sad And being asked what was the cause of his mirth he answered Ideo me exultare noveritis quia adhuc sanctus per totum seculum adorabar that is Know that I rejoyce because I shall be adored for a Saint throughout the World To desire to be adored is the highest degree of pride None of the Apostles desired this honour Cornelius the Centurion who was a man fearing God knew that there is but one God which he continually invoked He knew well enough that St. Peter was not the Creator of the world but being seized with reverence he would have given him some inferiour adoration for which St. Peter rebuked him saying Stand up I my self also am a man Act. 10.26 St. John seized with fear would have adored the Angel that talked with him as you may see in the one and twentieth Chapter of the Revelation But the Angel rebuked him saying See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant worship God He knew well enough that this Angel was not God for the same Angel had told him so before in chap. 19 of the same book Is it not therefore an impious folly for a man to live the life of a begger that he may be adored after his death The Rule of St. Francis which speaks with an absolute authority demonstrates the pride of him that composed it For who gave brother Francis who was of the meanest of the people and without any charge either Ecclesiastical or Civil power to compose laws different from the laws of God and to make ordinances which oblige men upon pain of damnation Who gave him power to command with absolute authority For see how he speaks in his Rule Per obedientiam injungo Ministris I enjoin Ministers by their obedience And he concludes his Rule with these words That it is not lawfull for any man to infringe this Rule or by rash boldness to contradict it That if any one shall presume to make such an attempt let him know that he shall incur the displeasure of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul I demand how we can be assured that God would have us upon pain of incurring his displeasure entirely observe the Rule of Francis d'Assise and that God would be angry with a Minor Fryar who instead of a Cord should gird himself with a leather-girdle or should receive mony or would not wear patcht clothes or would wear a shirt or should whether he be a Capucin or a Lay Cordelier say less then seventy six Paters in one day What can be said more against murtherers adulterers and blasphemers than to say that they incur the indignation of Almighty God Hath not weak and sinfull man enough to do to obey the commands of God without having heavy burthens imposed on him in things unnecessary and which God requires not and then to be made believe that he who doth in the least transgress these laws invented by man doth incur the indignation of God It is observable that many of those who are rigid observers of those humane laws and oblige others to be so too do very easily dispence with the Laws of God and â—e far from loving God with all their hearts â—nd their neighbors as themselves But superstition prevails more than Reâ—â—gion And hence it is that in the Conâ—ents of Monks there are envies factions and â—ontinual emulations besides other vices But how did this Francis d' Assise know â—hat a Monk who observes not his Rule inâ—urs the indignation of S. Peter and S. Paul Had he spoken with them Did they declare â—nd promise that they would be avengers â—nd enemies to all those that should conâ—emn the Rule of the Minor Fryars We â—ave the Epistles of those excellent Apoâ—tles Peter and Paul which without a â—omparison are better then St. Francis's Rule and yet they do not declare themâ—elves avengers of the contempt of their â—octrines They do not say that he who shall vioâ—ate their precepts shall incur their indignaâ—ion Wherefore it appears that this veneâ—able Francis assumes an authority over the Apostles whom he would oblige to be anâ—ry for his sake and to undertake his quarâ—el But it is not credible that the Apostles who enjoy celestial glory will conâ—ern themselves for the observation of the Rules of Monks especially seeing they themselves were no Monks and that their lives were as much unlike the lives of the Capucins as heaven is distant from earth Also because there were no Convents of Monks in the Apostles days nor in many ages after Methinks it is enough to have God our enemy If a man incurs the indignation of God the indignation of these two Apostles wil not render him the more miserable In vain therefore doth Francis after he hath denounced against the Minor Fryars who shall disobey his Rule the indignation of God threaten them with the indignation of St. Peter and St. Paul who are presupposed though without proof and contrary to the