earth though they be all holie persons the reason is this they which be in heauen cannot fall any more but they that be holie on earth may fall againe and so do many and often tymes Before Queene Vasty kept this feast she gaue vnto her damosells to eate sometimes of one kind of meat sometimes of an other yet moderately and in measure but on the festiuall daye she gaue them all kind of delicacies most freely So also the Catholique Church maketh ready her table daily for all faithfull beleevers yet diuersly some dayes with one ind of meat somedaies with another Sometimes she maketh a feast and giueth meat to all them that haue been good all the time of their liues and this she doth in celebrating the feast of S. Iohn Baptist Another day she dres seth a dinner for great sinners presenting vnto them a Mathew a Marie Magdalene which for a season offended God by their wicked liues She also maketh a feast for religious men on the day of S. Benedict S. Dominik S. Francis and such others as they be She maketh a feast to the religious recluses on the day of S. Clare of S. Catherine of Siena and such others To the maried people when she celebrateth the feast of S. Ioseph Vnto Kings and great Lords on the daie of the Epiphanie when the feast of the three kings is celebrated vnto Bishops and Prelates on the daie of S. Ambrose S. Martin S. Nicholas of such like Vnto virgins and damosells on the day of S. Agnes S. Lucy and many others But the day of all Saints signifieth the day that Queene Vasty made the feast and prepared the royall banquet vnto all her ladies damosells because on this day the Catholique Church doth prepare and dresse meat for all manner of people when she celebrateth the feast-day of all the saints in heauen who be a patterne and example for all men in the world that by imitating them they may reforme their liues and amend all loose and lewd behauiour DIVERS and sundrie reasons haue been diuersly alleadged why the Church of God doth celebrate a feast of all the saints together One reason is the dedication of a temple which was consecrated in Rome in the name of all the Saints Ado Bishop of Vienna and those authors that write the liues of the popes and Emperours relate it in this manner In chro aetat 6 ano 604. About the yeare of our Lord 608. Boniface the 4. being pope there raigned in Constantinople Phocas the Emperour who though he be noted to be couetous and cruell yet was he a Catholique prince very affectionate to the Church of Rome and a priuate friend vnto Pope Boniface There had been built in Rome a most sumptuous temple in honour of Cybele that false goddesse mother of all the Gods and in the name of all the other Gods also This was built by Marcus Agrippa a noble man of Rome who called it by a greek name Pantheon that is to say the habitation of all the Gods The temple is round and hath no other windowe but one great hole in the top thereof which giueth light to all the temple It is said Agrippa caused it to be built in that fashion for that he would not shew himself partiall toward the Gods in setting one in a more honorable place then another but to make them all equall and by the iudgment of those that haue skill in Architecture it is held the most artificiall building that is in our knowne world Of this temple with the consent of the Emperour Phocas because he had iurisdiction and comaunded in Rome and a great part of Italy Boniface made a Church consecrated it to the mother of God and of all saints His reason was that euen as the pagans in this temple had adored the diuells and all the crew of their heathenish Gods with Cibele their mother so from thence forth there should be honored in the same place the Blessed mother of the true sonne of God and all the whole court of heauen with the holie martirs also For at that time they did not so ordinarilie celebrate in the Church the festiuall daies of the Confessors The Pope called this feast S. Mariaad Martires and willed it should be kept on the ninth day of May. Afterward Pope Gregorie the 4. who liued in the yeare of our Lord 827. after the opinion of Onuphrius Panuinius translated the feast vnto the first of Nouember because of the infinite number of people that resorted to Rome to sollemnise that feast Wherefore he thought it more conuenient to transferre it vnto a season wherein the fruits of the earth were inned and brought into the barnes that there might be sufficient store therof and no scarcity for the pilgrimes and strangers as there was wont to be and is ordinarilie in the month of May. At this present that Church is called S. Maria Rotunda the daie is called the daie of all saints On the first of Nouember it is celebrated with great sollemnitie and marueilous concurse of people to the honour of the B. virgin Mary and all saints And this may be one of the reasons why the Catholique Church celebrateth this sollemnity Another reason is for that the Church endeuoureth to satisfie in honoring all saints in common since it is not possible so to do in particuler feastes The holie Ghost by whom the Church is ruled and gouerned apointeth some feast daies of saints to be kept festiuall besides those daies which are kept holie in the honour of CHRIST his B. mother and the Apostles The reason why feast day of one faint is celebrated more then another may be because they were martired in Rome which is the head of the world and the perpetuall sea of the vicar of CHRIST as long as the world endureth as S. Laurence S. Agnes and others Or for that their bodies haue been translated thither from other countries as S. Anastasius and S. Gorgonius Or else for that they haue been renowned martirs as S. Vincent of Valentia the Spaniard and S. Catherine of Alexandria or it may be for some other such like cause The reasons of them all are not knowne but secret As of the saints which the same Church putteth into the Canon of the masse Sup Canon Leâ—â— 32. lit K. for though they imiâ—ate liuely as Gabriell saith the passion of CHRIST yet it seemeth there be saints of more fame which might haue beene set in that most rare singuler place as well as other that be there as S. Sebastian S. Georg many others Yea as the same Gabriell saith it hat beene knowne that some men in particuler Churches haue taken some saints out of the Canon put others in their place it hath beene found that they that haue beene blotted out haue beene put in againe and they that were newlie written were cancelled and blotted out So that it seemeth there is in it some misterie
write a letter vnto Chrisogonus after this manner Vnto the holie confessor of IESVS CHRIST Chrisogonus Anastasia sendeth greeting Although my father which begot we was an Idollater yet my mother that bore me who was called Fausta was a Christian and a vertuous chaste woman She instructed me in the Christian faith euer from my childhood and after her death I was maryed vnto a sacrilegious and cruell man whose bed and companie I haue oftentimes refused excusing it with infirmities which I desired God to send me for that purpose I spent the night and the day in prayer desyring my sweet Sauiour that I might imitate his blessed example This most cruell man after he bath consumed my patrymonie amongst wicked and lewd company like vnto himself hath imprisoned me as if I were a malefactor or a detestable offender and forbiddeth any sustenance to be guieÌ„ vnto me that I may perish and dye for want of food Although I shal be glad to loose my life for CHRIST his sake neuerthelesse I find great grief that my goods be wasted in such lasciuious sort in such lewd company and in the seruice of the false Gods Therefore I beseech thee thou seruant of IESVS CHRIST to pray vnto God Almightie for me and that the either alter the mind of this my husband that he may be conuerted or els if he continew and perseuâ—r in his hardnes of hart and obstinacy that he take him out of this world And better it shal be for him to be taken out of this life then to adde daily sinne to sinne which will put him to double torments in hell I promise and vowe vnto Almightie God and to thee his seruant â—hat if euer I get cleere and freed from this affliction to spend all my time in the seruice of my Blessed Sauiour IESVS as my vse and custome was and in helping and prouiding fot thy necessities and to releeue the wants of all other holie confessors Our Lord keep thee euer thou B seruant of God Remember me and praie for me S. Chrisogonus hauing receiued this letter made his prayers and oraysons for Anastasia and then together with other confessors that were in the same prison he answered her in this manner Among the tempestuous stormes of this world in which at this present thou art enwrapped be assured that thou shalt be relieued by IESVS CHRIST who will easilie cast headlong into the bottomeles pitte the diuell that doth assaâ—le and torment thee Haue patience in the middest of thy troubles and put thy trust in him for he wild deliuer thee Cry out aloud vnto him Exalt thy voyce with the prophet and say why art thou so sad o my soule and why art thou so disquieted with in me Trust in God still for I will euer confesse that he is my saluation and my God Thinck Lady that it is his will to bestowe on thee the riches and treasures of heauen since he taketh away and depriueth thee of wordly comforts Be not too much troubled nor afflicted for that crosses and tribulation lighteth vpon thee that liuest vertuously God doth try vs but doth not deceaue vs. To trust in man is vayne and deceitfull an he that putteth his hope or confidence in him is accursed and euer deceiued but blessed is he that putteth his trust and affiance in God who neuer deceaued any Continewe in thy vertuous excercises and hope for rest and quietnes only in God whose comaundemers thou keepest when it shall best please him and thou thinkest least he will send thee traÌ„quillitie a calme tyme. The darknes shall flie away and the light shall appeere The frost and pinching cold of the winter shall passe and the ioyfull sweetenes of the spring shall succeed A quiet and comfortable tyme shall come that thou maiest cherish and relieue those againe that suffer persecution for the loue and profession of CHRIST God giuing thee heere meanes that thou mayst help other with temporall necessities and receiue thy self of him euerlasting rewards Our Lord be with thee good lady and pray for me With this Epistle S. Anastasia receiued great consolation endeavoring to equall if not to surpasse thereby the many complaâ—nts she had made of her hardharted and cruell husband Her persecutions encreased still he giuing to her now but the fourth part or one quater of a a smalle oridinary loaffe And she thincking verily that her death approached wrote another letter to S. Chrisogonus after this tenor and to this effect To the blessed martyr and Confessor of CHRIST Chrisogonus Anastasia sendeth greeting The end of my life draweth neere vouchsaffe to remember me and to pray vnto God to receaue my soule when it departeth from my body since for his loue and the profession of his holie name I suffer all this torment The holie man returned this answere Chrisogonus to Anastasia As darknes precedeth and goeth before light so after infirmitie ensueth health and life cometh after death Prosperities and aduersities haue the like and the same endes therefore let not the heauy and sorrowfull fall into desperation nor the happy and fortunate be proude or too much puffed vp Be of good comfort ô handmaid of CHRIST for thy peregrination which hath beene repleat with tempestuous stormes shal be finished with a prosperous and happy conclusion thereby desires shal be acomplished enjoying CHRIST by the palme of Martyrdome The further course and processe of her greeuous persecutions may be seene in her life on the 25. day of December Of S. Chrisogonus you are to vnderstand that the Emperour Dioclesian being in the cittie of Aquileya martyrising the Christians he sent to Rome to haue Chrisogonus brough thither to him who being come the Emperour said to him I will bestowe on thee high dignities I will make thee Prefect of the cittie that thou maiest so arise to be Consull And indeed such places and preferments are fittest for men of noble linage and such worthie partes as thy self hath but vpon this condition that thou wilt worship our Gods S. Chrisogonus answered I adore one onely God With my soule and hart I reuerence him and with all externall signes and tokens I confesse IESVS CHRIST to be the true God And as for thy Idolles which be habitacles of diuells and fiendes I detest and accurse them Dioclesian comaunded that he should be beheadded and that his body should be cast into the sea and so it was done A priest called zoilus found his bodie afterward and buried it honorablie His martyrdome was on the day whereon the Church celebrateth his memorie which was on the 24. of Nouember on a Tuesdaie in the yeare of our Lord. 302. Dioclesian being Emperour His name is in the Canon of the masse Of this holie saint wrote Suidas Ando venerable Bede Vsuardus and the Romane martyrologe The life of S. Catherine of Alexandria IN the Book of kings it is said of king Salomon that he had many wines It was the will of God that the Hebrewes should
Idolls fell downe on the ground and broke to pieces Two souldiers the one called Papias and the other Maurus seing this cryed out and sayd Assuredly IESVS CHRIST whom Saturnine and Sisinnius do adore is the true God The prefect being in a great rage comaunded his officers to torment them they put them on the torment or Rack called Equuleus and hoysing them vp they scourged them very grieuously and rent and tore their bodies with yron bookes and scorpions They being in those torments song Himnes and said Glory be to thee O Lord IESVS CHRIST for that we are found worthie to be partakers of afflictions with thy seruans The tWo souldiers Papias and Maurus which were conuerted when the Idoll fell to the ground as is afore said were present and neere the holie martir These men being stiered vp with a desire of the crowne of martyâ—dome and repleat with holie anger against the excecutioners that tormented them with such rigor and cruelltie said to them with a loud voice How great is the diuell with you that he maketh you so cruell against the seruants of the liuing God When the Prefect Laodicio heard their wordes he was enraged against them and comaunded the officers to strike them on the mouth with stones and to carry them to prison from whence they were after taken and maâ—tyred After this he comaunded the officers to set burning torches to the sides of Saturninus and Sisinnius And when he saw all this would not make them yeeld and that they showed no signe of griefe or sorrow by their countenance he caused them to be taken from that torment and to be led two miles out of Rome into the way toward Numenium and there they were beheadded Their bodies were buried by a deuout man called Thraso in one of his posessions This was on the 29. day of Nouember and on the same day the holie Catholike Church maketh a commemoration of S. Saturninus His death was about the yeare of our Lord. 307. In the raigne of Maximian and Dioclesian Of S. Saturninus wryteth Ado venerable Bede Vsuardus and the Romain martyrologe The life of S. Andrevv Apostle THE sacred scripture saith of that proud captain Holophernes Iudith that as he went with his army and banners displayed against the city of Bethulia there happened a thing which did before neuer befall vnto him for the Hebrews shut the gates against him and fortified the city for their defence Holophernes wondered therat not litle wherfore he assembled all his captains to councell and said that the desired to know the cause why the people of that city did stand more to their defence then all the other thy had ouerpassed and desirous to know wherin they trusted he willed them to certify him what any of them knew TheÌ„ arose vp a captein of the Ammonites called Achior who said vnto him know you most poteÌ„â— Lord that in this city dwelleth a nation called Iewes who haue a God so mighty that if they haue his fauour and freindship neither