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CAtharin van Hoef wife to Peter vander Elst Burger of Lire, was no sooner deliuered of fiue of her children, but she saw them born, and dead at the same moment, and they vnhappy infants found their cradles in their graues, before they had been washed from ori∣ginal
sin by the sacred waters of Baptism. This sad accident aflicted their sorrowful mother the more greiuously, for that she perceiued by diuers signes and tokens, that they were stifled by magicall charms and enchantments.
Witches and enchanters, in their diaboli∣cal arts, by the permission of Almighty God, make vse of the fruits of the earth, and of the dung of rats, & other filthy creatures, to work maligne effects vpon the bodies of men. with such kind of sorceries as these, this poor wo∣man was outragiously aflicted, finding her bed oftentimes full of them, although she had caused it to be cleansed before. Wherefore finding herself thus grieuously assailed by wicked spirits and their adherents, she caused herself to be exorcized for four whole years, when excited by the noise of the miracles whrought through the intercession of S Xa∣uerius at Mechlin, she went thither. And en∣tring into the chappel where the Relicks of the Saint are kept, immediately the Saint filled her soul with such a sweetnes and comfort in her aflictions, as cheered her at the very he∣art, and she was not a litle strengthened by it. The poor woman being again with child, the four last months of her time she was aflicted with such a troublesome flux of Blood, ac∣companied with such a dereliction of forces, with such languishings and faintings, and so many euils at once, that fearing least oppressed by them she should by suddenly, they gaue her the most Holy Viaticum or last Sacrament of our Lords Body.
These sad effects made the mid-wife and her kindred judge that there was no hopes of her life: notwithstanding the sick party, although her strength and forces were exhausted, and she giuen ouer by all, yet did she not cease to ex∣pect from the abundant charity of S. Xauerius, together with the end of her dolors, the re∣compense of her faith, which wonderfully en∣creased when they brought her a Relick and picture of the Saint; to whom she offered a heart of siluer, and promised to procure a solemne Mass to be sung, and in case she were deliuered of a son, she would giue him the name of Francis Xauerius.
As she rolled this sweet thought in her minde she sowned away, & remained so a long time without motion, so that euery one thought she was dead. Coming to herself again, she comforted those which were about her, with words which abundantly testifyed the confi∣dence of her heart, saying vnto them with a languishing voice, Assuredly S. Xauerius will help me, he will cure me of my Pain••, and in fine he will saue my life, and the life of my child.
The Physitian being conscious of these strange kinds of euils and miseries of the good woman, fearing least the bowels of the mo∣ther might come to be the graue of her vnborn child, caused a Surgeon to be called, to be ready to open the womb of the sick party, in case she should come to dy, that so the infant might be baptized if it were yet aliue. A litle after, sownings, and the ordinary symptomes followed one another with such violence, that
the sick party had the Holy candle in her hand a long time without any signe of life. Hauing continued in this manner insensible for a time, by litle and litle she opened her eyes, and be∣sought her friends to say one Pater and Aue in honor of the great Saint, from whose bounty she hoped to obtain her cure.
A Father her Cōfessarius, who was in a cham∣ber neer her, set himself to say the Lytanies of all the Saints, and when he had pronounced three times the name of S. Xauerius, behold without feeling the cruel approches, and sharp pangs of child birth, she was deliuered of a son, whose happy birth sweetned the grief, which the sad loss of her other children had caused in her. Since this her safe and fauora∣ble deliuery, she, together with her litle Infant, has enjoyed perfect health, without being troubled from that time with those charmes and witchcrafts, which oppugned her child-bearing with so many anguishes & grieuances.
The Approbation of this last Fauor by the most Reuerend Bishop of Anwerp, F. Ambrosius Ca∣pello, for breuity sake I haue omitted. In which approbation, after due examen by commissarys by him to that purpose appointed, he declares that this Fauor, [for so he stiles it only, and not an absolute Mrracle] may piously and prudently be belieued to haue been receiued by the singular assistance of S. Francis Xauerius. The omnipotent and most merciful JESƲS, through the intercession of the same his great Instrument in the conuersion of souls, work many like fauors for his humble Ca∣tholick Clients in England, and compell by his Holy
grace all misbelieuers to say to this Great Apostle and Doctor of the Roman-Catholick Church, what Ni••••demus said of old to Christ our Lord, in like circumstances, Rabbi scimus &c. Sir, we know that you are a master come from God, for no man could work those signes which thou doest vnles God were with him. But may they neuer deserue to hear that of our Bless••d Sauiour concerning the obstinate Iews Io. 15. Si opera non fec••ssem in eis quae nemo alius fecit, peccatum non hab••rent &c. If I had not don works amongst them which no other has don they would not haue sinned. If I had not come and spoken vnto them, they would not haue sinned, but now they haue no excuse for their sin. Amen.