1 Chap. I. Pope Gregory II. into Germany, where he converted feveral countries, and from thence got the name of the ApoAtle of Germany. He was made Bishop of Ments in the year 745. He was one of the most confiderable men of his time, (most ecclefiaftical matters going through his hands, as appears by his letters,) and was alfo a great friend and admirer of Bede. Carrying on his conversions in Frifia, he was killed by the barbarous people near Utrecht, A. D. 755. 17. St. Al tyr. §. 3. St. Alban was the firft Chriftian martyr in this ban, Mar- ifland, about the middle of the third century. He was converted to Christianity by one Amphialus, a priest of Caerleon in Wales, who flying from perfecution into England, was hofpitably entertained by St. Alban at Verulam in Hertfordshire, now called from him St. Albans. When, by reafon of a strict search made for Amphialus, St. Alban could entertain him fafe no longer, he dreffed him in his own clothes, and by that means gained him an ́opportunity of efcaping. But this being foon found out, exposed St. Alban to the fury of the Pagans; who fummoning him to do facrifice to their gods, and he refufing, they first miserably tormented him, and then put him to death. The monks have fathered feveral miracles upon 'him, which it is not worth while here to relate. 20. Tranflation of King of the §. 4. Edward King of the Weft Saxons being barbarously murdered by his mother-in-law, was first buried at Edward, Warham without any folemnity; but after three years was carried by Duke Alferus to the minifter of Shaftefbury, and there interred with great pomp. To the memory of which the twentieth of June has been fince de'dicated. Weft July 2. fed Virgin Mary. SECT. VII. Of the Romish Saints-days and Holy-days in July. ABOUT the year 1338, there was a terrible fchifm in Vifitation the church of Rome between two anti-popes, Urban VI. of the blef- and Clement VII. the first chofen by the Italian, the other by the French faction among the Cardinals. Upon this feveral great diforders happened. To avert which for the future, Pope Urban inftituted a feaft to the memory of that famous journey, which the mother of our Lord took into the mountains of Judea, to vifit the mother of St. John the Baptift; that by this means the interceffion of the bleffed Virgin might be obtained for the removal of thofe evils. The fame feftival was confirmed by the decree decree of Boniface IX. though it was not universally ob- Part I. ferved until the council of Bafil: by decree of which council in their forty-third feffion, upon July 1, 1441, it was ordered that this holy-day, called the Vifitation of the bleffed Virgin Mary, fhould be celebrated in all christian churches, that "the being honoured with this folemnity, might reconcile her Son by her interceffion, who is now angry for the fins of men; and that the might grant "peace and unity among the faithful." 66 Tranfla tion of §. 2. St. Martin was born in Pannonia, and for fome-4 time lived the life of a soldier, but at last took orders, and St. Martin, was made Bishop of Tours in France. He was very dili- Bishop and gent in breaking down the heathen images and altars, Confeffor. which were standing in his time. He died in the year 400, after he had fat bifhop twenty-fix years. The French shop of had formerly fuch an esteem for his memory, that they carried his helmet with them into their wars, either as an enfign to encourage them to bravery, or else as a fort of charm to procure them victory. His feast-day is celebrated on the eleventh of November. The fourth of this month is dedicated only to the memory of the tranflating or removing of his body from the place where it was buried, to a more noble and magnificent tomb; which was performed by Perpetuus, one of his fucceffors in the fee of Tours. 1.8.3. Swithun was firft a monk, and afterwards a prior, 15. Swiof the convent of Winchester. Upon the death of Helin- thun, Biftan Bishop of that fee, by the favour of King Ethel- WinWolph, he was promoted to fucceed him in that bishop- chefter, brick, A. D. 852. and continued in it eleven years, to his tranflated. death. He would not be buried within the church, as the Bishops then generally were, but in the cemetery, or church-yard. Many miracles being reported to be done at his grave, there was a chapel built over it; and a folemn tranflation made in honour of him, which in the at popith times was celebrated on the fifteenth of July. 18. 4. Margaret was born at Antioch, being the daugh- 20. Margasditer of an heathen prieft. Olybius, Prefident of the Eaft ret, Virgin noqunder the Romans, had an inclination to marry her; but Tot finding fhe was a Christian, deferred it till he could perfuade her to renounce her religion. But not being able boto accomplish his defign, he firft put her to unmerciful to torments, and then beheaded her. She has the fame office among the papifts, as Lucina has among the heathens; viz. to affift women in labour. Her holy-day is very ancient, not only in the Roman, but alfo in the Greek church, F 2 and Martyr at Antioch. Chap. I. church, who celebrate her memory under the name of Marina. She fuffered in the year 278. 22. St. Ma- §. 5. By the firft Common Prayer-Book of King Edry Magda- ward VI. the twenty-second of July was dedicated to the lene. memory of St. Mary Magdalene. In the fervice for the The Epiftle day, Prov. xxxi. 10. to the end, was appointed for the and Gofpel. Epistle; and the Gospel was taken out of St. Luke vii. 36. to the end. But upon a ftricter enquiry, it appearing dubious to our Reformers, as it doth ftill to many learned men, whether the woman mentioned in the Scripture, that was appointed for the Gospel, were Mary Magdalene or not; they thought it more proper to difcontinue the festival. However, as I have mentioned the other parts of the fervice, I will alfo give the reader the Collect that was appointed, which he will obferve was very apt and fuitable to the Gofpel. "The Col lect. 26. St Ann, the bleffed Merciful Father, give us grace that we never prefume to fin through the example of any creature: but if it fhall chance us at any time to offend thy divine Majefty, that then we may truly repent and lament the fame, after the example of Mary Magdalene, and by a lively faith obtain remiffion of all our fins, through the only merits of thy Son our Saviour Chrift. Amen. 66 Mign of §. 