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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	angel_n	fire_n	zion_n	31	3	9.9475	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09859	The flowers of the liues of the most renowned saincts of the three kingdoms England Scotland, and Ireland written and collected out of the best authours and manuscripts of our nation, and distributed according to their feasts in the calendar. By the R. Father, Hierome Porter priest and monke of the holy order of Sainct Benedict, of the congregation of England. The first tome.	Porter, Jerome, d. 1632.; Rucholle, Peeter, 1618-1647, engraver.; Baes, Martin, engraver.	1632 (1632)	STC 20124; ESTC S114966	523,559	659

blasphemous mouthes of Hereticks doe reiect as vaine superstitious and impious actions But farre otherwise did CHRIST his Apostles and SAINCTS teach both by words and deeds And what they thought and did can by noe other meanes be mamanifested but by the hystories of their liues Soe that both to conuince Heretiques and interpret the doubtfull Saincts liues the interpretation of Scripture and hard passages of holy scripture the Liues and examples of the SAINCTS doe greatly helpe Which made S. HIEROME call the Liues of SAINCTS the interpretation of holy scripture and S. AVGVSTINE say that the holy scripture treateth not only of the commaundements of God but alsoe of the liues and manners of the SAINCTS to the end that yf we chance at anie time to doubt of the true sense and vnderstanding thereof we way receaue light and instruction from that which they haue done For composing our liues and manners according to the imitation of the SAINCTS we need not feare falling into errour when we see how the supreme gouernour of all hath adorned them with manifest miracles and with euident signes declared that their Liues were gratefull vnto him Their liues therefore must allwaies serue vs as a mirrour besore our eyes therein to behould our owne vices Saincts liues a paterne for our act●●s to learne to correct them and to looke vppon their heroicall vertues to endeauour to imitate them There the proud shall find how to become humble the hard-hearted how they may be mollified the cold how they may be warmed the tepid how they may be heated the pious and feruent of spirit how they may be more and more inflamed with the loue of heauen and in a word all of whatsoeuer age sex condition profession or calling may thēce reape sweet flowers of all kind of vertues documents of wholsom peanance and liuely examples of true pietie farre more efficacious to moue their minds to the practise of goodnes then the force of weake words only This S. AVSTEN affirmeth of him self This in times past manie noble Lords and Matrones of Rome did testifie who being all ether staggering in their faith or growing cold in charitie by only Hier. ad Marcell hearing of the most holy life of great S. ANTHONIE the Hermite were enflamed with soe great feruour of spirit and fier of deuotion that abhorring their former life and desiring euer after to slie all sinne and occa sions of sinne they bad adiew to the vaine world and the pompes pleasures thereof separated them selues from the conuersation and companie of men and applying their minds wholly to the diuine seruice followed the banner of CHRIST and his SAINCTS crucified their owne bodies togeather with all the vices cōcupiscences thereof But not to these only but to manie others allsoe the same is read to haue happened in the like case Considering therefore and pondering oftentimes these things with my self I was much grieued that in Causes mouing the Authour to write these lines these lamentable times wherein our miserable countrey is afflicted spoyled and oppressed by heresie the Catholicks amidst these tribulations were depriued of the great profitt and consolation which they might receaue by the reading of the Liues of their SAINCTS because that eyther their workes were not written or yf they were written it was in such Authours that now are scarse to be found that in Latine which is not for the capacitie of the vnlearned I was noe lesse grieued allso that the SAINCTS them selues that heretofore were the ornaments and Lights of our countrey were now being vnknowne depriued of their part of that due honour which otherwise should haue beene done vnto them being made knowne For these reasons then and partly for myne owne priuate exercise but principally gentle Reader for thy consolation I haue here aduentured seeing noe better writer would take soe worthie a work in hand to trie my penne in behalf of our glorious SAINCTS and to sett forth though