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[ V] TWo waies therefore most plaine, and readie will I shew by miracles, vvhich are all for vs, and none for them. Wherein although I might be so copi∣ous, as of this only matter to make great Volumes for our defence to their con∣fusion:
yet will I say very little, as my purpose: and yet sufficient, as my pro∣mise requireth. Being then for vs (as it hath pleased God our Lord) two sortes of Miracles, the one that may be called Dogmaticall, the other Personall: Of the first sort I set this Conclusion: who∣soeuer haue at any time set them-selues against any Doctrine confirmed by Mi∣racle, they haue beene against the truth. There can to this no instance be giuen. So that if it be shewed, our Doctrine (vvhich these men resist) to haue beene so confirmed: plaine it is, that they are enimies of the truth. But that can I easily shew in diuers & sundrie pointes of that our doctrine: as that, with Mira∣cles hath beene confirmed, and vvith great numbers of Miracles, our doctrine of the Signe of the Crosse, our doctrine of Images, our Doctrine of Reliques, our doctrine of Pilgrimage, our doctrine of praying to Saintes, of the necessitie of Baptizing children, of Confirming by a Bishop, and of very many other things by vs taught & beleeued, by the Heretikes denied and derided. But be∣cause
about so many pointes I should be too long, I will be content with one or two, and them out of such Authours as the Heretikes cannot denie, nor an∣swere with their peeuish scoffing at some vncertaine or false Miracles, which they read in I know not what Legenda Aurea, and such other obscure apocryphal wri∣tinges: As if that, because of certaine Gospelles fained in the name of Saint Thomas, Nicodemus, the Twelue, the He∣brues, &c. they would thinke therefore to scoffe out the authoritie of the vn∣doubted Gospels of S. Matthew, Marke, Luke, and Iohn.
And because about the holy Sacrifice of the Masse is our greatest variance, they hauing by open Edict set thereon the losse of an hundred markes to euerie one that frequēteth the same: the Masse shall be my first example, and Purgato∣ry my other, because that is of them no lesse contemned, then the holy Masse, and one Miracle will I aleadge prouing them both. And first for the Sacrifice of the Masse. Saint Augustine is witnesse of a notable Miracle wrought therby in
his owne time, in his owne Dioces, by a Priest of his owne. VVhich thus hee writeth:* 1.1 Vir Tribunitius, Hesperius, qui apud nos est, habet in territorio Fussalensi fundum Cubedi appellatum. Vbi cum afflictione anima∣lium & seruorum suorum, domum suam spiri∣tuum malignorum vim noxiam perpeti compe∣risset, rogauit nostros me absente presbyteros, vt alquis eorum illo pergeret, cuius or ationibus ce∣derent. Perrexit vnus, obtulit ibi Sacrificium Corporis Christi, orans quantum potuit, vt ces∣saret illa vexatio: Deoque protinus miserante cessauit. Hesperius a man of good wor∣ship, who is here with vs, hath nere about Fussala a Farme named Cubedi. where finding by the affliction of hys cattaile and seruantes, that his house was yll troubled with wicked spirits: he besought our Priestes (for I was ab∣sent) that some one of them would goe thither,* 1.2 with his prayers to driue them away. There went one: he offered there the Sacrifice of the body of Christ, pray∣ing with all hys power, that the same vexation myght ceasse: and strayght waies through Gods mercie, it ceas∣sed.
Now another Miracle for both the Masse and purgatorie together,* 1.3 I will recite out of our owne Countrie-man Saint Bede, which chaunced in his time, in our owne Countrey, no lesse certaine, then merueilous. A notable thing (hee saith) is* 1.4 certainly knowen to haue bin done in the battaile, wherein was killed King Elbuine: vvhich I in no wise thinke should be least vntold, but that it wilbe profitable to the saluation of manie to rehearse it.
