for the which it is fit those saints should be nominated and none other And it seemeth to be the ordinance of God that in some particuler citties and prouinces the feasts of sundrie saints should be celebrated As through all Spâ—ine the feasts of S. Isâ—â—dore and Ildephonse are celebrated At Toledo is kept the feast of S. Eugenius and at Alcala the feast of the two saints Iustus and Pastor The Popes do also obserue the same order in Canonization of saints concerning the saying of their office and solemnising of their feast For although he that is canonised is to be holden and reputed a saint of all Christians vnto all whom it is comaunded that they honour him as a sainte yet for the celebration of his feast a place is set downe and assigned or els a particuler congregation As to S. Francis of Paula founder of the order of the Minimes his feast is kept in all the places of his religion and in some citties as in Towers in France where he died Of S. Catherine of Siena also who is canonised and her feast is kept through all the order of preachers and in the cittie of Syena in Italy Of S. Romualdus founder of the Calmaldoly whose feast is sollemnised in all the monasteries of his religion and in the cittie of Rauenna where he was borne and in the towne of Fabriano where his body lieth yea not long agoe Pope Gregorie 13 hath granted a plenarie Indulgence to all Christians both men and women vpon the feast day of the said Romualdus which is on the 19 of Iune that shall visite the Churches of the monasteries of the Calmaldoly aswell of monkes as of nonnes And the like is also of many other saints Notwithstanding all this dilligence of the Catholique Church there remaine many thousands of saints of whom is kept no feast nor comemoration neither in generall nor in particuler yea of many there is no memory nor knowledge Of these then which be an infinite number is celebrated the feast of all saints Which is a reason of great consolation for afflicted and tormented mindes for though when the sacred scripture maketh mention of those which be saued it is done with such restriction and limitation that it maketh the most valiant to tremble and desmaieth the faint and weake harted As it is said of them that departed out of Egipt that of so many thousands two only entred into the land of promise and also when CHRIST saith that the gate of heauen is narrow and the way by which we go thither straite As also when he speaketh of rich men and saith that it is more easie for a Camell to passe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into heauen As also the parable of the ten Virgins of which sine were excluded out of the gate Yet this I say is matter of great consolation Tho vvald de Sacram tit 16. Gab de canon misse Pighius Coent Vers 13. Eck enchir Cap. 15. Castiâ— lib 13. cont heres to see that the holie saints be so many that there cannot be feasts performed vnto them all through the whole yeare and that they must haue a particuler daie allotted for them all in which the Church singeth for the Epistle a lecture of the Apocalips of S. Iohn where it is said that euerie tribe had so many thousands of saints in heauen The third reason why the feast of all saints is kept is for that we be much bound vnto theÌ„ for many graces and fauours which we continually receaue of them and by their meanes for that cause it is conuenient that in their memory we make some feast reioice for the ioie which they haue by posessing the presence of God in heauen This obligement and bond is so great that before this sollemnitie was instituted by Gregorie or Boniface some Catholiques and deuout Christians were in particuler perswaded to celebrate such a feast of which number S. Angustine was one who saith in a sermon my deare and louing brethren we celebrate the feast of all saints vnder one sollemnitie of whose company heauen reioiceth Serm. 27. tom 10. and the earth is made happy by their aide and the Church renowned by their triumphes That the obligation and bond which we haue to the saints is great we may see by this that not speaking of the fauours and graces which we all receaue of God by their merits and intercession there is not a man in this world if he look into his life but he shall find himself obliged to some particuler saint it being certaine that God for his sake hath done him some good Moreouer it is a cleare case that we be bound vnto the saints hearing CHRIST say of them Luk 15. that they feele an accidentall ioy euery time that a sinner doth repent By which we may gather that if they feele such ioy to see a sinner bewaile his sinues with teares to knock his breast to sigh and lifte vp his voice to heauen if this musick please them so much that for the same they make publike ioy and sollemnise his conuersion what Iubiley triumph and sollemnity make they when such a sinner is freed clearly from his sinnes and from the prison of the body and entreth into heauen If the saints reioice so much at our good it is very fit that we reioice by celebrating their feastes The fourth and last reason why we celebrate the feastes of all the saints is because we should imitate them When the poore man seeth the treasors of the rich his pouerty is more apparent and manifest and the sinner seeth his defects better when the vertues of the saints are represented vnto him The Catholike Church celebrating the feasts of the saints Greg naz orat in Athanas S. E pihhere 26. Basil hom in 40 m art doth not only intend to honor them and God in them but also would lay them before vs for a patterne and example to the end we should imitate them if we would go whither they be gone and be saued as they are saued and posesse Gods glory as they possesse it Assueredly we may say that many that are called the disciples of CHRIST indeed be ChristiaÌ„s for that they be Baptised haue faith in workes are Pagans disciples of the diuell blinded and deceiued and that their consciences be harquebuze proofe as may be seene by that which followeth In this feast of the sollemnitie of all saints the Church readeth a Ghospell which was the first that IESVS CHRIST preached in the world conteineth the despising of all temporall things and as S. Augustine saith compriseth the somme of all that which is necessarie for the perfection of a Christian He staieth not on that point but beginning to preach his new law and Gospell teacheth vs all to make small account of things present and to make most reconing of things to come to extirpate the loue of terrene goode
it vntill he did penance therefore The life of this gloryous doctor collected of Paulinus the preist Symeon Metaphrastes Paulus Diaconus The tripartite hisstory Nicephorus Callistus and out of his owne writing is in this manner SAINT Ambrose was the sonne of an honorable Romaine who was also called Ambrose and vnto him being gouernour of Fraunce with the title of Prefect was borne this sonne On a day the infant Ambrose being in the cradle there came on him sudainly a swarme of Bees many of the which entred his mouth and others went out The nurse would haue chased them away but the father of the child forbad her for he was much amased to see it and stayed to see the end thereof the Bees rose then and flew so high that they were out of sight The father being astonied said God will do some strange thing by this child if he liue to it This was a foretoken of his admirable eloquence and doctrine It happened that the father of S. Ambrose dyed and his mother being widdow brought him to Rome ioyntlie with his sister who had vowed virginity and perpetuall chastity There was another damosell with her that made the same vow who as Paulinus who wrote his life saith was in his time an olde woman and liuing in Carthage Ambrose being very young seing on a day that his sister kissed the hands of the Bishops and Priests when they were at their house as it were in iest he reached out his hand to the women and said kisse yee my hand also for I shall be a priest and a Bishop also The women reproued him but they excused him as a child yet the end proued that he said true Ambrose being come vnto the yeares of discretion employed his time in sundry studies in the which he made demonstrance of his sharpe and quicke witte for he became famous in Retorique and other sciences He had a great liking to exercise the office of an Aduocate which at that time was the office of Rhetoâ—itions and he pleaded the causes in the which he was retained with such eloquence that a great Nobleman called Probus who was gouernour of Rome made him one of his counsell and bestowed vpon him other honorable offices in the Ciâ—ty in which he behaued himselfe so well that the Emperour Valentinian made him Gouernour of Millan and Genoua Citties subiect vnto the Empire of Rome It is a thing considerable that when Probus in the Emperours name gaue him his dispatch he said vnto him Ambrose take on thee this charge which Valentinian hath bestowed on thee and exercise it not as a Iudge but as a Bishop The meaning of Probus in these words was that in the administration of his office the should not be extreame and rigorous but to vse mildnes like a pastour or a Prelate The words of Probus were not in vaine for Ambrose vsed that office with such prudence and disretion that euery one were very well pleased with his gouernement and he was also esteemed and beloued of all men It happened that S. Ambrose residing in Millan Auxentius an Arryan heretike and Archbishop of that citty died and because there was a commotion of the people about the election of a new Bishop the Catholikes desiring to haue a Catholike Bishop and the heretikes labouring to haue an Arrian Ambrose went thither to quiet the people as a thing belonging to his office and spake to them bidding them to choose them a Prelate not with vprores and outcries but with regated to the qualitive of the person and to the conditions fit for such a dignity Whilest Ambrose talked thus a yong child said with a loud voice Ambrose the Archbishop The people hearing this voice esteeming it as the voice of God was quieted and euery one as well the Catholikes as the heretikes said the same The minde of Ambrose was not to take this charge on him and therefore he departed away to his lodging in the manner of a flight And to remoue the good opinion of the people from him and to make them dislike he began to execute instice with more rigour then he used in former times and contrary to his milde nature also and because that would not serue Paulinus saith he made defamed harlots to come vnto his house not to doe euill but because he desired to diminish his credit with the people and to giue them occasion not to elect him to their Bishop Neuertheles because euery one knew him to be right honest of his body and also because it was knowen to what end he did it they were more instant with him to be their Prelate crying all with one voice Thy sinne fall vpon vâ— Ambrose seing that the former dillingences were to small purpose found out another deuise which was he depatted out of the citty seretly to goe vnto Pauia and though he trauelled all the night yet loosing his way he found himselfe hard by the walles of Milan The people vnderstanding the same tooke him in a manner by violence conducted him vnto his house where they set a watch vpon him that he should not fly Then sent they vnto the Emperour Valentinian to request that he would confirme the election of Ambrose The Emperour receiued the embassage with great ioy for it pleased him much to see that the iudges which he sent to gouerne the people were such that they deserued to be Bishops wherupon forthwith he confirmed the election and gaue order to effect the same Whilest the people vsed this dilligence S. Ambrose was stolne secretly gaine out of the citty and lay hidden at the farme of one Leontius his assured friend and a man of great autority in Millan When the Embassadors returned from the Emperor with his consent and Ambrose was missed a great forfaiture and penalty was imported by proclamation on them that did not bring him out if they knew where he was so that Leontius to auoid the forfaiture told them where Ambrose was The people ranne in hast to the farme and brought him vnto Millan and then Ambrose thinking it to be Gods will agreed vnto the election S. Ambrose was at that time a Catechumen only and necessary it was he should be Baptised and for that the desired a Catholike Priest this was the first thing that made the Arâ—iaÌ„s to dislikehim After hee was Baptised he passed by degrees according to the orders of the Church and on the eight day which was on the seuenth day of December he was consecrated Bishop and on that same day he was enstalled The life of this saint was full of good examples He was very abstinent he fasted euery day except the saterday and Sunday and when the feast of any Martir was celebrated he was very watchfull and spent the greatest part of the night in prayer he also appointed certaine houres in the day to that vse he would also be present at the diuine seruice in his Church and at the same he was very deuout and curious adding
his blessed bodie was found I refer you vnto the feast of his Inuention which the holie Church keepeth on the third of August in which place you may read some more of them At this time we will speake only this That seing this saint made prayer for them that stoned him we which desire to honour him in celebrating his feast may hope that he will be a good meanes to obtaine mercy for vs of the heauenlie Maiestie and that by his especiall fauour we may haue the guift of perseuerance in his seruice vnto our death that afterward we may be worthy to see him in his glorie Amen Eusebius saith the death of S. Stephen was in the yeare of CHRIST 34. in the raigne of Tiberius Caesar Durandus in his rationall saith that the death of S. Stephen was on the third of August when his Inuention is celebrated which as he saith in the same booke was on the 26. of December being the day whereon his principall feast is kept The Chruch changeth it as the same Guilielmus saith to haue the Martyrdome more festiual adioining that rather then the Inuention vnto the birth of Christ The life of S. Iohn the Euangelist THE holy and valiant man Mardocheus the faithfull Chronicler of the King Assuerus and Esther recounteth that he being aduised and attent and hauing continuall regard to the health and welfare of his King and Lord heard one day that some seruants of the King had made a conspiracy to kill him and resolued to put it speedily to effect Mardocheus noted the words and taking knowledge of the men made a memoriall wherein he wrote all their conspiracy and wrought so that it came to the Kings hands who caused the affendors to be imprisoned and after they had confessed their offence to be punished according to their deserts There was no reward giuen to Mardocheus for discouering this treason but there was made only a noâ—e in the Annales of the Kings of Persia Some dayes after it happened that the King commaunded that booke to be read vnto him that he might reward the seruices done vnto him whereof in that booke the memory was conserued and when he came to that place where mention was made of Mardocay the King perceuing that he had bene the cause of a great and manâ—â—est deliuery from a danger of his life studied what reward to bestowe on him At last he determined that Mardocay should be arrâ—ied gorgeously and led thâ—rough the Citty vpon a goodly Horse and that before him should go trumpets sounding and declare that iâ— was the Kings will and pleasure that Mordecay should be hounoured and euery man was charged to do him honour This history agreeth and fitteth well S. Iohn Euangelist figured in Mordâ—cay For as he was Croniâ—lâ—r to the King of Persia so S. Iohn was a faithfull Cronicler of IESVS CHRIST The one was holy the other most holy Mardocay discouered the conspiracy made against the King whereby he auoided a greiuous hurt S. Iohn hauing notice also of another conspiracy that the Ebyoniâ—es heretâ—kes plotted against IESVS CHRIST denying that he was God wrote his Ghospell against them whereby their iniquity was disclosed the damage preuented and they confounded This writing was written in the memoriall of God and then came the day wherein the memorials are read and seing what S. Iohn had done for IESVS CHRISTS sake not only for this seruice but for diuers others worthy of rewarde it pleased his Lord to honour him euen as it happened to Mardocay To this end was giuen vnto him a gorgeous and rich vesture the like whereof is hardly to be found for the tittles that do agree vnto this holy saint do not ordinarily concurre in any other at one time He was set vpon a horse which was the speciall fauour bestowed on him by God The horse was that which Dauid meaneth in a Psalme saying O Lord thou shalt saue both men beasts In some sence you may vnderstand by beasts the bodies as by the names of men we may vnderstand the soules as if he had said that at the day of iudgement the holy saints shall goe to heauen both in body and soule Vpon this Horse viz. his owne body it pleased God that S. Iohn Euangelist not staying for the day of iudgement should rise againe assoone as he dyed and go vp into heauen as many great authors hold who yeeld many strong arguments to proue that S. Iohn Euangelist is in heauen both in body and souâ—e whereunto be entred like another Mordecay triumphantly with trumpeâ—ters before him who proclaime all his heroicall acts and declaring that God will so honour him and that he would haue him honored of all The life of this holy Apostle and Euangelist ensuyng is collected parâ—ly out of the Gospell and in part out of diuers good and graue Authors SAINT Iohn the Euangelist was the sonne of Zebedee brother of S. laâ—es the greater who was beheaded by Herode S. Iohn after Onuphrius was borne in the third yeare of CHRIST Lib. 1 â—a 28 He was of a noble house as Nicâ—phorus and S. Ierome say And they be of that opinion for that S. Iohn was familier in the house of the high priest as appeareth in the night that CHRIST was taken for S. Peter was suffered to come in by meanes of S. Iohn as one whom they respected Though he was a gentleman yet for to auoid idlenes the nurse of many vices he vsed the trade of fishing ioyntly with his father and brothers and the rather because their house was nere the sea of Galily This sheweth they were not so poore as some make them in that they had a barke of their owne wherewith they fished They being then one time busy at their fishing CHRIST called them and bad them follow him and be his disciples They knowing him to be their kinsman and reputing it happy that he would accept them into his schoole forsooke their father the barks and the nets and went to IESVS CHRIST S. Iohn was now abouâ— 28 yeares old and a virgin as he was all his life of a good nature beautifull in countenance very amiable and wise Whervpon the sonne of God tooke vnto him an especiall affection and made him his fauorite among all the Apostles This same Euangelist esteemed this prerogatiue so highly that when he recounteth any thing in the Ghospell where he is to name himselfe in steed thereof he vseth this phrase The disciple whom Iesus loued IESVS CHRIST shewed often to him particuler kindnes of the which one was that when he was to be transfigured vpon mount Thabor in the presence of three Apostles one of them was S. Iohn he was one of them that was present when our Sauiour raised the daughter of the prince of the Synagogue in the presence of two other Apostles he being the third S. Iohn gaue notice to his mother of the great affection CHRIST bore to him who guided by motherly affection or
THE LIVES OF SAINTS Written in Spanish by the learned and Reuerend Father ALFONSO VILLEGAS Diuine and Preacher Translated out of Italian into English and conferred with the Spanish BY W. E. K. B. Rom. 8. v. 17. Sitamen compatimur vt conglorificemur Yet if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified with him Printed at DOWAY By the Widow of LAVRENCE KELLAM at the signe of the holy Lambe M.DC.XIV To the Reader WE present the now at length deere Chriâ—tian Reader with the foure last moneths of â—heyre glorious liues whose names as renowned Sainctes of God are in the Roman Calender This debt I must confess hath bin due this long time but could not be discharged vntill this present wherein the grace of God hath freed our passage through a maine sea of difficulties For such is the nature of all Catholique writings in oure distressed countrie what through penurie pressure and long imprisonment of they re authors at home ignorance neglect carelesnes of suche as are put in trust abroade wee must wynde oure selues out of a laberynth of crosses before wee can bring to light oure laboures And euen then must they runne so manie hard fortunes and haue suche bad well come and entertainment that only this were able to check all endeuoures not strengthned by the hand of God And yett could I neuer finde anie reason why this worke of oures should not be wellcome to people of all sorts and conditions For yf the liues of those auncyent worthies whose highest ayme was a fayned shadowed transitorie glorie or els the loue and renowne of they re natiue countrie be so gratefull to most men principally suche as follow they re steppes they who taking vp they re crosse and following CHRISTE did beate the narrow path that leadeth to saluation they whose ayme was euerlasting glorie whose loue Hierusalem they re mother citty in heauen they whose valour and violence did winne the Kingdome purchased for them with the bloud of CHRISTE why should not theyr liues be acceptable to all whose name doth wittness theyr profession to be nothing els but a following of CHRISTE Or why should wee gleane with a hungrie delight greedie appetite some few barren eares of morall vertues scattered in the liues of Heathnish authors care not for the chiefe croppe and principall haruest of all naturall supernaturall vertues which are to be found in that hundreth-yielding field of the Churche of CHRISTE Especially seing that what is most emineÌ„t in suche as only walked by light of reason may no wayes compare with the verie beginnings of those sainctes that were guided by the light of faith These God therefore hath placed in the churches firmament to serue vs as light to guide oure steps these he did leaue vs as patternes and myrrhoures wherein wee might behold oure offences to shunne them they re vertues to embrace them In them all callings professions shall finde how to rule and square they re actions to the honoure of God and profiâ—t of they re soules They will teache vs how to wage warre with oure enemies VVorld Flesh Deuill how to preuent they re wiles trappes when they goe about to win vs with coloure of sanctity how to arme order ward oure selues when they assaile vs with open force and hostility There wee shall see howe to behaue oure selues in the boysterous stormes of aduersitie how in the deceytfull calme of prosperitie Finally they re liues will be oure card compasse teaching vs how to direct oure course that without suffering shipwracked of oure soules wee may arriue at the hauen of health saluatioÌ„ VVherefore deere Christian Reader doubt not to wellcome entertain that ghuest whose presence with pleasure will affoord thee such profitt And when thou doest finde some few suche things as are more to be admired then imitated past not thy iudgement vpon theÌ„ with passion measure not the vertues of God his Sainctes by thy owne feeblenes goe not about to weaken or discredit the promisses of CHRISTE nor confine the omnipoteÌ„t hand of God within the narrow bounds of humaine reason for the holie Ghost hath all ready fore told vs that God is admirable in his sainctes and CHRISTE did promise that his disciples should worke greater wonders then they re maisters SEPTEMBER The life of S. Giles Abbot WE READE in the beginning of Genesis that when our Lord God would forme man Gen. I. he said these wordes Let vs make man vnto our image similitude who shal rule ouer the fishes of the sea the foules of the ayre and beastes of the earth The holy Doctors say that if the first man had perseuered in the state of innocency and had conserued original iustice in the which God created him all the creatures had acknowledged him for their Lord and had bene obedient vnto him but for that he was disobedient vnto God all creatures were disobedient and became foes vnto him The same thing happened vnto man which befalleth vnto a hunter who going out to hunt all the dogges leap about him and fawne and lick him but if he should put on a visard it is likly inough they would not acknowledg him but would look angerly grin and swarle at him Euen so befell it vnto our first father Adam after that he put the visard of disobedience on his face Before that all creatures esteemed and serued him and acknowledged him for the superiour but afterward they all rebelled making warre against him as against their common enemy Neuertheles God being merciful to the end that some signe of that happy estate might be seene permitted that there should be some so holie and faithfull that vnto them many creatures should serue and be obedient As we haue an example of S. Giles VVho was cherished by a hinde a while and mainteined by her milk the time he remained in a caue of a soltary and craggy mountaine The life of this holy Abbot and Confessor was written by Gilbertus B. of Carnotum and other Authors in this manner SAINT Giles was borne in Athens of the Royall bloude His father was called Theodorus and his mother Pelagia From his childhood he was instructed in the studies of humanity and diuinity also and in the same age he gaue himself vnto the seruice of God exercising himself in good workes He was of singular charity and gaue much almose He went one day vnto the church sawe a poore sick man in the street who asked an almes of him and he taking the garment he wore gaue it to the poore man who took it and put it on and forthwith he became perfectly whole Not long after this his father died and he distributed al his patrimony which was very great amongst the needy God shewed many miracles by the meanes of this holy Saint one was when he healed a man that was bitten by a venemous serpent so that he was at the point of death Another was he being one sonday
