being fearefully haunted with spirits appearing in sundry foule shapes of men beasts and the ordinary exorcismes and other ceremonies vsuall hauing been applied and those fearefull apparitions neuerthelesse not ceasing the Rector of the Colledge addressed himselfe by letters to Saint Ignatius commending the busines to his holy sacrifices prayers Who no sooner receaued newes of it but he absolutely sreed the house from those haunts of the ill spirit by his prayers and letter not for the present only but for euer after S. Ignatius his linnen being washed with deuotion by a certayne deuout woman restored life and motion to her withered and dead Arme. One Isaac a Iew refusing with a passionate obstinacy to become Christian and contemning curtesyes and al other courses taken with him by others was by S. Ignatius soone satisfed appeased and perswaded to be baptised by the only vttering of these three words Mane nobiseum Isaac A certaine person of note being of a more turbulent spirit then was fit longer to be endured and S. Ignatius not being able by gentle persuasions to cure his diseased mind changing at last his stile and beginning to call vpon the Iustice of God and represent vnto him the vengeance of Heauen he did it with such a feeling and expression of feruour that the walls and house appeared to him to tremble and shake with horrour With the sight of which the standers by beiÌ„g stroken immediately fell vpon their knees imploring the mercy of God by their prayers and vowes And the delinquent prostrating himselfe at the feet of S. Ignatius and with a voyce of confusion begging pardon for his offence promised from thence-foreward an ameÌ„dment of himselfe Father Leonard Kesselius residing at Collen had a vehement desire to see S. Ignatius then at Rome aboue 300. leagues distant from thence And hauing besought the B. Father by letters that it might be lawfull for him to trauell a foot to Rome he made answer that his presence was necessary at Collen for the good of others enjoyning him besides not to stir from thence for that Almighty God peradueÌ„ture by some other course might so prouide that he might see him without the paynes and toyle of so tedious a iourney The Father therfore being one day at his praiers S. Ignatius appeared vnto him being yet aline and breathing and discoursed long with him to his infinite contentment The B. Father lying ofteÌ„ sick if in the meane time any difficulty hapned for the soluiÌ„g of which his vertue and wisdome was required he seemed in a manner to be perfectly recouered and his mind guiding his body appeared a sound man So that it became familiar to them of the houshould as often as he fell sick to desire that some busines of consequence might happen for the facilitating of which S. Ignatius might rise and be quit of his desease Diuers miracles wrought by S. Ignatius after his decease CHAP. XVII IN the processes for the Canonization of S. Ignatius commenced by the authority of the Ordinaryes first afterwards by that of the Sea Apostolicke more then two hundred miracles are related wrought by the merits and intercession of S. Ignatius after his decease Besides which there are diuers other as authenticall not yet published because those former for his Canonization were more then sufficient confirmed neuerthelesse by the graue testimonies of men beyond exception and printed at Rome and other parts of Italy in Spaine and in Germany and other places by the approbation of them whom it concerneth to approue theÌ„ Here only I wil relate some few because my breuity promised will not permit many When the body of S. Ignatius lay exposed vpon the Beere for the performance of his funerall rites one Bernadina a RomaÌ„ had a vehement desire to bring a daughter of hers who had been loÌ„g troubled with the Emerodes so greiueously that no art of phisicke could cure her to kisse the hands of his dead body assuring her selfe the recouery of her daughter by that touch but the daughter traÌ„sported often tymes by the presse of people not being able for the throng to approach neare the body her mother layd hould of a piece of his garment had no sooner applied it to her daughters body but she was quit of her disease Father daughters body but she was quit of her disease Father Nicolas Bâ—hadilla hauing been long sick of an ague was recouered by lying in the bed of S. Ignatius At Manresa a certaine Lady of quality feeling no liuing motion of her child in her woÌ„be for the space of three howers before she was brought to bed at last was deliuered of a dead child the vnfortunate successe of which being much lamented by the standers by the rather because the child had not been christned the midwife about halfe an hower after the deliuery of the woman implored with confidence the help of S. Ignatius And had scarse begun her prâ—yers but the child before pale and black returned now to life S. Ignatiuâ— being besought for the life of a little dead infant of an Indian womaÌ„s restored the child to life He restored many blind men their sight deafe men their hearing lame men their limmes cured men stroken with the palsey others giuen ouer by the phisicians and lying at deaths dore he restored perfectly to their health He appeared to many after his decease either deliuering them from greiuious tentations or freeing them from their diseases or other dangers or giuing them good counsell or