uttered all the History of his straunge fortune both of his misery and miraculous relieving he enquired diligentlye the whole circumstance with the howre and time of his daily lowsinge and by conferring together they fownde that his bondes brake lowse especially at the very juste time of his celebration for his soule At which times he confessed that he was otherwise in his great adversities often released also Thus hath that holy Writer allmost word for word and att th ende he addeth this Many hearing thus much of the Party himself were wonderfully inflamed with faith and zeale to pray to give almese anâ— to offer sacrifice of the holy Oblation for the delivery of theire wel-beloved frendes departed out of this life For they understood that the healthfull sacrifice was availeable for the redemption of both Body and Soule everlasttingly And this storie did they that heard it of the Parties owne Mouthe reported unto me Whereupon having so good proofe I dare be bowlde to write it in my Ecclesiastical History And thus much saithe Beda abowte eghte hundred yeares ago when our Nation being but yonge in Christianity was fedde in the true Belief by sundry wonderous Workes of God. Allin's Defence and Declaration of the Catholick Churches Doctrine of Purgatory p. 211. Printed at Antwerp by John Latius with Priviledge 1565. St. Catherine of Sienna's Vision of a Soul in Grace St. Catherine of Sienna conceived an ardent Desire to behold a Soul in Grace and advantaged with all the Beauties thereof Full of this Desire she was no sooner departed from a Sermon but she heard a Voice from Heâ—vâ—n saying unto her Catherine presently thâ—u shalt see the fruit of thy Desire And retiring her self into her Oratory she there besought God for the performance of his Promise and suddenly beheld a Person of incredible Majesty all circled about with Light and shining with clear Splendor at the sight of which she was so wrap't in Admiration and Reverence as she presently prostrated her self before its Feet with intention to adore it had it not with these words prohibited her Catherine forbear for I am not God as thou imaginest And who then answered the Saint I am said It the Soul of a certain Murtherer you prayed for not long since in seeing me led to Execution who being new cleansed in the Fire of Purgatory and going all purified to Heaven after I shall have left you satisfied of your Desire by the Commandment of Almighty God. An admirable Method to love serve and honour the Blessed Virgin Mary Written in Italian by the R. F. Alexis de Salo Capuchin And Englished by R. F. Permissu Superiorum 1639. p. 179. The Efficacy of the Rosary to free a Soul from Purgatory AT what time St. Dominick preached in the Kingdom of Aragon a certain young Virgin of good account called Alexandria made Instance unto him as he came down from out of the Pulpit where he had omitted nothing that might make for the Commendations of the Rosary to be admitted into the Sodality thereof which she obtained although for the rest her Life was no ways accordingly she being one who spent much more time in adorning her Body than to have her Soul well adorned Now it hapned that two Gentlemen at once making Suit unto her it was sufficient ground of Quarrel as they in their Madness thought one to challenge the other into the Field where they both remained dead upon the place The Friends of either hearing of this sad Accident
Souls were sent thither on purpose for their good and that if the punishments of Purgatory be not necessary for their entrance into Heaven they went thither in vain 4. Though he were a very Philosopher he would smile as much to think how one man's Alms or Aveâ—s should supply the place of a pâ—rging Fire and refine another man's dross as he would to think how one man's taking Physick should make another man Well In short he would think of this Doctrine and of all the Miracles which support it as he ought to think This is a sure way of judging concerning all other Popish Miracles even of the great Xavier's which the Author of the Pulpit Sayings p. 21. brags to have gained credit amongst Protestants themselves But for certain those Protestants had never read Xavier's Persic Gospel translated as I remember by Ludovicus de Dieu for then they must have concluded that God would never give his Letters of Credence to such a false Apostle nor employ his own Almighty Power to gain belief to such an heap of Falshoods as there is yea though they be mixed with some Truths for the Devil himself never spoke all Lies It is easie to apply this Rule which can never fail to all the Miracles in this following Collection which are such as cannot be reconciled with Christianity nor the natural Notions which we have of God. God and Nature do nothing in vain But can any thing be more vain and sportive than those Matches of Miraâ—les which we have p. 32 and 44 Where Omnipotency is employed to less purpose than the Capping of Verses betwixt two School-boys or than if one of them should stand to blow out a Candle while the other blew it in again And if those Miracles which passed betwixt St. Molva and St. Modoc p. 44. have any meaning at all they tend only to confirm the Doctrine of Abstaining from Meats which Doctrine has but a very bad Character 1 Tim. 4. 3. and therefore those Miracles are undoubted Impostures For the Doctrines of Devils shall never be confirmed with Godâ—s Miracles But every Reader is able to judge for himself which of these Miracles are to nâ— purpose and which are for the Priest's purpose and to make the Popish Pot boyl as the Fire of Purgatory plainly is which are for the honour of the Saint and the dishonour of God which are fit to enslave men's minds and which are fit to widen their Belief that they may the more easily swallow the Mysteries of Popery and in a word which of them serve best for those Superstitious and Antichristian Uses which the Church of Rome knows very well how to put them to And therefore I shall only take notice of one single Miracle but it was a Breeder and had a great many more in the belly of it and that is the Staff of Jesus which Justus the Hermite was ordered to deliver to St. Patrick of which you have an Account p. 42 43. Now I only ask Whether the Christians said their Creed that Morning when Iesus Christ had lain all Night at Justus's Cell and when he delivered to him the Staff For at that time either the Article of his sitting in Heaven or else his delivering of the Staff and ascending afterwards into Heaven was not true And I desire some Romish Priest to tell me which it was Purgatory Prov'd BY MIRACLES Collected out of Roman-Catholick Authors The History of a Man that having experienc'd the Pains of Purgatory chose much rather to suffer the Miseries of Humane Life for many Years together than Three Days Torments in Purgatory WE read in St. Antonin that a Man who had been extremely debauch'd was visited by God with a long and painful Sickness As he was a great lover of his Pleasure and his Distemper putting him as it were upon the rack he at length lost all Patience and earnestly besought our Lord that he would send Death to him An Angel appeared to him that offered him the choice either to continue sick as he was two Years longer or spend three Days in Purgatory This Man being only sensible of his present pain preferr'd three Days in Purgatory before a two Years sickness But hardly had he been an Hour in those Dreadful Flames but that the same Angel came to visit him there and askt him in what condition he found himself Ah! he answer'd you have deceiv'd me For I was to have been but three Days in Purgatory and whereas I have now been several Years here No the Angel retorted I have not deceived you But it is the violence of your pains that makes you think the little time you have been here so long Ah! for God's sake reply'd he do so as that I may again return into life For I am ready to suffer all the pains of my Distemper not only during two Years but as long as it shall please God to afflict and punish me He obtain'd what he required and never after did he complain of the pains he endured Le Pedag. Christien p. 508. How a certain Holy Person was induc'd to Pray for Souls in Purgatory A Holy Man call'd Bertrand a Provincial of the Order of St. Dominique said Mass daily for the expiation of his own sins without troubling himself with offering it to God for the repose of Souls in Purgatory Being one day askt the reason of this he answer'd That those Souls were secur'd of their salvation and by consequence that they had less need of Prayers than the living The Night following a dead man appeared ten times to him knocking his hand against his Coffin and making a shew as if he would maul him Which possess'd him with so great a fear that he rose up betimes in the Morning and went to say Mass for the Dead and all the rest of his Life he spent in procuring by all sorts of means their ease and delivery Pedag. Chrest p. 512. The Account of a Man in Purgatory for neglecting to Pray for the Dead IN the Year 1541. a holy religious Priest of the Order of St. Francis appeared after his Death to a Novice who pray'd for him and told he was in Purgatory because he had been negligent in praying for the Dead Pedag. Chrest p. 513. A Virgin after having been in Purgatory and Heaven itself returns upon Earth for the good and Conversion of Sinners ST Christina a Virgin and Native of St. Thron in Hasbaye being dead her Soul was convey'd into a place where they suffer'd such horrible torments that she thought it to be Hell but an Angel assur'd her that it was only Purgatory From thence she was carried into Heaven before the Throne of God who left it to her choice whether she would remain eternally with the Blessed in glory or be re-united to her Body to labour for the deliverance of those Souls which she had seen suffer such dreadful Punishments and afterwards return into Heaven there to receive the Crown which she had merited
by her good Works She took this last course and at the same instant she re-entred into her Body which was laid publickly at that time in the midst of the Church while they were saying Mass. From that time this Saint perform'd such rigorous Penances and such amazing Mortifications that she justly acquired the Sir-name of Admirable Le Pedag. Chrest p. 513. The Thanks of the Dead for the Prayers of the Living ST Liebert Bishop of Cambray one day praying in St. Nicholas's Church-yard in the same City for those that were there enterr'd and with great devotion saying this Verse which the Church so often sings May the Souls of all the Faithful that are Dead rest in Peace a Voice was heard in the Air that answer'd chearfully and distinctly So be it Le Ped. Chrest p. 514. A Person that devoted his Whole Life for the Redemption of the Dead JEan Ximenes of the Company of Iesus a religious Man of extraordinary Vertue praying for the Dead on the day of All Saints before the Image of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady heard a Voice that said to him Ximenes remember you the Souls that are in Purgatory Which so sensibly affected him that he offer'd to God for them all his Mortifications all his Good Works and generally all the Acts of Vertue whether Interior or Exterior that he was to do from that time till death Le Pedag. Chrest p. 515. St. Thomas Aquinas his Purgatory Expeditions ST Thomas Aquinas saith the Reverend Father Ribadeneyra in his Flowers of the Lives of Saints was wont to demand three things of Almighty God with great Instance The first was force to serve him without ever relenting in that first Primitive fervour wherewith he had undertaken his service The second that he would be pleased to keep him always in the humble and poor condition of a Religious state which he had made profession of And the third was that he would reveal unto him what state his Brother Arnold was in whom the Emperour Conrade had put to death because he stuck to the Party of the Church All which three things our Lord granted him in ample manner For he gave him Grace to persevere in his service until death in his Religious Order with great sanctity and he revealed unto him in a Vision that his Brother was in the state of Salvation our Lord recompencing the Death which he