drop of Christs blood waieth more then all the sinnes of the world that concerned religion hard and negligent This man not with standing accustomed himselfe to piaie vnto the virgin and once a daic to say an 100. Avâ—â— Maria. Being brought vnto extremitie and taken into a transe the Duclus ad extrema raptus est ad extasin deuills presented him to the highest iudge crauing sentence that he might be iudged as their owne God therefore knowing his sinnes many waies saide he should be damned In the meane time came the blessed virgin offering The virgin bringeth a writ of errour to râ—uerâ—e the former iudge ment of her sonne the rolles in which were contained all his Ave Maria desiring her sonne the second time to proceede to iudgement But the deuills brought many bookes of his sinnes so on both parts the bookes were put into the ballance but his sinnes waied heauier Then the blessed virgin seeing that she did not profit did most deuouâ—ly make supplication to her sonne saying Remember deare sonne of my substance thou tookest substance visible palpable and passible and therefore giue me one droppe of thy bloode which was shedde for sinners in thy passion Then saide he It is impossible to denie thee any thing yet know that one droppe of my blood waiethvp all the sinnes of the whole world Take therefore that which thou hast asked The which she taking put it into the skoales and it ouerwaied all the sinnes of the foresaid religious man as if they had beene but light ashes Then the deuills departing consounded Tanquam savillam cryed saying The ladie is too mercifull to Christians therefore we faile so often as she putteth her selfe into the conflict His soule therefore was brought againe to the bodie and he recouering told all these things and Monkerie a reward of lying was made a monke 16 Like vnto the former is the 51. the The virgin a friend to encrochers summe and effect where of is this A certaine secular man occupied in countrie busines as he was many waies euill so in plowing of his ground he would encroch vpon his neighbours and steale from them Not with standing he had sometime the virgin in his minde and did often deuouâ—ly salute her When he was dead the deuils gathered them selues together hoping to haue his soule The angels also were present she wed the good things that he had done the deuils like wise brought forth his infinite euills Here upon they triuÌ„phed as thinking they had gotten the day but one of the angels pleaded that he was wont with great deuotion to salute the virgin The vncleane spirits hearing these things left his soule and went away ashamed So was his soule deliuered from the power of his aduersaries 17 The 53. example is of one that hauing learned of a virgin that cuery one that fasted How good a thing 〈◊〉 is to fast on saterdaies in the honour of the virgin on saterdaies in honour of the virgin Marie should neuer die without the sacraments did therefore obserue the same and beeing beheaded his head when it was cut off cried ConfessioÌ„ confessioÌ„ The 54. is like vnto this 18 The 57. A certaine soldier did daily salute the blessed virgin Marie with an Aue One saued onely by saluting daily the virgin Matir without doing any other good thing Maria when he arose in the morning and at night when he laied him downe to sleepe He did no more good and by the grace of the virgin he was saued Like vnto which is the 45. example of a notable theefe that nener had done any good thing but onely fasted on saterday to the blessed ladie and prouided her one masse yet by the grace of the virgin he spake fiue wordes at his ende by which he was saued The like is also in the 60. example of a certaine priest that was a notorious sinner and drowned as he went about his sinne or after he had committed it and yet saluting the virgin he was saued But this was mentioned before in the seruice of the virgin made by Bernardine de Busti Lastly like vnto the former is the 72. example which is of a grieuous sinner that neuer had done good but onely saluted the virgin euery daie and yet beeing dead and chalenged earnestly by the deuills to be theirs the virgin Marie rescued her and saued her 19 The summe of the 78. example is this A priest desireth to see the virgins beautie A certaine priest of Paris very deuout to the Virgin entreated earnestly to see her beautie At leÌ„gth he was certified by an angel that his praiers was heard by the virgin and that on such a daie and houre shee would come vnto him and he should see her but withall that afterwards he should be blinde The priest was glad of this ridings and willingly accepted the condition But after the departure of the angel he began to thinke with himselfe that if he should loose both his eyes he should be vtterly vndone a miserable person a beggar as being vnfit for any thing There fore he determined with himselfe to behold her but The priest coseneth the virgin with one eye and to shut his other eye and that if he might keepe the sight of one eye that would be sufficient When the day appointed came the virgin appeared and he put his hand before one of his eyes and with the other did behold her seeing so much of her beautie and glorie as can be expressed with wordes or thought in heart So he lost the The beautie of the virgin sight of one eye not with standing he was so rauished with her beautie that he greatly lamented that he had not beheld her with both his eyes and reprooued himselfe for shutting of one eye wishing that he were wholly blinde so as he might see her more fully Wherefore he