the mighty army vnder thy conduct nor all the world if they should assault them can ouercome them But if perhaps they haue offended him as they do oftentimes it shal be very easy to vanquish them and to take this city let them fortify it as much as they can So that my councell is first to informe thy self whither they be in the fauour of their God and according to that relation if they be in his fauour to stay but if he be displeased with them to assault them Holophernes took great indignation against Achior for his words for he thought no force was able to resist his puissant army Vpon this he commaunded some of his souldiers to lead him vnto the city of Bethulia to the end that when he had taken the city by force of armes Achior should with his bloud and life pay the penalty of his rash vnaduisednes in taking vpon him the defence of the Hebrews The souldiers led Achior vp on the mountein neere vnto the city and there they left him tied vnto a tree The Iewes issued out found him and led him into the city where Achior in the presence of Ozias the high priest of all the people recouÌ„ted what had happened vnto him They heard his speech with great admiration and then feasted and enterteined him kindly because they thought he had defended the honour of God euery one embraced him and sheaâ—ed to him great tokens of loue But aboue all Ozias took him to his house and made vnto him a solemne banquet This figure agreeth very fitly to the gloryous Apostle S. Andrew who being figured in Achior defended the honouâ— of God as he did preaching the Ghospell among the infidells where Egeas the tirant figured in Holâ—phernes took him and deliuered him vnto his officers who led him vp on a mountein and bound him to a crosse where he remained a while vntil the Angells citisens of heauen vnbound him viz when his blessed â—oule departed from his body and leâ— him to the supreme city of God and there in the presence of the high priest IESVS CHRIST diuulging how he took the defence of his honour all the blessed spirits that illustrious and honored nation made him cheare and enterteyned him kindly embracing him as their brother And the priest IESVS CHRIST made him a feast apointing him a speciall seat in his celestiall beatitude The life of this gloryous Apostle collected out of the ghospell and the writings of his disciples who were present at his martirdome was in this maner SAINT Andrew the Apostle was borne in Behsayda a twon in the prouince of Galily and was the elder brother vnto S. Peter the Apostle and also disciple vnto S. Iohn Baptist With whom being one day he saw him when he pointed his finger at IESVS sayeng This is the lamb of God Andrew staid not a whit but ioyntly with another disciple left S. Iohn Baptist and followed IESVS CHRIST who turnyng his celestiall face and seeing asked them what they sought They answered that they desired to speak with him in his house Our Lord lâ—d them with him and kept hem one day in his company in which time thy talked together and they knew him to be the Messias Andrew departed then from our Sauiour and mett Symon his brother and said vnto him with great ioy O brother Symon that thou haddest seen that which I haue seene Knowe thou that the Messy as so much desired and so long expected by the Iewes is come My master Iohn Baptist shewed him vnto vs and I haue bene with him and I tell thee that his words and deeds confirme that he is that same Come thou and see him So the two brethren came together vnto IESVS who said Thou art SymoÌ„ the sonne of Iohn but thou shalt be called Caeâ—has that is Peter Another time those two brethren being a fishing in their barck IESVS CHRIST passed by the bank and called them saâ—eng follow me and
brightnes in maner of a loÌ„g vesture euen to the ground so that the paynims could not see her The holy saint was let thorough all the city and brought back vnto the gouernour who seeing her constancy gaue sentence that shee should be beheaded The cursed father of the blessed damosell who had bene present at this dollorous spectacle and was not any thing mollified but rather more incrudelized desired the gouernour to shew him the fauour to execute the sentence pronounced by him against his daughter which request was easily graunted The glorious saint was led out of the city vnto a hâ—lâ—e where was the ordinary place of execution and there kneeling on her knees shee made a deuout prayer vnto God rendering him thankes for bringing her to that passage Then bowed shee her head before her father who voide of pitty lifted vp the sword and cut of her head Then returned the cursed wretch vnto the city vaunting he had done a memorable act for the seruice of his Gods saying he deserued to be honored by th'emperour and to haue his name eternized But God almighty was not pleased with his boasting of so inhumane an act for vnexpectedly it thundered and therwith a thunderbolt fell which strook and killed him out of hand So that at one time the daughter ascended to heauen where shee was receued with ioy and triumph of the heauenly citisens and of the celestiall king and the father descended into hell where he is and shall be perpetually tormented by the deuills The body of this glorious damosell and martir S. Barbara was buryed by a holy and religious man called Valentinian with musique songs to the praise laude of God of S. Barbara his spouse The martirdome of this blessed damosell was on the. 4. day of December in the year of our Lord. 288. in the time of Diocleâ—ian and Maximian This holy saint is a speciall aduocate against tempests thunder and thunderbolts Petrus Galesinus the Apostolique protonotary wrote the life of S. Babara and saith that he collected it out of S Iohn Damascen out of Arsenius and out of other Grecians and it is conformable to that which is here written The life of S. Sabba Abbot SAINT Theodoret writeth in his relligious history that holy Abbot called Publius congregated together many hermus and builded a conuent On a day conferring with them among other things he said That as one going to the high stret or market place to prouide things necessary for his house and at one shop buieth cloth at another shoes out of this is furnished with bread out of another is prouided of wine euen so the relligious man in the conuent is from one man to lern patience from another humility from an other chastity and he like of other vertues For this cause in ancient timme some seruants of God although it was pleasing and to yous for them to like in the desert and wildernes yet did they gather many disciples together and make conuents to the end that some being instructers of others and some lerning of their superiors or betters all might be saued One of these was S. Sabba the Abbot whose life collected out of Cyrill the monck and some Authors of martirologes was in this manner SAINT Sabba was borne in the prouince of Cappadocia in a city called Mutalasium his fathers name was Iohn and the name of his mother was Sophia and it was in the time of Theodosius 2. th'emperour of Rome It fell out that the father of S. Sabba went to serue in the warre that was then in Alexandria and recommended his sonne vnto his brother called Ieremy whose wife hated the child and could not abide to see him but vsed him hardly This was in part the cause that S. Sabba went vnto a monastery in the which Gregory a holy man was Abbot He receaued Sabba into the monastery and gaue him the relligious habite where he liued a holy life exercising himself alwayes in vertue but his abstinence was most remarkable and his mortification was admirable and so was his humility and patience wherfore God shewed by him some myracles and one in especiall which befell in that monastery and this it was The baker had one day put his cloths into the ouen which was somewhat hotte to dry and forgetting them put in fire which already flaming thorough all the ouen he remembred the cloths but could not gett them out by any meanes The poore man made moane for his mis-happe and by chance Sabba was there present who made the signe of the Crosse in the ouen and then he went into the ouen flamyng as it did and took out the cloths whole and without any hurt Then he asked leaue of his superiour to depart from that monastery and to go into a desert where he liued a solitary life certaine yeares and endured many terrible tentations of the deuills He went also vnto Ierusalem to visite the holy places where the misteryes of our redemptioÌ„ were wrought And being one day in that city neere vnto the Church of S. Iohn Baptist he healed a woman that had a bloudy flixe he cured another that was cruelly tormented by the deuill Whiels S. Sabba was in Ierusalem there was exceeding scarcity of water and there was not any to be found not to be had to drink in such sort that the people were ready to dye for thirst The good father Sabba fell to praier prostrated on the earth with his body but his soule being lifted and fixed in heauen in that manner he continued in praier all night the teares which bathed the place on earth where the holie saint was gaue testimonie with what efficacie he had requested God to succour and relieue his people in their necessitie It pleased God to shew fauour vnto his seruant for there fell a verie great shower of raine that filled the cisternes and satisfied the people euerie one yielding infinite thanks vnto God that had showen compassion vnto them though many of them did not know who had been the meanes to obtaine so notable a fauour Then did this good father collect and assemble toger her many disciples and founded some monasteries and liued a holie relligious life and finallie died in Ierusalem in the yeare of our Lord. 424. being 94 yeares old His body was buried between two Churches was afterward caried vnto Venice where at this present he â—eth in the Church of S. Antoninus The life of S. Nicholas Bishop and Confessor WE read in the book of kings that God talking of the noble king Dauid 2. Reg. â—3 said of him that he had found a man according to his owne hart and herefore made him captaine and ruler ouer his people These words though at the first said of Dauid may be very well applied vnto the glorious S. Nicholas for he was a man according to Gods owne hart They were verified of Dauid because he was pitifull and myld and the same may be said of S. Nicholas
Nicholas beholde the man elected by God they ranne all thither and liking his graue countenance tolde the people of that had passed and consecrated him Bishop euery man reioycing thereof so that he knew not how to resist them thinking it to be the will of God though it was much displesant vnto him as he declared in his oration wherein he manifested his great humility and sanctity Assoone as Nicholas saw himself a Bishop he reasoned thus to himselfe saying Nicholas this dignity requireth another manner of life Vntill this time thou hast liued vnto thyself now thou must liue for the good of other men The example of life that thou must giue vnto euerie one must be such that thou need not by talk to persuade thy people to be good This the saint said and if vntill this time he vsed in his life great mortification and austeritie he afterward much augmented the same His appatell was more course he eate but once euerie day but neuer any flesh he would haue something of holie writte read at his table he spent the greatest part of the night in praier and meditation and the small time he slept he lay on the bare grouÌ„d he arose before day and called vp his priests to sing hymnes psalmes in the praise our Lord IESVS CHRIST When the sonne arose he went vnto the Church there he heard diuine seruice the rest the day he bestowed in the affaires of his Church He was carefull that in the Churches of his Dyoces there should be curats borne in the same village or parishe and that they were also learned and vertuous in their lifes These he assembled once euerie yeare in the moneth of September and kept a Synode with them making those ordinances that were coÌ„uenient for the good profit of his flock and tooke information of the publick sinnes that befell within their charges and also of all needy persons and then for the one and for the other he prouided remedy in the best manner he could For the relief and helpe of the poore and needy he would resort vnto knowen rich frindes which he had and they gaue almes largely and bountifully for that the good father in his house was verie poore after he was Bishop he had not any thing to sell nor to lay vnto pledge the books he had were borrowed for he would not haue any thing of his owne For the necessitie of soules he had the iudges magistrats on his side who hauing notice of anie publick crime remedied the same This good prelate desired to do the will of God in euerie thing Although he was expert skilfull in the dispatch of affaires yet he trusted not to himself but tooke vnto his counsellers two meÌ„ well learned graue the one was called Paulus Rhodius and the other Theodorus Ascalonâ—a by the aduise and approbation of these two men he did all things At that time the two most cruell tyrants and enemies of the name of CHRIST Maximian and Dioclesian were emperours of Rome persecuting the Christians withall extremity either by themselues or by their Iudges This persecutioÌ„ arriued at the last at Mirrea where S. Nicholas was Bishop First they imprisoned the Christians whom the holie prelate zelouslie moued with the honour of God exhorted and animated and shewed himfelf a defender of the Christians his subiects and others vnder his charge both in publique and in priuate reprouing the tiranny and crueltie of the iudges whereupon they imprisoned him but they were not so hardy as to put him to death douting least the people would make an insurrection wherefore they onlie banished him S. Nicholas being sent into exile he found many Christians who tooke verie great consolation at his presence The holy Bishop was not idle in that place yea he serued God in the best manner he could no we comforting one then an other and exhorting them to support patientlie the persecution hold them in their necessities to his power but because God assisted him in his actions some helpe and reliefe he gaue vnto them for the which he was beloued of all them with whom he conuersed The furie of that persecution passed away and the golden age of th'emperour Constantin succeded and then S. Nicholas returned to his Church all the people reioycing for the same and because Constantin had made an edict by which he commaunded the temples of the Idolls to be throwen to the ground in Mirrea was a most goodly temple dedicated to the goddesse Diana which stood still because of the conning workmanshippe therof lest the people should raise a commocion none durst lay on hands to demolish the same S. Nicholas moued with zeale and without respect of any got together many lusty and strong yong fellowes and he as their captein guided them vnto the temple and cast it downe euen vnto the foundations Whiles they ruynated the walles the deuills were heard to howle and rore for that they were expelled out of their auncient habitation After this arose a newe trouble against the Catholike Church by the Arryans for remedy wherof a generall Councell was assembled in Nice by the commanndement of pope Syluester then Bishop of Rome and by the good dilligence of themperour Constantyn In this assembly among the 318. Bishops that were there S. Nicholas was one who by the meanes of the disputations he had with the heretiks and by the vertue of his continuall prayer wherin he desired the good of the Church was a great cause that Catholiks preuailed and obteined victory against the heretiks and that it was declared by the Councell That the sonne one of the three persons is of the same substance with the father and is God as he is for that is the state of the questyon which was disputed betwene the Catholikes and the heretiks When the Councell was ended S. Nicholas returned vnto his Church and then befell a great dearth At that time a merchaunt had laden ships with wheat in Sicilia intending to transport it into Spaine S. Nicholas appeared vnto him in his sleepe and requested him to bring it into Lycia and agreed with him for the price and in wytnes of the truth gaue him three pieces of gold in earnest The merchaunt awoke and finding the three pieces of gold in his hand determyned to go into that couÌ„trey so he did and sold the wheat according to the bargaine made with the saint and so the dearth of corne was remedyed At another time there was a great scarcity of bred in that countrey and certein shippes laden with wheat passed by trauelling toward Constantinople S. Nicholas requested the owners of the shippes to giue vnto him a 100. measures of wheat out of euery one promising them that when they came vnto the vnloding at Constantinople they should not want any thing of their measure The patrones and owners gaue credit vnto the saint and gaue the wheat vnto him wherupon two myracles ensued One was when
