THE MILDER AND THE MORE RIGID FRANCISCANS. 291 to suffer want in anything; for a man to be rich inside of the monastery, while outside of it he begs like a pauper. All the brethren should be directed to be careful and avoid every occasion of giving just cause of complaint to the clergy. It should appear manifest to the whole world, that they were not seeking their own advantage, but simply the winning of souls to Christ. But even before the death of Francis, there was formed within the order the germ of an inward schism leading to important consequences; the strife between a party who were zealous for the literal observance of the so-called evangelical poverty, and another, who retained only the appearance of it, but in the splendor of monasteries and churches, as well as in other respects, allowed themselves to depart, in manifold ways, from that original principle. The brother Elias, a disciple of Francis himself, who occasioned great disturbances in the order, stood at the head of this laxer party. In opposition to him stood forth other important men, and in particular the influential Anthony of Padua. Sometimes general of the order, Elias fell and rose by turns, till finally he was cast aside entirely and turned out of it. But the quarrel between the two parties in the order still went on. The question was, how to unite any possession whatsoever, necessary for this life, with evangelical poverty. Men resorted to a distinction, by which greater latitude of interpretation could be given to this term. They distinguished between a right of property, and the simple use of another's property for the satisfaction of the necessary wants of life. As property, the Franciscans should possess nothing; but the right of property in all goods administered by them should be given to the pope. Thus arose the two parties of the more strict (Zelantes, Spiritales) and the more mild Franciscans. The popes, by their explanations of the Franciscan rule, especially Nicholas the Third, by his bull issued in 1297, (called, from its commencing words, Exit, qui seminat,") favored the principles of the milder party, and expressly confirmed the distinction above stated. So the fanatical zeal of the Zelantes was fanned into a conflict with the dominant church itself. Add to this, that as the writings of abbot Joachim had found great acceptance with this order generally, which believed that itself had been predicted in them, so the more zealous party in particular busied themselves a good deal with those writings, and the more, in proportion as they became dissatisfied with the existing state of things, and as their fanatical enthusiasm was excited by opposition. The idea of an ultimate perfection of religious life, of the last times of the kingdom of God, of the age of the Holy Ghost, of the everlasting gospel, was pushed by them to still further extremes; and their extravagant notion of the perfection of a life without property, consecrated 'See Bonaventura in the Determinationes quaestionum circa regulam Francisci Qu. xxiv: Praesul sedis apostolicae, qui est generalis omnium pauperum ecclesiae provisor, specialiter nostri ordinis curam habet, omnium mobilium, quae ordini conferun tur, proprietatem sibi assumsit, exceptis his, quorum dominium sibi conferentes retinuerunt ct nobis usum earundem rerum solum concedit, ut semper alieno victu et vestitu ac tecto et aliis utensilibus absque proprietatis jure, ex ipsius concessione utamur. 292 JOACHIM'S IDEAS CARRIED OUT BY THE FRANCISCANS. to contemplation alone, would lead them into the mistake of regarding the whole appearance and evolution of Christianity, thus far, as only a subordinate thing in comparison with that highest stage of spiritual perfection, for which they were to prepare the way. A spiritual pride of mysticism would be ready to exalt itself above everything positive and objective in religion; and we have already pointed out, on a former page, the point of support which such a tendency might find, in several expressions of the abbot Joachim. Many fanatical tendencies, which appropriated to themselves these ideas, were diffused by the different kinds of Beghards, who found refuge in the third order within the general order of Francis. But here we stop, intending to reserve the more detailed exhibition of the remarkable facts, which are here merely hinted at, for the Fourth Section of the present history. SECTION THIRD. CHRISTIAN LIFE AND CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. To the epochs that mark the commencement of a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, may be reckoned the opening of the twelfth century; and the after effects of the religious awakening which then began among the Christian nations of the West, extend far into the period now before us. As we observed in individual examples, under the preceding section, the religious life was continually receiving a fresh impulse from influences of various kinds: from the vigorous measures of Gregory the Seventh to promote a reform in the whole church; from the impressions produced on the multitude by the preaching of the crusades; from the effects wrought by distinguished preachers of the clerical, and more especially of the monastic order, who itinerated through the countries, exhorting men to repentance; from the founding of the two orders of mendicant friars. Great susceptibility to religious impressions, as well as great depth and power of religious feeling, manifested themselves by various signs of the times: by the quick and general participation in important enterprises undertaken in the name of religion; by the formation of societies in which the ener gies of many could be speedily united for accomplishing great works consecrated to religion, such as the erection of magnificent churches;1 by the mighty influence which men who could exert an influence on the religious life, soon acquired; by the rapid spread of religious societies, whether connected with the church, or with the sects that were opposed to it. Over against religion stood the rude power of unsubdued sensuousness, of fierce and eager passions, that announced themselves by rude outbreaks of crime, and either with brutal obstinacy maintained their ground, or finally yielded to the mightier force of religious impressions. "How many do we see every day," says the pious mystic, Richard a St. Victore, who, amid the crimes which they are constantly committing, never abandon the hope and purpose of repentance; and who not only mean to leave off sinning, but to renounce every worldly posses I The zeal with which men of all ranks and ages could unite together in building a church, is illustrated by an example belonging to the year 1156, which may be found in the life of the abbot Stephen of Obaize, 1. ii, c. xviii: Aderat hujus tantae aedificationis initiis inaestimabilis hominum multitudo diversi generis atque aetatis cum multo coetu nobilium, quorum alii potentiores auxilium et protectionem, divites pecuniam offerebant, pauperes, quod rebus non poterant, votis supplebant protensis in coelum manibus. The foundation-stone was laid with great solemnity, a circumstance to which the author attributes special importance, because this represented the foundation-stone on which the entire church reposes, and other than which can no man lay. See Baluz. Miscellan. t. iv, p. 130. 