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 fift degree of perfection, called Asseurance.

THE VI. CHAPTER.

THe fift degree is called asseurance because hauing in the precedent estate tasted feruent chariry, it expelleth all feare out of the soule,

which doth not repute her selfe only resigned and perfectly setled, as much as is possible for her, in the diuine will and disposition, but doth euen desire really and with seruour to expose her selfe to all labours, to conforme her selfe to her laboured IESVS CHRIST, and so she remayneth without cause of feare: for albeit God should cast her into hell, the same should be her glory, it being the will of God: and besides, she hath such a strong hope, and assured persuasion of the grace and fauour of her God, that it is impossible for her to be separa∣ted* 1.1 from him, saying with S. Paul: For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, neither thinges pre∣sent, nor thinges to come, neither might, nor height, nor depth, nor o∣ther creature, shalbe able to separate vs from the charity of God which is in IESVS CHRIST our lo••d. Let vs therfore know that this word Assu∣rance is rather a name accidental, & of the effect this estate, then essential; because the root and essence therof, is the coniunctiue loue, which the soule possesseth: but because this name hath a secrett and hidden signifi∣cation, though diuers know it not, which is manifest only to God, & the soule wherin it worcketh this merueillous vnion, we haue signified it by the name of the effect; wherby the soule attayneth to make her selfe a spiritt, by the cōtinuall norriture of grace and charity, & by the merueil∣lous vniō of her loue with God. For as a droppe of water mingled with wine, looseth its nature, & assumeth that of wine, as also the coulour and sauour; so the soule that perfectly loueth in this degree, falling into the infinite diuine charity, without yet loosing her nature, is conuerted into the diuine loue, according to the office and institutiō of life, and all her* 1.2 powers remayne confected in the tast of the loue of God: & albeit our nature is not chaunged in this diuine vnion touching her naturall essēce, yet doth it chaūge many inclinations & cōditions, & obtayneth others, beyond the forces of nature created, as we see the fi••e worcketh in iron, which it depriueth of the hardnes, coldnes, and blacknes, which are pro∣per vnto it, & endueth it with other cōtrary and more excellēt qualities, yet without chaūging the nature therof: so the soule farre more enflamed & vnited in the diuine loue, being endued with other life, motiō & for∣ce, remayneth without any feare or dulnesse & without diffidēce, so light and easy to trāsforme it selfe into God her beloued, by a vnitiue desire, as the diuine fire that burneth in her, and maketh her in that manner feruēt in her spirituall operations; in such sort the soule remayneth filled with this diuine vnion, & replenished with so great feruour, that she att their first arriuall putteth to flight the flyes of contrary tēptations; and doth more annihilate and mortifie her selfe in one act of the will, then others can doe in much time. She likewise receaueth a penetratiue vertue to participate with all creatures, without any impedimēt because she easily

is vnited to her God; thus doth she dispose her selfe to receaue greater grace of God, because she approacheth neerer, and is raysed vnto the per∣petuall fountaine, and to the Father of lightes, the eternall God. The property of this estate of Asseurance, is to haue God alwayes in her hart present in euery place, neuer separating her selfe frō him: which she per∣formeth by meane of a liuing loue, and cōtinuall memory of him: for she is present, & liueth in his armes, freed frō all action, sauing that wherin her beloued God employeth her, he being euer presēt with her. The ho∣ly Father knew that he had attayned this degree of vnitiue loue, in the cōtinuall memory, and diuine cōmunication, which he had without di∣sturbance, as well in the Monasteries as in hermitages, alone and in com∣pany, were he employed in the doctrine of saluation of soules, or in pray∣er: And it was euen apparant that the holy Father S. Francis had obtai∣ned this degree of perfection, in the conuersion of his sences, powers, and inclinations into God: for he seemed to be retourned into the state of innocencie, so much were his interiour powers submitted to the em∣pire and domination of the soule, which was so perfectly vnited vnto her God in the light and frequent reuelations which she receaued of the diuine presence, whence proceeded that he gloryed in his labours, and in merueillous asseurance of his saluation, which was by speciall diuine grace reuealed vnto him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.2

  A worthy similitud.