at a Church there came in a man posessed with the diuell and made such a noise that the deuine office could not be heard The holy man praied for him and not only obteined that the deuill in him did hold peace but also did depart out of him left him free Through all Greece the fame of S. Giles was spred wherupon he fearing to be honoured and reputed for a holy man tooke sea intending to go into some country where he should not be knowen The bark was not far from the shore but a huge tempest arose so that euery one made accoūt to perish in the sea S. Giles praied and the storme ceased by which all the mariners and passengers wel perceiued that the storme ceased by his praiers and they yelded vnto him many thankes for the same After a fewe daies the barck arriued at a hauen in France where S. Giles took land and went to the city of Arlez where a holy man called Cesarius was Bishop The holy Saint staied in his company two yeares to the great content of them both for that all their conference and conuersation was of heauenly matters In that place S. Giles by his praiers healed a man which had bene sick of a feuer three yeares And because that deed and the comendations of Cesarius caused him to be had in great reuerence and that euery one called him the holy man he resolued to depart and to fly from the reputation and honor of the world though the conuersation and company of Cesarius pleased him much So he passed ouer the riuer of Rhosne which is wel knowen in that realme he founde on the bank therof a holly hermit called Veredemius liuing a solitary life with whom he staied and continued certaine daies And wheras the countrey naturally was barren it became fertile and fruitfull by the praiers of S. Giles It happened that on a time a sick man was carried vnto the cell of Veredemius to be healed by him but it falling out that he was not at home at that time S. Giles praied for him and healed him There was neuer man that auoided to be contemned and despised as S. Giles laboured to shunne and to repell the estimation honor of the world and therfore he departed from that place went vnto an other which was more solitary and fuller of woode toward the mouth of the Riuer In that place he found a cane among certein thornes and other wild plantes nere vnto which sprang a cleare and pure fountaine In it he also sawe a hind which made signes to be content that he should lodge with her so the holy man resolued to make his abode in that place His food was the rootes of herbes and running water and sometimes the hind permitted him to milk her and in that sort he spent part of his life passing the time in praier and meditation It befell afterward that the king who then reigned in France being a Christian went one day on hunting and his houndes found the hind of S. Giles and pursued her hard to kill her Shee with a swift course ranne back vnto the caue where the holy man remained and lay at his feet as it were to demaund succor and help at his handes in that danger when the hind came into the caue S. Giles was at his praiers on his knees though he sawe his hostesse that gaue him lodging in manifest daunger he did not therfore arise from his exercise but he besought God to defend and deliuer her The praier of the holy Confessor was hearde for by the power of God the dogges could not enter into the caue but stood a good way of and barked At this noise the king the other hunters came in but they being not able to enter the caue one that caried a crosbowe put a quarell therin which he shot of toward the caue determinating to make triall what was within and the quarell or arrowe be what it was lighted vpon the holy Saint and wounded him who patiently tollerated the wound which was made The hunters passed through the thornes and braunches determining to see what was in the caue and at the last they came to the place where S. Giles was It seemed vnto euery one of them a strange spectacle to see him at the mouth of the caue on his knees with a graue and venerable aspect and nothing troubled looking with his face and eyes and likewise his handes lifted toward heauen The wound had made him all bloudie and the hind lay close by his side These thinges put the King and all his people in great dread wherfore he went vnto him and reputing him a holy man made obeysaunce and craued pardon of him because his bowe-bearer had wounded him gaue order that prouision should be made for his cure though the holy Saint made therunto deniall wishing that the wound and the sore might continew all his life that it might be an occasion wherby he might haue more merite The king offered vnto him great sommes of mony to the end he should pray vnto God for him but the holy Saint would not accept any guiftes but perswaded him to lay out that which he desired to bestow on him in building of a monastery in which religious men might dwell that should pray vnto God for him and for his kingdome The king was well pleased therewith caused a monastery to be builded of the which the holy man was compelled by the importunity of the king to take on him the gouernment with the title of Abbot S. Giles liued in this monastery certain yeares and all that time he spent in praiers and fastinges endeuouring that euery one should fly from sinne and attend to the seruice of God This may euidently appere by the same king who was obstinate in a certaine sinne he had committed and therof had small remorse and greefe and lesse wil to confesse it yet so much the praier of S. Giles preuailed that the king confessed it with great sorrowe of mind and repentance for his trespasse and all other offences committed in his life It is said that the holy Saint went vnto Rome and at his returne brought many indulgences and pardons graunted vnto him by the Popes for his monasteries aswell for them that dwelt therin and wore his habite as also for them that visited it S. Giles hauing gouerned his monastery no lesse religiously then holylie certain yeares the time of his death approched which was agreable vnto his good and vertuous life leauing behind him a holy enuy vnto all them that were present at that time for it was apparant and euident that he went to possesse the kingdome of heauen where was for him prepared a most honourable place His glorious death was on the first day of September and theron the Church celebrateth his feast In the history of the life of this holy Saint it is written that S. Giles liued sometime with Cesarius Bishop of Arlez
as I haue said before who after Trithemius liued in the yeare of our Lord. 660. and adding the time this holy Saint liued after his death he died in the yeare of our Lord. 700. or there aboutes The Spanish originall saith 720. vpon a Sunday The tvvelue brethren Martyrs ON THE same day that the Church celebrateth the feast of S. Giles it also maketh a commemoration of the twelue brethren martirs The martirdome of these twelue holy men was written in heroicall verse by Alfan monke of Monte Cassin◠who liued in the yeare of our Lord. 1108. That which we can extract out of this Author and out of other martyrologes concerning the life of these holy Saints is That they were martirized in Beneuento in the time of Valerian Emperour of Rome in the yeare of our Lord. 258. The names of the holy martires were thes Donatus Faelix Acontius Honoratus Fortunatus Sabinianus Soptimius Ianuarius Faelix Secundus Vitalis Satyrus and REPOSITVS They were in bloud noble and all of them had bene well instructed in humanity diuinity They all preached the Ghospell of IESVS CHRIST and many were conuerted vnto the faith of CHRIST by their doctrine They were all layed in most dark prisons Then were they taken foorth and brought into the high street where they thrust their handes hard into certain pieces of wood and afterward made fier vnderneth them Then in the presence of the same Valerian they bound them vnto certain cordes and ropes which ranne in polleis and so hoised them alofe into the aire then they let them falle on a soodaine and gaue them the most cruell strappado This sufficed not but they also scourged them and then tore and rent their flesh with hookes of Iron to the execessiue paine torment of the holy martires the officers herin displaying their cruell mindes Then they put them to the fier again and set the kindled torches to their bare sides but the holy Saints endured and abode all very constantly which the tyrant seing and awearied in putting them vnto so many torments did lastly cause all of them to be beheaded and by this martirdome their mortall liues ended and their soules went to the ioyes of heauen * ⎠* The Natiuitie of our B. Ladie THE sacred scripture in the booke of Exodus recounteth that Moyses Cap 2. being borne his father and mother knewe not howe to deliuer him from death for that king Pharao had made a decree that all the male children that were borne of the Hebrewes should be put to death The resolution of his parents was this They made a baskett of Rushes and dawbed it ouer with claye wherein they put Moyses and laying him thus in the Ryuer Nylus they let him go to take his aduenture By this inuention he escaped death for the daughter of Pharao seing him caused him to be taken out and to he brought vp as if he had bene her owne sonne After this he came to be the captaine of the Hebrewes Moyses was a figure of IESVS CHRIST who for that he was to be cast into the water of this world which is full of stormes there was made a litle basket wherein he was put which signifieth the blessed virgin his mother who is a basket annoynted ouer on the outside The holie virgin is like vnto the rushes for she had no bark of Actuall sinne nor no knott of Originall sinne She remained neere vnto the torrent of waters for that she enioyed those goodes that spring from that liuelye fountaine of God in great aboundancy for that she is neere conioyned vnto his maiestie This litle basket hath the claie without which was the grace wherwith God preserued and defended her that her soule could receaue no damage neither after she was borne into the world nor in the wombe of her mother Anna. God was put in this basket being made man in her sacred and holie wombe and for that respect that she was to be his mother God bestowed graces and fauours vpon her aboundantly And that we may see for what reason the church celebrateth the feast of the natiuity of this glorious virgin before that we recount the history therof it shal be well done for vs to consider the dignity for the which shee was borne the worthy and eminent estate shee ought to haue and her great familiarity with God I SAY then that though this virgin had diuers names and titles all maiesticall and stately yet are none to be equalized to the name of the Mother of God for this cause alweis when the euangelists name her in the discourse of the ghospell they call her the mother of God Math. 1. The Euangelist S. Matthew fetching the pettigree of her most noble linage from Abraham when he cometh to name her and her spouse Ioseph forthwith he addeth of whom Iesus that is called Christ was borne When he writeth of the commyng of the three kings or sages to adore Iesus Christ Math. 2. he saith they found him with Mary his mother S. Luke also writing howe the B. Virgin went to visitte S. Elizabeth her cosin Luc. 1. saith the good old woman resaluted her with thes words Howe haue I deserued this that the mother of my Lord cometh to visite me The same S. Luke saith that when Iesus was 12. Luc. 2. yeres old and staied behind her at Ierusalem and was found after three daies his mother said vnto him Sonne why hast thou done this vnto me Ion. 3. S. Iohn speaking of the wedding in Cana of Galilee where Iesus Christ and the glorious virgin were present he repeateth twise the name of the mother of Iesus The same Euangelist writing also of the mystery of the passion saith Ioan. 19. that Iesus Christ being on the Crosse there was his mother present in such sort that in this and the other places of the ghospel the Euangelist always giue vnto her this most noble name of the mother of God The same Christ our Lord as often as he nameth himself is called the sonne of man which words meane after the opinion of many holy doctors the sonne of the virgin The holy church hath alwaies had such care of that name that in the Ephesine councell which was one and the third of the same generall counceles which was celebrated in the time of Pope Celestinus and of thempeior Theodosius where Cyril the great was present and. 200. Bishops were assembled the principall thing that was determined therin and for which thy were assembled was that it should be helden for a Catholike verity and an article of faith that the glorious virgin Mary was Cyrill in tract pecul Dam. l. 4. c. 15. de side orthod Aug. in c. 2. Ioan. D. Tho 3. p. q. 31. ar 4. and is the very true mother of God as truly and verytably as other mothers are to their true and naturall children The same was confirmed in the time of Pope Leo the first Martian themperor
came vnto them a priest and seruant of God dwelling in Rome called Nicomedes who said masse and gaue them the B. Sacrament S. Petronilla hauing communicated began a long and feruent speech vnto IESVS CHRIST saieng that she had offered her virginity vnto him with a perpetuall vow and therfore desired him not to permit it to be violated against her will S. Felicula also as a true friend aided her importunating our Lord to deliuer his handmaid out of that danger though she desired not her death It was Gods pleasure to giue Petronilla remedy by that means for hauing ended her oraisons she went vnto bed and yelded vp her soule vnto God The matrones and damsells Flaccus had sent to accompany the spouse vnto his house on the wedding day came in god time to solemnise the funeralls of the holy saint When Flaccus was certefied and sawe Petronilla to be dead he cast his eies vpon Felicula who was very sorowfull for the death of her friend being very beutifull which drew the affection of Flaccus in such sort that he was enamored of her also and after many wordes he vsed to that purpose he finished his speach thus Felicula elect one of thes two things please thy self either to be my wife or els sacrifice vnto the Gods The good damsell made him this bold answere I will not be thy wife for I haue IESVS CHRIST to my spouse and I will not sacrifice vnto thy Gods for that I am a Christian when Flaccus hard the resolute answere of Felicula he deliuered her into the hands of the liuetenant to giue iudgment vpon her He kept her fast in a dark roome for seuen daies and beside other vexations he kept her from any sustenance Some women that belonged vnto the prison said vnto her Alas poore girle why art thou so fond as to dy willingly this euill death Take this great Lord vnto thy husband who is beutifull riche and in the flower of his youth and highly fauored of th' emperor who hath made him gouernour of this city other women would haue ben right glad therof and thou makest no account of him which may turne to thy damage and losse of life The blessed damosell replied I am the spouse of IESVS CHRIST and I will not mary any other but him After that seuen daies expired Felicula was led vnto the Vestall virgins where she remanied certein daies but she would neuer eate of the meat that they did eate bicause it was offered and sacrificed vnto the goddesse Vesta for if she had eaten therof she had giuen a signe to consent vnto their Idolatry and other Christians would haue bene much scandalised therat When the deputy vnderstood the constancy of Felicula he caused her to be taken out of that place and to be tortured with the torture called Eculeus and when she was tortired there with she said with a loud voice Now do I see my beloued IESVS CHRIST vpon whom I haue fixed my loue The excutioners said vnto her Say that thou art not a Christian and thou shalt be deliuered from this torture She answered I do not deny neither will I deny my beloued IESVS CHRIST who for my sake was crowned with thornes and had gall giuen him for drink and also died on the Crosse The executioners tooke her of from that torment and threw her in a gutter or sink in the which the blessed damosell yelded vp her soule vnto Almighty God Nicomedes the priest that had said masse giuen the B. sacrament vnto S. Petronilla on the day of her death and had laine cloâ—e and hidden in a caue for feare of the persecution was aduertised therof and one night he departed out of the caue and took the body of S. Felicula from thence and buried it a mile out of Rome in the way toward Ardea Flaccus being told what Nicomedes had done caused him to be apprehended for the same and being instigated by the fiend willed him to sacrifice vnto the gods The good priest said he would not sacrifice to any but to Almightie God that raigned in the heauens for that they whom they reputed gods were no other but stocks and stones which remained in their temples like prisoners The gouernour commaunded he should be whipped which was done with such vehemency that the good priest passed out of this vnto a better life in this torment and his body was cast into the riuer Tiber by the commandement of the cursed Iudge but one Iustus his seruant sought carefully after it and caried it being found vnto a garden of his nere vnto the walles of the citty in the way called Numentana there he buried it Vnto which place many Christians resorted and there by the merits of that holy Saint obteined many graces of God The death of S. Nicomedes was on the 15. day of September Spanish saith 52. vnder Clâ—â—dius and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast It was then as Canisius saith the yeare of our Lord. 90. in the raigne of the Emperour Domitian and the same he saith of S. Petronilla as is already said in her life But many think it was much sooner for if S. Petronilla died in the yeare of our Lord. 90. she must be of necessitie at that time 60. years old because she was borne before that our Lord gaue the chiefest prelacy or Papacy vnto S. Peter her father for froÌ„ thenceforth he obserued chastity And againe if she was so old it is not a thing likely that Flaccus should be ennamoured of her We reade also in the life of Pope Paule 1. that he translated from one place vnto another All this the Spanish hath not in this place the body of S. Petronilla and that he found an epitaph which S. Peter the Apostle had made at her death Which being so it followeth that before the yeare of our Lord. 70. in which S. Peter was crucified S. Petronilla was dead wherfore in mine opinion her death and the martirdome of S. Nicomedes was not in the yeare of our Lord. 90. as Canisius saith but in or about the yeare of our Lord. 60. in the reigne of Nero. The life of S. Cornelius Pope and Martir SALOMON saith in Ecclus Ca. 23. The man that sweareth much shal be full of iniquitie and the plague shall not depart from his house The wise man doth not say he that sweareth falsly but he that sweareth much For that speaking morally he that sweareth much sweareth false at one time or other This sinne displeaseth God so much that he deferreth not the chasticement till the world to come but punisheth it in this life sending plagues vpon the house where such poople be So then if the swearer be afflicted with necessities infirmities and other troubles of this life we may think he hath deserued it for his many oathes Those that be free from such miseries if they desire to be alwaies free let them abstaine from othes swearing The holie Pope Cornelius
and being aprehended he remained one night in the house of one of them that had taken him To that place resorted much people euery one desiring to see their prelate aliue for they were assured that right soone they should see him dead Thither came also many deuout women but he caused them to depart to auoid occasion of offence On the next morning the holy Bishop was brought before the Proconsull Galerius Maximus apparellend in pontificall vestures which made a goodly maiestical shewe when the Proconsull sawe him he said Art thou that Cyprian that hast the title of Pope or gret Bishop I am Cyprian said the good Bishop Tell me said the Proconâ—ull if thou knowe what our Emperours haue commaunded which is that thou must either sacrifice vnto the Gods or els thou must loose thy life Cyprian answered I am a Christian and I cannot nor may not sacrifice vnto your Gods wherefore do whatsoeuer hath bin coÌ„manded vnto thee The proconfull waxing wroth said Thou hast liued sacrilegiously and hast drawen many vnto thy deuotions you all haue made a confederacie against the Gods whom the Romain Emperous adore thou wouldest neuer obey their decrees But because thou art the author of this euill my will is that thy doctrine be writteÌ„ with thy bloud to the end thy adherents may take example by thee and be aduised by thy death Hauing said thus he pronounced the sentence that Cyprian should be beheaded The blessed Bishop said then I render infinite thanks vnto God who is pleased to deliuer me from the prison of this body The officers of Iustice inconâ—inent led him to be executed according to the sentence Much People followed him euery one lamenting and all of them saieng with a loud voice Cut of all our heads together with his When they came to the place of martirdome the B. Bishop put of his pontificall attire and wrapped and foulded vp the same agein and gaue it vnto his deacons and remained only in his last linnen garment He then requested one of his frends to giue him some mony who gaue him 20. pieces of gold all which he gaue vnto the headsman in recompence of the seruice he expected to receaue of him His frinds and the cleargy that were in the place lamented bitterly and laid their garments on the ground that his blessed bloud might fall on the same He himself put the napkin ouer his eies and being on his knees the headsman performed his office Assone as S. Ciprian was beheaded the priests that were in that place very reuerently took vp his body and caried it vnto the graue But they fearing lest the pagans would take it out of that publike place and vnbury it and pull and dismember it in pieces the same priests by night took it out of that place and caried it vnto the field of Macrobius Candidus S. Cyprian was the first prelat that was martirized in Africa Of him his life and death much mention is made by many holy men and graue Authors As S. Augustine S. Ierome S. Gregory Nazianzen Prudentius Maximus B. of Turine Paulus Diaconus Lactantius Firmianus and Eusebius Cesariensis You must note that S. Gregory Nazianzen saith that S. Ciprian was a magitian or inchaunter who tried by his art to gett the loue of a yong woman called Iustina and that hauing sent the euill spirits to bring her vnto him they could not bring her no not come neere her And this he saith was the occasion of his conuersion and that the yong maid Iustina was martired with him Marcus Marulus saith the same They the others that say thus ar deceued for they make but one Ciprian of two that were Ciprian B. of Carthage a most holy doctor and martir was one and Ciprian the sorcerer or coniurer was another The times wherin thes two Ciprians liued were diuers and the Church celebrateth their feasts on seuerall daies The feast of S. Cyprian B. of Carthage whose life we haue written at this time is celebrated on the same day that the feast of S. Cornelius the pope is vnto whom he was a great frend and many letters were written from the one vnto the other and they were martired on the same day but in sundry places and not in the same yeare as S. Ierome and Ado of Vienna say The day of the martirdome of S. Cyprian was on the. 14. day of September in the yeare of our Lord 259. But the Church translateth his feast vnto the 16. day of the same moneth because that on the 14. day is celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the holy Crosse and on the 15. day is celebrated the octaue of the natiuity of our Lady The Spanish Dioclesian about 300. The feast of S. Cyprian the sorcerer who was martired with Iustina the virgin is celebrated on the. 26. day of September This S. Cyprian liued in the time of the Emperour Claudius 2. And S. Cyprian B. of Carthage was in the time of Valerian and Galien One was borne in Carthage and the-other in Antioche God some times permitteth the saints to erre in some matter for if they should not erre in some one thing they might be thought to be more then men The which be fell vnto S. Cyprian whose life we haue written for he was in an opinion that those which had bene Baptised by heretiks although they had obserued the forme which the Church obserueth in Baptisme should and ought neuertheles to be rebaptised and herein he erred but as S. Augustin saith the spot of this error was washed away with the bloud which he shed in his martirdome Venerable Bede saith that the reliques of S. Cyprian were brought from Africa into Fraunce and that they be in Lyons The life of S. Euphemia Virgin and of SS Lucy and Geminian Martirs IESVS CHRIST speaking vnto his Apostles of the persecutions that thy were to suffer for his sake as allso others Math. 10. which should come after them said thes words The sonnes shall arise against their owne fathers and shall procure their death by accusing them vnto tirants This was accomplished acording to the letter in a Romain matrone called Lucy who was accused by her owne sonne before a tirant that shee was a Christian for the which shee was allso put to death The church celebrateth her feast together with that of SS Geminian and Euphemia for that thy were martired all three on one day by the ordinance of one and the same tirant though in sundry places Their martirdome was written by venerable Bede Vsuardus wrote the same and like wise Ado Archbishop of Triers in this maner IN the time of the Emperour Dyocletian there was in the citty of Chalcedon a Senator called Philophronius he had only one daughter named Euphemia that being a Christian was as much ennobled for her vertue as for her bloud Shee was put into prison by a Proconsull called Priscus who commanded her to sacrifise vnto his gods The holy virgin
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
this he was driuen and banished out of the citty After this S. Telcla was taken and hauing beene examined and her intention found that she desired to be a Christian and determined to conserue her virginity she was condemned to be consumed with fire The fire was kindled and a huge multitude of people were assembled to behold that most beautifull yong damosell that would willingly go to dy such a cruell death The blessed damosell was set in the midst of the fire which did not any hurt at all vnto her persons And on the sodaine fell from heauen such a storme with thunderclapps with such aboundance of raine that it put out the fire and afrighted all them that were present in such sort that euery one departed and the holy virgin was left at liberty whereby she might go free And so she went to the house of Onesiphorus where she found S. Paul with some other Christians who had continually for sixe daies made their praiers for her and they were all exceeding glad of her comming The Apostle did Baptise her and instructed her fully in the faith but because they were assured that the Proconsull would send againe for her the Apostle departed from that house and citty also recomending much the virgin Tecla vnto all the Christians that were in that place Though all dilligence that might be was vsed to keep her secret yet within a fewe dayes Alexander a lewd person apprehended her and brought her before the Proconsull who seing her to preseuer constantly in that she would not marry her spouse but continue a Christian gaue sentence that she should be deuoured of wilde beastes in the citty of Antioch whether the Proconsull was to go An especiall daye was apointed for this spectacle and in the meane space S. Tecla was deliuered vnto the custody of a matrone called Triphona When the apointed daie was come S. Tecla was brought into the Theater and a fierce Lionesse was let out against her which drawing neere vnto the holy saint lay downe quietly at her feete without doing her any harme S. Ambrose wondring much at that which the wild beasted did to the holy virgin said these wordes The firstly onesse which was let out against the blessed virgin was mild lay downe at her feete and hurt her not and also gaue example vnto the other lyons Beares and fierce Bulles who hauing bin let loose against her stood round about her peaceably and licked her feete The people were seuere cruel and the sauage and wild beastes were tame and pittifull though they were kept hungry and almost famished that they might haue their fill and make their praie vpon the holy damosell And though they were prouoked and pricked forward by their keepers that they might deuoure the holy saint yet could they not make them to hurt or harme her in the least degree The Iudge seing that the wild beastes spared her she being taken out of the Theater cōmaunded she should be cast into a ditch wherein were many dreadfull and venimous serpents when S. Tecla was put into that deep ditch there discended from heauen a fierie cloud that slewe all the serpents and by this meanes S. Tecla remained free from this third torment euen as God had deliuered her from the other two to wit from the fire and the wild beastes The people seing such great maruailes and especially the matrone Triphona who had her in keeping and in that time had conceiued great good affection vnto her she beginning and the cōmon people following her cried out iointly together That the God of Tecla was most potent and most worthy to be adored that had deliuered her from such and so great dangers The Iudge fearing some cōmotion of the people set S. Tecla free and Triphona led her vnto her house adopted her to be her daughter The holy virgin Tecla departed from that citty and went to make her abode in Seleucia In which place many by her meanes receaued the faith of CHRIST Spanish addeth being 90 yeeres old and there she ended her daies blessedly There is extant a history of S. Tecla in the which be many fabulous and vncertaine things As that she clothed her self in mans apparell and would haue gone so in the compaine of S. Paul and that he would not permitt it but willed her to go in her ordinary and vsuall attire of a woman moreouer it saith that a great Lord in the citty of Antioche would haue giuen vnto S. Paul a great summe of mony if he would haue giuen that yong damosell vnto him to be his paramour and that S. Paul would not do it These and other such like things are read in the abouenamed legend but Pope Gelasius commanded that those stories should not be credited and put them among the writings apocriphall and of none auctority but that which I haue written of this saint is auowed by graue authors and is authorised and of credit the Church also giueth credit thereto who in the praiers which are said in the commendations of soules saith these words O Lord deliuer this soule euen as thou didst deliuer S. Tecla from three most cruell torments The Catholik Church maketh commemoration of S. Tecla on the day of her death which was on the. 23. day of September in the year of our Lord 90. as Canisius saith in the time of Themperour Domitian It is said that the body of this holy saint is in Spaine in the city of Tarragona in the prouince of Catalonia spanish addeth In the Cathedrall church of that citty dedicated to her name The life of SS Cyprian and Iustinia Martirs SAINT Paul to confound the wise men of this world writing to the Corinthians saith God hath chosen the foolishnes of this world This was especially said vnto the Apostles who being people vnlettred and by consequens were holden as folish in that intending them selues to teach a new doctrine would preach vnto people learned and full of knowledg and yet their preaching was the cause that many were conuerted vnto God and receued glaldy the Ghospell This same is verefied by S. Iustina a damosell vnlettered in humain Wisdome yet God made chose her for an instrument to cōuert a Pagan who was very lerned not only in Philosophy but also in magike and sorcery and had dealing and practise with the diuell and though he was such a one yet was he conuerted vnto the faith of IESVS CHRISTE by the meanes of S. Iustina was martired with her The life history of theise two holy saints was written by S. Gregory Nazianzen though he was deceiued in that he thought he had bin Bishop of Carthage well he venerable Bede and other Authors wrote of these holy saints in this maner EVEN as it is no reproch vnto S. Paul to say of him that he had bene a persecutor of the Church of God nor any infamy vnto S. Matthew to say of him that he had bene a customer or vsurer before that either
