ON ST. PEREGRINUS THE MARTYR,
BISHOP OF AUXERRE IN GAUL.
CENT. III
PrefacePeregrinus Bishop and Martyr at Auxerre in Gaul (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
Auxerre, an Episcopal city of Gaul on the river Yonne, in today's Duchy of Burgundy, commonly Auxerre, was once called Autricus, whence also Mount Autricus adjacent to the city afforded burial to various of its Bishops. The first of these is believed and held to have been St. Peregrinus, sent thither by St. Sixtus the Pope, who confirmed by Martyr's blood shed the Gospel of Christ announced by him. His sacred memory is celebrated on this XVI of May, almost all the Latin Martyrologies, Sacred cult: also the ancient apographs of the Martyrology of Jerome with these words nearly: At Auxerre, in the village Baiacum, the passion of St. Peregrinus, first Bishop of that city. Almost the same are read in Rabanus, Ado, Notker, & in the MSS. of Arras, Tournai & Liège, & are perhaps Florus's in the additions to Bede. Usuard has these: At Auxerre of B. Peregrinus Martyr & first Bishop of that city, who punished by capital sentence, merited the everlasting crown. The same are read in today's Roman Martyrology, with these inserted, that he was sent by B. Sixtus the Pope into Gaul with other Clerics to fulfill the office of preaching. We omit other eulogies taken from the Acts, of which there are longer ones in a certain ancient MS. of the Queen of Sweden, which appears to have been written among the Fulda monks or somewhere on the Rhine: likewise in MS. Ado of the Church of the Morini and the monastery of S. Lawrence at Liège: and also in Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology. But in the Church of Chartres on this day is venerated St. Emanus the Martyr with the Commemoration of St. Peregrinus Bishop & Martyr. Wandelbert however, perhaps by some error, on the XVII of May or XVI Kalends of June, inscribed the same in his Metrical Martyrology.
[2] The Acts are given from MSS. The Acts of the Life & Passion of S. Peregrinus we had in many ancient and well-noted MS. codices, namely of Saint-Omer, Arrouaise, & Trier of S. Maximinus: also from the Beauvais one sent by Petrus Flovetus: & in a double of the Queen of Sweden from codices marked number 13 & 569, also in a certain illustrious Legendary of ours. The same finally from the Compiègne codex was sent in the year 1666 by Ludovicus Nicqueus, Celestine of Soissons: & the Auxerre Breviary, all moreover we have collated with those which Philippus Labbe published in volume 1 of the New library page 526 & following. The same but contracted are in the very ancient Breviaries of the Church of Auxerre, given to us by Petrus le Venier Penitentiary of the same Church, whose benevolence we ourselves experienced at Auxerre in the year 1662, & admired his illustrious library. Another Compendium of the Life, made by Petrus Calo, Compendia of the Life. we transcribed at Rome: which is plainly the same as exists in Vincent of Beauvais book 10 of the Speculum historiale chap. 75, & with few changes in the MS. of Utrecht of the Church of S. Salvator. But in itself more contracted has Petrus de Natalibus book 5, chap. 5, from which we give some things on the Translation of his body. There exists a History of the Bishops of Auxerre brought forth by the said Philippus Labbe, & published in the same New library: which on St. Peregrinus thus begins: The text of his Passion faithfully informs those wishing to know about S. Peregrinus, consecrated Bishop by the intercessions & at the same time the merits of B. Sixtus, Primate of the Apostolic See. Then are subjoined various things about the persecutions of Christians in Gaul, & especially those which were suffered at Auxerre under the Emperor Aurelian by SS. Priscus and his companions, whose Acts of martyrdom we give below on the XXVI of this month of May. And at length the compendium of the Life & passion of S. Peregrinus is appended.