not as worthily as I should yet as truely and sincerely as I could the Liues of all the most renowned SAINCTS of our ●land of great Britaine and of the Iles thereunto belonging● and thereby I haue restored againe to all good Catholicks my Countreymen that which the cruell iniurie of the times had violently robbed them off and sought to haue buried in the darknes of perpetuall obliuion But because all workes that are exposed to the publick view of the world are exposed allso to the censure of diuers sortes of poeple diuersly affected I thought conuenient to set downe here some few aduertisemēts aswell to preuent all occasions of misconstructions or cauills that might be taken in the reading of this treatise as allso to informe the well-inclined Reader against some doubtes or difficulties that may occurre in the perusing of the same First then because the most illustrious Cardinall Baronius a man that hath otherwise well deserued of the Baronius his mystake Church of God for his Ecclesiasticall historie doeth contrarie to the auncient and common opinion of the world robbe the Benedictine order of one of its greatest ornaments S. GREGORY the great and denie that euer he liued a Monke vnder the holy RVLE of the Great Patriarch of Monkes sainct BENEDICT and consequently affirmes that sainct AVGVSTINE and his fellow-Monkes whom he sent to conuert our countrey who were professed of the same Monasterie in Rome vnder sainct GREGORY were not of the same Order lest my Reader should chaunce to stumble vppon this new opinion which since hath been by manie famous and learned writers hissed out of the schoole of true Historie I will here for his better instruction briefly sett downe some few authorities of manie auncienter and later Authours then Baronius who doe all constantly asseuer the contrarie that is that both S. GREGORY him self and the Monkes he sent and made Apostles of England were indeed of the holy Order of sainct BENEDICT and not of I know not what Equitiam familie as Baronius pretends And omitting here to draw arguments from the auncient charters writings graunted to Monasteries euen in the time of sainct AVGVSTINE him self which all euidently conuince the same for a truth as of some you may reade in his life May the 26. I will first draw into the lists of this Combat that ornament of our Countrey sainct ALDELME Bishop of Sherburne who died aboue nine S. Aldelme against Baronius hūdred yeares before Baronius was borne In his worke then which he writt in verse of the prayse of Virgins Virginitie hauing spoken much in commendation of out holy Father sainct BENEDICT whom he affirmeth to haue been the first that ordered the exercises of Monasteries and a monasticall life he maketh this epilogue to the paragraphe of sainct BENEDICTS prayses * Benedicti Huius alumnorum numero glomerantur ouantes Quos tenet in gremio facunda Britannia ciues A * Benedicto quo iam nobis Baptismi gratia

But now perceauing him againe to come to himself their lamentation was changed into a fearefull admiration and their admiration bred ioy to see him aliue Then the holy man looking about him and finding noe man vnto whose wisedom he could committ the knowledge of the vision he had seene was verie sorrowfull choosing for that time rather to burie it within the secret of his owne heart then reueale it vnto such as knew not how to vnderstand it II. BVT the third day afterwards being againe taken with the like rauishment he beheld nor only greater ioyes of the blessed companie An other visiō most strange of heauen but allsoe the wonderfull warres which the wicked spirits raysed against him striuing to hinder his iourney towards heauen allbeit the protection of the Angels frustrated their malicious endeauours Manie false accusations they brought against him and layd diuers crimes to his chardge of all which by his guides the Angels he was freely disengaged And as he was lifted vp by these blessed spirits towards heauen they commaunded him to looke downe into the world Which done he saw like a darke and indeous The 4. fiers of vice that burne the world valley vnderneath him And in the ayre he beheld fower fiers not farre distant one from the other which they tould him were the fiers that should burne and consume the world The first they sayd was the fier of Liars which those fall into that neglect to fullfill their promise made in Baptisme in renouncing the deuill and all his workes The secōd was the fier of Couetousnes appointed for such as preferre the riches of the world before the loue of heauen and heauenly things The third was the fier of Discord prouided for those that sticke not