foretelling them things to come or comforting such as serued him with diuine consolations And in his iourney to heauen at the very instant of his decease at Rome as afterward appeared by the computation of howers he appeared in glory to that noble and Religious Lady Margareta de Lilus commending the Society to her as to a principall benefactresse of the Colledge of Bolonia Many Deuils haue been cast out of possessed persons and out of houses which they haunted by the reliques of the holy Father or by hanging vp his picture The oile of the lampe which burneth before his body hath wrought many strange cures He hath eased many women who haue called vpon him in the extreamity of their child-bearing labours and bestowed children vpon barren women At Carpentras a certaine woman being deliuered of a child without motion of the complexion of a black-moor so that it was doubtfull what course was to be taken in this prodigious accident whether the child ought to be christned or no or whether it were to be deferred till some motion were discouered in it At last by the persuasion of a certaine Chanon they implored the aide of S. Ignatius by which the child was suddainely not recouered only but so recouered that his countenance became cherefull and faire He cured diuers of the pleurisie He protected many men from the fury of their enemyes Others being fallen head-long from some dangerous precipice were defended from all hurt by inuoking his name
person from his wicked purposes who froÌ„ a vertuous course he had begun was in the way of falling to his first lewd life and in fine he obtained that that inconstant person coÌ„stantly perseuered in his good course begun During that tyme he applied himself to his studies he dayly gaue himself some tyme to employ for his neighbours good He euer drew as many as was possible for him by pious exercises and discourses to a vertuous and pious life He was a cheife actour in the institution of the B. Sacrament in his owne Country and procured that at noone a bell should daily ring to pray for such as were in mortall sinne and for the soules in purgatory He was the cause that the vse of dicing was left off and that the liues and manners of the secular and clergy people were reformed He was wont to say that he would be most ready to walke bare-foot loaden with hornes about the streets so it might proue for the good of soules that he would refuse no habit how ridiculous or contemptable soeuer ir were so it might redound to the good of others and he made his word good whensoeuer any occasion presented it self to him For this cause with infinite labour and toile and danger of his life he made a iourney to Hierusalem there to conuert the Infidels assist the Faithfull which to performe hauing afterwards drawne to himselfe nine eminent persons for his associats he made a vowe and in case he would not be permitted 〈…〉 all this vowe he pre 〈…〉 his and his Companions endeauours to the Popes Holines for the good of soules For the same purpose with infinite difficulties and strong opposition of the Deuill he instituted the Society of IESVS the ayme of which he would haue to be this that all they of that Society should labour not only the safety and good of their owne soules but seriously indeauour the perfection of their neighbours and he declared their vocation to be this to trauell into diuers places and liue in any part of the world where the seruice of God and safety of soules might best be expected And that they might the better serue and assist others he would haue the exteriour comportment of them of the Society not conformable to an Heremticall manner of liuing but fashioned to the life of Christ and of his Apostles that is in feeding and cladding themselues common with that of the most regular Clergy of the Country By which Society what effects he hath wrought in the Church and what he doth to this day worke by the children of it who six yeares since were numbred to be 13112. distributed into 33. seuerall Prouinces and 516 Colledges all vpright and vnpartiall men knowe and the enemyes of the holy Church and they in particular of the Society confesse He was not ashamed when by that meanes he might withdraw any man from his wicked life to reueale to him with an vp right intention some sinnes of his owne committed whilst yet he liued in the world By which course he assisted many men almost fallen desperate And from the same desire of his neighbours good proceeded admirable monuments of piety instituted by him For to omit the many Scholes of the Society for the bringing vp of youth ouer the whole world out of all which in this later age multitudes of famous men haue and do daily spring endowed with singular parts of vertue and learning and other rare ornaments of grace and nature He was the cause that in Rome the Mistris and soueraigne Citty of the world the German Colledg was erected for the â—â—tirpation of heresy in Germany He was likewise the author of the house of Orphanes for children of both sexes who had lost their Parents Of the house of yong Christians for the bringing vp of Iewes and others newly conuerted to the faith Of the Monastery of women whose mariages are doubtfull or litigious where it is lawfull for them to remayne till such tyme as all controuersyes being cleared thy returne into grace and fauour of their husbands For the beginning of which Monastery be himselfe