praied more earnestly that hee might see her the second time The angel therefore was sent againe to certifie him of the second comming of his ladie The priest said that if he had a thousand eyes he could be content to loose them all for euer vpon condition that he might see her againe Then the angel signified that he should see her againe and that he should not onely enioy that eye which alreadie he had but also haue the other eie restored And so it came to passe whereby we may consider how excellent the beautie of the virgin is and how delectable a thing it is to beholde the same with our eyes 20 The 83. example A certaine painter painted the deuill with hornes and other Marie vpholdeth a painter from falling members as fouly as he could to make him the more horrible but he painted the image of the blessed virgin Marie so comely and so faire as he could with diuers colours The deuill therefore was very angrie with it and enuied it and in all hast came to the painter and questioned with him
forsaken vs and associated themselues with the Papists who wanâ—ing such studdes to vphold their rotten and totâ—ering religion haue beene glad to entertaine them with great promises but many times not performing them but rather bringing them or sending them at the least to the gallowes Such oftentimes is the iudgement of God vpon them â—hat too much respect outward preferrements and so doth God in his iustice harden many of them that will not beleeue his truth whilst they liue where and when they may haue it that he giueth them ouer to beleeue lies so strongly that they care not what danger they incurre against themselues both soule and bodie for defence and furthering of those lyes which they haue embraced 2. Thess 2. 11 12. 3 Well to returne from where we haue diâ—ressed we see by this that I haue now spoken that in these respects thus mentioned the Church of Rome may thanke vs for that learning which nowe they haue and for many of those learned men which are now in great and â—igh estimation amongst them Further it is no new thing that those gifts of Gods spirit which God at the first giueth to beare witnes vnto 〈◊〉 truth should be afterward communicated boâ—â— to such as doe not greatly fauour Christ and his gospel and also to such as are wicked and reprobate In the time of Christ himselfe the power of casting out diuells first giuen to the twelâ—â— Apostles Math. 10. 1. for the commendation 〈◊〉 their ministerie was afterward communicated to other that would not ioyne with the Apostles nor follow Christ Our Sauiour also saith that many that should plead for themselues the casting of diuells out of other should notwithstanding be reiected by him as refuse persons Math. 7. 22. And thus hath the Lord dealt in these latter times As at the first preaching of the gospel by the Apostles after the ascension of Christ he bestowed vpon them the gift of tongues for the better magnifying of the gospell and furnished them likewise with other extraordinarie gifts which gifts notwithstanding afterward were also communicated vnto many other yea to many of the wicked so in these latter times also at the first breaking forth of his truth which we professe through the blacke the thicke and darke cloudes of poperie that â— long time had ouershadowed and drouped the whole earth the Lord according to his ancient promises gaue gifts vnto men in respect of the former great want of them very extraordinarieâ— these gifts I say he gaue at the first breaking forth of our religion through poperie to the first preachers of our religion for the commending thereof vnto the world and so encreased them afterwarde more and more in those that embraced our religion but after that by such gifts he had sufficiently renewed and recouered the credite of his truth which we doe now hold and likewise by beautifying our religion with the first fruits of these gifts had sufficiently disgraced poperie then he communicated these gifts vnto other euen vnto the Papists themselues 4 And truly in verie great wisdom hath God done so that he might teach men to esteeme of his truth not for those gifts onely but also for the truths sake it selfe So also he would haue the Papists themselues yea and all the world to see that all the learning in the world is not able to vphold poperie and that our religion is as well able to stand against and to beat downe poperie into the pitte of hell from whence it came as well when poperie hath the same armour on that our religion hath as when it was naked and had almost none at all Therefore to conclude this part also of this my last argument touching the performance of those promises of God to the Church that were neuer in such manner performed to the Church of Rome As the more the darke cloudes of poperie couered the whole earth and the more violently also the boisterous winds therof did blow vpon the earth making the very cedars of LebanoÌ„ both to beÌ„d and to breake the more dead were all the gifts of the spirit as we see all things to be in the depth of winter so like wise sithence our religion hath come about towards the sommer point and by the strength and power thereof hath scattered and dispersed these cloudes and pacified those boisterous winds of popery in many kingdomes the more haue those gifts of God his spirit before promised budded and flourished euen as we see after an hard winter the more the sunne commeth about toward Cancer the more all trees and hearbs before seare and dead doe reuiue and spring out I conclude therefore that as by the springing and