[3] The time of this mission and martyrdom is variously assigned. And first the above-mentioned Vincent of Beauvais, Sent according to some by Sixtus I, in the indicated chap. 75 of book 10, places together in the title the Passion of S. Sixtus Pope I & Peregrinus of Auxerre, & in the text adds the Emperor Hadrian, of whom in the rest of the apographs no mention is made. We gave on the day VI April the Acts of S. Sixtus I Pope, and we said that he died Martyr under the Emperor Hadrian, in the IX year of his Empire, of Christ CXXVI. Antoninus followed Beauvais after his manner in the Chronicle part 1 title 7 chap. 5, & both Baronius at the year 142 number 12. Franciscus Bosquetus book 2 of the Histories of the Gallican Church chap. 1 asserts to be said, that by Sixtus the first were sent into Gaul Peregrinus, who sat at Auxerre; Genulphus, who [sat] at Cahors: but this latter to be attributed to Sixtus II, but rather by Sixtus II Pope, perhaps also the former ought to be. Certainly the most ancient Acts from MS. of S. Maximinus relate that S. Peregrinus was sent in the times of Valerian & Gallienus, under whom S. Sixtus II Pope presided over the Church from the year 255, until August VI of the year 258, as we have said in our Commentary on the first Roman Pontiffs before volume 1 of the Acts of the month of April. In the same way the History of the Bishops of Auxerre at the end of the eulogy adds, that these things were done with Gallienus & Valerian as Emperors, Aemilianus & Bassus as Consuls, that is in the year 259, in which Valerian is said by many to have been captured & led away. he came to Auxerre about the year 259. We judge however that S. Peregrinus did not die a Martyr in the said year, but began at Auxerre to announce Christ, & survived to the times of Claudius or Aurelian, who under that one led an army into Gaul with full power, & afterwards as Emperor went out to the same place, under whom Probus also & very many others were crowned at Auxerre by martyrdom. Another author of the said mission to be ascribed to S. Sixtus II is Robertus, or, by whatever name he be called, monk of the monastery of S. Marianus near Auxerre, in his Chronology published at Paris in the year 1609, who on page 43 relates these things: At Rome Stephen having suffered martyrdom, Sixtus, namely the second, succeeded into the Pontificate. He ordained B. Peregrinus the rest, which, he says, the History of his passion evidently declares. Behold two domestic witnesses, who that thing from ancient monuments of the Church of Auxerre are to be considered to have drawn together with the very Acts which are described by them. Ioannes Monchiacenus Demochares, & after him Ioannes Chenu in the Catalogues of the Bishops of Auxerre, while they seem to hold another opinion, perhaps under Alexander not Emperor, establish this last one. S. Peregrinus, they say, a Roman citizen, sent by Pope Sixtus to Gaul, Martyr under the Emperor Alexander. For who else is this Alexander but the son of Mammaea, who was the only one of that name among the ancient Emperors, assumed in the year 223, that is after the death of Sixtus I by ninety-seven years, & before Sixtus II was created Pope, by thirty-two years? What therefore? The way is shown by the above-cited Acts of S. Priscus the Martyr, but the Protector of the side of the Emperor Aurelian, in which is said the Emperor Aurelian, the companions of his ferocity sent across through all Gaul, & the country of Auxerre fell into the lot of the most impious Alexander, the Protector of the sacred side. This Alexander therefore, not the Emperor, but the Protector of the Emperor, on behalf of Aurelian the Emperor, whose orders he was executing, named somewhere Demochares may have found, and equally the times of martyrdom which we assign are confirmed.
[4] The previously cited Demochares & Chenu testify, that the body of S. Peregrinus Bishop of Auxerre is preserved in the monastery of S. Denis near Paris. Chenu adds that the feast of translation is celebrated on XI Kalends of September. On which day these things are read in the MS. Martyrology of the Brussels Church of S. Gudula: The body translated to the monastery of S. Denis The Translation of the bodies of SS. Hilary Bishop & Confessor, Innocent the Martyr, & S. Peregrinus Bishop & Martyr in the Basilica of S. Denis. Iacobus Brulius in the Theatre of Antiquities of Paris page 1107 mentions these sacred
bodies, & asserts S. Peregrinus to be Bishop of Auxerre. Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology on this XVI of May, after the explained martyrdom of S. Peregrinus, adds these things: Whose body exposed to wild beasts, when it had remained long untouched, by Angelic admonition by a certain Christian rustic according to his measure was tended to, then to Auxerre, after God had converted the storm into calm, was carried with the highest honor. At length by royal command, that the chief sanctuary of Gaul might enrich by his pledging, to the renowned monastery of S. Denis it was conveyed: where with the very Apostle of the Gauls and his companions resting, with becoming honor it is preserved, and perpetually enjoys the veneration due to its merits: Thus there. But somewhat differently this translation is reported by Petrus Calo, Vincent of Beauvais & in the MS. of Utrecht: from which we subjoin these things, although in them appears some confusion of times.