to offend their neighbours euen in trifling and superfluous matters The fourth was the fier of Jmpietie allotted for such as care not how they spoile and oppres se the inferiour and weaker sorte of people He beheld these fiers to encrease soe by little and little till at length by spreading they came togeather and made one mightie huge and dreadfull flame which seemed to approach neere vnto him Whereat he cried out to his guide the Angel O Lord behold it cometh vppon me Feare not replied he that which thou hast not kindled shall not burne thee For allthough this seeme to be a mightie great and terrible fier yet it only tries and examines men according as their workes haue deserued the worldly desires of men shall burne in these flames For euen as one is enflamed in bodie by vnlawfull lust and pleasure soe released from his bodie he shall suffer his deserued torments in fier Then he beheld one of the three Angels his guides to walke before and diuide the flames and the other two conducting him on each side through the fier defended him from the danger thereof He saw likewise the deuils flieing through the flames making fierie warres against the iust then followed their manie accusations against him and the Angels defence in his behalf with a vision of a greater companie of heauenly spirits as allsoe of manie men of his countrey and acquaintance that he had knowne not vnworthily to haue behaued them selues in the sacred function of Priesthood of whom he learnt manie things verie profitable as well for him self as for all such as would heare them When these had ended their discourse and returned vnto heauen with the troupes of Angels there only remained with B. FVRSEVS the three Angels his guides with whom returned againe towards the foresayd fier the Angel diuided the flame as before but as the holy man entred into the way layd open for him the wicked spirits caught vp one of those wretched soules which they broyled in those flames and threw it at him at the verie touch whereof he found his shoulder and cheeke to be scorched and burnt The holy man well knēw the person and remembred that at his death he had giuen him a garment which he receaued But the holy Angell taking the tormented soule cast him againe into the fier whereat the wicked spirit cried out Why doe you cast him of now whom you receaued before For as you tooke the goods of that sinner soe ought you to partake of his torments Not out of couetousnes replied the Angel but to saue his soule did he receaue it and therewith the fier ceased And the Angel turning vnto the holy man sayd that which thou didest kindle now hath burnt thee for hadest not thou taken the goods of this man dieing in sinne the torment of his fier had not touched thee And speaking further he taught him what was to be done for the saluation of those that did repent III. BEING restored to him self againe he bore all his life time after a visible signe of the burning which he had endured in his soule vppon his shoulders and cheeke the Flesh euidently shewing to the wonder of all beholders what the soule had inwardly and hiddenly suffered But he retained allwaies his wonted care and diligence of following vertuous pious courses by word worke and example to teach and preach the way of truth and iustice vnto the world Yet he would neuer manifest the order and manner of his visions but vnto such only as out of a desire of repentance or compunction of hearth desired to know them There liueth yet saith Proofe of the foresayd vision venerable BEDE an auncient Monke of our monasterie who is wont to relate that a certaine religious and trustie man tould him that he had both seene S. FVRSEVS in the prouince of the East-Angles and heard the manner of these visions out of his owne mouth Adding moreouer that in the middest of winter when the frost was most sharp cold that sitting in a light and single garment recounting these visions eyther out of the greatnes of the feare he conceaued or of the sweetnes he receaued by the remembrance of them he would sweate as much as if it had bin the hottest day of sommer IV. HAVING therefore a long time preached the word of God in Jreland his owne countrey being not able anie longer easily to endure the great multitude of people that flocked vnto him he forsooke all that he seemed to enioy goeing out of his natiue countrey with some few of his brethren in his companie he passed the seas and came through Wales into the prouince of the English where he was honourably receaued and worthily entertained by Sigebert then King of the East-Angles But he that desired wheresoeuer he went allwaies to promote the seruice of allmightie God beganne presently to putt in practise his accustomed trade of preadhing labouring by the example of his vertues or the inciting forces of his speeches eyther to conuert the incredulous to the truth or to strengthn and confirme the faithfull more and more in the truth and loue of IESVS CHRIST Such were his daily labours such were the pious employments in which