heauen gate also You may go all to the Church to celebrate the feast of the natiuity of our Lord and I wretch being debarred will remaine here and lament and weep alone Ruffinus vnderstanding the cause of th'emperours sorowe sayd My Lord if it shall please you I will talke with Ambrose and entreat him to permit you to enter into the Church for the sorowe you haue had the teares you haue shed for the euill of which he reproued you is sufficient Theodosius aunswered Thy words will do no good for I know very well his constancy in vertue he is not a man will omit any matters belonging vnto God for feare or dread of emperiall maiesty or might Notwithstanding these words Ruffinus assayed how it would proue And when he treated with S. Ambrose he found him so constant and resolute yea so ready and prepared to dye if violence were offred for the defence of the autority of the church that he forthwith sent word vnto th'emperour to stay but he trusting vpon the former words of Ruffinus was comyng toward the Church When Theodosius heard this message he stayed not but went forward saying I will goe vnto the Church and there the Bishop shall tell me my fault and enioine me penance if he will as I deserue S. Ambrose stayed for him without the Church and when the Emperour came he besought S. Ambrose in most lowly wise to absolue him alleadging the example of Dauid who sinned and yet God pardoned him S. Ambrose replied If thou settest Dauid that sinned for an example consider also that he lamented and did penance for his sinne The Emperour said againe I haue sorrowed very much for the same The said S. Ambrose This is not ynough for thou hast committed a publique offence and thou must also doe publique penance The Emperour said I will so that shall suffice S. Ambrose said I would haue thee doe another thing which shal be a remedy for thy wrath and indignation for the time to come viz. That thou make a law that when thou or any other Emperour commaund any offendor to be put to death forthwith that the execution be staid vntill thirty dayes be expired Theodosius was content to doe all as the holy Bishop willed and did the penance with great sorrow and humility and also made the law which is extant to this day in the Codex Iustiniani when this was done he went to the Church I haue stayed some what long in recounting this accident aswell for that it appertaineth vnto the story of S. Ambrose as also for that Theodosius was a Spaniard and it is fit that the Spaniards should haue knowledge of a man that was so worthy to be Emperour as Theodosius was who though hee sinned did receiue with such lowelines the correction and penance imposed vpon him by a particuler Bishop Another notable thing happened vnto S. Ambrose with Stilico Gouernour of Millan for the Emperour The case was this Certaine publique baiting of beasts being made in the high streetes the Gouernour thought the time fit to apprehend one Cresconius who was fled vnto the Church for he much desired to punish him for certaine faultes he had committed To effect it he sent his officers who came into the Church and tooke out Cresconius pulling him by force from the Altar to which place he was fled for succour S. Ambrose saw it but could not help it for he had but a few Priests with him at that time wherefore he fell on his knees and wept bitterly for the violence offered to the Church not being able to remedy the same The officers led the man away and hauing put him safe in prison came to see the sports where they found Stillico and certified him of that they had done They had not yet told all their tale when two Leopards set vpon them and for all the rescue and defence that could be made to saue them they tore them to pieces and put the Gouernor to great feare who incontinent commaunded the prisoner to be restored vnto the Church and to be set free and he made satisfaction for the violence committed Many other things God did by this glorious saint for with his prayers he healed many sicke men deliuered many men that were posessed many were by him conuerted to the faith and attained vnto saluation The fame of this holy saint was spred ouer all the world and people resorted from farre distant places to see him as did Fridigildis Queene of the Morauians who was a paynime and hauing heard marueillous things spoken of S. Ambrose and desirous to be a Christian went to visite him and to craue of him a rule which she ought to beliue and how also she ought to liue The holy saint conuerted her and satisfied her in euery point and especially he appointed her to procure that her husband should keep peace and be in league with the Romans And so she departed after she was Baptised into her countrey very well pleased The end of the life of S. Ambrose approched whereof he had a reuelation long before so he had found that he should dye about Easter Being sicke in his bed Stillico the Gouernour of Millan said that the death of this man menaced the ruine and destruction of all Italy then called he some of the chiefe men of the Citty and bad them to speak vnto S. Ambrose and to exhort him to pray vnto God for the prolonging of his life for the great good they receiued by him The Cittizens went vnto the holy saint and did their message and hee answered I haue not liued so among you that I should be ashamed to liue and I haue not serued such a Lord that I should be a feard to dye and therefore I put my selfe wholly into his handes His holy will be done S. Ambrose was now at the point of death and two deacons that were in the same chamber although a good way from him talked to themselues in a low voice who should be Bishop after him One of them said Simplician should be Bishop for that he was a man of very good behauiour and an Abbot of a monastery vnto whom S. Augustine was a verie deare friend Whilest they talked S. Ambrose said aloud He is old but very good The deacons were much astonied seing him to heare their speeches and after his death by the relation the two Deacons made of those his words Symplician was elected Bishop When the holy saint was at the last point of death there was in another roume Honoratus Bishop of Vercellae who heard himselfe called by one that said to him Runne for it is time now He hearing these words went to the place where the holy saint was and gaue vnto him the B. Sacrament which he receiued with very great deuotion Then laid he is armes acrosse and said his prayers and in saying of them he rendered vp his soule vnto God on the fourth day of Aprill about the yeare of our Lord
perswaded with the opinion that all or the most part of them had that conuersed with IESVS CHRIST to wit that he should raigne temporally it seemed to her an easy matter to obtaine of him that the two brethren her sons should haue the highest place of dignity in his kingdome so shee besought him to bestow on them that fauour But he entending to make her know how they had deceiued themselues in this demaund for that his kingdome should not be in this world but in heauen where if they would haue a peculier place they must he said if they would obtaine it both drinke the same cuppe and suffer troubles for Gods sake and that therein they must also looke for his help The night of his last supper our Sauiour shewed especiall fauours vnto S. Iohn for when he said that one of them that sate at the table should sell and betray him though S. Peter was fauoured much of CHRIST yet it appeareth that CHRIST would not disclose this secret to him but to S. Iohn yea S. Peter requested S. Iohn to aske that question S. Iohn might do it fitly as sitting by our Lord who answered that he was the traytor vnto whom he gaue a morsell of bread dipped in the platter and then he gaue it to Iudas In the same supper S. Iohn leaned vpon the breast of our Lord and there slept in the which sleepe he saw many high and secret misteries which he afterward wrot in his Ghospell Whē our Sauiour went to pray in the garden S. Iohn was one of the three disciples that he tooke with him and willed them to watch in prayer At the time the Iewes apprehended him S. Iohn fled as the other Apostles did but in continent he returned and ioyntly with S. Peter followed him to the house of the high priest where he saw how S. Peter denyed him and our Sauiour to looke vpon him and how S. Peter repentant for his fault went forth and wept bitterly for his sinne After this S. Iohn departed from thence and brought the newes to the mother of God of that which had befallen Shee was at that time in Bethania or else as others will in the same house where CHRIST supped with his disciples though shee was not present therat but was with drawne in some other lodging or roome S. Iohn accompanied the holy Virgin with griefe as we may well imagine aswell to see her in that heauynes as to thinke what torments his deare maister had and did suffer and endure This same disciple stood with the blessed Virgin at the foote of the Crosse when our Lord did him that fauour aboue all fauours neuer sufficiently praised and magnified since in such a time such circumstance our Redeemer looked with his eyes vpon two such persons as were his mother and his disciple and studied in what manner he should shew the bond he ought vnto his mother and how she should satisfy the loue he bore toward his disciples he resolued to giue the disciple for sonne vnto his mother and the B. Virgin for mother vnto his disciple whereupon he said vnto her Woman behold thy sonne It was not forgetfulnes of IESVS CHRIST that he called the B. Virgin woman and not mother for the name of mother is a word of great tendernes and it would haue caused the B. Virgin to haue shed aboundance of teares who had before powred teares like raine from her eyes therefore he called her woman and not mother Then he said to the disciples Behold thy mother there as if he had said Iohn take her to thy mother for I leaue her vnto thee She is a Virgin and thou art a Virgin it is very meete that she hold thee for her sonne and as a sonne loue thee and that thou hold her for thy mother and as a mother loue and honour her S. Iohn stood at the foote of the Crosse all the time our Lord remained thereon learning of him as of a man reading from a chaire things wonderfull and admirable and chiefly when by heard him pray for them that crucified him for then he learned a wonderfull lesson of loue that ought to be borne not only to ones friends but also to his enemies CHRIST had said it before vnto them by word of mouth but on the Crosse he confirmed it by deeds to the end they might better learne their lesson At the time our Sauiour called for drinke and that vineger was giuen him S. Iohn felt incredible griefe to see his Lord an maister by him so much loued to endure such torments lastly IESVS being dead when his side was pirced with the speare S. Iohn with the sharpe eyes of the Eagle saw water and bloud to issue from the wound and noted the same in his Gospell When our Lord was taken from the Crosse S. Iohn tooke him in his armes and gaue him to the pensiue discomforted mother and with her and with the other that were present and that came to take him from the Crosse carried him to his sepulcher And hauing heard the third day after by the Maryes that our Lord was risen againe S. Peter and he returned thither yea he ran before Peter and came first but stayed at the doore and did not enter in vntill S. Peter came Then late in the euening he saw our Lord risen againe ioyntly with the other Apostles excepting S. Thomas and Iudas He sawe him also another time being with S. Peter and the other Apostles fishing in the Tyberia◠when they being in the bark and our Lord on the shore S. Iohn was the first that knew him And for that the disciples said to our Lord that they had fished all night and had taken no thing our Lord apointed thē to cast the nett on the right◠side of the barck at which time they took so many fishes that it was agreate wonder the netts were not broken which S. Peter seeing swam me to him and the other came to him being vpon the land by barck There our Lord gaue vnto S. Peter the Papacy which he had promised vnto him and did not giue it vnto S. Iohn for certain reasons which the doctors alleage One of the which is this that if the Pope gaue vnto a seruant of his an office which was worth yearly 1000. ducats but paid out of it a pension of 800. ducats and if to another he gaue an office worth yearly 500. ducats without pention out of the same it would appear that the second man should be thought to be in the greatest fauour So also was it a great fauour to giue the Papacy and the charge of the Church vnto S. Peter but this benefit paid a great pension out of it for the many cares and troubles adioyning vnto it It was also a benefit to apoint and assigne vnto S. Iohn the mother of God for his mother which thing was without trouble or charge and therfore greater was the honor done vnto S. Iohn It is also very
