Chapter 2
1If there are any who wish to accept this life and come to our brothers, etc.
2Saint Francis replied to his brothers who asked him to encourage a young man of upright behaviour to enter the Religion: 3Brothers, it is not for me nor for you to influence someone to enter our life, rather we must preach penance by our works and in all our sermons, and attract all to the love of and obedience to Christ and to hate and despise the world. 4It is for the Lord, who alone knows what is best for people, to choose and call to this life those whom he might make suitable and to whom he has given the grace to take it on and observe it. 5Hence, the Lord who planted the Religion, desires that we leave its government, increase and preservation entirely to him.
6One of the ways in which the demons will attack this Religion will be by wrongful and imprudent reception. 7Evil spirits will lead some perverse people to enter the Religion; they will stir the mind of the ministers to receive many and in those whom they receive they will not have seen evidence of firmness of purpose, right intention and the fervour of a holy will; rather they will look for nobility of birth, riches, or diligence in learning or art, and fame among people. 8When such people have been received they will understand the Rule according to their own interpretation and that of others and will think little of observing the purity of the holy Rule in a way pleasing to Christ. 9Against the cunning of the demons and for the correct increase and preservation of the Religion, Christ desires that only the ministers receive [brothers], and that only brothers be appointed as ministers who have Christ and his Spirit within them, and who seek and know the things that are Jesus Christ’s. By such ministers may the whole Religion always persevere in purity and holiness of life, complete uprightness of behaviour and perfection of virtues.
10Hence, Pope Gregory in his Declaratio, written on the Rule at the request and insistence of the brothers, says that provincial Ministers cannot delegate this power to their Vicars ‘because the Ministers themselves are not allowed to do this, unless a special permission has been given to them by the Minister general’. 11At the time of Saint Francis it was common in the areas of Italy for all who wanted to join the Religion to be sent to him, both because those to be received were anxious to see him on account of his holiness, and also because by the merit of his prayers those received and clothed by him, rejoiced to have received the grace of his blessing and they never doubted that they had received an increase of spiritual virtue.
12In former times, perfect religious were wary of those who came to join them; they were received only after much difficulty, a testing of their obedience and after they had first put aside every earthly desire, as is most evident in the Lives, the Instituta Patrum, the Collationes, and the Rule of Saint Basil, and in the deeds and writings of other holy people who dealt with this matter. 13However, Saint Francis spoke more abundantly of his mind and declared in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to the brothers present and those to come until the end of the world, by his word, deeds and writing, that it was not his intention, nor was it pleasing to nor the will of Christ, who in mercy appeared to him and revealed the Rule, that the brothers would expound or put glosses on it other than according to its literal meaning faithfully understood. 14And that in no way were they to presume to ask letters from the Roman Curia, neither for hearing confessions, for permission to preach, for buildings, places or churches, nor for the persecution of their bodies, 15because if they persevere in a pure and simple observance and understanding of the Rule and Testament, just as he had accepted the Rule and Testament simply and purely from Christ, such an understanding and observance, before God in a holy, spiritual and correct way, without error and impediment, would lead them to eternal life.
16The four Masters of the Order of Lesser Brothers, namely ‘Brothers Alexander of Hales, John of Capella, Robert of Bascia, and Rigaldus’, together with Brother Gaufredi, then Custos of Paris, explained the Rule at the command of a General Chapter and sent it to Brother Haymo then Minister general, stating that because of ‘a privilege received later the Ministers were not only given permission to receive brothers but also the power to delegate it to others’, 17that:
it does not seem to be without danger if some brothers draw back by privileges from the intention of the Rule they vowed, and especially because in a similar way they may fear that later the truth of the Rule will be corrupted. 18Because just as in this case a privilege of dispensation was asked for on the basis of clear usefulness, so, because of what some brother will regard as a clear necessity, they will be able to ask for a privilege against other articles of the Rule.
19Likewise, Pope Gregory says in his Declaratio on this article of the Rule, namely: And let none of the brothers dare to preach in any way to the people unless he has been examined and approved by the general minister of this fraternity and the office of preaching has been conferred upon him, ‘that a Minister general cannot grant this to an absent person’. 20The above mentioned Masters add:
Because this was relaxed by a privilege asked for, many are afraid that, by other privileges asked for, the whole perfection of the Rule could later be relaxed. 21That is why it is not without danger to draw back from the Rule they have vowed for the sake of requesting some privileges.
The above mentioned Masters say this.
22Saint Francis, informed beforehand by the Spirit of Christ of future troubles that would be stirred up in the end of days by demons and men, troubles contrary to the perfection of the life inspired in him by Christ, warned the brothers not to depart, under pretext of any utility, any necessity or any kind of spiritual edification, from a pure and holy understanding, an observance of the promised Rule from a love of poverty and humility, if they wanted to please God truly and gain victory over their visible and invisible enemies. 23In the future, by privileges, the working of human prudence, the esteem for and complacency in their own judgment, the brothers will so abandon a sincerity and truth in the observance of their life and Rule that they will not only leave the love and observance of what they have promised, but they will want to be righteous when they hate and destroy in others the very things they had promised.
