ON S. RAGNEBERTUS THE MARTYR
IN BRESSIA A PROVINCE OF GAUL.
ABOUT DCLXXV.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
On his cult & places sacred to him, & the Abbey, & Acts.
Ragnebertus, Martyr in Bressia, a province of Gaul (S.)
G. H.
The author of the Gallican Martyrology, Andreas
Saussay, subjoined 7,
some names of Saints,
from a very ancient manuscript Martyrology
of the monastery of the Benedictine Fathers
of S. Sabinus or Savinus
in Levitania, in the Pyrenean mountains in the territory of Tarbes,
written about four hundred years ago
on parchment. Cult 13 June In this on the day XIII June thus
he says is read: In the territory of the city of Lyons, the natal of S.
Regnebertus, whose death precious in the sight of the Lord
frequent miracles attest. We have of the Breviary
of Lyons, a Calendar to the form of Trent
for both printing & reciting, & Lives of the Saints,
by Master Stephanus de Vernay
Chaumont, Doctor of Sacred Theology & Canon
of the Collegiate Church of S. Justus in the city of Lyons. There on
the same day XIII June, for the feast of S. Ragnebertus
the Martyr, is set this elogium. Ragnebertus, born
of high family of the Franks, had as father Radbertus
the Duke, who governed quite vigorously
several provinces between the borders of the Loire & Seine
in his times. He from his earliest age prudently
discharging the offices of this world, on account of the
faith he had in God supremely beloved especially,
studied in all his acts thus to pass through advantages
of time, that he might deserve to come at some time
to the eternal joys promised. Which he both held
& holds from this day, transfixed with the point of a lance;
after many persecutions, by the work and command of Ebroin,
the Mayor of the Palace of Theoderic, who was made
King of the Franks in place of his brother Childeric in the year of Christ
DCLXXVII. The place in which he undertook such a death, unjustly
from the impious Tyrant, for the cult of justice,
the enemy of God & the Saints, & the bloody extirpator
of the nobility of the Franks, formerly called Bredo,
situated in the borders of the Lyonnais at the mountains of Jura,
was illustrated with the gleamings of divine glorification
. For at the tomb of the Saint hung lamps,
the oil, which fed the perennial light, without human
aid produced.
[2] Two places of S. Ragnebertus. The place is double celebrated in the name of S. Ragnebertus.
Among the Segusians, now called the Forezians, & those
Upper, occurs the Priory of S. Ragnebertus of the Order
of S. Benedict, which is little distant from the bank of the river
Loire; in which a stone bridge our ancestors took care to make,
thence commonly named le pont de S. Rambert,
& is in the Archpresbytery of Montbrison. Another place
of S. Ragnebertus is in the Bugey region of Bressia, at
the small river Albarine, at that great road by which
is gone to Bourg-en-Bresse, between the high mountains of Jura. It is said
both the parish or town & the Abbey
of S. Ragnebertus is in the Archpresbytery of Ambronay,
in the Register of Benefices of the diocese of Lyons.
[3] Acts of the martyr We have various Acts of the Martyrdom; most perfect
are those, which extracted from the Breviary of the said Abbey of S. Ragnebertus
Samuel Guichenon edited in the History of Bresse
& Bugey, part four in the Probations
page 232. Next come those which were sent us by Joannes Ferrandus
of the Society of Jesus from Lyons in the year MDCXLIX,
as supplied by Lord Laboureur Provost of Insula
Barbara. In these are lacking the Prologue & Epilogue,
& in place of this some things about the malice, death
& damnation of Ebroin are related; which we judge to be omitted.
In the third place can be reckoned, those which twice were sent us
from the same Ms. of Nicolaus Fabricius: but these are nearly
the same, but mutilated at the end, in vol. 1
of the Writers of the History of the Franks by Andreas du
Chesne p. 625 edited from the Ms. Codex of Claudius Dormieux
of Arras, a man very well known to me when he was living in the Isles.
In Andreas du Chesne in the margin
is read Ides of July, when it should have been printed Ides of June,
by an easy error, & already often by us detected:
on account of which yet Saussay in the Corollary to the Gallican
Martyrology, on the Ides of July or XV day, some
elogium of S. Ragnebertus has set forth, to be reduced to the Ides of June or XIII
day.