which was written by Nicetas a philosopher and recounted by Simeon Metaphrastes and their martir dome was written by Ado Archbishop of Triers SAINT Cosmus and S. Damianus were brethren and phisitions and were borne in Egea a city of Arabya in Asia Their father and mother were Christians and Catholiques Their father died when they were yet litly children wherfore their mother Theodora brought them vp with great care and dilligence And being a woman of good behauior and chiefly because shee was a good Christian shee would not permit them to comit any fault or offence but endeuored to enstruct and direct them in vertue and godlines So that they became good children like to their good mother and good schollers like vnto their good mistris Amongst the other good qualities of these two breathren the profession of the Catholique faith shined most in them for which cause they despised and contemned Idolatry and other wicked superstition They were chast and honest in life and fled from all sensuall delight and tamed their flesh with austere sackcloth disciplines and fastings which be the most certein remedies to ouercome that enemy euen as they ouercame it by the grace of God Also couetousnes that abhominable vice neuer entred into their hart but rather bicause they made small account of mony and liued in poore and meane estate they were called Anargeni which is to say Men without monie and in this sort obseruing the Ghospell they liued an Angelicall life And to auoid Idlenes which is the mother of vices and stepmother vnto vertue they vsed the science of phisicke euen from theire childhood became skilfull and expert phisitions They gaue and ministred phisicke vnto the sick without any expectation of temporall gaine but only for the loue of God When the infirmity was perillous and not to be cured by art they resorted vnto God by praier and making the signe of the Crosse they healed and cured them and heerein they followed the steps of the Apostles They imitated the Patriarcks in being benigne piâ—tifull charitable in liuing a life in simplicity without doublenes or hypocrisy They imitated the Prophets in that they were zelous of Gods honor in reproouing them that were stubborn and obstinate in euill deeds They imitated the martirs in the valiancy of their minds shewed against the common enemies of mankind the world the flesh and the deuill They imitated the preists in their religious life chastity and grauity offering their body and soule for an acceptable sacrifice vnto God to serue him withall humility and obediencence to obserue and keepe his holy commaundements They imitated the monks in obedience concinency and pouerty in silence and repose of soule And at one word they imitated all the saints as much as lay in their power Thus they ranne their race making the world to wonder at their sincerity so that the report of them was spred very farre The rumor of them being dispersed came to the eares of Dioclesian and Maximian those noted persecutors of the Christians who had decreed that all the Iudges gouernours lieutenants and other officers of the prouinces subiect to them should put to death all that denied to sacrifice vnto the Idols Lisias the gouernor in the city of Egeas hauing notice of the blessed phisitions Cosmus and Damianus caused them to be brought before him and demaunded of what countrey they were and their names They answered that they were Arabians and borne in the city of Egea and that their names were Cosmus and Damian and that they were both Christians The gouernour persuaded them to sacrifice vnto the Idols but seeing them coÌ„stantly to refuse it he commaunded them to be tied hand and foot and to be cruelly beaten and after he had giuen them other torments he caused them to be throwne into the maine sea bound as they were They were no sooner cast into the water but an Angell came to their aide who vntyeng all their hands brought them aliue and vntied vnto the shore The gouernor was certified of that wonder wherfore he caused them ageine to be brought before him and requested them to teach him their Art magicke and inchauntments wherby they were deliuered from the sea and then he promised to be their good friend They answered We be Christians and haue no skill in Art magike but were deliuered our of the sea by the power of our Lord IESVS CHRIST The gouernor caused them againe to be put in prison and the next day a great fire to be kindled then he threw the blessed martirs into the same but the flame was deuided into two parts and the holy saints remained in the midst at their praiers The gouernor was astonied to see such a wonder yet he did not repent of his wickednes but caused them to be hoised aloft and to be beaten againe with wands and stones and beholding the holy saints cheerefull in countenaunce and to contemne the torments he caused them to be lifted vpon two Crosses and there to be stoned to death The officers threw the stones and though they cast them with all their might yet came none of the stones so farre as the holy martirs but fell vpon them that stood by to see the spectacle and wounded many of them but especially them tha threw them The gouernour seeing this an beleeuing assuredly that it was done by inchauntment enraged with fury and indignation commaunded them to be shot to death with Arrowes and the same happened to the Arrowes as did before vnto the stones for they did light on them that shot them and none touched the bodies of the martires At last he commaunded they should be both beheaded and in this sort the holy martirs finished their lifes and obteined the crowne of Martirdome Their bodies were buried by some vertuous people with out the walles of the city Egea It is said that ioyntly with these holy martirs SS Cosmus and Damian three other holy martirs were beheaded whose names were Antimus Leontinus and Euprepius and were their brethren as some Authors write There is a booke of the miracles that God showed by the merits of SS Cosmus and Damian wherof this is one A clowne sleeping in the field a serpent crept into his mouth and so further into his body wherby the poore man was in great danger of death He with great deuotion craued the help of the holy martirs and they were seene visibly by his side and commaunded the serpent to come out of his body and so it did These holy saints also gaue him phisike which cured him and then they vanished away the second Nicen Councell in the third action maketh mention of the booke of the myracles of SS Cosmus and Damian The Church celebrateth their martirdome on the 27 day of September which was in the yeare of our Lord 301 and in the time of Dioclesian and Maximian The bodies of these holy saints be in Rome in a Church dedicated to their name The venetians say not
help of his doctrine and good example praiers and meritts Especiallie those who take him for their Aduocate and recommend themselues vnto him The sea which runneth betweene is the sacred scripture with is a deepe sea that hath no ende 〈…〉 yet in the red sea there was some end In this sea be drowned many heretiks euery day we see one or other drowned for that they will not take such holy doctours for their guide as S. Ierome and others Of him it may be said truly that as Moyses taking his wand did deuide the sea so this glorious saint with the wand of the feare of God opened the deep sea of the sacred scripture This is certaine that as vnto S. Gregory is attributed the principall guift in reproouing of euill behauior and disorderly liuing and vnto S. Augustine in assotling scholasticall doubts so vnto S. Ierome is assigned the praise for the interpretation and expounding the holy scriptures So that we may say that he deuided this sea and showed away for others that will follow him and all they that passe therin shall passe dry foote and the same scripture shal be vnto them a wall and defence against the Egiptians that is to say the deuills and his members which be the heretiks our mortall enemies The life of this glorious Doctor taken out of his owne writings and out of other good Authors was this SAINT Ierome was borne in the time of Constantine sonne vnto Constantine the Great in a place vpon the borders of Dalmacy and Hongary called Strâ—do which city was in a maner wholly destroied by the Gothes in his life time as he himself saith and hereupon the memory therof is vtterly lost * The Spanish saith it is at this preseÌ„t a pretty village vnder the Venetians and is called Sdrinea that therin is conserued the memory of S. Ierome His fathers name was Eusebius and he had a brother called Paulinus he had also a sister whose name is not knowen and the name of his mother is vnknowen also The brother and sister of S. Ierome entred into religion and in the same ended their lifes in blessed maner He came of noble bloud yet he doth not speak therof in all his writings though other writers report so He had also aboundance of worldly possessions and goods which he sold when he caused the Abbey to be builded at Bethlem as he saith himself And by cause his parents were Christians epist 66. ad Ruffin epist 26 ad pamach Epist 51. ad Dom. onem he was instructed euen from a child in the Christian faith and relligion At that time flourished in Rome the schoole of the liberall sciences wherfore he went thither with intention to study He first studied the Latine and Greek toungs and Donatus was his schoolemaister in grammer Then went he vnto the study of philosophy and other liberall arts and in them he profited much as appeareth by his writings In Rome he receiued the vesture of IESVS CHRIST as Pope Damasus writeth that is to say Ep. 57. 58. ad Dam. he was Baptised It was the vsage of that time to be Baptised when they were of years of discretion and they that were baptized for certaine daies did weare a white vesture in place whereof when infants are now Baptised they put on their head a white cloth Ep 41. ad Ruf. lib 2. cont Iouin and that is called the vesture of IESVS CHRIST S. Ierome departed then from Rome with a desire to learn deeper studies he went into Gallia or Fraunce traueiling diuers waies seeking after wise and discreet men or lerned and good books and where he found any of these things there he staid some time The books he found if he liked them he endeuoured to buy or els he took paine to coppy theÌ„ out or to translate them Writing to Florentius he saith that he coopied out with his owne hands Ep. 6. in the city of Triers a great volume in which were written certaine Sinods collected by S. Hillary he found a man of good life he conuersed with him and lerned of him all the good he could and the same he did when he mett with any rare or singular lerned man by this meanes he was enriched not in temporall possessions but in vertue science After some time thus spent he returned vnto his countrey and from thence vnto Rome He thought he was not secure in Rome and the staieng also in his owne countrey pleased him not for there he had manie kinsfolk of whom he could receaue no help neither could he satisfy their desires And in Rome he thought would be too many occasions of pleasures and delights dangerous for yong men as he was at that time He determined therfore to passe the sea and to go into Greece where he entended to study and to conuerse with wise and learned men of whom there was store in that countrey at that time Knowing that Gregorie Nazianzen was Patriarch of Constantinople who for his excellency was surnamed the Deuine he went thither and though he might well be a maister instructor vnto others for his learning yet would he be disciple to that learned and holy Bishop that he might say and vaunt he had learned Diuinity of Gregorie Nazianzen Then visited he the holy land and trauelled through all the places therof which moued him to great deuotion and was a great content vnto his mind There was not a thing in all Pallestina whereof meÌ„tion is made in the holy scripture but he sawe it with his owne eyes which help him much as he saith himself to vnderstand the same There had he also maisters In coment Esay 6. Item â—ep 99 ad as sellam in ep 2. ad nepotiaÌ„ who taught him the Hebrew toung and likewise the Chaldean which he vnderstood best though he could not speake it The other he spake aswell as he vnderstood it He also conuersed with the people of Siria by that meanes learned many things of their language and speech and though he trauelled thus to get sondry languages yet he did not pretermit his first study of the Latine toung yea he so much delighted therin that becaused he would not omit the reading of Cicero and other eloquent authors therof he spent therin that litle time he might haue spent in more profitable studies so that I wonder that any man will make doubt that he was chastised of God for it Isid in quodaÌ„ himno Brevi ipsius since he writeth in himself S. Isidorus reciteth the same words who perhaps might feare to haue the like chas tisement since he likewise spent his time in the same study S. Ierome writing to Eustochium in that epistle which beginneth Audi filia saith these words I wretched sinner tooke paines in reading of Tullyes works and his eloquence was very delightfull vnto me and if then I took into my hands a book of any of the Prophets and read it their
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
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
But the couetous churle who would not suffer any to enter within his vineiard had much lesse then he vsed to haue and that litle which he had became sower and then he repented but to late that he had ben so churlish and discourteous toward the holy saint This blessed old man had a guift of God by the smell of bodies of garments and things which any man touched to know the vices they had and to what euill spirit they were subiect and with what vertues they were adorned Being now fully 6 years ole and seing the multitud of relligious men that were vnder his obedience and the great concourse of people that came to him dailie to haue remedy of their afflictions he was much discontent there at lamented for the same His religious men askindg him the cause he aunswered them It seemeth to me being esteemed holy by men that God hath rewarded me in this life for the small seruice I haue done vnto him It seemeth to me also that I retorne vnto the world sins vnder the colour of susteining and mainteining the relligious men there are presented vnto me many occasions of sinne His disciples hearing thes words did watch him dilligently especially Isichius for the great loue and affection he bore vnto him fearing he would strale away from thence One a time a venerable matrone came to visite him with intention to go further and visite S. Antony also He vnderstanding her intention wept and said vnto her I was also of that mind if the gouernement of this monastery had not said and with hed me but nowe it is to late for two dais since the worle is depriued of that worthy father This matrone credited his words and went no further and within a few daies after came vnto their eares the newes of S. Antonies death It were a wonderfull thing to consider the graces and gifes of this saint his miracles his abstinence and his profound humility S. Ierome saith of him I am amazed and astonied to consider the great enmity Hillarion had with worlely pompe and glory and with the estimation of men This blessed old man was visited by priests by relligious men by clerks by all maner of people and he to fly from honour which was dome vnto him by euery one determined to depart and trauell into some other country When this was knowen he was beset and enuirouned with more then 10000. persons who besought him not to leaue them but he striking the earth With his walking staffe said I cannot abide that my God should be accounted a deceuier or a lyer I cannot endure to see the Churchs demolished theâ— Altars troden vnder feet and my children slaine with the sword By thes words he said many gathered that God had reuealed vnto-him some great euill and persecution that should ensew vnto his brethren as it came to pase after in the time of Iulian the Apostata To conclude the blessed man would not stay with them any longer and told the people he would neuer eate bit of sustenannee if they did not permit him to go quietly and they hindring him be would not eate any thinge for seanen daies to geathey They seing his resolution to be such permitted him to depart in peace thought it was much against their willes and because the good old man was so feeble that he could not trauell on foote he rode and choose for to keep him company 40. monks whom he iudged to be most abstinent and most prepared to abide trauell and paine Passing with them through many countreis he at the last arriued at the Cell of S. Antony There he talked with the disciples left by that blessed man and conforted them being sadde for the death of the death of their master He recreated himself a while with them in visiting diuers places which they showed vnto him In this place said they S. Antony vsed to pray here he exercised himself in digging the earth These trees were planted with his hands here he made the founâ—ein handsome for their vse with his owne hands Then they shewed him his Cell the length wherof was fit to receue a man lieng out in length They also rehersed vnto him some of his miracles S. Hillarion demaunded of two of those monks for the place of S. Antony his buriall they only knowing it It is not knowen if they did shew it vnto him or no bicause S. Antony had commanded them and bound them by othe not to disclose it vnto any and he did it lest any man should honor or reuerence his body After the death of S. Anthony for three years space it had not rained in all that prouince wherefore the common people said it was bicause the clements lamented for the death of that blessed man They besought S. Hilarion to pray for them which he did and then it rayned Wherfore he was for that benefit highly esteemed among the people of that country they sayeng that God had sent him vnto them in the steed of S. Anthony He departed from thence and went to visite two holy Bishops Dracontius and Philo who were banished from their churchs by themperor Constantius for that they would not follow the heresy of Arrius These holy bishops were comforted much to see S. Hilarion who departed from them and went to Alexandria and was lodged by certein relligious men neere vnto the city When night came he saddled his litle beast meaning to depart and when they asked of him why he would go a way thus sodenly he aunsweted lest my stay be the cause of some great trouble On the next day it proued euen so as he had said for thither came officers of themperour Iulian the Apostata guided by some of the citisens of Gaza to apprehend him by order from that tirant but when they found him not they wondred saieng nowe we find it true that hath bene said vnto vs of this man viz that he is a coniurer and a sorcerer knowing things to come Behold howe he is escaped out of our hands The B. Abbot went like a pilgrime in diuers countreis but he was easilie knowen where soeuer he came for men posessed with the deuill discouered him He knew that Iulian the renegat had made a search for him and his disciple Isichius with an intention to put them to death if he had taken them In which because he missed he set their monastery on fire and persecured the monks with extreme rigour But within a while after the wicked emperour being dead and also Iouinian who liued a very short time Valentinian succeded in the Empire S. Hilarion was entreated to returne and gather his monks together and to reedify his monastery which he would not do but rather be took sea to go and dwell in some Islands vnhabited that the sea might keep that secret which the land did diuulge and publish but he could not be hid for the people came likewise vnto him in that place also So he departed from that Island and
passed into Africk and from thence into Cycile where he made his stay vpon a cragey mountein In the day he made a bundle of wood and laid it on the back of one of this disciples to cary vnto the next towne to be sold and with the mony arising therof they bought bread with the which those few that were with him liued and sustenied their lifes He could not liue vnknown in that place nether for a man posessed with euill spirite in Rome cried out and faid Hilarion the seruant of God is in Cycilc So that many diseased people came thither to recouer their health by his meanes By cause he perceiued himself honoured in that place also he departed and went into Dalmatia where was a dragon that destroied all the countrey deuoured the oxen and other beasts and killed the husband men and the shepheres The blessed man hauing compassion on the people caused a great stack and pile of wood to be made and when he had praied he commeunded the dragon to go vpon the stack of wood and when he was on it he bad the people set fire ther vnto and thus the dreadfull dragon was brent and consumed with fire in the sight of all the people Then he determined to depart from that place also for which cause he was embarked and being on the sea he was assailed by pirats His disciples with the others that were in the shippe doubted they should be slaine but the good man reprooued them for distrusting in God And Then standing on the deck he praied and stretchinh out his hard against the pyrats said Come no further this way O straunge and wonderfull thing at the saieng of these words they turned aside and returned back as swiftly as though a strong gale of wind had caried them away The sea was also obedient vnto him for at such time as he was at Ragusium the sea swelled and rose out of measure and so much that the people of the country feared all of them should be ouerflown and drowned The blessed old man took land made the signe of the Crosse in the sand and held vp his armes against the storme and the sea was asswaged and ceased incontinent to the great admiration of all the country who kept this deed in memory and the fathers vsed to tell the same vnto their children Another time as he sailed and not hauing any thing to pay for the fraight he would haue giuen vnto the owner of the bark a book in the which he had written the foure Ghospells with his owne hand which he alwais carried about him because he had cured before time the sonne of the master of the bark he would not receiue the book of him but he gaue him his fare and rendered vnto him infinite thanks for his former benefit Finally this blessed old man remaining in Cypres and hauing sent Isichius his disciple to visit the ashes ruines of his distroied monastery and to salute the monks remaining in that prouince staid in the city of Papho vnto which place many sick men and men possessed came out of all parts of the Island and the holy saint by praier healed them Isichius being returned from Siria the reuerend father conferred with him of his departure from thence which he did not vpon inconstancy but only to fly from credit and honour which was bestowed vpon him in that place So hauing found out a place not far distant from the city which stood out of the way and was vnhabitable for the craggines knowing that the going vp vnto it was very difficult for they must go vp creeping with their hands and that at the toppe therof was a plesante and delightfull place furnished with many trees and cleare founteins and that as the fame went many euill spirits haunted and vsed in that place and therefore none was so hardy as to dwell there the holy man resolued to make the same his habitation There were some that came to visite him yea many diseased persons and among others one sick of the palsy who was the owner of the place Great were the conflicts and encounters the seruant of God endured in that place by the deuills who did incessantly disquiet him because he was come to thrust them out of their long continewed habitation The blessed man took thereat great consolation for that he had there some enemy with whom to contend and striue S. Hilarion being nowe come to the age of 80. years Isichius his disciple being absent fell sick and perceuing that the hower of his death drew nere he wrote a schedule or note of his hand in which he left by his testament Isichius his disciple to inherite all his treasures the book of the Gospells written with his owne hand his long relligious weede the sackcloth or hoode with which it was couered When it was known in the country that the holy saint was sick some came to visite him and he charged them deeply that assoone as he was dead they should bury him in the same place where he dwelt and that they should not keep him aboue ground the moment of an hower When the pangues of death came all things failing but his sences which were perfect looking with his eyes open he spake to his soule and said Depart forth nowe depart feare not thou hast serued CHRIST 70. years and doest thou nowe feare death In speaking these words he ended his life His body was buried incontinently as he had apointed so that his death and buriall was reported in the city both at one time His disciple Isichius being certefied of his death returned into Cypres and faining that he desired to dwell in the same place where is master did dwell and was buried after ten moneths passed he stole away the blessed body of his master venturing his life for the same for if the Cypriots had knowne it he had bene slaine by them and caried it into Siria and buried it in his auncient monastery an infinite company resorting thither to see it The blessed body was found hole perfect and entier and so were all his cloths and garments euen as he and they were when he was aliue casting a very sweet pleasant smell S. Ierome saith that vntill his time there had ben variance and controuersy for the Syrians say they haue his body as they haue indeed and the Cypriots say they haue his spirite but aswell in the one as in the other place are seen many miracles done by the intercession and merits of this glorious saint but much more in the place of Cypres for in that place the blessed father took great delight The death of S. Hillarion the Abbot was on the 21. of October and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast It was also in the yeare of our Lord 379 Valentinian being the Romain emperour Nicephorus Callistus wrote of this holy saint in the 11. book cap 14. The life of S. Vrsula and the eleuen thousands Virgins ON the selâ—e