them one by one and kissed the place where the eye wanted and where the hand beene cut of shedding the whilest teares for deuotion And said they were happy in that they had suffered such torments for the loue of IESVS CHRIST The Counsell was ended and Arrius was declared and denounced an hereticke and his doctrine also And because he was obstinate in his false and erronious opinion he with sixe of his followers were sent into exile by the decree of Constantine And because whilest the Counsell endured this great and potent Emperour did a notable thing worthy of eternall memory it shall not be amisse to write it in particular that other seculer Princes may learne to make account of Ecclesiasticall persons and not to intromit to iudge their lifes nor to breake their priuiledges and immunities Great was the resort of people frō sundry nations vnto the Counsell aswell for to dispute of the propositions of the Arryan heretiques as also to craue Iustice and to be remedyed of many aggreauances Euery day were brought vnto the Emperour supplications sceduls or billes of complaints against some of the Prelats Aswell of those present as of some absent yea the Prelats made complaints one of another The Catholike Emperour tooke all these supplications and kept them and neuer read any of them After vpon a day in a full assembly of the fathers he shewed them all their sceduls and supplications and said vnto them Our Lord God hath made you priests and hath giuen you autority and power to iudge all men and me also among others So then I must be iudged by you and you can not be iudged by me therefore awayt stay you for the iudgement of God Your variances and controuersies let them be of whatsoeuer matter they be shal be reserued vnto the iudgement of God I desire you earnestly yo leaue those priuate quarels and let vs all attend vnto the deciding of matters of faith for the which we are heere assembled When he had said thus he threw all the writings into fier to abolish and extinguish them for euer A worthy deed of a renoumed Emperour Nicephorus Callistus and Gregory a priest of Caesarea say that in this Counsell of Nice there died two Bishops the one called Grisantus and the other Musonius before they could subscribe vnto the decrees of the Counsel and that the other Bishops went one night vnto the place where the two Bishops were buried and one in the name of all the Counsell spooke vnto them requesting them that hauing before their death approoued in the Counsell that CHRIST is God which Arrius denyed that they would also subscribe thereto as the other Bishops had done hauing said thus they laid the paper vpon their graues and in the morning their names were found to be subscribed in that paper and many of them that were present and knew their hand-writing said that it was the hand of the deceased Bishops The Counsell being finished and ended all that had bene determined therein was sent vnto Pope Siluester to be approued and they also certified him how the Emperour Constantine had banished the wicked man Arrius and sixe of his adherents The Pope for the greater confirmation of the truth and for that he could not be in Nice being farre distant from Rome and the voyage long assembled another Counsell at Rome of 227. Spa 284. Bishops who being all of one opinion and with one voyce confirmed that which had bene determined at Nice by the. 318 Bishops and againe condemned Arrius Photinus and Sabellius and other Arch heretiks The Councell of Nice was holden and celebrated in the yeare of our saluation 325. and therein was declared and decreed that the Church of Rome is the head of all other Churchs And that vnto him the next is the Church of Alexandria which had bene gouerned by S. Marke the Euangelist The third in dignity is the Church of Antioch where S. Peter made his first residence and the fourth is the Church of Ierusalem where S. Iames was the first Bishoppe We read of many holesome statutes and ordinaunces made by S. Siluester viz That the priest hauing finished the Baptisme hee should anoynt his forehead with Chrisme though this was vsed before in some particuler Churches as for example in Aphrica for S. Cyprian who was Bishop of Carthage before this writing to Ianuarius saith It is fit and conuenient that thou anoynt with oyle the forehead of him thou doest Baptize So that Pope Siluester commaunded it should be obserued through all the Church vniuersally which before was done but in some particuler places He commanded also that the Corporals should be of white linnen cloth not of silke nor any other stuffe nor of any other collour That Bishops only should consecrate the Crisme and the same he might vse in the sacrament of confirmation He commaunded that the Deacons should vse the Dalmatica or Tunicle and the maniples on the left arme He forbad priests to goe to suite in law before seculer iudges for any occasion whatsoeuer In the time of this Pope was celebrated a counsell in Spaine in a city neere vnto Granada called Illiberis and therefore the Counsell was called Illiberitanum Though that others say that this Counsell was celebrated in another Illiberis to wit in Colybree Another prouinciall Counsell was celebrated in his time at Arlez in Fraunce and some others in other parts Whereby it is apparant that the faith and the Gospell was enlarged and spred very farre in many countries and had taken deepe root in Spaine In the same time the people of Scotia the most northerly parte of the Island Britannia receiued the faith of CHRIST IESVS It is said that Pope Siluester chaunged the name of the dayes of the weeke from the munday vntill the Saturday for that the Pagans called them by the names of the Planets viz. Munday of the Moone Tuesday of Mars Wednesday of Mercury Thursday of Iupiter Friday of Venus and Satterday of Saturne and appointed they should be called Ferias the first the second the third fourth fifth sixth and Saterday but this ordinaunce is not vsed at this present but in the diuine offices that which is commonly called Sunday Pope Leo. 1. called it the Lords day though some called it so euen from the time of the Apostles S. Siluester had very great care of the poore and needy and had many memorialls whereby he had alwayes the better meanes to know their needs to prouide for their necessities He had especiall care that the Reclused Nonnes should haue all things necessary prouided for them to the end they should not go wandering out of their monasteryes vnder pretext to seek their meat and drink or any other necessary thing S. Siluester liued in the papacy 23. years 10. months and 11. dayes and then died and was buryed in the Churchyard of Priscilla in the way called Salaria He gaue holy orders sixe times in the month of December and made 65. Priests and 26. Deacons The Catholike Church celebrateth his feast on the day that he died to wit on the last day of December in the year of our Lord. 333. in the raigne of Constantine the Great The end of the tvvelue monthes
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
honorable memorie of him in celebrating the feastiuall day of his martirdome Yet most stupendious is the miracle straunge the wonder that to this day is seen in the same city of Naples which is this His bloud which is kept is in a violl of glasse congealed and hardened very much yet let it be put right before and against the head of S. Ianuarius and it doth melt and dissolue in such sort that if seemeth to boile or seeth as if it were liuely and did issue and spring euen then out of the veines The passion of all these blessed Saints was on the 19. day of September vnder Dioclesian and Maximian Romain Emperours in the yeare of our Lord. 305. Our holie father Pope Sixtus 5. in the first yeare of his papacy by a Bull commaunded that the said blessed Saints should be put in the Calendar and their office and masse should be celebrated by all faithfull Christians on the day of their Martirdome * ⎠* The life of S. Eustachius and others WE READ in the book of Numbers Ca. 22. that Balac king of Moab douting the Israelits would come and make warre vpon him in his realme sent messengers for Balaam the prophet that he might curse them imagining by that meanes to haue the victory against them The prophet went at his request which displeased God and rode on an asse It fell out that the Asse after a litle trauell staied and would not go forward The prophet rated and bet her and stroke her without discretion or iust cause and as the scripture said God opened the mouth of the beast who also speak vnto him Then did an Angell also speak in the defence of the Asse vnto the prophet and moreouer tole him what he should do This history may be fitly applied vnto S. Eustachius who wandering in the paths of Idollatry and heathenishe errors a thing abhominable in the sight of God was admonished of his errors by a wonderfull meanes God vsed toward him to wit he made a hart of stag to speak vnto him and to instruct him what he ought to do The life of this glorius saint and of his fellowe martirs was written by Symeon Metaphrastes and by S. Antoninus Bishop of Florence in this manner IN the time of Traiane Themperour there was in Rome an honorable and noble Lord called Placidus who was Generall of the horse And though he was a paynim yet did he works in them selues good He was charitable pitifull iust and faith full vnto his Lord. On day as Placidus went on hunting he spyed a goodly harte and pricked his horse with the spurres in pursuite therof The â—art or stag made a stand on a high eminent place and when Placidus approched nere it seemed vnto him that the hart had the signe of one crucified betwen his hornes and withall he heard a voice which said why doest thou persecute me Incontinent he alighted from his horse and kneeling on the ground said who art thou Lord that speakest vnto me The voice replied I am IESVS CHRIST the sonne of God who discended from heaven vnto earth and was crucified for the saluation of mankind and rose ageine to life on the third day Placidus replied againe Lord what is thy pleasure I shall do In what sort wilt thou haue me to serue thee It was answered vnto him My will is that thou thy wife and all thy family be Baptised and so thou shalt find the true way to go vnto heauen and when thou art Baptised my will is that thou be patienâ— and tollerat willingly the afflictions that shall be fall vnto thee and this do for my sake This being said the hart ran swiftly away and departed out of his sight Placidus wondered excedingly and at that instant God touched his hart and so enlightened him that he beheld the blindnes and misery in which he then was by giuyng diuine worship to stocks and stones He went home without delay and conferred and shewed his intent vnto some Christians and to conclude he was Baptised wherin he chaunged his name from Placidus and took the name of Eustachius his wife called Theopista and his two soÌ„nes Agapitus Theopistus were Baptised also After a few dayes Eustachius being well instructed in the Christian faith the deuill began God permitting it to persecute him Iob. c. 1. as he did Iob. The first thing was he slewe all his beasts and cattail wherof he had great store then did all his slaues and bondmen dye and briefely he lost all his goods became so poore and was so abandoned of the world that he was forced to depart out of Rome and lead a priuate life in a poore village In that place the fiend did also persecute him for he incited some wicked persons to take his wife from him and he had not power to resist and withstand them but God did always so preserue her that shee was neuer dishonored He lost also his two sonnes and he remained alone in so great necessity that he was faine to dwell with a rich citizen who made him his baily and ouerseer ouer one of his farmes in the countrey Although the good Eustachius sawe himself brought into this great misery yet euidently appeared in him a generous mind and Christian resolution to tollerat euery thing with patience God proued him like another Iob but when he was in this hard case he thought of him and restored him vnto his former estate For the Emperour Traian hauing designed to make a warre of much import and considering that to bring it to the wished end he must haue an expert generall he called Placidus to his remembrance whom he iudged a man fit for that charge After diligent enquiry he was found and madegenerall of the forces which charge he hauing receaued as he was carefull in mustering men for this gret seruice he came to the knowledg of his two sonnes Agapistus and Theopistus who were among the other souldiors of the army He also found again his wife who in poore and mean array was a seruant to an Inholder The ioy Eustachius had and the infinite thanks he yelded vnto God to see him self deliuered and freed from his former miseries and to haue found again his wife and two sonnes cannot with words be expressed After he had accomplished his entreprise committed vnto him he retorned vnto Rome with great honor and found Traian dead and Adrian installed in the empire Eustachius was receued into Rome with gret pompe and triumph aswell by the Emperour as by the wholl senate And because the custome of the Romain Capteins was that when they entred Rome with Victory they went vnto the temple of Iupiter there they sacrificed Eustachius excused himself saieng he could not do it bicause he was a Christian Themperour the Senate and all the people thought that if the accustomed sacrifice was not done they should neuer after haue any victory for which cause thy were very earnest that Eustachius should sacrifice Eustachius
rehearse this story of my temptations yea I lament that I am not nowe as I was them I do remember that I haue sometime spent the night in praier calling on my LORD IESVS CHRIST neither did I cease to knock my breast vntill that my hart was at rest from those vnquiet thoughts IESVS CHRIST is my witnes that after all these trobles I felt great consolation and content teares as sweet as hony with such enkindled and louely desires of heauen that me thought I was transported beyond my self and that I was aboue the Quiers of Angells If the flesh make such warre against thē that afflict and torment it what will it do to him that liueth in pleasure delights It may be he shall not haue such terrible temptations But in that case I thinke there is no greater temptation then not to be tempted This same holy Doctour writing to Pammachius saith I exalt virginity but not for that I do enioy it but for that I highly esteeme them that do obserue it Out of these words of S. Ierome some take occasion to say that in his youth he liued lasciuiously but in this they are deceued for holy men vse this maner of speech to shew their humility and yet they did not ly as S. Paule saith of himself 1 Cor 15. eph Cassiā epist 22. that he was the least of the Apostles and the greatest sinner it semed to him it was so as he said hauing consideration vnto his humble mind S. Basile also saith of himself I neuer knewe any woman carnally yet do I not therefore account any self a virgin So speaketh S. Ierome with lowelines and humility reputing himself a sinner Yet as it appeareth by an epistle vnto Eustochium he neuer did actually commit and dishonesty and these be his words we do not only praise and commend virginity but do also preserue and keep the same Spa at the least after his Baptisme as sait Marianus Victorius After that S. Ierome had bene foure years in the afore-named desert in vit eius he thought he might nowe yea that he ought to go out preache vnto the people yet for all he did not vtterly renounce and forsake the desert but retired into the company of relligious men to liue among them It was not fitt such a light should be hid any longer but should be knowen for the relligious men with whom he conuersed and enioied his blessed company perceued the great treasure that God had safly kept vnder that course clothing in the brest of Ierome repleat with science and doctrine He had before that time written some works and published them These books were well liked of the readers who bare good affection also to the Author for the same and by this meanes S. Ierome came to be knowen in many places There liued at that time Epiphanius B of Salamina in Cipres and Paulinus B of Antioche These two prelats were at controuersy and to be agreed they were to go to Rome vnto the Pope Ep 16. in ep i. taph mar celle v. ep 27 in epitap paule In this their iourney they took S. Ierome with them in their company for the good opinion they had of him This was the occasion of his third comming to Rome At that time Damasus was Pope who knowing the worthines and sufficiency of Ierome aswell for his vertue and behauiour as for his wisedome and learning would needs reteine him stil in his company And because he was alredy made priest in Antioche by Bishop Paulinus Ep 65. ad pam D Aug ad fratr in Ere ser 24. the pope gaue vnto him the title of a church in Rome called Laurence which is the same as it is nowe to be a Cardinall though they did not then vse the apparell and the red hatte which pope Innocent 4. about the year of our Lord 1250. gaue vnto them So that to paint S. Ierome in the habite of a Cardinall hath this foundation that indeed he was a Cardinall in that he was a priest and Curate of a parish in Rome The glorious S. Ierome exercized this charge carefully and diligently and laboured to roote out publique offendors out of his parish and reprooued them sharply though they were of the Cleargy which caused him to be persecuted and hated for it is an ordinary matter for the wicked to abhorre and detest the good and the vertuous euen as the dogge doth hate the staffe that beateth him So those that in their lifes were like beasts and in their deeds were disordered and vnruly people hated S. Ierome for he was the staff and the scourge that whipped them Whervpon they awaited to espy out some occasiō to slaunder him and to driue him out of Rome as they did indeed at last Their meanes was this S. Ierome vsed when he preached thē to forsake vices to loue vertues to despise the world and to make none account of the pompe and vaine glory therof Alitle before this time were fled vnto Rome from the fury of the Arryans some Catholique priests of Egipt as S. Athanasius and others who told how in those countreis S. Antony other holy hermits had made monasteries aswell of men as women who serued God by liuing in obedience pouerty and chastity Some Romaine Ladies hearing this had a desire to do the same and because the priests who should haue animated them therin were gon back vnto their owne country for that thy heard the persecution was ceased they were hindered from building the monastery as they desired to haue done and finding S. Ierome to fauor their intent as a thing agreable to that which he preached and taught and also proffer to defend them from all that did depraue or backbite the act for they feared him much as also to speak in their behalf to pope Damasus who loued him dearely they builded vp the monastery they desired The ladies that began this laudable work were Sophronia Marcella Melania Paula and Eustochium and many others followed imitated them S. Ierome instructed them all in the way of perfection he willed them to read spirituall books to pray often to be humble charitable and chast but especially to frequent often the sacraments of Confession and of the Eucharist These and such like were the persuasions S. Ierome vsed to these deuout womē because he desired their encrease in holy life And though this caused in Rome some murmuring as being a thing vnusuall yet then seeing how these relligious women profitted in vertue and how some that were before gadders abroad delighting in gay and rich appareill in nouelties and vanities and idle talking were now quite changed from these thinge and seemed to be the blessed handmaids of God the murmure ceased yea S. Ierome was extolled and highly commended as the diuiser of this holy work When he passed by the streets the people kissed his garments and said openly that when Damasus died he should be his successor This was the