[5] When therefore he had thus remained exposed to wild beasts, on that very night the Angel of the Lord appeared to a certain rustic Christian of the same villa, saying: not without a miracle. Arise & with the two oxen which you have yoked to a cart, take the body of my servant Peregrinus, which lies there; & to Auxerre, whence he was Bishop, carry it. And when he said he did not know the way: Go, he said, & I shall lead you. So he did, & so by the nod of God from the middle of the night until the dawn he walked. But in the high morning meeting people on the way, he asked, whether he was going correctly to Auxerre: & they marvelling responded that leaving Auxerre, he had now approached S. Denis near Paris. At this he greatly marvelling proceeded, awaiting the divine will. At the same hour a voice in the dormitory of the monks of S. Denis sounded, saying: Arise & meet my servant Peregrinus, Bishop of Auxerre, who is coming: & at once with the bells of the church spontaneously ringing, the monks aroused running to meet S. Peregrinus, solemnly received him, Confused with the Roman Martyr, & having heard the event of the matter, placed him in a silver casket. The monastery of San-Dionysius King Dagobert first founded after the year 628; nor is it credible that the holy Martyr lay so long unburied: he could however have lain hidden buried in secret up to the seventh century, or even much longer, until the aforesaid rustic was bidden to take his bones away: there could in the very place of burial, with the body raised from the earth once things were peaceful, have been erected a chapel, in it having his cult; with which fading away, God deigned from the desolate place to take care to translate the sacred pledge. Which since it is still preserved at S. Denis, by no verisimilitude was it begun at Rome less than a hundred years ago to be believed, that the body of S. Peregrinus Martyr, which is held in the Vatican church, is the Bishop of Auxerre's, brought as a gift from France by Charles the Great to Leo IV, in whose Pontificate it must be that there was an oratory of S. Peregrinus there much earlier, which Anastasius testifies to have been augmented by him with sacred gifts. More verisimilarly a notable part of the Relics of S. Peregrinus, brought from Gaul by Charles IV the Emperor to Prague in the year 1373, is said in the Diary of the Prague church.
[6] But because S. Peregrinus, fired with zeal of faith, went to a place near Auxerre, famous for the cult & temples of idols, which was called Interamnus, today perhaps called les Isles, that is, Islands; to the Interamnenses in Umbria the occasion seems to have been given, of claiming him for themselves, & making him the same as the Roman Martyr, which Philippus Ferrarius testifies in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, after the eulogy of the Anconitan Martyrs S. Peregrinus & companions, & wrongly attributed to Interamna in Umbria. of whom below: for thus he writes: On this day the Church of Interamna recounted S. Peregrinus, Roman Presbyter & Martyr, whom sent by S. Sixtus the Pope into Gaul to preach, on the journey at Interamna having preached, and built oratories and cemeteries; and to Rome, after he had confirmed the Gauls in the faith, having returned, on the Appian Way crowned with martyrdom, & at S. Peter buried, he asserts. Similarly in the General Catalogue of Saints, who are not in the Roman Martyrology, when he had written; At Interamna of S. Peregrinus Presbyter & Martyr, he subjoins in the Notes, that he takes him from the tablets of the Church of Interamna, then he says: He suffered at Rome under Hadrian, as the monuments of the said Church transmitted to us hold, although the Acts in some are confused with the Acts of S. Peregrinus Bishop of Auxerre. We have no cause why we should make S. Peregrinus, who suffered at Rome with companions on XXV August, another from him whom in the same place to have had an oratory anciently, now wrongly to be confused with the one of Auxerre, we have already said. But the Interamnenses having no body or vestige of any Peregrinus, there is no reason why we should multiply synonymous Saints on the same day: for they are not even consistent in the title of Presbyter. Indeed Ughelli, alleging a certain old Calendar of Interamna, makes him a Bishop, & indeed the first of that city about the year 138; in which year namely Hadrian the Emperor passed from life, to which time Beauvais and after him S. Antoninus & Baronius attributed Peregrinus of Auxerre, because deceived by the ambiguity of the Pontificate, under which the Saint was sent into Gaul, they took Sixtus the first for the second. Ughelli asserts indeed, that mention of him is made in the Acts of S. Sixtus the first Roman Pontiff: but such Acts we have nowhere found; & if we found them, we should reject them as fictitious: since all antiquity knew nothing else about him, than what we gave from the Pontifical Catalogues on the day VI April.