after this manner iomtlie martired and buried Manie Christians had gathered themselues once together in a caue to celebrate the feast of these holie martirs Numerianus the Emperour vnderstanding this sent a companie of souldioures commaundinge them to stop vp the mouth of the caue and let not one escape with life There was amonghst them a priest whose name was Diodorus he said mass and gaue them all the B. sacrament encouraging them to suffer that death with ioy and constancie for the loue of CHRIST they did according as he did exhorte them and ended theire lifes gloriouslie in that place The Churche doth celebrate the feast of SS Chrisantus and Daria the 25 of October and theire death was in the yeare of oure Lord God 284. in the raigne of Numerianus Emperoure The martir dome of these saints was written by Verinus and Armenius priests of saint Steuen Pope and martir Metaphrastes enlarged it some what more S. Damasus made certain eloquent verses in praise of these saintes In annot and 2. to annal de glor mart â— 38. and set them on they re tombe There is mention of them allso in the Romaine Martirologe and in that of Vsuardus as allso in the 5 tome of Surius in Cardinall Baronius and Gregorius Turonensis The life of S. Euaristus Pope and Martir OVR Sauior saith in S. Mathew Mat 7 that none can gather grapes of thornes nor figgs of thistles This cometh to passe because a mans power is bounded and limitted but the power of God is infinite without bounds or measure he can therefore if he please gather figgs of thistles and grapes of thornes as it appeareth he did by S. Euaristus Pope who was made a sweet and delicious fruite being in his life holy and in his death a martir God gathered this grape from a thorne viz from a Iew that was his father The life of this holy saint collected by Damasus and out of an epistle decretall of the same Euaristus and out of other Authors was this EVARISTVS was sonne to a Iewe called Iudas and was borne in Bethlehem and when then holy Poper Anacletus was dead he was chosen to succeede in his place He was a verie learned and holie man and the first that diuided the parishes of Rome into sundrie titles among sundrie priests which were after-ward called Cardinalls The same Euaristus ordained that seuen deacons should accompany the Bishop where soeuer he went and should stand by his side whensoeuer he preached to the end his ministery should be honoured his doctrine wittnessed and also that he might shew some kind of autority be defended if any Gentill made shewe of violence against him He also prouided that matrimony should be publikly solemnized and not in secret and that the spouses should go vnto the Church to haue the nuptiall benediction Tertull lib 2. ad vxor Ca siour vir 7. q. 1. 2. q. 7. si quâ— sunt though as Tertulian saith the espousalls and marriage were made in the Church euen from the time of the Apostles Moreouer he commaunded that Bishops should not leaue of forsake their Churches to go vnto others which thing is agreeable with the condition of maried folks who may not abandon their own wifes for other women He also ordeined that the accusations of the people should not be receued against their owne Bishops if they had not notice before or els some pregnant suspition of fault in him It is not knowen how S. Euaristus died but that the Catholik Church hath doth account him in the nomber of the Popes which were martirs In such sort that hauing holden the Papacy 9. years 10. months and 2. daies and hauing giuen holy orders three times in the moneth of December and at them ordered 5. bishops 6. priests and 2. deacons he exchanged this temporall life for the eternall and was buried in the Vatican nere vnto the supulcher of S. Peter chief of the Apostles on the 26 day of October and on that day the Church doth celebrate his feast The death of this holy saint was in the yeare of our Lord 120. in the time of the Emperour Traiane The life of SS Symon and Iude Apostles HOLY writ in the first booke of Machabees speaketh of Mattathias who hauing done noble acts in the defence of the people of Israel and finding himselfe now tired old and neere his death called to him his sonnes kinsfolke and freinds and the chief of them that had serued vnder his standard When they were all come he made vnto them a large speech exhorting them earnestly to perseruer in the seruice of God and in his holy faith for that he was able to deliuer them though all the world was against them as he had done in former times when they put their trust in him He to this purpose recounted vnto them the examples of Abraham Phynees Dauid Daniel and his three freinds After this he concluded his speech with these words Behold Symeon your brother is a man of wisedome giue eare to him as to your father Iudas Machabeus also is valiant and corragious euen from his child bode let him be the captein of your hoast This history agreeth much for the B. Apostles Symon and Iude for that Mattathias is the figure of IESVS CHRIST our Lord who hath done worthy acts in the world for the defence of all Christians which haue serued vnder his banner and speaketh thus to them Behold you Christians Symon my Apostle is your brother and a man of wisdome listen to him and esteeme him as your father and imitate him in his holy and vertuous life Iudas also his companion in martir dome is valiant euen from his youth let him be your captein in the battle take him for your Aduocate and commend your self to him for that will help you much to obtein the victory The life 's of these two Apostles taken out of that which is written of them in the holy Scriptures and out of diuers Authors was in this manner SAINT Symon and S. Iude were the sonnes of Alpheus and Mary Cleophae and brethren to S. Iames the lesse and Ioseph the iust Symon was called Cananeus for that he was borne in Cana of Galyly and S. Luke calleth him Zelotes in the Greeke toung for that Cana by interpretation is zelous He was thus surnamed to be knowne from S. Peter who is also called Symon as Iudas was surnamed Thaddeus to distinguish him from Iudas Iscariot It is not written when or howe they were called to the Apostle ship but there is mention made of them in the Ghospell when the names of the twelue Apostles are reconed As also when IESVS CHRIST in the sermon of the supper Ioan. 14. said He that loueth me shal be loued of my Father and I will loue him and manifest my self to him Iudas answered him How is this to be done that hout wilt manifest thy self to vs and not to the world CHRIST spake of his death and of
gotten with child and the author of that wickednes was not knowen She being vpon the time of her deliuery her father and mother vrged her to tell the man that had dishonored her that they might inflict vpon him some punishment agreable to his desert Shee to free her self from further reproache for that he was of so base a coÌ„dition and estate that she was ashamed to say who it was laid the blame vpon a deacon of the Apostles saing that he committed that villany The deacon was forth with taken and led before the king The Apostles vnderstanding therof and knowing he was innocent went to the court and requested the king that the parties and the child that was new borne might be brought before him and so it was done The Apostle asked when the child was borne and they said that the same day then they looked on the child and said vnto him we commaund thee in the name of IESVS CHRIST to tell vs if this deacon hath committed the offence that thy mother chargeth him withall The infant aunswered This deacon is good and chast and neuer in his life committed any carnall sinne and he is not my father His ennemies vrged the Apostles instantly to ask of the child who it was that had committed the offence they aunswered It is lawfull for vs to cleare the innocent but it is not fit for vs to disclose them that are faulty And at this the wholle company remained astonied and amazed The faith being well planted in that place they departed from Babilon went preaching through many prouinces of that kingdome and at last they came to a very rich city called Suamir in which place Zaroes and Arphaxat the two magitians told the ministers of the Idolls that the Apostles were in the city Wherfore many of them assembled and took the Apostles and imprisoned them and led Simon to the temple of the Sonne and Thadeus to the temple of the Moone for to adore them but at the praiers of the Apostles the Idolls and their statues fell in pieces and to dust and out of them went two deuills in the shape of Negroes with horrible roaring and houling The painims were moued therat with such indignatioÌ„ that in a rage and with infernall fury they ranne vpon the Apostles and cut them in pieces At that time the heauens and skie was cleare and calme and one a sodein it was couered with black clouds which powred downe a dredfull tempest and withall fell many thunderbolts which beat downe to the ground the temples of the Idolls nere vnto them and slew many of the Painims among whom were the two Magitians whose bodies were afterwards found beaten to ashes The king of Babilon who was a Christian was much grieued for the death of the Apostles and sent men to fetch their bodies vnto Babilon where he caused a Church to be builded vnto them in which place they remained for a while They were after ward caried to Rome and laid in the Church of S. Peter The martirdome of these holy saints was on the 28. day of October and on the same day the Church celebrateth their feast The Apostle Iude Thaddeus wrote one epistle which is numbered in the canonicall scripture God graunt we may be all written in the book of life Amen The martirdome of these two holy saints was in the yeare of our Lord 64. in the time of Nero the Emperour after the opinion of Onuphrius and Canisius * ⎠* The end of the month of October NOVEMBER The feast of all Saincts THe sacred scripture in the booke of Hester recounteth Cap. 1 that king Assuetus to shew the greatnes and majesty of his Empire in the third yeare of his raigne made a most solemne feast to the Lordes and Princes of his court and to all other the subjects of his kingdomes This feast lasted manie daies the tables were allwaies couered and richly furnished with most costlie meat and delicious wines and euerie other thing was in great aboundance No man was forbidden but euery man might eare when and of what it best pleased him Yet that in which the greatnes and maiestie of the king was showed was as said the text that there was great store of wine and that most excellent and such was giuen to euery one as pleased him best When the king made this feast Queene Vasti his wife made also another vnto her Ladies and the damosells of the court in which likewise her magnificence and bountie wasshewed being serued also at her tables with sundrie different dishes of most delicate viandes This feast is a figure and representation of that which passeth in the triumphant and millitant Church The great king Assuerus representeth our Lord God who to shew the glory and maiestie of his Empire in the third yeere of his kingdome made a most solemne feast unto the Princes and Lords of his court and all other of his kingdomes These three yeeres signifie the three estates and ages of the world to witt of the law of nature of the law written and of the law of grace That king Assuerus made this feast in the third yeare signifieth that in the third age and state of the world to witt in the time of the law of grace our Lord God opened heauen for before in the time of the law of nature and law written heauen was shut vp from men and they could not enter thereinto but in the time of the law of grace God opened his royall pallace and inuited all the great Lords of his court to participate and enioy the rich treasors he had therein as the Apostles Martyrs Confessors and Virgins do who sit continually at his celestiall tables and eate that which is most to their content For the viands or meaâ—es being variable to witt the delights and contents in heauen being sundrie euery one taketh and reacheth that which sauoureth best to him But aboue all the wine for that it is most excellent maketh the feast better and sheweth the greatnes thereof This wine signifieth the taste and suauity of the Holie Ghost which is bestowed among them in great aboundance the blessed being as it were inebriated of God are made partakers thereof and haue no mind ner thought of any thing that may bring discontent or anney but all things causeth vnto them vnspeakable ioye and delight This is the feast which the king made It is said also that the Queene made a feast to the Ladies and damosells of the court By the Queene is vnderstood the Catholique Church who maketh a feast vnto her women and damosells that is the soules trauayling in her affaires It is not altogether from the purpose if it be said that they that be in the millitant Church be called woemen and they that be in the triumphant be called men because as man is the more perfect creature then woman so there is found more perfection in them that be in heauen then in them that be on the
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-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
so honoring them and imitating their vertues we shall receiue help and benefit by their asistance and prayers in this world and be receiued into the glorie which they posesse in the eternall beatitude Vnto the which God bring vs for his great mercy sake Amen The commemoration of the faithfull deceased THE prophet Daniell being in Babylon discouered a fraud and deceyt which the ministers of a temple vsed in making men to beleeue that their I doll called Bell did cate vp those meates that were offred vnto it when as they themselues indeed did eate it vp Darius the king punished these men with death where vpon the people raised an vproare and commotion against the prophet and the king not being able to restraine their furie they threw him into a denne among Lions to be by them rent and torne in pieces In this wofull state the holie man remained sixe daies being grieuous aswell for the continuall sight of the lions as for that the place was filthie and stincking and beside all this honger afflicted him exceedinglie It fell out at that season that the prophet Abacuc being in Palestina and carying victualls to his sheapheards an Angell told him that God comaunded he should carry that Victuall vnto Daniell who was in the Lions denne in Babilon Abacuc excused himself saing that he knew not where Babilon was neither did he know Daniell The Angell said I will shew thee and with that he took him by the haire of the head and in a moment set him in Babilon in the Lyons den and shewed him Daniell readie to die with hunger Abacuc said vnto him Daniell eate of this meat that is sent thee by God Daniell did eate thereof and was some what refreshed and enabled thereby to support and beare the affliction of that place of punishment vntill at last he was taken out by the kings comaundement By this figure is represented liuely vnto vs the commemoration the Catholique Church maketh for the dead on the next day after the feast of all saints Daniell in the lions denne representeth the soules that be in the paines of purgatory It agreeth also verie fitlie that the lions did not rent nor teare Daniell in pieces also that the sight of them was grieuous in that place of paine and also hunger afflicted him very much So the soules that be in the paines of purgatorie be not tormented by the diuells which is very iust as not firt that they should chastice those that they could not ouercome The place it self which is allotted vnto them is painfull and grieuous for it is full of fire which is the same with the fire of hell as S. Augustine affirmeth Honger doth afflict them also which is the great desire and longing they haue to see God For though they be secure to see him at length yet it is a great grief vnto them that the time is prolonged The prophet Abacuc who caried meat vnto his sheepheards is a figure of euerie good and faithfull Christian which doth good vnto the soules in purgatorie For in the carying of meat vnto his sheapheards viz vnto his Curate or any other priest in bringing bread and wyne vnto the Church and the other almes which are done for the soules such as praiers and sacrifises bee an Angell cometh and bringeth it vnto Daniell in the denne And in deed it is an article of the Catholique faith that all those things that be offred for the soules in purgatorie by persons that be in the state of grace or else if the work it self doth merit and deserue it as the holie sacrifise of the masse both comforteth and helpeth the soules that be in purgatorie exceedingly THE vndoubted veritie that there is a purgatorie is an Article of the Catholique faith and he that denieth it shall thereby prooue himself an heretique This truth is prooued by the testimonies of the scripture as that excellent learned man frier Alfonce de Castro saith in his book he made against hereticks Esay saith Our Lord shall wash the vncleanes of the daughters of Syon and the bloud of Ierusalem in the spirit of Iudgment in the spirit of heat The prophet Malachy also threatning sinners with the coming of Almightie God to chastice them saith of him that he is a fire in which the siluer is molten and purified These two places are alledged by S. Augustine to prooue that there is a purgatorie after this life IESVS CHRISTOUR our sauiour saith the same viz that he that shall speak wordes against the Holie Ghost shall not be pardoned neither in this World nor in the World to come S. Gregorie vseth this sentence and so doth S. Bernard also as an effectuall proof of this veritie For they say if sinnes be not remitted in the other world this sentence shall not be remitted in the other world should not haue beene written And the truth beinge that in all holie writt there is not any superfluous word fot to say there were any as S. Basile saith in his Exameron were blasphemie it followeth then that there is a purgatorie for it is a cleare case that no sinne is pardoned in hell S. Paul also writing to the Corinthians saith 1. Cor 3. that the workes euery one hath done be they gold siluer or stones wood haie or strawe the fire shall try them And then he saith imediatly that he whose workes shall haue need of this tryall shall suffer detriment so that such shall not be saued but by fire hom 6 sup exod â— Origen alleadgeth this sentence to prooue this veritie There is another verie forceable reason for this point S. Iohn saying in the Apocalips speaking of the holie heauenly cittie of Ierusalem that none shall enter thereinto with any spot or staine of sinnes Cap. 21. yet manie meÌ„ dye with veniall sinnes others that haue mortall sinnes are coÌ„fessed haue not time to do their enioined penance Of these who are pardoned and absolued of their faults it is cleare that they shall do penance in purgatorie before they enter into heauen for thither they cannot come with any spot Therefore we must needs confesse that there is a Purgatory where the soules shal be purified refined from all their filth defects with which they depart out of their bodies before they enter into heauen Moreouer many holy persons of vertuous life who are worthy of credit herein haue had reuelations of this truth as S. Gregorie writeth in his dialogues But beside all these reasons alleadged I wil relate one which is of great authoritie and was as it is said the first cause and beginning that mooued the Catholique Church to ordaine Gui lâ—el in rationall ib 7. cap. 25. and institute the Commemoration of the faithful departed on the next day after the feast of all saints and this it is In the life of the holie Abbot Odilâ— written first by Peter Damian Cardinall of the Church of Rome and related by frier Laurence
Surius we read Iacob phil in sumpt vinâ— in spec historlib 25.106 that a religious man returning from the visitation of the holie sepulchre in Ierusalem and other places of the holie land the ship where in he sailed was driven forceably vpon certaine vninhabited I'lands which were full of rocks and craggie hilles neere vnto Thessalonica be called the Iles of Vulcan The religious man took land in the I le and found in an obscure and secret place an hermite vnto whom he went and among their conferences the religious man told him that he was of the prouince of Aquitaine in France The hermite hearing that was very glad as appeared by his countenance and asked him if he knew the monasterie of Cluny and Odilo the Abbot thereof The religious man said yes and desired to know the reason why he demaunded that question The hermite answered know you that in this Iland be hollow places full of wind and fire which some call the mouth of Vulcan by the which are seene divells to enter in and to go out ordinarilie in diuers and sundrie shapes and formes Sometimes by their externall looks they seeme to be cheerfull and iocund and at other times they see me to be pensiue and sadde I being desirous to know the causes of this different behauiour adiured and charged them in the name of Almightie God to tell me the true cause and they said vnto me that they make show of ioye and gladnes when the soule of any person that hath liued well in the world whom they could neuer induce to committ mortall sinne is brought vnto purgatorie for some veniall sinnes and the diuells seing them to suffer in the flames are satisfied therewith and shew their gladnes by externall signes But if there be giuen any almes any masses said or any good workes done by good people as fasting and prayer whereby the soule departeth sooner out of that place and flyeth vnto heauen this causeth the diuells to be afflicted They complayne especiallie of the monkes of Cluny where continuall prayers are made for the soules of the dead that they may be deliuered out of that paine Therefore I praie thee said the sollitarie hermite and I coniure thee in the name of God Almightie to request the Abbot Odylo and the other to say masse and prayers without ceasing for the soules in purgatorie since so much good aryseth thereof The religious man wondred at his wordes and promised him faithfully to deliuer the message So being returned into France he visited that monasterie and recyted vnto the Abbot and his monkes all that which befell in those caues and mouth of Vulcan The holie Abbot Odylo vnderstanding the same ordeined and commaunded that in all his monasteries they should haue the soules in recomendation Then he made a generall constitution throught all his order that euerie yeare on the next daie after the feast of all saints they should make a generall Aniuersary for the soules of the faithfull deceased The Bishop of Rome who was at that time Iohn the 16. hauing notice hereof examining well the deed and seeing it to be holie and repleat with vertuous compassion not only approoued it but also comaunded the same to be done through the vniuersall Church This Catholique article that there is a Purgatorie being certain and also explaned ye must vnderstand that the proper place is one of the partes of hell of which there be foure One is of the damned the other of the children that dye without Baptisme before they haue the vse of reason the other is Purgatorie and the fourth is Limbus Patrum or the place of the holie fathers where the holie soules remayned before CHRIST dyed and were then deliuered out of the same place which now at this present is vacant It is also very certaine that by especiall order and decree of Almightie God some soules haue their Purgatorie in places particuler to them selues diolo lib. 4. cap. 40. 55. as S. Gregorie saith of one that had his Purgatorie in a Bayne for his faultes committed therein and it being manifested vnto a priest and that he should celebrate Masse for him he was quitte and freed and went vnto heauen Concerning the paines of Purgatorie you must vnderstand that it is fire and as S. Augustine saith it is the same that the fire off hell is and is yet discreet and different For as the naturall fire consumeth the straw and puryfieth the gold so this fire consumeth eternally the soule in hell after the manner of straw and the soules in purgatorie which be like gold it burneth and purifieth It hath also another propertie that it tormenteth not all men equally and therefore it is called discreet fire for it maketh one to feele more paines another lesse according to the faultes and sinnes they haue committed It is vsually said thereof and it is most true that the stoning of S. Stephen the grydiron of S. Laurence the arrowes of S. Sebastian the Iron combes of S. Vincent and all the martirdomes the saints endured do not come neere the paines of them that suffer in purgatorie And there is as great difference betweene the one paine and the other as betweene the soule that suffreth in purgatorie and the bodie that suffreth heere in this world There is adioyned vnto the paine of feeling a greeuous longing and desire the soules haue to see God which is so great that in some sort it doth surmount the paine of feeling which is the fire They see themselues there without remedy for any thing they can do of themselues they know they must paye the vttermost farthing if they in the world do not help them In that place doth afflict them the negligence and carelesnes of their kinsfolk and friends they sorrow also for the ingratitude of their heires and slownes of their excecutors in acomplishment of their willes They say many times with the holie man Iob Haue mercy and compassion of vs you at the least who in the world are said to be our friends for the hand of our Lord hath touched vs. we be in those paines Iob 3. out of which we cannot deliver our selues you may well do it but why then do you not you may help vs why be you then so forgetfull you may ridde vs from and out of these sharp and byting torments why be you then so negliâ—gent or rather cruell as to let vs lye still therein The father coÌ„plaineth of his soÌ„ne the wife of the husband the sister of the brother and the friend of his friend Sometimes God permitteth those that haue not remembred their friends deceased to he forgotten themselues and to suffer that which they haue permitted other men to suffer and to be tormented by the torments from which they would not help to deliuer others Lastlie you must vnderstand that to do good vnto the soules in Purgatorie is not only profitable vnto them but also vnto those that do it sins it is a
had vsed him courteously and he had despised and contemned them in which rage the Iudge commaunded he should be put on the Crosse The executioners were not slowe to execute the cōmandement of the ludge Forthwith the Crosse was brought and Agricola was stripped naked Then layd they him at length vpon the same piercing his handes and feete with sharp nayles they crucifyed him lifting him vp a loft In that place was to be seene a wonderfull and liuely representation of the Lord in his seruant that is to say of CHRIST in Agricola The holie martyr being thus raised on high shewed that he made smalle account of earthlie thinges but desired heauenlie He hauing bene on the Crosse a good space on the same daie that his seruant Vitalis yealded vp his soule vnto God by scourging he rendred vp also his spirit on the Crosse And so the maister and the seruant were equall in theire martyrdome and in theire reward Their bodies were buried in a Churchyard where the Iewes were buried and in that place they remayned as Roses among thornes and light in darknes vntill the time of S. Ambrose as he saith himself writing the story of their martyrdome But he hauing notice of the place where they were at the request of a holie widowe called Iuliana who had particuler and speciall deuotion to these holie saintes took them out of that place and translated them into a Church which the same Iuliana had builded vnto them where their bodies take their repose and rest and their soules expect to be reunited vnto them at the last daye of Iudgment The martyrdome of these holie saintes was on the 4. of Nouember and vpon that daie the Church maketh of them a commemoration This befell in the yeare of our Lord. 298. in the raigne of the Emperour Diocletian Spanish saith The bodies of these holie saintes are said to be in the Roiall monasterie of S. Maria Naxara in Spaine The foure Crovvned THe Apostle S◠Paul writing vnto Timothie his disciple saith None shal be crowned but he which fighteth lawfully which is asmuch as if he had said He that fighteth acording vnto the apointement of his captaine such a one moriteth the crowne and to triumph Amongst the Romaines in their warres some did worthy and very notable exploites but because some were against the apointement of the captaine they did not only depriue them of the crowne of victorie but chasticed them seuerely Some fathers there were which put their owne sonnes vnto death for that they went out to answere a challenger on the contrary part in single combate although he returned with victory and slew his aduersarie honorablie And this because he had bene forbiden Vpon paine of death not to issue out to any such incounter without speciall license Hereby wee se that that souldier only deserued to haue the crowne of triumph which fought and got the victory by the apointement of his Captaine It is conuenient that we imitate IESVS CHRIST euen as these holy martirs imitated him which are called the foure crowned because their names were not knowen These verily did merite the crowne for that they imitated IESVS CHRIST and as he gaue his life for their snakes in like manner did they giue their lifes for his sake The life of these holy martirs and of other fire whose bodies are buried in one and the same Church within the citty of Rome was this taken out of the Martirologes of Venerable Bede and Ado Archbishop of Treuers THe vnsatiable hunger of Dioclesian and Maximian those two great and professed enemies of IESVS CHRIST and his holy saints was not satisfied although by their order and apointement and of others which were their Iudges and presidents there was shed much Christian blood daily through most partes of the world but the more they put to death the more their cruellty encreased It was told vnto Dioclesian that there were in Rome foure citisens Christians whose names were Seuerus Seuerianus Carpoforus and Victorinus The Emperour commaunded that they should be forth with apprehended and led vnto the Idoll of Esculapius and if they refused to worship it that they should be scourged to death and acording to his apointement it was done They were led and conducted vnto that diuell and they made account of him as he was refusing to adore him wherevpon they began to torment them They pulled of their clothes and bound them vnto seuerall pillers The scourging which was giuen them was such and so great that in that torment they yealded vp their soules vnto God The tirant commaunded that their bodies should be cast into the street that the dogges might dououre them and although they remained there fiue daies yet they were not touched by any beast whereby it euidently apeared that men were more cruell and bloody then the very beastes The Christians took vp their bodies and buried them in the Arenarium three miles out of Rome in the Via Lauicana It is said that pope Melchiades who liued shortly after their martirdome put them into the Catalogue of holy martirs and because their names were not knowne he called them The foure Crowned But afterwardes it was reuealed to a holy man that their names as is said before were Seuerus Seuerianus Carpoforus and Victorinus Of the fiue Martirs SS Claudius Nicostratus Simphorianus Castorius and Simplicius NEERE vnto the place where the foure martirs last spoken of were buried there had bene laid two yeares before but on the same daie the bodies of fiue other holie saints who in like manner had bene put to death for the faith of CHRIST by comandement of the same Emperour Dioclesian Pope Melchiades who ordeined the feast of the foure crowned to be celebrated entended that together with them there should be a commemoration of these fiue martirs which were called Claudius Nicostratus Simphorianus Castorius and Simplicius These holy saintes were caruers and remained in Hungarie by the apointment of the Emperour and wrought together with many other of their trade in the quarries of marble which the Emperour vsed in his buildings in diuers places of the world Foure of these blessed men were Christians and Simplicius was an Idolater As the wrought together the Chizells and other tooles of Simplicius were oftentimes broken and the tooles of the others did neuer break Simplicius being much amased hereat demanded of Simphorianus how it fell so out and he made answere my tooles break not for that euery time I take any of them into my hand to work I call vpon IESVS CHRIST my God vpon this occasion Simphorianus vsed such perswasions vnto Simplicius that by the help of God he was conuerted vnto the Christian faith and was Baptised It fell out afterward that Dioclesian gaue the charge vnto these fiue blessed saintes of a building in which they should set the statues of diuers liuing beastes and in the midest of them an Idoll of one of his heathenish Gods The holie saintes made vp
of his determination in the time that was giuen him for aduise Great was the vproare and tumult that the pagans made searching for the kindler of the fire entending to punish him with the greatest torments that might be imagined There was no great difficulty in finding him for S. Theodore himself confessed that he had done it and in his words and countenance he shewed himself to be well pleased with the act and the rather for that an Idoll of the same Goddesse had bene burned therein This on the other side was as dispeasing to the pagās who held that Idoll in high estimation They took S. Theodore and haled him vnto iudgment howling and yelling generally as if they had bene beastes or out of their wittes The iudges demaunded of them if he had kindled that fire The holie saint forthwith confessed that he had done it and willed them to make readie torments for he was prepared to endure them The desire and willingnes which the iudges beheld in S. Theodore to suffer torments made them haue the lesse will to torture him wishing to themselues the like couragious stomake as the yongman had Wherevpon without regard of the complaints exclamations of the common people who fearing their Gods would chastice them all for this trespasse that Theodore had committed against them besought them with great instancy to put him to death In this rage and furie of the people the iudges said to S. Theodore notwith standing thou hast deserued death yet we will pardon thee and make thee high priest of the Idolls if thou wilt sacrifise vnto them and leaue and relinquish the name of a Christian The blessed youngmā deriding them said In deed you promise me great preferment and that which may mooue a man to follow your counsell For the priestes of your Idolls I hold them to be accursed wretches and if I be made chief of them I shal be made the most accursed wretch of them all Long since haue I laughed at this folly and madnes of many great men that sometimes the Consulls yea the Emperours of Rome themselues would take the office of the high priest which you promise vnto me vnder a shew of religion and they which were first clothed in purple were clad after in the habite of fooles or madmen And many times they cut in pieces liuing beastes for their sacrifice putting some part thereof to seethe and some to be consumed with fire Such a blindnes is not committed but by them that be blind as they bee since by leauing the adoration of the God of heauen they adore Gods made of wood stones and mettall The Iudges hearing the reasons perceiued they lost their time and could not preuaile with Theodore wherefore they called him a sacrilegious blasphemous and wicked villaine and commaunded he should be tormented They bound him vnto a post and whipped him then rent they his flesh with crooks of Iron and put burning torches vnto his sides The more dilligēt the execucioners were to torture him so much the more cheerfully the blessed martyr as if he had bene in a pleasant garden song this verse of Dauid I will alwaies blesse our Lord his praises shall euer be in my mouth When the cruell officers were tyred they took him from the post and cast him into a dark dongeon in the which were heard all that night voyces which song sweetly and the roome was filled with an admirable brightnes and those that were without were partakers hereof When the keeper of the prison perceiued it he called some companie vnto him and went into the place where S. Theodore was finding no more persons there but the holie saint the rest that were prisoners as he was who were all a sleep The next daie they tormented him againe and seing him firme and constant in his faith they gaue sentence that he should be burned and the iudgment was put in execution As the holie saint stood in the fire praising and glorifying God the fire indeed took his life away but spared his bodie for it did not consume nor scorch one haire of his head Wherefore a religious woman called Eusebia wrapped it in a cleane sheet and enterred it that we might enioy this pretious treasure which hath caused this assembly of people to honor him and celebrate this daie of his tryumph where euery one is holpen for his sake Out of this man he casteth diuells another he deliuereth from infirmities vnto others he releeueth the infirmities of the bodie vnto others the necessities of the soule There those that be tossed with the tempests of the world find a safe port secure hauen There the Orphants find a father the pilgrins an Inne the afflicted a comforter and help for them that are in necessitie O thou holie saint and glorious martyr Theodore that art among the quiers of Angells vouchsafe to go vnto the presence of God and praie before the throne of his maiestie for vs that be in this place assembled to celebrate the tryumph of thy blessed martyrdome Encline to vs that call vpon thee honor thee and be present at the sollemnity of thy feast And though our corporall eyes cannot see thee yet cast downe thine eyes vnto our sacrifises and bowe thine eares vnto our prayers make present hereof we beseech thee vnto the maiestie of God desiring him to harken vnto vs and to heare thee that vnto him may be recommended thy country which is also ours thy brethren kinsfolk friends and they that vnto thee be religiously minded who be here present and that he would defend vs from all our enemies in generall and in especiall from these barbarous Scithians Thou as a valiant souldier fight for vs as a holie martyr praie for vs. Obtaine for vs a perpetuall peace that we may imploy our selues in the seruice of him whom thou seruest And if perhaps there needeth greater help speak vnto thy brethren to acompany thee Call vnto Peter head of the Church speak vnto Paul doctor of the Gentiles and vnto Iohn the beloued and famous diuine that the Churches which these men haue founded and the soules whom they haue conuerted may remaine constant in the holie and Catholike faith which they once receiued That they may be also freed from heretiks and heresies from tyrants and their tyrany and by confessing IESVS CHRIST boldly and faithfully seruing him they may afterwards posesse and enioye him eternally being partakers of his grace in this world and of his glorie in the kingdome of heauen The holie Church maketh commemoration of S. Theodore on the daie of his martyrdome which was on the 9. of Nouember about the yeare of our Lord 300. Diocletian and Maximian being Emperours The body of S. Theodore is in the Church of S. Sauiour in Venice whether it was brought from Constantinople And it is certainly belueeued that it is he whose life we haue heere written though there were more martyrs of this name The life of SS Trypho Respicius and Nimpha
which others would haue raken as a reproach th'emperour and all they that were at the table commended Th'emperour Valentinian the second being restored vnto th' empire after the death of Maximus who put him to flight did not behaue himself so for 5. Martin commyng one day to visite th'emperour who had a wife infected with the heresy of Arrius and therfore an ennemy vnto S. Martin shee requested th'emperour not to doe him any honour and he yeelded ro her desire The blesled prelate came into the roome where th'emperour was who stirred not from his seat The holy saint came neerer vnto him yet th'emperour stirred not nor made any signe of kindnes or curtesy It was surely the will of God that the seat where th'emperour sat fell a fier of it self and burned and flamed out When Valentinian felt the fier he rose in hast and stumbled hauing already burned his clothes and scorched his skinne and considering what the cause was he went toward S. Martin and did vnto him very great reuerence and before the holy saint sayd any thing graunted vnto him what soeuer he came to demaunde Another time S. Martin went to visit a holy damosell and it is good to make memory of her for the example of others to the end the may be aduised that if they shutt their gates against apparant wicked men they should not always open their dores vnto them that seme to be good There was in a litle village a damosell who hued secret and priuat whose good report was diuulged thorough the chiefest cities of Fraunce aswell for her beauty as for her verruous liuers so that their house seemed to be a monastery S. Martin being told of her was desirous to see if the report made was true and though he was estranged from the conuersation and visiting of women yet one day passing neere vnto the village he desired to see that yong woman All the people as the vse was in all places where the holy man went came out to meet him as if he had bene one of the Apostles so much they reioiced to see him The holy saint turned out of the way to go to the house of that vertuous damosell who being certified that S. Martin came to visit her and being fully resolued not to alter her determination she sent one of those women who kept her company vnto s. Martin to excuse her and to alleadg a reason why shee came not out to meet him The blessed man accepted it for very good as well done and praised exceedingly the yong woman and said that her vertue surpassed the report that went of her S. Martin being gone vnto anot her towne the damosell sent vnto him a present which the holy saint receiued with a cheareful countenáce though it be not knowne that euer he receiued any guift of any woman but that in all his life and when he receiued it he said it is not fit a priest should refuse the present sent by a damosell that was more vertuous in her life then many priests This good pastour went sometimes to visite his diocesse and at one time among others he came vnto a samll village Because it was wynter they prepared his lodging in the vestry of the Church in which place they made him abed and a fire also They holy saint went to rest yet because he was not vsed to lye but on the ground the bed was trouble some vnto him And being desirous to throw the couerlet of him by chaunce he cast it on the fire and perciued it not at last he fell on sleep and the couerlet began to burne and set fire on the roome The flame being now gotten to the toppe of the house S. Martin started vp and ran to the doore but he was so troubled that he could not open it His priests and monks were without in great care and grief for that they knew not how to help him or saue the house At last the holy saint determyned to fall to his prayer as the generall remedy in all his daungers and so he did wherby it came to passe that the fier was extinguished and he was deliuered from all daunger in a moment He was often in daungers by sondry persecuitions of the Arryans who neuer permitted him to be attepose or quiet as appeared in many Councells in which the holy saint was present wherein they outfaced menaced adn vsed reprochfull and opprobrious words of him yet the holy man preuailed and continued a constant and valyant defender of the Catholique Romane Church vnto which he was always subiect as an obedyent sonne ought This good prelat bare such a reuerence in the Church that he was neuer seene to sit therein but either did kneele or stand on his feet and being asked the cause he said know you not that God is present in this place Finally being nowe old and tired with these conflicts with the deuill and his mynisters the fiend oftentimes appearing vnto him and sometimes by threats and other whiles by craft and surrlery seeking to do him harme and the time of his death approaching which he knowing by reuelation being at Candacense a place in his dyoces he asembled his disciples together and certefied them that the hower of his death drew neere This newes putting them in great sorrowe and grief they said vnto him deare father why wilt thou leaue vs vnto whom doest thou recommend vs behold the hungry wolfs will assaile thy flocke and there wil be no meanes to repaire the losse when then shepheard is gone we knowe thou defirest to be with CHRIST and we know also that thy reward remayneth sure and certein in he auen and that it is not lessened though thou stay with vs a litle space Haue pitty on vs that shall be left alone and abandoned S. Martin heating these words was moued to pitty and compassion and shedding teares his eyes fixed also toward heauen said Lord if thy people haue yet need of me I refufe not the paine and the trauell but thy will be done Thus this glorious father was distracted bettewne loue and hope and knew not which to elect It greued him to leaue his disciples and he was not willing to stay any longer from enioying the presence of God vnto whom he remitted all O man rightly to be called valliant who was not ouercome by trauell and paine much lesse by death he feared not death and refused not to liue His feuer encreased and his disciples seing his end to approach and that he lay on the earth and ashes which was his vsuall bed requested him then to permit cherishing and comfort to be done to him And he aunswered A Christian should not dye but on haire cloth and ashes then it is more fit that I doe so who am your master and prelate and am therefore obliged and bound to giue you good example Then they requested him to turne his head a litle on the one side and not to hold it always vpright to looke
vpward being so painfull and he said Let me look vp toward heauen since that very shortly my spirit is to go that way which I behold When the agony of death came he saw the deuill the ennemy of mankind and said vnâ—o him what doest thou heere thou cruell beaâ— Thou shalt find in me nothing for which I shall eâ—damned and hauing said thus he rendered his spirit to our Lord being 81. yeares old His blessed soule was borne into heauen accompanyed with many Angells who made much ioy and song melodiously This musique was heard by sundry persons that were in places farre distant as of seuerinus Arch B. of Collein and by S. Ambrose Arch Bishop of Millan Who sayeng of masse fell a sleep from the which he awaked after three howers and then said to the standers by know you that my brother Martin B. of Towers is departed out of this life and I haue bene present there to bury his body S. Martin liued on the earth poore and humble and intred into heauen rich and with great maiesty His death was on the. 11. day of Nouember and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast and it was in the year of our Lord. 399. in the time of the Emperour Honorius This holy saint did many myracles in his life time and also after his death Whilest he liued he was the meanes that many were conuerted vnto God by his good example and excellent doctrine and after his death many were holpen by his merites and in tercession God of his great bountie and infinit mercie graunt that we may be in the number of the chosen to the end we may enioy his glory in the company of S. Martin Amen Many Authors write of S. Martin beside Seuerus Sulpitius as S. Paulinus Bishop of Nola Fortunaus the priest Gregory of Towers Odo the first Abbot of Cluny Hebernus Bishop of Turen and many others The life of S. Menna Martir OVR sauiour CHRIST saith vnto his seruants in S. Mathew Ca. 30 WheÌ„ you shal be brought before kings Iudges take no thought what you shall speak for at that time you shal be tought howe to answere This sentence is verefied in a holie souldier called Menna who haning spent his time in the warre among swords and lauâ—ces being brought before a tirani that did examine him of the faith of CHRIST which he professed made some answeres as if he had bene exercised in the studie of the holie scriptures all the daies of his life Of this holie saint Metaphrastes writeth as ensueth IN the second yeare of Caius Valerius Dioclesianus and in the first yeare of Caius Valerius Maximianus after the death of Numerianus who had gouerned the Empire before them there was raised a sore persecution against the Christians through all the lands subiect to the Empire Into which were sent publike proclamations conteining the will of the Emperours and the punishment that should be inflicted vpon those that disobeied the same There was in the cittie of Cottieum which is in the prouince of Phrigia or in Asia minor a president calsed Pirrhus Arginiscus who had the gouernement of that prouince had also authority ouer the men of warre which were resident in the same as a garrison for defence therof Notwithstanding they had a generall captaine ouer them called Firmilianus Among the souldiers there was one in the regiment of Rutilus called Menna by nation an Aegiptian and by profession a Christian whose vertue shone among the rest as the sunne doth aboue the starres The Emperours edict came vnto this cittie the tenor whereof was this Dioclesian and Maximian Emperours to all their subiects seÌ„deth greeting Forasmuch as we acknow ledg to haue receaued many fauours and graces of of the soueraigne Gods for which we thinck our selues obliged and bound to procure all honour and seruice to be done vnto them and their Temples We therefore coÌ„maund all magistrates and captaines of our Empire that assoone as they haue notice of this our Edict that they endeauour with all dilligence as a thing that concerneth the saffetie of our estate the honor of the Gods our benefactors that all our subiects aswell men as women of what estate or condition soeuer they bee do worship and adore them and do offer sacrifice in visiring often their temples And those that be disobedient and rebellious against our comaundements that they be tormented in the most cruell forte that may be inuented This was the tenor of the Edict Assoone as the president receaued it he caused it to be proclaimed through all the cittie other places of his prouince CoÌ„maunding withall that presently after the proclamation all men and women should go vnto the Temples to the end the disobedient persons might be knowne In most places where the proclamation was made there were great murmurings amongst the people for that it was thought both vniust and cruell yet the greatest part of people went of force vnto the Temples to obey the Edict When the valiant souldier so Menna vnderstood hereof he was not able to endure so vniust and vnrighteous proceedings as to haue the veneration and worship of the true GOD IESVS CHRIST to be abolished and that in stead thereof reuerence should be done vnto the fiends Because he would be free and not be partaker of this wicked transgression nor so much as see it he departed from the armie and withdrew himself into a desert where he remained fiue yeares leading a sollitarie life in continuall fasting and works of penance which was as an exercise and an entrance into the warre and battaile which he expected shortly to make At the last inspired by God he returned into the cittie vpon a day which was kept very sollemne as the birthdaie of one of their Godds The people of the cittie were generally assembled into a Theatre expecting certaine martiall exercises as Iusts and turneis And there was also the president Pirrhus for the same purpose S. Menna entred into the middest of the show and with a loud and cleere voice he rehersed a text out of the Pophet Esay Ca. 65. which saith I haue bene found of them that sought me not and manifested to them that asked not after me At these words all the standers by fixed their eies vpon him and seing him to be a rude plaine man meanely apparelled they know not what to make of his words nor what he ment by them The president Pirrhus causing him to be brought neerer vnto him demaunded of him who he was He aunswered I am Menna the seruant of IESVS CHRIST who is Emperour of heauen and earth The president enquired further Art thou a stranger or a citisen that thou seekest to disturb our feastiuall showes in this manner what is thy meaning herein One of them which stood by said vnto Pirrhus I know the man well He is a souldier of the regiment called Rutilica whose Coronell is Firmilianus and it is about fiue yeeres since he abandoned
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
