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 reputed him selfe the greatest sinner of the world

THE LXXXI. CHAPTER.

THat the more he humbled himselfe on earth, the more he was exalted in heauen, was manifested vnto Brother Ruffi∣nus in a reuelation whiles he was praying: for being rapt in spi∣ritt,* 1.1 he saw an high and eminent place in heauen, wherin was the Order of Seraphins, and among them a seat void farre more resplen∣dant then any other, and all couered with precious stones. Where∣vpon with exceeding admiration he demaunded for whome that seat was prepared, and he heard a voice that said: this seat was one of the principall Seraphins, that fell into hell, and now it is reserued for the right humble Francis. After this vision, Brother Ruffinus had an extreme desire to know wherin principally consisted that so great humility which was so meritorious in the blessed Father saint Fran∣cis: hauing therfore some discourse one day with him he said: My beloued Father, I hartely beseeche you to tell me certainely what is your owne esteeme and what opinion you haue of your selfe. Sainct Francis answeared: Verily I hold my selfe for the greatest sinner of the world, and toe serue God lesse then any other. Brother Ruffi∣nus replyed vnto him: that he did not thinck he could speake the same sincerily and with a cleare conscience; it being so that others, as was apparent, did committ many greiuous sinnes, wherof by the grace of God he was innocent. To this S. Francis answeared: If God had with so great mercy fauoured those others of whome you speake, I am assured that how soeuer wicked and detestable they may be now, they would farre more gratefully acknowledge the giftes of God, then I doe and would serue him much better. And if my God should now forsake me, I should perpetrate more enormities then a∣ny other. In regard therfore of this ineffable grace done vnto me, I ac∣cuse and acknowledge my selfe to be the greatest sinner that is. Brother Ruffinus by this answeare was thoroughly confirmed in the vision which God had shewed vnto him, hauing found good demonstration of the meritt of the holy Fathers humility.

* 1.2 But because humility ought alwayes to haue verytie for foundatiō, it seemeth one may make a sufficient reply to this his answeare and not without reason. For some one might thus argument: Most holy Father tell me if you please, by the excessiue loue which in this world you ha∣ue borne to the hūble Jesus Christ, and att this presēt more thē euer doe

beare him: where haue you learned, that if an other sinner had recea∣ued or should receaue the talent of grace which God hath giuen you, that he would more acknowledge it, and make better profitt therof then you haue done? Vpon what reason, vpon what doctrine, and on what spiritt is grounded the foundation of this feeble opinion which you seeme to haue of your selfe? For I firmely beleue that if* 1.3 God had knowne it, he would neuer haue bestowed this grace on you, but rather on that other. The most humble Father to this obie∣ction might well answeare, that he had learned it of the doctrine of* 1.4 our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST, who with his mouth hath said, The spiritt breatheth where he will; and of S. Paul, that neither* 1.5 he that planteth is any thing, nor he that watereth, but he that gi∣ueth the increase, God: wherof he might thus inferre: I not being Francis, without God that worcketh in me, when he had pleased to in∣spire an other, there is no doubt but he had done the like, and euen more according to his grace. And wheras you beleeue, that if God had giuen it to an other, it had bin knowne that he had done this or more, your beleefe is false: for as the same S. Paul saith, it is in the power of the Potter, to frame one pott for honour, and an other for dishonour,* 1.6 one for vse of meat, and an other to serue for the chamber. Neuertheles it would be ridiculous, for the vessell to complaine, and say: why is this honour giuen to him rather then to me? for thus it hath pleased him, because he is the master.

* 1.7 But he might farther, and with much more reason alleadge the say∣ing of the Espouse: Consider me not nor doe not admire that I am black, because the sunne hath taken away my collour: which hath no other sig∣nification, but that one should not beleeue that this great deformity (which the humble presupposeth in himselfe) doth proceed of what soeuer cause indifferently, but that the sunne of iustice, the liuing God, maketh it appeare so foule vnto his eyes: and not the light of the Moone, which is worldly wisdome. And this, I say, proueth, not that he maketh the faire, foule in essence, but in apparence only, by comparaison made of a thing imperfectly faire, with an other beautifull in the highest degree. It being supposed then that I haue yet in me so∣me good (as it may be) neuertheles when I fix mine eyes on that diuine sunne of iustice, I am enforced and constrained to behold the great mul∣titude of sunne motes of mine imperfections in his cleare beames, whe∣ron reflecting as one ought, I know my basenes and mine imperfection to be infinite, and to become as a nothing in this mine accident all beau∣ty. But because that which is true cannot be otherwise: I retourne and reenter into my selfe, where considering the greatnes of my naturall ba∣senes, I acknowledge▪ nothing in my selfe but the grace of God that

