Peter asked him if he had any Provision Who answered that partly being stupified with seeing so great a Light and partly detained by his return he had taken nothing being withal assured of a good Reward from him hereto the Apostle replyed Let down thy Net The Fisher man obeyed and immediately the Net was filled wâ—â—h a multitude of Fishes They were all of the same kind except one Salmon of a wonderful largeness Having then drawn them to shoar St. Peter said Carry from me this great Fish to Militus the Bishop and all the rest take for thy hire And moreover be assured That both Thou all thy life-time and thy Children after thee for many years shall be plentifully furnished with those kind of Fishes only be careful that you fish not on the Lord's Day I who speak now with thee am Peter And I my self have Dedicated this Church built to my Fellow-Citizens and to my Honour so preventing by my own Authority 〈◊〉 Episcopal Benediction Acquaint the Bishop therefore with the things that thou hast seen and heard and the Signs yet marked in the Wall will confirm thy Speeches Let him therefore â—urcease from his Design of Consecrating the Church and only supply what I have omitted The Celebration of the Mystery of Our Lord's Body and Blood and the Instruction of the People Let him likewise give notice to all That I my self will oftentimes visit this Place and be present at the Prayers of the Faithful and will open the Gates of Heaven to all that live Sâ—berly Iustly and Piously in this World. And as soon as he had said this he presently vanished from his sight The next Morning as the Bishop Militus was going in procession to the Church with an intention to Dedicate it the Fisher-man met him with the Fâ—sh and related to him whatsoever St. Peter had injoin'd him at which the Bishop was astonished and having unlocked the Church-door he saw the Pavement marked with Letters and Inscriptions both in Greek and Latin and the Walls anointed in twelve several places with holy Oyl He saw likewise the remainder of twelve Torches sticking on as many Crosses and the Church every-where yet moist with Aspersions All which being observed by the Bishop and People present they rendered praise and thanks to Almighty God. The same Author relates That the Children of this Fisher-man having received a command from their Father of paying the Tythes of all their Gain by fishing and offer'd them to St. Peter and the Priests attending Divine Service in this Church But one amongst them having presumed to defraud the Church of this presently was deprived of the wonted benefit of his Trade till having conâ—est his Fault and restored what he had reserved he promised amendment for the future William of Malmsbury adds to this Story That the Fisher-man who was very simple and as yet not a Christian discovered to the Bishop very exactly the Shapes and Lineaments of St. Peter well known to the Bishop by his Picture publickly extant at Rome In the Year 635. says Father Cressy S. Bâ—rinus being advised by Pope Hâ—norius to repair into Britany for the Conversion of the West-Saxons does assert this Apostolick Mission of S. Birinus our Lord to have been approved by a Divine Miracleâ— and for the truth of his Assertion quotes Baronius who cites for it as he says William of Malmsbury Huntingdon Florentius Mathew of Westminster c. I have thought expedient saith he to describe here out of the Acts of St. Birinus a wonderful Miracle beseeming an Apostolick Man which is omitted by St. Beda It was thus The Holy Man being arrived to the Shore of the British Sea and ready to take Ship celebrated the Divine Mysteries offering to God the Sacrifice of the Saving Host as a Viaticum for himself and Followers After which the Season being proper he was hastily urged to enter the Ship and the Wind serving them they sailed speedily when on the sudden Birinus called to mind that he had lost a thing infinitely precious to him which by the urging hast of the Seamen having his mind other ways busied he had left behind him at Land. For Pope Honorius had bestowed on him a Pall or Corporal upon which he consecrated the Body of our Lord and afterward used to wear it in a Particle of the said Sacred Body which he hung about his Neck and always carried with him but when he celebrated Mass he was wont to lay it by him upon the Altar Armed therefore with Faith he by Divine Inspiration went down from the Ship into the Sea and walk'd securely upon it to the Shore Where finding what he had left behind he took it and in like manner returned to the Ship which he found standing still immoveable whereas a little before he had left it sailing extreme swiftly When he was entred into the Ship not one drop of water appeared on his Cloaths which the Mariners seeing kneel'd before him and worshipped him as a God and many of them by his Preaching were converted to the Faith of Christ. How St. Edmund's Head was miraculously found and interred with his Body St. Edmund King of the East-Angles having had