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 seauenth degree of persection.

THE VIII. CHAPTER.

THere is no man that with humane wordes can say any thing of the seauenth degree of perfection: which is a priuiledge rarely commu∣nicated of God, sith that the wordes of Angels would be defectiue and seeme barbarous in the explication therof. Some SS. haue experienced it in this flesh, God communicating it vnto thē sodenly as to passengers, & now they enioy and possesse it manifestly without limitation or measure of faith. It is that, which the iust doe feele in glory, being of the nomber of those thinges which the eyes cannot behold, nor the eares heare, nor* 1.1 the hartes of mē comprehēd, which God hath prepared for thē that loue him perfectly. And as the cōtēplatiue S. Bernard saith, it is not permitted to all, or in one same place and degree to enioy the secrett and glorious presence of God, but according as the celestiall Father determineth to each one, because we haue not elected God, but he vs, who hath giuen place proper to each one of his SS. & each one is where he hath bin pla∣ced. S. Mary Magdalē found place & to her was graunted the feet of our Lord I. C. S. Thomas the Apostle was admitted to his side, S. Peter to the bosome of the Father: S. Iohn to the breast of I. C. S. Paul was eleuated to the third heauē: the sacred woūdes of our Lord I. C. were cōmunicated vnto S. Francis. Who thē shall presume to haue a desire to know the per∣fectiō & merittes of such a greatnes, as S. Mary Magdalē reposed on the bed of true penance, S. Thomas in the light of truth, S. Peter in the chaire of faith. S. Iohn in the fournace of charity. S. Paul in the throne of wisdo∣me, and S. Francis in the loue & trāsformation of I. C. we cānot, for it is not permitted vs: but only to follow & imitate the SS. in the worckes & perfections which are mercifully reuealed by our Lord I. C. & therfore to giue in finite thanckes to the author of all goodnes, that by the merit∣tes of his sainctes, by their intercession and his diuine grace, he conduct vs to that perfection in this life; and that in the other we may enioy the eternall glorie. Amen.

The end of the third booke, and first volume of Chronicles of the Frere Minors, wherin is conteined the life, death, and miracles of the Seraphicall Father S. Francis.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay. 64. & 1. Cor∣rin. 2.