word of God to know the heart and to see all that iâ— done here below Also we would fain know why Francis d' Assise threatens the Monks with the indignation of St. Peter and St. Paul onely And why not with the indignation of St. John and St. James But perhaps he believed that they have less credit in heaven or that they are less cholerick It is very observable that Francis d'Assise composed his Rule wherein he gives laws and commandeth with authority when he was but a Lay man and a private person and a long time before the Pope approved it And although he was of the meanest rank of people and without any office or dignity yet he speaks magisterially To the Rule of St. Francis is added his Testament wherein he speaks with full power and authority saying Firmiter volo quod fratres laborent de laboritio praecipio firmiter fratribus per obedientiam c. That is I do strictly charge and do firmly and absolutely command the Fryars by their obedience c. He presupposeth that obedience is due to him and that his commands ought to be firm and inviolable Kings speak not with more authority CHAP. XXI Some Laws and Ordinances contained in St. Francis's Rule THe Rule of Francis d'Assise begins with these words The Rule and Life of the Minor Fryars is as follows viz. to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in these things viz. in living Obediently Chastly and without Property These words are very remarkable for they do not oblige the Monks to acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the eternal Son of God and the Saviour and Redeemer of the world nor to be charitable and liberal to the poor nor to be at peace with their neighbours nor to do to others what they would have done to themselves nor diligently to read the holy Scripture and to be instructed in the Doctrine of Salvation which are things expresly contained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and recommended by the Apostles But this
and that some crimes are more tolerable then their sanctity The Lord open their eyes that they may see it is a dangerous thing to mock him and that they have to do with a terrible Judg who cannot be deceived who searcheth the heart and from whom nothing is hid A Table of the Chapters OF the Monastick profession in general Chap. 1. Of the begging Fryars and their vows and of the difference betwixt them and the Jesuits Chap. 2. Of the excellence and prerogatives of each Order of the begging Fryars Chap. 3. Of the words Minor and Minime and of the observation of the whole Rule Chap. 4. Of the austerity and disciplines of the Capucins and first of their habit Chap. 5. Divers austerities and observations of the Capucins as well those to which they are obliged by their Rule and by the Constitutions of their Order as those to which they oblige themselves by voluntary devotion Chap. 6. Of the whippings of the Capucins Chap. 7. Of the penances of the Capucins Chap. 8. Some extravagant actions in which the Capucins place holiness Chap. 9. Of the names which the Capucins take at their entrance into this profession Chap. 10 Of the form of making their vow Chap. 11. Some observations upon this vow Chap. 12. The impiety of the Superiours answer Chap. 13. That corporal austerities and whipping and tormenting of the body are not marks of holiness Chap. 14. That the austerities and humilities of the Capucins are full of hypocrisie Chap. 15. Of the pleasant process betwixt the Capucins and the Recollects about the tip of their hoods Also of Masses in green red and violet Chap 16 By what means St. Francis obtained of Pope Innocent III. the approbation of his Rule Chap. 17. Of the humility and incomparable patience of St. Francis and of his most notable actions Chap. 18. The great reward which St. Francis received for his humility And of his marks Chap. 19. That under the Cloak of humility St. Francis hid an unparallel'd pride Chap. 20 The Laws and ordinances contained in Saint Francis his Rule Chap. 21. That the holy Scripture is falsified and wrested in St. Francis's Rule Chap. 22. Of poverty and riches Chap. 23. Of the vow of poverty and of idle begging and of works and satisfactions of supererogation Chap. 24. Of the fraternity of the Cord. An extract of a book entituled The Treasure of the Indulgences of St. Francis 's Cord translated out of Italian into French Also of the Canonization of St. Francis and Ignatius de Loyola Chap. 25. THE CAPUCIN TREATED OR The Lives of the CAPUCINS with the Life of St. FRANCIS their Patron c. CHAP. I. Of the Monastique profession in general THe Monks do generally profess works of Supererogation that is to do more good works and more perfect then those which God commands in his Law that is they profess to do works