his Army under the Command of the valiant Count Walketule routed by the Danes in the time of their Invasion of this Island that Pious King was likewise after some farther Opposition taken by them and being tied to a Tree by order of their General was first most cruelly whipped and then those Barbarians did as it were in sport so pierce with their Darts his whole Body in all places that in a short time there was not left place for a new Wound yet he willingly sustaining all these Torments for the Faith of Christ and Defence of his Countrey they cut off his Head. But the Rage and Malicious Fury of those Pagans not ceasing after they had thus slain King Edmund but casting out his Body despightfully they kept the Head to revenge themselves yet further on the Tongue which had so constantly sounded forth the Name of Christ and after they had used all manner of Contemptuous Scorns upon it they cast it into a secret place in a thicket of a Wood adjoining lest the Christians should venerate it and decently bury it with the Body There it remained a whole years space after which the Pagans retiring out of the Countrey the first care of the Christians was to honour their Holy King and Martyr Assembling themselves therefore together out of their lurking Places they reverently took his Body out of the unclean Place where it had been cast and then with all diligence sought for the Head. And whilst every one of them with equal Affection searched each corner of the Wood there hapned a Wonder not heard of in any Age before For whilst they dispers'd themselves in all parts and each one demanded of his Companions where it was that the Danes had cast the Head the same Head answered them aloud in
Witness in a Process he had depending THE Reverend Father Ribadeneyra in his said Flowers of the Lives of the Saints does acquaint us in the Life of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr how that that the holy Bishop had bought for the benefit of his Church a piece of Land of a Rich man named Peter and had faithfully paid him the price of it but yet could not shew sufficient Evidences for the proof of the same The man that sold him this Land had now been dead three years And his Heirs for to please the King who bore a great enmity to the Saint and to make their benefit of so fair an occasion complained of the Bishop in a Juridical Court that he had seized upon an Inheritance that belonged to them The Business was brought to be examined before the King who finding that the Bishop wanted some necessary Writings and that the Witnesses for fear of his displeasure durst not inform the Court of the Truth condemned him to restore the Lands to Peter's Heirs as due and proper to them by right of Inheritance The Saint demanded three days for to bring Peter before them of whom he had bought the Land and who as we said had been dead and buried three years before They easily granted him his demand making a jest and sport of it But the Saint fasted watcht and pray'd with great fervour and instancy begging of our Lord That seeing the Cause was his and that it was he who was wronged and injured by that unjust Sentance he would be pleased to take the whole Business in hand and rise up in his own defence At the end of three days having offered up the Holy Sacrifice of Mass he went unto the Grave where Peter lay buried and made the Grave-stone be taken away and the Earth opened until the Body appeared Then touching the said Body with his Grosier-staff commanded Peter to rise At which instant the dead Body obeying the Voice of the living Saint Peter rose up and followed him to the Court where the King was accompanied with all his Nobles and Judges To whom St. Stanislaus spoke thus Look here is Peter of whom I bought the Land who having been dead is risen again and now standeth before you Ask of him if it be true that I paid him entirely that for which he sold and I bought that Land for the Church The man is sufficiently known his Grave is open It is God who raised him to life for the confirmation and assured proof of this Verity His Word ought to be a more certain and infallible Argument of it than all the Testimony of Witnesses or Evidence of Writings that can be alledged This so great and manifest a Miracle did extreamly daunt the Courage of the Bishop's Adversaries and struck them to the very heart so that they remained quite dumb and had not one word to say For Peter declared publickly the Truth and very gravely and seriously warned his Heirs to do Penance for this their sin and for having so much molested the holy Prelate contrary to all Equity and Iustice. St. Stanislaus offered Peter if he desired to remain some years in Life to obtain it for him of Almighty God. But he chose rather to return to his Grave and die again presently than to abide in so troublesome and dangerous a Life and told the Saint That he was in Purgatory and that yet he had something to suffer in satisfaction for the remnant of his sins and that he had rather be