[7] There is in Westphalia a most celebrated Abbey of noble Virgins, Essen, Whether companion S. Marsus. which today triumphs in the Relics of S. Marsus, given by Otto the third of that name the Emperor to that place. To which most religious Emperor it was solemn to translate the bones of many Saints from darkness into light with magnificent pomp, just as also the relics of this Marsus he piously inserted into urns of gold, both for subtlety of work and variety, and for splendor of gems worth seeing. Thus from the Tablets of Essen Theodorus Rhay in the Illustrious Souls of Jülich, Cleves, the Mountains &c. testify. But Ioannes Velden of the Saints of Westphalia, & Gelenius in the Fasti of Cologne, that this Marsus is held companion of S. Peregrinus, whom on this day Galesinius, Canisius & Ferrarius mention. But Saussay page 1240 inserted him in his Catalogue of Saints, whose day he did not know, adding that he is to be placed with S. Peregrinus on this day. To us no cause appears to join them here, this however we wished to indicate.
LIFE
From various MS. codices.
Peregrinus Bishop Martyr at Auxerre in Gaul (S.)
BHL Number: 6623
FROM MSS.
[1] At that time a, when the pestilential rage of barbarians had spread itself far and wide, & the published sentences of the Princes were so compelling Christians, that either they should pay due sacrifices to the gods abundantly, or altogether b vengeance decreed against them should run forth. And when so harsh a sentence had been promulgated, In the great persecution very few men were found, who would confess themselves to be Christians. But when this perilous most faithful Christians it was being announced to the ears of Sixtus the Pope of the city of Rome, asking that he should send such a man, who should illuminate by his eloquence the now extinguished lamp of faith, made Bishop by Sixtus II Pope: & should restrain the infidelity of the barbarians with the help of divine assistance. Then the said man Sixtus the Pope, conspicuous for highest sanctity, the great & illustrious servant of God Peregrinus, namely a Roman citizen, ordained Bishop, but Marsus Presbyter, d Corcodemus Archdeacon, established to be Levite, & Jovianus he assigned to the burden of Subdeacon e. Jovinianus also Lector, since he was eloquent in all things, with companions & in the divine Scriptures excellently learned, he set as their companion. Who afterwards at Autricus, in a place which at that time was not yet girded with the fortification of walls, by the persecutors f killed, consummated martyrdom. For these the worshipper of the highest God the most blessed Pope Sixtus of the city of Rome, with all confidence having led down to the marine port, the word of the Lord especially commanded them to preach faithfully unto death; that those whom the author of the evil seed with poisonous doctrine of his sprouting darnel was hastening to lose with bitterness, sent into Gaul, refreshed by the antidote of the divine cup they might recall to the original health.
[2] Then truly from them famed prayer to God is poured forth, to the begun work the happy serving favorable water follows them, & to the desired port g swiftly they arrive. But when on dry land their firm steps had now begun to walk, Lyons led even to Lyons they could not in any way hide themselves: chiefly fearing lest the opportunity of approaching to the predestined place not be granted them, & their arrival there could not be hidden: for most bitterly everywhere raged the unending and continual condemnation of Christians by the barbarians: & thence he came to Auxerre: and asked by the faithful brethren that they depart from the place, to Autricus by divine admonition they came undaunted; where then a great multitude of nobles, observing the vain cultures of the gods, was sitting closely packed. The athletes of God indeed, desiring to be drenched for the name of Christ in the wave of their own blood, continually preached the name of Christ. To the inquiring pagans they testified themselves to be Christians, & for the preaching of the divine word to have come there. Then truly the most blessed Priests, shining by preaching, & many converted, because of the assiduity of virtues, which through them divine power was exercising, whatever there was of the chief men of that place, flew together to the grace of Christianity. Soon also S. Peregrinus the Bishop, imparting to them the new teaching, building a church of small extent, builds a church: consecrated it to the name of Christ: at whose flashing eloquence, a very great multitude of people flocked to baptism.
[3] And when there had been extinguished all culture of the gods, in the territory of that city, in the place which is called or of many nefarious things. Among which truly the temple of Eolercus, whom he had dedicated properly under the name of Jupiter, especially with the highest titles the pagans pursued, because that very temple greatly built shone forth. He goes to Interamnus, But when according to custom to its festivals the troops of the people had come, hearing these things the highest Bishop, moved by divine zeal, leaving at Autricus the entire office of brothers, that they might more fully confirm the work begun by him; he himself however with the greatest haste went to Interamnus, & boldly immersing himself in the midst of the throngs of pagans, Announcing Christ he is captured: began the Lord Jesus Christ with loud voice strongly to preach. But while he was preaching such things, the crowd stirred up by the goads of anger, said before the tribunal: When the entire sex without distinction according to the sanction of the Princes the ceremonies of the gods reverently performs, a certain man supervening now with shorn head, & now well advanced in age, has generated the greatest error in the people, wishing to institute a new teaching. For if to your Serenity's command it seems good, I cause him to be presented to you, lest with intervening space, with part of the people joined, dissension be made in the populace. Asked by the Judge, And when S. Peregrinus had been presented to the Judge, with poisonous and rabid sigh conceived, he said to him: Because in you, as I hear, the kindling of so great a contumacy has burned forth, that the cultures of the great gods by the boldness of your speech the haughtinesses of blasphemy are heaped upon,
we ask of you, of what place you are a citizen, & from what stock of family you descend, with the people present declare. S. Peregrinus said: I have no fatherland except Christ, nor any other name than Christian. He professes the faith: But truly, although unworthy, I profess myself Bishop & servant of Christ, for the sake of whose name to be announced to the Gentiles I have come even thus far.
