* 1.1XVIII. CHAP.
1.2. &c. The Relicks of S. Gervasius &c. miraculously discover'd to S. Ambrose. The miracles wrought by them: The Ve∣neration of them attested.
1. IT will not be amisse though it per∣tain not to our History of Brittany, yet because it will afford us a prospect of the iudgment and practise of the ancient Church, to declare the almost visible assistance which Almighty God afforded to his servant S. Am∣brose at the time when the Arian Empresse Iustina used her son Valentinians power to persecute him.* 1.2 For then it was (to use the words of S. Augustin directed to God in a prayer) that by a vision thou, O God, didst discover to thy Bishop Ambrose the place wherin the Bodies of thy Martyrs Protasius and Gervasius reposed, which thou for so many years hadst pre∣served incorrupt in thy secret treasure, from whence thy intention was to bring them forth for the restraining the rage of a woman, yet no ordi∣nary woman, being an Empresse. For when being discovered and digg'd up, they were translated with due honour to the Ambrosian Church, not only those who were vexed with unclean Spirits, the same Devills confessing, were healed: but a certain Cittizen of Milan who had been blind many years, well known in the town, when he had enquir'd and was inform'd of the occasion of so great a noyse and assembly of the people, he leap'd up, and desir'd one present to guide him to the said Church: Whither being come he obtain'd leave with his hand kercheif to touch the Coffin of those Martyrs whose death was pretious in thy sight. Which having done, and applying it to his eyes, they were immediatly opened, so that he saw clearly. The fame hereof presently was spread abroad, and praises given to thee with great fer∣vour: insomuch as the mind of thy Enemy, the Empresse Iustina, though it was not heald of her Spirituall blindnes, yet it was repress'd from the fury of persecuting the Holy Bishop.
2. The same holy Father repeats the sub∣stance of the same narration in severall other places,* 1.3 in one wherof he professes himself to have been an eye-witnes of these Miracles, saying, my self was a witnes of the great glory of these Martyrs: for being then at Milan,* 1.4 I had certain knowledge of the miracles wrought &c. This hapned two years before S. Augustin having been converted and ba∣ptis'd by S. Ambrose, return'd from thence towards his own countrey Africk, and by the way at Ostia lost his Blessed Mother Mo∣nica, concerning whom in his Confessions he thus Writes:* 1.5 When the day of her dissolution was at hand, she did not busy her thoughts about a Sumptuous buriall &c. but made this her only request, that a commemoration of her should be made at thy Altar, at which every day she had not failed to attend, and from whence she knew that holy Sacrifice and Victime was dispensed, by which the Handwriting which was contrary to u•• was blotted out, by which our Enemy the Devill was triumphed over &c.
3. So authentick a Testimony of the Vene∣ration of the Relicks of holy Martyrs perfor∣med by the ancient Church of God, approv'd by unquestion'd divine Miracles, as likewise of Prayers for the Dead at the most holy Sa∣crifice, needs not be further confirm'd.* 1.6 There∣fore we will omitt the transcribing a large Narration of the foresaid Miracles compos'd by S. Ambrose himself, and sent in an Epistle to his devout sister, wherin he repeats the mi∣racle of the blind man restor'd to sight, and how very many had been dispossess'd of Devills, and by only touching with their hands the Vestment of the Saints many others were healed of diverse in∣firmities: How many hand kercheifs, saith he, were cast, how many garments sent to be layd on the most holy Relicks, to the end that by touching of them they might receive a medici∣nall vertue?
4. There were notwithstanding in those times some who denyed that those were bodies of Martyrs, that they could torment the Devill, or free any one possess'd by him. But these,* 1.7 saith S. Ambrose, were the blas∣phemies of Arian Hereticks: refuted by the confessions of the Devills themselves who with loud clamours acknowledg'd their torments: and the great benefitts proceeding from the Martyrs intercession were publickly testified by the blind and other sick people cured of their infirmities. The blind mans name was Severus, by trade a butcher, well known to all the Citty, who was forc'd to give over his profession, assoon as that incommodity of blindnes befell him. This man saies he, calls for witnesses of the miracle all his former customers, by whom he had been maintain'd in his trade: He is desirous those should now testify the recovery of his sight, who formerly had seen that he was blind.