A golden treatise of mentall praier with diuerse spirituall rules and directions, no lesse profitable then necessarie for all sortes of people. First composed by the venerable and blessed father, Fr. Peter de Alcantara, of the Seraphicall Order of S. Francis. Beatified the 18. of Aprill. 1622. Translated into English by G.VV. To vvhich is prefixed a breife relation of the life, and death of the same father vvritten by G.VV. of the same order and obseruance.

CHAP. XII. Of his religious zeale and of his death. (Book 12)

THE Reuerend esteeme of his vertues encreased so much, euen in his owne Cloister, that there many times (enioyned by obedience) performing the office of Guardian with great integrety, was at length by the suffrages of all the Fathers, elected twice Prouinciall of the prouince of S. GABRIEL, where he mad a hap∣pie and notable reformation. But after his three yeares expired, he betooke himselfe againe to his poore heremi∣tage, where he fatted his soule with sa∣cred contemplation, perseueringe in readinge the ancient Fathers, watch∣inges, fastinges, and regulare discipline. But the more he hid himselfe in these obscure places, the more the fame of his learninge and sainctitie did shine abroade. And in testimonie that God al∣mightie would not haue this resplendāt light, to be put vnder a bushell, but to

be set vpon a candlestick, to giue light to others, to followe his glorious foot∣steppes, and to the end, that he might not only enrich his owne soule with the treasures of vertue, but also instruct others, both by his doctrine and exam∣ble, to aspire to heauen, the sea Apo∣stolique did vouchsafe to honoure him with a commission, by vertue of which, he should erect, and foūde a newe pro∣uince vnder the title of S. IOSEPH. Which before his death, he was so hap∣pie to see, not only multiplied in num∣ber of conuentes, and religious men (by his great labour and trauaile) but also to be perfectly established in regulare ob∣seruance, and true monasticall disci∣pline.

At last, the number of his meritts be∣inge compleat, his iust master, whom he had serued so longe with great fide∣litie, was pleased to call him, to reward his labours with an eternall crowne of glorie, and to reape in ioy what he had sowed in teares. He fell sick in the Con∣uent of S. ANDREVVE DE MON∣TE ARENO, where God almightie vouchsafed to let him knowe the hower of his death. And before his de∣parture he called his bretheren, exhor∣tinge

them to perseuerance in that hap∣pie course, which they had vndertaken for the loue of God, and the sauinge of their owne soules. He thē receiued vpon his knees with aboundance of teares the sacred Viaticum with singulare de∣uotion, and a little after, his infirmitie increasinge, he receiued also the Sacra∣ment of extreame Vnction. The blessed Virgin and S. IOHN (to whome all his life time he was verie much deuout) ap∣peared to him, and gaue him assurance of his saluation. Which euer-comfor∣table newes, he no sooner vnderstood, but his heart was rauished with ioy, and his mouth filled with gladnes, and out of that aboundance of content breaketh out into these wordes of the Prophet DAVID:(a) 1.1 Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus: I haue reioyced in those thinges that are saied vnto me: we will goe into the house of our Lord. In fine the happie hower beinge come, he yealded his blessed soule into the handes of his maker, and by the passage of a temporall death, tra∣uailed to an eternall life the 18. of October, vpon the feast of S. LVKE 1562. the 63. yeare of his age, and the 47. of his entrance into holy Religion.

His body after his death became more beutifull, shininge with great claritie, and sendinge fourth sweete odours. The people from all partes flocked to be∣hold this sacred spectacle, and greedie after so rich a prey, clipped peeces of his habite, which they conserued as holy reliques. His bodie was no sooner in the graue, but his sepulchre began to be re∣nouned with many(b) 1.2 miracles which for breuity sake I omitt to speake of be∣cause I would not be too tedious to the deuout reader.

(c) 1.3 His soule was no sooner out of his body, but presently he appeared to S. TERESIA, to bringe vnto her the ioyfull tidinges of his receiuinge in∣to heauen. Many times after he appea∣red to her, and once amongst the rest he saied vnto her: O HAPPY PE∣NANCE THAT(d) 1.4 DE∣SERVED SVCH A GLO∣RIOVS RECOMPENCE!