24Being ignorant of the cunning of the demons and not guarding against the bias of their own affections toward evil, they will say confidently that it is not against the purity of the Rule to ask for privileges from the Supreme Pontiff to hear confessions, to be able to preach more freely, to build churches, to increase the number of brothers, to help the infirm, to bury devout people, to increase study and the number of books and for other reasons that they claim are for the utility, solidity and spiritual state of the whole Religion. 25They will say that everything having an appearance of evident value or spiritual progress and convenience favours the pure and true observance of the Rule, in that spiritual powers and their increase, according to the demands of times and spiritual utilities, can cause no harm to perfection and to the final intention of the Rule.
26And they will not reflect that a person honours God badly who thinks to honour God by disobedience. 27One saves the souls of others poorly when one damns his own soul. 28It is useless to build a church from stones when one has withdrawn from the promised observance of poverty and humility. 29It is vain to increase the number of companions when one does not keep company with those who love virtue. 30It is stupid to provide for the needs of sick bodies when one gives the opposite to the sicknesses of one’s own soul. 31When a brother neglects whatever is necessary for the promised imitation of Christ, on the excuse of burying the dead, he makes himself unsuitable for the kingdom of heaven. 32And one is seduced who sweats to increase the number of books but does not increase the exercise of virtue. 33In error and deceived, he works in vain who takes the fantasies of his heart and the suggestions of the demons as an action of the Spirit, and who thinks that he himself is building up the state of his spiritual condition when he is confusing and destroying it.
34Nor have they discovered from the prudence of human understanding and wisdom an argument of evident utility and spiritual progress, nor are they for the observance of the Rule, as they claim; 35but rather, all that contradicts and blocks the faithful and pure observance of the commands and counsels of Christ nourishes and fosters the secret, evil work of destroying spiritual utility and progress, and disobedience against papal authority and the jurisdiction of the Church, and it causes and brings about prejudice.
36For as Brother Leo wrote, Saint Francis:
often said to his companions: ‘Here lies my pain and grief: those things which I received from God by His mercy with great effort of prayer and meditation for the present and future good of the Religion, and which are, as he assures me, in accordance with his will, 37some of the brothers on the subtlety and prudence of their sciences nullify and oppose me saying: “These things must be kept and observed; but not those!”’
38And:
He often repeated this saying: ‘Woe to those brothers who are opposed to what I know to be the will of God and for the greatest good of the religion, and say “These things must be kept and observed; but not those!”’
39Therefore, it was the will of blessed Francis that the Minister general, as the Rule says, could grant permission to receive brothers only to the provincial Ministers.
40For according to the height of the heaven above the earth, so great is the distance between the understanding and knowledge of the brothers and the understanding and knowledge that Saint Francis accepted as he was taught immediately by Christ and his Spirit, for the benefit and perpetual solidity of the whole Religion. 41But many brothers, following their own understanding, chose to go away and broaden the straight way of the Rule that leads to life; this is against the Testament and commands of their Father, for by their actions they reject the honour of the Father, obedience of faith, regular perfection and purity, while holding on to them in words.
42So that the danger of admitting unfaithful people and those erring in their faith be avoided, Francis wants the ministers to examine those coming to the Order on the faith, that is on the articles of faith to be believed, and on the sacraments of the Church, by which we are reborn, put on and confess Christ, and by which we become subjects and obedient to the unity of the Church. 43The purity and sincerity of their faith is to be proven, and a more diligent examination is to be made concerning their freedom from every bond and reasonable impediment by which many are unsuitable and unable to enter into the Religion, especially if they have no wives or they have already entered a monastery or have given their permission, etc. 44By the law of the Gospel, divorce after a consummated marriage can be allowed in order to enter a Religion after solemnly taking a vow of chastity before the bishop; this was not introduced by a human person but by Christ who is true God, because such a divorce is totally of divine law. For this reason he makes special mention of this bond.
45However, he does not mention other impediments because he wants the others to be understood in this one and, with vigilant care and discreet reflection, they are to be examined by the Ministers who will receive only those who, according to the counsel of Christ, want to give away their possessions and enter, lawfully and correctly, through the door to the perfection of evangelical life and the Rule. 46The Ministers are bound to show this door to those wanting to come to the Religion and to introduce all whom they receive through it to the life and rule of Christ so that by entering through it their entrance may be holy and their beginning pure, a means of a good life and their end a finish in harmony with the beginning.
47For Christ showed this door to the young man who had kept the commandments from his youth, saying: If you will be perfect, go sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. 48And the Rule commands the Ministers to say to all who come to the Religion the words of the holy Gospel that they go and sell all they have and take care to give it to the poor.
49The Ministers of the evangelical rule, by reason of their office, are to announce the word of the perfection of the Gospel to those whom they receive into this evangelical life, who then should carefully and faithfully with the utmost joy and fervour carry out the command of Christ before their entry into the Religion. 50And, so that they might show the signs and works of the disciples, walking naked after Christ in the trust of faith by throwing away the weight of earthly things, especially their own will, they will carry the naked cross until the end seeking and minding only what is heavenly and eternal.
51Saint Francis replied as follows to one person asking to join the Order:
‘If you want to join God’s poor, first distribute what you have to the poor of the world.’ 52He distributed his goods to his relatives and not to the poor, and Francis said to him again: ‘Go, Brother Fly. You began with flesh, and laid down a crumbling foundation for a spiritual building. You are not worthy of the holy poor.’
53Blessed Basil wrote to an Abbot who had received a senator who had not stripped himself completely of his possessions: ‘You have lost a senator and not made a monk’.
