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.

Of the spiritt of feruour of S. Francis in his preachinges.

THE L. CHAPTER.

BEcause the Apostle saith, that piety is profitable and behoufull in euery thing; this vertue was so vnited to the hart of the holy Fa∣ther, and so engrauen in his bowels, that it seemed to subiect him to all creatures: but especially to the soules redeemed by the precious bloud of our Lord IESVS CHRIST: for if the saw them sicke or dead in sinne, he had such a tender feeling of hart and affection with them, as if he had naturally begotten them. And in that respect he excceedingly honoured Preachers, because they alwayes raysed some dead Brother vnto our Redeemer, and with a pious care endeauoured to reuoke the erring, and to confirme the imperfect in God. S. Francis then preached being vested with this zeale and charity towardes his nei∣ghbour, not with selected wordes or by humane art, but by the vertue and doctrine of the holy Ghost, did manifest vnto them the kingdome of God: his preaching was vehement as a burning fire,

that peneteated the center of the hart, and putt soules into a conti∣nuall admiration, and as it were beside themselues. Prayer alone was all his bookes, distrusting all his knowledged and industrie, and en∣tierly relying on the diuine vertue. He obtained of God this his holy grace which he so instantly required for assistance of his neighbour, in such sort that his wordes did penetrate not only the eares, but euen the hartes of sinners.

It only once happened that he studyed his sermon, and the reason was because he was to preach before the Pope and many Cardi∣nals, by commandement of the Cardinall of Hostia Protectour of his Or∣der. The time being come to ascend the pulpitt, and being therin, he could by no meanes beginne his sermon, though he exceedingly labou∣red to doe it: which infinitely troubled him, and much amazed the as∣sistantes: wherfore he publickely acnowledged that he had seriously stu∣died that sermon: but hauing incontinently recourse to prayer, & in few wordes recommending himselfe with all his hart vnto God, vtterly re∣iecting his former conceipt, and entierly referring himselfe to his diuine maiestie; he began to preach with such feruour, that hauing in an instant sett att liberty his holy tongue, he deliuered matter so learned, subli∣me and so necessary, that he moued all the hartes of his audience to compassion: and then it appeared to each one that the wordes of God were vndoubtedlie true, where he saith: It is not you that speake but the spiritt (of God) that speaketh in you. This holy Father thus ob∣tayning the reuelatious of the diuine mysteries by meane of prayer, and correcting first whatsoeuer vices he found in himselfe, it is not to be admired that he moued the most obdurat hartes vnto pennance, reprehending vices with such vehemence. He preached with like fer∣uour, his constancie being incredible, both to great and meaner peo∣ple, riche and poore, many and few, and alwayes with exceeding profitt.

Notes

• 1. Tim. 4.
• Hauing seriously studied a sermon he could not re∣cite it. And yet he other wise de∣liuered worthy matters. Mat. 10.