2 De eruditione interioris hominis, l. ii, c. xxv. 294 CHARACTER OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THIS PERIOD. sion, and join themselves to some order of monks. And so, if God, in his sovereign mercy, have compassion on them, they become reformed. But others, when exhorted to repentance, swear they never could prevail upon themselves to give up the world, or abandon their lusts.1 Sudden transitions from the most violent outbreaks of sensual rudeness to emotions, no less violently expressed, of a more or less enduring contrition were of no rare occurrence. The awe-inspiring appearance and words of pious monks had a power, especially when strengthened by the impression of some remarkable incident, to produce great changes in minds whose religious susceptibilities had, as yet, been only kept back by the force of barbarism; as we have already seen illustrated in the remarkable effect produced by the monk Bernard of Tiron, on a crew of barbarian pirates. Active benevolence, hospitality; sympathy with the sick and suffering; kindness and respect shown to pious ecclesiastics and monks devout participation in prayer and in all the ordinances considered as belonging to the church life; zeal in the Christian education of children; rigid abstinence; such were the signs under which genuine piety exhibited itself even among the laity. A biographical sketch belonging to the twelfth century presents us with a picture of the piety of these times in the account of a married couple, who are held up as patterns. They owned and resided on an estate in the diocese of Vienne. They supported themselves by honest labor, lived with great frugality, gave liberally to the poor, and sympathized with them in their sufferings. They were full of respect and love to pious monks; and took great pains in bringing up their children to faith and good works. To neither of their sons, whom they destined for the spiritual profession, would they allow a benefice to be given in advance. After they had done educating their children, they practised a rigid abstinence, living like anchorets in the midst of the world, and devoting themselves with still more zeal than ever to the work of almsgiving. Sleeping themselves on straw, they gave up the better beds for the use of the poor; and while the whole of their house was ever open to the needy and the wayfaring, they set apart one chamber, expressly for their use. As to the monks, they were not only ready to receive them, but took pains to fetch them in. They drew instruction from them about the way of salvation, not merely for their own benefit, but that they might be able to impart it to others. They exerted themselves to restore peace between parties at strife; to aid the injured, and to bring those who wronged others to a sense of their injustice.3 In the beginning of the twelfth century, we find a person in Brittany, by the name of Goisfred, who, in his younger days, had lived by 'His words: Quam multos quotidie videmus, qui inter flagitia, quae assidue committunt, spem et propositum resipiscendi non amittunt et non solum peccata dimittere, imo etiam omnia quae mundi sunt, relinquere et ad ordinem et religionem venire proponunt. Alii autem, cum de conversione admonentur, nunquam se ad or dinem vel religionem venire etiam cum ju- Vita Patri Archiep. Tarantas: see above p. 239. Acta Sanct. Mens. Maj. t. ii, c. i, f. 324 et 325. robbery, but, by the admonitions of his pious wife, had been led to change the whole course of his life. He now lived by the labor of his own hands, and, reserving from his earnings barely enough to support himself and his family, distributed the rest in alms. During a violent snow-storm in mid-winter, he drove to a monastery with great difficulty a wagon laden with bread for the celebration of some saint-day. In a biographical account of certain pious country-people, in the twelfth century, the following points are cited as characteristic marks of the Christian life both husband and wife showed by the best evidence the fruits of their good works-that they were true Christians; for they were zealous in bestowing alms, in giving food to the hungry, in clothing the naked, and in performing other pious deeds of charity. Of the mother of archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg, it is related, that she was almost constantly engaged in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting; and that she seldom ate anything but vegetables. She caused a church to be erected on her estate, and conveyed the stones for it two miles barefoot on her own shoulders; many other women followed her example. It is recorded of a pious smith, in this century, that he daily lodged poor people in his own house, first washing their feet, and then providing beds for them.-The father of a family, whenever he went to church, took provisions with him for the poor people who lived in the neighborhood.5 Ambrose of Siena, a much-venerated Dominican, who lived near the close of the thirteenth century, was descended from a respectable and wealthy family in that city. He was, while a youth and still living under the paternal roof, particularly distinguished for a spirit of active benevolence. So it is said in the account of his life.6 The law of Christ is founded for the most part in love; this grace, therefore, predominated in him. He obtained leave from his wealthy father to take home with him every Saturday five strangers, to entertain them and present to each of them a certain sum of money. On every Saturday evening, he placed himself near that gate of Siena which was the thoroughfare of those strangers who came from beyond the Alps. Choosing five from the whole, and conducting them to his own house, he showed them to a room set apart expressly for their service. He himself provided them with everything necessary to supply their bodily wants, till he had waited upon them to their beds. The next morning he accompanied them to mass, and then led them round to the principal churches of the city. Returning with them to his house, he gave them a breakfast, bestowed on them an alms besides, and dismissed them, after recommending himself to their prayers. But he took a special interest in the condition of those who languished in confinement. He was accustomed, on every Friday, to visit the public prisons. And, if he found any poor people there who were unable to provide for their own support, he took care to send them privately, one day in the 'Orderic. Vital. Hist. I. vi, f. 628. 2 Acta S. Mens. Januar. t. ii, f. 795. 3 L. c. Mens. Jun. t. iv. 4 L. c. Mens. Jun. t. v, f. 115. 5 See life of the abbot Stephen of Obaize, 1. i, c. iv. Acta S. Mens. Mart. t. iii, c. ii, f. 183. |