The chronicle and institution of the Order of the seraphicall father S. Francis conteyning his life, his death, and his miracles, and of all his holie disciples and companions / set foorth first in the Portugall, next in the Spanish, then in the Italian, lastlie in the French, and now in the English tongue.

How S. Francis repaired three Churches.

THE VI. CHAPTER.

THis glorious Saint was so well grounded in the vertue of sim∣plicity and of the charity of IESVS CHRIST, that calling to his minde what had bin miraculously cōmanded him by the Crucifix, which was, that that he should reestablish his Church, sup∣posing that he meant the said Church of S. Damian, he retourned, as an obedient seruant, to Assisium, purposing by almes to execute and accomplish that, which he could not doe with the mony of his fa∣thers merchandise, and this his dessigne had good successe. For see∣king ouer the citty (where he was alreadie knowne to be the seruant of God) he found mony among his freindes and kinred, and matter re∣quisite for the building of the said Church. So associating him sel∣fe with the Preist that serued there, he began the said reparation: wanting nether masters, nor worckmen to this effect, he neuerthe∣les without intermission employed his owne person therin, that his body being already weakened, by continuall fastes and ordinary absti∣nences, might be more subiected and chasticed, as well by carrying burdensome stones, as by the mortification he endured, in demaun∣ding of them, to whome he had formerly giuen. Thus by the grace of God and the deuotion of the faithfull, he so well endeauoured, that he accomplished the reparation of the said Church: in which labour the said Preist perceiuing how painfully he employed himselfe for so holy an enterprise, alwayes reserued somethinge to refectionate and releiue him. But the humble seruant of God could not long endure that, as being desirous to serue, and not to be serued of any. Wherupon he said once in himselfe: Is it conuenient that thou haue alwayes a preist to* 1.1 serue thee? Is that the way of pouerty which thou seekest? and then he resolued to be no longer serued, by preist or other person, and when he would eate, he tooke a dish and went to the dores with other poore people to demaund almose for the loue of God: and with them did there eat what was giuen him. And albeit this was att the begining very sharpe and difficult vnto him, yet in the progresse it was so pleasing and contentfull, that he afterward affirmed to his Religious, that he neuer eat with so good an appetite as then. Being one day inuited to eat with a Prelate; he would eat nothing but

what he had brought with him of almose giuen att the dores. Saint Francis hauing finished the reparation of the Church of S. Damian, went to repaire an other of S. Peter farther off from the citty, and by* 1.2 the same meanes that he vsed in the former, he in short time accom∣plished this also. After that he went to Porticella, very neere to As∣sisium, where was a Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was so abandoned, that there was no person had c••ardge therof, nor did any seruice therin. He for the great deuotion he had to the Queene of heauen remained therin; and incontinently began to thinck of re∣payring it; and being there often visited by the Angels (conformably to the title of the Church which was S. Mary of Angels) he the mo∣re* 1.3 willingly stayed there, and affected that place aboue all other, be∣cause therin he began humbly, proceeded and fought valiantly; and there ended most blessedly. There by diuine reuelation did he begin the foundation of the rule and order of the Frier Minors, which was not without mysterie, but by disposition of the diuine proui∣dence, which gouerned him, instructed and directed him in all his dessignes: So that this worthey seruant of God, repaired three ma∣teriall Churches, of S. Damian, S. Peter, and S. Mary of Angels; and all this before the institution of his Order, and his preaching of the gospell, as well that from these sencible thinges he might attaine to intellectuall, and from lesser matters by course and ordre to great; as also that what he should doe might first be reuealed vnto him by the mystery of sensible▪ thinges; to the end it might appeare, that as he had reestablished three Churches, so also that of IESVS CHRIST should be by him renewed and repayred, according to the forme, rule, and doctrine which he would giue him, as we see apparantly to haue succeeded in the three exercises or warfares (if you will) which are the three Orders which saint Francis institued in the world.

Notes

• * 1.1

  He will not liue but by almose.
• * 1.2

  Herepai∣reth the Church of S. Pe∣ter.
• * 1.3

  And that of our la∣dy of An∣gels.