vnder a hedge being exposed to the iniurie of the wind and weather But allmightie god who neuer forsaketh his seruants sent forth a bright shining light which incompassed the holie man with such splendour that the next approching morning might well blush at the luster of his brightsom night And the same allmightie power shott a dreadfull thunderbolt into that village which had refused to harbour his messenger whereby it was fiered destroyed and buried for euer in its owne ruines Afterwards Tonanus a Bishop of Jreland vnderstanding of the fame of S. LAVRENCE and of his preaching came to see him and hauing heard him dispute of the Apostolique institutions of the Catholick Church and of the true obseruance of Easter he embraced the truth and earnestly endeauoured to reduce his owne countrey vnto the same V. LAVRENCE returning againe into Kent happened by the way to lodge in a house where his Hosts sonne was newly dead and He rayseth a dead boy to life the father and mother wonderfully lamenting their losse desired him yf he would haue them beleeue in the fayth of him he preached to restore their sonne to life againe The Holy Bishop hauing made his prayer vnto allmightie God full of faith and confidence in him that promised whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name shall be graunted vnto you cōmaunded the boy to rise and he arose forth with and related how when S. LAVRENCE prayed for him he was by the hand of bright-shining Angels taken out of the vgly clawes of the black horrid spirits and restored to his bodie againe Moued with this miracle the father and mother of the boy togeather with all their whole houshould and Kinred receaued the faith of CHRIST and were at the same time washed in the sacred font of Baptisme At length this holie Prelat hauing for the space almost of eleuen yeares gouerned the Sea of Canturburie continually labouring in His happie death the promotion of gods cause left this world to receaue the euerlasting rewards of his labours in a better the second day of February in the yeare of our Lord 619. He was buried neer vnto S. AVGVSTIN his predecessour in the Benedictin Abbey of Canturbury dedicated vnto S. PETER and S. PAVL which had bin founded in S. AVGVSTINS time but was perfected and consecrated by S. LAVRENCE And in the Epitaph ouer his tombe mention is made of his scourging in this verse Pro populo Christi Scapulas dorsumque dedisti A long time after his death togeather with his fellow-Bishops and Saincts AVGVSTINE and MELLITVS he appeared in glorie to a lame cripple whose legges by the contraction of the sinews grew fast to his haunches but as he prayed for help in the same Church the Blessed Sainct with his owne hands seemed to dissolue his ioynts sinews soe that he suddenly found him self to be perfectly cured This life me haue gathered cheefly out of VENERABLE BEDE de geft Ang. lib. 2. and IOANNES ANGLICVS recited by IOHN CAPGRAVE Mention is made of him in the Roman Martirologe this day TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order lib. 3. cap. 59. Harpsfield s●c 7. cap. 7. MALMESBVRY de gest reg Angl. lib. 1. cap. 1. and de gest P●ntif Angl. lib. 1. and all our English historiographers doe whorthyly speaks his prayses The life of S. WEREBVRG Virgin and Abbesse of the Holy order of S. BENEDICT FEB 3. Out of diuers graue onthors AS a pretious diamond when it is artificially and well sett in a gould ring giueth a double lustre and grace vnto the eye soe the vertues of the mind which are engraffed in the nobilitie of birth and beautie of bodie doe shine with a farre greater glorie and dazle the beholders with more admiration A strong proofe hereof we haue in the life of the glorious virgin S. WEREBVRG who by the Sainctitie and vertues of her good life ennobled the resplendent royaltie and no blencs of her birth She was daughter vnto Wulfere Her royall parentage King of the Mercians and S. ERMENILD his Queene Being therefore borne of a noble and holie race and in beautie excelling manie other of her equalls she iudged it a thing verie vnseemly to degenerate from the vertue and glorie of her Ancestours or that the vilences of a corrupted soule should blemish and deforme the bea●teous grace of soe faire a bodie And