(e) 1.5 Happie indeede was his penance, that chaūged sorrowes into pleasures: mour∣ninge into mirth: teares into ioyes, and a momentarie crosse into an eternall crowne. The same blessed THERE∣SIA (as we haue said before) affirmed, that she receiued more comfort, and consolation from him after his death, then in time of his life. And that his soule flewe immediately to heauen, without any passage by purgatorie. All these thinges beinge well examined, and verified, by persons, without all exceptiō, worthy of creddit, his holines, for the glorie of God, honour of the Saint, and benefit of the faithfull, vouchsafed to pronoūce him beatified: to the end, that as he had a perfect fruition of glorie, in the Church trium∣phant, so he should want no praise or reuerence, in the Church militant. He

was beatified the 18. of April 1622. and his office is celebrated in the Conuentes of his order the 19. of October.

FINIS. BENEDICTVS DEVS.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Psal. 112.
• (b) 1.2

  Cum pue∣rulus Aethiops inutilis peni∣tùs atque con∣tractus ad il∣lius sepulcrā ab eius herae vxore quon∣dam Martini de Friars ac praefati oppidi Arrenarum accolae, addu∣ctus esset eius meritis Deo opt. max. id oper ••••te inte∣grae sospitati restitu••tur. Et Leonora Gonsalua eiusdem oppidi inquilina à paralisi qua grauissimè laborabat ad eius quoque sepul∣crum liberatur. Franc. Gonzaga 3. parte Chron. ordinis Seraphici: Vide plura apud Ioannem de sancta Maria in vita B. Aleant. c. 30.
• (c) 1.3

  In eius vita cap. 27.
• (d) 1.4

  Opera no∣stra nō habent bonitatē me∣ritoriā gloriae ex sua natu∣ra, necà nobis sed à Deo. For our vvorkes are to be take∣nin, a too∣feld respect. 1. As they are in ther proper nature & dignity. 2. As they have Gods promise & acceptance. If vve consider them in the first sence, so they doe not merite, saluation: if in the secōd, they doe. This I say, to ansvvere the obiection of ignorant protestan∣tes, vvho might take occasion to carpe at this vvord (deserued) and vvho likvvise thinke that vve so di∣gnifie our vvorkes that therby vve thinke to merite heauen, ab∣stractinge from the merites of our blessed Sauiours passion vvhen it is certaine, our doctrine is, that the cheifest reason of merite is founded in Gods promise, not mans vvorke, and our vvorkes, so to merite, and to be ennobled, cheifly by vertue of ther principall agent our blessed Sauiours passion. Conradus Klingius de locis com l. 1. c 35. Stapelton. controuers. l. 10. c. 12. Bellarm. l. 1. de iustificat. c. 21. & l. 5. c. 11 cum comuni Doctorum.
• (e) 1.5

  If the conuersion of sinners, and of greuious sinners, be so pleasinge to al∣mighty God, that the Angels of heauen doe reioyce at it accordinge to S. Bernard Supernas beatorum mansiones at∣tingit poenitentiae odor (ita vt teste ipsa ver••tate) magnum gaudium sit i••ter Angelos Dei super ••••o pec••••atore poenitentiam agente: g••••dete p••••••i∣tentes, p••sil∣lanimes con∣forta••ini: v••bis dico qu••s nuper con••er∣sos de saeculo, & à vijs ve∣stris prauis recedentes, ex∣cepit mox amaritudo animi poenitentis. Ac velut recentium adhuc vulnerum dol or nimius excruciat ac perturbat. Securae manus ve∣strae distillant myrrhae amaritudinem in salubrem hanc vncti••∣nem, quia cor contrit um, & humiliatum Deus non despiciet. D. Bernard. super Cantica serm. 10. I say if such a conuer∣sion be so pleasinge to God, hovve glorious may vve iudge this holy Fathers penance to be, vvho from his cradle to his graue, liued innocently and austerly? so that vve may iustly say of him as the Church of S. Iohn, Antra desertiteneris sub annis, ciuium turmas fugiens potisti, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 leui saltem maculare vitam, famine posses.