54Saint Anthony said to a youth who wanted to become a monk but held back for himself a few possessions:
If you want to become a monk go into the village and buy meats, put them on your naked body and come to me. 55Having done what he was told, he came to him with his body wounded from the claws and bites of birds and the stings of flies. 56And he said: Those who renounce the world and still want to own money, are attacked in this way by demons and torn to pieces.
57Because the first foundation of all evangelical perfection is a spirit of poverty, to which by right of the promise of Christ the kingdom of heaven is due, he who holds on to some portion of his possessions, or distributes them to relatives, does not enter by the door to evangelical life, nor lay a foundation on the rock, namely, Christ, since to enter into religion without any impediment he must, if he is able, give what he possesses to the poor. 58Further he ‘used to say, that poverty is the foundation of his Order, on which primary substratum the structure of religion rests, so that it is strengthened by its strength, and is destroyed when overturned from its foundation’.
59To his vicar who asked whether, for the needs of the novices, it was allowed to keep something from the possessions of the novices that were to be given to the poor, he replied: 60‘I prefer that you strip the altar of the glorious Virgin, when necessity requires it, than to use something or even a little that is contrary to the vow of poverty and the observance of the Gospel’.
61Therefore, in order to have the treasure in heaven that Christ promised to those who give all their possessions to the poor, they must, if they can, when coming to the life and discipleship of Christ, give promptly to the poor what they possess. 62If they cannot do this, their good will may suffice. 63But when distance of places, threats of parents, divisive contempt or other serious impediments prevent those wanting to serve God from selling their goods and giving them to the poor according to the counsel of Christ, then their good will is to be regarded as though they had done this, according to the text of Jerome ‘Ad Paulinum: 64‘If you have possessions, sell them, if you do not have any, renounce them’. ‘No one about to renounce the world can want things he has despised so as to sell them.’ 65No one putting a hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God, is what Christ said to the person who stated: I will follow you, Lord, but let me first take my leave of them that are in my house. 66Often, such an entanglement overwhelms the mind and many times thorns growing up choke the word for us.
67Let the brothers and the minister be careful not to interfere with their temporal goods that they may dispose of their belongings as the Lord inspires them.
68He wanted all the brothers to be as foreigners and strangers to any involvement and concern in the disposing of the goods of those coming to the religion, and from giving advice in the distribution and accepting of such goods. 69For, according to what Saint Basil explains in his Rule, much that is unsuitable can be caused by the distribution or receiving of such goods, and it can be the occasion of much harm in both those receiving and in the things received. 70And he says that the distribution and giving away of such things to the poor ought and can be more fittingly done by stewards of the Church who have the care of the poor and know their condition so that the brothers receive absolutely nothing from such things. 71Saint Francis, taught by the Spirit of Christ, teaches almost the same things in his Rule. 72For he says: If, however, counsel is sought, the minister may send them to some God-fearing persons according to whose advice their goods may be distributed to the poor.
73He orders all the brothers and ministers to keep themselves away from giving advice or caring about the distribution of such goods, so that, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ who said: Sell all you have and give to the poor, they themselves and the whole Religion can be kept completely away from the dangers, scandals and defilement, both internal and external, that can so easily be incurred from this. 74By saying this he teaches that nothing is to be kept back so as to give it to the community, to the rich or to relatives. 75Because, otherwise, it is difficult to escape wounds from the thorns of the world that make bloody, hold back and recall one hastening toward God. 76As is read of one such in the Vitae Patrum, who was held back by the demons throwing much dust at him lest he go to the desert; but he, stripping off his clothes, ran naked into the desert. 77An angel said of him to one of the saints: Get up and run, athlete of Christ.
78Andrew, that great servant of the Lord, pretending to be a fool, remained naked while serving Christ who hung naked for us on the cross, covering only his sexual organs with a small piece of poor cloth; when a demon argued with him and wanted to stop him from continuing on his way, he threw the cloth in his face saying: ‘Go away from me and see that what I own in the world is now yours’. Confused, the demon immediately left him and disappeared.
79The human race stripped naked by sin of its innocence, life of grace and hope of glory was clothed by Christ with grace and holiness. Christ did this when he was born naked, lived as a poor person and taught the poverty that he consecrated and made his bride on the cross, consecrated and sealed it in death, made it bright in the resurrection and when he ascended into heaven raised it on a throne so that by it he might restore the human race to its lost innocence, give it back a life of grace, enrich it, now reconciled to God, with virtues and recall it to the kingdom of glory.
80Then they may be given the clothes of probation, namely, two tunics without a hood, a cord, short trousers, and a little cape reaching to the cord.
81When they have become poor out of love for Christ, when they ask for, desire and are strongly afire with a love of poverty, when they think little of themselves, the [ministers] may give what they desire and ask for, namely, a cheap and poor habit. 82From the law and teaching of the holy Fathers, and from the traditions and rules inspired in them by the Holy Spirit, the distinction between the habit for beginners and professed is shown for the information of those wanting to serve Christ perfectly and religiously. 83This is done so that during the time of their probation they may show a hatred of their own understanding and will, a displeasure with the vanities of the world, with pride of life, with a familiarity with delicacies and concupiscence of the flesh, and that they may show a fixed, unvarying and unchangeable stability in their resolve for a holy style of life, an imitation of the life of Christ, and a humble, poor and perpetual slavery to him.