In that battayle was slaine amongst others of Elbuines souldiers, a young man named Imma, who hauing that day and the night following amongest the bodies of the slayne, lyen as dead, at length receauing breath againe, reuiued and sitting vpp, bounde hys woundes himselfe as well as he could. Then re∣sting awhile, gat him vpp, and began so to goe his waie, where hee might finde frindes to see vnto him. In so doyng found hee was and taken by him of hys enimies hoast, & brought to their Lorde an Earle of King Edilredes, of vvhom being asked what he was, hee feared to
confesse that he was a souldier: and ra∣ther answered, that he was a poore man of the countrie, and one that had a wife, saying that hee came with others such as he was into the Campe to bring victuals to the Souldiers. But the Lord for all this took him to him, bidding his woūds to be seene vnto: and vvhen hee waxed whole, in the night for running awaie he commaunded him to be bound: but yet bound he could not be, for straight, as they were gone that had bound him, the same his bonds were loosed: for hee had a brother, whose name was Tunna, a Priest and Abbot of a Monasterie in the Cittie, which vnto this daie of his name is called Tunnacester. Who hea∣ring him to be killed in the fight, came to seeke, if perhaps hee might finde his body, and finding another in all pointes very like vnto him, thought it had bin he, and brought the same vnto his Mo∣nasterie, buried him honorably, and for the loosing of his soule was diligent of∣ten to say Masse. By the saying whereof vvas done the thing that I haue tolde, that none could bind him but straight he
was loosed. In the meane time, the Earle that kept him, began to meruaile, asking how it was that hee could not be boun∣den: whether perhappes hee had about him loosing letters, such as fables speake of, for which he might not be bounden. But he answered, that hee knew nothing of such sorceries: But a brother I haue (said he) a Priest, in my country, & sure I am, that he thinking me to be slaine, saieth often Masse for me. And if I were now in the other life, there should my soule by his intercessions be loosed from paines. After this when he was through∣ly recouered, the Earle solde him for London to a certaine Frisian: but ney∣ther of him, nor in the way thither could he by any meanes be bounden, but still his enimies laying on him sundrie kinds of bondes, still vvere they loosed. When then hee that had bought him, saw that in bondes hee could not be hol∣den, hee gaue him leaue to ransome him-selfe, if hee could. For after* 1.5 the third houre, at vvhich the Masses were vvont to be said, verie often were his bands loosed; So then he found meanes
to pay his ransome. And after this, re∣turning into his countrie, and comming to his brother, he vp and told him in or∣der all the aduersities, and comfortes in aduersitie, that had chaunced vnto him. And by that his brother told him, hee knew, at those times specially his bandes to haue bin loosed, at which for him the Masses vvere celebrated. And other thinges also, vvhich to him in daunger had happened profitably, & prosperous∣ly, hee vnderstood, that by his brothers intercession and offering of the Sauing Hoste they had from heauen bin giuen him. And manie hearing these things of the foresaid man, were in faith and godly deuotion enflamed to pray, or to giue almes, or to offer to our Lord, Victimas sacrae oblationis, pro ereptione suorum, qui de sae∣culo migrauerunt, Hostes of the Sacred ob∣lation▪ for the deliuerie of their friendes that were departed this world. For they perceaued, that the Sauing Sacrifice was effectuous to euerlasting Redemp∣tion both of soule and body. Hanc mihi historiam, etiam quidam eorum, qui ab ipso vi∣ro, in quo facta est, audiere, narrarunt: vnde
eam, quam liquido comperi, indubitanter histo∣riae nostrae Ecclesiasticae inserendam credidi. This storie told me euen some of them, which of the very man, in whome it was done, heard it, and therefore finding it to be cleare: I thought good without any doubt to put it into our Ecclesiasticall Historie.
After these two miracles, the one of Saint Augustines, the other of Saint Bedes time, knowledge, and telling, I thinke it not amisse, to tell yet another of our own time, and knowledge (as of the same, and of all times I might doe many) the rather because it was so late done, and that vpon an English woman, although in a straunge countrey: God thereby greatly comforting, and confirming all our hearts, and plainly declaring, that he thinketh vpon vs vnworthy vvretches, and that (as I trust) hee will surely cure our poore countrie, specially if we seeke to him for helpe in such manner as shee did. Thankes be to him for his vnspeak∣able gift. Thus it was: Margaret Iesope borne at Long-wicke in Risborough pa∣rish in Buckingamshire, after that from
the twelfth yeare of her age shee had in London serued diuers honest Citizens by the space of sixteene yeares, entred in the yeare of our Lorde. 1568. into the seruice of Samuell Rogers a Dutch∣man dwelling in the Old Baylie. Where betweene her and a man seruant in the same house named Iohn Mastene, a dutch man also, of Bruxelles here in Brabant, vpon mutuall liking, passed a contract of Matrimonie, the day also of solem∣nizing the mariage agreed vppon be∣tweene them both, named and appoin∣ted. But the friendes of Iohn at Bru∣xelles hearing thereof, and much mis∣liking it, induced him to come ouer to Bruxelles before he proceeded further: there tendered him another woman, & perswaded him to agree vnto thē. Mar∣garet in the meane time looking long for his returne, & seeing that he came not: vpon confidence of their former con∣tract & copulation also which therof en∣sued, came her selfe to Bruxelles at Al∣hallowentide in the yeare 1569. to seek for him. Where finding him maried al∣ready to another, & stiffly denying that
he had made any contract at all with her: what for sorrow of minde, what for lacke of language, friends, harbour, and of all helpes and necessaries, both then, and euer afterward through bashfulnes refrayning from her countrimen, like she was to haue perished, vntill at length a poore woman for pittie and compassiō tooke her in. In whose house falling in trauaile, and very hardly escaping with her life, she was made so lame therwith, that for a quarter of a yeare shee vvas faine to keep her bed: remayning vpon her deliuery a deepe hole in her right side, like as if some of her ribbes had bin suncken farre within her body, the skinne yet continuing vvhole, the sin∣nowes also in the hamme of her right legge being so much shrunken and con∣tracted, that from the hip downeward it was shorter then the other leg by more then halfe a foote.