secure of his salvation although it were by undergoing the rest of the pain and torment due to his former sins than engage himself in the hazard and jeopardy by embarking anew to be tossed in the stormy and tempestuous Sea of this wicked World. That he begged of him to beseech our Lord to remit and pardon him the rest of his Punishment and to release him soon out of that Prison and bring him to enjoy his glory in the blessed company of Saints When he had said this St. Stanislaus accompanied him to the Grave and a multitude of people went along with them Peter laid himself down in his Tomb and composed himself for his last Rest and begging of all the Assembly for to recommend his Soul unto our Lord died the second time for to go to live eternally with Almighty God. St. Teresa by her Prayers rescues a Person out of Purgatory A Certain Gentleman who had given the Saint viz. Teresa an Inheritance for the founding of a Monastery in Valliodolid not long after suddenly fell sick and died and his Speech failing him he was not able to make a full Confession although he gave great signs of Contrition She hearing of his Death was much afflicted for him fearing lest perhaps his Soul was damned and as she was recommending him to God our Lord told her That his salvation had been in great danger and that he had shewed him mercy for the service he had done his Mother giving her a House for the building of a Monastery there of her Order and that he should come out of Purgatory when the first Mass should be said there and not before The Saint having heard this being so full of Charity as she was for that she had always before her Eyes the grievous pains that this Soul endured could find no repose until she had founded the Monastery And to the end that we might know of the compassion that our Lord has of the Souls that are in Purgatory and how pleasing and grateful that is unto him which is done for them himself one day seeing that the Saint by reason of certain Affairs which occurred made some delay to go to Valliodolid to found the said Monastery hastened her on as she was in Prayer bidding her to make hast away for that that Soul suffered much And all was fulfilled as had been revealed unto her for Mass being ended and the Saint approaching to receive the Holy Communion the Gentleman who had been Master of the House and Garden where she and her Companions now were appeared unto her with a glorious and chearful countenance and thanked her with joyned hands for that which she had done for his delivery out of Purgatory and after this he mounted up to Heaven A Vision of Purgatory Hell and Paradise A Certain Husbandman called Thurcillus living at Tidstude a Village in the Bishoprick of London a person very hospitable to his capacity while he was in his Field Iulianus the Hospitator appeared to him bidding him be ready at night when he would call upon him there being matters to be divinely shew'd him that were beyond the apprehensions of Humanity Accordingly he came and bidding Thurcillus to leave his Body to rest in his Bed for that his Soul was only to troop along with him Coming to about the middle of the World they entred into a glorious Then came an Adulterer and an Adulteress representing the very act of Copulation with the most filthy
venerial motions and immodest postures before the whole Assembly And then becoming as it were distracted they fell bitterly upon one another changing their superficial Love into Cruelty and Hatred And then were by the Infernals in like manner as the former as also all Fornicators are with punishments beyond description Then two Backbiters enter'd with wry faces and odd grimaces The two heads of a burning Spear were put into their mouths which knawing upon with distorted looks they quickly met at the middle and then tearing one another they all embru'd their faces with biting Then Thieves Incendiaries and Violators of holy places were introduc'd and were rackâ—d by the Devils upon burning Wheels and sundry other Instruments of torment The Rustick likewise saw near the entrance of the lower Hall as it were four Streets the first was full of innumerable Furnaces and Cauldrons fill'd with flaming Pitch other Liquids and boiling of souls whose heads were like those of black Fishes in the seething Liquor The second had its Cauldrons stor'd with Snow and Ice to torment souls with horrid Cold. The third had thereof boiling Sulphur and other materials affording the worst of stinks for the vexing of souls that had wallow'd in the filth of Lust. The fourth had Cauldrons of a most horrid salt and black Water Now sinners of all sorts were alternately tormented in these Cauldrons Now returning to the Temple upon the Mount of Joy the Rustick had a sight of the introduction of pure white souls and was made sensible how much they were help'd to the possession of eternal Joys by the means of the Masses of their Friends in the World nay and saw many of his Acquaintance dancing Attendance upon St. Michael