84Some of the saints used to give three years of probation to novices on the basis of the Gospel story of the fig-tree that was to be cut down after three years if it remained barren after being fertilized. 85Others gave seven so that after seven years of service and probation, as if they had reached a certain grace of first resurrection, they might put on the habit of profession in the eighth year. 86However, in some monasteries, as blessed John Climacus relates, novices were on probation for thirty years so that in a sincere and solid way they might reach the monastic perfection indicated in the thirty years of the fulness of the perfect age of Christ and by the sacrament of his baptism. 87For in the thirty steps of the ascent in virtues, his book, that he called A Ladder or A Flight of Steps, begins with a perfect renunciation of possessions, way of life and affections, this being a sign of the most perfect love that drives out fear and never falls away, and finishes in the thirtieth step.
88When a novice has been humbly established in the vineyard of the Lord and is producing fruit, then he is received to obedience, offering and fully renouncing himself with a firm and immoveable promise to the Lord who with tears and a strong cry offered himself to the Father on the cross so that with fear and humility we might do the same by persevering to the end on the cross of penance and a life of holiness. 89He distinguishes the habit of novices from the habit of the professed by the little cape, called by the ancients hangings and it is given as a sign that their stability is to be examined and proven.
90By the tunic with a hood, that the monks call a cowl, the brothers a habit, the ancient fathers understood a small cowl because it was a small hood covering the head with pieces hanging before and behind joined to the scapular on the body, and was a sign of humility and of that innocence and purity of the children of which the Lord said: Unless you be converted and become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 91Therefore, it is vain and harmful to modify the habit, to lengthen it and to make it of fine and soft cloth so that it might please the eyes of the worldly and serve vanity; by such signs, those things, by which innocence and humility are to be fostered, shown and preached, preach vanity while secular pomp and effeminate softness are shown. 92The ministers are left free not to give the habit of novices, because it would not be fitting to give signs of probation to men who are serious, mature, learned in Sacred Scripture, endowed with the priestly dignity and holiness of life.
93Blessed Basil wanted the ones to be received to remain in secular clothing and for their probation to be under a senior and in a separate house until they had given clear evidence of their constancy and good will. In accordance with the Gospel, he wanted the habit of all of them to be a tunic and cloak and he directed that the change of clothing and the profession of obedience were to take place at the same time. 94For these reasons, the Rule says: Unless, at times, it seems good to these same ministers, before God, to act otherwise.
95When the year of probation has come to an end, they may be received to obedience promising always to observe this rule and life. 96On no account shall it be lawful for them to leave this Order, according to the decree of our Lord the Pope, for, according to the Gospel: no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.
97When the year of probation has come to an end, those who are well tested, exercised in virtues and are fervent in love of God, neighbour, poverty, humility and chastity may be received to obedience, because, in the evangelical obedience they promise, the perfection of all the virtues is contained. 98For this reason, he refers to the promise of evangelical life and rule as a reception to obedience because by the obedience of Christ we are redeemed, saved and called to a life of grace and glory.
99By the mortification of our whole will, obedience is the salvation of souls, life of the faithful, mother of virtues, discoverer of the kingdom of heaven, key to wisdom, guardian of secrets, a sweet yoke taking people upward, a work of angels, crown and support of perfect saints, fruit of the cross, door and most safe way leading to unspeakable rest in the peace of Christ and a taste of heavenly wisdom itself, by which one is joined in an unbreakable way to others, to the religion, to superiors, to the Church and to Christ the head of all.
100Just as, according to the Rule, permission is given to the ministers alone to receive brothers, so it is the same ministers who receive to obedience those who are to be received. 101Because if they alone should receive those coming to the Religion, it is left to them alone to receive the vows of profession because it is more serious to receive brothers to obedience than to probation. 102They promise the evangelical life and rule observed by Christ, His Mother and the Apostles, because Christ gave himself to be imitated and as an example to us when He said: 103Come to me, all you that labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you.. 104Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light. 105According to what the Apostles and Evangelists themselves taught and passed on, it [evangelical life] is contained in the vow and is to be observed. 106Because such perfect and religious observance of the evangelical life had been weakened at the time of Francis, it was found in few; God wanted through him, under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, to bring about a reformation in the Church.
107And since nothing is more perfect than the evangelical life and rule of Christ, he states, for all who promise it, that on no account shall it be lawful for them after the promise to leave this Order, 108because they already have in the highest and best form the uprightness, justice and holiness determined and imposed by the evangelical life. It has this highest form in action and contemplation, permanence and unending firmness, and so those who promise it are not allowed to promise another because this would not be going higher by a vow but going lower; to draw back from it for any reason in mind, good will or serious work is to be deficient; 109it would be a retreat by disobedience from the commandment of Christ, of the Supreme Pontiff and of Saint Francis, and a turning back and apostasy from the accepted and promised perfection, and consequently would show they are unworthy and unsuitable for the kingdom of heaven.
110Those who have already promised obedience may have one tunic with a hood and another, if they wish, without a hood.
111Since the evangelical rule and life allows for a habit and an inner tunic for those wanting to have it, namely, a habit and an inner tunic in place of a cloak; this corresponds to the practice of the holy fathers, who with a small hood covered the head, the body with sackcloth or a sleeveless tunic and a belt [belt ?] and the feet with sandals, conforming themselves to the habit of Christ and the Apostles; 112this is in harmony with the command of Christ who wanted his disciples to be content with one tunic and a cloak when sent out to preach.