In which miserable state she cōtinued about three yeares and foure moneths, lying (as I haue said) one quarter of a yeare, & going abroad the rest by helpe of a Crouch, with great difficultie and
no lesse deformitie: her right foote not comming at the ground by a large halfe foote. Insomuch that after shee vvas able thus to walke, suing the sayed Iohn both for the contract, and for the maime: he alledged for himself in court, that she was borne with that infirmitie, & halt∣ed euē so before that euer he did know her, which not withstanding was there openlie proued contrarie, as also con∣trarie it was to his owne conscience. Whereat she greiued so sore, that shee praid God most earnestly, that he might againe know her, as before hee knew her. And he also touched with remorse (as it seemeth) within that first yeare of her infirmitie hearing of a woman that was named to be verie skilfull in heal∣ing all diseases, offered her fiue poundes to make this Margeret sound & whole. But the woman after well viewing of her bodie, and examining of the circū∣stances of her lamenesse in the first be∣ginning that shee fell into it, answered plainely, that it passed her power & skill to heale her. A man likewise very skil∣full, that two yeares after her saide mis∣chaunce
vndertooke for eight poundes to help her, when hee had well conside∣red her condition, answered, that shee had tarried to long, & that she was now past all help. Shee for all this dispayred not of recouerie, but two yeares before her restitution, conceaued a sure hope in God, that hee, when it pleased him, would help her In the foresaid towne of Bruxelles, & in the head Church of the same named of S. Cudila, are three mira∣culous holy Hoastes, of whom this is the storie.
In the yeare of our Lord 1369. a cer∣taine Iew called Ionatha••, a man of great riches, and chiefe of all the Iewes then dwelling in the coastes of Brabant, hi∣red at Bruxelles for threescore peeces of gold, another Iew named Iohn, who a little before was christened, to steale for him out of some Church the Pixe vvith the holy Hoastes that in it were kept ac∣cording to the maner. By whose meanes hauing obtained his desire, he returned with the Pix home to Angy, distant xv. English miles from Bruxelles: there hee called his fellow-Iewes togeather:
before them opened the Pixe, poured out the Hoastes, with great laughing of all those traitors, scorning, railing, reui∣ling, and blaspheming of the faith and Christ of Christian men, not onely a•• that time, but at sundry other times also of their wicked meeting for that Iewish exercise. Ionathas shortly after, as hee walked to his garden a little out of the towne of Angie, fell by the iust iudge∣ment of God into the hands of theeues, of them was spoiled, and finally killed. His wife therby brought into great mi∣serie, came from Angie to dwell at Bru∣xelles, bringing with her the Pixe, and offering it to the Iewes there. Who gladly receauing it, and putting it in their Sinagogue (which is now a Chap∣pell) sent diuers of the holy Hoasts into diuers Countries where the Iewes were then dwelling, for the likewise to mocke thereat, and at the Christians for theyr faith therein.
