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 office of his doctrine, and his seuerity against sinnes.

THE XV. CHAPTER.

THis S. of God, with a very great dilligence, and admirable pru∣dence, sowed the word of his diuine maiesty in the soules of the faithfull, being neuer wearyed by his continuall labours, trauailling through diuers cittyes, townes, villages and castelles, ouer mountaines and vallyes, and this he did out of his extreme zeale to assist the soules redeemed by the precious bloud of our Lord, as one instru∣cted rather by heauenly then humane doctrine, he so disposed of his do∣cumentes

according to the necessity of his audience that they all were satisfied: in respect wherof his sermons were reputed for so many miracles: they that neuer heard him preach, were att deathes dore with desire to heare him, but especiallie the learned, as well in re∣gard of his eloquence, as of his exceeding subtility and viuacity of spi∣ritt, wherwith he admirably gaue to althinges which he handled, their proper signification, valure, nomber and weight with a notable art. He also reprehended the great personnes of this world with such con∣stancie and seuerity, that the most famous preachers trembled with feare when they heard him, and did admire how it was possible he could haue such boldnes: many would withdraw themselues as not a∣ble to heare such open and manifest reprehēsions, and those that remay∣ned couered their faces. Yet these reprehēsions were intermingled with a competent and iust quantitie of salt, which is the admirable vertue of discretion, according to opportunity of time, place, and personnes. For albeit his discourse att the beginning seemed sharpe, yet the con∣clusion was gracious, milde, and supportable to all, in such sort that without any scandall he terrified sinners, comforted the weake, encouraged the pusillanimous, and made the most obstinate to trem∣ble.

Preaching one time att Bourges, where was held a Synode, he ad∣dressed his speech to the arch-bishoppe concerning certaine articles* 1.1 of faith, wherof he interiourlie doubted, and so dextrously accused and reprehended his incredulitie, laying open vnto him his errours by many authorities of holy scripture, that the arch-bishop was not onlie not scandalized therby, though in deed he felt himselfe stung to the quick: but euen went directlie at the end of the sermon, verie penitent and contrite, and freelie discouered his hart vnto him, who procured him such remedie as was necessarie for his saluation, so that he proued thenceforward verie faithfull vnto his God. And this Sainct did not onlie assist the soules of the faithfull Christians by preaching, but in diuers other manners, God also fauoured and furthered the ardent zeale which his seruant had of the saluation of soules, as when in the night he appeared vnto them, enforming them of their sinnes, and admonishing them to goe to such or such a Confessour, telling them, how and by whome he was sent vn∣to them, which was a singuler remedie for manie sinners, who through feare or shame durst not confesse, for feare to manifest their enormous sinnes. But by the example following may appeare of what efficacie the wordes of the S. were.

A cittizen of Padua, called Leonard, confessing vnto sainct An∣tony; among other sinnes that he confessed, he accused himselfe to

haue giuen such a blow with his foot on his mothers belly, that she fell to the ground. The Sainct very sharply reprehending him for it, among other speeches tould him, that the foot which dared to strike the belly of the Mother whence it proceeded, deserued tobe cutt off* 1.2 alleadging that sentence of IESVS CHRIST: If thy foot scandalize thee, cutt it off and cast it from thee, and such other thin∣ges* 1.3 as might induce him to contrition. After the said demonstra∣tion, hauing giuen him absolution, the simple man exceedinglie gree∣ued att his offence, supposing that the Sainct had enioyned him to cutt off his foot, being in his lodgeing tooke a litle hatchett, and with a merueillous courage cutt off his foot: which done, the ex∣tremes of death assaulting him, the excessiue paine he endured cau∣sed him to cry so loud that his mother heard him, who with ma∣nie of her neighbours came running, and seeing the torment which he endured, adioyned her cryes with those of her sonne, who ope∣ning the cause of the disaster vnto her, she knowing no other re∣medie, went to sainct Antony, and reproached him as hauing slai∣ne* 1.4 her sonne, relating vnto him the miserable accident. The Saint vtterlie amazed, excused himselfe with the truth, affirming that he had not bin the cause, hauing onlie told him that it deserued to be cutt off, but not willed him to cutt or cause it to be cutt off: but not content with answearing her he went to see him, and being moued with his pious simplicitie, after he had first offered his pray∣ers to God, he tooke the foot from vnder a bench, and ioyned it vnto the legge, whervpon he gaue a benediction, and so reioyned them, that there remayned neither signe nor any pain••. So standing vp so∣und and Iustie on his feet, they all together gaue thanckes vnto al∣mighty God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  He knew in spiritt the er∣rour and heresie which a Prelat held in his hart and pru∣dently putt him from it.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 18.
• * 1.3

  Great simplici∣ty of a penitent.
• * 1.4

  A man hauing cutt of his foot S. Anto∣ny reioy∣ned it to the leg whence it was cutt.