speache of euery one in generall yet some priuate persons wished him euill and sought to wreak their malice on him because he did publikely reprooue theire faults At last they took this occasion to slaunder him The religious women being many it was expedieÌ„r that they should be in diuers places and we may think that Sophronia Marcella Melania and Paula had them home to their houses and that in those places they vsed their holy exercizes S. Ierome visited them oftentimes and came vnto the houses where they remained for at that time they had no grates nor any such inclosures as the Nonnes of our time haue which is done with great discretion and wisedome let heretiks bark therat as much as they will for thereby are auoided and preuented many inconuenientes Well S. Ierome visited all these relligious women but he went more to the house of Paula then to any other place for there as it was apparaunt afterward was most vertue and good life to be found The enemies of S. Ierome at these often visitations took occasion to slaunder and murmure at him and said it was not well done as they thought for though Paula was old Ierome was not old being then but. 40. years of age and moreouer there was Eustochium the daughter of Paula and other yong women in the house They ment that by the other relligious women which were in the house of Paula and by her maides and waiting women for Paula and the religious women that remained with her were of the richest and chiefest Ladies in Rome These enemies of S. Ierome weare so voide of shame that they hired a man who as it is thought belonged to Paula who said much euill of S. Ierome and charged him and Paula with dishonesty These aduerâ—aries of S. Ierome led this naughty fellowe vp and down the towne to defame the holy saint and told it to euery one in maner of a scoffe and of a Ieast It may be it came to the eares of Pope Damasus but were it so or other wise the man was taken and tortured to confesse the truth and at last he confessed that all was vntrue and false which he had said of S. Ierome The holy saint seing the dealing of this man and perceiuing how his enemies had contriued to put him to vtter shame and reproch and also remembring the quiet repose he had in the desert and what fauors and graces he had receued there of our Lord and the time he had there to study and to write All these things vnited caused him to make a resolution to forsake Rome and to return into Siria as he saith himself writing to a Lady called Asella in this sort I know not nor cannot imagine noble lady what thanks I am to yield vnto you for the great affection you beare vnto me for our lordes sake God is able to render vnto thy soule the reward it deserueth although I am as some think a hatefull creature and very vitious yet doest thou well to account me for good though to thee be spoken much euill of me because thou notest who saith it and of whom they speak They that speak euill of me as is euident and apparant be deceitfull crafty and cauelling wicked people In three years I liued with them many relligious women followed me vnto whoÌ„ and vnto others with them I expounded the sacred scriptute I preached and taught them how they should serue God and do vnto him acceptable seruice let them say if they can if in all this time they sawe any thing in me not fit for a good christian They say I am a man and that I ought not to coÌ„uerse with women which indeed I would not haue done if I had not kowen the vertue and sanctity of the holy persons with whoÌ„ I coÌ„uersed If before time they gaue credit to the fellow that defamed me why do they not also beleeue him now since he hath denyed all that which he spake before to my reproach There was but one man that at the first condemned me and the same man saith nowe that I am innocent But ô the frailty of mans nature howe soone will they beleeue that which they desire be it neuer so false Before I knew the house of Paula all the city commended me and euery one said I was worthy to be Pope and also wished it they called me a holy man and compared me vnto s. Damasus I aske this question if euer they saw me go into the house of anie dishonest woman was I euer delighted to looke after women with sweet perfumed gloues or decked with gold or pearle There was neuer a lady in Rome that could get me to visite her or to come vnto her house but shee only who with lamenting and fasting had made her face wanne and pale her eyes litle better then blind shee that was so coÌ„tinually in praier that many times at the sunne setting and at the sunne rising in the morning she was still at her prayer Her ballers were hymness her words were the holy Ghospel her delights were chastity and her life a perpetuall fasting None could please me but she that I neuer sawe eating Assone as I began to honor her for her deserued vertues I straite was abandoned of vertue in the eyes of the enuyous O enuy that first doest bite and tear thy selfe O the malice of Lucifer who ceaseth not to persecute vertue and sanctity I haue written vnto thee these few words in hast being nowe entred into the shippe but not without teares grief at my hart yet do I render thanks vnto my God for graunting me this fauor that I am abhorred of the world Make thy prayers vnto our lord for me that when I am gone out of Babylon he would guide me in peace vnto Ierusalem lest that Nabucodonozor enthrall me Some call me inchaunter and so was our Sauior called but the seruant cannot be greater then his maister Others say that I am a deceiuer the same was said vnto S. Paule the Apostle My soule feeleth great coÌ„solation in this that we are to enter into heauen by good report and by infamy These and other things S. Ierome wrote in that epistle by which may be knowen the occasions of this departure from Rome to wit because his aduersaries ceased not to slaunder him Being departed thence he passed into Siria visited Epiphanius B of Cypres Paulinus B. of Antioche his two great freÌ„ds who had brought him to Rome left him there they departing assone as pope Damasus had accorded their variaunce S. Ierome visited also those relligious men with whoÌ„ he had bin before time desired to stay with them but importunated by his frends he went to Bethlehem where he built a monastery To defray the charges of it he sent autority into his couÌ„try as he himself writeth vnto Pammachius to haue all his patrimonie sold ep 26. and with the money made therof he caused the Abbey to be builded
barbarous natured man to the end that he should draw them to offerre vp sacrifice or put them to most grieuous torments Besides that in this he also had another respecte to haue Sergius the more auiled and disgraced by hauing appointed for his judge Antiochus aman that in former times was one of his followers and had bin preferred to the dignitie of Gouernor of Prefect of the East by the meanes of Sergius The holie Saincts were brought before him and he committed them first to prison where they spent they re time in prayer and deuotion beseeching oure Lord to graunt them strength and affoord them succoure in they re battaile Afterwards Antiochus fending for them vsed all meanes to winne they re willes to offer vp sacrifice to his Idolls But they answearing that his Idolls were diuells and no Gods he commaunded foure lustie and merciless fellowes to whip and scourge Bacchus with the toughest and hardest finewes of Oxen. This torment was so terrible and the lashes so cruell tearing his fleshe and wounding him so deepely that heerewith the martyr ended his lyfe and yielded vp his spiritt to God He afterward appeered vnto Sergius shining with glorie ad heauenly brightnesse he declared vnto him the endless reward which he had receaued for those short torments and encouraged him to vndergoe what paine soeuer was prepared for him to the end that as in they re punishment they might be partners in they re victorie and triumph Antiochus earnestlie to make Sergius more plyant and reduce him to his opinion but seing all he could doe was in vaine led by his fierce and cruell nature and desirous to satisfie the Emperoure he commaunded a paire of shoes all bestudded and thick sett with points of sharp nailes to be putt on his feete so to runne before his chariott and after this manner he did driue him nine miles to the excessiue paine of the holie martyr our of whose feet ranne streames of bloud But the night next ensuing an Angell did come and cherish him and so healed his feet as yf he had suffered nothing at all The iudge attributed to Magicke this fauoure of God and being therewith more enhardened did commaund him to endure againe the same torment Then seeing nothinge would auaile nor worke the martyr to his will he commaunded that his head should be stroken of Sergius kneeled downe vpon his knees and made his prayer to allmightie God beseeching him to accept the loss of his lyfe as a sacrifice to pardon those that did persecute him and graunt them knowledge of his light and his trueth He heard a voyce which inuited him to the kingdome of heauē did congratulate his victorie wherefore stretching forth his necke he was streightwaie beheaded the 7 of october in the yeare of oure Lord 306. God did honoure Sergius from Heauen with miracles and on earth he was honoured with great gyfts of Princes For Cosroes king of Persia though a pagan and Infidell did send to his temple a most riche Cross of gold with other precious gyftes in token of preat fauours receaued at his hands as childen by his wyfe queene Sira and safetie in manie great daungers and perilles Iustinian the emperour built two fayre churches in his name one at Constantinople the other at Ptolemaida At Rome a churche with the title of a Deacon Cardinall is dedicated vnto them And the verie citie wherein S. Sergius was put to death was called by his name Sergiopolis Of these two Saincts there is mention made in the second Nicene councell actione 5. in the Roman martyrologe and manie famous authors The life of SS Marcellus and Apuleius martyrs ON this self same dai the 7. of Octob. the Churche doth make a commemoration of Marcellus Apuleius martyrs They had bin disciples of Simon Magus but seeing by his disputations with S. Peeter that he was nothing but a false deceaver they forsooke and left him astonied at the wondrous works miracles of the glorious Apostle receaued his doctrine were made Christiās followed him all the dai of his life After his death thei liued according to his heauenlie doctrine vntill they came to be so happie as to shed they re bloud for that Faith and religion which they had learned of so good a maister They were putt to death and martyred by the commaundement of a Consull called Aurelian in the raigne of Domitian and in the yeare of our lord 93. the 7. of October and were buried without Rome neere the walles of the cittie The life of S. Dionise Areopagite and others SALOMON in the booke of wisdome saith that God disposeth all things sweetlie ordaining most conuenient meanes to obtaine such ends as he intendeth This was the reason why in his birth he vsed a starre to guide the three Eastern Kinges to adore him For they being Magi that is men skillfull in Astrologie by seing a starre of so new a fashion so different in place in course and motion from all other starres would be the more easilie wonne and allured to seeke the author and cause of that starre as they did effectuallie finding and adoringe IESVS CHRIST To conuert S. Dionise the Areopagite a great Philosopher and Astrologer God vsed the like propertionable meanes and it was that rare and singular Ecclips which at the time of oure sauioures death happened beyond the course of nature For Dionise marking the strangeness there of and maruailing at such a neuer seene wonder noted the yeare the day and houre and after vnderstanding by S. Paule the true cause and misterie of that Ecclipse he was conuerted to embrace that religion which was established by his death who was principall author and only motiue of that wonder which surpassed nature The life of this Sainct with Rusticus and Elutherius his fellow martirs collected out of Michaël Singelus priest of Hierusalem out of Suidas and Simeon Metaphrastes is as followeth THE cittie of Athens was famous in all Greece for that it was the chief place of learning the wellspring of knowledge and mother of Wisemen Dionise the Areopagite was borne therein of a riche and honourable familie and of parents morallie iust and courteous louelie to strangers and liberall in his youth he gaue himselfe to learning wherein he became so eminent that aswell for his knowledge as for his Nobilitie he had the chiefe place amonghst the Magistrates which gouerned the cittie He was most eloquent in the Attick tongue a most skillfull Rhetorician a rare man in the doctrine of Stoicks Epicureans and other Philosophers But aboue all he was accounted a iust man and vertuous in exercising his office not fauouring the riche nor oppressing the poore not cōdemning the innocent nor leauing the culpable without due chastizement He went into Egypt to studie the better vnderstand the course of the heauē the force influence of the starres and all that knowledge of Astrologie Being about the age of fiue and twentie and residing in the cittie
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