After this, vpon Good-friday, as the Christians assembled themselues to ho∣nor Christ our Lord, and his bitter Pas∣sion our sweet Redemption, so those
perfidious Iewes of Bruxelles met toge∣ther in theyr Sinagogue to doe after their former custome: there in contempt of Christ, and despite of his Christians, they cast out of the Pix the holy Hoasts vpon a Table, blasphemed them most horribly, drewe out their kniues and daggers, therewith foyned and pricked them (as to this day we see) like frantike mad men. Whereupon issued blood out of them immediatly, and the Iewes thereat so amased, and astonied, that straight waies to the ground they fell, and there did lie so as if they had beene dead:* 1.6 But he that at the time of his Pas∣sion first laid them on the ground with his mightie word, & after suffered them to rise againe: now likewise permit∣ting them to receaue their strength, vp they rose againe with much feare and trembling, not knowing what to doe. At last they agreed thus to doe: to bid to a banket an old woman named Ka∣tharine, a Iew borne, but then a Chri∣stian, to warme her well with wine, and so to hire her for money, to conuey the said bloody Hoastes away to the Iewes
of Colē, for feare least the matter should come to the eares of Christian men at Bruxelles. She agreeing to their request taking home with her the Pixe, and minding the next day after to take her iourney, was the same night in her sleepe admonished by an angel, to leaue off her enterprise, & to deliuer the Pixe to her Ghostly Father the Curate of the Chap∣pel Church. Which she did on the mor∣row, in the presence of two other Priests. And sone after, the matter being knowē all abroad, there came in solemne Pro∣cession the Bishop of the Dioces, the Canons of Saint Gudilaes Church, the Duke of Brabant, his wife and Nobles, & all the people, to the Chapel Church, to translate from thence those three Sa∣cred Hoastes to the great Church of S. Gudila, where to this day they are reue∣rently kept, openly shewed, & deuoutly honored with great & dayly concourse of people: but most singularly vpon the Sonday after Saint Margarets day in the moneth of Iulie.
To omitte here the Dukes iust seue∣ritie shewed vpon that wicked rable for
their manifold villanies, and to returne to our Countriwoman: She now ly∣uing at Bruzelles, with the foresayd in∣firmitie befallen vnto her, & there both hearing much of others concerning this B. Sacrament of Miracle, and seeing also herselfe the great seeking of people vnto it: conceaued her foresaid sure hope, that God Almightie by it would helpe her. But then againe considering with her selfe, that such as loke for mercy at Gods handes, must with his grace prepare themselues so as mans poore fragylitie will permitte: she laboured all that shee myght to flie from sinne, to approche vnto God: and to that purpose she ser∣ued him euery day very deuoutlie at his Altar in the Church, as the people doe gyue her verie good testimonie. But speciallie the last yeare at Shroftide shee gaue herselfe most earnestly to all spiri∣tual & godly exercises.* 1.7 For then did she take order with herselfe to fast weekely from that time forward, wednesday, Fri∣day, and Saturday: and that in bread and water, taking also thereof a verie small quantitie: to come likewise in no
bed at al, but to lie on the ground: which she yet obserueth vntil at least the yeare of her healing be first expired: to vse moreouer no linnen next her body, to goe euery weeke to Confession, and as often also to receaue the blessed Sacra∣ment.
And as she proceeded further & fur∣ther in the exercise of these most godly workes, so Gods goodnes drawing nea∣rer and nearer vnto her, shee grew like∣wise more & more in hope: in so much, that a few dayes before her healing, she said plainely both to her ghostly father, and to diuers her familiars, that shee had novv no doubt at all, but that her healing was so neare at hand, that shee looked for it euery day: & that the more assuredly, because the great solemnity of the blessed Miraculous Sacrament vvas now likewise at hand. Wel, the Saterday came, and that Solemnitie should be the Sonday after. The same Saterday shee went a great league out of Bruxels (not regarding her exceeding paine in going) to her accustomed Ghostly Father, who a little afore vvas gone so farre out of
the towne to dwell, and she very loth at that time to goe to any other Confessor but to him onely, vvho by long hearing of her Confession, knew so well the state of her soule. And being come home againe, the same Fuening, it chaunced her in talking with a certaine vvoman that ought her money, to be angry with her for disapointing of her, and besides to threaten her, that she would haue her in the Law for it. Where in suspecting af∣terward that she had brokē her patience, and therefore fearing to receaue on the morrow the B Sacrament without con∣fessing of herself againe. Againe to con∣fession she went on the Sonday morning to the Pastor of the Chapel Church (her Parish-Church) a verie singular good man, Lord Suffragan to the Archbi∣shop of Mechlin, and Orderer both of me most vnworthy, and of other Eng∣lishmen for the most part that in these Countries are made Priestes. Hee gi∣uing her (as it may seeme, by reason that she was at confession the day before) but short Pennance, rose vp out of hand, leauing many gentlewomen which wai∣ted
at his stoale (as they doe ordinarilie euery Sondaie) to be confessed of hym: leauing them all, I saie, hee rose imme∣diatly for her cause, and came himself to minister the Blessed Sacrament vnto her being neither desired thereto of her, nor loked for, nor yet accustomed to cōmu∣nicate any, both because he is otherwise detained by reason of the great nūber of them that resorte euerie Sondaie to Shrift vnto him, and also bycause one of the Chaplaines giueth alwaies atten∣daunce to serue the Communicantes as they come. Hauing in this order recea∣ued the Blessed Sacrament & afrerward heard the Sermon, shee went her then forthwith to S. Gudilaes Church, to heare the solemne Masse of the B. Miraculous Sacrament, which was there to be song that day by the saied L. Suffragan, as in place of the Archbishop: & after Masse, to go with the generall Procession, in which the saied B. Sacrament should be carried about the streates, as the maner is there euerie yeare as vppon that Son∣day.
