About the departure of Brother Bernardine Ochino of Siena form us and about his arrival

379 The danger occasioned by the departure of Ochino 380 Bernardino Ochino as a Zoccolante 381 He joined the Capuchins 382 His portrait 383 The triumphs of his eloquence 384 The reputation he enjoyed with the Pope 385 However, he lacked humility 386 He was not the founder but the destroyer of the Congregation 387 He was contaminated at Valdes 388 He is re-elected against his will 389 While preaching in Venice he is cited to appear in Rome 390 Having arrived in Florence he decides to flee to the Lutherans 391 He passes through Mantua 392 He relaxes an obedience to Marianus of Chianciano 393 The true cause of Ochino’s departure 394 Brother Marianus in Tuscany

(379) Hidden are the judgments of God who penetrates and knows all things from eternity. Much inferior are the judgements of men who know through accidents and external things, and therefore they are often deceived. However our Lord god, who sees the heart, cannot be deceived. The holy Apostles rejoiced very much when they saw Judas join the holy number of twelve Apostles, the more so since he was such an astute wheeler and dealer they thought he would be a great benefit to everyone. However when they knew that he betrayed his Master and was the reason for everyone dispersing, by common agreement they called him a traitor. This is just what happened to the poor Congregation of Capuchins when Brother Bernardine of Siena joined us. Everyone thought that our Congregation would soon become illustrious because he was a great preacher and had a great reputation everywhere. However when the wicked outcome that he did became known everyone thought that it would have to be our ruin. Because this tribulation was so great because of the prevarication of this man to the poor Congregation of Capuchins, that if God did not lend a hand it would have been totally ruined without any hope of ever being able to get up again. For the blow was great and the Congregation was stunned in such a way that no one can say what it would have become of it if it had not been defended by the mercy of God.

However without any fault of his the Congregation was continuously lacerated. The tearful Congregation was completely timid and ashamed during that time and didn’t know where to look. It was only the trust the trust that she had in God and Saint Francis and likewise in her innocence that gave the Congregation the courage to lift her eyes to heaven toward Him who sees the truth. He is the Father or mercy who keeps guard over wards and the abandoned. He willingly stays with those anxious and afflicted at heart. He gazes upon the humble and offers his supreme and powerful help to the one who trusts in him and has recourse to him with a sure faith and firm hope. In this he offered courage and gave respite at that time to our poor Congregation struck down because of the Ochino. He was elected General of the whole Congregation on the fourth day of May at the Chapter held in Florence in 1539. Everyone thought this election would be for the growth and glory of the Congregation because he was such a great man and great hopes were held for him. Everyone believed that he would be a great asset even in the Court because he was a Prelate who could obtain anything with a couple of words if he wanted to. None the less it was truly a judgement of God that in a garden of such beautiful plants God would permit the infernal enemy to plant such a plant that, in the Church of God and throughout all Christianity, bore fruit so pestiferous with evil odour that everyone was infested. In this beautiful garden of the Poor Congregation the enemy sowed this dreadful darnel. He was truly the noonday devil who was transformed into an Angel of light. Hence it came about that the deceived not only the poor Capuchin Friars regarded him as a saint because of their simplicity. He also deceived the Prelates of Holy Church and all the Christian Princes who also regarded him as a holy man.

(380) This evil weed took its origins from the city of Siena. When he was young he was so gifted by God with a bright mind and fair appearance that everyone loved him. Although he was born to parents where we not quite nobles, he was nonetheless cherished by the nobility of Siena. Acquiring an education he was quickly introduced to worldly learning. However, the desire came to him to become a Religious. He was clothed in the Congregation of the Zoccolanti Fathers. A little later, since reckless youth is not very used to being still in the holy virtues, the other youngsters were sorry to lose their beloved companion. So one day they decided to retrieve with a trick. So some of the youngest ones dressed as women, knowing that there was no other way to be able to speak with him. They went off the friary of the Zoccolanti Fathers at Capriola, as it is called. They used the excuse that one of them was the sister of Brother Bernardine the Ochino and all the other women were nobles who were accompanying her. When the Guardian came, the one who pretended to be his sister said, “Reverend Father, I desire only to see my brother for if all the others are saddened that he may become a Friar, I am very happy to see him clothed in this holy habit. I desire nothing for him except perseverance. Therefore, in your presence and when it would please you, I would like to encourage him with just a word.”

Thinking that they were all women, the Guardian freely allowed him to speak to them all. When the counterfeit women had encircled him they suddenly took off the women’s clothes all around. Some of them unsheathed their poniards that they carried beneath their cloths. They confronted the Friars and some of the others, the stronger ones, took hold of him. They carried him off hanging like a heavy sack and removed his habit.

