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 afflictions incident vnto the Order, reuealed vnto the holy Father S, Francis.

THE XXVII. CHAPTER.

THe holy Father S. Francis being one time in prayer att our Lady of Angels, most instantlie praying his diuine maiesty that he would please to shew mercy to the Christiā people, on who∣me, he had reuealed vnto him that he would lay a great scourge: God answeared him: Francis if thou wilt that I haue compassion of my peo∣ple, procure dilligentlie that thy Order perseuer in such sort as it is insti∣tuted, that therin may be found such as may worthelie make intercessiō for them: and in fauour of thy Order and of thee, I promise thee, not to lett fall on my church that great affliction which aymeth att it & threa∣teneth it. But I will haue thee know that if thy Order doe preuaricate, the first punishmentes which I shall inflict on my church shalbe on the preachers therof, and will giue to the deuill what authority ouer them he will. Thence will grow so manie scandales betweene them and the world, that none will aduenture to take the habitt, but in the desertes where I will preserue this few number of elect, as I preserued the chil∣dren of Israel so manie yeares: and so the good being conserued in my grace, the Order shall afterward be reduced to his pristine estate. Here∣vpon* 1.1 did S. Francis prophesie; that a verie violent temptation should be raised in his Religion by pourchaced science, wherwith in manner of a furious winde from the region of the desert, as the affliction of Iob furiously striking the four corners of the house of his Religion, his owne children would bring it to ruine: because, said he, being puffed vp by their learning and relying theron, they well lay am∣bushes and cast snares for the true and lawfull children, framed by that huge damned woman called pride, to whome they will sacrifice their child birthes, that is, their worckes: and will liue in the delightes of the profitt of them, and of the recompence of their impudencie and arrogancie. Now the auctoritie of such Re∣ligious wilbe extremelie bitter and insupportable to the iuste, that shalbe persecuted by them: because their simplicitie, o∣bedience, pouertie and zeale of the honour of God, shall in a manner inexplicable, secretlie confound them. Wherfore they by reason of their pride being vnable to endure it, relying on the wisedome and reputation

of their valure, and the authority of the nobility and Princes of the world, pourchaced by meane of ambition, will persecute them to death There is also found a prophesie of the holy Father S. Francis, written by the hand of Brother Leo, of the great schisme and diuision that was in the Church after the election of Pope Vrban the sixt, the yeare 1378. that continued neere 40. yeares, the tenour wherof was thus.

A time will come when the holy Church shalbe full of schismes, which will put men in extreme perplexitie, as well in the spirituall, as temporall estate, and the deuill shall haue manie followers and shalbe more dilligente then ordinary, to take aduantage by this occasion to augment his kingdome: then shall the beauty of this Order be defiled with that of others, and prophane apostasie shalbe accomplished, to the dissention of two Realmes, when few shall obey the holie Church with a true charitie, and he that shall not be canonicallie elected to the Papacie, yea suspected of heresie, shall be obeyed: because manie shalbe subtillie peruerted by him, by his contagious errours, then shal scandales multiplie, and Christianitie be diuided, manie refusing to contradict the same, the scismes and diuisions of the Clergie, of Religious and of the people shalbe so violent, that if those dayes were not abbreuiated by God, the elect if it were possible would fall into the same errours, if God of his mercie should not deliuer them. S. Francis in regard of this reuelation particulerlie put into his rule the vow of obedience vnto the Pope, vnto his successours canonicallie elected, and to the holie Roma∣ne church, in the beginning and end of the same rule, knowing how much it would profitt his order, in that so turbulent time to perseuer firme: therfore he gaue this instruction to his, that foreseeing the same, they might know to gouerne themselues well therein.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prophe∣sies 〈…〉〈…〉 Francis.