6. St. Ann was the mother of the bleffed Virgin mother to Mary and the wife of Joachim her father. An ancient Virgin Ma- piece of the facred genealogy, fet down formerly by Hippolitus the martyr, is preferved in Nicephorus 22. "There were three filters of Bethlehem, daughters of Matthan "the priest, and Mary his wife, under the reign of Cleo"patra and Cafopares King of Perfia, before "Herod, the fon of Antipater: the eldeft was "fecond was Sobe, the youngest's name was Ann. The "eldest being married in Bethlehem, had for daughter "Salome the midwife: Sobe the fecond likewife married, "in Bethlehem, and was the mother of Elizabeth; laft of "all the third married in Galilee, and brought forth Mary the mother of Christ." Auguft 1. the SECT. VIII. Of the Romish Saints-days and Holy-days in Auguft. 76b THE firft day of this month is commonly called LamLammas mas-day, though in the Roman church it is generally known by the name of the feast of St. Peter in the fetters, day. 22 Niceph. lib. ii. cap. 3. vol. i. p. 136. A. being the day of the commemoration of St. Peter's im- Part II. prifonment. For Eudoxia, the wife of Theodofius_the Emperor, having made a journey to Jerufalem, was there prefented with the fetters which St. Peter was loaded with in prifon; which the prefented to the Pope, who afterwards laid them up in a church built by Theodofius in honour of St. Peter. Eudoxia, in the mean time, having obferved that the firft of Auguft was celebrated in memory of Auguftus Cæfar, (who had on that day been faluted Auguftus, and had upon that account given occafion to the changing of the name of the month from Sextilis to Auguft,) the thought it not reasonable that a holyday fhould be kept in memory of a heathen prince, which would better become that of a godly martyr; and therefore obtained a decree of the Emperor, that this day for the future fhould be kept holy in remembrance of St. Peter's bonds. called. The reafon of its being called Lammas-day, fome think Why fo was a fond conceit the popifh people had, that St. Peter was patron of the Lambs, from our Saviour's words to him, Feed my lambs. Upon which account they thought the mafs of this day very beneficial to make their lambs thrive. Though Somner's account of it is more rational and eafy, viz. that it is derived from the old Saxon playmærre, i. e. Loaf-mass, it having been the custom of the Saxons to offer on that day an oblation of loaves made of new wheat, as the first fruits of their new corn. §. 2. The festival of our Lord's Transfiguration in the 6. Transfimount is very ancient. In the church of Rome indeed it guration of but of late ftanding, being inftituted by Pope Calixtus our Lord. in the year 1455; but in the Greek church it was observed long before. 8.3. The feventh of Auguft was formerly dedicated to 7. Name of the memory of Afra, a courtezan of Crete; who being Jefus. converted to chriftianity by Narciffus Bifhop of Jerufalem, fuffered martyrdom, and was commemorated on this day: how it came afterwards to be dedicated to the Name of Jefus, I do not find. Archdea §. 4. St. Laurence was by birth a Spaniard, and Trea- 10. St. Lau furer of the church of Rome, being Deacon to Sixtus the rece Pope about the year 259. When his Bishop was haled to con of death by the foldiers of Valerian the Emperor, St. Lau- Rome and rence would not leave him, but followed him to the place Martyr. of his execution, expoftulating with him all the way, "O "father, where do you go without your fon? You never 16 were wont to offer facrifice without me." Soon after which, F 3. Chap. I. which, occafion being taken against him by the greedy Pagans, for not delivering up the church-treafury, which they thought was in his cuftody, he was laid upon a gridiron, and broiled over a fire: at which time he behaved himself with fo much courage and refolution, as to cry out to his tormentors, that he was rather comforted "than tormented;" bidding them withal "turn him on "the other fide, for that was broiled enough." His martyrdom was fo much efteemed in after-times, that Pulche-: ria the Empress built a temple to his honour, which was either rebuilt or enlarged by Juftinian. Here was the gridiron on which he fuffered laid up, where (if we may believe St Gregory the Great, who was too credulous in fuch kind of matters) it became famous for many miracles. 28. St. Au shop of Hippo. §. 5. St. Auguftin was born at Togafte, a town in Nuguftin, Bi- midia in Africa, in the year 354. He applied himself at firft only to human learning, fuch as poetry and plays, rhetoric and philofophy; being profeffor at Rome first, and afterwards at Milan. At the laft of thefe places St. Ambrofe became acquainted with him, who inftructed him in divinity, and fet him right as to fome wrong notions which he had imbibed. He returned into Africa about the year 388, and three years afterwards was chofen Bishop of Hippo. He was a great and judicious divine, and the most voluminous writer of all the fathers. He died in the year 430, at feventy-feven years of age. 20. Behead John Bap tift. §. 6. The twenty-ninth of this month, as Durandus ing of Saint fays, was formerly called Feftum collectionis S. Johan. Baptifte, or the feaft of gathering up St. John the Baptift's Relics; and afterwards by corruption, Feftum decollationis, the feaft of his beheading. For the occafion of the honours done to this Saint are faid to be fome miraculous cures performed by his relics in the fourth century for which reafon Julian the Apoftate ordered them to be burnt, but fome of them were privately reserved. His head was found after this, in the Emperor Valens's time, and repofited as a precious relic in a church at Conftantinople. Giles, 1. SECT. IX. Of the Romish Saints-days and Holy-days in September. Sept Ab. GILES, or Egidius, was one who was born at Athens, and came into France, A. D. 715. having firft difpofed Confeffor. of his patrimony to charitable ufes. He lived two years bot and |