flourishing of hearbs and other plants we know sommer to be come so also by these gifts of God his spirit which haue sprung and flourished euen sithence that our religion hath beene reuiued againe quickned we know the same gospell to be againe returned about the which in former times God according to the righteousnesse of his promise did beautifie and commeÌ„d with the like graces 5 Will any Papist now obiect the times of Tertullian Gregorie Nazianzen Cyprian Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine Barnard and such like let him first remember that most of them were before the time whereof we spake They were I say before any stone almost laide of the foundation of the church of Rome in that state wherein now it is all of them also liued before that Church was built to that perfection whereunto it was reared vntill the repairing of our religion Againe these auncient Fathers so many of them as did see the building of this church begun or any matter prepared â—owards the same laboured by might maine as we speake and to the vtmost of their power â—he hindring and staying thereof therefore haue they plainly written against images iustification by works inuocation of Saints freewill and many other the like principles of poperie as is â—lentifully shewed by our late writers in partiâ—ular controuersies Especially both they and also many other yea some of the Papists themâ—elues and of the learnedst of them haue mighâ—ly declaimed and sharply inuaied against all â—uch proud and arrogant titles as now the Pope â—laimeth and vsurpeth Further although these â—ere excellent persons for learning and godliâ—es and worthie of honourable remembrance â—â— all ages yet liued they not altogether Nay â—â—ther one age had almost but one such or at the â—ast but verie fewe such as these were that I â—â—ue named but our ages and the ages before â—s euer sithence the returne of our religion haue 〈◊〉 all times and in euerie kingdome had many â—â—ch Yea I doubt not to sale and that truly that although it be not yet two hundred yeares since â—uâ— religion came out into the open field and â—ncountered with poperie in such publique â—anner as now it doth yet there haue beene in â—is little time as many great learned men as â—â—ptaines of the Lord on our
side as can be â—â—ooued to haue beene with vs or against vs in â—welue hundred yeares before 6 Further I doubt not but that I may say and that also truly that we haue had and yet haue many in good respects comparable to those before named as in the exact knowledge of all learned tongues arts and humanitie so also in sound and deepe iudgement of diuinitie vz. Luther Zuinglius Melancton Oecolampadius Erasmus Paulus Phagius Bucer P. Martyr Calvin Marlorat Musculus Cranmer Ridly Hooper Bradford Bullinger Bezâ— Zanchius Iuâ—l Ramus Vrsinus Sadeel Daneus Pilkington Fulke Humfrey VVhitaker and infinite other partly dead and partly yet liuing whose nameâ—â— I doe not well remember or in some respectâ— thinke not conuenient to expresse I may here also name Flaccius Illyricus Hemingius and many other of that sort because although they haue some errours yet which almost of the auncient Fathers had not as many and â—â— great 7 To this argument I may further adde that the Lord hath not onely commended our religion by the encrease of all learning according to the encrease of our religion but also by the repairing almost of all other knowledge in coÌ„mon things and matters of this life For what trade and science is there so meane and base which is not much amended and brought to further perfection sithence the late time of out religion then it had before in the depth of poperit yea who knoweth not that there is great varietie of knowledge sithence the flourishing of our religion which neuer almost was heard of before Especially most admirable is the gift of printing which neuer was in the world till within these hundred and three score yeares at the most about which time it pleased God to broch new vessells of his gospell with our religion This gift of printing is not vnfitly by some compared to the extraordinarie gift of tongues in the Apostles time because the Lord did not onely prepare a waie for the gospel thereby but also hath made it as a mightie voyce of a crier in the wildernesse of poperie to proclaime the grace of God in Christ Iesus and to further and inlarge our religion by opening the hearts of many Princes and more people many noble and more base many rich and more poore and many learned and more vnlearned persons for the entertainment of Christ Iesus and submitting themselues to his kingdome and gouernement Certenly by this new benefit of printing the Gospel hath beene more sounded out to the eares of all nations then it could haue beene by the voice of many preachers For by the means hereof wee that liue in England haue easily heard the sermons and readings of Calvin and Beza in Geneva and of other in other places and they likewise that liue in Geneva and in other places haue easily heard the readings of Doctour VVhitakers in Cambridge and likewise of Doctour Reynolds in Oxenford This printing also is not onely as a quicke post riding vpon a swift and speedie horse but also as an angel of the Lord with sixe wings for the most speedie conueying of the doctrine of the gospel out of one countrie into an other Who also knoweth not that a man may haue more now for sixe pence then before printing he could haue had written for fourtie shillings who seeth not also that bookes printed are more easily both read and also