The Superiors took this as a joke. For many days Siena spoke of nothing else. Then however he could not withstand the influence of the affections of his young companions for he was well liked by the young. Mature and judicious persons regarded it as fickleness and it was quickly regarded in a bad light. Because of this he decided to return again to the Order where, dedicating himself to learning, he turned out a very good theologian in a short time, learned in all the sciences. He persevered and soon became a preacher. He was never happy preaching in the Zoccolanti habit. There were some who said that he sought to become General in a General Chapter but because he did not succeed he cut himself off from that Congregation and came to the Capuchins. No one believed this because all those Fathers who came to the Capuchins prompted some gossip from those they were leaving.

(381) Therefore when he came to us he gave such a very good example externally that the change was considered truly to have been done by God. For he was most austere in his dress, food and sleep – especially sleeping on a bare board. By nature he was tall and thin and the board bruised his sciatic bone. This gave him so much pain that he was unable to endure the hardness of the wood. None the less in order to conquer himself and get used to sleeping so poorly he made a hole in the wood. When he lay down he used it as a hip hole.

(382) When he became General he carried himself with such fervour in his preaching that he was a wonder to everyone in such a way that he disposed everyone to the perfect observance of the Rule, especially obedience. So wherever he was pleased to place them, all the Friars went joyfully and happily without his repeating the request. Among the things he said to dispose everyone’s heart was this example that he used. “Tell me, sons, if one of us should die and after death three farthings were found in his habit, because he had not confessed it and had not revealed them wouldn’t he be judged by all of us as damned because he died in ownership. He would be deprived of a Church burial. But what can we say of that Brother who death who does have three farthings but ten scudi of self will? Won’t our Lord God find him in ownership? We will deprive him of burial, but the Lord God will deprive him of paradise and put him in hell since the ownership of self will is no less a sin than the ownership of earthly things.”

He was very mannered in eating. Always, after he had four mouthfuls he folded his napkin and began to give a sermon with that innate grace he had by nature, that beautiful pronunciation and spoke mostly in Sienese. And not only this, but he spoke with such lofty thoughts on spiritual religious life that you would have seen in flash all the Friars hanging on his words, forgetting to eat. The sweetness that resonated in the ears of everyone was such that it seemed everything else would be forgotten!

He was so loving on his visits that everyone loved and honoured him as a father. He was never upset and he never wanted other than a lay friar as his companion. Throughout that triennium he visited all of Italy on foot even though he was not very robust. And the visitations were harsher then because were not the comfortable friaries as there are now. Often it was necessary for him to lodge in the home of seculars. When he found some poor Brother upset by the temptation of the enemy he comforted him with a word.

(383) I will not say much about his preaching because he in his time he was regarded by word of mouth and fame as the best preacher in Christianity. They said he was a master of the new preaching of the Sacred Scriptures. Anyone who could imitate him more was regarded a better preacher. He preached in all the main cities if Italy. Ordinarily he never went to preach unless by a Brief from His Holiness. Sometimes different cities sought more Briefs in order to have him. However it was up to His Holiness then to judge whom he wanted it to be. So as not to be unfair to anyone, he wanted the Brief be obtained first.

There is no tongue that could express the great things that he did in his preaching. I will give some examples so that this can be understood. When he was preaching in Naples it was necessary to recommend a very important pious work. He commended it with such grace that when a collection was taken among the listeners five thousand scudi were collected. Another example. One morning he felt indisposed and he forgot to say anything to the sacristan so that he not ring the bell. When he had rung the bell the second time, as the sacristan came along, he said to him, “May God forgive you Father that you have rung the bell. I feel ill and I cannot preach.” The sacristan replied, “May God forgive you Father for having said nothing to me! But what difference does ringing the bell make? All the places were taken by midnight. The roof of the Church is full of people. All the arches are full. Is that my fault?” The preacher replied, “Do not worry. Leave it to me.” Taking his mantle he went to the pulpit and said these words, “My people, forgive me. I cannot preach because I feel ill. Go so that you may be blessed.” Nothing else was needed. Such a great cry went up that there was not an eye that was not weeping. For quite a while the people could not be consoled.

They went up to the roof and lifted tiles. In order to hear they put their ears to the opening since they couldn’t understand in the church.