[4] The before-mentioned Guichenon, in the Continuation
of the second part of the History page 97, the monastery named from him broadly describes the town
of S. Ragnebertus Jurensis, commonly S. Rambert
de Joux, where he asserts, S. Ragnebertus crowned with martyrdom,
handed to burial, & translated to the church of S.
Domitianus, there illustrious with frequent miracles
unto now to have rested; not however in the Priory
of S. Ragnebertus among the Forezians is his sacred body
with the body of S. Domitianus preserved. Yet not the false
continuously will be the history of the Translation, to I July
to be examined. For what prevents, that with the body of S. Domitianus,
some Relics of S. Ragnebertus were translated?
Greatest splendor accrued to the joined monastery
from the miracles, as appears, of S. Ragnebertus alone; of which monastery
Guichenon counts thirty-four Abbots.
The sixth of these Humbertus obtained a Bull from
Pope Celestine III, signed in the year MCXCI, & the place subject to it: by which all privileges
are confirmed: where he says, he had thought the places subject to the monastery
ought to be expressed by their proper names;
namely the place itself, in which the said monastery
is situated, with all its appurtenances
& with the adjacent burg; the cell of Chamon, the Church
of S. Michael of mount Andricus, the Church
of S. Peter of Villari-Cayerius, with all
their appendages, the Cell of Villars-Sales, the Church
of S. Julianus of Mont-major with all
their appendages, the Cell of S. Mary of Granerii,
& the Church of S. Peter of Sauciacus, the Church of S.
Peter of Aspero-monte, the Church of S. Baldulfus, the Church
of Munascum with their appendages, the Cell
of S. Mary of Luceys, the Church of S. Mary of Janua,
the Church of Luziacum, the Church of S. Desiderius,
the Church of Campanieu with their appendages,
the Church of S. Peter of Benonzia, the Church
of S. Andrew of Tenayus, the Church of S. Mauritius of Argit,
the Church of S. Martin of Vaugii, the Church
of S. Laurence of Onciacus, the Church of S. Peter of
Aranda, the Cell of S. Michael of Rupes, the Church
of S. Mauritius of Langii, the Church of S. Hilary of
Turciacus, the Church of S. Martin of Cleysieu, the Church
of S. Martin of Varey, the Church of S. Mauricius
of Ambutriacum, the Church of S. Mauricius of Meyri,
the Church of S. Andrew of Rigniacum, the Cell of S. Peter
of Vilieu, the Church of S. Mary of Hospitalarium,
the Chapel of S. Magdalene of Loyes, the Cell
of S. Christopher of Burgum, the Cell of S. Vincent
of Faramans, the Church of S. Martin of Stingiacum
with their appendages. So far there. The complete Bull
with other privileges & exemptions Guichenon exhibits
in the Proofs page 234 & following.
[5] The town honored with a Marquisate. The burg or town of S. Ragnebertus, when before
it was subject to the Abbots alone, by a certain commutation,
made by Renerus the Abbot in the year MXCVI, passed
to the Dukes of Savoy; by whom in the year MDLXXVI
it was erected into a Marquisate, indicates the charter of erection
in the same Guichenon page 236. But the monastery itself,
handed over to Commendatory Abbots, lost
(as those subject to that calamity tend to) its ancient splendor,
nor is forced to suffer small ruin of its things,
with Guichenon as witness: who denies it ever to have been
subject to the Cluniac monastery; & the Bull in
the Cluniac Library, attributed to Innocent II, as
about the year MCXXXVIII a witness of such subjection,
he wishes to be believed to be revoked.
ACTS OF THE MARTYRDOM.
From Guichenon, du Chesne, & various Ms. codices.
Ragnebertus, Martyr in Bressia, a province of Gaul (S.)
BHL Number: 7059
FROM MSS.
[1] In every contest he is the victor, who has killed
the enemy; Prologue. but in our battle no one
is believed to have obtained victory, except him who has been killed.