more excellent then to love and serve God with all their heart and with all their strength for it is that which God commands in his Law Therefore they serve God with more than all their strength they are more vertuous than God would have them to be Moreover they would make us believe that by their profession of austerity and severe Discipline they do more satisfactory works and suffer more punishment than their sins deserve and that the overplus serves for others For the Pope gathers this overplus into the Church-treasury and distributes it to people by his indulgences By these works of supererogation the Monks pretend to attain unto a supereminent degree of celestial glory far above those small Saints who contented themselves to fulfill the Law of God without doing any more This degree of glory is called by the Doctors Aureola To which degree Abraham Jacob Samuel David c. have not attained for they never did works of supererogation CHAP. II. Of the begging Fryars and their vows and of the difference twixt them and the Jesuits THere are four sorts of begging Fryars viz. the Minors called in France Cordâ—liers the Preachers who are also calleâ— Jacobins and Dominicans the Carmelites and the Augustines They bind themselves by vow to three things They vow poverty so that they possess nothing in particular although they abound in common Also they vow never to marry This they call the vow of Chastity as if there could be no chastity in a married estate The third vow is the vow of obedience whereby they do not only oblige themselves to keep the Laws of God but most exactly to observe the Rule of that Saint who is their Patron and the Constitutions of their Order and to obey the commands of the Guardian or Superior of their Convent and to obey the General of their Order and above all the Pope The Jesuits beg not Ribaden ex vitâ Ignatis lâ—â— 3. and reject the austerities of the Minors and will not be called Monks They are well shod warmly clad and lie on good beds And they that are called Fathers who are the chief of their Colledg have their Table furnished with the choicest meats They labour with very great industry to gather wealth although Ignatius Loyola their Founder did beg They vow never to marry But their chief vow and which they observe most strictly is the vow of blind obedience whereby they are obliged to obey their Superior in all that is commanded without enquiring whether the thing be good or evil for they will always have it presupposed that the thing is good This obedience hath cost many Kings and Princes their lives particularly that excellent Prince William of Nassaw Prince of Orange Grandfathet to the Duke of Bovillon who was killed at Delft by Balthazar Gerard of the Franck County excited thereunto by the Jesuits of Treves His process and examination are to be seen at Delft in Holland They say indeed that we must do nothing contrary to the commands of God but they permit not those who are commanded by the Superior to examine whether his command be conformable to the commands of God For as Pope Julius the third in the Bull which Ribadenera inserts in the life of Ignatius saith Christum in Praeposito praesentem agnoscunt They acknowledg Jesus Christ to be present in the person of the Superior The Capucins are more moderate for they oblige themselves to obey their Superiour in all things except sin For example if the Superior should command a Capucin to plant Cole-worts with the leaves downward and the root upward or to lick up the spittle of another Capucin or to plant a straw aâ—d to water it untill it grows the Monk is bound to obey these commands such actions being most proper to try the obedience of the Minors CHAP. III. Of the excellence and prerogatives of each Order of the begging Fryars EAch Order of the begging Monkes hath some priviledges and Prerogatives to render it recommendable The Carmelites have this priviledg above the other Orders that they remain in Purgatory
Rule obligeth the Minor Fryars to observe the Gospel in things which the Gospel of Jesus Christ commands not for you cannot find that the Gospel of Jesus Christ forbids any one to marry on the contrary Jesus Christ by the mouth of his Apostle commands those who cannot contain to marry and St. Peter was married Jesus Christ forbids us not to possess any thing in particular nor doth he command us to live in beggery by the sweat of other mens brows He commands not to make a Vow of Obedience to a Guardian or Abbot or Superiour of a Monastery for in the dayes of Jesus Christ there were no such people nor in many Ages after Can there be a more manifest mockery then to oblige men by Vow to obey the Gospel in such things whereof the Gospel makes not the least mention and