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 21. CHAPTER. How this Rule is a Rule of pen∣nance.

THe words of Pope Lea in the foresaid prologue haue beene the ground of this question. For he saith, that Pope Nicholas the 4. had confirmed and approued the third rule of S. Francis, which he tearmeth of pennance, by

which the holy confessour of Christ full of Gods spirit labou∣red to further the saluation of all faithfull Christians. Some foo∣lishly haue taken occasion hereat to derogate from this order, as if it were only for penitents or re∣pentants, that had committed some great vice, but truely al∣though it were so, it would be so farre from diminishing the e∣steeme therof, that happy are those who shall be amongst those true conuertes who are called penitents of S. Magdalen or re∣pentants, who notwithstanding are not of this order as may be seene in that which followes.

Wherfore the word Pennance is taken diuersly, sometimes for the Sacrament of pennance, so∣metimes for satisfaction, as it is the third part of the Sacrament,

sometimes for punishment of sinne, sometimes for interiour sorrow, which is threefold, to witt, in habit, in act, and in passion that followes the act. Here in this place we take it as an act, or∣habit of pennance, which is a morall vertue, whereby a sinner detesteth sinne and labours to a∣uoid all the occasions of sinne, and those that frequently vse such acts are said to lead a penitentiall life. Such an one was that peni∣tentiall king Dauid, who in a few words doth briefely explicate it, saying psal. 4. Be yee angrie, and sinne not, the things that you say in your hearts, and in your chambers, be yee sorry for, sacrifice yee the sa∣crifice of Iustice. The royall pro∣phet hauing persuaded all to leaue the vanitie of this world, and not to follow lies, shewes the way

how they should doe it, first they must take a holy anger and in∣dignation against sinne, and a∣gainst the things of this world; secondly they must make a firme and resolute purpose thencefor∣ward to a void all sinne, euill de∣sires, vitious inclinations; and wicked suggestions of the Diuell, the world, and the flesh; and lastly labour to doe well, by of∣fering to God the iust and due sacrifice of all their actions, the continuance whereof in diuers places of the psalmes he insinua∣tes, as when he saith, I haue la∣boured in my sighing, I will euery night wash my bed, I will water my couch with my teares; as if he should say, I will continually afflict my selfe with pennance, and will neuer cease from this thought of my sinnes, but night

and day I will shed forth teares of compunction to wash away mine offences, I did eat ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping. The prophet Ioel c. 2. inuites all to the same, Con∣uert imini ad me in toto corde, in ieiunio, & in fletu, & in planctu Be conuerted to me in all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourming; that is, be ye conuerted to me your God by pennance with your whole heart, with all your soule, with all your spirit, with all your affection, which ye may best doe by fasting, whereby the sinnes of the flesh and gluttonie are punished, and in weeping and mourning, whe∣reby with teares ye deplore your ingratitude towards your good God. This pennance was de∣nounced vnto vs by all the pro∣phets,

but in a more eminent manner declared and practised by that most holy forerunner of our Sauiour B. Saint Iohn Baptist, whose office was to preach pen∣nance by word and example; of whom S. Bernard saith, The au∣steritie and strict course of life of holy S. Iohn Baptist is a hard mes∣senger of eternall death vnto de∣licious and wanton persons. And S. Chrysostome; The habit of his body might preach the vertues of his mind &c. The Apostles tought the same. S. Iohn Climacus hath notable examples in this kind. The holy hermits that liued in the desarts did shine with pen∣nance, alwaies leading a strict penitentiall life. And to omit in∣finite others, let one S. Francis serue for all, who after his con∣uersion did lead a most austere

life of pennance. For putting on the armour of the Crosse he did subdue all his sensuall appetites with such rigour of discipline, that he scarce tooke what was necessarie for his sustentation; for (said he) it is hard to satisfie the necessities of the body, and not yeeld to sensuall inclination. And therfore being in health he did seldome eat any dressed meates, and when he did, he put to ashes or water for sauce; and very ra∣rely too taking water enough to suffice nature. He still inuented new wayes to afflict his body, his bed being for the most part the ground or earth, his pillow a blocke or stone. With such and many the like mortifications did he arme him selfe to conuert the whole world, and to draw it to pennance whereof he became a

preacher both by word and ex∣ample. And this is all the know∣ledge his sermons tend vnto: let other saints and Doctours preach the high points of speculatiue, mi∣sticall, or morall diuinitie; let o∣thers abound in eloquence and fertile conceits of holy misteries; let them teach the sublime mi∣sterie of the holy Trinity, and o∣ther articles of our faith; let them explicate the sublime gifts which God imparts to deuout soules, or other such curious points; S. Francis hath but one sermon of pennance, alwayes repeating and inculcating the same, after the example of S. Iohn Baptist and of his Master Christ Iesus; knowes not how to speake any other language; his text, exordium, narration, peroration or conclu∣sion is of pennance, which he alwayes preaches, whilst his very

life is a continuated sermon of penuance. The fruict whereof was such, that the whole world would needs follow his example, which made him for the satisfa∣ction of all to make certaine rules of pennance. All the sen∣tences, counsels, and comman∣dements of the first Rule sauour of nothing else but pennance, and the professours thereof, as wel noteth S. Bonauenture, were Preachers of Pennance. The second rule of no lesse austeritie and pennance he gaue to the poore Clares. But this patriarcke of pennance had not thus giuen way and meanes to all, for some had not strength and abilitie to vndertake such rigorous austeri∣ties, who notwith standing for∣ced by his example and words must needes take some rule and manner of life, that they might

doe pennance for their sinnes. And this rule or method of liueing did the holy Father ac∣complish, calleing it the rule of pennance or order of penitents, so that the whole order of S. Francis is an order of pennance, and all his children are penitents, and those that are not so, deserue not to be esteemed his disciples. So that the first order in the be∣ginning were called preachers of pennance, but afterward for the more humilitie the Saint would haue them called Friar Minors, a name of humilitie, dependence, and submission, which is the highest condition of a Friar minor. The vulgar people also stiled the now called poore Clares or poore dames, religious penitents: only the name of penitents remaines to the third

order, whose rule is commonly called the rule of pennance, and their order stiled the order of pen∣nance, as here the Popes Holi∣nesse entitles it.