Imatges de pàgina
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This holy bishop, (Spyridon) fays Sozomen, had accustomed himself to bestow part of the produce of his lands on the poor, and to lend without intereft to others who had occafion to borrow. When any perfons came to him for this purpose, he fhewed them the ftorehouse, and bid them take what they would. When they brought again what they had borrowed, he defired them to place it where they had taken it from. A man coming one day pretending to return what he had borrowed, Spyridon bid him put it into the ftorehouse; but instead of fo doing he carried it away with him. In a little time after comes the fame person to borrow fome corn: the bifhop faid he might go and take it; but the man finding none in the ftore-house, acquainted Spyridon therewith; upon which this holy man faid to him, I am surprised that you only should find the store-house empty reflect with yourself, have you not neglected to restore what you borrowed? for unless this had happened, you could not have failed to have found what you wanted. Have faith in God, and you will find what you fought for. The man, being greatly surprised at this difcovery, acknowledged his fault and afked pardon.

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EVAGRIUS, among other miracles performed by a monk named Zofimas, reports the following: This holy man going one day to Cæfarea, and leading an afs which carried his baggage, met a lion who ran away with the afs. Zofimas followed him into a neighbouring foreft, and when the lion had eaten the ass, the monk thus expoftulated with the lion: I cannot, faid the faint, proceed in my journey, for I am neither young enough, nor ftrong enough to carry my baggage: you must therefore, for a little time, lay afide your natural fierceness, and carry my luggage. Accordingly the lion immediately fawned upon him, in fuch a manner as fhewed that he offered his service. Zofimas then placed his baggage upon the lion's back, and led him to the gates of Cæfarea *.

THE fame author tells us, that the following miracle happened during the time in which Epiphanius was bishop of Conftantinople. A cuftom had been long obferved in this city, that when a large quantity of confecrated bread remained after the communicants had been ferved, fome children were fent for from the fchools to eat it: among these there happened to be the fon of a glassmaker, who was a few. This boy going home that day later than usual, and his father afking

* Evagrius, 1. iv. c. 7.

afking the cause of it, the boy told him he had been at church with other children, and what he had eaten. The father in a violent rage immediately threw the child into the furnace in which he melted his glafs. The mother miffing her fon, and not being able to find him, ran up and down the streets filling the air with her lamentations: but three days after, calling for her fon at the door of the glass-house, she heard him answer; when forcing her way in, the found him standing upright in the midst of the furnace, the fire having done him no harm. And when the inquired of the boy by what means he was preserved from the flames, he anfwered, that he had been feveral times vifited by a lady dreffed in purple robes, who brought him water which extinguished the fire wherewith he was furrounded, and also that she had given him food 1.

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SECTION III.

thefe miracles, related as certain truths by fome of the moft ancient and most admired church-hiftorians, I hall. add a few paffages of the fame nature from the lives of faints, and begin with that of R. 2

1 Ibid. c. xxxvis TADY ODM

St.

St. Antony", written by St. Athanafius, who declares, that what he wrote was either from his own knowledge, (for he had often feen him) or from the information of Antony's fervant, who had lived long with him; and that through the whole he had paid a strict regard to truth. Notwithstanding which, this life of Antony confifts principally in most monftrous accounts of the many outward and bodily conflicts between the faint and the devil, in which tho' the former fometimes got the victory, yet for the most part he was cruelly whipped, beat, and bruised by the latter, who appeared outwardly and visibly in great variety of shapes; particularly as a most beautiful woman, as a black boy, as a terrible, tall, deformed perfonage, reaching up to the clouds, and gnashing his teeth. We are like-. wife told, that this holy man was attacked by a huge company of devils, who "transformed "themselves into the fhapes of all forts of "beasts, lions, bears, leopards, bulls, ferpents,

afps, fcorpions, and wolves; every one of " which moved and acted agreeably to the "creatures they represented; **** so that "Antony was moft grievously tortured and

mangled by them." However, at last, our author tells us, "the Lord came to the "faint's help; for as Antony looked up, the "roof

Antony was born about the year 250,

"roof of the cell was as it were opened, and "there appeared a beam of light shooting "down as it were towards him; where

upon the devils ftraitway became fpeech"lefs; Antony's pain alfo prefently ceafed, "and the roof closed again." After this, the faint fharply expoftulated with his deliverer in these words: "Where waft thou " before? Why didft thou not appear at firft "to affuage my pain? A voice then faid "unto him, Antony, I was here; but I waited "to fee thy behaviour under this tryal: and "fince thou haft valiantly gone through it, " and haft not been conquered, I will always "be thy helper, and make thee famous in "all places." The rest of this faint's life principally confifts in accounts of his knowing people's thoughts, what they intended to do, tho' at many leagues diftance from him; his miraculously curing difeafes, cafting out devils, and behaving and acting like a madman. Yet St. Auftin appears to be greatly affected with reading thefe lying wonders: for the fays of himfelf and Alipius, Stupebamus audientes, &c. "We were aftonished to "hear fuch marvellous things, so fresh in memory, and which happened almost in our own times ""

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St. Aug. 1. viii. confeff. c. vi.

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