doeth any thing▪ because as man, there is no sinne but I might haue cō∣mitted. In which respect I ought to humble my selfe, and beleeue that touching this point there is no man in the world, any way inferiour vn∣to me. This equality layd, the force of humility doth after enter into* 1.8 his meritt: wheras among men we are all naturally equall in imperfe∣ctions: therfore the truly humble doth honour and repute all other as greater then himselfe, and that is the black colour, which the Sunne of his grace doth by his goodnes giue him, with which humilitie God himselfe (made man) being cloathed, said: I am not a man, but a worme, the contempt of men and out-cast of the people. And if IESVS CHRIST spake this of himselfe, who is the mouth of trueth, who can euer contemne a man and say that he doth falsely esteeme himselfe lesse then other men. And therfore God doth farther say: learne of me because I am meek and humble of hart; learne of me, saith he, because he knew that proud humane ignorance, could not con∣ceaue, I will not say teach, this doctrine more then humane by its appa∣rent* 1.9 and sophisticall reasōs. But learne of me, to wit, what God is, and what is mā: for I being the one and the other together, none can better know thē my selfe, what difference there is betweene thes two. Now of this consideratiō proceedeth true and perfect humility, and therfore it is greater in the blessed that clearly see the Sunne of iustice in his splen∣dours, then in themselues walking in the pilgrimage of this world, wherin by faith and imperfect charity they receaue the diuine beames only by reuerberation and reflection in the cloud of their imperfe∣ction: and therfore the nerer the true seruant approacheth vnto him with the vnderstanding, the more humble he is. So, as the glorious virgin Mary was the most humble of all creatures on earth, euen so is she most humble of all in heauen, though she be att the right hand of her Sonne: because the more she doth participate of that diuine and infinite light, and doth more clearly and with greater glory con∣template that so great depth of the infinite and high diuine bounty, so much better doth she see the goulfe of her litlenes, which in the end is to be a creature, which is nothing in comparison of her Crea∣tour, before whome she bendeth her knees with farre more reueren∣ce then euer did the foure and twenty ancientes, whome S. Iohn saw prostrate before the throne of the liuing God, because she* 1.10 hath a deeper knowledge of him then they. Therfore lett all hu∣mane reason be silent, mute, and giue place in the certaine con∣templation of true diuine humilitie, sith it cannot penetrat the deep secrettes of God, by meane wherof, with a most miraculous ope∣ration it then raiseth a soule more high, when it most debaseth her to the profundity of her consideration, and then it procureth her

a crowne in heauen, and maketh her true Queene in that eternall king∣dome, when it causeth her to be inferiour, slaue, and subiect to all creatures for the only loue of God, which being her foundation, it* 1.11 is not to be admired if her building arise to such an hight. For humilitie is no other thing then a profound and continual humiliatiō of the soule vnto his diuine Maistie, caused by his diuine liberality. And therfore she ought duely to consider with what benignity his maiesty vnited himselfe vnto vs, receauing into him our so base and abiect nature, wherof he would make vse to raise and relieue our so extreme po∣uertie: of this knowledge will▪ grow and encrease in the soule the true loue and approbation of the obligation we haue vnto God. It cannot be expressed how insatiable a thing it is to desire alwayes to correspond vnto IESVS CHRIST, in worckes, misprising ones selfe for his loue, and euer desirously giuing eare vnto the foresaid voice. Learne of me, by the true doctrine whereof there arriueth vnto the soule by such a humility, subiection, not only vnto God and his commandementes, but euen, for his loue vnto all creatures, and she reputeth them her betters and superiours, though they be sinners, hauing her eye only one her basenes or lownes, which is such, as cannot be greater. So misprising her selfe to the vtmost, she saith with her Lord IESVS CHRIST. I am a worme, and not a man, the contempt of men, and the out cast of the people. By which wordes the question is clea∣red and resolued.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A vision of Br. Ruffinus of the future glory of S. Franc. for his humility.
• * 1.2

  Obiection of the author, and his solution.
• * 1.3

  The an∣swere.
• * 1.4

  Iohn. 3.
• * 1.5

  1. Cor. 3.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 9.
• * 1.7

  A worthy discourse of humi∣lity. Cant. 1.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 21.
• * 1.9

  Matt. 11.
• * 1.10

  Apoc. 4.
• * 1.11

  What humility is.