because she had her beginning from noble progenitors she abhorred the terrene desires of the louers of this world to vnite her self to the most worthie spouse of all chast soules CHRIST IESVS vnto whom she betrothed the pure and holie soule of her vnstained bodie Gould gemmes costly apparell and whatsoeuer else the gorgeous pompe of this world doth bragge of seemed vnto her rather odious then glorious II. AT LENGTH the time being come when she was resolued to celebrate her spirituall spousage she went to the monasterie of Benedictin She taketh the habitt of S. Benedict Nunnes at Ely where CHRIST and his angels being witnesses she receaued the sacred vaile of virginitie and ranged her self into the companie of those holie virgins vnder the rule of S. BENEDICT and the gouernment of Etheldred her aunt thē abbesse of the same place From which time treading vnder foote the vaine pride of the world she euer shewed her self an humble handmayd of CHRIST by submitting her self to all her other sisters she ouercame them all in the vertue of true humilitie allwaies seruing their necessitie with the pious workes of a boyling charitie not forgetting likewise to keepe a speciall guard ouer her owne actiōs lest she should committ anie small ouersight which might be displeasing vnto her heauenly spouse for whose loue she had forsaken the pompe of the world which mortalls soe much admire The whole forces powers of her soule were bent only to endeauour which way she might become excellent in silence abstinence watchings pious reading and holie Her pious exercises meditations That in a short time she went as farre beyond her other companions in these and all other vertues as she excelled the in the nobilitie of bloud yet allwaies thinking soe humbly of her self that she was euer most readie to obey them all and to vndergoe the basest offices of the howse In a word all her life was such that allthough as others doe she carried her bodie vppon earth yet she alwaies had her mind fixed in heauen and heauenly things III. AFTER she had a long time giuen such a patterne of vertue and religion in the monasterie of Ely king Wulfere her father being She is made Abbesse of three Nunneries dead Etheldred her vncle then raigning ouer the kingdom of Mercia sent for her home into her owne countrey and gaue her the gouernment of three monasteries of Benedictine Nunnes to wit Trentam and Hindbury in Staffordsshire and Wedune in Northamptonshire that with her good and pious example she might there promote the obseruance of heauenly and immortall life

the Bishoprick vnto S. WILFRID and returned againe to his beloued solitude in the monasterie of Lesting where he remayned in the continuall exercise of pietie till Wulser King of the Mercians desiring the assistance of a Bishop in his countrey Theodore of Canturbury He is made Bishop of the mercians who would not graunt him a new one obtained of Oswy King of the Northumbers to haue S. CHAD sent into Mercia And because it was all waies S. CHADS custom as we haue sayd to trauell on foote to preach and teach the ghospell S. THEODORE finding him to be a verie holy man commaunded him hereafter to performe his longer iourneyes on horseback and he him self lifted him on his horse and forced him who out of the desire and loue of his pious labour on foote made great resistance to ride where soeuer his occasions should call him III. BEING therefore installed in the bishoprick of the Mercians and Lindisfarne he endeauoured according to the example of the auncient fathers and masters of vertue to administer his office with admirable great perfection of life and example The King Wulfere admiring the sainctity of the mā gaue him in the prouince of Lindisfarne or Lincolne the lands possessions of fiftie families for the erecting of a monasterie He held his episcopall seate at Lichfied where for his owne priuate vse he built a place not farre distant from the Church in which togeather with seauen or eight of his monkes he was wont more secretly and earnestely to exercise him self in deuout prayer meditation and reading holy scripture at such times as his ordinarie imployments and labour of preaching and diuine seruice did giue him leaue But amongst manie other his notable examples of A notable example vertue and pietie he bore in heart such a liuely impression of the feare of God which the royall prophet cals the beginning of wisedom Psal 110. v. 9. was in all his workes soe mindfull of the terrible dreadfull day of iudgement that whensoeuer there arose a more vehement and violent blast of winde and tempest he would straight fall most earnestly to his prayers and yf the storme were such that it were accompanied with the terrour of boisterous thunder or lightning he would instantly gett into the Church and neuer cease from praying and reading of psalmes vntill the heauens were cleered from those tempestuous commotions Being demaunded the Psal 17. v 15. 