his resurrection after which they were to see him againe for that he would manifest himself vnto them really and veritably in body and soule When allsoe his eternall father would truly come to inhabite by grace in him who loueth him and obserueth his lawe There is no other particuler mention of S. Iude nor of S. Symon in the Ghospell but that they were presēt in all places at all times that the Ghospell saith the Apostles were with IESVS As at the banket in the desert Io. 10. when CHRIST fed much people twise with a fewe loaues and a fewe fishes They were present at the raising of Lazarus at the entring of our Lord into Ierusalem when they sange Osanna They were present at the supper when our Lord washed their feet communicated them made them priests and consecrated them Bishops They fled also when IESVS was taken in the garden they sawe him raysed to life not as a spirite but the same that he was before he died Our Lord talked and conuersed with them as may be seene by the actions of Thomas who touched the wounds of his hands and side they sawe him also ascend into heauen they were also present at the comming of the Holy Ghost with the other Apostles when they receiued him they receued also his gifts and especially that gift of toungs with which they preached the Ghospell in diuers parts of the world Symon preached in Egipt and Thaddeus in Mesopotamia They kept company in Persia and preached therin together as S. Isidorus Ado and venerable Beda say Assoone as they came into that country all the Idolls which before gaue oracles became dumb and whereas Baradach captain to the king of Babylon whom some Authors call Xerxes hauing then in hand a great interprise desired to be enformed of the successe therof by oracle and passed from one vnto another at last one of them bad him looke for no answer as long as Symon and Iude Apostles of CHRIST were in the country Baradach caused them to be sought out and brought before him He demāded who they were from whence they came and what they did in that same country The Apostles aunswered that they were Hebrews seruants of IESVS CHRIST and that they were come into that country for the good of all maner of persons in teaching them the true faith which if they receued it should be the right meanes for the sauing of their soules Baradach said to them when I returne from the dispatch of my affaires I will heare you willingly The Apostles said It shal be better for thee presently to confesse him by whose meanes thou maist ouercome thine enemies and reduce them to the obedience of thy king Baradach said I think your God be more potent then ours sine that your comming hath put them to silence but tell me what successe shall the warre vnto which I go haue The Apostles said To the end thou maist see that thy Gods be not only impotent but also liers and deceuers we will giue them leaue to aunswer to thy demaunds that they giuing an answer of that which they know we may showe what they be and what they can do The Gods answered by their ministers whom Baradach had caused to come thither That the warre should be long and that therin much slaughter should be on both sides When the Apostles heard their answer they laughed and Baradach said to them I heare these words to my grief and sorrow and do you laugh The Apostles replied feare not for too morrow at three a clock there shall come embassadors from the Indian rebells vnto thee who shall most humbly entreat thee for peace and submit themselfs wholly to thy mercy When the ministers of the Idolls heard these words of the Apostles thy scoffed therat and in a rage against them said to the captein These fellowes come from the Indians thy enemies that thou crediting their deceitfull speeches maist not be prouided and furnished with defence and then the Indians may come and giue thee some notable discomfiture To this the Apostles replied and said to the captein we do not bid thee to tarry a moneth or longer but one day only if thou find vs to ly punish vs as thou please Baradach aunswered I think best to keep you them also in prison vntill I see which doth deceiue me and then I will punish them that do deserue it On the next day euen as the Apostles said the embassadours to the Indians came with whom Baradach hauing concluded a peace resolued to punish seuerely those false prophets but the Apostles staid him saieng that thy were not come in to that country to take away any mans life but to giue it vnto many Then the captein would haue giuen them many Iewells but they would not take any He had them vnto Babilon where the king was vnto whom he repeated what had befallen betwene him and the Apostles and commended them very much and said they had the gift of prophecy knew things to come were humble and vertuous and coueted no temporall gaine At that time the king had in his companie two magitians or Inchaunters one was called Zaroes theother Arphaxat who were fled out of India where S. Matthew preached for that he had discouered their wickdnes and deceits These mallicious fellowes seeing the Apostles to be of the colledge and company of S. Matthew their deadly foe persecuted them saieng of them much euill vnto the king And with their inchantments caused many serpents to appeare in the place to terrify the Gentills and to hurt the Apostles but they by their word only commanded the serpents to wound the inchauntors but not to kill them The serpents obeied put them to great griefe and paine and moreouer hauing lost hereby their reputation and credit they were enforced to depart from Babilon and to go vnto other cities They laboured what they could to do some mischief vnto the Apostles saieng in euery place where they passed that they were enemies to their Gods would not haue them to be adored and that they seperated wifes from their husbands vnder the collour of relligion and such other things And in the places where credit was giuen vnto them they gaue the people warning that if the Apostles came that way they should put them to death and neuer suffer them to speak The holy Apostles preached the faith without empeachment or contradiction in Babilon and conuerted many for that they did many miracles especially in healing all sickfolks from their infirmities what soeuer They baptised the king and all his family and hauing instructed many in the faith they ordered priests and deacons and made Abdias bishop who had followed them from Ierusalem and had as he saith seen with his corporall eies IESVS CHRIST in his mortall flesh If fell out at that time as the said Abdias recounteth it and S. Antoninus of florence repeateth it that a woman daughter to a noble man of Babilon was
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
sent vnto he Iudgment seat of the great God For in it in very deed is the ladder of â—acob Gen. 28. whereby the Angells go vp and come downe They go vp with the praiers and petitions of the faithfull and present them vnto God and then come downe with their dispatch for the good and profitt of the faithfull beleeuers In the Church is preached the Gospell the obseruation of the commaundments of God is taught vertue is comended and vices be reprooued So that in it some are stroke with feare some haue compunction these weepe others reioice some are comforted and others are inflamed with the loue of God In the Church the faithfull soule talketh with God there he is praied vnto and in that place he is honored In the Church the Angells are present because there is the heauenly court yea the very same God is there really and personally and hath promised to be there vntill the end of the world In all these things you may see how much our Churches be more worthy then the Temple of Salomon So then if that Temple be so much magnifyed by men and God also it is conuenient and most iust seing that our Churches be in so high manner honored with the presence of God himself that they be also honored and reuerenced by vs and that therein nothing may be said or done vnseemely or vnfitting of so worthie a place Let presumptuous people and the prophaners of Churches feare the like seuere punishment as God gaue to that wretched king Antiochus who prophaned the Temple of Ierusalem 2. Macha 9. God striking him with a most terrible and horrible infirmitie This wretched caitife knew that this euill happened vnto him for prophaning the Temple of God in Ierusalem and therefore he bewayled his sinne exceedinglie He prayed vnto God and craued pardon of him but the text vttereth there a terrible and dreadfull sentence viz. The wretch prayed vnto God of whom he could not obtaine mercy The sorrow of this man was like the sorrow and repentance of Esau Cain and Iudas Heb 12. Gen 3. Math 27. P. Orosius that is to say defectiue and vnprofitable and therefore he was condempned as they were also We read in auncient histories that Pompey the Great was victorious in all his enterprises and affaires before he did prophane the Temple of Ierusalem but after that time he was vnfortunate in all his businesses and finally he was vanquished in battaile by Iulius Caesar and escaping by flight repaired for aide to the king of Egipt as to his friend but in steed of help he found his death the king cutting of his head and sending it vnto Caesar the conquerour as a present For prophaners of Churches and holie places these two examples are sufficient and for those that vse small or no reuerence to Churches this one is inough That our Lord and Sauiour himself chastised them with rigour which caryed not due respect vnto the Temple of Salomon For he himself in person when as man he conuersed with men did driue the people our of the same Temple with whippes and scourges because they vsed to and in the same smalle or no reuerence Let them who prophane our Churches being of farre more excellency then that was imagine yea assure themselues that they shal be chastised with much more rigour Surelie we ought to beare great respect and reuerence to our Churches and to behaue our selues in them as Dauid counselleth in a psalme where he saith In the Temple of God let euery one speak of his glorie All that which is to be spoken of in the Church ought to be to the glorie of God and if it be to his glorie it will redound and arise to our profitt since in that place he will make vs partakers of his mercyes which shal be the beginning of our Beatitude God grant vs all to find in his Church mercy for his deare sonnes sake our Blessed Sauiour Amen The life of S. Theodore Martyr IT is written in the book of Iudges how Sampson that renowned souldier of God at his death pulled downe a temple of the Gentiles whereby manie of them were killed and the temple falling to the ground was vtterly destroyed Herein Sampson did worthy seruice vnto Almightie God who had determined by this meanes to chastice that treacherous and vnbeleeuing nation The verie like befell vnto another valiant souldier of CHRIST called Theodore who set fire to a temple of the Gentiles for which cause he was afterward martyred And in the one and the other of the these things there was done vnto our Lord God great and good seruice The life of this glorious martyr is taken out of an homilie or sermoÌ„ made by S. Gregorie Nissen which he preached on the daie of his martyrdome in the same Church where he was buried He reherseth it in this wise THE cause good Christian people why you be here assembled from diuers partes with trauaile and toile of your persons by reason of the sharpnes of the winter is onlie to celebrate the feast of the glorious martyr S. Theodore This is a thing iust and reasonable since we be all obliged vnto him for the great and many benefitts which we haue receaued by his intercession One of these is well knowne vnto all namely how the Barbarous Scithians this last yeere threatening to kill vs and hauing drawne their swordes to bathe them in our blood returned back vnto their countries in manner of flight not for feare of our corporall armes but being terrified with the Crosse of CHRIST with which this glorious saint our patrone chased the away I desire you all to be attentiue and I will reherse in what manner this holie martyr came to giue his life for CHRIST whilest he liued in this world for I do not know in perticuler the reward he hath in heauen And when we know this we ought to take profitt by endeauouring to imitate him I saie then that we haue his blessed body in this Church and although it be of the same matter and nature that other dead bodies be yet it is not to be likened vnto them for if you open any of their sepulchers the bodies appeere lothesome to the sight and be displeasing to the smell so that we turne our face from them considering the miserie of our nature and the frailtie of mankind But vnto this glorious martyr it falleth out otherwise For assoone as we enter into the Church where his blessed bodie is as all we haue done this daye the sight is pleased seing the sumptuous and cunning built Church where it seemeth the caruer and the painter contended to excell each other the one in the building of the same aswell in the pauement as pillers of the finest marble in which be engrauen sondrie pictures of lyuing creatures as in the rooffe and couering of tymber which is curiouslie wrought and cunningly ioyned The painter was not inferioure in his art setting forth liuely
rather to die then to deny my Lord CHRIST I am a Christian and therefore expect not that I will sacrifice vnto the diuells The Iudg was so wroth with this answere that he caused calthropes to be set thick on the ground the blessed martir to be dragged and haled ouer them In this torment the holie saint said Seek out other tortures for these be of too smalle force to make me worship thy diuells Pirrhus being now more enraged said Beat him with cudgells and knotted thongs of leather and buffet him on the face till he cease to call our Gods by the names of diuells But all these things preuailed not to make the valiant souldier of CHRIST shew any signe of feare or yeelding There was present a noble man of the court called Eliodorus who said vnto Pirrhus my Lord these Christians be a people which regard no torments yea death is more welcome vnto them then life Do not vexe nor trouble thy self any more with this man but giue iudgment of death vpon him as he hath well deserued for that he hath abandoned his captaine and refused to serue in the warres Thâ—n Pirrhus said vnto Menna If thou wilt resolue to sacrifice vnto the Gods I will cause thy captaine to pardon thy former offence and to giue thee more honorable office and degrees Menna said God forbid that I should desire such offices and honors I desire to haue them in heauen where true honor is to be had not those of the world which be vaine and transitorie The president seing the constancy of the blessed martir by the aduise of the other courtiers coÌ„demned him to die with these words Because Menna the souldier doth not obey the proclamation of the Emperours and because he followeth the religion of the Christians and will not sacrifice vnto our Gods we comaund that he be beheaded that others by his example may feare to comitt the like trespasses The blessed martir was led by the officers vnto a place called Potemia vnto which all the cittie was assembled The holie saint with a cheerefull countenance though meanely apparelled as making smalle account of any worldly thing went comunicating with some of his acquaintance as if he had not bene going vnto death Recomending them vnto God and taking leaue of them he lifted his eies toward heauen saying I blesse and praise thee o father eternall for that thou hast hitherto kept me and hast not turned thy face from me Thou hast giuen me strength that I should not loose my soule with this treacherous and faithles people but that I might confesse constantly thy blessed name and thy holie lawe I beseech thee through IESVS CHRIST thy sonne that thou wilt help me at this houre of death and deliuer my soule in granting it victorie in this last assault that it may appeere free before thy iudgment seat and there worship thee Saying this he came to the place of execution where falling on his knees and looking toward heauen the hangman cut of his head Then they cast his bodie into a great fire but the fire consumed it not so that some deuout persons took it and buried it in a place conuenient whither many Christians resorted crauing mercy at Gods hands by the praiers and merits of this his faithfull seruant Menna Who was of Egipt honorablie borne iust faithfull mild and vertuous and replenished with the grace of the Holie Ghost He was martired in the cittie of Cottieum in the prouince of Phrigia on the. 11. of Nouember in the yeere of our Lord 301. Spa saith 296. And on the same daie the Church maketh of him a commemoration The bodie of this holie saint was after ward translated vnto Constantinople The life of S. Martin Pope and Martyr THE noble king Dauid would not giue leaue 2. Râ—g 2 nor permit one of his souldiers to kill his father in lawe Saul when he might easily haue done it and theother well deserued it coming to pursue and search him out with an army and a full intention to kill him if he could haue gotten him within his daunger And though Dauid found him fast a sleep in his pauilion and in like maner all his guard