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.

A discourse of the Actiue and Contemplatiue life.

THE XXXV. CHAPTER.

AS no man can conueniently attaine to the contemplatiue life, if he be not sincerely and deuoutly exercised in the actiue, wherin it is necessary that with all his cogitation he apply himselfe: so he shall proue a true actiue man, who if he could feed all the poore of the world, cloath them, and supply all their necessities, and doe good to all churches and hospitalles, and this being done, each one should esteeme him a lewd man, and he knowing so much, should not att all respect it, nor forbeare, but rather continue his pious worckes, yea should the more voluntarily and with greater feruour exercise them; as one that de∣sireth not any recompence in this life: considering that Martha, careful to* 1.1 serue our Lord IESVS CHRIST, demaunded assistance therin of her Sister Mary Magdalen, and was reprehended of our lord, because she would distract her sister from contemplation, who yet gaue not ouer her good worcke: so he that is truely actiue should not omitt good worckes for whatsoeuer reprehension may be giuen him; sith he hopeth for no recompence but in heauen.

A Religious came cōplaining to Br. Giles, that his brethren made him to labour so much, that he had hardly time enough to pray, and that for that cause he was determined to procure licence to remoue vnto an other Couent, where he might with more repose serue God in prayer. Wherto the holy Father thus answeared: if you were in the Court of the king of Frāce, & should demand of him a thousand marck in siluer, he might an∣sweare, what hast thou don for me that may moue thee to demaund such a recompence? but if you had formerly done him some notable seruice, you might with fa••re more assurance make such demaund. Therfore if you will serue God, you must first labour in obedience; sith it is a greater vertue to doe one thing att the will of an other, then to doe two, att ones owne pleasure. Then he added: No mā can obtaine to contēplation of the glory of his diuine Maiesty, but by feruour of spiritt & feruēt prayer, and then is a man enflamed with the feruour of the holy Ghost & soareth vp to diuine contēplation, when the hart is so disposed with the m••bers, that

neither can nor will thinck of other thing then that w ich it possesseth and feeleth. He shalbe a perfect contemplatour who, hauing all his mē∣bres cutt off, yea and his tongue, would neither thinck, procure, nor de∣sire to haue any other member, nor whatsoeuer other thing he can ima∣gine vnder heauen, and this by reason of the excellencie of the most deli∣cious and ineffable odour and sweetnes of contemplation. In that res∣pect S. Marie Magdalē being prostrate att the feet of our lord IES. CHR. receaued and felt such a sweetnesse of his wordes, that she had no mem∣ber in her, that could or would doe other thing then what she then did. Which she sufficiently testified, when her sister complayning att the wāt of her helpe, she answeared nothing either by wordes or figues. But our Redeemer as her Aduocate and Procuratour answeared for her: & with∣all she was imployed in his seruice more excellently then Martha was. Now to contemplate is to sequestred from men, and to remayne vni∣ted alone with IESVS CHRIST.

Br. Giles made this demannd to a Religious of his Couent: Brother what say the Doctours of contēplation? the Religious answeared: they speake diuersely. Will you, replyed the holy Father, that I speake mine o∣pinion therof? the degrees of contēplation are, fire, vnction, extasie, tast, repose, and glory: then he added: a more expresse contemplation of God* 1.2 with the soule cannot be giuen, then that of the Espouse, with his Es∣pouse: for the Spouse, before he receaueth his Espouse, sendeth her pre∣cious stones, iewels, and other ornamentes of price to adorne her: but whē they are together, the Espouse leaueth all those thinges to approch vnto her Spouse: so doe good worckes and vertues adorne the soule as precious stones and sumptuous attire, and prayer vniteth it vnto God.

An ancient Religious demaunded of Br. Giles, if the soule by extasie and contemplation did sometime euen in this life goe out of the body, and he answeared, that it did: yea he assured him, that he knew a man yet liuing, whose soule being lifred vp in extasie, went out of the body, and forsooke it, yea already vtterly forgetting the same. I beleeue said the Religious, that such soule was exceedingly grieued to retourne into her body. Br. Giles then smilingly replyed: Brother that which you say is true, yea most true.

This holy Father would often, in prayer and att other times with ex∣ceeding feruour, say: What art thou my God, of whome I demaund this? and what am I that aske it? I am a sack filled with dung, with loathsom∣nes and with wormes: and thou art lord of heauen and earth. And thus beginning his prayer, he would be incontinently eleuated and rapt into almighty God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. 10.
• * 1.2

  Notable similitu∣de.