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.

THE TWENTITH CHAPTER. How Pope Leo the 10. accomodated the Rule of this third order to religious per∣sons.

HAuing shewed before how this order began, and what

progresse it hath made from time to time, it will be easy to vnder∣stand what the Pope did intend, when in the prologue of this Rule, he saith, But forasmuch as by course of time through the inspira∣tion of the holy Ghost not only mar∣ried persons, and such as dwell in the world, but also quires of innume∣rable virgins, taking vpon them the three essentiall vowes, and also some of them that of enclosure, by our au∣thoritie building very many mona∣steries, not without manifold fruit, and edification of the Church mi∣litant, haue subdued their neckes vn∣der the yoake of the foresaid third or∣der &c. Which words haue beene occasion that I haue produced some of the most famous woemē and virgins that haue beene in this order, the fame of their san∣ctitie hauing beene the reason &

motiue of the abbreuiating, refor∣ming, and accomodating of this Rule to religious persons.

For the Pope as Father of all Christians, and particularly of re∣ligious persons, by his office is to haue a care of the conseruation, propagation, and encrease of Gods honour on all occasions, as a Fa∣ther of the familie is to prouide sufficiēt meanes to satisfie the ne∣cessitie of those that be vnder his charge, therfore to him as to our iudge we are to haue recourse in all doubts and difficulties, frō his tribunal seat to receiue the finall sentence, he also as superiour is to giue vs lawes and precepts which we are to obserue, as one that hath power from God to com∣mand all, in as much as tends to our soules good, and from him we receiue all rules with their

approbation, declaration, and confirmation.

Pope Leo in the prologue of this Rule, as a Father doth write to his sonnes and daugthers of this order, putting them in mind, what intention they ought to haue in the obseruance of this Rule, to wit to reduce themselues in as much as the state of this life will permit, to the same innocencie wherein man was created, and as a Father of a familie prouides for them competent meanes to ob∣taine that perfection, and like a Pastour doth propound vnto thē true food of their soules, which strengthens them in their hard course of life, and lastly as a su∣preame iudge to whom the reli∣gious of this order haue made their appeale, he ordaines lawes, and precepts, whereby they are

to liue giuing them a rule acco∣modated to their state.

For the Pope seeing the great encrease of this order, out of his pastorall care and great affection which he did beare to this order did renew, authenticate, con∣firme, and approue this rule, o∣mitting those things that were not conformable to a religious state, and making it more propre to deuout religious soules, leauing most ample scope to those that are their superiours or haue go∣uernement of them, to adde or ioyne any thing by ordinations, statutes, or constitutions, that might tend to the better obser∣uance of this rule, and aduance∣ment of the professours thereof in the way of perfection. Which indeed is no small dignitie and credit to this order, sith the su∣preame

pastour and head of Gods Church hath vouchsafed to con∣descend so low, as to examine, consider, compare, declare, con∣firme, and approue their rule by his soueraigne authoritie, pro∣pound it vnto the world, as ob∣seruable iust, lawfull, and good. And to this rule superiours euen by the Popes authoritie haue added certaine statutes for their better gouernement in the way of perfection.

From whence proceedeth that great diuersitie and varietie in this third order. For although all of them acknowledge. S. Francis for their patrone, and militate vnder the same rule; yet the varietie of statutes and manner of life pro∣ceeding from the diuersitie of superiours hath caused such di∣uersitie in their habit and manner

of life that in apparence they seeme not to be of the same or∣der, each monasterie being so much the more perfect, by how much more absolute and perfect is their gouernement by statutes ordained to that end by those that haue care of them.