16. A good Lesson reason hereof Haue you not read answeared he that our Lord hath thundred frō heauē the most high hath sent forth his voyce He threw his darts and dispersed the people he redoubled his lightnings and troubled them For our Lord shaketh the ayre stirreth vp winds darteth lightnings and thunderbolts from heauen to stirre vp mortals to feare him to giue them a remembrance of his dreadfull iudgment to come that he may ouerthrow their pride confound their presumption by putting them in mind of that terrible hower wherein heauen and earth being on fier he will come with mightie power and maiestie to iudge the liuing and the dead It is our parts therefore to correspond to these his heauenly admonitions with the dutie of feare and loue that as often as by such violent commotions of the ayre and heauens he lifteth vp his threatning hand to strike and yet doeth not let fall his blow vppon vs we ought straight humbly to implore his mercie and by a diligent discussion of the secret closetts of our hearts to purge them from all vncleannes of vice lest at anie time we bee strucken vnawares With these terrible remembrances did this blessed Sainct endeauour to sharpen the minds of his monkes and other subiects to giue them a greater appetite to follow the sweete-hard way of vertue and good workes IV. AT LENGTH when he had most gloriously gouerned his Bishoprick for the space of two yeares and a half some daies before his holy departure out of this world that happie minute was reuealed vnto him For being one day alone in his oratorie a holie monk of his called Owen heard a most rauishing consort of celestiall tunes The Vision of a certaine Monke ouer and about the place where the Bishop prayed whīch dured for the space of half an hower After this the holy man opened his window and with a knock as his custom was called some from without vnto him Owen whose office it was to attend vppon him entred into his chamber whom he sent to call the rest of his brethren who were but seauen Then he admonished them faythfully to conserue the vertues of loue and peace with one and other and with an vntired diligence to follow and obserue the rules of regular The day of his departure is re 〈…〉 led vnto him discipline which he had planted amōgst them For sayd he the day of my departure is neere at hand that beloued guest which was wont to visit our brethren voutchafed allsoe this verie day to giue me warning of my long desired end Desire then the rest of our brethren to recommend my departure in their prayers to allmightie God allwaies remembring with fasting prayer and good workes to prepare themselues for their owne end the time whereof is soe vncertaine But the rest being departed out of the chamber the holy monk Owen who had seene and heard the vision aboue mentioned fell prostrat at the blessed Bishops feete humbly entreating him to declare the meaning of those heauenly ditties which that holy troupe of angels sung ouer his oratorie Indeed answeared he those blessed spiritts came to summon me to the holy court of heauen there to receaue the vnspeakeable rewards which soe long I haue aspired vnto and after seauen dayes are past they haue promised to returne to fetch me thither But I commaunde thee in the name of our Lord that thou presume not to reueale this vision before my death And it fell out according to this reuclation for the seauenth day after he yeelded vp his pure soule to the hands of his redeemer At which verie instant one Egbert a monke saw S. CEDDE S. Cedde cometh in glory to mecte him his brother incompassed with a blessed troupe of angels descend from the celestiall vaultes and carrie vp the vnspotted soule of this glorious Bishop into the euerlasting ioies of the heauenly Kingdom He died the second day of March and was buried first neere to the Church of our Ladie but afterwards a Church being erected there to the Prince of the Apostles sainct PETER his sacred bones were translated into it in both which places for the greater testimonie of his vertues manie miraculous cures of diseases were wrought V. A MAD man who lead by the lightnes of his frantick braine A mad man cureed at his tomb ranne wandring vp and downe happened one euening as it were to stūble happily on that place vnawares of the watchmē that kept it and hauing rested there all that night in the