preserued then the like onely written Now although the deuill abuse this gift of God also for the furthering of popery as what gifts be there that he quickly doth not abuse yet sith it was neuer heard of whilst popeâ—ie was at the highest but then onely appeared and came forth into the light of the sunne when our religion was raised out of the graue where before it laie buried and when poperie began to fall sicke and to encline vnto a consumption who seeth not that it was a speciall and an extraordinarie gift of God for the honouring and furthering of our religion Thus much for the first sort of God his actuall testimonies namely for the gifts of his spirit which before he promised and according to his promise hath bestowed vpon his Church not onely in the time of the Apostles but also in these latter times for the commendation of the gospeâ—â— then and of our religion now as being the same with the gospel and therefore in like manner acceptable vnto him THE THIRD BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the works of God against Poperie NOw followeth the second sort of God his actuall testimonies namely the workes of God wherby God hath testified both his dislike of poperie and also the approbation of our religion seueralâ—y and ioyntly as euidently as if in expresse wordes and in his owne person he should haue spoken against poperie in this manner This is the religion that I hate and which my soule abâ—orreth and contrarily of our religion as he spake of his Sonne This is the Gospell and that glad â—â—dings which bringeth saluation vnto all men and in vvhich I am vvell pleased therefore receiue it 2 Here first of all let vs consider the great iudgements of God against many of the Papists especially such as haue beene special aduersaries to our religion and to the professours thereof For truely there haue beene fewe such speciall aduersaries to vs and our religion whome God hath not in some speciall manner so punished here in this life or at least so prosecuted that their malice in their posteritie that all the worlde might thereby clearely see that he vtterly disliked of them and of their course as also approoued and allowed of them their cause against whome they opposed and set themselues Touching these iudgements although I might ease my selfe and the reader of much labour by referring him onely to the latter ende of the booke of Martyrs where is a speciall treatise of such things yet because that booke is of so great price that many are not able to buie it I will therefore cull out some few of the principall examples there and elsewhere in that booke mentioned and for the rest referre such as haue that booke to that speciall treatise First of all let here be remembered the historie of one Pauier or Paâ—â—ie in the daies of King Henrie the eight this Pauier or Pauie beeing towne clarke of the citie of London and a notable enemie to the gospel vpon some report that the gospel should be in English saide with a great â—ath that if he thought the King would in deede set forth the Scripture in English and let it be read to the common people by his authoritie he would cut his owne throat And so indeede he did not much lesse For though he cut not his throat with a knife yet he hanged himselfe with an haltar anno Dom. 1533. This is reported by Master Fox page 1055. of his booke printed 1583. but borrowed from Hall his Chronicle who wrote the same not vpon the report of other but vpon his
Countie addressed himselfe to this last course which indeede was the last course of that daie and for cuer to the king for the staues beeing broken and the King his vizzard suddenly falling off so doth the Lord worke to bring his iudgements to pasle one of the shiuers pearsed his head vnto the braines and suddenly so festered that no surgeons could cure the same Thus the King lost one of those eyes where with he threatned to haue seene the burning of those persoÌ„s died also of that hurt 8 Neither may we here well omit the death of Charles the ninth of that name King of France in whose time by whose meanes that bloodie massacre before mentioned was done in Paris and in many other cities of France For as the King had delighted himselfe in the blood of his Saints so himselfe also in his youth at the age of 25. yeares died of a most grieuous bleeding Many other the like examples are recorded by M. Fox both of our owne countrie and also of other nations of some that were stricken with madnes of some that did hang or drowne themselues and of other that died in despaire most fearefully and that in such manner as that all the world might see the iust iudgement of God against them both for their religion and also their malicious persecuting of such as were of our religion 9 To these will I adde an other example not yet written by any but yet as trew as any of the former whereof not with standing some are knowne to all the world and also no lesse worthie the writing then the former At great Wenham in Suffolke in the daies of King Henrie the eight there dwelt one M. Cardinal whose wife hauing heard one M. Worthe a godly man good preacher preach at Hadley about some three myles from thence at her returne home entreated her husbande one daie to request M. Worthe to come and preach with them Master Cardinall though at the first fearing some danger of law yet at the last yeelded and indeede proceeded and procured M. Worth to come thither The parson of the saide Wenham beeing popish withstood M. VVorth beeing come saying that no such should preach there M. Cardinal