The rule of penance of the seraphicall father S. Francis: approued and confirmed by Leo the X. for religious persons of the 3. order of S. Francis : together with a declaration of each point of the Rule, profitable not only to the religous of this order, but also to all religious women / by Br. Angelus Francis, friar minour.

Briefe Rules against Tempta∣tions.

FIrst let them endeavour to accomplish that of the wise∣man, Eccl. 2. Sonne comming to the seruice of God, stand in iustice, and in feare, and prepare thy soule to tenta∣tion. And know, that as S. Paule saith, 2. Tim. 2. None are crowned, but those who fight manfully; and that the elect Act 14. By many tri∣bulations must enter into the king∣dome of God. Wherfore the first &

common remedie against temp∣tations is to know their, imperfe∣ctions, frailtie, and insufficiencie, and confidently to haue recourse to Gods assistance, vncessantly & ardently invocating his aide, in saying Deus in adiutorium meum intende. And so they must, conti∣nually hope in God, and neuer presume of their proper forces or merits.

The second remedie is to hūble & misprise themselues profound∣ly, yea to esteeme themselues as nothing in all things before God; for he cannot be held by the di∣uell, who is so little, and as no∣thing in his owne estimation: but presently he slips out of his clawes, and is receiued by God, who exalts and comforts those who are so humbled.

The third remedie is, alwayes to consider the presence of God

almightie, principally his iudge∣ment, and aboue all to consider prudently, and greatly feare the eternall sentence.

The 4. is to consider clearly, what the tētatiōs are, what are the enemies of the elect, what they seeke, wherto they tend, what they incessantly machinate: truly they are most cruell, most caute∣lous, most envious, and finally seeke no other thing, than the e∣ternall damnation of men, & that in the meane time, they may be withdrawen from God, depriued of all grace and vertue, made sub∣iect to them, and sullied with all vices.

They neuer cease to invent & prosecute such things, after a thousand wayes, and practises, wherfore by how much more they know these more assuredly, by so much more foolishly they

shall doe, if they consent to them; and doe not resist them with all their force, & affections. Would any one enter into a wood of theeues, of whom he knew he should be strangled.

The 5. to thinke diligently, what domage they incurre by gi∣ving way to temptation; for by this, they loose their soueraigne God, and only good; they are despoyled of all charitie, grace, and precedent merits. They cease to be the daughters, servants, friends, souldiers, heires, & mem∣bers of their God; Creatour and Saviour, and consequently be∣come his enemies and adversa∣ries, &c.

The 6. is to behold continual∣ly how victoriously, & excellent∣ly, the servants of God haue re∣sisted temptations; and what glorie they haue gotten by such

triumph; in reading the liues of the holy Fathers, S. Antony, S. Hilarion, S. Benedict, S. Francis, they may be more fully instru∣cted.

The 7. is to contemplate God almightie, his holy-Angels, and all the heauenly citizens behold∣ing their conflict against tempta∣tions, ready to assist them, ioyfull of their resistance, and victory: and on the other side, consider how much the malignant spirits doe rejoice together, and mocke at their fall and transgression, ac∣cording to that of the Psalmist Psal. 12. They that troubled me, will reyoice if I be moved. O doe not of∣fend leaue and misprise God, who is your Creatour, and Saviour. Doe not contristate his B. mo∣ther, most ready to helpe you, and most zealous of your saluation: doe not dishonour your Angel

Guardian, who most sincerely loues you, keepes you most care∣fully, and admonishes you most faithfully, rather to follow and hearken after the suggestions of the diuell, than to the most whol∣some exhortations of the Angels. Doe not make your selues odious and contemptible to the trium∣phant Church of the celestiall court. Doe not yeeld your selues to be a shame, mokquerie, & prey to the most envious & most cruell enemies. But rather, pray with the wise man. Eccl. 23. O Lord, Father and dominatour of my life; leaue me not in their counsell: least I fall in the fight of mine ad∣versaries, and mine enemies re∣joice.

The 8. is presently to resist in the beginning of the tentation, principally in the tentations of the flesh: from which as from

their obiects, occasions, incita∣tions, and subiects, they are in∣continently to turne the eies of the spirit, and of the body; the imagination, fancy, memorie, and convert them to behold, and consider some holy and compun∣ctiue things, as beholding the crucifix and the Passion, the last endes, weighing also the breuitie and incertitude of this present life. Moreouer they ought to be mag∣nanimous, and laudably vindi∣catiue: that so they may afflict the diuells their enemies: by so much more earnestly and vnces∣santly addicting themselues to all workes of vertue, principal∣ly of profound humilitie, Obe∣diēce, & Charitie, by how much more they endeavour to with∣draw them from their saluation: say with the true warrier Psal. 17. I will pursue mine enemies, and

ouertake them. And I will not re∣turne till they faile. I will breake them neither shall they be able to stand: they shall fall vnder my feete.

The 9. is, to ponder the base∣nesse, impietie, and turpitude of tentation, and vice: and so pre∣sently with an indignation, turne themselues, as from a stinking & most detestable carron. Euen as a marchant would with indigna∣tion refuse iron, or dung, that the buyer should giue him for gold, or balsome; so when for our Lord God, eternall infinit & most worthy, and for the most pretious guift of his grace & glo∣rie, the world, the flesh, the di∣uell, should propound vaine, fil∣thy, and base things, let them an∣swere, with great contemptand not vouchsafe to behold or hear ken to those, who suggest such

things, nay rather according to that which the standard bearer of Christ Iesus, Blessed S. Francis hath tought vs, let them say to the tempter, Open thy mouth and I will cast dong into it.