113Because Christ by the Holy Spirit taught the Apostles and fathers all truth necessary for salvation and gave them the manner and form for living perfectly, blessed Francis, filled with the same Spirit, conforms himself in habit and spiritual perfection to Christ and the fathers, and he says in his Testament that the first brothers ‘were content with one tunic, patched inside and out’. 114He says:
And those who came to receive this life, sold and gave to the poor all they could have and were content with one tunic, patched inside and out, with a cord and short trousers. We desired nothing more.
115They used a poor and short mantle of sackcloth or of other poor cloth but, after the departure of Saint Francis from this life, Brother Elias forbade that it be carried outside; this was when he inflicted by papal authority a rather severe persecution on Brother Bernard Quintavalle, Brother Caeser, Brother Simon of Comitissa and their companions who were content with one small tunic as a habit and in other matters kept to the intention and ways of the Founder. 116Because they would not agree with his relaxations, he gave a bad report of them and accused them of many things before the Supreme Pontiff. They were bitterly persecuted because of their continuing conformity to the Saint, they used one, poor, old and patched tunic and a short mantle, and observed the Rule simply and to the letter, just as the Saint had commanded at the end; as a greater reproach he gave them and all who joined them the name of the sect of the Mantled.
117Francis gave witness to the will of God as he had learnt and accepted it from Christ; he exhorted and encouraged all the brothers, by his preaching and by the example of his actions, to love and observe it, namely, that no brother should have any clothing other than what the Rule allows, together with a cord, underwear, and shoes in a time of clear necessity and sickness. 118And as Brother Leo writes and as others of the Saint’s companions who lived on for many years after his transitus from this life testified, he taught his brothers that in the desert of this world they should have no clothing other than what is despised and poor. 119As pilgrims long for the fatherland and those held in prison and chains desire freedom, so they, but even more so the poor of Christ and all who have again sworn enmity for the sake of Christ and his kingdom, are bound to desire the pilgrimage from the prison of this world and the flesh.
120To Brother Riccerio, Brother Masseo, the minister wanting his permission to keep the books he had, and to the novice asking for his consent to have a psalter for spiritual comfort, he replied with much animation of spirit, in accord with what he had received from God, that ‘as the Rule says, whoever wants to be a Lesser Brother and observe the Gospel he has promised purely must have nothing but the tunic, a cord, and short trousers and shoes’ in clear sickness. 121And for as long as he lived and at the moment of death he gave this reply to all who asked him about the pure observance and understanding of the rule; and both living and dying he confirmed the teaching by the example of his actions. 122For while living, no matter how sick he was, he had nothing other than the one poor and rough tunic with which he covered his small mortified body; he took this off as he lay prostrate on the ground at the hour of his death and remained naked in the eyes of the brothers standing there, to whom he said: 123‘I have done what is mine; may Christ teach you yours’, confirming by action and word what he taught, and so to the end he had no habit other than one given to him under obedience by another.
124Brother John of Celano says of blessed Francis: ‘He expressed horror at those who wore three layers of clothing and those who without necessity used soft clothes in the Order’, for he stated that to warm the body with three layers of soft clothing is a sign that the spirit in the soul is dead. 125And Brother Bonaventure says:
Once when he was asked how he could protect himself against the bite of the winter’s frost with such poor and thin clothing, he answered with a burning spirit: ‘If we were touched within by the flame of devotion for our heavenly home, we could easily endure that exterior cold’.
126Covered with one poor tunic he served the Lord in cold and nakedness.
127If he felt the softness of a tunic that had been given to him, he used to sew pieces of cord on the inside because he used to say, according to the word of Truth itself, that we should look for soft clothes not in the huts of the poor but in the palaces of princes.
128It is clear enough from his life and from his writings in the Rule and Testament that it is the intention of the Rule and evangelical model to have a habit and one tunic made of poor cloth and not more. 129However, to have more is for sickness or regular dispensation, made by the authority of a papal condescension, that he commits to the ministers and custodians alone for the care of providing for the brothers in the matter of clothes according to places, seasons and cold climates.
130Saint Jerome writes about this manner of condescension in Ad Hebidiam:
What if the cold of Scythia and the snows of the Alps come, cold that is not kept out by two or three tunics and hardly even by the skins of cattle? 131Therefore, whatever is sufficient for the body and supports human weakness, this is to be called one tunic, and whatever in the present circumstance is necessary for food, this is called the food for one day.
132And Rabbanus says the same thing Ad Matthaeum:
It seems to me that two tunics indicate a double clothing; not that in places of Scythia and places frozen with icy snow a person should be content with one tunic, but that by tunic we understand clothing, that is, another garment, we keep for ourselves from fear of the future.
133But be careful as you read of various opinions on perfection. The saints out of condescension say some things suitable to the sick and to beginners, a condescension that goes with the perfection human weakness can attain when exercised faithfully; sometimes they say more difficult things to the proficient, to those who act manfully against themselves and who fight the evils of the demons. 134What is heavy and intolerable to the sick and to beginners, is light and slight to the saints in that they always aspire to higher things. 135Some things are said and handed on about the most perfect people, as about the Apostles and other disciples of Christ, great martyrs, anchorites and the perfect, holy founders of Orders, who filled with the Holy Spirit did supernatural works possible to no one by nature; in the perfection they had attained they were as nothing in their own eyes, because understanding themselves perfectly and weeping in the prison of their dwelling, they desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ.