howbeit his owne wants pressed him much hauing gathered a suÌ„me of too Crownes out of the profit of certaine stones which had been sould digged out of the place where the Church belonging to his Colledge stood was the first that contributed He in like manner instituted an other Monastery commonly called now Sancta Catharina de Funarus in which place certaine yong maydens who for want of maintenaÌ„ce liue in daunger of a dishonest life are brought vp at great charges either to be married when they come to yeares or els to betake themselues to some religious course Of which kind to this day some hudreds of such yong Virgins liue in the same place He had also an intention to effect that which before in his owne Country he had brought to passe that all vlcerous poore people miserably begging by the high waies being gathered into one place should be maintained by a common purse He coÌ„maunded many prayers to be offered to Almighty God throughout the Society for a certaine person whom threscore yeares before had not been at Confession by which he reduced the party to a better life In conclusion he continually lay in wayt and cast with himselfe how he might drawe dissolute people from their sinnes to an amendment willingly vndergoing any troubles daungers or incoÌ„ueniences whatsoeuer without repining for the gaining of soules He brought to passe in like manner that the law of Innocentius tertius of not vndertaking the cure of sicke persons from the first visitation of theÌ„ till such time as they had duely confessed their sinnes a custome by conniuency almost quite abolished was now many yeares after put in force againe And lastly a thing most of all beneficiall for the good of soules the often frequenting of holy sermoÌ„s lectures Masses Confession CoÌ„munion being long before through the negligence of Ecclesiastical Prelats out of vse S Ignatius reduced it to a custome againe in Rome first and afterwards in many other places of the world as ancient historiographers testify and the Auditours of the holy Rote first and afterwards the Cardinalls of the holy Rites haue confessed out of the testimonyes of many sworne witnesses liuing in S. Ignatius his tyme. Whom in their Relations to his Holines for his Canonization they haue in plaine termes acknowledged truly to deserue the title of Apostle of the Indians and Barbarians of other Nations which by means of his missions haue come to coÌ„fesse Christ for the conuersion of the many barbarous nations by his Companions By the same reason that S. Gregory the Great is stiled by venerable Bede the Apostle of England for sending thithers Aâ—sten and other Monks to preach the Ghospell But the charity of S Ignatius was not satisfied with the spirituall good of his neighbour only for it extended it selfe in a plentifull manner to their temporall commodities also
At Cesenza one Angelo Lopez vpon the Eue of S. Ignatius in expression of his affection had filled his windowes with many paper-lanterns adding to each lanterne the picture of the Saint and with infinite demonstrations of gratulation repeated often these words Io Loyola B. Pater to But in the midst of this triumph by chance it came to passe that by the greatnes of the wind the fire had taken hould of his lanterns which when it was obserued by some rascallity of the vulgar they began to scoffe at this deuotion vpbraiding the man for his superstition and with a bitter allusion to his Motto of triumph inuert the words of it thus At at Beatus vritur at Loyola crematur At which the man growing infinitely out of patience out of his sense of this irreligion vsed to S. Ignatius And I for my part quoth he haue so high an esteeme of the sanctâ—â—y of the B. Father that I beleiue him to be able to protect his cinged picture from the fire Neither was he deceaued in his beleife for the flame hauing consumed the paper round about it forbore to touch the picture either in demonstration of the Sanctity of the B. Father or in obseruancy of the zeale of him who desired it At Braga a certaine womaÌ„ hauing been lately brought a bed was so much weakened for many dayes after with a continual flux of bloud that life could hardly be kept in her from following the course of the flux who drinking of the water into which her child had been dipped hauing been wrapped immediatly before in the garments of S. Ignatius her flux suddainely stopped and she recouered her accustomed strength In the Towne of Guiâ—â—arent a ceataine woman hauing already lost the vse of her sight and hearing and receaued the holy oile and other rites of the Church lay vtterly out of her senses and whilst some about her out of deuotion were endeauoring to put her in mind of her last words a certayne woman who in curtesy sate by to visite her called to remembrance that a little piece of the guirdle S. Ignatius vsed in his life tyme had lately been sent to her by a sonne of hers of the Society which she with great confidence and reuerence towards God presently applied to the sick woman which done she began to recouer her senses by degrees to breath to streatch out her hands and make signes for meate to the admiration of the Phisitians for the suddainnesse of the cure all which things were afterwards confirmed by the attestations of sworne witnesses At Caglari a certaine elder Brother snatching vp a knife at dinner tyme hurt his yonger Brother in the eye and at the