was put unto for his Service and for the Defence of the Church His Sister that had taken a Religious Course appeared once unto him whilst he was praying and told him that she was in Purgatory demanding the Assistance of his Sacrifices and other Prayers The Saint was very careful to help her with Masses Fastings Prayers both by himself and by other Religious Men. And few days after she appeared again for to thank him for the benefit he had procured unto her for that she was now in Glory St. Thomas asked her of the condition of his two Brothers and of his own state Whether it were good in the presence of God She answered That their Brother Landulâ—fe was in Purgatory and Arnold was at rest and that for what concerned himself he was in the Grace of God and that shortly they should all of them meet together but he should be far higher in glory for his good Service and Pains taken in the Church Moreover at another time when he was one Night praying in the Church of his Convent at Naples Fryar Romanus who succeeded him in the Chair of Divinity in France being lately deceased appeared unto him St. Thomas having yet understood nothing of his death after that he knew him and was told by him that he was departed out of this World he inquired of him Whether his Services were acceptable unto God and if he were in the state of Grace Romanus bid him go on and persevere in the state he was in for it was very good and God was well pleased with it Then St. Thomas asked Romanus how all things went with him and where he was To whom he replied that he was now in Heaven but had been fifteen days in Purgatory for a neglect which he had committed in the Execution of the Bishop of Paris his Will in a Matter which ought to have been performed out of hand and was delayed by his fault Some other things did St. Thomas ask him and was satisfi'd in them all after which Romanus vanished leaving him in great comfort and consolation For when God will reveal some secrets unto his servants he useth first to give them a Desire and moveth them by his Holy Inspirations for to demand them of him giving them an assured confidence of obtaining what they ask upon which Ground they walk securely which they could not do if that Divine Motion were wanting and if through a vain curiosity they did pretend to know the secret Judgments of our Lord and the state of Souls departed out of this Life as many times it falleth out Fat. Peter Ribadeneyra's Flowers of the Lives of the Saints p. 204. Whence came the Custom of saying Thirty Masses for the Dead which are called the Masses of St. Gregory ST Gregory the great Pope and Doctor came to understand that a certain Monk that was sick and ready to die had hoarded up three hundred Crowns This seemed unto him to be so grievous an offence that he commanded the Prior of the Monastery whose name was Preciosus to see that none of the Religious should visit him or afford him any Comfort to the end that seeing himself thus neglected by all he might at least in that Extremity acknowledge his Fault do Penance and come to be saved The poor man died and the Saint would not permit his Body to be buried with the rest but to be cast upon a Dunghil together with his three hundred Crowns and all the Monks said Pecunia Tua tecum sit in Perditionem Thy Money perish wish thee This Rigor was very profitable for when the Proprietory Monk perceived that all abhorred him he had great feeling of his Crime and died penitent and the rest that they might not incur the like Punishment laid at the Abbots feet all they had even those things which they might keep according to the Rule After thirty days the holy Father taking compassion of the Soul of this poor man commanded Preciosus to say Mass for him every day for thirty days consequently at the end whereof the deceased Monk appeared to a Brother of his that was a Religious Man and told him That he had been in Purgatory until that day but that now by the mercy of God he was going to Glory And this was the effect of the thirty Masses which St. Gregory commanded to be said for him Whence came the custom of saying thirty Masses for the Dead which are called The Masses of Saint Gregory St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr raises up a Man to life that had been three years dead to be his
Witness in a Process he had depending THE Reverend Father Ribadeneyra in his said Flowers of the Lives of the Saints does acquaint us in the Life of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr how that that the holy Bishop had bought for the benefit of his Church a piece of Land of a Rich man named Peter and had faithfully paid him the price of it but yet could not shew sufficient Evidences for the proof of the same The man that sold him this Land had now been dead three years And his Heirs for to please the King who bore a great enmity to the Saint and to make their benefit of so fair an occasion complained of the Bishop in a Juridical Court that he had seized upon an Inheritance that belonged to them The Business was brought to be examined before the King who finding that the Bishop wanted some necessary Writings and that the Witnesses for fear of his displeasure durst not inform the Court of the Truth condemned him to restore the Lands to Peter's Heirs as due and proper to them by right of Inheritance The Saint demanded three days for to bring Peter before them of whom he had bought the Land and who as we said had been dead and buried three years before They easily granted him his demand making a jest and sport of it But the Saint fasted watcht and pray'd with great fervour and instancy begging of our Lord That seeing the Cause was his and that it was he who was wronged and injured by that unjust Sentance he would be pleased to take the whole Business in hand and rise up in his own defence At the end of three days having offered up the Holy Sacrifice of Mass he went unto the Grave where Peter lay buried and made the Grave-stone be taken away and the Earth opened until the Body appeared Then touching the said Body with his Grosier-staff commanded Peter to rise At which instant the dead Body obeying