who should haue watched in his defence yet would he not once touch him The reason which Dauid alleaged was because Saul was the anointed of the Lord. It happened farre otherwise vnto the glorious S. Martin Pope and martir who being annointed and consecrated and moreouer the vicar and lieutenant of CHRIST in earth yet some Christians in name but in their deeds worse then Pagans were so bold as to take him and vse him villanously as may appeare by his life collected out of the book of Poper lifes called Pontificall and out of other good Authors SAINT Martin the first Pope of that name was the sonne of one Fabritius and borne in Todi a city in Tuscane a very holy man and vertuous Assoone as he was elected to the gouernment of the Church he emploied all his vttermost dilligence endeuor to extirpat roote out some heresies about the person of IESVS CHRIST already condemned in former Councells The man who did bring them againe out of hell where they had bene a good space buried into the world was a Patriarch of Constantinople called Paulus who had some other prelaâ—s that abbetted him and were wrapped in the same error These wonne th'emperour Constans the second of that name to be of their sect and opinion such sleights and deuises they wrought with him The legats of the Pope who resided there certefied him of the proceedings of Paulus the Patriarch The Pope incontinent apointed by his letters what order should be taken therin and wrot vnto the same Paulus louing letters beseeching him not to be so determinately stubborne in ruynating the peace of the Church and in patronizing of his errors so many times condemned by the holy prelats ingreat assembles and generall Councells Paulus being by nature proud and obstinate to shew what small accouÌ„t he made of the Popes aduertisements caused an Aultar which the legats had set vp in the Church founded by Placida vpon which they said masse after the Roman vse to be cast to the ground and defaced The malice of Paulus was so much augmented that because the legats on the Popes behalf required him when they sawe his obstinacy to amend his fault and reforme his errors or els they would proceed against him as a contumacious person by the censures of the Church he made meanes to th'emperour to cause the legats to be restrained of their liberty and euill entreated and afterward he sent them into banishment into sondry parts of Christendome which was as if he had sent trompets to sound and publish the malignity of the Patriarch the tiranny of th'emperour and the misbelief of them both being obstinate in the error condemned by all the Catholike Church when Pope Martin had vnderstanding thereof he had recourse vnto the ordinary remedies in the
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
Emperours Court also in their rage It happeneth many times that the good subiection and obedience of subiects is turned into fury and vproare when some small matter which they earnestly request is to them denyed as in this present example These doings displeased the Emperour exceedingly as reason was it should but for that he had in his company some Prelates and S. Ambrose also as some say that besought him to pardon the multitude he made promise by word that he would pardon them yet afterwards being instigated by some courtiers who sometimes vse to insence princes to wrath when they ought rather to appease their anger he altered his minde and determined to punish the people for the example of others without course of law or order of Iustice And so when the people was in the citty busy and occupied to see the triumphes of that day the armed souldiers appointed by the Emperour assaulted and set vpon them and neither regarding age nor sexe massacred all that they met olde and young little and great innocent or culpable Cittyzens or strangers so that there were 7000. slaine although it be said that the Emperour commaunded there should be but 2000. slaine The miserable citty remained moistened with the bloud and all the Empire of Rome was filled with the report of the cruelty The first time the Emperour went vnto Millan S. Ambrose vnto whom this cruelty was much displeasant for the offence committed thereby against God was desirous to giue remedy to the soule of the Emperour but yet he doubted there might follow some scandall in reprouing him on a sudaine therefore he iudged it were good to dissemble a while and withall he would not see nor conuerse with him so that when the Emperour approached neere vnto Millan he departed from thence The prudence S. Ambrose vsed in this case may be an example for other Prelates how to behaue themselues with great Princes And the desire of a good Pastor much moued the mind of S. Ambrose to reduce home this wandering and straying sheepe yet considering that the Emperour was not of his dyocesse so none of his particuler flock and douting a greater scandall might arise determyned as is said aboue and departed out of the city by which he stayed himself and refrayned his Christian earnestnes Th'emperour being come vnto Millan and not finding the good prelate there shewed himself to be displeased The holy saint wrote vnto him an epistle in the beginning wherof he vsed mild words and very lowly but afterwards he told him in plaine termes that he was departed because he would not speake with him for if he should speake that which was fytt and conuenient he should be thought to passe the bounds of modesty and if he should be sylent not reproue him he might be noted for a man that wynked at notoryous faults sought not to giue due and fit remedy vnto them In the rest of his epistle he called to his mynd the cruell massacre committed at Thessalonica and willed him to do penance and withall gaue him many good admonitions and rehersed vnto him many examples At the end he said plainly that he durst not say masse in his Church if he were present and that he had a particuler coÌ„maundement from God thus to doe Then concluded he the epistle with these words my Lord if thou beleeue me behaue thy self as I aduise thee and if thou do not beleeue me pardon this that I haue done in departing from the city for I did therin make more account of God then of thy displeasure When S. Ambrose had written this letter to the Emperour â—e thought that when he had red it it would haue moued him to penance and therefore he returned to Millan but yet he would not visite th'emperour accounting him as an excoÌ„municate person The more the holy saint estranged himself froÌ„ his sight the more th'mperour thought himself bound to seek vnto him Things standing in this state it happened that one day S. Ambrose was reuested to say masse in his Church and it was told him that th'emperour was commyng to Church The good Bishop went to meet him out of the dore and in the middest of all that proud and stately company took him by the purple robe with the same liberty that he wrote he said to him in this maner Stay my Lord for vnto a man spotted and stained with such inhumaine cruelty and that hath shed so much innocent bloud it is not lawfull to enter into a house consecrated vnto God and lesse deserueth he to be partaker of his mysteries except he do penaÌ„ce first I am of opinion that thou takest no knowledg of the sinne thou hast committed and though the fury which drew thee headlong into it be past thou hast not yet entred into consideration therof with the light of thy vnderstanding to see what a great offence thou hast committed I suppose thy Royall estate and thy Imperiall maiesty do hinder thee and suffer thee not to see and to take notice of thy heynous fault but look down with thy eies and consider that thou art a mortall man Take heed lest thy royall vesture thou wearest do dasell thy sight that thou cannot see within thy self the fragility of thy flesh of which thou art formed as other men are if thou consider rightly of thy frailty think also how great and mighty God is that is the vniuersall Lord of all Feare him then for thou art his subiect craue pardon of him for thou hast offended him and vntill thou doest this be not so bold as to enter into his Church nor appear in his deuine presence lest thou double thy sinnes and prouoke him to more wrath against thee This say I on his behalf and so I commaund thee laying on thee this lawfull punishment by which the Church doth separate all them which do not make satisfaction with due penance Th'emperour gaue eare attentiuely vnto the words of the holy saint and with himself considering the maner he had vsed toward him in telling and reprouing him and taking it in the best part iudged that he had done with him as a good prelat should do and returned to his pallace pensiue and sad as they be which begin a newe to feele the sorowe which is caused by the remembrance of their offences when they be represented vnto a repenting soule Theodosius remained thus certein months and neuer entred into the Church sighing secretly and lamenting for his offence The feast of the Natiuity of our Lord approached and the generall of his forces called Ruffinus seeing his Lord pensiue asked him what made him so discontent Th'emperour fetched a deep sigh and shedding teares said Ruffinus the cause of my grief is this I see other men yea slaues and bondmen enter freely into the Church and house of God and whensoeuer they come thither they find the dore open and the entrance is denyed only to me vnto me only is the Church doore shut and
of Stephen For he propounded his reasons with such a spirit and wisedome and resolued their arguments so cleerlie that they remained ashamed and vtterly confounded Where they should haue taken profit by the same they contratiewise tooke such indignation against him that they hyred certaine false witnesses to accuse him vnto the high priest Hereupon S. Stephen was taken and the witnesses accused him that they heard him speake blasphemie against God the Lawe and the Temple And they added also that he said that IESVS of Nazareth should destroy that sacred place and change the traditions and ordinances giuen by Moyses This was an apparant slaunder for this last they had not heard S. Stephen say but the priests said to themselues that it must be so since IESVS CHRIST had said so yet they wrong vnderstood him when he said vnto them Iohn 2. Pull downe this Temple and in three daies I will build it vp againe In these words our Sauiour spoke of the Temple of his body as the Euangelist saith that they should put him to death and on the third day he would rise againe Whereupon the false witnesses inâ—yted thereunto by the Scribes and Pharisies the enemies of S. Stephen deposed that he affirmed the ruine of the Temple and the change of the Traditions and ordinances giuen by Moyses This accusation being layd all they that sate in Counsell looked stedfastly vpon S. Stephen and they saw his face Cap 6. v. 15. as the face of an Angell glistering out of measure The high priest demaunded if this were true which they affirmed to him The glorious saint hauing craued audience reduced to their memories all the accidents that had happened to that people and the graces and fauours that they had receiued from God beginning at Abraham euen vntill that present time He made relation how Iacob going into Egipt with all his sonnes in the time of Ioseph flying from the great dearth which was in the land of Canaan remained there and inhabited in that countrie And how Ioseph being the dead the Egiptians dealt euill with them Cap. 7. wherefore God sent Moises to bring them out of that countrie to deliuer them from the hands of Pharao that kept them as slaues and made them to passe the red sea on the drie land hauing drowned all their enemies therein He told them also how God gaue them the law by the hand of Moyses who prophesied and said that God would raise a prophet of the people of the Iewes and that they should and must heare and obey him euen as they had done Moyses He also charged them with their vnthankfullnes toward God they hauing receaued of him so many great benefits and graces how they left to worship him and fell to adore Idols made with their owne hands how they had persecuted the prophets and killed many of them and finally he said vnto them You indeed do shew your selues to be their children for they were obstinate and stifnecked a-against the commaundements of Gods lawe and you be also like them resisting the Holie Ghost They persecuted the prophets that spoke of the comming of that iust and Holie Prophet of whom Moyses spoke likewise but you haue imprisoned that same iust and holie Prophet who was the true Messias and the CHRIST promised in the lawe and you neuer ceased persecuting him vntill you had put him vno the death of the crosse The scribes and Pharisies which sat in Counsell were so mooued that they gnashed their teeth against him shewing thereby their indignation and offâ—ing withall to lay violent hands vpon him S. Stephen lifting vp his eyes to heauen saw the glorie of God and IESVS CHRIST standing at his right hand as it were to shew him his power and fauour to helpe him in this sharpe conflict which he vndertooke for his sake The glorious saint could not conceale nor hyde it but certified them of the great glorie cap. 7. V. 55. saying Behold I see the heauens open and the sonne of man at the right hand of God When these diuelish and hard-harted people who awaited to find any occasion against the holie man that they might wreake and discharge all their mallice and rage conceiued against him had heard him speake these words they esteeming it to be blasphemie lifted vp their voices and said Let the blasphemer dye let vs put him to death and herein they fained to shew their zeale vnto the lawe and shut their eares as if they had heard some absurd speech against God or his honour But this was not all For as thought S. Stephen had beene indeed a blasphemer who the lawe commaunded to be led out of the cittie and there to be stoned they laid violent hands on that holie Deacon and with a furious vproare and noise they led him out of the cittie where the witnesses that had giuen in euidence against him gaue their garments to be kept by a â—ong man called Saul who seemed to be verie ioyfull that S. Stephen was put to death and then they began to stone him with stones The holie saint seing that his death approached lifted vp his eyes vnto heauen and said My Lord IESVS receiue my spirite Cap. 7. V. 59 60. This prayer he made for himselfe standing on his feet but when he whould pray for his enemies to the end they might see he prayed for them from his hart he kneeled on the ground and with a loud voice said O Lord pardon them this sinne for they know not what they doe Little did this his pious act mollifie the obstinate and hard harts of his aduersaries yea they rather threw downe stones vpon him like a shower of haile Some missed him some hitte him some hurt him others returned back and some stuck fast in his sacred head In this torment the blessed Martir ended his life His â—olie bodie was buried by some vertuous people shedding ouer him many sorrowfull teares Of this holie Martyr are read great matters in particuler treatises which S. Augustine S. Gregorie Nissen S. Fulgentius S. Peter Crisologus Eusebius Emissenus Nycetas and many other authors write of him All this and much more S. Stephen meriteth aswell for his many vertues as for the great zeale wherewith he preached IESVS CHRIST and his honour and also in the great charitie he shewed in praying vnto God for them that tooke away his life Hereof it came that his prayer was heard and was so acceptable to God for as S. Augustine and S. Iohn Chrisostome affirme the Catholique church doth at this day by him enioy S. Paul who was one of the furtherers of his death It is trulie said that S. Stephen was a deacon ordained together with sixe others by the Apostles when they gaue them the charge of the ordinarie seruices that dailie occurâ—ed among the disciples Moreouer S. Augustine writeth many miracles which God did by the merits of S Stephen but for that the greater part happened at such time as
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.