136However, lesser people who look on them and try to rise with holy desires to their perfection, in so far as they understand how distant they are from their divine and heavenly way of life, are more deeply humiliated and think poorly of themselves. 137Some of the most perfect saints, having a foretaste of impassibility from the weaknesses of soul and body, and given by divine power as an example to those wanting to follow Christ, have proven in an undeniable way, by signs, virtues and gifts received from the Holy Spirit, that Christian perfection does not come from human strength either for the faithful or for unbelievers. 138The Rules of the saints, Rules accepted and approved by the Church, lead beginners to perfection is such a way that they strengthen, inform, lead and commend to the proficient the completion of all supernatural perfection.
139Although Saint Basil in his Rule teaches that his brothers who wish to live in a Gospel way should be content with only one tunic, with water for drink, with bread and suitable poor foods for nourishment, and these gained by the work of their hands. While staying outside the world in a solitary place with his brothers and being already attentive only to God, he said, nevertheless, about himself in Ad Gregorium Nazazenum:
140Before you may learn something, as you have asked, about the way and manner of life, it was necessary for you to think this out well for your soul, namely, that from all the things that are here none is to be regarded as the happiness set aside for us in the promises. 141But I indeed, by the end of a night and day, am confused to write about what I do. 142For leaving behind the delays and duties in the city, as occasions of innumerable evils, I have not yet been able to leave myself.
143He adds many other statements of his own humility and abasement that would be long to write here. 144In fact, he did what he taught others to do, and the greater the things he did, the more he knew himself to be far away from that highest perfection to which he aspired.
145In a letter Ad Anphilochium he writes that he received from and was taught by a certain bishop, a doctor in divine matters and an enlightener of souls, what pertains to the teaching and form of the perfection of evangelical life. 146And, after writing much about renunciation, poverty, obedience and humility, he adds how it was confirmed by the evidence of the Scriptures, of Christ, the Apostles and by the lives and examples of the preceding saints, namely, that those who desire to imitate and observe the life and rule of evangelical perfection should cover the body by a single tunic and not several, and he exhorted them to go to the aforementioned saint to be more fully informed on all this.
147Saint Maximus, a monk in fact and name, in a book on certain questions on the Old and New Testaments, replying to the holy priest Thalasius, states that the text of the Gospel of Saint John: The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, and they made four parts, to every soldier a part and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam etc., proves that Christ had only one tunic and a cloak called an ‘imation’, in plural clothes, and the text says that the cloak was divided into four parts. 148He explains that the Apostles and Evangelists, following the example of Christ, wore only one tunic with a cloak. 149And the holy doctors Basil, Anphilochius, Gregory Nazianzus and Nisenus, Eusebius of Caesarea, Epiphanius and Chrysostom, Symeon Metafrastes and John Damascene, Ambrose and Jerome are in agreement on this and all write the same way.
150In clear necessity and bodily weakness, although needing a dispensation according to the rule of charity and piety, nevertheless, holy men, even when weak and sick in body, by reason of obedience, patience, humility and a fervent desire for perfect works to which they always aspire, are not deprived of the merit and reward of perfection.
151Saint Francis from the beginning of his conversion wanted, naked, to serve Christ in some desert place, but he received a reply from the Lord that he was called and sent ‘not to live for himself alone’ but that by action and preaching he might give examples of holiness and penance to others. 152This is why he adopted an inferior, poor and short habit in the shape of a cross, so that crucified to the world for Christ who came to him as one crucified, he might preach by actions, words and habit that the vanity of the world is to be left behind and trampled on.
153Saint Symeon Metafrastes writes about Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus, Archbishop of Neocesarea, an apostolic man in his life, wisdom and miracles, that, afire from childhood with zeal for the imitation of the life and poverty of Christ, and even after his consecration as an archbishop, went covered with only a tunic and a poor and cheap cloak even in the northern regions of Pontus. 154And that in his own archiepiscopate he refused to have a cell as a place of rest for the body or a grave at the end, so that in all things, as far as possible for him, he might be conformed to his Lord and master, who did not have a place to rest his head, but suffered outside the gate, so that those who imitate him might know they do not have here a lasting city, but with all their energy and fiery desires they seek for one that is to come, that is, a heavenly city.
155Let all the brothers wear poor clothes and they may mend them with pieces of sackcloth or other material with the blessing of God.
156Brother Bonaventure says: ‘In the matter of clothes, he had a horror of softness and loved coarseness, claiming that John the Baptist had been praised by the Lord for this’. 157‘For his own experience had taught him that demons were terrified by harshness, but were inspired to tempt one more strongly by what is pleasant and soft.’
158For, by the testimony of Saint Jerome and the other saints who wrote the Vitae of the holy Fathers, that great Anthony and the two Macarii, Pambo, Isidorus Pilusiotes, Amonius, Isidorus Scithyotis, Mutius, Elenus and all those first fathers, divine men and earthly angels, normally used poor, old and rough clothing, patched from many pieces. 159Jerome writes of Saint Paphnutius that at the age of eighty years he covered his limbs with only one rough and poor tunic. 160And they taught that it was in conflict with religious life to use soft and costly clothes and foods. 161But the holy anchorites who had already become to some degree immune to suffering, for the most part served the Lord naked, aspiring with ardent affections for the naked vision of the glory of God, and desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ.
162In our own regions, Fulgentius, distinguished in wisdom and holiness of life as a doctor and preacher of the kingdom of God, wore only one most poor tunic in both winter and summer, he walked barefoot, at times agreeing to wear sandals within the monastery. 163We read that the saints of God, namely, Vallaricus, Rogatianus, Leofredus, Eligius, Norimbertus, John Plusanenses, Ioheles, Daniel and Iordanus and innumerable others also did this in imitation of the life of Christ and in observing the Gospel.