the Voice of the living Saint Peter rose up and followed him to the Court where the King was accompanied with all his Nobles and Judges To whom St. Stanislaus spoke thus Look here is Peter of whom I bought the Land who having been dead is risen again and now standeth before you Ask of him if it be true that I paid him entirely that for which he sold and I bought that Land for the Church The man is sufficiently known his Grave is open It is God who raised him to life for the confirmation and assured proof of this Verity His Word ought to be a more certain and infallible Argument of it than all the Testimony of Witnesses or Evidence of Writings that can be alledged This so great and manifest a Miracle did extreamly daunt the Courage of the Bishop's Adversaries and struck them to the very heart so that they remained quite dumb and had not one word to say For Peter declared publickly the Truth and very gravely and seriously warned his Heirs to do Penance for this their sin and for having so much molested the holy Prelate contrary to all Equity and Iustice. St. Stanislaus offered Peter if he desired to remain some years in Life to obtain it for him of Almighty God. But he chose rather to return to his Grave and die again presently than to abide in so troublesome and dangerous a Life and told the Saint That he was in Purgatory and that yet he had something to suffer in satisfaction for the remnant of his sins and that he had rather be secure of his salvation although it were by undergoing the rest of the pain and torment due to his former sins than engage himself in the hazard and jeopardy by embarking anew to be tossed in the stormy and tempestuous Sea of this wicked World. That he begged of him to beseech our Lord to remit and pardon him the rest of his Punishment and to release him soon out of that Prison and bring him to enjoy his glory in the blessed company of Saints When he had said this St. Stanislaus accompanied him to the Grave and a multitude of people went along with them Peter laid himself down in his Tomb and composed himself for his last Rest and begging of all the Assembly for to recommend his Soul unto our Lord died the second time for to go to live eternally with Almighty God. St. Teresa by her Prayers rescues a Person out of Purgatory A Certain Gentleman who had given the Saint viz. Teresa an Inheritance for the founding of a Monastery in Valliodolid not long after suddenly fell sick and died and his Speech failing him he was not able to make a full Confession although he gave great signs of Contrition She hearing of his Death was much afflicted for him fearing lest perhaps his Soul was damned and as she was recommending him to God our Lord told her That his salvation had been in great danger and that he had shewed him mercy for the service he had done his Mother giving her a House for the building of a Monastery there of her Order and that he should come out of Purgatory when the first Mass should be said there and not before The Saint having heard this being so full of Charity as she was for that she had always before her Eyes the grievous pains that this Soul endured could find no repose until she had founded the Monastery And to the end that we might know of the compassion that our Lord has of the Souls that are in Purgatory and how pleasing and grateful that is unto him which is done for them himself one day seeing that the Saint by reason of certain Affairs which occurred made some delay to go to Valliodolid to found the said Monastery hastened her on as she was in Prayer bidding her to make hast away for that that Soul suffered much And all was fulfilled as had been revealed unto her for Mass being ended and the Saint approaching to receive the Holy Communion the Gentleman who had been Master of the House and Garden where she and her Companions now were appeared unto her with a glorious and chearful countenance and thanked her with joyned hands for that which she had done for his delivery out of Purgatory and after this he mounted up to Heaven A Vision of Purgatory Hell and Paradise A Certain Husbandman called Thurcillus living at Tidstude a Village in the Bishoprick of London a person very hospitable to his capacity while he was in his Field Iulianus the Hospitator appeared to him bidding him be ready at night when he would call upon him there being matters to be divinely shew'd him that were beyond the apprehensions of Humanity Accordingly he came and bidding Thurcillus to leave his Body to rest in his Bed for that his Soul was only to troop along with him Coming to about the middle of the World they entred into a glorious Then came an Adulterer and an Adulteress representing the very act of Copulation with the most filthy
venerial motions and immodest postures before the whole Assembly And then becoming as it were distracted they fell bitterly upon one another changing their superficial Love into Cruelty and Hatred And then were by the Infernals in like manner as the former as also all Fornicators are with punishments beyond description Then two Backbiters enter'd with wry faces and odd grimaces The two heads of a burning Spear were put into their mouths which knawing upon with distorted looks they quickly met at the middle and then tearing one another they all embru'd their faces with biting Then Thieves Incendiaries and Violators of holy places were introduc'd and were rackâ—d by the Devils upon burning Wheels and sundry other Instruments of torment The Rustick likewise saw near the entrance of the lower Hall as it were four Streets the first was full of innumerable Furnaces and Cauldrons fill'd with flaming Pitch other Liquids and boiling of souls whose heads were like those of black Fishes in the seething Liquor The second had its Cauldrons stor'd with Snow and Ice to torment souls with horrid Cold. The third had thereof boiling Sulphur and other materials affording the worst of stinks for the vexing of souls that had wallow'd in the filth of Lust. The fourth had Cauldrons of a most horrid salt and black Water Now sinners of all sorts were alternately tormented in these Cauldrons Now returning to