like occasions and assembled a Councell of 105. Bishops in the Church of S. Saluator neere vnto S. Iohn La'eranne And the question of the aforementioned errors being againe disputed certein Canons were published by which all the auncient heresies and this also being lately reuiued were condemned and anathematised and with them Peter Cirus and Sergius their Patriarchs deceased accursing detesting and depriuing Paulus the Patriarch now liuing and all his followers and adherents of what state condition dignity or function so euer and depriuing them also of all offices and benefices ecclesiasticall And to the end this holy Councell and all the decrees and Canons of the same should be diuulged and published through the world Pope Martin caused many coppies to be sent into most parts thereof Th'emperour CoÌ„stans vnderstanding what the Pope had done in the Councell tooke such indignation therat that he determined to apprehend if he did not kill the Pope in reuenge of this iniury as he estemed it For this purpose he sent into Italy in which at that time the Emperours of Constantinople had some cities and countreis one Olimpius a noble man of his chamber but an heretike as he himself was and gaue vnto him the title of Exark or Regent with secret instructions what to do Olimpius arriued at Rauenna which was the ordinary place of residence of the Exarks and hauing amassed and gathered huge forces as he could went toward Rome where he endeuored to make a schisme in the Churche of God But not being able to compasse and effect it because the Bishops of Italy and the Clergy of the city were of one accord and held together in the defence of the faith and of the Pope he then diuised meanes to entrap the Pope and to take him prisoner But finding it hard to be effected because he could not get him out ' of Rome where he was well beloued and had many frends he lastly determined to kill him For the effectuating of this deuise he agreed with one of his seruaunts an auncient souldier and told him he had procured the Pope to say Masse the day following in S. Maria Maior where he would require the Pope to giue him the B. Sacrament and as he communicated this desperate fellow should come nere and stabbe the Pope with his dagger The souldier promised so do The next day came and the Pope said Masse and Olimpius like another Iudas came vp to communicate yet lingered till his man came that should do this treacherous deed but our B. God altered all this for he caused the man to loose his sight and though he was hard by the Pope yet he sawe him not which thing he confessed many times after with solemne oths By this meanes this infernall sacriledg was not committed and the holy Pope escaped free from this trecherous inuention Aftetwadrs the Sarracens inuaded the Island of Sycile in the which they made great spoile and by cause at that time it was subiect vnto th'emperour Olimpius was obliged to go and defend them and so he did being first reconciled to the Pope and making vnto him a relation of the true causes of his comming into Italy Olimpius fought with the Saracens in a pitcht field vanquished them yet so great was the toile he took in the battaile that a few dais after he deceased When th'emperour was aduertised of his death he sent in his place as Exark Theodorus Calliopa who had bene there before and had behaued himself so well that he was beloued in Rome and all Italy Euery one reioiced at his coming but at the end euery one was deceiued and deluded for th'emperour had drawne him vnto his opinion and had enioined him that assoone as he had imprisoned the Pope he should send him vnto th'emperour with a strong guard And because he had no assured confidence in him he ioined with him in commission for the affaires and busines with the Pope only one Paulus Pallurius a seruant of his of whom he had this opinion that he would not faile to performe what soeuer he should command him Calliopa and his associate arriued at Rauenna and with outlong stay went vnto Rome where he staied some fewe daies treating with the Pope about many and seuerall businesses but all that he did was in deceit The Pope who was a plaine meaning man had no conceit of the treachery which Calliopa entended toward him So that Calliopa one day fained being in the lodgiing of S. Iohn Laterane to go and visite the Pope but in steed thereof he laid blowes on him and the Pope being vnable to defend him self from that violence was put in prison Calliopa sent him incontinent in bonds vnto Paulus Pellarius who conueied him withall speed vnto Rauenna and from thence vnto Constantinople The wicked emperour Constans reioiced exceedingly that he had gotten the Pope into his hands and endeuored with flattery and faire promises to drawe the good Pope to fauor his error but finding him stedfast in his faith he banished him vnto the city of Chersona which is in the outmost borders of the sea Euxinus a very cold country almost inhabitable There the good Pope was so afflicted and euill entreated that within fewe daies he died very patiently as a glorious martir of IESVS CHRIST Pope Martin the first of that name after the most certain account died in the year of our Lord. 654. on the. 12. day of Nouember and on the same day the Church celebrateth his feast His body was after this brought to Rome and buried in the Church dedicated vnto him and S. Siluester God did many miracles by the meanes of this saint who was his vicar in earth 6. yeares one moenth 26. dayes He gaue holy orders twice in the month of December in which he ordered 11. priests 5. deacons and 33. bishops The life of S. Gregorie Thaumaturgus HE that beleâ—ueth in me saith CHRIST Iohn 14. shall do the works and miracles that I do and greater also This sentence was most plainly verified in S. Gregorie Bishop of Neocaelarea which is the same that is now called Trabisonda Of him it is written that by his prayers he made a huge great rock as bigge as a hill to go from one place vnto another And also that he made a lake which caused discord betweene two brethren to drie vp and he stayed a great riuer that it should not ouerflowe to hurt the inhabitants by the bankes thereof We do not read that our Sauiour CHRIST did any of these thinges we doubt not but he could haue done them yet he did them not that his words might be fullfilled when he said that his faithfull seruants should do greater miracles after a certaine manner then those that he did And because it was euident in this holie saint he had the surname of Thaumaturgus that is a doer of marueilous things giuen vnto him His life was written by S. Gregorie Nissen in this manner SAINT Gregorie surnamed Thaumaturgus
all the world and to build Churches to the honor of CHRIST his saints but especially in Rome where beside the aforenamed he builded in the field Sossorium the Church of the Holy Crosse that is called in Ierusalem and in the field Veranius without the walles he built the Church of S. Laurence and in the way to Lauico he built a Church to the holy martirs SS Peter and Mâ—rcâ—llin Hither to we haue seene the occasion of the feast the Church celebrateth the which is The dedication of the Church of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul Nowe it wil be good to see the reason why the Church maketh such account of these holy Apostles and of all theother martirs and saints that it buildeth Churches vnto them in which the faithfull do assemble to celebrat their feasts Moreouer it shal be good to see what is the signification of the Vigills and Octaues and for what cause there is a greater feast kept of one saint more then of another These may be thought by some to be but curious questions yet they may be profitable and it is very good in my oppinion that euery Christian should know the reason therof First I say that the Catholik Church hath had many respects to celebrat the feasts of the saints On was for that in the primitiue Church they desiring to extirpate totally the adoration of the Idolls wherin the Painims were drowned the holy Bishops brought in this vertuous custome of worshipping the holy saints to the end the memory of Iupiter Saturn Apollo Venus Mars and Diana and of the other Gods might be abolished by substituting in the place of them S. Peter S. Paul S. Iames S. Iohn S. Stephen S. Laurence S. Agnes S. Agatha S. Lucia and theother saints Theother reason that moued the Church was this that in honoring and making feasts to the saints there is feast made and honor done vnto God himself that made them saints The Church had also another regard viz to satisfy the obligement and duety we all haue and owe vnto the saints They reioice in heauen and make triumph when we conuert our selues vnto God and therefore it is reason we should make feast and reioyce in that day that they begin to enioy the sight of God in heauen viz the day of their death Moreouer the feasts of the Saints are celebrated because of the great neede we haue of them that they may pray vnto God for vs the he may truly conuert vs vnto him that he may giue vs perseuerance that he may deliuer vs from tentations that he may teach vs to do his will that he may giue vs things necessary for the sustenaunce of our life All these things many other such like God doth giue vs by the praiers of his saints And therefore it is reason that in some part we do satisfy our great obligement that we owe vnto theÌ„ by celebrating their feasts Another motion the Church hath to celebrate the feasts of the saints was for our example for when we consider that the saints were men as we be formed of flesh and bone and subiect vnto the same frailty and misery of our natures yet that they did such famous acts and heroicall deeds supporting and enduring such outragious paines in their martirdome such cruell persecutions horrible reproches lastly death by which they came to be so honored and rewarded by God in heauen we also moued by their example should striue to imitate them To this purpose saith S. Augustine they do truly celebrate the feast of the martirs who followe their examples for he who doth not followe them in what he can 2. Cor. 1. can not enioy beatiâ—udâ— in their company S. Paul saith also If we shall be partakers of their troubles and passions we also shall haue part of their consolations Concerning the Virgills of Saints Isay that a Vigill properly is not a day of fasting but of watching And so it was vsed in the feasts of IESVS CHRIST of the B. Virgin of the Apostles and of some other saints especially of the patrons of the Church when all the people the night before the day of the feast came vnto the Church and remained there all the night in praier and other holy exercises This holy and good custome began some what to be corrupted for the people who kept the vigills if they spent a litle time in praier they spent a great deale more in eating and drinking and sometime in gaming lewd talk vncomely behauior yea it came to such a passe that many foule and grosse abuses were vsed in the Church To remedy this mischief S. Ambrose who was enformed therof by S. Monica the mother of S. Augustine at her being at Millaine did in his Church as other Bishops in their diocesses the Pope through all Christendome change the vigills and watchings into fasting the day before the festiuall day and yet it reteineth the auncient anme of vigill still The vigill signifieth also this present life in the which we must be vigilant and must support troubles as the body doth endure troble by fasting that we may haue the feast in the next life But he that on the contrary side will first haue the feast before the fast and wil be mery and take his pleasure in the world let such a one know that he must make a long and greuous vigill in theother life for he shall abide in hell fasting for euer For the Octaues the Church began to celebrat them in imitation of certain feasts the hebrews had which lasted seuen daies as the Pascha of the vnleuened bread the feast of Tabernacles and the Dedication of the Temple So the Church ordeined that some of her feasts which are worthy of all honour and reuerence as well as they were should haue Octaues to the end the solemnity should be greater and in the office of these daies are many things read of those solemnities that the faithfull might heare and consider the same and take profit thereby We read that the Idollaters assaulted the Macchabeis on the day of the feast and that they because they would not violat it for they thought it was a work to defend themselfs and so a breach of the feast though after ward they resolued to do other wise suffered themselues to be killed rather So do the deuills also they do assault the faithfull on the festiuall daies especially with more and greater tentations then on the other daies which is the cause that sometimes the sinnes which are comitted on the feast be more heinous then theother of all the week coÌ„ming of frailty For some be so fraile and feeble that assoone as tentation coÌ„meth they confent vnto it and know not howe to resist or with stand it Let the tentations be of gaming murmuring of losse of time of vnseemly words and of sensuality they yield streight and resist them not yet there be some worse then these who do seek tentations and do
not tarry to be tempted by the deuill for they themselues seek occasions to offend God and especially at those times when we be most obliged to to serue him viz on the feast day or in their Octaues which were ordeined that we might haue more time to be emploied in the seruice of God and to solemnize them The reason then why a greater feast is kept on one holy day then another and more to one saint then to another is because one signifieth a more higher mistery then another The Resurrection and Ascension of CHRIST be two high and principall feasts yet there is greater solemnity obserued in the first then in the second for the cause aboue-mentioned The same reason is of the saints The Catholike Church maketh a greater holy day vnto one saint then vnto another for that the deeds of one haue bene greater then of the other or for that his estate and dignity was greater or els for that he had done more good in the Catholik Church And for this reason the feasts of S. Peter S. Paule of S. Iohn Baptist of S. Laurence and other like saints be higher and more principall feasts then others though they which haue the lesser feasts and they who haue the greater be all in heauen contented enioyng God in his glory vnto which he bring vs for his great mercy Amen The life of S. Pontianus Pope and Martyr GOD commaunded Moises that to snuff the lights that burned in the temple vpon a candlestick which had seuen braunches he should cause to be made snuffers of the most fine and purest gold These lights be a figure of the priests who are called light by IESVS CHRIST By the name of seuen is giuen to vnderstand the seuen gifts of the Holy Ghost Then he commaunding that the snuffers where with they must snuffe the said lights should be of gold would demonstrate that vnto them they ought to beare great respect And that the reprouing and chastising of them though they deserue it is not graunted vnto euery one but only to him that shal be of such perfection that he is likened vnto the most pure gold And he that knoweth of himself that he is not gold but that he hath some defect and imperfection Let him not touch the light to wit Let him not murmure or speak euill of the priests but leaue the matter to God or els to his superiors who haue the office from God to reprehend and chastise them But if they leaue the matter vnto God the reproof punishment wil be more seuere and worthily shall the priests deserue it if their life be not correspondent vnto the dignity and function they haue aboue other men The holy Pope Pontianus hauing in mind the respect and regard that ought to be giuen to priests maketh mention and giueth many aduises in one of the two epistles he wrote out of his place of exile vnto all the faithfull for he was banished into the Island of Sardegna not for any fault he had committed but for confessing the faith of IESVS CHRIST The life of this holy saint was written in this manner by Damasus and other Authors BY the death of Pope Vrbane the first of that name there was placed in the seat of S. Peter Pontianus the sonne of Calphurnius borne in Rome He liued peaceably in the Papacy a while and attended to the gouernement of Church to the good contentment of all the Clergy people At the end of that time Alexander Seuerus th'emperour who of his owne nature was milde and no ennemy to the Christians persuaded by the priests of the Pagan Gods banished him from Rome and with him a priest called Philip by some martirologes called Hippolitus Those two were conducted into Sardegna and commanded not to depart out of that Iland In that place the blessed Pope Pontianus endured very great troubles and afflictions yet for all that he forgot not to gouern his Church with good and holy aduises and counsells when he could not do any other thing In that Island he wrote two epistles vnto all the faithfull Christians In the first he commendeth as hath bene aboue said the veneration and reuerence that ought to be vsed toward priests in regard of the high mistery they deale in consecrating by their words and holding in their hands the most Blessed Body of CHRIST our Lord. In the other he exorteth them all generally vnto charity brotherly loue Some Authors attribute vnto Pontianus the vse which is kept in the Church of singing the psalmes of Dauid in the office of the Howers and that he ordeined that the priest before he began Masse should say the psalme Iudica me Deus but to conclude the troubles and molestations of the holy Pope were so extreme which he endured in this banishment that he died in the same Island of Sardegna on the. 19. day of Nouember when he had ben Pope fiue years 5. months and. 2. dayes He gaue holy orders twise in the month of December and ordered 6. Bishops 6. priests 5. deacons His blessed body was buried in Sardegna but some years after S. Fabian the Pope caused it to be brought vnto Rome and buried it in the Churcheyard of Callistus among many other Martirs And because he died in exile through the vexation and trouble he endured he was accounted among the holy martirs His death was in the year of our Lord 236 Maximinus being then emperour of Rome * ⎠* The presentation of our B. Lady THE great king Assuerus hauing depryued Queene Vasthy his wife of the royall crowne and hauing expulsed her out of his pallace because she would not obey his commaundements All the princes and great lords of his kingdome were assembled to seeke out another wife for the king which should not only be equall to Vasthy but should rather surpasse her in all fauour and beauty For this end all the choysest damosells were sought out through the realme to whom there was apointed a roome by themselues and an Eunuch called Egeus had the charge of them who sawe them prouyded of all things necessarie aswell for their dyet as also for their apparell and adornements There wanted no odoures perfumes or Iewells which might aggrandize and shewe forth their beauties This was done the more to please king Assuerus vnto whom they were led one by one as their turne was to the end he might choose one that lyked him best to be Queene in stead of Vasthy The prudent and beautifull Esther being elected out of the rest for that purpose the day came that she was to be presented before the king Assoone as the king sawe her he was so pleased with her fauour and beautie that he chose her out from among the rest for his wife and Queene and set the royall crowne on her head commaunding all his subiects to honor her and to regard and esteeme her as their soueraigne Queene and ludy This king Assuerus is a figure of our Lord God
After their deaths the gouernor Almachius entended to get the goods of the two brethren into his hands but vnderstanding that Cecilie had distributed them vnto the poore he caused her to be brought before him She confessed vnto him the truth namelie that all the goods of the two noble gentlemen Tiburtius and Valerian were giuen vnto the poore The gouernour therefore seeking a quarrell and desiring to be reuenged on her said in a great rage I think we shall haue a Christian of you also but I will haue you to sacrifice vnto the Gods in my sight that I maie be witnes whether you deserue the same punishment that those brethren deserued and had The officers of the gouernour vrged her to sacrifice to whom she said Harken to me brethren You be the officers of the gouernour and you think it meet that I should obey his comandement but I on the other side think it verie vniust in him to comaund me to sacrifice vnto those Gods which be not such indeed and to leaue of to sacrifice vnto the true God that is IESVS CHRIST Be assured that I will suffer and endure and the torments that can be inflicted vpon me and at the end rather lose my life then do his cōmaundement The officers made shew of pittie compassion toward her seing a damosell so yong so discreet so faire and gratious readie to abandon and leaue all these yea life and all for her faith and religion They said vnto her Consider thy youth and beautie haue compassion on thy self and change not all other thy good parts in these tender yeares for vntimelie death The holie virgin said vnto them To change earth for gold is not to loose but to gaine Or to giue a cottage half-ruinated for a house built with perles and pretious stones or a life repleat with troubles and miseries which shall quiklie end for a life replenished with riches and treasure that shall endure for euer These and the like speaches vsed S. Cecilie and her words were of such force and wrought so that many that were present resolued to be Christians and were afterward Baptised by S. Vrban The gouernor was astonied to heare the holie virgin speak and viewing her angelike beautie asked what her name was for till that time he knew no other name but only that she was the wife of Valerian She told him that her name was Cecilie and then the gouernour replyed knowest thou not that the Emperours of Rome haue comaunded that the Christians either do sacrifice vnto the Gods or else that they be put to death I know it right well said the holie saint What wilt thou then do said the gouernour I determine to die said she For it is farre better to dye for confessing IESVS CHRIST then to liue denying him Consider said the gouernour that it wil be best for thee to leaue and forsake this thy oppinion and to sacrifice vnto our Gods S. Cecilie said It were better for thee to open thine eyes and to consider that those whom thou callest Gods be but stocks and stones If thou wilt not beleeue me touch them with thy hands or throwe them into the fire and there will come lime from the stones which maie serue to build with so shall there be no deceit in them as there is nowe Then said the gouernour How should I suffer thee to speak such words in my presence knowest thou not that I haue power to giue thee life or to take it awaie at my pleasure S. Cecilie answered thou thinkest my words void of reason and I know thy words to be false and no truth in them Almachius said doest thou saie Cecilie that I speak not truth The holie virgin said I saie it and auouch it in that thou saiest thou hast authoritie to giue and take awaie my life Thou maiest take life from the liuing but to giue life vnto the dead it is most cleere and certaine thou canst not So that I maie well call thee the minister of death I wil be such an officer vnto thee said Almachius if thou wilt not sacrifice So when he sawe she was constant and resolute and would not sacrifice he caused her to be put into certaine bathes which were in her owne house and hauing shut her in one of them being empty without water they made a great fire vnder which burned a whole daie and a night The holie saint receaued not any hurt thereby but it seemed to her a place rather of pleasure and refreshing then other wise when Almachius heard thereof he comaunded one to cut of her head in that place The hangman gaue her three blowes yet did he not cut of her head altogether but left it euen as it was hanging by the skinne The blessed virgin being thus wounded liued three daies many Christians coming to visite her Among these were some that had receaued the faith by her meanes whom she seing sorowfull comforted They dried vp the bloud that ran from her wound with napkins and other clothes with intent to keep them as reliques S. Vrban went also to visite her and she told him that she had desired of God to liue three daies that she might dispose of her goods and request him to consecrate that house of hers into a Church When the three daies were ended this holie virgin and glorious martyr being in prayer yeelded her blessed soule vnto God on the 22 of Nouember Her bodie was buried by pope Vrban in the Chruchyard of Callistus and her house was consecrated into a Church In processe of time pope Paschalis translated the bodies of SS Cecilie Tiburtius Valerian and pope Vrban into the Church of S. Cecilie The Catholique Church celebrateth the feast of this holie saint on the daie of her martyrdome At the end of the life of SS Tiburtius and Valerian on the 14. of Aprill is rehersed the saying of Canisius to wit that these saints were martyred in the time of Alexander Seuerus in the yeare of our Lord 225. the same he saith of S. Cecilie also and because mention is made there of pope Vrban the account cometh to be iust at that time But the Romane Breuiarie of Pius 5. putteth her martyrdome about 50. yeeres before in the times of the Emperours Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Commodus Her name is in the Canon of the masse The life of S. Clement Pope and Martir GREAT was the fame and credit which Moises the guide Exod. 27. and captein of the Hebrewes acquired and got when the said people being in the desert and at the point to dy for thirst he by the apointement of God strook a rock out of which issued water in abundance sufficient for them all to drink and to be refreshed and comforted No lesse glorious and worthy of fame was S. Clement the holie Pope and martir who did the like He liued in a desert banished thither with many other Christians for the profession of the name of IESVS CHRIST and they all
their labour being very painfulle yet wanted they water to drink and that lirle which they had they were compelled to fetch it two miles of The holy Pope Clement moued vnto compassion with their intollerable paine and toile made his praier vnto God beseeching him to haue pity on his people His praier being finished he lifted vp his eies as Metaphrastes saith and sawe vpon a litle hillock a lambe who held vp his right foot as though he shewed where the Water was S. Clement was fully persuaded that the lamb was IESVS CHRIST because none saw it it but himself only so he went to that place and said In the name of IESVS CHRIST digge heere Some began to digge on the one side and some on the other and to cast vp the earth not in the place where the lambe shewed but in a place hard by S. Clement himself took a spade and making a litle hoale where the lamb had showen there sprang out incontinent a veine of pure and cleare water which gaue great consolation vnto the holy saint and to the other Christians who were much confirmed in the faith by the same This miracle moued also many of the Painims to go and heare his doctrine by which they were conuerted vnto the true faith Because the number of Catholiks increased and the report of that which happened in the IslaÌ„d was so spread abroad that it came to the eares of TraiaÌ„ he was enraged therat and sent thither a Gouernour called Aufidianus who put many of the Christians to death But when he saw they died willingly for the profession of their faith he thought the best way would be to put Clement only as their guide vnto death wherupon he caused him to be apprehended When he sawe him to be firme and stable in his faith he gaue sentence against him that he should be caried into the mayne sea and throwne into the same with an anchor tied vnto his neck The sighes the sobbes the lamentable voices of those afflicted Christians cannot be expressed when they sawe them selues depriued of Clement in whom they found refuge and comfort in their laboursome and discomfortable life hauing him they thought they had a father and a master euery one found him to be their faithfull frend and their louing brother he made much of them all he instructed them all he gaue help to all by all the meanes he could The Christians being in this tribulation seing then that if they lost Clement they lost all these things besought God with great instancy to deliuer him out of that perill and daunger or els that they might end their life 's with him The holy Pope also aggrieued to leaue them in this tribulation lamented for them and yet comforted them in the best maner he could At the very instant that he was to be cast into the sea the people standing on the shore lifted vp their voices and cried aloud Lord IESVS CHRIST saue him and the blessed Pope said Eternall father receaue my soule This being said he was cast into the sea where he ended his life and all the Christians were very pensiue and sadde Among others there were two desciples of the holy saint the one called Cornelius and the other Phaebus who said to the rest of the Christians Brethren let vs make our prayers vnto God and beseeche him through his fauour to shew vnto vs the reliques of his holy saint This counsell pleased them all very well and so they went vnto prayer they had not yet finished the same when the sea began to decrease and to depart away for the space of three miles from the shore and was so firme that men might passe all that way dryfoot where they found a chappell builded in the middest wherof was the body of S. Clement in a sepulcher and there was also the Anchar which had bene fastened vnto his neck This myracle did not only happen at that time but also did befall euery year for seuen daies continually in that place beginning on the day of his martirdome and enduring for sixe dayes following Thither resorted much people from sundry quarters to see the myraculous sepulcher of the holy saint at the time of the annuall discouery which endured and continued many years as affirmeth Symeon Metaphrastes who auerreth that in his time viz about the year of our Lord 620. this myracle was seene And it is also affirmed by Ephrem B. of Chersona venerable Beda Gregory B. of Towers Ado. Arch B. of Tryers l. 3. 〈◊〉 28. and Nicephorus Callistus yea all these Autors writing the life of S. Clement make mention of this myracle Ephrem B. of Chersona and Gregory B of Towres report another strange and admirable myracle as that a woman going with her litle infant a pilgrimage to this place and being in the Church where the body of the blessed martir lay The infant fell fast on sleep and the seuen daies being passed and expired the sea encreased and returned to the wonted place in such hast that the mother of the child which slept whether fearing the speedy flowing of the water or els vpon forgetfulnes saued her self and left him there behind her When shee was escaped all daunger and the sea was risen to the shore remembring then that shee had left her litle sonne behind her shee showed great signes of dollour and grief yet she knew not what to do but ranne now hither now thither by the seashore and looked about that at the least shee might see the dead body of her litle infant but shee could not so shee returned home to her house sadde pensiue and discomfortable and passed all that year in continuall lamentation When the yearly day of the martirdome of this holy saint came againe she made another iourney vnto the sepulcher and comyng to the same shee found her litle sonne sleeping sweetly euen as shee had left him the year before Shee took him in her aâ—mes and kissed him ofte and weeping for ioy and tendernes asked him what had become of him all that year The infant answered her that he knew not that a yeare was passed for he had slept all the while Then in the time of Pope Nicholas 1. being in the yere 860. the body of S. Clement by the ordynance of God as it may well be beleeued was taken out of that place in the sea by a holy man called Cyrillus and was carried vnto Rome buried in a Church builded vnto his name The same Pope caused also another Church to be built in the Island where the fountayn sprang vp by the prayer of S. Clement and intituâ—ed it also to his name S. Clement was Pope 9. years 2. months and 10. dayes He gaue orders twise in the month of December and ordered 15. Bishops 10. priests and 21. deacons The Catholike Church celebrateth his feast on the day of his martirdome which was on the. 23. of Nouember in the year of our Lord 102. In the time