A soldier in war, if he has acted more expeditiously, if
he has held his spear more bravely, if more by his enduring right hand's
strength he has thrown down wounded, if a sword from the enemy
he has taken bloody, is praised for having conquered; only the Christian
, unless in the contest itself he dies, is judged less
fit. The death of our faith is victory:
then we conquer, when we are killed: then the troubles
of labor & of the whole contest we overcome,
when we pour out our soul from our chest. A new battle,
new discipline of fighting! Let that man be stronger,
who is tortured & endures: that one is victor, who endures death
patiently. Saint Ragnebertus therefore, by conquering
the enemy, died, that to the desired glory of his labor
he might come: who if he had remained
in body, would not have the glory of his victory,
which today by the merit of his faith he possesses obtained.
He sustained for a short time torture, felt the punishment,
which the persecutor cruelly inflicted: but now in those
pleasures of delights he is delighted, which by no
judgment of human estimation can be defined: as
is written, that eye has not seen, nor ear
heard, nor into man's heart has ascended, what God has prepared
for those who love him a.
[2] The most blessed Ragnebertus therefore, sprung from a most excellent
family of the Franks, of the most noble Duke b
Radbertus according to worldly dignity was son: Noble by birth & holily instructed,
who namely between the streams of the Seine & Loire
borders many provinces vigorously governed in his times.
This athlete of Christ, most noble in the world,
but more noble in faith; in scholastic & Sunday
doctrine was educated in the hall of the palace; strong in heart,
ready in genius, learned in arms, assiduously
with flowers of worldly wisdom was adorned everywhere.
And when from his earliest age he prudently bore the brave things
of the world, as later in the end was made clear, he loved more attentively
with his heart the Lord. For he studied in all his acts
so to pass through temporal advantages, that he might come
at some time to deserve eternal joys. And when
he saw many burning with envy against him, he more
studied by dissimulation to trample down the traps of the malevolent
, than to render to the wickedest more wicked things.
[3] Therefore in those days arose a certain most iniquitous Soldier,
Ebroin by name, the injury of Ebroin, contrary to God & the Saints
; who sprung from a low family, had been elevated to the honor of Mayor-of-the-Palace
by c the King. To this one
it was a study, that whomsoever, of the Franks' family,
born of a lofty progeny of nobility, he had seen advancing in worldly utility
; d either having killed or
driven away or removed them, such persons in their honor
he might elevate, who either bound by softness, or
weakened in sense, or by some baseness of family degenerate,
would not dare to resist his impious commands.
And when on this account he saw several of the more noble of the Franks
grieving against him; cunningly preventing the factions of all,
obstinately by his cunning all
he overcame.
[4] Therefore this most impious Ebroin, on the already-mentioned
servant of God Ragnebertus studied to impute, that he with two Nobles of the Palace, Bodo &
might attempt without the decree of the King
to kill Ebroin himself. But since he was neither willing to betray the crime
, nor to deny the deed, with the servant of God f Audoenus
interceding, Pontiff of the city Rouen, he is sent away to the parts of Jura, whose fame
of Priesthood at that time had filled the world of Gaul,
he was not immediately killed; but to a certain powerful man,
Theudofredus by name, in the parts of Burgundy
into exile was commended; namely with this pretext of a faction,
that while he was believed to have been thrust into exile; without
the command of the Franks secretly he should be killed.
But by God's disposing, in whose hand the hearts of men
are; the noble man himself, to whom he had been delivered
to death, by compassion compunct,
rather studied to keep him alive, than the fierce
commands of Ebroin the Prince in his blood
to fulfill.
[5] So this was done by divine clemency, by whose
judgment the hidden things of the heart are cleansed, that while just death
is suspended, the servant of God Ragnebertus, where for a time being free to weep, a future Martyr,
through penance might be cleansed; & when
for a time of a few years he had been in the relegation
of exile, with his whole heart converted to the Lord, what
with fragile conversation he had stained in the world, he washed
with tears & prayers in the chamber of his heart.
Meanwhile when now the promised time was approaching,
that the blessed man, to be transferred from the world, was to be presented
to the sight of Christ; again the bloody beast with serpentine
hiss sent mandates, that without delay
they should kill the holy servant of God. And when his ministers,
though unwilling, had taken him up, to fulfill
the commands of the Tyrant; they led him through a certain
desert, namely in the border of Lyonnais territory
near to Jura. Leading him therefore, ignorant
they came at night to a certain place g called Bebronne,
where a certain servant of God, named Domitianus,
for the sake of religion in honor of h S. Genesius
the Martyr, is led to a desert, when in that desert by the example of the holy Fathers
he was living, had constructed a narrow oratory.