the Temple upon the Mount of Joy the Rustick had a sight of the introduction of pure white souls and was made sensible how much they were help'd to the possession of eternal Joys by the means of the Masses of their Friends in the World nay and saw many of his Acquaintance dancing Attendance upon St. Michael for admittance That Saint likewise shew'd him the several Mansions and Apartments of those that gradually mounted up to infinite Happiness and how they at certain hours each day heard Canticles from Heaven as if all the sorts of Musick in the World had joyn'd in consort Then he led him to a place all bedeckt with infinite variety of Flowers and Herbs having a most clear Fountain branching it self into four streams of a various Liquor and colour Upon this Fountain stood a most beautiful Tree of a wonderful bigness and immense height affording all sorts of Fruits and the flavour of all Spices Under this Tree near the Fountain lay a man of a graceful mien and Gigantick stature having a Vestment on from his breast to his feet of various colours and wonderful beauty he seem'd to laugh with one Eye and weep with the other This is Adam quoth St. Michael who by his smiling Eye denotes the joy he receives from the ineffable glorification of his Sons that are to be â—aved and by the other weeping one denounces the sorrow he undergoes on the account of the rebrobation of some of his Sons and the just Judgment of God upon the damned The Vestment with which he is covered but not a compleat Robe is the Vest of Immortality and Glory which he was stript of at his first prevarication for he began to receive this Vest from Abel his just Son till now thro' the whole succession of his just Sons And as the Elect shine with various Virtues so this Vest is pictured of a various colour When the number of the Elect Sons shall be compleat then Adam shall be all over cloath'd with a Robe of Immortality and Glory and so the World shall be at an end Then the Saint led the Rustick into a much more ravishing place than any yet seen and there shew'd him St. Catharina St. Margareta and St. Ositha whose beauty having admired St. Michael bid St. Iulian convey him back to his Body and accordingly did so but how is not known He lay as it were in a Trance for two days and two nights after but after that repairing to Church he was sollicited by the Priest and his Parishoners to acquaint them with his Revelations but he declining so to do St. Iulian appear'd to him the night following and commanded him to gratifie them in that point And in obedience to the Saint he gave an account of his Vision in the English Tongue with such Eloquence as created admiration in all his Auditors and the more as having been known to have ever been a man of narrow sence and few words The occasion of the Institution of a set and solemn day for the Praying for Souls out of Purgatory THE Cardinal Peter Damian a very holy and very learned man writes in the Life of St. Odilo Abbot of Cluny who died in the year of our Lord 1048 that a Religious man of France returning from Hierusalem was by a Tempest carried to an Island or Rock where there was an holy Hermite who told him that there hard by were great burning flaming fires where the souls of the Dead were tormented that he heard the Devils oftentimes howl and complain for that by the Prayers and Alms of the Faithful the pains which those souls suffered were mitigated and the souls freed out of their hands and that particularly they complained of Odiolo Abbot and his Monks for their care and vigilance in favouring and helping them and conjured the Religious man because he was a French-man and knew the Monastery of Cluny as he said and the Abbot Odilo to entreat the said Abbot and to charge him in his name to persevere in that holy Exercise and by his fervent Prayers and continual Alms to endeavour to give refreshment to the souls of our Brethren that are tormented in Purgatory that so the joy of the Blessed might be increased in Heaven and the sorrow of the Devils in Hell. The Religious man returned into France communicated that which he had heard of the holy Hermite with Odilo Abbot and with all that blessed Congregation which was under his charge And the Abbot ordained that in all his Monasteries upon the second of November the day after the Festivity of All Saints should be made a particular Commemoration of the Dead and that especial care should be used to succour and relieve them by Prayers Alms and Masses And that which St. Odilo instituted in his Convents was afterwards received and established by Apostolical Authority in the whole Universal Church Peter Galefinus Protonotary Apostolical says that many write that Pope Iohn XVI instituted this Commemoration by the counsel and advice of St. Odilo It is true that Almarius Fortunatus Bishop of Trevers who lived about 200 years before Odilo in a Book of the Ecclesiastical Offices which he wrote to Ludovicus Pius Emperour after the Office of the Saints he puts that of the Dead and he says that he did so because many depart out of this Life who do not go presently to Heaven for whom that Office was wont to be said which is a sign that even in his time this was done as Cardinal Baronius has noted And this is sufficient to declare the Institution of this Commemoration of the