for admittance That Saint likewise shew'd him the several Mansions and Apartments of those that gradually mounted up to infinite Happiness and how they at certain hours each day heard Canticles from Heaven as if all the sorts of Musick in the World had joyn'd in consort Then he led him to a place all bedeckt with infinite variety of Flowers and Herbs having a most clear Fountain branching it self into four streams of a various Liquor and colour Upon this Fountain stood a most beautiful Tree of a wonderful bigness and immense height affording all sorts of Fruits and the flavour of all Spices Under this Tree near the Fountain lay a man of a graceful mien and Gigantick stature having a Vestment on from his breast to his feet of various colours and wonderful beauty he seem'd to laugh with one Eye and weep with the other This is Adam quoth St. Michael who by his smiling Eye denotes the joy he receives from the ineffable glorification of his Sons that are to be â—aved and by the other weeping one denounces the sorrow he undergoes on the account of the rebrobation of some of his Sons and the just Judgment of God upon the damned The Vestment with which he is covered but not a compleat Robe is the Vest of Immortality and Glory which he was stript of at his first prevarication for he began to receive this Vest from Abel his just Son till now thro' the whole succession of his just Sons And as the Elect shine with various Virtues so this Vest is pictured of a various colour When the number of the Elect Sons shall be compleat then Adam shall be all over cloath'd with a Robe of Immortality and Glory and so the World shall be at an end Then the Saint led the Rustick into a much more ravishing place than any yet seen and there shew'd him St. Catharina St. Margareta and St. Ositha whose beauty having admired St. Michael bid St. Iulian convey him back to his Body and accordingly did so but how is not known He lay as it were in a Trance for two days and two nights after but after that repairing to Church he was sollicited by the Priest and his Parishoners to acquaint them with his Revelations but he declining so to do St. Iulian appear'd to him the night following and commanded him to gratifie them in that point And in obedience to the Saint he gave an account of his Vision in the English Tongue with such Eloquence as created admiration in all his Auditors and the more as having been known to have ever been a man of narrow sence and few words The occasion of the Institution of a set and solemn day for the Praying for Souls out of Purgatory THE Cardinal Peter Damian a very holy and very learned man writes in the Life of St. Odilo Abbot of Cluny who died in the year of our Lord 1048 that a Religious man of France returning from Hierusalem was by a Tempest carried to an Island or Rock where there was an holy Hermite who told him that there hard by were great burning flaming fires where the souls of the Dead were tormented that he heard the Devils oftentimes howl and complain for that by the Prayers and Alms of the Faithful the pains which those souls suffered were mitigated and the souls freed out of their hands and that particularly they complained of Odiolo Abbot and his Monks for their care and vigilance in favouring and helping them and conjured the Religious man because he was a French-man and knew the Monastery of Cluny as he said and the Abbot Odilo to entreat the said Abbot and to charge him in his name to persevere in that holy Exercise and by his fervent Prayers and continual Alms to endeavour to give refreshment to the souls of our Brethren that are tormented in Purgatory that so the joy of the Blessed might be increased in Heaven and the sorrow of the Devils in Hell. The Religious man returned into France communicated that which he had heard of the holy Hermite with Odilo Abbot and with all that blessed Congregation which was under his charge And the Abbot ordained that in all his Monasteries upon the second of November the day after the Festivity of All Saints should be made a particular Commemoration of the Dead and that especial care should be used to succour and relieve them by Prayers Alms and Masses And that which St. Odilo instituted in his Convents was afterwards received and established by Apostolical Authority in the whole Universal Church Peter Galefinus Protonotary Apostolical says that many write that Pope Iohn XVI instituted this Commemoration by the counsel and advice of St. Odilo It is true that Almarius Fortunatus Bishop of Trevers who lived about 200 years before Odilo in a Book of the Ecclesiastical Offices which he wrote to Ludovicus Pius Emperour after the Office of the Saints he puts that of the Dead and he says that he did so because many depart out of this Life who do not go presently to Heaven for whom that Office was wont to be said which is a sign that even in his time this was done as Cardinal Baronius has noted And this is sufficient to declare the Institution of this Commemoration of the