The athlete of Christ therefore besought those leading him, that
they might permit him in that church to make prayer.
And when they would by no means grant this, the servant of God understood
, that they were leading him to death: wherefore
with the executioners permitting, in the place where he was, his
prayer he completed: which finished he said to the swordsmen
: Behold, what is ordered i fulfill, but
I beseech through the Lord, that you do not make weariness
for me longer. And when they had made him sit on a certain stone
, one of these with the point of a lance
extorted his life. Returning from the crime, he is transfixed with a lance to the cultivators
of the oratory they said, that they had found in the vicinity
they should study to commit him to a sepulcher: who
seeking the body of the most holy Martyr, most diligently
they handed it to burial.
[6] So, according to the voice of the excellent Preacher, incomprehensible
is the height of the riches of the wisdom
of God; Rom. 11, 36 for that Priest, who had received his confession,
after 14 years when he was in exile; for the courses of seven years
had enjoined penance to be done by him,
which because before the said term untimely death
prevented, after a space of twice seven years had passed,
then first at his tomb divine power shone forth.
He had indeed been buried in the porch of the church, but
with the virtue publishing itself with miracles, by the faithful was thence
translated, & in the temple of the church next to k
the Relic of the Holy of God was placed. for miracles he is translated to the church: Thence frequent
miracles are wrought at the sepulcher of B. Ragnebertus
the Martyr. There the blind receive sight, the lame find their
step, the host of demons is put to flight, are driven out
cold fits, fierce toothache: are granted
to him seeking with faith divine consolations.
[7] Among the other miracles, which the Lord on account of the merit
of the glorious Martyr Ragnebertus deigns to work,
for a long time from the sepulcher of the same most holy
Soldier of his he made oil to flow, from his sepulcher flows oil: in the lamps
there set up; from which oil whoever in
any infirmity has been held, by sickness
wearied, immediately when by the hands of the faithful of that place
he was touched with that liquid of oil, deserved to receive his former
health l.
[8] And because Ἔλεος in Greek, in Latin Mercy
is called, by which the mercy of God is indicated. rightly by divine dispensation it was done,
that the works of piety should be exercised through the anointing of oil.
For in the old & new Testament, with the oil of benediction
Kings & Priests & Prophets were consecrated
, is manifest: which what allegorically
signifies, many documents of the Doctors demonstrate.
Hence indeed of the ancient Israelite people it is written
, They sucked honey from the rock & oil from the firm
rock. Deut. 32, 13 Hence Paul says: But the rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 10, 3
If therefore Christ is the rock, & oil from the firm rock; that ancient people of God sucked a miracle,
which to the glory of his Martyr Christ from
oil produced from the rock of the sepulcher deigned
to demonstrate. For it fitting is congruently ascribed to mercy,
that confidently his faithful, even in harder & adverse
cases, of his piety presume they doubt not:
knowing for certain, that his mercies,
according to his name, are upon those fearing him always.
Let us therefore dash also our little thoughts
at the rock, according to the Psalmist; & let us understand the rock
itself to be Christ. Psal. 36, 9 But with hope of pardon let us implore his
clemency, that by the merits of his most blessed Ragnebertus
his Martyr, to the joys, which to the faithful he has repromised,
he may mercifully deign to lead us.
But the foretasted miracles, although (now with the time of
Antichrist pressing, before whose face as is written, shall go
want) seem to cease, yet a more excellent
health of souls is always granted by the obtaining of his merit
. Job. 41, 13 But that divine miracles cease, namely
there at his holy tomb or elsewhere, the enormity of our
sins makes, who after revealed
grace of Christ have turned back. About the same
Lord Jesus Christ is written: That
on account of the obduration of the unbelieving people he was not able to do
any power in Capharnaum. We therefore
are not worthy that the most blessed Martyr should foster us with that
favor or deign to console us, who was wont to gladden our
predecessors: & yet it is not to be believed,
that his power is less, or his intercession with God
avails less, than if he frequented miracles. To have briefly touched
on these things may suffice.
NOTES G. H.
The just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their father, how great is the ineffable lofty power of the Redeemer, who has shown so great miracles through his servant to the world. To whom be honor & glory with the Father & the Holy Spirit &c.