Dead and the occasion of making of it Certain Revelations which the Saints have had concerning the Souls in Purgatory St. Gregory the Great writes that the Soul of Paschasius appeared to St. German and testified unto him that he was freed from the pains of Purgatory for his Prayers When the same St. Gregory was Abbot of his Monastery a Monk of his called Iustus now dead appeared to another Monk called Copiosus and advertized him that he had been freed from the Torments of Purgatory by thirty Masses which Pretiosus Prefect of the Monastery by the Order of St. Gregory had said for his Soul as is recounted in his Life St. Gregory of Tours writes of a Holy Damzel called Vitaliana that she appeared to St. Martin and told him that she had been in Purgatory for a venial sin which she had committed and that she was delivered by the Prayers of the Saint Peter Damian writes that St. Severin appeared to a Clergy-man and told him that he had been in Purgatory for not having said the Divine Service at due hours and that afterwards God had delivered him and carried him to the company of the blessed St. Bernard writes that St. Malachy freed his Sister from the pains of Purgatory by his Prayers and that the same Sister had appeared unto him begging of him that relief and favour And St. Bernard himself by his Intercession freed another who had suffered a whole Year the pains of Purgatory as William Abbot writes in his Life And St. Rembert Archbishop of Bremes fasting forty days for a Priest called Arnolfus freed him out of Purgatory and the same Arnolfus appeared to him and gave him thanks for it as Surius relates in his Life And St. Thomas of Aquin being at his Prayers a sister of his a religious woman now dead appeared unto him and told him how that she was in Purgatory and afterwards she appeared to him again giving him thanks for the benefit which by the means of his Fasts Prayers and Masses she had received and for the glory which she now had in Heaven Pope Benedict the Eighth being now dead appeared to St. Odilo Abbot of whom we spoke before glorious and beautiful and gave him thanks with profound reverence confessing that by his Prayers and the Prayers of his Religious God had done him the favour to take him out of the prison of Purgatory and to place him in Heaven amongst the Elect. St. Martin raises one from the Dead WIthout the City of Poictiers St. Martin built a poor Monastery for himself and for some of those that followed him Amongst these was one a Catechumen who when St. Martin was upon a time out of the Convent fell sick of such a violent Disease that within a few days it took away his life and he died without being baptized The Saint returned home and found his Monks much afflicted for what had hapned and the Corpse of the dead Man ready to be carried to the Grave He approached near unto him sad and disconsolate looked stedfastly upon him with great feeling and by a particular impulse from God commanded them all to go out of the Chamber and the Doors being shut stretched himself upon the cold Body of the Dead Man and making a servorous Prayer to our Lord besought him to restore him to life and our Lord did so insomuch that those who were without expecting the event entring into the Chamber to their great admiration and astonishment found him alive whom they were about to bury The Catechumen they revived received immediately the Water of Holy Baptism and lived many years and recounted how that his Soul being gone out of the Body was presented before the Tribunal of God and that it was condemned to be in certain obscure and dark places but that presently after it understood by the Angels that St. Martin prayed for it and that the Judge had commanded them to carry it back to the Body and to present it as from him to his Servant St. Martin Of Fishermen that fish up a Soul in a Piece of Ice THe Author of Purgatories Knell relateth from Antoninus of certain Fishermen who drawing their Net to Land found therein a massy piece of Ice whereof they were not a little glad because they knew it would be a welcom Present to Theobald their Bishop who was exceedingly tormented with a burning heat in his Feet Neither were they deceived for it stood him in great stead One day amongst the rest as he was cooling his Gouty Toe he heard a Voice from out of the Ice whereupon he conjures it to tell who or what it was The Voice answers I am a Soul afflicted for my sins in this Ice and unless you say thirty Masses for me thirty whole days together I shall not be delivered Theobald instantly betakes him to his Beads and begins his task Whilest he was at his work there is News brought of an Army approaching to sack the Town The Bishop is driven to give over his Devotion for that time When the Hurly-burly was past he falls to his Bus'ness the second time but with as ill success for then there arose a Civil Commotion in the Town The third time he means to make all sure but see as the Devil would have it the whole City with the Bishop's Palace was all on a light fire his Servants were importunate with him to cast away his Book and to provide for his own safety Do what they could they could not prevail All the Answer they could get is this that though the Town should be burnt to the ground he is resolved not to give over till he had made an end To be short he was as good as his word Would you hear the issue He had no sooner finished but the Ice melted the Soul was delivered and the Fire vanished neither was there any damage at all received If this be not true ask the Fishermen Poor Souls they little thought they had taken such a Booty The Choice of a Soul in Purgatory A Certain Author writes that there was a Soul which had lain 30 Years in Purgatory and at last there came an Angel who did bid the Soul chuse whether it would tarry yet one short Winter's day in Purgatory or that it would return into the World again and there do a marvellous hard Penance to wit for one long hundred Years space should go bare-foot and tread still upon sharp Iron Nails eat nothing else but brown Bread and drink bitter Gall mingled with Vinegar and wear a Cloth of Camel's Hair next the Skin and a Stone under the Head in place of a Pillow This Soul did chuse much rather to do all that same hard Penance on Earth than to tarry one day longer in Purgatory Of the miraculous Efficacy of Alms and Prayers for Souls departed in an Instance of their Extending to the Living when mistakingly applied THe Author of the Defence of Purgatory and of Prayer for the Souls
