The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

* 1.1XIV. CHAP.

1.2.3. Of the Authour of the ancient Acts of S. Albanus.

4.5. His Relation confirmed by the testimony of Gildas.

6.7. Iohn Fox his unfaithfullnes.

1. HAving thus with as much fidelity and exactnes as we could, given an account of the Gests of our first most glo∣rious Brittish Martyr S. Albanus, in which we have principally follow'd the Authour of his life, being a precious Monument of Antiquity preserved by our Countrey-man Capgrave: The faithfullnes of whose relation is, we see, attested by other Historians also of good note and Authority, as S. Beda, Mathew of Westminster, &c. It will become us to say some thing of the said Authour himself: and all that can be said is the Te∣stimony that he gives concerning himself, in these words full of Christian Modesty and Humility;

* 1.22. Least posterity saith he, be solicitous to know my name, let them be contented to be informed, that if they will give mee my true name, they will call mee the miserable wretch, worst of all sinners. I am undertaking a iourney to Rome, intending there to renounce the Errour of Paganism, and by the Laver of Regeneration to obtain the pardon of all my sins. This Book also I will present to the examination of the Romans, to the end that if therin any thing should be found written otherwise then becomes a good Christian, it would please our Lord Iesus Christ by their correction to amend it. By which it ap∣pears that this Authour was at the writing of his Book as yet onely a Catechumen, newly converted from Heathenish superstition. What became of him in his voyage to Rome is known only to God, who doubtlesse rewar∣ded him highly for his piety and zeale to communicate to posterity the Gests of our glorious Martyr.

3. This is he whom the learned Ecclesia∣sticall Historian Harpsfeild calls the nameles Authour,* 1.3 whose Book was found in the Monastery of S. Albanus, and who was more ancient then S. Beda. And this Authour is frequently quo∣ted by the Illustrious Cardinall Baronius, who follows him likewise in his Narration tou∣ching this our glorious Martyr. And to for∣tify the credit of his Authority in severall points before related touching the Martyr∣dom of S. Albanus, we will here adioyn a memorable passage out of our ancient fa∣mous Historian Gildas, who writing concer∣ning this Persecution rais'd in Brittany by Diocletian, saith as followeth:

4. Almighty God who is willing that all men should be saved,* 1.4 and who calls as well sinners as those who esteem themselves just, hath mag∣nified his mercy to us; for in the foresaid perse∣cution, least our countrey of Brittany should be obscured by a dark night of ignorance, he in his free bounty enlightned us by the bright shining Lamps of his holy Martyrs, the places of whose Martyrdom, and sepulchers of whose bodies would even now also imprint in our minds a great ardour of Divine love, were it not that by the wofull aversion of barbarous Enemies and our own ma∣nifold crimes an accesse to those holy places is denyed us: Those places, I mean, where repose the bodies of S. Albanus at Verolam, and S. Aaron and Iulian at Caër-le••n, and many others of both sexes in severall quarters, all which with great magnanimity have stood up courageously in our Lords army. Of which the first, S. Albanus I mean, after he had, with much charity, in imitation of Christ who lay'd down his life for his sheep, entertain'd in his house, and disgui∣sed with exchanging his own garments with him the holy Confessour of our Lord Amphibalus, who was pursued by the Enemies of Christ, and even ready to be apprehended, moreover willingly of∣fred himself in his foresaid brothers vestments to the persecutours. Thus rendring himself accepta∣ble to God, he was during his holy Confession (till he shed his blood in the presence of his impious Enemies who with a horrible pompe produced all the sorts of Roman tortures) wonderfully ad∣orned and glorified by God with many admirable miracles: insomuch as by his fervent prayer, in imitation of the passage of the Israelites with the Ark of the Testament through the waters of Ior∣dan, he with thousands following him went with drye feet over the Channell of the Noble river of Thames, whilst on both sides the floods stood still like steep rocks: By which miracle he converted the first Soldier deputed to be his executioner, from being a wolf into a lamb, and gave him the courage both vehemently to desire and va∣liantly

receive the triumphant palm of Martyr∣dom.

5. We here see the exact agreement be∣tween the ancient Brittish Historian Gildas and the foresaid Authour of the Acts of S. Albanus. But our Modern Protestant Hi∣storians in relating this glorious combat and Victory of our first Martyr, cutt of what they think good, and decry or accuse of forgery whatsoever agrees not to their own faction, without so much as pretending to any Anti∣quity to iustify their partiality.

* 1.56. Particularly Iohn Foxe in his new fashion'd Martyrologe, though he commends Saint Albanus and vouchsafes to call him a Martyr, yet severall particulars mention'd by the forecited Authour of Saint Albanus his Acts in S. Beda and Gildas, he superci∣liously censures or despises, saying that he saw neither any necessity nor convenience why they should be recited by him. For this reason he passes over with silence all men∣tion of the Crosse, with teares and great reve∣rence honourd by Saint Alban, and retain'd till the last moment of his life. And as for the miracles perform'd by him, the iubi∣lation of Angells after his death and the like, he confidently pronounces to be con∣trary to the truth of history. And why? Surely because he could not parallell such Miracles in the Gests of his new Pro∣testant Martyrs: no Angells, God knows, reioyced or praised God at their Execu∣tions.

* 1.67. One observation of his, full either of ignorance or malice, must not be omitted. That is where he says, That the History of Saint Albanus his Martyrdom reports how the holy Martyrs head when it was cutt and separated from the body spoke some thing. But this, says he, is like a Monkish fiction: As if that namelesse Au∣thour had been a Monke, who was not so much as admitted into the Church by Baptisme. But neither he, nor any an∣cient or Modern Catholick Authour speaks of any such thing: So that it seems he mistook the relation, ascribing the Angells hymns to the Martyrs tongue.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XIV. CH.
• * 1.2

  Author ap. Capgrav. in v••t•• S. Alba.
• * 1.3

  Harpsf. in 6. primis saec. c. ••. in marg.
• * 1.4

  Gildas de Ex¦cidio.
• * 1.5

  Fox in Acts and Monu∣ments f. 88.
• * 1.6

  Id. ibid.