So it vvas that the euening afore shee
determined vvith two vvidovves, si∣sters, good vertuous women with whom shee dwelled in house togeather, to go that night three times the Procession-way in pilgrimage, as deuout people doe there commonly vse to doe. But when she had one of the three times so gone, behold, so wearie she was and sore in her body, that she was forced to goe home to rest her: the two sisters laugh∣ing at her for so doeing, and saying merrily: why Margeret? what is thys? you said, that you doubted not, but God would this time of this great Procession make you that you shold not nede your staffe at al: which semeth so farr off from happening vnto you, that it is rather nedefull for you to vse yet one ffaffe mo to that one which you haue already. She notwithstanding this new acccident of greater lamenesse ryseth early vpp the Sonday-morning: and vsing as it were violence vpon her selfe, goeth the Pro∣cession-way yet once againe the second time.
Well, being come (as I said afore) to heare the solemne masse, kneling within
the Quiere nere to the Altar (as here the vse of people is, by reason of the ex∣ceeding great multitudes which resort to such solennities) & Masse being now begonne shee fealt immediatly such an-horror and trembling in all her bodie, such stretching and strayning, such ha∣ling and pulling, cold sweat following also thereof in much aboundance, & her memorie & senses beginning thereupon to faile her, that it seemed vnto her no∣thing more like then death it selfe to be neare at hand. Yet bearing it a while the best that she could, for reuerence of the place & companie, and resigning herself into the handes of God: after the Epistle was read, shee began to feele some more ease both in mind and body. And at the tyme of the Gospell standing vp with others, by helpe of her crouch, shee see∣med to her self, when she was stoode vp, that shee had not as then needed that helpe, but that she could haue risē with∣out it, and began to thinke within her∣selfe that, shee now stood vpon both her legges without it, her short legge touch∣ing now the groūd no lesse thē her other.
Wel, the Gospell being ended she kne∣led her doune againe in silence after the maner, vntill the end of Masse and the Bishopps blessing. Then for greedines of Holie-water, which there is wont at the end of euery Masse to be sprinkled, vp she rose sodainly, because shee would leese no spirituall helpe which at that Masse might be had, and did forgett for hast both her crouch, her hat, her beads, and her handkerchef. Her hat an husbād man that stode by her at Masse, brought by & by vnto her: the rest in the throng, except her staffe, were lost.
She feeling herselfe fully and wholly deliuered both from all payne, and also from all cause of halting and lamenesse) for this her strange chaunce, first being sore amased and halfe crying out with∣all, but anon remembring better her selfe and much reioysyng for that which had happened: going, or rather run∣nyng out of the Church before the Procession, as she met in the multitude here and there with her acquaintaunce, they wondering to see her goe vpryght, and without her crouch, shee told them
with great ioy, that by vertue of the B. Sacrament of Miracle, she was (as they saw) wholly restored. Which while she told thus to very few, thinking still that it had beene secret, the fame thereof did immediatly so encrease, specially by the meanes of thē that at Masse time knee∣led about her, & marked wel the whole order of her strāge moods, that her staffe by and by vvas taken vp in the place where shee left it, and hanged vp forth∣with after the manner there beside the place of the said blessed Miraculous Sa∣crament, by the Chaplaine that hath the custodie of the same.
Afterward, the miracle of her healing being more famously knowen, and pro∣claimed in pulpits, to the hearing also of other Citties round about: certaine Englishmen that lay at Mechlin, twelue miles off, vnderstanding of it, thought it good, for the honor of God & in respect of her pouertie, to call her to Mechlin, vnto their seruice. Which iourney shee went so lustily, that certaine of our coū∣trymen very good on foote had much a doe to keepe her company: as euer since
in deed her agilitie is such, that shee ra∣ther seemeth to flie, or at least to runne, then to goe as others doe. As touching her vnfaithfull husband, of whom before I spake, he very shortly after this Mira∣cle of her healing, falling out with ano∣ther young fellow, receaued of him a ve∣ry grieuous wound, whereof within a few dayes after he died. And this much haue I said of Do••maticall Miracles.
De ciuit. Dei li. 22. ca. 8. See there a number of mira∣cles for vs
The for∣fait of an hundred markes was not then as yet en∣acted.
Hist. An∣gli. li. 4. ca. 22.
Constat
Coun∣ting from the sun∣rysing.
Ioan. 18.
An. 1573.