some whereof are contrary to the Gospel But if these things are commanded in the Gospel as this Rule falsly presupposeth why then doth the Pope dispence with this Vow by permitting Monks to marry However he seldome gives this permission except to persons of great Quality In the second Chapter of the same Rule you shall find these words Let those who are received Monks have a Cloak with a Hood and if they will another without a Hood Also let those wear shooes who are constrained by necessity so to do Likewise let all the Fryars wear poor and base cloathes which they may patch with pieces of sack-cloth and such other stuff and shall have the blessing of God with it Must not that man be out of his wits who thinks that the patching of old cloathes can bring down the blessing of God upon any one And seeing the Capucins cloathes are of woollen-cloth St. Francis did very improperly ordain that they should be patched with sack-cloth In the same Chapter of this Rule mention is made of three Lents viz. the Lent before Easter another from All Saints day till Christmass and the other from the day of the Epiphany till the Lent before Easter So that there are five Months of Lent The two first are necessarily enjoyned but the third is left to every ones liberty In this same Chapter the Minor Fryars are forbiden to ride on Horse-back except in case of extreme necessity Also they are commanded when they enter into any house to eat whatsoever is set before them By this Rule they may eat flesh in Lent They are likewise forbidden in the same Chapter to receive money either personally or by Proxie For Pope Nicolas hath already told us that to have a Bag and Money as Jesus Christ and his Apostles had is an action of infirmity but Saint Francis who had neither Bag nor Money attained unto greater perfection In the fifth Chapter of the same Rule Francis d'Assise commands his Monks to labour with their hands if they are able But in his Testament he speake more precisely for he saith that he himself did labour with his hands and he adds I do likewise expresly command all the other Monks to labour This Command is not observed now a dayes for the Capucins and Cordeliers who understand a Trade had rather live in idle beggery by other mens labour And thus they daily break their Vow and transgress their Rule But above all are remarkable the words of the Tenth Chapter of this Rule which are these Let not the Fryars trouble themselves to teach those to read who cannot read but above all things let them desire the Spirit of God St. Francis sayes this because some Monks are very ignorant and cannot read Some such there are now adayes but not so many as there were in St. Francis's time whose opinion it is That no body needs trouble himself to teach them to read that so they may be instructed in the holy Scriptures he had rather they should remain ignorant Onely he would have them desire the Holy Ghost not considering that God gives this Spirit to those who are instructed in his Word For to desire the Holy Spirit and yet to neglect the ordinary means whereby the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men is to shut the door against him while we desire him it is just as if a man should desire to have a Bell rung without having the Clapper of it moved These are the Commands of Francis d'Assise who is exalted above the Cherubins that stand before the Throne of God to the observation of which Commands he promiseth Life Eternal and by the transgression of them a man incurs the indignation of God and of the Apostles Peter and Paul but not of St. Philip and St. Luke Moreover here are better and more excellent things proposed then those which God commands in his Law viz. Works of Supererogation which merit a super-eminent degree of Glory far above the ordinary sort of Saints who contented themselves with doing what God commands To this Rule are added the Constitutions of the Order whereof I have already spoken which the Capucins observe more exactly and with greater obedience then they do the Law of God and Doctrine of the Gospel CHAP. XXII That the Holy Scripture is falsified and wrested in the Rule of St. Francis WE have heard before that St. Bonaventure saith That St. Franciâ— had not any science acquired by study but that he had received the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures by divine inspiration Whether this be true or not will appear by the passages of Scripture which Francis d' Assise alledgeth in his Rule In the second Chapter he strictly forbids the Minor Fryars to forsake the Order but will have them continue in it as long as they live And that they ought so to do he proves by a passage of St. Luke in his Ninth Chapter Verse 62. where Jesus Christ speaks thus No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God The connexion of this passage with the preceding Verses shews that by him who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is meant such a one whom Jesus Christ having sent to preach the Gospel and having undertaken that charge doth afterwards leave it to serve his worldly occasions Our Lord speaks not of him who hath vowed never to marry and to wear no shirt and to live by begging and to observe humane Rules and Traditions which ensnare men in unclean lusts and which are given to God for better works then those commanded in his Law as if Man would make him a debtor In a word to forsake the service of Jesus Christ and to transgress the Rule of Francis d' Assise is in his opinion one and the same thing In the Ninth Chapter of the same Rule St. Francis commands the Monks to be brief in their Sermons Quia verbum abbreviatum fecit Dominus super terram that is Because the Lord made his word short upon earth Which is a passage taken from the Tenth Chapter of Isaiah Vers 23. and from the Epistle of
had a mind to hear himself reviled Bonavent p. 39. Legenda Antonin p. 725. Legenda and to this purpose he once said to a Monk Rail on me Which strict command the Monk not daring to disobey said to him Thou art an idle lazie Lubber a mercenary fellow an ignorant sott and a worthless rascal Whereat St. Francis greatly rejoycing answered God bless thee my Son for what thou hast said is vory true Bonavent pag. 39. Antonin pag. 726. One day he had a mind to feed betteâ— then ordinary for which resolving to maâ—â— satisfaction as having committed a great sâ— he caused himself to be dragged to the Gaâ—lows with a halter about his neck and 〈◊〉 body naked only he had a pair of Draweâ— on and there standing on a great stone 〈◊〉 confessed that he was a glutton a flesâ— eater and most worthy of scorn and coâ—tempt St. Antonine saith that a Monk weâ— before him crying aloud Friends behoâ—â— this glutton this eater of Pullets flesh whicâ— he hath eaten secretly without our knowledgâ— Bonavent pag. 41. The Legend saith the same The Devils whipt him so cruelly thâ— they left him half-dead And one day multitude of Devils running on the top 〈◊〉 his house with a horrible noise he called 〈◊〉 them with a sweet and pleasing voice iâ— treating them to come down and to beâ— and torment him saying to them Comâ— and avenge me of my adevrsary which is my flesh Legend pag. 72. Not being content with the torments the Devils inflicted on him he whipt himself cruelly taking delight in this exercise And once he hid himself in a Cave a whole month without any ones knowledge as St. Antoniâ—â— testifies St. Antonine and the Legend put this amongst the proofs of St. Francis's holiness pag. 721. Antonin Tit. 24 c. 1. s 2. That being once at dinner at an honest mans house a Capon of seven years old was brought to the table and that he sent a leg of this Capon for an Alms to a poor passenger who was a * One that believes amiss Legenda Antonin pag. 725. Bonavent miscreant and a perverse fellow But the next day when St. Francis was in the Pulpit preaching this miscreant thinking to jeer St. Francis said to the people I will shew you what sort of meat Francis useth to feed on and then going to shew the people the Capons leg he found it turned into Fish whereupon this miscreant was much confounded When any one gave him roast-meat he dragged it through the ashes Antonin pag. 726. or laid it a soaking in cold water for fear of breaking his Vow of poverty and abstinence An invention which Jesus Christ and his Apostles when they were eating the Passeover did not think of St. Antonine saith Antonsn in vitâ S. Francisci pag. 723. that St. Francis divided his Disciples into three Companies whereof two spent their time in contemplation and the third in action This third sort of Monks were called Pinzocgori and were permiâ—â—ed to marry Legenda Jacobi de Voragine Antonin p. 724. Some Greek Monks having prepared dinner for him when he came to the housâ— and saw clean linnen and glasses on tâ—â— table he presently got to the door aâ— ran out into the street where meeting 〈◊〉 beggar who had a very bad hat he took thâ— hat and putting it on his own head sat down at the door of the house begging Legenda Jacobi de Voragine Antonin in vitâ Francisci Being weary he got up upon an asse but having with him one Leonard a Monk who was on foot this Leonard grumbleâ— at it which St. Francis perceiving alighted from the asse and said to Leonard Brother get up upon the asse for thou art of better a family than I. Legenda Antonin He honoured Priests so much that hâ— said If I should meet together on the way a Priest and a Saint that came down from heaven I would first go and kiss the Priest's hands and would say to the Saint stay thou there a while The Legend and Antonin p. 726. 