same tyme the daughter of a certayne Gentleman caruing at the table was sorely hurt in like manner in one of her eyes Both which calling vpon the aide of S. Ignatius were deliuered from daunger beyond expectation An other woman had been so weakned for the space of four monethes with continuall paynes that she was vtterly depriued of the vse of her feete But the feast of S. Ignatius drawing neare she desirous to partake of the common iollity expressed that day in our Church was not frustrated of her desire for her paine ceasing and her feete beiÌ„g restored to their wonted streÌ„gth she came thither with ioy to haue a share in the deuotioÌ„ In the same place vpon the Eue of S. Ignatius the Aâ—lltiery playing round 〈…〉 infant who could not speake and who had neuer heard the name of S. Ignatius cryed out to the admiration of all standers by To morrow is the day of B. Ignatius But they who were present hearing a thing so full of wounder for experiment sake demaunded againe of the child what was to be done to morrrow who answered as before At Maiorca dwelt a certaine womaÌ„ who through the contraction of her sinewes was become so lame that she could not go without crutches the whole towne therfore beiÌ„g filled with the noises of trumpets voyces other musicall instruments Almighty God inspired her with a desire of visiting our Church Who put her selfe in readines to go notwithstanding the dissuasions of her sister who feared she might miscarry by the presse of people She neuerthelesse gaue no eare to her dissuasions but put her selfe vpon the way and was suddainely cured and recouered strength in her feet And throwing a way her crutches without any helpe betooke her selfe to the Church where in thanks-giuing she caused a Masse of the B. Sacrament to be said An other woman who some yeares past had receaued her sight by the meanes of this B. Father lying now againe desperately sick and being giuen ouer by foure Phisicians not forgetful by whom she had receaued light before now againe reposed all her hopes and considence in the same Phisician One night therfore she called out vpon one of the women who were accustomed to watch with her Make hast quoth she come hither with speed and behould this glorious splendour O if thou hadst come sooner thou shouldest haue beheld my S. Ignatius visiting me for I am now recouered and perfectly well And the euent confirmed it to be true For the Phisicians themselues could not deny but that she was cured by some secret power At Monte in Gallicia a great fire raging for many dayes toagether and consuming a certaine wood gathered still nâ—w forces dispersing and spreading it selfe far and neare there being no human meanes to stop or restraine it To which the wind rysing vpon a suddaine droue the flame towards the Barnes and bordering Towne so that the fire was now aduanced within three or foure paces of the Corne and houses a certaine person therefore taking the picture of S. Ignatius which he had about him and falling to his prayers threw it into the midst of the flames there where the fire raged most and threatned greatest ruine and immediatly the fury and rage of it ceased the flames which flew highest descended and vanished the whole fire returned vpon a suddaine from whence it began And which is worth admiration a certaine woman who had obserued the throwing in of the picture leaping into the midst of the smoaking brands raked away the ashes with her fingers and being vnhurt brought away the picture from the midst of the burniÌ„g coales At Friburg a little child of three yeares of age by chance had broaken his arme the mother of whom searing the displeasure of her husband being then absent inuoketh the help of S. Ignatius but she had scarse ended her prayers when to her infinite contentment she found her child before her eyes whole and without hurt S. Ignatius being inuoked wrought a present cure vpon diuers who had been sorely wounded whose cure would otherwise haue exacted a long tyme. Many men by the presence of S. Ignatius his picture or by the application or touch of his reliques haue cured the plague when it raged most sorely and consumed multitudes A certaine Noble man at
wrote to him he did it with reuerence vpon his knees and in his Reliquary he wore the name of S. Ignatius cut out of a letter of his to him as the relique of some great Saint whilst yet he was aliue He suffered himselfe to be guided like a child by S. Ignatius depending wholy of him and euer cherishing in his brest an admirable opinion of his sanctity which vpon all occasions he desired to expresse VVhich words saith S. Chrisostome in the like subiect hom 1. ad populum do sufficiently demonstrate and speake all his vertues for the iudgments of Saints goe not either by fauour or disfauour but are to be held vnquestionable The B. Virgin S. Teresia added much to the glory of S. Ignatius CHAP. XIX IF the glory of the Father be the wise child as holy writ expresseth the B. Virgin S. Teresia that glorious Foundresse of the Disealced Carmelites a woman so famous for her admirable and heroicall vertues who by those eminent degrees of Contemplation arriued to so fast a freindship with Christ renowned for her writings of mysticall Diuinity glorious for her patience and sufferance of labours one so higly esteemed through the Christian world for her reformation of the Carmelytes an elect spouse of Christ who through her vehemency of diuine loue was often surprised with extasies a woman famous for that fiery Cherubins dart piercing her brest one inflamed with an vnquencheable desire and thirst of soules adorned with the flower of pure Virginity glorious ouer the Christian world for her celestiall visions her spirit of prophecy her manifold guift of cures in her life tyme and after this sacred Virgin I say added much to the glory of S. Ignatius as one who acknowledged herselfe a child of his Society making vse of the Fathers of it for her confessions and the whole manage of her spirituall affayres and miraculously came to the knowledge of many things in praise of the Society leauing testimonyes of it both by word and writing and particularly in her Lise written by her selfe by the commaund of a certayne great Diuine of the Order of S. Dominick Out of which Life translated afterwards into Italian printed at Rome in the yeare 1601. and dedicated to Pope Clement the eight by the Arch-Bishop of Auignion I will here relate some passages translated word by word into Latin In the 5. Chapter and 47. page of the said life S. Teresia writeth thus I Remained in this blindnes aboue 17. yeares as I remeÌ„ber til a certaine learned Father of the Order or S. Dominick opened my eyes in some things and they of the Society of Iesus possessed me intyrely with such feares to wâ— that certaine sinnes were not to be esteemed trâ—fles which some ignorant Ghostly Fathers had taught her to be no sinns aggrauating my ill conceaued principles as I will relate hereafter c. In the 23. Chapter and 236. page of the same life S. Teresia writeht thus VVHen the Fathers of the Society of Iesus arriued here to whom I not knowing any of them found my selfe much addicted only because I had vnderstood as well of their insight into matters of Spirit as of their maÌ„ner of Praier but I found not worth in my selfe to discourse with them nor strength enough to obey them c. And againe in the same Chapter page 239. the speaketh thus IT was for my greater good that I came to know and deale with men so holy as they of the Society of Iesus It is here by the way to be noted that one Antony Kerbeke an Augustin Friar in his Latin version of the life of S. Teresia published at MeÌ„ts the yeare 1603. and printed by Iohn Albin hath omitted this almost all things els written by S. Teresia in praise of the Society But what his drift was in it it is hard to iudge And in the 244. page I Was afflicted suspecting my owne misery that they of the houshould should see me deale with persons of such Sanctity as they of the Society I seemed to haue the greater obligation not to become so miserable and to depriue my self of my idle recreations And againe page 246. in the end of the Chapter S. Teresia writeth BLessed be God who gaue me grace howsoeuer vnperfectly to obey my ghostly Fathers who for the most part were those blessed men of the Society of Iesus and my soule afterwards began to perceaue a manifest amendment as now I will relate In the 24. Chapter and 249. page she writeth thus of the Society I Dwelt not farre from them reioysing much that I could haue often communication with them for my only knowing of the holines of their conuersation was the cause of that great proficience I discouered in my soule In the 33. Chapter and 364. page writing of a certaine iourney she made with licence of her Prouinciall I Was much comformed when I vnderstood that in that place there was a House of the Society of Iesus In the 38. Chapter and 421. page she writheth thus of the Society SAint Teresia here in her originall manuscript expresseth the name of the Society and reported the same by word of mouth witnesse Ribera in his life of S. Teresia printed at Rome in the 4. Booke 5. Chapter and 207 page which life the Reuerend Father Friar John a Iesu Maria discalced Carmelite in his abridgement of S. Teresia's life printed at Rome in the yeare 1609. and dedicated to Pope Paul the first stileth a history most worthy to be credited in his 1. Book 1. Chapter and 4. page thus say S. Teresia writeth of the Society I saw admirable things of some Religious persons of a certayne Order and of the whole Order in generall I oftentymes saw them in Heauen with white banners in their hands and at other tymes I had the like visions full of admiration In which respect I hould the said Order in great veneration as one who haue long conuersed with them and perceaue their liues to be conformable to that which Almighty God hath reuealed to me of them The same is to be read in the life of S. Teresia pag. 303. published in Latin by Martin Martinez and printed at Collen by Iohn Kinckius in the yeare 1620. And in the same Chapter in the page 430. of her life S. Teresia writeth thus FInding my selfe thus much afflicted in soule and body in a certaine Church of the Society of Iesus where I was hearing the Masse which one of the Fathers said for a Brother of the Society lately deceased I saw him enter into Heauen with great glory and by a particular fauour accompany the Maiesty of our Lord. In the 39. Chapter and 447 page towards the end BEing saith she in a Church of a certaine Colledge of the Society whilst the Brothers of that Colledge were receauing the B. Sacrament I saw a precious garment or as the Italian translation stileth it Pallio hang ouer their heads and this I saw twice but when other