The 10. remedie is, to discover aswell in confession, as out of it, what passeth, & is hidde in they spirit, to discreet, good, and cha∣ritable men, and humbly obey to their counsells, and instructions.

The tēpter doth seeke meanes to deceiue vs, propounding false and perverse things, vnder the species of true and good, and doth lay snares and guiles: wherfore he feares to be discovered. For according as Christ hath said in the Gospell. Ioan. 3. Euery one that doth ill, hateth the light, and commeth not to the light that his workes may not be made manifest. Wherfore a man hath then al∣most

vanquished the diuell, and discouered all his deceits, and tre∣cheries; when he hath declared all the secrets of his heart to men of iudgement. It is also and act of humilitie and discretion, in such sort to discouer the interiour, and to desire to be wel instructed the∣rein, and therfore let them over∣come thus the pride of the di∣uell.

Many other things may be ad∣ded, as to haue recourse to our B. Lady to the Saincts towards whome they haue particular de∣votion. And principally to haue a serious consideration of the Pas∣sion of our Saviour. For Christ hath giuen great power and ine∣stimable vertue to his Passion & death, wherby he hath redeemed humane kind. It contayneth in it selfe an infinit merit, because by a soveraigne and most ardent cha∣ritie,

most perfect Obedience, most profound humilitie, most firme patience, most strong con∣stancy and most mild spirit he hath submitted himselfe to it; his divinitie added to his humanitie did giue to it an immense effica∣cy of merites; wherfore by how much more a man is ioyned to Christ, by more humble ardent, and strict charitie, by so much more abundantly he may partici∣pate of his vertues, and merits.

If then they be tempted with any difficulty or rigour of the Order, and of its observance, as of the hardnesse and austeritie of Religion, & that it theeme gree∣uous and painfull to carrie the Crosse and follow Christ: let them consider diligently, what he hath suffered for them, how in his agony, for horrour of death he hath shed a bloudy sweat, and

was sadde euen to death, and car∣rying vpon his owne shoulders the heauie gibbot of the crosse, he was most ignominiously ledde to the place of Calvarie.

If they be tempted with the delights of the flesh, or with the desires of pleasure, dissolution, play, sport, vnmeasured laughter, let them consider the griefe that he suffered for vs, when his most delicate flesh was torne, even to the opening of his sides, and most cruelly rent, with the blowes of scourges, when his hands and feete were transpier∣ced with rough and great nailes of Iron, when his head was crow∣ned with thornes, and beaten with a reede.

If they be tempted with am∣bition, let them consider how for our sakes, he became reproch of men, and out cast of the people. He

was mocked with a white gar∣ment, derided in purple, bespitted on his face, blasphemed, and des∣piced, handled, and slaine, as the most base and the most wicked amongst men, for those who did see him did mocke at him, saying Mat. 27. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come downe from the Crosse. &c.

If the rigour of abstinence, or of fasting be troublesome, and painfull to them, if they be temp∣ted with more delicate meat or drinke: let them remember that they gaue him gall for his meate: and in his thirst they gaue him vi∣nagre to drinke. Psal. 68.

If the motion of Pride, the im∣petuositie of impatience, or an∣ger assault them, because some haue done them iniuries or other contrarieties; let them consider, how most patiently he hath en∣dured

all things, when he wa•• carried before Pilate, with a mos•• mild heart, not saying one word when he was most enormously accused.

If rancour or motion of envie strike them; let them remember how he fastened to the Crosse, & already environed with anguish, and prickings of death and more interiourly transperced: did pray for those who crucifyed him.

If sloath assault them, let them call to mind with what ardēt cha∣ritie he hath procured our salua∣tion.

Briefely in all temptations let them interiourly consider, what and how great things he hath vndertaken, excercised and suffe∣red for our saluation; with what most bitter and most cruell death he was slaine; and most violent∣ly and most painfully stretched

forth on the Crosse, euen so farre forth that one might number all his bones, yea euen to the rupture of his vaines, how he was crow∣ned with thornes, cloathed in mocquerie with a purpell robe; and his face bained in bloud, pre∣sented to the people, who cryed take him away, crucisie him. Ioan. 19.

On the other side, consider what and how great he is, he I say who hath suffered all these things; is not he, according to his divine nature, equall with the eternall Father, & according to the Humanitie which he hath hypostatically taken and vnited vnto the eternall word; more worth than all the world? Let them consider the delicatenesse of his complexion, in that he was conceiued in the most sacred wombe of the Virgin, of most

pure bloud: behold his Innocen∣cie, contemplate how charitably strongly, and most promptly he hath suffered all these paines.

Besides this they may consider, that at the time of his Passion, the griefe of compassion which he sustained from the vngratfull & wicked Iewes was more than the corporall affliction of his Pas∣sion. Moreover how great pitie and compassion he had of his most deare Mother, seeing her bitternesse, paine, and compassion as also how greatly he did suffer in all those who stood by, his de∣vout disciples, and other women.

Let them therfore carrie these things in their minds, and at cer∣taine houres dayly meditate, and remeditate them, as distinctly, or∣dinatly and compassionatly, as if he did endute them in their sight and presence. According to the

forme that is giuen them in the distribution of their time, in the houre glasse of the Passion which they may find in my booke of the chord of S. Francis.

Here follow some prayers which they may vse either at their cloathing, or afterward du∣ring their Noviceshipp as also some other that they may vse at their Profession.