intreated but the parson denied beeing like â—o the dogge in the manger that wil neither eate â—aie himselfe nor suffer the horse at the racke to eate any So I saie this parson as some also doe â—n these daies neither would nor could doe good himselfe neither would suffer any other â—o doe any At length M. Cardinall seeing the parson so wilfull and obstinate saide that M. VVorth should preach doe the parson what he could to the contrarie and come what daunger would come In fine they went all to Church and many other vpon knowledge of M. VVorth his preaching were assembled Now when M. VVorth should begin his sermon the parson according to his froward word for the disturbing of him went toward the high altar to saie masle VVhat followed a most worthie example of God his iustice For presently before all the people assembled the Lord smote this popish parson for dead for the time drawing his mouth vp to his eare and so made him past saying of masse Notwithstanding beeing carried out of the church for auoiding further trouble of the congregation he was within little time recouered of his life yet neuer recouered his witts and senses but liuing long after continued a foole all the daies of his life and turned the spit 〈◊〉 was imploied vpon some other seruice in the saide M. Cardinall his house euer after I haue heard this of many very credible persons who had often heard it from M. VVorth long time after euen in this Queenes daies viccar of Dedham in Essex and of many other that were present at that sermon and were eye witnesses of the iudgement Some also are yet liuing about VVenham aforesaid that knew it 10 I might adde many other examples of God his iudgements against like persons for like cause but these shall be sufficient For by these who seeth not that hath any eyes at all to see in what account poperie is with the Lord Let all men therefore by these examples take heede that they deceiue not themselues Let not them blindfold their owne eyes that they may not see the things thus manifest Let them not disgrace the reports of M. Fox sith many things written by him are also written by other before him from whome he borrowed that which he did write Some things of his are samous and knowne to all men I am not ignorant that M. Fox in writing some things vpon the report of others might sometime erre And although his slippe in such things be taken great hold of by the Papists who there by take occasion to disgrace all the truth he hath written to couer their owne crueltie to conceale God his iudgements to harden themselues in poperie and the more easily to draw other to be of this minde yet let the wise and true Christian consider that it was by the deuills great policie to mooue some no doubt in colour of synceritie and pretending a minde of helping M. Fox in that worthie worke to informe him with some vntruths that by his writing of them vpon such information all the rest of his writing might be in disgrace as being in like manner vntrue This no doubt was the subtiltie of the old serpent and of his viperous litter so to disgrace that noble worke and so to obscure those euident examples of Gods disalowance of their religion as though he had written no truth when the most of the things by him chronicled are as cleare as the sunne is in the midst of the brightest sommer day But albeit some be giuen ouer in the iust iudgement of God to beleeue truthes to be lies because they haue embraced lies for truthes yet I hope that such as belong vnto the Lord though perhaps by such deuises they haue beene abused will now make better vse of these examples that I haue set downe and the like Thus much for those works of God against poperie and Papists whereby he hath as it were immediately testified his dislike of both THE FOVRTH BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the workes of God for our religion NOwe although by the former workes God hath also testified his approbation of our religion yet let vs nowe further consider and marke diligently what he hath directly done for our religion the professours thereof Truly such haue beene the great and mightie works of God for our religion that as the Prophet saith God is knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel psal 76. And againe The Lord loueth the gates of Sion aboue all the habitation of Iacob glorious things are spoken of the citi of God psal 87. 2 3. So also it may be said of many particular persons that haue boldly professed and stoutly maintained our religion and chiefly of those cities countries and kingdoms
she came to such want that she was constrained to nurse the childe of a certaine soldier The adulterer for enuie of his wife came very secretly and cutte the childes throat departed earely When the woman awaked and would haue giuen the child suck she saw his throat cut Then she brake out into so great a crie that all in the lodging did awake But this was vnknowne to the father and all in the citie The woman apprehended is brought vnto iudgement and when shee was iudged to die hauing no bodie to speake for her shee looking vp to heauen saide O Marie thou knowest mine innocencie to thee I commend my selfe These words ended Metibi recommendo there came one ladie which did beare a faire boy and with these wordes spake vnto all Stay your selues O Iudges because this Sustinete vos iudices boy shall be iudge this day Then presently the child said vnto the iudge So ought iudgement to be of a murtherer let the person murthered be brought and let the answer of the woman be heard All men maruailed