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
When it was diuâ—lged bruited in that countrey that Ierome had chosen his habitation in that place it cannot be expressed how people resorted thither from all parts especially from Rome The holy woman Paula with other deuour women went thither though the other returned and shee only staied there vntill her death Paula sold her lands and possessions in Rome and with the money comyng therof builded foure monasteries in Bethlehem three for women and one for men It may be that shee caused the monastery which S Ierome had built before to be enlarged and made bigger S. Ierome was the superior and gouerned the monastery of men and Paula gouerned the other three made for the women being so discreet and holy that she ruled those three in good sort dwelling now in the one and then in another There S. Ierome ended the writing of his admirables works which the church keepeth and esteemeth at this day He translated the Bible viz the old testament out of the Hebrew into latine thee newe testament out of Greek into latine and wrote commentaries out of Greek into latine and wrote commentaries on the greatest part there of and expounded it excellently His books being spread through the world beside the many epistles which he wrote almost with out intermission vnto sondy persons caused euery one to find and knowe his sanctity and profound doctrine and to accept and account him for a very good and sound Catholike for some had at the first doubt therof by cause of that which Ruffinus his aduersary wrote against him One of these was S. Augustine who at the first had a distrust in him but afterward he bare vnto him such loue and affection that being Bishop of Hippo he sent one of his trusty friends called Alipius and other of his priests to visite him on his behalf and to be instructed by him reputing it for a great honour and credit knowing as he knewe to be the disciple of the disciples of S. Ierome There went persons of great account from all countreys to visite him as Paulus Orosius did who was also sent by S. Augustine Seuerus Sulpitius Apodemius and other rare and renoumed men And though the voyage was long and the daunger great yet all that seemed a small thing to see thee venerable old man S. Ierome replenished with sanctity and learning This holy doctor wrote incessantly against heceticks and persecuted them with out any intermission and they were afrayd and trembled to heare him named Origen had written many books before the time of S. Ierome all which he read taking great delight in his delicate and fine witt and for affection called him his teacher but for all that he did not pardon nor spare the errors he found in his books yea he impugned them to the vttermost of his ability S. Ierome was subiect to many infirmities caused by continuall study and the hard austerity he had vsed to ward his body so that some times he remayned whole years bedrid yet ceased he not but endited to others that wrote so that he composed many books being occupied in that exercize 30. years as he writeth himself The countrey of Greece did much honour this glorious doctor by translating the works he wrote in latine into the Greek toung It is said by S. Ierome that as he red one day vnto his disciples wherof he had many in ordinary from many parts there entred into his schoole or place of lecture a lyon halting All the schollers ranne away but the holy doctor receued him without dread when the lyon came neere he lifted vp and shewed one of his forefeet wounded with a thorne which was runne into his foot and the holy man dressed it and when it was hole the lyon would not depart but attended in the monastery as if he had bene tame and domesticall This story I tell because he is painted with a lyon by him It is also said that S. Ierome apointed thereto by Damasus the pope set in order the office of the Church diuiding the psalmes for euery day of the week and apointing that euery one should end with this versicle Gloria Patri c. Sicut erat c. He apointed also the Epistles and Ghospells for all the yeare with the lectures and prophecies that are red in the office of the masse S. Ierome being employed in these holy exercises and such like in aunswering and assoiling douts which Bishops and other relligious persons sent vnto him from all parts of Christendome and also in giuing aduise to people that were in necessity he came vnto such perfectioÌ„ that he was rapt and translated some times in spirite among the Quiers of Angells and began in this life to tast the reward of his paine and traueill though there remained some other afflictions for his old age which was a feeblenes that he could not rise from his bed and as Sigibertus saith he had a corde tied to a piece of wood ouer his bed and he held by that when he desired to turne from one side vnto the other His infirmity encreasing and he knowing the hower of his death approched commaunded the B. Sacrament to be brought vnto him and then communicated with great deuotion which when he had done he yielded vp his spirite vnto God on the 30. day of September about the year of our Lord 422. Honorius and Theodosius the second being Emperours Marianus victorius in the life of S. Ierome saith that this holy Doctor dyed at the age of 99. years as some Authors hold for some others say otherwise It is most true and assured that he liued till his decrepit age as S. Augustine saith in the first book against Iulianus His blessed body was buryed in Bethleham and after ward in processe of time it was brought to Rome and laid in the Chuch of S. Maria ad presepe which at this day is called S. Maria Maior God shewed many miracles by meanes of this holy saint aswell in his life as after his death The Church accounteth him for one of the foure Doctors and maketh a great feast of him and especially in Rome for that there he studied there he was Baptised and there resteth his blessed body It is also very fit that fraunce should keep it festiuall for there he was a good space and sawe the principall places of that king dome Germany is also obliged in like maner vnto S. Ierome for that he wrote a book of it and made the countrey famous Greece is in the same debt for the commodity they reape by the books of this holy doctor which are traÌ„slated into their language Egipt is also deeply in his debt for that it enioyed a long time his company and blessed conuersation The deserts of Siria are in the same debt for the austere penance S. Ierome did there doth nobilitate and make them famous Bethlehem shal be reconed in this account yea and we may call it happy for two respects first and principally because
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
400. in the raigne of the Emperours Valentinian and Theodosius after he had beene Bishoppe 20. yeares The Catholike Church celebrateth his feast on the 7. day of December which was the day he was consecrated Bishop which is done because those other dayes for the most part fal in the holy week or else Easter His body was buried in the same Citty of Millan in his Church God did many miracles by meanes of this saint after his death euen as he had done many whilest he liued Let vs all pray vnto God that by the merits and intercession of S. Ambrose he would make vs partakers of his heauenly glory Amen The immaculate Conception of the mother of God GREAT was the indignation that the potent King Assuerus had conceiued against the Iewes that were in his Realme wherevpon he made a law by which he commanded all the Iewes to be put to the sword And to the end none should appeale from this nor entreat for them he made another law by which he commaunded vnder paine of death that for certaine dayes none should be so hardy as to come and speake vnto him except hee were by him called The beautifull and wise Queene Ester vnderstanding what the King her husband had decreed desired to go and entreat for the people yet feared to be the first to prooue the rigour of the law if she came to the kings presence before shee was called But at the last her pitty ouercame feare She adorned her selfe in rich and costly apparell shee set on her head a royall Crowne and accompanied with two Damosels one of the which led her by the hand and the other held vp her traine shee came into the place where the King was and lifting vp her eyes shee was in great feare so that shee swounded and fell vnto the ground The king seing that stood vp and sustained her by the armes that she might not fall and then touched her with the rodde of Gold which he had in his hand in signe and token of clemency and pitty and said vnto her Be not afraied my sister for the law was made for others not for thee Hester was somwhat comforted seeing the king so mild and gratiâ—us toward her and craued pardon of him for her people and obtained it This figure is very fit and agreeable to our purpose for the Immaculate Conception of the most B. Virgin Mary King Assuerus signifieth our Lord God who published a law against all mankind for the sinne of the first man and because all men are borne in originall sinne the law would therefore that they should be depriued of his sight thrust out of his presence This law being promulgated God concealed himselfe and would not permit any humaine creature to see him as Esay the Prophet said Indeed thou art a hidden God and thâ—re is no man that hath seene thee Queene Hester which accompanied with two damosels went with such feare vnto the king signifieth the mother of God whose chiefe attendants were chastity and humility When therfore this Queene was to be in this world and her soule was infused in the body organized and fashioned in the wombe of her mother Anna by little and little it had fallen into originall sinne and therewith bin distained if the King Assuerus had not preuented it God hasted to it and sustained it with his armes by preseruing it from all spot of sinne and telling her that the law was not made for her whereby he would inferre that he exempted her from the generall law by the which all other are conceiued in sinne Then bowed he the rod of gold touched her therewith which signifieth the person of the word The Virgin was touched with the rod of Gold when God was made man in her sacred wombe for to that end God preserued her from sinne that she might be the worthy mother of his only begotten sonne The king Assuerus bad her also to craue a grace and fauour and she was not slack therein yea all mankind receiue especiall fauours of God by the merits and intercessions of this most pure Virgin I also hope to receiue of her one particuler grace which shall be this that by her meanes her Son will graunt me grace to entreat truly of the misery of the pure Conception of his mother Wherefore for the vnderstanding thereof I say That OVR Lord God hauing created our first fathers in his fauour and friendship he enriched them with giftes and graces naturall and supernaturall He gaue vnto them the Lordship and dominion ouer all corporall and earthly creatures he clothed them with originall iustice which was a gift granted not only vnto Adam but also vnto all his posterity he gaue vnto him a most blessed house which was the terrestriall paradise a place full of felicity and content And because Adam seing himselfe so rich and honored should not haue occasion to grow insolent and proud he gaue a precept vnto him as a paying or owing fee and vassellage by acknowledging God for his Lord which was he forbad theÌ„ to eate of the fruit of one only tree in the garden Adam broke the commandement and offended him for the which God did chastice him exemplarly There was a publick act or arraignement made in the which were present the three diuine persons Angels and many other creatures Before all these were Adam and Eue brought as publick penitents in body with their heads vncouered and in place of fetters their guiltines which the diuines call Reatus which remained in their soule after they had sinned and was like a cord which tyed them In steed of a taper which publicke doers of pennance carry in their hand serued naturall reason which notwithstanding had lost for the most part its light by their sinne In this manner were our first fathers produced and accused before the iudgement seat of God and being examined of their sinne Adam confessed it yet he laid the fault vpon Eua and Eua likewise excused her selfe by the serpent The guilty persons hauing confessed their offence they were sentenced so that from that time they began to dye Their goods were confiscated and they thrust out of the terrestriall paradise their posterity were proclaimed Traitors their discendents that were borne of them the children of wrath and disfauoured of God And wholly to execute the sentence against Adam there was a degradation made of him for he lost as we may say the red or inflamed VestmeÌ„t of charity the Stole of immortality the Maniple of original iustice the Girdle with which reason restrained sensuality the white Albe of innocency and the Amice which was as a helmet of fine temper with which he defended himselfe from the temptations of the deuill This degradation of the person of Adam being performed holy writ saith that God gaue vnto him and Eua certaine short garments which was as the habite of publicke penitents and from these our garmeÌ„ts fetch their originall It were well that so great