Another example. When he was preaching in the city of Perugia a nobleman had a dispute in which his brother had been killed. The matter disputed was worth many thousands of scudi. He had already received two judgements in his favour. The gentleman’s adversary had recourse to the preacher and said to him, “Father, I am desperate!” He told him about the dispute and that he already considered it lost. He said, “I am not worried about any harm to myself, but about my four poor daughters at home. If the case is lost harm will befall them.” The preacher replied, “Do you want to be a good Christian?” The nobleman promised him this with many tears and the preacher sent him away. He had the opponent, the winner of the dispute, come to him. He said to him, “There is a nobleman in this city who wants to send four noble and well brought-up maidens to a brothel. Nonetheless he is so rabid, that without having any respect for God, for his own conscience and for honour, he has decided to do such an evil deed. Because I know that you are a nobleman and a judicious person of conscience, I have sent for you so that you might tell me according to your judgement what such a thing would deserve. The nobleman replied, “Oh! Father there would no punishment that could be given that would be enough.” The preacher replied, “You are that man but you are not aware of it.” The nobleman replied, “May God forbid, Father, that I should do such a great wrong. I am a Christian and I desire to be saved.” The preacher replied, “Don’t you have a dispute with someone? Don’t you know that he has four daughters at home? If you proceed with the litigation what will happen to those poor daughters? They will have to go to a brothel.” He said this too him with such grace that the nobleman knelt before him and thanked him with many tears, saying, “You have removed me from the hands of Lucifer. The matter, which is justly under dispute, has not yet come to me. None the less I make a present of it to you.” And that is what happened. That nobleman often said afterwards, “I have donated that to him and would donate it again, and I have never regretted it. If that Father were to ask for the eyes of my head, I would give them to him.”

I won’t talk about the reconciliations that were of every possible kind although he could tell of them. He concluded them all with great facility.

(384) But what shall we say about the grace he had with the Prelates of the Holy Church? One time, among the other, when His Beatitude Paul III was at Saint Mark’s, Brother Bernardine went to tell something to him. He found His Holiness who was already mounted on his horse in the square of Saint Mark’s. He entered the square where there were countless personages. No sooner had these two Friars entered and you would have seen in a flash all those Prelates stand back and made way to them, all with their hats and berettas in their hands. When he arrived to His Holiness he knelt down. The Pope bent down and took him by the arm and said, “Stand up, Brother Bernardine.” He replied, “I am fine, Holy Father.” “Get us,” said the Pope, “I don’t want you kneeling down.” Rising to his feet he said something to him that wasn’t heard. However the words of His Holiness were. He said to him, “Where Brother Bernardine is, there is Pope Paul, and where Pope Paul is, there is Brother Bernardine. If I am Pope I am so for your Congregation.” On returning to the Friary, Brother Francis Calabrese, a preacher and very good Father and who was his companion said to him, “Father, be very careful because you are in great danger! Oh! The are great favours!” Ochino replied, “These Prelates do these things by way of custom and do them to one another.”

(385) This was nothing but a caution from God that he gave through that good Father. Finding himself in such high regard and favours he needed a deep humility. Later it was considered he had none and because of pride God allowed him to fall. This is what is told in the Legend of the Three Companions about Saint Francis. In his day there was a great preacher in the Order who, because of the grace he had in preaching, was called the Apostle of Christ. Not long after he left the Order miserably. Father Saint Francis was asked how his ruin came about because he seemed to be so virtuous and well adorned with every good custom that everyone thought he was holy. None the less he had fallen so miserably. The Seraphic Father Saint Francis answered, “Son, poverty, obedience and chastity are good. All the virtues are good. However, if these are not founded on humility they are worthy nothing. He lacked this. Therefore God has allowed him to fall.” Thus Brother Bernardine Ochino was judged a miserable disgrace because finding himself in so many favours he was not founded on holy humility.

(386) Because of him our Congregation was exalted before the world, although these favours harmed it very much if one considers it well. Because the Capuchin Friars were called blessed since they had such a man in their Order, that later turned into our accusation and peril. However I say that his departure benefited us more that his coming did. This was the reason that many thought that he had begun our Congregation. It is very false to say he founded our Congregation. For when he came, which was in 1534, nine years after the beginning of the Congregation, there were already more than three hundred Friars. Therefore he was among us eight years, and he was General for about five of these. So it is obvious that did not found the Congregation. Instead it can be said that he was the destroyer of the Congregation which by his arrival acquired nothing except worldly and vain praises. He however acquired quite a lot from the Congregation because it was this holy habit that exalted him. For before he came, when he was with the Zoccolanti he was not regard highly both in his preaching and other things. However the novelty of the Capuchin habit and the holiness of the others who edified the whole world with their example gave Ochino great credibility in his preaching. For when everyone saw him dressed with that habit dressed like all the other Capuchins they thought he was holy just like the others. So you see that the Congregation magnified him, and it was not as many say that he exalted the Congregation. This was what the Illustrious and holy man Saint Ludovico, the Bishop of Toulouse, regarded as a vain opinion when one of our Friars was speaking with him. He said, “Father, our Order has become very great because you have taken up this habit.” Ludovico, the great servant of God replied, “May God forgive you Father. You are deceived because I have not honoured the Order. Rather it has honoured me since the Lord has put me in such a height of truth and goodness, because the Order honours and makes blessed anyone in it who lives and dies in the holy observance of the Rule.”