are not yours but God's To whom the Knight answered in wrath Who plowed or sowed the Land Did not I Know all men therefore that to him belongs the tenth Sheaf to whom belong the other nine To whom St. Austin replyed My Son do not talk at this rate For you may assure your self that unless you pay your Tythes as other Christian People use to do I will excommunicate you And turning to the Altar to say Mass he said aloud before all the People I command that no Excommunicate Person be present at Mass. At which Words a Dead Corpse which lay buried in the Entrance of the Church rearing up it self and going out into the Church-yard stood there like a Statue all the while that St. Austin was saying Mass. Upon the sight of this all the Faithful that were there present being almost frighted out of their Wits came to Blessed Austin and told him what had happened To whom saith he fear not But let a Cross with the Holy Water go before Us and let Us sâ—e what is the matter Whereupon Austin going along with the People came with them to the Entrance of the Church yard and when he saw the Dead Body he said I command â—hee in the name of the Lord that thoâ— tell me who thou art To whom the Dead Man answered When on God's behalf you commanded that no Excommunicate Person should be present at Mass the Angels of God who are your constant Companions wâ—ereever you go cast me out of the Place where I lay buâ—ied saying That the Friend of God Austin has commanded the stinking Flesh to be cast forth out of the Church of God. For in the time of the Britains before the fury of the Pagan Saxons had wastâ—d this â—and I was the Patron of this Parish And though I was often admonishâ—d by the Priest of this Church I nâ—ver paid my Tâ—â—hes and at length being excommunicated by him I afâ—erwards dyed anâ— was tâ—rust down to Hâ—ll When they had heard this bâ—th the Saint â—imself and all the People that were with him wept much And Ausâ—â—n said Do you know the Place where the Priest was buriâ—d who excommuâ—â—cated you Who answered he lies in this very Church-yard Go before Us saith Austin and shâ—w Us the Place The Dead Man went before and came to a certain Place near the Church where there appeared no sign at all of a Grave And he said to Austin and all the People that followed after him Lo this is the Place dig hore and ye shall fiâ—d the Bones of the Priest. They digged therefore at St. Austin's biddingâ— and deep in the Earth they found a few Bones which by the length of time were turâ—ed very dry Austin asking whether these were the Bones of the Priest the Dead Man answered yes Then Austin praying a good whileâ— said Tâ—at all may knâ—w that Lifâ— and Death are in the hands of God to whom nâ—thing is imâ—â—ssible In his name arise for we have â—ccasion for thee The words were no sooner out of his mouth but all that were present sâ—w the dispersed Dâ—st come together and the Bones to be compacted with Nerves and the Man himself to rise upâ— The Priest thus standing before Austin Austin saith to him Brother Do you know that Man He answered Father I do know him anâ— I wish I had not known him Quoth Austin You excommâ—nicated him Quoth the Dead Priest I did so and I had reason For he was always a wiâ—hholder of Tythes from tâ—e Câ—urch and a Flagitious Man to his last day Austin replied Brother You know that God is merciful and therefore you ought likâ—wise to have mercy upon the â—reature and Image of God who was also redeemed with his Bloâ—d and has so long endured the pains of Hell. Then he put a Whip into his hand and the Other begging lamentably for Absolution upon his knees the Dead Prieâ—t released the Sins of the Dead Patron Whom being now absolved Austin commanded to retern to his Grave and wait for the Last Day And as soon as he was returned to his Grave he immediately sell all into Ashes Then saith Austin to the Priest How long have you lain here He made answer an hâ—ndred and fifty years and upwards Quoth Austin And hâ—w have you fared all this while very well quoth the Priest and amâ—ng the Delights of Eternal Life Then said Austin Would you be willing to have me pray to the Lord that you may return to lâ—ve amongst us and to help â—s by preaching to briâ—g back Souls to their Creator which are nâ—w begâ—â—â—etâ— by the Dâ—vil Gâ—d â—orbid Father saith the Priest that I shâ—uld be disturbed from my Rest and that you should cause me to return again to the Toilsome Life of this World Then said Austin to the Priest My Dear Friend go and rest in peace and withal pray for me and all the Holy Church of God. Who entring into his Grave was presently turned into Ashes Then Austin called the Knight to him and said Hâ—â—â—â—w Son will you yet pay your Tythes to God But the Knight trembling â—eâ—â— down at his feet weeping and confessing his guilt and begging pardon and having left all that he had in the World and shaved his Crown he â—â—llowed St. Austin all the days of his life and closed his last day in all Holiness and entred into the joy of Eternal Happiness The Wonderful Consecration of Westminster-Abby by St. Peter himself ELdred Abbot of Rievall gives this following Account That in the time when King Ethelred by the Preaching of St. Austin embraced the Christian Faith his Nephew Sigebert who governed East Angles rather East Saxon by the same holy Bishop's Ministry received the Faith. This Prince built one Church within the Walls of London the principal City of the Kingdom where he honourably placed Militus Bishop of the same City without the Walls Likewise towards the West he founded a Famous Monastery to the honour of St. Peter and endowed it with many Possessions Now on the Night before the Day design'd for the Dedication of this Church the blessed Apostle St. Peter appear'd to a certain Fisher-man in the habit of a Stranger on the other side of the River of Thames which flowed by this Monastery demanded to be waft over which was done Being out of the Boat he entered into the Church in the sight of the Fisher-men and presently a heavenly Light shone so clear that it turned the Night into Day There was with the Apostle a multitude of Heavenly Citizens coming out and going into the Church A Divine Melody sounded and an Odour of an unexpressible fragrancy was shed abroad As soon as all things pertaining to the Dedication of the Church was performed the glorious Fisher of Men returned to the poor Fisher-man who was so aâ—frighted with his Divine Splendour that he almost lost his Senses But St. Peter kindly comforted him brought him to himself then both of them entered into the Boat St.