[4] Then the Governor said to him. As is the custom of our religion, either pay due service to the gods, or certainly I shall torment you with great torments. He resisting & from the divine Scriptures damning them or their gods, the Proconsul ordered him, at the place i Baugiacus, shut in prison where at that time the most obscure custody was held, to be thrust bound into prison, & to be tormented with many injuries. He himself however among such bitter punishments did not cease to preach the Lord Jesus Christ to the soldiers. He converts many: To whose preaching therefore a double cause converted the multitude of the people, because he shone in virtues & eloquence. But when now for many days the harm of the squalid prison had claimed him for itself, nor yet had a capital sentence punished the man of highest sanctity, he is reserved for Caesar in that very dark custody.
[5] After several days however Caesar arriving there, attests to him publicly before the entire multitude, why he had been so anxious, that the change of countenance testified the sadness of soul. The Proconsul responded to him: According to your command all things stand by the help of the gods. Led to the Emperor, But now a certain man, named Peregrinus, desires to impart a new norm to the peoples, execrating the ceremonies of the great gods: he has publicly declared himself an enemy to the greatest gods, unhesitatingly affirming himself a Christian: whom even thrust away, & in the most obscure prison consigned, I have reserved for your clemency. And when at the command of the Emperor, with the office running through, the man of God led out from prison, had been presented to Caesar; he says to him: Many things nefarious are being announced to me about you: but truly also against our sanction & against the venerable culture of our gods to seek attempt of acting, whether they are false or true, declare. S. Peregrinus the Bishop responded: He professes the faith of Christ If those things which are preached by me the hardness of your heart received, they would not seem vain or superfluous: because he who testifies Christ the Son of God & the power of God, & Lord of all creation, against right & divine law as nefarious is judged.
[6] And when the man of God pursued these and similar things, the tyrant said to him: The dignity of your countenance forbids, that against you not according to your perverse I know not what doctrine our clemency should rage. But if you wish to recall yourself from this vain assumption, & to sacrifice to our gods, with great honors among us you shall flourish. S. Peregrinus responded: He despises the offered gifts: Your honors are perdition, your gifts indeed perpetual gehenna. I however invoke Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Redeemer of all, & unto death I do not tremble to preach. For your gods are mute simulacra, constructed of metals of gold and silver, which both lack voice, & cannot move with steps, are demons & proceeded from the father the devil: with whom also you, if you shall not have been converted to the Lord Jesus, He inculcates eternal punishments: & imbued with the wave of baptism, to eternal fire & perpetual torments shall be assigned. We however, although temporal punishments brought by you we suffer, are secure of the promises of the eternal King.
[7] When S. Peregrinus the Bishop had spoken these things, Caesar filled with great fury, said: Afflicted with various torments Not only does this man resist sacrificing to our gods, but truly even on us by the venomed hissing of his words has inflicted many injuries: therefore as a rebel and decrepit let him most justly be slaughtered. The sentence pronounced, by the soldiers beaten with fists & kicks, drawn from the presence of the tyrant, is consigned to the executioners. So the holy of God Peregrinus the Bishop among the hands of the lictors with the most grievous destruction is tormented: but when now nearly all his limbs had failed in the punishment, & the executioners saw they were profiting nothing in him; the sword being drawn by a pestilent soldier, he was punished by the head: He is beheaded, & afterwards by Christians secretly stolen away, on account of the rage of the raging pagan barbarians, he is said to have been buried. But the most blessed Peregrinus the Bishop was martyred on the day seventeenth of the Kalends of June, 16 May. with our Lord Jesus Christ supplying: to whom is glory, command, & power for ages of ages. Amen.