(387) Therefore Bernardine of Siena exercised the office of General for three years. He convened the Chapter again the city of Naples where, just as I have been well informed, the poor wretch took the poison of heresy. One was there who said that before Brother Bernardine came to the Capuchins he was contaminated through the contact and great friendship he had with a certain Master Augustine Piemontese of the Eremitano Order and when he was Regent in Tuscany at Holy Spirit in Florence. Similarly he was a great friend of Master Julius of Milan of the same Order, and of Don Peter da Luca, a Canon Regular. All these were heretics of the Marches who later fled to Germany. None the less I feel quite sure that was infected before he came to the Capuchins because there was no obvious sign of it. Rather on the contrary he appeared to be very zealous about the things that the Holy Church observes. However something convinces me most that this was not true. For I understood this, as I said earlier, from a Friar who was a close acquaintance and a good man and was present in Naples. I understand that before the Chapter was convened and then afterwards that he had the closest acquaintance and friendship with a Spanish doctor called the Valdetta. He was the worst heretic though a secret one so that everyone held him to be a good man. This man contaminated Ochino. One day our Friar heard him say, “If Valdetta was alive today, because he died a little later, he would have been burned because he was the worst heretic.” The evident sign was that after this contact Ochino began to limp because on visitation he no longer wanted to see the Friars and it seemed that he abhorred all the things of the Order. In his preaching both in Naples and in Venice he was often noted. However because he enjoyed such great devotion these things were net seen in a bad light. And if it passed through the mind of a Friar that Ochino was blemished he would confess himself with great bitterness and would have driven out the idea as a diabolical temptation. This was the reason that it was not known.

However after he went away and his falsehood was obvious, as they thought over gain the things he said, the Friars reprimanded themselves and said, “How were we so blind that we didn’t know he was a heretic from the things he said!”

(388) Therefore this devotion was the reason that he was re-elected again. In that election he made great resistance. He didn’t want to accept it. Indeed he fled. Since the Fathers forced him, with many tears he received the seals again. I firmly believe this was because he had already decided in his mind to no longer keep the poison hidden but to sow it. Because he was a man of judgement he knew that if he wanted to preach it he would have to flee if he didn’t want to be burnt.

(389) Therefore when he was preaching in Venice he began to vomit the poison openly. This came to the ears of that most vigilant Pastor, Paul III, by means of the Nuntio. That Holy Pontiff loved the Congregation very tenderly, and His Holiness loved Ochino very much in particular. Therefore he wrote to him very kindly that he come to Rome. He didn’t use any harshness with him because it could have removed him from the justice that he deserved. Judicious persons have judged that if Ochino went to Rome when His Holiness saw him contrite he would have forgiven him quite easily. However he did not go. He started out on the journey to Rome but when he arrived in Bologna he thought to speak with Monsignor Contarini, the Legate for Romagna at the time. However he found him gravely ill and a little later he passed to a better life. Therefore he not only did not speak with him, but he did not even see him. There was no shortage of those who said that Contarini would have dissuaded him from going to Rome if he did not want to lose his life or rot in prison. This is very false as the Most Reverend Monsignor Ludovico Becchatello, Archbishop of Ragusa and nobleman of Bologna testified. At that time he was with His Lordship Contarini. He affirmed that when Ochino came to the palace he spoke with no one else except him.

(390) Leaving Bologna he came to Florence. It is very certain that the heretic Don Peter di Lucca did everything he could to make Ochino go to Geneva. He was the one who dissuaded him from going to Rome, showing him the letters that he had received from the Duke of Saxony. There are judicious persons who believe that this Duke gave a lot of money to Ochino through this Don Peter.