164In times of clear necessity, he allowed shoes that Christ forbade the disciples to wear, and he did this lest in this case by the spirit of the fervent brothers, excessively zealous for the pure observance of the Rule, the Rule might be restricted more than was right. 165He laid down that it is not lawful to wear shoes unless clear and evident necessity demands it. 166In such necessity or weakness, shoes may be worn as is proper for those who profess the highest poverty. 167Nor is such necessity to be determined or believed on the judgment and conscience of those who live in a lax manner, or of those who are uncertain that divine power and providence piously assist in the efforts and pains of penance, austerity and mortification in meat, regularly undertaken by his faithful servants, and who are uncertain that it wonderfully works, guards and directs the bodies and minds of those who, for the glory of Christ, mortify their limbs, crucifying them with their vices and concupiscences; 168rather it is to be determined by the judgment of those who from what they have suffered, have learnt in a holy and discreet way to identify the weaknesses and need that necessitate the wearing of shoes.
169Even though, for example, Saint Francis was almost always sick he went barefoot and wore only an old and poor tunic patched with sackcloth until his death so as to show by deeds what he taught. 170He wished that the brothers everywhere use such cloth that by its value and colour was regarded commonly as poor and contemptible by the people of the region in which the brothers lived and from whom they begged food. 171Nor are they to be ashamed to patch the clothes with sackcloth and other material, because, filled with the Holy Spirit, the fathers with old and patched sackcloth covered their limbs so that they might conform themselves to the poverty and humility of Christ, his Precursor and the great saints who wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted, of whom the world was not worthy.
172Our Redeemer took on the likeness of sinful flesh to wipe out the works of sin by the reality of his holiness and mortality and, as one clothed with an old garment, so that the white stole of his newness might clothe those who despise and humiliate his servants, and might teach them that what the world regards as precious, poor and contemptible, and what are regarded highly and are exalted by men are weak and abominable to God. 173So some remained naked, some covered their limbs with old and rough sackcloth, others with the leaves of palms, others with a single tunic, so that they might fully conform themselves to the poverty and life of Christ, as far as was possible for them, conscious that full likeness to Him is the most blessed goal of every perfection of grace and glory.
174Likewise, blessed Francis saw beforehand how in later days they would say it is not only lawful and useful for the brothers to leave aside the lowly state of poverty, signs of contempt and humility in ways of acting and in habit under the excuse of honesty, uniformity and a higher state of the Religion, but they would preach it is right to hinder and block such things in others. 175Frequently and in many ways he was assured by the Lord about the things that would happen after him in the Religion, but on one of these days, while he was praying in Saint Mary of the Angels, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a wonderful form and appearance. 176Its head was gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly was bronze, the legs of iron, the feet of iron and clay, the shoulders covered with poor and rough sackcloth. 177The angel pretended to be somewhat ashamed to be wearing such poor sackcloth.
178The one watching was amazed.
179The angel said to him: Why are you astonished and amazed? The form that you see in me represents the beginning, development and end that your Religion will experience until the time of its birth and the reformation of the life of Christ and of the ecclesiastical state. 180You, with all your companions who are filled with the love of God, who carry Christ and his death in body and heart, who pray unceasingly day and night for the salvation of yourself and of all, weeping over your sins and the sins of others and wanting to have nothing under heaven for love of him: you are the head of gold.
181Those who will come after you, setting aside prayer, will concern themselves with knowledge that puffs up, the study of the written word, the building up of a large number of books, will set aside a love and zeal for poverty, all under the pretext of the salvation of souls and the edification of others. 182And because they put words before virtues, knowledge before holiness, they will not prosper but will remain inwardly cold and empty of love, having exchanged gold for cold, porous silver.
183And because they will speak much and do little, they will begin to trample on the firmness of humility and their basic nature, namely, the reality of poverty, and by taking on instead cares, worries and distractions they will change silver into iron.
184They will not be concerned to return to the first goods of perfection, namely, devout prayer and the fervour of love, but will display exteriorly ways of acting that are religious, humble and of great holiness; however, interiorly they will foster relaxations and will long for praise and honour, not being better and holier than all others but wanting to be thought of and appear as such. 185And so, doing much harm like incompetent traders, they will do their work and change the silver of eloquence and knowledge into a bronze and hypocritical image so as to win human praise and temporal gain.
186But because their pretence and hypocrisy will not remain hidden for a long time, they will become worthless in the eyes of their admirers. 187When they realize this, they will become indignant and angry against those whom they tried to please and from impatience they will more carefully seek out occasions to persecute and afflict those who have ceased to show them reverence and approval; so they will change the noisy and reddish bronze into hard and rough iron.
188Changed into an iron-like nature, they will be ready and bold not only to excuse themselves of the injuries they have caused, but also to inflict harm on the innocent and to tolerate injuries they inflict on the timid, weak and impatient. 189And as you see the iron mixed with clay in my feet, so finally there will be brothers swift and hard as iron in inflicting harm on those who disagree with them, but weak and impatient as clay in endurance.
190In this way those who in the beginning were clothed with the most pure gold of the love of Christ, will be regarded as earthen vessels in the final days when the Religion founded by you will come to birth.