727. Bonavent p. 44 50 In humility he preached to the birds And being once in a Castle called Albian while he was preaching to the people a multitude of Swallows flockt about him which by their singing hindred the people from hearing him Wâ—â—â—â—upon turninâ— to the Swallows he said â—ters ye haâ— talked enough now it is higâ— time for me to speak At which words the Swallows were silent untill the Sermon was ended And pittying a Hare Bonavent page 44. which suffered it self to be taken he said to it Brother Hare why didst thou suffer thy self to be so deceived A live Tench was presented to him Antonin page 727. Bonavent page 44. The Legend Bonavent pag. 44. on which taking pitty he threw it again into the River Hearing a Grashopper sing he said to it Sing sister Grashopper and praise the Creator with rejoicing Being in the Church of St. Mary called Portiuncula some body gave him a sheep to which he gave instructions and the sheep in obedience to him presently sell a bleating while the Monks were singing in the Choir and this creature did very humbly kneel down when the hoste was held up Whereupon Surius puts in the Margin O that hereticks would learn henceforward to adore the Eucharist Travelling through the Marquisate of Ancona Antonin p. 727. he met on his way a Country fellow carrying two Lambs to Market to sell them which did bleat most pittifully Whereupon St. Francis being touched with brotherly compassion said to the Country fellow Why dâ—â—st thou torment my Brethren so The Country man answered I carry them to the Market to sell them to some body that will eat them Then the holy man said to him God forbid rather take the cloak which I have on my shoulders So he gave him his cloak and saved the lives of his brethren which he carried away on his shoulders with a brotherly Charity Antonin pag. 727. Remembring that it is written in the two and twentieth Psalm I am a worm and no man he would not suffer a worm to be troden upon One of his Monkes having spoken somwhat roughly to a poor man he commanded him to strip himself and to go stark naked before this poor man and to kiss his feet Antonin in vitâ Francisci cap. 2. s 6. Bonavent page 47. He was very devoutly present at a Christmass mid-night Mass to which according to the Custome of the Church of Rome in those days and used still in some places an Oxe and an Asse were led and hay was carried for them It is observable that Bonaventure saith That Francis had no learning page 48. nor knowledg of the holy Scriptures acquired either by study or instruction from others but that by the irradiation of the eternal splendour he penetrated even to the very bottome of the Holy Scripture Hence it is that in his
Rule he alledgeth Scripture so dexterously and pertinently as we shall see anon At last brother Francis dyed having acted a Comedy both before God and man CHAP. XIX The great rewards which St. Francis received for his humility And of his marks A Humility so profound and of sâ— great a merit was not unrewardeâ— St. Antonine pag. 728. in the life of St. Francis reports That the people did run after him and did tear his cloathes in pieces every onâ— striving to carry away a piece believing thaâ— these rags were of great vertue and a propeâ— meanes for salvation so that the peoplâ— left him half naked Bonaventure saith That a certain holy maâ— had a vision wherein it seemed to him thaâ— a golden cross came out of St. Francis'â— mouth whose top touched Heaven anâ— its two armes reached unto the ends of thâ— Earth In the seventh chapter of the Revelatiâ—â— St. John speaks thus I saw another Angâ— ascending from the East having the seaâ— of the living God St. Bonaventure in thâ— life of St. Francis Bonavent pag. 31. saith That we must believe that without doubt this Angel is St Francis these are his words I saw saitâ— John in the Revelation another Angel asceâ—ding from the East having the seal of the living God Whence we gather by an infallible faith that this messenger of God beloved of Christ to be imitated by us and admired by the world is that servant of God Francis The same Bonaventure saith Pag. 40. that a certain holy and devout man being once in St. Francis's company fell into a trance and saw in Heaven divers seats amongst which he saw one more Magnificently adorned then the rest glittering with pretious stones and very glorious And as this holy man was wondering for whom this seat was prepared a voice came to him from Heaven saying This was the seat of one of the lapsed Angels and is kept for the most humble Francis The Legend saith the same and we have already seen