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
them though they shall suffer before thee thou shalt be crowned with the crowne of martyrdome With this the Angell vanished awaie and Catherine was led before the Emperour the great and famous philosophers of the gentiles being on the other side against her There resorted vnto this great meeting an infinite companie of noblemen and gentlemen The philosopher that was accounted more learned theÌ„ the rest turning toward Catherine and as it were in scoffing manner said disdainfully vnto her Art thou shee that with saucy and malapert words hast so wronged our Gods yea said Catherine I am euen shee yet I do it not with saucie and malapâ—rt words as thou saiest but with true and certeine arguments The philosopher replied If thou hast read the famous poets thou shouldest also haue noted the statelie and magnificent names that they attribute vnto them farre different and more honorable then those that thou giuest them S. Catherine answered what be those ports and what be the names they giue vnto thy Gods The philosopher said Homer is one of them who calleth Iupiter the most glorious and greatest Orpheus also a famous poet speaking of Apollo the sonne of Latona calleth him potent that seeth and comaundeth mortall men These by them honored and highlie esteemed and called Gods you cannot shew me that any of them said that a crucified man was a God To this S. Catherine answered It is true the poets that thou hast named giue vnto thy Gods names of excellencie yet with all thou canst not deny but many times they lay vpon them most hainous crymes and abhominable deedes Mark what Homer chieif of the poets saith of Iupiter Sometimes he calleth him a lyer and peruerse then a deceiuer and that the other Gods haue coÌ„spired to chaine him with fetters that if he had not bene certified thereof he had come into manifest daunger Orpheus also who is the other poet thou hast named saith of thy Gods that they know not the troubles and afflictions of men and when they do know them they cannot deliuer them out of them Sophocles also affirmeth that those that adore and do reuerence to the statues and Idolls of many Gods do euill and offend greeuously for saith hee there is but one true God which is none of these who created heauen and earth and all that is therein Where you saie that IESVS CHRIST crucified whom I adore is not famous nor knowne of the poets and ancient wise men this sheweth plainlie your small reading Know therefore that the Sibills were renowned for their excellent skill in poetrie being illuminated by the holie Ghost One of the Siâ—ills wrot long before it came to passe that IESVS CHRIST should be taken by enuy and slaine by his owne people That he should rise againe and ascend into heauen and that he should come at the last daie to Iudge the quick and the dead Another Sibill said IESVS CHRIST being God is made man conuerseth with men and doth great marueiles and miracles both on the sea and land But let vs leaue the Sibills The same Apollo not vsing his accustomed dark manner of speeche said in plaine words long before it came to passe He that is the light and splendor of heauen he that is God and man hath suffred not in the diuinitie but in his bodie he hath suffred reproaches and was buried he hath shed many teares form his eyes he fed 5000. men in the wildernes with bread by the power of God â—he was crucified and dyed on the Crosse was buried and after ascended into heauen These be the words of Apollo thy God and by his oppinion thou oughtest not to adore him but him whom he calleth God These and the like were the words of S. Catherine alleadging the sayings and sentences of the philosophers and wisemen who contemned the Gods of the Gentiles proouing how coÌ„trarie it was to good philosophie to saie there should be many Gods But yet if it were possible that there should be many Iupiter Saturne Mars the others which the pagans adored were not nor could not be Gods for certaine it is that they were men And if they had bene good for any respect or had done any notable proffit vnto the people by their industrie or new inuâ—ntion as of plowing and reaping graine of making armour of defence or offence and such like yet in some respects they were most bad and vitious The holie virgin prosecuted her speach and declated what IESVS CHRIST preached of his life his deeds his miracles and shewed how they were all conformable to the nature of God This holie sainte spake these things so discreetlie and eloquentlie and with such feruencie of spirite that is was most euident and apparant that it was the work of God and that within her was somewhat more then humane wisedome And in such sort that the philosopher which began the disputation was not only conuinced but also turned to her side whereof he gaue plaine proof by his words The Emperour perswaded the other philosophers to take the defence of the matter which the chief had giuen ouer as being ouercome and to dispute with the damsell but they answered that it was to no purpose For now their chief man being vanquished they were also ouercome And they confessed withall that the damosell had said truth and that themselues till that time had benâ— blind worshippers of those for Gods which were not so indeed and that there was but one God to wit IESVS CHRIST whom Catherine confessed and adored It cannot be expressed how these words caused the Emperour to storme and rage which he shewed by this for without staie or obseruing any order of law or course of Iustice or without any examination he commaunded there should be kindled a huge fire to burne them all to ashes The fire being kindled forth with the wisemen fell at the feet of S. Catherine and weeping besought her to praie vnto God for them that he would pardon the sinnes they had committed against him through ignorance and they said they were prepared and desirous to receaue the sacrament of Baptisme The glorious saint reioycing in spirite as we maie well think to haue gained so good a praie animated them saying Assure your selues that God will pardon you since that for his sake you leaue the earthlie king and loose your owne liues The fire which is prepared shal be in steed of Baptisme vnto you and shall cleanse your soules that they maie be forth with presented vnto God who will bestow vpon you a reward for the seruice you now do vnto him These words confirmed the wisemen exceedinglie and they often making the signe of the Crosse and naming IESVS CHRIST were in this manner cast into the fire where they yealded their soules vnto God on the 17. daie of Nouember Some Christians came in the euening to gather together the reliques of the saints and they found their bodies entire and whole and not a haire of their heads
perished God suffered this to shew and manifest the new friendship he had made with theÌ„ This strange accident caused many pagans to be conuerted to the faith The Emperour was sollicitous what he should do with Catherine and it came into his head to deale mildlie and louinglie with her He made her great offers and promises and said vnto her yong and tender damosell be content at least to do sacrifice vnto Mercurius father of the Muses of whom thou hast receaued thy great wisedome and vnto whom thou art much bound If thou do but this thou shalt remaine in my pallace I will haue the same care of thee as I haue of myne owne daughter The blessed virgin answered him loose not time in vsing such flattering and deceitfull words those cannot perswade me for I had rather lose a 1000. liues then to forsake the profession of IESVS CHRIST my God whose pleasure is without any desert of myne to take me for his spouse and to giue me those Iewells which he giueth to his best beloued and I hope he will giue me the garment of Martyrdome which I more esteeme then all the purple and princelie roabes that be Aduise thy self said the Emperour or I will cloth thee with the purple roabe thou speakest of and I will cause thee though against my will to be put to most cruell torments S. Catherine answered do what pleaseth thee for thy torments be they neuer so cruell will quicklie end but the reward that I shall enioye shall endure for euer I hope IESVS CHRIST my spouse will giue me grâ—ce that by my meanes many of thy house and familie shall obtaine eternall life and be saued It pleased Almightie God to confirme in heauen the words his holie seruant spoke vpon earth The Emperour beginning now to shew rigor and seueritie against her caused her to be stripped naked which was no smalle affliction vnto the modest virgin being so honest and shamefast as to be seene naked in the sight of so many people After she was stripped the Emperour commaunded she should be beaten with all cruellty and the officers for two houres together whipped that yong and tender virgin Her bodie and flesh which before was as white as snow was altred in coullor being black and blew all bathed in her owne bloud This did so pittie the standers by that many of them wept aboundaÌ„tly The holie damosell endured this torment so couragiously as though her body had bene made of stone and not of flesh yet no man could imagine it seing the bloud run downe in streames ouer all her bodie Then the holie sainte was taken from the torment and put into a dark dongeon a watch being set that none should dresse her wounds nor giue her any comfort yea he forbad also to giue her any meat The mallice of man is of no force against the power of God as apeareth by this God prouiding all necessarie things for his spouse by the ministerie of his faithfull seruants the Angells who not only comforted her but also cured her and brought her victualls And for twelue daies that she remained in prison a doue prouided her things necessarie S. Catherine remaining thus in prison the Empresse Faustina desired to visite her which at the last she did by the meanes of a great captaine of the Emperours called Porphirius The Empresse had heard much of Catherine and had affection vnto her in her absence but when she had seene her and heard her profound speaches and enioyed her delightfull conuersation it came to passe that she Porphirius and 200. souldiers of the Emperours guard receiued the faith of CHRITS and were made Christians with a firme purpose to laie downe their liues for the profession of his name when occasion serued The twelue daies being expired the Emperour caused her to be taken out of prison for he vndersterstood she was yet aliue which made him to wonder both for that she had bene so long without meaâ— as also for that her bodie was in so pittifull estate as the whipping had brought it vnto He was much astonied to see her more cherfull then before for that in stead of beatings imprisonment famine and other afflictions it seemed she had bene in continuall comforts and cherishings Vpon which occasion the Emperour with a dissembling and fained smile said vnto her Trulie thou deseruest to be an Empresse for thy excellent parts and rate beautie The virgin said It is to no purpose to esteeme or regard temporall beautie which is soone lost the estimation and account must be made of the beautie that lasteth for euer which the saints in heauen enjoy With this there came vnto the Emperour a gouernour being a conning enginer but of cruell disposition and said vnto him My Lord if you be pleased I will inuent and make an engine wherewith this rebellious damosell shall either do that which you commaund or els she shall be torne in pieces vnto death This engine shal be made with foure wheeles in the which shal be sawes of Iron sharp nalles and sharp knifes the wheeles shal be turned one against another and the sawes the knifes and the naiâ—es shall meete and when they be mooued they shall make such a noise as when she seeth them she shall fall downe with feare and so she shal be brought to do your will but if she be still stubbeâ—ne in her opinion she shall be put betweene the wheeles and shall dye a most cruell death This wretched inuention pleased the Emperour well and he commaunded the engine to be made vp within three daies In that time he laboured to perswade the holie virgin to leaue her stubbernesse and not to be so obstinate but seing that he laboured in vaine that the engine was now readie he brought the holie saint thither and caused the wheeles to be turned in her sight She showing no signe of feare he commaunded to tye her to one of the wheeles to the end that the other being turned the contrarie waie might rent her bodie in diuers places with the sharp instruments S. Catherine was tyed to a wheele and they laid their hands on the other wheele to turne it about but it fell our farre otherwise then was expected by the cursed wretches for an Angell of God descended from heauen who brake the bands where with the virgin was tyed and she fell to the ground without any hurt Then the same Angell strook the wheeles which fell among the pagans and killed many of them Those which escaped the daunger by running awaie cryed out with a loud voice Great is the God of the Christians This altred not the wicked Emperour from his cursed purpose but he studying to dâ—uise new torments for S. Catherine the Empresse his wife came vnto him and sharplie reprooued him for his crueltie vsed against that holie damosell and the other Christians and told him plainlie that she also was a Christian The Emperor astonied and almost madde with anger to see
of their coming The holie Bishop fetching a great sigh made them this answere Arrius is already dead in the sight of God for that he hath so grieuously blasphemed against the diuine essence denying that there is one naturality of all the three persons Peter then took the two priests aside and said to them in secret Although I be a grieuous sinner God out of his mercy hath called me to martyrdome and I will shew you part of mistery reueiled vnto me and I do it the rather for that you two are to succeed me in this dignitie wherein I now am the one after the other first Achillas and then Alexander I was at my prayers with great attention as my custome is and on a so daine IESVS CHRIST my Lord and God appeared to me in the likenes of a little infant The glorie of his face could not be seene so great was the splendour and brightnes that did proceed from it He was apparailed with a long harment which reached downe to the ground but it was rent from the toppe to the bottome and with his two hands he pulled it together to couer the nakednâ—s of his breast which when I saw I was in a great feare but after being somewhat reuyued I asked him Omy Lord IESV what is this that I see how petifully is this your garment torne And he answered me Thou talkest often hereof but doest not endeuour to know it But know thou that Arrius hath done this evill vnto me who seeketh to get away may people from me which be my heritaâ—ge and which I haue purchased with the shedding of my very deerest blood This which thou hast seene I wishe thee to shew to Aquila and Alexander which are to succeed the that they may as thou hast done Anathematize and excomunicate him that his soule may he saued This being saied and charging and enioyning them so to do it being the will of God he dissimissed them and sent them away in peace And it happened that people perseuering and awayting at the dore of the prison for the defence of the life of their Pastor to auoyd a tumult and the effusion of blood the tirannous ministers of the Emperour gaue direction and order that in the nigh at the officers should make a breach through the back side of the prison and take out of the same the holie Bissop Peter and to lead him to the place where S. mark had before time beene martyred and euen thus the cruell officers did and there beheadded him His body wad buryed in the same cittie of Alexandria by the Christians This was on a wedensday being the 26. of Nouember on which day the Church celebrateth his feast And it was in the yeare of our Lord 312. Maximinus being Emperour Of this holie saint maketh mention the Councell of Ephesus and the seuenth generall Synode S. Gregorie Nazianzene Eusebius in his 8 book 14. Chapter and 9. book 6. chapt Nicephorus The Tripartite historie Vsuardus Venerable Bede and Ado. The life of S. Saturnine Martyr OVR first father Adam hauing offended Almightie God in breaking his comandement God â—â—ioyned him in penance for his sinne to digge and till the ground Hereof it cometh that all men being partakers of his sinne for as S. Paul saith all sinned in him we be also partakers of his penance and punishment So it befell to S. Saturnine that glorious martyr who being old was condemned by the Emperour Maximian to labour about the building of certaine Thermi or hote bathes by carying sand morter and stones from one place to another though the cause why he suffred this slauery and drudgery was not for any sinne he had comitted but only for that he was a Christiane which this tyrant hold and accounted to be the most heynous offence of all other and therefore he layd on him these grieuous afflictions The life of this holie martyr with the life of S. Marcellus the Pope was written by the notaries of the Romaine Church and is rehersed by Laurence Surius in this manner The Emperour Maximian returning from Africa to Rome and being desirous to please Dioclesian that had aduanced him to high estate and made him his partner in the Empire and knowing that Dioclesian had comaunded certaine artificiall hote Bathes to be made was very dilligent to further and hasten the workes for which cause he comaunded all them that were conuicted of any grieuous or heynous oftences among which he held and accounted the Christians not to be the least to worâ—k and labour about that building vnder a saffe guard and watch hauing many ouerseers and masters ouer them Among other that were condemned to this slauery an honorable old man called Saturnine was one His work was to digge sand and to carry it from one place to another and for that through his weakenes and debillitie of age he fainted and tyred oftentimes and was not able to doe his taske as the ouerseers of the work required they often rated and reuiled him But he was holpen out very charitably by other Christian that were yonger and especially by one Sisinnius who carried those burdens that were apointed for himself and most of those that belonged to Saturnine and that so cheerefully that they went singing Hâ—mnes and psalmes in the praise of IESVS CHRISTE The surueiors of the work wondering at the same acquainted a Tribune called Spuriuâ— there with and he certyfied the Emperour Maximian thereof who comaunded they should be brought to his presence They being before him he said to Sisinnius what is your name Sisinnius answered I am a sinner and a seruant of the seruants of IESVS CHRIST and I am called Sisinnius The Emperour said vnto him what verses be those that you sing as you work Sisinnius answered If thou diddst vnderstand them or haddst notice of theÌ„ thou shouldest also know thy ceator who is the Creator said Maximian but the inuincible Hercules To vs Christians said Sisinnius it is a thing abhominable and detestable to speak such a word or to name him in such sort Choose one of these two things said the Emperour eyther sacrifice to our God Hercules or els assure thy self thou shalt be put to a terrible death Sisinnius answered I haue alwaies desired to dye in that manner and to be worthie to obtaine the crowne of Martiredome for the profession and loue of my Lord IESVS CHRIST Maximian chasing at these wordes deliuered him to Laodicio a prefect charging him either to compell Sisinnius and Saturnine to sacrifice to their Gods or els to put them to a cruell death He put them into prison where they remained a while and there they conuerted many Pagans to the faith of CHRIST Then were they taken out from thence loaden with giues and fetters bare foote and barelegged and so lâ—d into a Temple to do sacrifice when they were brought before the Idoll Saturnine lifted vp his voyce and sayd O lord confound the Idolls of the Gentilles At these wordes the
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
a mase fearing it had bene a craft and deceyt of the deuill or pollycie of some of his ennemyes At the end seeing it to be good Gold he sett feare aside and for that he knew not his benefactor he rendered vnto God infinite thanks and sayd O Lord I know that thou art indeed very mercyfull since thou vsest such curtesy and benignity towards me I studyed to offend thee and thou hast holpen me and the help hath bin such that I am thereby obliged rather to lose my life then once thinke to offend thee I am hartily sorry for my former determynation and I ask pardon most humbly of thee This poore man thought he could with this Gold prouide for one of his daughters and so he did for he maâ—ryed lier according to his estate When S. Nicholas heard thereof he was very glad and purposed in his mynd to giue the man meanes to marry his other two daughters this his determynation he put in effect gyuing him as much Gold as he did before and with that the poore man bestowed his second daughrer in marriage This poore man desirous to knowe his benefactor vnto whom he was so much obliged watched almost continually to see if he returned any more since one of his daughters was not yet sett out this was not in vaine for the holy man returned and cast asmuch Gold in at the wyndow as at the first The poore man who stood close ranne after Nicholas and calling vnto him fell at his fâ—et and kissed them sayeng Oh Nicholas why didst thou hide thee from me wherefore wouldest thou not let me know him vnto whom I was so much obliged Thou hast holpen me in my necessity thou hast deliuered my soule from hell and the bodyes of my daughters from infamy if God had not moued thy hart to do that which thou hast done I and my daughters had liuâ—d in necessity in infamy and shame and afterward in the next world we should haue been cast into perpetuall torment and damnation in hell fire By thy meanes God hath raised the poore out of the myre and the needy from the dunghill All the while the poore man talked thus he kissed the feete of S. Nicholas and shed reares in great aboundance S. Nicholas was much displeased that the thing he handled so couertly was made manifest for he desired to haue had it secret and therefore he asked in way of guerdon of the poore man to keepe the pleasure he had done him secret but his request was in vaine for as long as the poore man liued wheresoeuer he went he published openly this act of the holy saint and other such good deeds done by him to other although this only be recounted in this place The Bishop of the city who was vncle vnto S. Nicholas was exercised alâ—o in vertuous works and among other things hauing founded a monastery of religious men thought Nicholas a fitt man to be their superiour He moued it vnto him and with great difficulty he got him to yield he was so humble and so vnwilling to take any charge vpoÌ„ him wherein he was to haue authority or coÌ„maundement yet coÌ„tinued he in that office certain years then being desirous of greater perfection he determined to goe into a desert but first he had a desire to visite the holy land To this end he was embarked and hauing entred the voyage the sky being cleare and the sea quiet he told the maryners that shortly there would be a hydeous storme for he had seene the deuill enter in the shippe with a naked sword in his hand menassing to kill all the men in the same Shortly after came the storme S. Nicholas had foretold wherefore the Maryners reputed him for a holy man and being out of hope to escape they resorted vnto him requesting him to pray for them So he prayed vnto God and the storme was asswaged It befell in the same voiage that a maryner mending or dressing the sailes fell downe froÌ„ aloft into the shippe dyed with the fall All the maryners were sorowfull for it S. Nicholas prayed for him and he rose on his feet without any hurt He arryued in Palestina and visited the place where CHRIST our Lord was Crucified his sepulcher and the other holy places and being desirous to liue retired in the deserts of Syria he had a reuelation from God commaunding him to returne into his owne country for he would not haue his seruice in the desert but in some other place S. Nicholas to obey this reuelatioÌ„ was embarked in another shippe the maryners deceitfully carried him toward Alexandria but wheÌ„ he came neere theruÌ„to the wynd chaÌ„ged and against their wills the shippe came into a hauen of Lycia his natiue countrey vnto which place they had agreed to carry him When the mariners perceued this maruellous accident they were amased and in great dread and craued pardon of the saint who returned vnto his monastery wherein he was receaued by the monks with great ioy for they were grieued much with the former absence of their good father and pastor S. Nicholas staied with them a good space but for that they honored him much and also because he knew that God would dispose of him otherwise he determyned to go vnto the city of Mirrea which was the head city of that prouince being also very populous and S. Nicholas thought he might haue liued there vnknowne It came to passe that when as Nicholas came into the Citty therein were assembled some Bishops of the Citties adiacent with the cleargie of that citty to choose a Bishop for the same wherefore euery one made their prayers vnto God to giue them grace to make a good election and it was reuealed vnto one of the Bishops that was an anciant man and of good life that Gods will was that he who entred first the church on the next day whose name was Nicholas should be elected by them to be Bishop of the citty The good olde Bishoppe tolde his vision to the other prelates and the rest of the cleargie This caused them to remaine all night in the Church awaiting in the next morning to see him whoÌ„ God had elected vnto that dâ—gnitie They were all in prayer and the olde Bishoppe stoode at the Church dooâ—e to see who came first into the Church S. Nicholas had bene at his prayers in his lodging from midnight as his custome was and when day was come he went vnto the Church and as he came to the doore the olde Bishop came vnto him and asked who he was and what was his name the holy Saint answered with great humility and said he was a poore sinner and that his name was Nicholas The Bishop looking in his face thought him to be a person worthy of great reuerence he respected also his name which was correspondent vnto the reuelation he had and said with a ioyfull and chearefull voice My bretheren come you hither here is the Bishop beholde you this