being arriv'd in the place where a Church is new built to his memory it fell down and was there buried by St. David with spiritual Hymns and Canticles In which Church our Lord vouchsafes frequently to attest the Sanctity of his Servant by many Miracles F. Cressi's Church-History p. 234. How S. Ositha walk'd when dead with her Head in her hands and knock'd at a Church-door St. Ositha was Daughter of a Mercian Prince named Frithwald and of Wilterburga Daughter of Pende King of the Mercians She was bred up in great Piety and through her Parents Authority became Wife to Sighere Companion of S. Seb. in the Kingdom of the East Angles But preferring the Love of a heavenly Bridegroom before the Embraccs of a King her Husband complied with her Devotion and moreover not only permitted her to consecrate her self to our Lord but bestowed on her a Village situated near the Sea called Chic where building a Monastery she enclosed her self And after she had spent some time in the service of God it hapned that a Troop of Danish Pirats landed there who going out of their Ships wasted and burnt the Countrey thereabout using all manner of Cruelty against the Christian Inhabitants Then he who was the Captain of that impious Band having learnt the Condition and Religious Life of the blessed Virgin St. Ositha began by Entreaties and Presents to tempt her to Idolatry adding withal Threats of Scourging and other Torments if she refused to adore the gods which he worshipped But the Holy Virgin despising his Flatteries and not fearing his Threats made small account of the Torments attending her Whereupon the said Captain enraged at her Constancy and scorn of his Idols pronounced Sentence of Death against her commmanding her to lay down her Head to be cut off And in the same place where the Holy Virgin suffered Martyrdom a clear Fountain broke forth which cured several kinds of Diseases As soon as her Head was off the Body presently rose up and taking up the Head in the hands by the conduct of Angels walked firmly the straight way to the Church of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul about a quarter of a Mile distant from the place of her suffering And when it was come there it knocked at the Door with the bloody hands as desiring it might be opened and thereon left marks of Blood. Having done this it fell there down to the ground now her Parents having heard of her death earnestly desired as some recompence for their loss to enjoy the comfort of burying with them her headless Body which being brought to them they Interred it in a Coffin of Lead in the Church of Aylesbury where many Miracles were wrought by her Intercession At length her sacred Reliques by a Divine Vision were translated thence back again to the Church of Chic which Maurice Bishop of London reposed in a precious Coffer at which time the Bishop of Rochester then present was cured of a grievous Infirmity F. Crâ—ssâ—'s Church-History p. 424. The History of St. Claire a Martyr to Chastity St. Claire by Birth an English-man of a veâ—y Noble Descent and Illustrious for his outward Comeliness inward natural Endowments singular Piety rare Chastity Being at years of maturity his Parents would have matcht him to a Noble and Beautiful Virgin But to preserve his Virginal Purity on his very Marriage-day he stole away into France where he espous'd an Hermit's life and spent his days in strict Exercises of Piety But the Enemy of Man's salvation could not long support the brightness of Divine Graces shining in this Saint to obscure which he inflamed with Lust the Mind of a certain Noble-woman dwelling near who immediately attempted to expugn the Chastity of the Servant of God But St. Claire resolutely resisted the shameless Lady notwithstanding which resistance when her Sollicitations more increased he was forced for his own quietness and liberty to forsake his Monastery The lascivious Woman desperately enraged with his departure sent two Murderers in search of him who at last found him in a poor Cottage where he had fixed his Habitation with one onely Companion named Cyrinus There they first set upon him with many opprobrious Speeches and at last drawing out their Swords they most cruelly cut off his Head whil'st he devoutly kneeling offered his Sacrifice of Chastity to our Lord the Lover of pure Minds and Patron of Innocence This glorious Champion of Chastity being thus victorious by Patience presently after arose and with his hands taking up his Head by the assistance of Angels carried it to a Fountain not far distant into which he cast it and then carried the same back to the Oratory of his Cell and going on a little further towards a Village seated near the River Epta which since took a new Name from this glorious Martyr he there consummated his Course and transmitted his blessed Soul to Heaven As for his Companion Cyrinus he being first dangerously wounded was by the Prayers of St. Clarus wonderfully restored to health The distinct place where this holy Martyr suffered is said to be in the Territory near Rouen in Normandy near the River Seyne S. Decumanus does himself wash his own Head after it was cut off St. Decumanus born of Noble Parents in the South-western parts of Wales forsaking his Countrey the more freely to give himself to Mortification and Devotion passed the River Severne upon a Hurdle of Rods and retired himself into a mountainous vast Solitude covered with Shrubs and Bryars where he spent his Life in the repose of Contemplation till in the end he was slain by a Murderer But it so hapned that when his Head was cut from his Body the Trunk raising it self up took the Head which it carried from the place where he was slain to a Spring not far off which flowed with a most chrystal Water in which with the Hands it washed the Blood away which Spring in memory of the Saint is to this day called St. Decumansis's Spring near to which place the Body together with the Head was Honourably buried by the neighbouring Inhabitants F. Cressi's Church-History p. 526. S. Ruadanus and S. Finnian Counterâ— Miracle one another St. Ruadanus obtained this special favour of God that from a certain Tree in his Cell Tilia it's call'd from the hour of Sun-setting till Nine a Clock the next Day dropt a Liquor of a peculiar taste pleasing to every Palate which then fill'd a Vessel which sufficed for a Dinner for him and all his Brotherhood and from Nine a Clock to Sun-setting it dropt half a Vessel fullâ— with which Strangers were entertained Upon the fame of this Miracle many of the Saints came to St. Finnian desiring him to go along with them to that place and persuade Ruadanus to live a Life common with others St. Finnian went with them and when they came to the Tree that gave the admirable Liquor he sign'd it with