Hence he decided to strip himself of that holy habit and dress like a secular and he took the road for Geneva. He took with him his companion Brother Juniper, a lay Friar, and one of his brothers the Priest Brother Francis. In that Friary in Florence there was a lay Friar Brother Marian of Chianciano. In the world he had been a soldier and a judicious person. He knew the German language. Ochino thought to use this man. However he knew quite well that the man was Catholic and a good man, and if he discovered that he wanted to go to join the Lutherans that good Friar would never have gone. In order to take him and make use of him he gave him to understand in secret that he wanted to go to preach against the Lutherans. He had him understand that he hoped to convert all of Germany in a short time and if it was necessary to die there that he went with this holy desire of dying for Christ. “Therefore if you wish to accompany me you will gain this beautiful crown.” On hearing this, Brother Marian who desired nothing else that to die for Christ felt that his chance had come. However he was sure about the matter of removing the habit. Ochino, however, told him, “We are going this to be able to pass and leave Italy. For it we were to be seen going to the Lutherans with the habit we would be taken as Catholics. However, going as seculars no one will give it a thought. They will think we are men going on their journey.” With these words he deceived the poor Brother Marian.

(391) There were differing opinions because some said Ochino went with his habit. Others say he was dressed as a merchant. Let any other opinion go. This is the truth. They departed Florence and no one was aware of it except the one who cut the tonsure from whom I have heard these things. With the three other aforementioned Friars Ochino left Florence in the secular dress of Florence. He went straightaway to Geneva. He remained unknown as far as Mantua. He went to a palace outside Mantua where there were Cardinal Gonzaga and Lord Ascanio Colonna. When Ochino arrived, His Lordship gazed at him with great surprise. He said, “If I didn’t see you in this clothing I would have said you Brother Bernardine Ochino of Siena. You resemble him very much.” Ochino replied, “I am him. May Your Lordship not be scandalised by this because I am saving my life, if you are happy to know nothing else.” Having said these words he withdrew to one side with Lord Ascanio and talked with him some time. Then he quickly went away. However when it was known that he went to Geneva, the Monsignor of Mantua bit his finger because he did not know about it. Otherwise he would have apprehended him and sent him bound to His Holiness.

(392) Therefore when he arrived at a certain point which offered an extensive panorama of fair Italy, going on a little further he could no longer look. The miserable Ochino stopped. Weeping he said, “Oh Brother Bernardine, today you are losing fair Italy, the holy Congregation and the high regard that you have had. May God forbid that you lose your soul too. Brother Marian was slightly ahead. When he heard these words he immediately went back and took the bridle of the horse. With a fiery face he said to him, “What are you saying?” Ochino replied, “Be careful, my son, to press on. It is nothing.” Brother Marian replied, “Does it seem to you that these are words about pressing on? You told me you that you wanted to go to preach against the Lutherans. Now with these words you show that you are a Lutheran! May it please God that I not commit such a grave error of leaving the Holy Church and leaving my Order in order to become a Lutheran. We are not going any further. Write me a reference with your own hand so that I may be received. Write that I am innocent and that you have seduced me by saying that you wanted to go to preach against the Lutherans and go where you want because I no longer trust what you say. Ochino was frightened by these words. So that Brother Marian would not cause any confusion, he wrote him a letter so that he might be received. He also wrote that seals of the Order already sent to Father Raphael of Volterra at Verona be given to Father Bernardine of Asti who had been first Definitor at the General Chapter.

(393) Thus accompanied by the infernal enemy and by two poor Friars, that is, by his natural brother and by the aforementioned Brother Juniper, the wretch went off to Geneva, leaving the poor Congregation in a see of travails.

Some said he left in anger because he could not be a Cardinal. I believe all these things are fables that he desired honours. He had more of these than he wanted. If he desired favours, he had all Italy in the palm of his hand. I believe there was no other cause of his leaving than that which the venerable Father Bernardine of Asti said. It was because he cared little about prayer because he was rarely, if ever, seen at prayer. Moreover it was that he gave His Holiness to understand that he wanted to write a book against the Lutherans. He wanted His Holiness to give him permission to be able to study prohibited books. Just as I have heard, for a long time his cell was full of them. He boasted of having seen all the books of the world except the Koran of Mohamed, which he also wanted to see. I believe this is what did him real harm. It would have been better spending that time in prayer. Furthermore I heard as a certainty that the devil appeared to him. Trusting him Ochino asked the explanation of certain difficult passages of Saint Paul. I believe the devil deceived him. Some say that the devil forced him, but this is false.

Therefore the devil, pride and the lack of prayer were the cause of the damnation of Ochino. May the Lord our God free us from every evil, above all from the diabolical doctrine of the heretics.

Therefore this was the tribulation that our poor Congregation had and which we have mentioned above. Now below we will talk about it more amply.

(394) Brother Marian therefore returned to Tuscany and was kindly received by the Father Vicar of the Province. Given his simplicity and good will, he was given no penance. It was he who told everything that has been said about the journey that Ochino did.