that this was the seat of one of the apostate Seraphins and that by this exaltation the most humble Francis is placed above the Archangels and above the Cherubins and consequently above all the Saints except the Virgin Mary who is called The Queen of Heaven All that have written the life and actions of St. Francis say That about two years before his death God intending to recompence the humility and merits of St. Francis sent a Seraphin to him which lying upon him cross-wise imprinted on his hands and feet the marks of the wounds of Jesus Christ After his death there was a great stir and contest about these marks Some laughed at it and said that if St. Francis had really received from God the marks of the wounds of Jesus Christ every one must needs have seen them during the space of those two years seing he went with his feet naked and wore no gloves but that none ever saw them save one Fryar named Elias Antonin Tit. 24. cap. 2. S. 8. Solus hoc frater Elias casu utcunque prospicere meruit who saw them but once and that by chance too They said also that the miracles of Jesus Christ and his Apostles served to some good purpose viz. to cure diseases to give ease and deliverance to the afflicted to raise the dead c. but that the marks of these wounds dâ— no cure at all and are good for nothing That it is not credible that God would imprint these marks on a mortal body whicâ— was soon after to putrifie by which putrefaction these marks had been defaced Moreover that although these marks had been really imprinted yet it is a thing which the Devil or men may easily counterfeit That the Apostles who had more worth in them then St. Francis never had these marks But the Pope interposed and in recompence of the services which Brother Francis had done him for he was a great defender of the Popes Authority Canonized him and put him in the Catalogue of the Saints This Canonization was Anno Domini 1228. Moreover Pope Alexander the Fourth Anno Domini 1254. understanding that St. Francis was on Mount Alverno when he received the impression of these wounds took this occasion to augment his Revenue For he declared that all the Ecclesiastical Lands and Goods in that Mountain did belong to the Pope and were directy and immediately subject to the Church of Rome Moreover Antonin cap. 2. s 10. he did personally cite and adjourn those who had maliciously defaced the marks of the Image of S. Francis which was at Gennes in the Church of St. Mary de Vignes About twenty six years since Pope Nicolas the Fourth sent Bulls to all the Churches under the Papal jurisdiction certifying the truth of St. Francis's marks though divers who were hard of belief Antonin pag. 720. laughed at it since which time the memory of St. Francis's marks is sacred in the Church of Rome which as Antonine saith observes the Feast of St. Francis's marks which honour is not done to the marks of Jesus Christ When I consider these things I cannot enough wonder at the blindness of those that give credit to things so full of absurdities and impostures It seems as if the adorers of St. Francis had invented them on purpose to dishonour and mock him for no man who hath any common sense left him will do such things as are attributed to St. Francis who play'd the mad-man that he might be counted a Saint and as much as in him lay kept himself from the usual and ordinary actions of mankind that he might be admired viz. To draw roasted flesh through the ashes to wallow in the dirt with Swine to tumble in the snow to give instruction to Animals and to call them his brethren and Sisters are things which cannot be done by a man that is in his right senses And herein we must admire the just effects of Gods displeasure who hath revenged the contempt of his Word contained in the holy Scriptures for in those days and in the following Ages the holy Scripture was a Book sealed and altogether unknown to the people Nothing was then talked of but Images lying Wonders Croisades Indulgences adoration of Reliques and the power of the Pope was then at the height and absurd and feigned Legends were the ordinary subject of Sermons Wherefore God being provoked strook the people with the spirit of giddiness and with a horrible blindness which grew thicker and thicker until God took the Candle of his Word from under the Bushel and exposed to view the holy Scriptures CHAP. XX. That under the Cloak of Humility Saint Francis hid an unparallel'd pride WHosoever shall rightly consider the actions of St. Francis shall under the Cloak of Humility discover an unparallel'd pride In the beginning of the Legend written by James de Voragine it is reported That Francis being prisoner with divers other persons he onely was merry and all the rest were