and diminishing many things so that at the last he ordained a particuler office for his Church He composed many Hymnes Antiphonaries and Responsories some of the which are vsed to this day in the Catholike Church Whilest the diuine office was celebrated hee would haue all the cleargie very attent and to vse deuotion And to the end it might be done with more decency and maiesty he would not permitte that any lay or seculer man should remaine among the cleargie were they neuer so great and mighty yea one time seing the Emperour Theodosius to be place among the Priests he told him his place was not there and that the purple garment made him not a Priest The good Emperour obeyed and replied not yea the zeale and the Christian boldnes of Ambrose did so please Theodosius that on a time being in Constantinople the Patriarch inuited him to sit in a seat in the quier among the cleargy The Emperour answered that it was not his place and that only Ambrose of all that he had seene deserued to be called a Bishop for the zeale he had of Gods honor and of the reputation of his Church hauing put him out of that place whereunto the Patriarch did inuite him and with these words he commended Ambrose and reprehended the Patriarch Moreouer this holy saint was busied continually in composing and writing of the workes whereof the Church maketh great vse all which he wrote with his owne hand and that he vsed to doe euen vnto his death He preached also ordinarily vnto the people and alwayes he persecuted the Arrians vnto whom he was a deadly enemy He reduced many vnto the faith and many he wholly conuerted of whom one was the great Augustine who by meanes of his sermons and priuate conferences forsooke the sect and error wherein he was drowned for he could not be called an heretike bacause he was not baptised S. Ambrose himselfe did baptise him and at his baptisme they two did compose that canâ—cle vsed and frequented by the Church in the time of ioy which beginneth with Te deum laudamus S. Ambrose saying one verse and S. Augustine another euen to the end thereof This good Bishop baptised many other also and as S. Paulinus saith the only trauell to baptize so many people was sufficient to hold fiue Bishops in worke Moreouer he was very carefull and dilligent in helping poore men prisoners and other needy persons The gold and siluer which fell to his part of his patrimony being a great somme which hee had when he was made Bishop he bestowed all partly in ornaments of his Church and partly to the poore for at that time his mother was dead also He bestowed the possessions which remained vnto his Church vpon this condition that his sister might haue the profit of them during her life He reserued nothing for himselfe that naked and needy he might the better follow CHRIST that was poore and needy This holy saint was of a noble and gratious condition he laughed and was merry with them that were merry and also lamented with them that were in sorrow When any man confessed vnto him any heynous sinne he lamented so greeuously that he caused the penitent to sorrow were he neuer so hard harted When he knew of any sinne out of confession he vsed great dilligence for thee amendment and that he did secretly And many times he obtained his purpose aswell by the meanes of his prayer as of his mild correction When he heard that any priest was dead whom he had knowen to be a man studious and of good life he receiued great sorrow thereof and neuer ceased to lament for it And if he was asked why he did so he would answer there were two causes the one was because a man that worthily exerciseth the function of a Priest was hard to be found the other was because he was dead before him Such was the life of S. Ambrose and yet there were some that persecuted him For the Emperour Valentinian dying the Empresse Iustina who was secretly an Arrian had dissembled during her husbands life began to discouer he venime and poison Valentinian her sonne who remained Emperor in Italy being very young vpon which ground this wicked woman began to persecute the Catholiks and specially S. Ambrose as the chiefe of them One time there was an election to be made of a Bishop in the Citty of Sirmium The Catholikes desired to haue one Annemius a man of vertuous life to be Bishop and S. Ambrose going thither at their request to further it the election was made accordingly But because the Empresse Iustina being present laboured that S. Ambrose should not consecrate him but that an Arrian Bishop should the people were congregated in the Church for that purpose and on the one side sate the holy saint and on the other side sate the Empresse with many Ladies and damosels attending on her with other Courtiers The Empresse said to her Ladies that she was heauy to see Ambrose do that office wherupon one of her women more presumptuous then the rest thinking to please the Empresse therewith arose and went vnto the chaire of the holy saint with intention to bring him as it were by force vnto the place where the Empresse sate meaning to vse some violence or abuse toward him and to thrust him out of the Church The mild Bishop with patience putting the presumptuous woman froÌ„ him said vnto her Although I be not worthy of this place and office yet it is not lawfull to put me away and to detaine me from laying hands on this Priest Well said he take heed thou beest not shortly punished by God As S. Ambrose said so it came to passe for on the next day that wretched woman dyed and the holy saint honoured her by accompanying her corps vnto the graue The Empresse and the other Arrians beholding this accident knew not what to doe and so S. Ambrose consecrated the Catholike Bishop without any further disturbance The holy Doctor went then to Rome as Marcus Marulus saith of him he lodged in the house of a rich man who boasted that in all his life he had receaued no great misfortune of affliction S. Ambrose called his cleargimen assoone as he heard it and said vnto them Let vs depart from hence lest vnto vs happeÌ„ some euill with this fortunate man and assoone as he was departed out of the house they saw the earth to open and swallow it and all that was within it At Rome S. Ambrose visited his sister and that damosell that kept her company who now was ancient in yeares This was that young woman that laughed at him when he being a child did hold out his hand that she might kisse it saying vnto her that he should be a Bishop and the holy saint remembred her of it when she kneeled downe before him requesting that the might kisse his hand S. Ambrose also visited a great Lady at his sisters request who desired
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
neuer arose because she neuer fell The other reason is the holy Catholicke Church celebrateth the feast of the Conception of the B. Virgin not with the title and name of sanctification but of Conception which was on the 8. day of December And this is not instituted for particuler Churches to celebrate but it is instituted to be kept generally in all Christendome since the breuiary of Pius 5. which is receiued by all the Church Finally I conclude that among all the feasts solemnised of the B. Virgin none is so solemnely celebrated by the faithfull as this is and that is done to shew her vertue nobilitie the more thereby and in respect of the great good which beginneth this day for vs all Let vs also consider what a great mayne we should haue had to haue wanted the glorie that we shall receiue by her company in heauen And though that the essentiall glory of the saints proceed from God yet receiue they also a very great accidentall glory from the company of the B. Virgin for though the estate of the kingdome dependeth of the King yet alwayes or for the most part particuler feasts and triumphes as iusts torneys daunces maskes and other pleasant shewes are made for the honour of the Queene and of her Ladies and damosels So also is it in heauen but in another manner it is cleare that there is accidentall glory with ioyes and triumphes continually made for the mother of God But we wretches heere in the world what should we doe without the glorious Virgin to whom should we haue recourse in our troubles and necessities Who should comfort vs who should giue vs helpe who will shew themselues so pittifull and mercifull as this glorious Virgin when we call vpon her deuoutely how great our lost and dammage should be without this gratious mother may be known by the great ioy we ought to make this day of her conception in the which she began to haue her beginning in this world Let vs then reioyce and solemnize this day confessing our selues deuout to this B. mother and her pure Conception that as many haue beene fauoured by her that haue done so some being deliuered from most dangerous perills and others hauing obtained particuler fauours So wee also being deliuered by her meanes from our offences faults may merit to obtaine euerlasting life Amen Spa Cesar Baronius saith in his martyrologe that this feast was first celebrated in England and after at Lyons and then in other countries The life of S. Melchiades Pope and Martir WE read in Leuiticus that God commaunded that salt should be put in all their sacrifices if that any offred sacrifice and did not put salt therin it was not gratefull vnto him neither did he accept in In ihis our Lord would giue vs to vnderstand that in all our works though they be good in themselfs yet must they be done with prudence for if they be done otherwise in steed of seruing him they shall offend him Almese is a good thing yet of one giue almose vnto a strager and let necessaryes in his owne house and for his children be wanting this pleaseth not God Good and holy is prayer but if one kneele on the ground to say his prayer and shall leaue vndone something vnto which he is bound this his work shall not be altogether good One cannot deny but the Communyon is a very holy thing neuertheles if one that is wycked hath a conscience clogged and burdened with mortall synne will â—et comnunicate he doth loose more thereby then he gayneth Fasting is a good thing but he thaâ— will fâ—st as do the Iewes and the moores in stâ—ed of doing the action of a Christian he shall giue a signe to be a painime And therefore we should do well to put the salt of prudence in all our works The holy pope and martir Melchiades considering this made a decree by which he commaunded that the faithfull should not fast vpon the sonday and thursday for that on one of those dayâ—s the Iewes fasted and the moores on the other and a Christian ought not only auoid to be a moore or a Iewe but also to make any shew to be such a one The not fasting the sunday remaineth in generall vse but that of Thursday is growne out of vse The Christian wâ—eÌ„ he fasteth ought to haue the intention pure not to do inwardly as the Iewes and moores do though be doth the same thing outwardly that they do The life of this holy saint was written in this maner by Damasus and other Authors Melchiades the pope was an African and succeceeded Eusebius in the papacy From the time of S. Peter vnto his popedome there had bene 20. popes which had bene martired for the faith of IESVS CHRIST There is extant an epistle of Melchiades written vnto the Bishops of Spaine in the which he sheweth himself to be a godly and lerned man In that epistle he saith that all the Apostles acknowledged S. Peter to be their superior And by cause those Bishops bad moued a question which was the greater sacrament Baptisme or CoÌ„firmation he answered sayeng that Baptisme is of greater necessity for that without it none can be saued but that confirmation was of greater dignity for that none giue it but a Bishop And then he reciteth vnto them the effects of the one and the other sacrament Moreouer he treateth of the great profit the Apostles receaued by the comming of the holy Ghost and how great the goods be Christians attaine by receauing the holy Ghost in Baptisme and then in Confirmation In the same epistle he ordeined that which is already aforesaid viz that Christians should not fast on the sunday and thursday to avoid the imitation of the Iewes and the paynims Melchiades found in Rome many heretiks of the Manichees against whoÌ„ he ordeined many things apperteinyng to the offerings and other dueties to be done in Church Some Authors say that in the time of this pope was celebrated the prouinciall councell of Neocesarea which is at this day called Trapezunda in which be ordeined some things perteyning vnto the state of the Church conformable vnto that time Lastly Melchiades hauing gouerned the Church as Damasus saith 3. yeares 7. months and 8. dayes hauing giuen holy orders one time in the month of December and ordered 6. priests 5. deacons and 11. Bishops was martyred in the tyme of the emperor Maxentius about the year of our Lord 304. Some say that Maximinus did put him to death but in my opinion they are deceiued for that Maximinus persecuted the Christians in Alexandria and Egipt and not in Rome for there Maxentius always remayned and vsed intollerable cruelty vntill the time that Constantine depriued him of his Empire and of his life also The Church celebrateth the feast of this pope on the 10. day of December and his body was buryed in the Churchyard of Callistus in the Via Appia The life of S. Damasus
in clothes and laid in a manger O thou blessed Angell these signes that thou giuest are more like to make one misse God theÌ„ to find him How is God an infant God wrapped in clothes God in a manger Haue regard what thou saiest thou glorious Angell for all these things denote and shew basenes contrarie to the state and maiestie of God The Angell replyed beleeue me it is as I haue said God without being changed hath made a wonderfull mutation He being eternall is now a little infant newlie borne He whom the earth cannot containe and for whom the heauens are too little is now in a poore small chamber wrapped in course clothes God who hath his seat aboue the Cherubins at this present is laid to rest in a manger of beasts O great misterie O strange wonder All yee that be full of curiositie and loue to heare things the like were neuer heard and to see strange maruailes the like were neuer seene see and consider this marualie Go to the stall of Bethleem with the sheapheards to see God a little infant newlie borne to see the Virgin Mother that hath brought forth a child and that in so strange admirable a place Let me aduise and counsell you that you goe not thither with emptie hands since the poore sheapheards brought presents vnto him Let vs carry that which is most agreeable for our profit He was found in a base place let vs bring vnto him humillitie He lamented let vs come vnto him shedding teares for that we haue offended him Let vs beseech him to vse vs fauourablie and to shew his mercy toward vs since he was borne for that end and purpose And in especiall let vs beseech him that among all others he will do vs this fauour that is to giue vs that grace that we may be worthie to enioy his glorie Amen Nicephorus Callistus saith that the Emperour Iustinian commaunded that the feast of the natiuitie of our Lord should be celebrated Before the time of this Emperour this festiuall day was celebrated in some particuler Churches But he hauing as we may assuredlie thinke conferred the matter with the Pope the Bishop of Rome ordained it to be celebrated vniuersallie through all Christendome on the 25. of December and on the same manner as it is kept at this present accompanying the same with other festiuall dayes as of S. Stephen S. Iohn and of the holie Innocents The aboue-named Iustinian gouerned the Empire in the yeare of our Lord. 565. The natiuitie of our Sauiour CHRIST was in the yeare of the world 3962. by the most common receaued opinion The life of S. Anastasia Martyr KING Dauid talking with God in the person of the martyrs saith We be passed by fire and water and thou hast brought vs into a place of refreshing This maie be well applyed to the glorious martyr S. Anastasia who after a long imprisonment suffred martyrdomes the one of water the other of fire and being deliuered from the one by meanes of the other her blessed soule obtained the place of refreshing which she enioyeth at this present in heauen The life of his holie saint was described in the manner that ensueth by venerable Bede and Ado Archbishop of Treuers SAINT Anastasia was borne in Rome and was maried vnto Publius a noble man of great account but yet a pagan He hauing knowledge that his wife gaue much almose vnto the Christians which were in prison iudged that she was a Christian also And fearing to loose his goods though he had the greater part thereof in mariage with her he determined to accuse her the persecution of Dioclesian and Maximian being at that season very sharp and rigorous And least any other should accuse her and so gâ—t his goodes he determined to do it first him self This cruell man shut her vp in a chamber where he kept her many daies giuing her meaâ— by stint and measure and entending to famish her he did euerie daie dâ—minish it Whilest the holie saint remained thus in prison she wrote certaine letters to a holie martyr called Crisâ—gonus who was likewise in prison and returned her answeres whereat she receiued great consolation Shortlie after Anastasia was freed of her imprisonment but she fell into other troubles for she was taken by a gouernour who kept her two months in prison where shee was relieued by a good and vertuous woman called Theodora who was martyred also afterward The two months being expired the gouernour put her in a Bark together with 270. Christians men and women that they might be cast into the sea The officers performed the decree of the gouernour yet the water pardoned and did not drowne them but cast them on the shore in saftie in the Iles called Palmaria To that place came the gouernour of Illiria or Sâ—lauonia with his souldiers who had in charge also to put the Christians to death He put them againe in prison and tormented them after diuers manners S. Anastasia was bound to foure postes somewhat high from the ground and when they had racked her by the hands and feet in most cruell sort they kindled a fire vnder her which by litle and litle depriued her of her mortall life whereby she obtained life euerlasting Among these holie Martyrs there was one called Eâ—titianus a man verie rich plaine and void of mallice From this man they took all his goods of which he seemed to make no regard and if any thing had bene spoken to him thereof he would answere thus Take from me what you will yea all that I haue to lose you shall take my head before you take CHRIST from me The bodie of S. Anastasia half consumed was buried by a matrone called Appolonia after she had dressed it with costlie oyntments And when she had many times embraced and kissed it she wrapped it in most pure white linnen and buried it in a garden she had where shortlie after she caused a Church to be builded after the name of the saint This glorious martyr is one of the saints named in the Canon of the masse which is no small priuiledge Her martyrdome was about the yeare of our Lord 300. Dioclesian and Maximian being Emperours on the 25 of December And because on that daie the natiuitie of CHRIST is celebrated the commemoration of this saint is only made in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masse of the three which on that daie are 〈◊〉 Some write that Pope Telesphorus ordeined that three Masses should be said on that daie And some Authors saie that the first Masse signifieth the Gentiles who were in a manner blind in their Idollatrie and therfore it is said at midnight The second is said at break of day when the light is seene although but a litle and this signifieth the Hebrewes who had some light from God which was but litle for they had all things in figures and shadowes The third Masse which is said at the cleare daie signifieth the Christians who haue the cleare light of
of the Church Afterwards kneeling vpoÌ„ his knees continuing his prayers his enemies crying out kill him kill him his head was clouen with many woundes all lighting in one place his braines were scattered about the ground his bodie did fall close besides the Aultar before which he had offered himselfe to God as a sacrifize The Monkes and cleargie men fearing to leese that precious treasure of their Prelats bodie assembling together did strippe him of his cloathes found all his bodie from the neck to the knees couered with a rough haire shirt and his breeches also made of hairecloth With this token of his santity the remeÌ„brance of his vertues they did shed many teares saying one vnto another how farre was he from affecting the Crowne and seeking after earthly honour that did so despise and chastize his owne flesh as if it had bin his mortall enemies They apparailed him in his Pontificall roabes and buried him before the aultar of S. Iohn Baptist and of S. Augustine first Bishop of that citty God that is wonderful in his sainctes working manie miracles to witnesse his santity and glorie This renowned champion of IESVS CHRIST Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of England Legate of the Sea Apostolique and glorious martyr suffered in the yeare of our Lord 1171. in the 53 yeare of his age scarce a moneth after his exile after he had bin Prelate 12. yeares 5. whereof he liued peacebly in his chaire and 7. in banishment Of him Petrus Blesensis a Frenchman by birth a great fauourite of Henry the 2. King of England and a graue writer of those dayes hath these words Thomas was the publisher of Gods word trumpet of the Ghospell friend of the spouse pillar of the cleargie sight of the blinde tonguÌ„e of the dumbe foote of the lame salt of the earth ornament of his countrie minister of the highest Vicar of CHRIST the annoynted of our Lord. All his conuersation was a schoole of vertue the rule of good manners a patterne of saluation He was vpright in iudging industrious in executing discreet in commaunding modest in speaking circumspect in his counsaile most sparing in his dyet most liberall in giuing peaceable in wrath in flesh an Angell meeke in iniuries fearefull in prosperitie well-assured in aduersity allmost lauish in almes giuing and euen altogether mercie the glorie of religious men and the loue and greatest delight of the people with many other prayses to the same purpose Neither is it only hee but all the most famous men of those dayes who extoll S. Thomas as the only patterne and myrrhoure of good Prelats King Henry himselfe did plainely declare how much he did lament his death For he not only swoare that he neuer so much lamented the death of father nor mother nor would haue bin so sorrowfull for the death of his owne childe but he also of his owne accord caâ—â— vnto Canterbury and going barefooted from S. Dunstans Church presented himselfe before the shrine of S. Thomas and bathing the ground with his teares stripped himselfe out of his Princely roabes and vpon his naked backe receaued â— stripes of euerie Bishop and 3. of euerie monke that was present and afterwards fasted all that day and night with great deuotion A rare example of pietie humilitie and deuotion in a Christian Prince such as scarce hath his match and paragon in all Ecclesiasticall Histories And surely God did manifestly declare how acceptable this penance of the King was in his sight For the selfe same day he by his Captaines obtained a glorious victorie wherein the King of Scottes was taken prisoner And manie other prosperous successes ensued this act of humiliation the holy Saint euidently ayding him from Heauen that humbled himselfe so much vpon earth and helping him that subdued and conquered thus himselfe to conquer subdue and gloriously triumph ouer all his enemies Moreouer his murderers notwithstanding they were men of knowen nobilitie and great possessions and in high estimation for their valoure and cheualrie yet forsooke they all riches and voluntarily crossed all the hopes of their preferments going in pilgrimage to Hierusalem where they did publique penance All of them dyed within three yeares after the facte committed verie penitent for their offence calling vpon the sainct desiring his patronage and intercession whose death they acknowledged to haue bin wickedly contriued and executed by themselues yet pretious in the sight of God and glorious in the eye of all the world That time which they liued was alwayes with a perpetuall trembling of bodie and soule like men astonied and distracted hauing euermore winde and weather against them acknowledging all to be the iust Iudgement of Almightie God for their heynous offence But especially he that gaue the saincte his first wound dyed with a consumption and rotte of all his limmes he himselfe casting away the flesh which rotted off from the very boanes and calling vpon the most glorious martyr for pardon and forgiuenesse God of his mercie and by the intercession of this holie Prelate graunt vs pardon and grace to follow his steppes The life of S. Siluester Pope and Confessor SAINT Paule writing vnto Tymotheus his disciple said a Bishop ought to liue sincerely and it is fit that in him be not any thing to be iustly reprooued And for to showe what ought to be in him he setteth downe some properties that a good Bishop ought to haue among other things he saith that he ought to giue good example to them that be without the Church which be the Pagans left he fall into reproach and into the snare of the deuill S. Iohn Chrisostome saith that one of the things wherewith the Apostles spred their doctrine through all the world and the Ghospell was receiued of all men was because they liued without reprehension and gaue good example to euery one and submitted themselues to great paines and desired no reward at all They fled from honours riches pleasures and embraced troubles tribulations and afflictions They did not complaine nor sought reuenge but pardoned and did good to them that did them euill wherefore the pagans said it was not possible for the man that liued so to be in any errour for that God as they said would not haue suffered it and so thereby they iudged the doctrine they preached to be true and veritable and so holpen by god they receued it On the other side those who by their office and function they haue are bound to giue good example and liue euill do very much hurt by their wicked life And these as S. Paule saith Fall into reproach and snares of the deuill for with their euill and wicked life they giue others occasion to do euill and chiefly vnto the painimes who as S. Iohn Chrisostome saith seing the Christians to steale murder commit fornication and other sinnes say that their God cannot chastise them or els that he is like vnto them And so by their fault the holy name of God is