at the wisdome of this child and presently the child killed was brought Then said the childe in iudgement Iudge tighteously O ye sonnes of men and he said to the childe murthered In the name of the Lord arise and name him that killed thee Immediatly the childe that was killed arose and hauing neuer spoke before then he beganne to speake and with his finger did shew the murtherer So the woman was dismissed and the murtherer apprehended In the meane time the ladie with her child vanished away and the adulterer beeing bound to an horse taile most miserably died 12 The summe of the 25. miracle is this In a certaine monasterie of Nunnes there was a very deuout virgin named Bettres which for her deuotion beeing Wardnesse Beatrix facta nutrix did discharge this office so much the more deuoutly by how much the more freely shee did it At length a certaine priest entising her to filthines shee withstood him a long time But beeing in the ende ouercome shee came to the altar of the blessed virgin which there was Patronesse and resigned her keyes as not beeing able any longer to abide the tentation so shee secretly followed the priest But within a little time he forsooke her by which meanes shee came to great pouertie and being ashamed to returne to her cloister shee became a common whore and hauing liued many yeares publikely in that sinne at length she came vnto the gate of her Monasterie in a secular habite and asked the portresse whether she knew Bettres sometime Wardnesse of that Monasterie To whome the portresse answered that shee knewe her well and that shee was a good ladie or mistresse and holy and that without rebuke shee had liued in Domina proba that monasterie from her infancie to that day Notans sed non obseruans The virgin supplieth an harlots place for 15. yeares All which time the whole church of Rome erred in praying to her in heauen she beeing here in earth This Bettres noting these wordes but not obseruing them would haue departed But the mother of mercie appeared vnto her in the shape of a woman and said I haue supplied thine office for fifteene yeares of thine absence now returne into thy house repent for no man hath knowne thy going out For in her forme and habite the virgin the mother of God had executed her office c. so she was restored 13 The 27. in summe is this A certaine soldier a yong man dwelling with an other soldier by whome he was maintained being A quo infeuda tuâ— erat in his flourishing age but flourishing more in virginitie by enuie not with standing of the deuill beganne to be grieuously tempted and to burne in lust towards his mistresse This in modestie he concealed a whole yeare but at the last ouercomming shame he opened his desire vnto her Shee beeing honest faithfull to her husband repelled him whereby he was the more afflicted Then with teares making his temptation knowne to a certaine Heremite this holy man faithfully answered Fiducialiter respondit Sound counsell against tentation that he would giue him sound counsaile which was that for a whole yeare he should salute the virgin euery daie with an 100. Aue Maria. The young man willingly performed this and when he had done it the last time as he came out of the Church he saw a most beautifull Matrone farre excelling all the glorie of man getting vpon his horse and holding the bridle He maruailing what shee should be shee answered doth my person please thee then he saide that he had neuer seene one fairer then her Shee answered againe I will be thy wife come vnto me and I will giue thee a kisse she saide also Now is The Papists make the virgin to loue kissing the marriage begunne such a day before my sonne it shall be finished By this word he knew her to be the Lords mother From that houre he was freed from the tentation and he reported all this to the Heremite who reioyced greatly and said he would be at the marriage The day comming and the Heremite beeing present the foresaid soldier beeing in an agonie gaue vp the ghost and so entred agonizans spiritum exalauit the heauenly brid-chamber to celebrate the promised marriage 14 Now because I promised to make the reader but a short banquet with these iunkaâ—s A man deliuered from condâ—mnation for offering one candle to the virgin I will therefore passe by many other and come to the summe of the 49. which is this A certaine soldier a young man much giuen to the world had a deuout wife that praied often to the virgin Marie for his conuersion Now in a certaine night her husband in spirit was brought to the iudgement of God and there accused of all his sinnes And beeing forsaken the iudge asked if there were none of the saints whom he had honoured at any time The virgin Marie answered that once in reuerence of her he had giuen a great waxe candle so at her request he was discharged WheÌ„ therfore the deuils would haue laid on him with a burning candle he burned the combussit eos viriliter se defendit and manfully defended himselfe Thus with feare and trouble he laboured swet mightily in his bedde and so howled that his wife Inuenit ontem haspidam quasi corticem de arbore heard him In the morning therfore she fouÌ„d his skinne rough as it had beene the barke of a tree his haires long graie and hard and suspecting adulterie she cried out The seruants running to their weapons he awaking could not speake but made an horrible noise as if it had becne an oxe At last recouering himselfe he reported the whole matter and was conuerted c. 15 The 50. miracle There was a certaine man in name only religious but to all things a