191This rough, poor and short sackcloth with which I cover my shoulders, and of which I seem to be ashamed, is the poorness and austerity of poverty that the brothers of the Lord promised to wear with pride and joy. 192But having abandoned the first love by which they were united to God when they held and observed the lowliness of humility and poverty in all things and experienced the pledge of heavenly honour and the assurance of eternal glory, 193they ran from bearing the demands and the want involved in poverty; they relaxed their spirit so as to find and possess pleasures and abundance of goods; they did not fear to introduce, for the good standing of the Order, vast excesses in clothing and in all their actions because, overcome by human shame and tepidity of spirit, they felt they were being dishonoured by the cheapness and meanness of their goods and habit. 194And because they rejoiced vainly among people in the name and reputation of poverty, while in their actions and life style they were ashamed of it, persecuting and bitterly attacking it in themselves and in others, therefore, I show shame in wearing this sackcloth.
195One of the reasons why he says explicitly in the Rule that all the brothers are to wear poor clothes and they may mend them with pieces of sackcloth or other material with the blessing of God is so that the brothers who do not want to do this and forbid others to do it, would have no excuse in their own consciences nor before God. 196From the works of the Saint, by an explicit precept and vow of the Rule and by the gift of his blessing, they would be most fully informed about this, both about the will of Christ in revealing the Rule to him, and of the intention and final will of the founder himself. 197Those who devoutly did this would merit to have the holy blessing of God and of their Father.
198I admonish and exhort them not to look down upon or judge those whom they see dressed in soft and fine clothes and enjoying the choicest food and drink, but rather let everyone judge and look down upon himself.
199Since the Lesser Brothers are obliged by the instruction of the Rule, the life they have professed and the excellence of their vocation, to wear rough and contemptible clothing and to use cheap, common and poor food and drink, he exhorts and warns them that, from the humble condition of such a life and from regular rigidity and austerity, they are to turn towards the highest and necessary peak of the perfection of all the servants of God with their whole heart, their whole mind and their whole strength, that is, so that everyone judge and look down upon himself.
200The Abbot of the mountain of Nitria gave this reply to Theophilus when asked by Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria: ‘What more have you found about this way? He answered, nothing better than to blame and censure myself unceasingly. 201And the bishop said to him: No way is to be followed other than this’.
202And Abbot Pastor said: ‘This is the only justice for a man, for a servant of God should censure and despise himself, and then he is just when he condemns his faults. 203He says, do not want to judge and you shall not be judged’ etc. 204Whoever is humble and less than all others, as he has promised, feels, knows and admits he is the greatest of all sinners, and always examines his own wrongdoing but turns his face from the failures and faults of others for whom he asks mercy from God, praying for all; 205the more he thinks poorly of himself, so much the more does he think of the memory of a neighbour, no matter how great a sinner, as clean and to be revered. 206While humility wants and loves to be far away from pride, it shows affection equally toward all and, offering itself to the rightness of justice in truth, while it earnestly longs to confess its own worthlessness and sin, it turns its thoughts away from every judgment that is rash, arrogant, suspicious and presumptuous.
207Those freely chosen and called by the poor and humble Lord and master should reflect unceasingly on learning poverty and humility, on loving and holding on to the highest perfection and to the heavenly and divine dignity, and on how much they are obliged, because of the gift accepted, to increase always in hatred of the root of all evil, namely, avarice and to abhor and abominate pride, the enemy of God and contrary to His name. 208Poor in spirit, with heart purified from the defilement of pride and the error of a lie, they hate, judge and despise themselves, but love, bless and honour every secular person, every cleric and religious. 209They do not remember hurts that they have suffered from others, but accept everything with thanks from the hand of God. 210Mindful of the death of Christ, the justice of God and their own sins, they confess and understand that they alone are responsible for their sins, and know for certain they cannot receive in this life what is deserved by their sins. 211This is why they do not have a argument or quarrel with anyone, even if, to those who are jealous, they seem to have one, since the Spirit of Christ speaks in them in truth from love for the praise and glory of God and the benefit of those persecuting them; nor in their speech and actions do they seek the things that are their own but the things that are Jesus Christ’s.
212The poor in spirit are truly humble, genuinely less than all and, even against their own name, they practice perfectly the reality of humility, so that, if they are hurt or injured, in love and with a purified heart and controlled mind, they are the first not to oppose the ones offending and inflicting injury on them.
213For I said, now have I begun to base myself on the firmness of humility, this is the change of the right hand of the Most High, by which one moves from the left to the right, 214so that by the power given from the cross of Christ and by the vital working of His death received in the heart, genuinely made lesser by humility, by a great and amazing miracle silencing antichristian pride, it happens that being despised becomes true praise, the need of poverty becomes unending and true riches, reproaches and abuses become dignities and lasting honours worthy of heaven, while thirst and hunger become like incorruptible delicacies and everlasting feasts. 215Indeed, he who is lesser by the truth of humility, never dies because he rightly believes and piously worships God; he is not exalted, nor does he invent anything deceitful against his brother, nor does he fall into the passions of uncleanness, nor follow the errors and stupidities of the demons; 216he turns all his study, affections and energy to the truth of humility, with which he always scrutinizes his sins and reads these things in himself and in the book of the cross; he accepts in humility the virtue from Christ to persevere and understand and reprehend himself while despising and judging no one, as he continues with an inextinguishable desire to reprehend and correct himself. 217In this way, the sixth angel, Francis, lived, grew and remained until the end, the least of all, an imitator and innovator of the perfection and life of Christ, marked as a sign of the ruin and resurrection of man.