The Capucin Treated, Title page – Table of contents
THE CAPUCIN TREATED, OR, The lives of the Capucins, with the life of S. FRANCIS their Patron.
Wherein is deſcribed, and examined the Original of the Capucins, their Vows, Rules, and Diſcipline's.
Written Originally in French by the exquiſite pen of that incomparably learned, and Pious Divine, Mr. Peter du Moulin, And Engliſhed By Philanax Orthodoxus.
1 Tim. 4.8. Bodily exerciſe profiteth little, but Godlineſs is profitable unto all things, having promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
London, Printed for Henry Marſh, at the Princes Arms in Chancery-lane. 1665.
To the truly vertuous (and therefore truly noble) Lady, the Lady Catherine Colleton.
MADAM.
IF our labours ought to be dedicated to thoſe perſons to whom we are moſt obliged, then I am ſure, I am not miſtaken in addreſſing this ſmall tranſlation to your Ladyſhip. And conſequently I had been guilty of injuſtice had I addreſſed it elſwhere. Beſides, had I let ſlip ſo fair an opportunity of publiſhing to the world my thankfulneſs for the many and great favours you have been pleaſed to confer on me, I had been guilty of ingratitude: which is ſo odious a vice, that certainly, it is inexcuſable in a Chriſtian. For the very Heathens by the light of nature have diſcovered ſo much of its uglineſs, that the ancient Perſians were wont to ſay, If you call a man an ungratefull perſon, you call him every thing that implies baſeneſs, and unworthineſs. But Madam, I know well enough, that the higheſt pitch of gratitude I am capable of, bears no proportion with the greatneſs of your favours: but I know withall, that where nothing elſe is to be had, your Ladyſhip will accept it inſtead of good payment; a mite or a talent being all one to you, whoſe goodneſs, regards not the quantity, or quality of a preſent, but the intention of the perſon that preſents it. Wherefore this trifle dares promiſe it ſelf a gracious reception from your Ladyſhip, which favour if you ſhall be pleaſed to vouchſafe it, it needs not care what entertainment it finds from others. I ſhall uſe no other argument to invite your Ladyſhip to the peruſal of it, than to tell you that the variety of its pleaſing divertiſements, may prove a good bulwark againſt the aſſaults of (your old enemy) melancholy: and if it does you that good ſervice, I ſhal think my pains in tranſlating it very happily beſtowed. I cannot conclude without paying my gratefull acknowledgments to the worthy Gentleman your Husband, and to the hopeful young Gentlemen your Sons, for the many undeſerved civilities I have received from them: But they muſt give me leave to acknowledg my Obligations to your Ladyſhip in particular, and therefore to ſtile my ſelf more particularly
MADAM, Your thankfull, and humble ſervant. P. O.
The Tranſlator to the Reader.
EXperience tells us that example prevailes more then precept. And if ſo, then we may conclude that the mock-ſanctity of the Capucins (who for ſtrictneſs of Life carry away the Bell from all the other Orders of the Romiſh Church) hath gained many a proſelyte. But I dare promiſe (by the help of God) that no perſon ſhall be ſeduced by theſe Impoſtors, who will but take the paines to peruſe this ſmall treatiſe. For it plainly ſhews that their holineſs cheifly conſists in abſurd and extravagant actions, which render them more like Bedlams, and Jackpuddings, then Saints. And as for St Francis their Patron, who is ſo much cried up by the Romaniſts for his eminence in ſanctity, that they place him in Heaven amongſt the Seraphins; and ſome do ſo blaſphemouſlie compare him with Chriſt, that they ſay, it is queſtionable whether of the two was the typical Jeſus; and Turſellinus ſaith of him,
Francis that was, ſhall now be Chriſt to thee;
And Chriſt that was, St. Francis now ſhall be.
I ſay, this grand Saint is here proved to be a grand Cheat, and in effect nothing elſe but an ignorant, ſuperſtitious, ridiculous Enthuſiaſt. But I ſhall not foreſtall the curioſity of the Reader, onelyonly I ſhall ſay in commendation of the book, that it will pleaſe his humour if he be but ingenious.
The Authors Preface.
Some new gueſts being come to this Town, who are rare examples of modeſty, and ſincerity, common civility requires that we ſhould preſent them with ſomething, which may prove uſefull and ſerviceable to them. Now I cannot think of a fitter preſent for perſons of a ſublime profeſſion, and extraordinary ſanctity, then to preſent them with a deſcription of their Otiginal, and the continuation, and progreſs of their vertues. For although Father Joſeph in his book againſt my Three Sermons calls me Fool, Cheat, and an Impoſtor, yet the Rule of Charity requires us to render good for evil. Beſides we muſt not judge of perſons by one ſingle action: neither muſt we, under pretence that this Reverend Father hath his fits of paſſions, conceal his vertues; Eſpecially, that Capucin-like goodneſs of his, when in his Sermon at the gallows, to comfort a whore who was to be executed, he calls her ſiſter; and why might not he call whores his ſiſters, ſeeing venerable Francis, the Patron of the Capucins, called the Magpies, Graſhoppers, and Swallows his ſiſters? With the like Prudence he exhorts this poor condemned perſon, whoſe name was Margaret, to recommend her Soul to St. Margaret, which is a Sa…t that never was in the world, and is placed in heaven without having ever been upon earth. After which proofes of his rare wit, he condemnes us all to hell, to keep him company. Wherefore he will not be offended, I ſuppoſe, if in acknowledgment of ſo charitable an office, I addreſs to him this ſmall treatiſe, wherein he will ſee the Original of his Order, and the illuſtrious actions of the Capucins, whoſe perfection the Apoſtles could not attaine unto. The Reader will here finde very pleaſant extravagances and Follies more then enough to make a Saint of (the word Saint having changed its ſignification in this bleſſed age:) For now a dayes if a man would attaine unto a Seraphique, and ſupereminent ſanctity, he muſt firſt be out of his wits.
The enſuing Narrative would afford ſufficient ſubject for laughter, did it not afford much more ſubject for ſorrow an… compaſſion. For a man cannot ſee, without great grief, the Chriſtian Religion quite disfigured, and poor people fed with empty ſhews in ſtead of true and holy doctrines.
The God of mercy take pitty on ſo many poor people ſo groſſely abuſed; and ſtir up his zeal, and wonted compaſſions to deliver ſo many Souls enſnared by a counterfeit holineſs: to whom the holy Scriptures are a book altogether unknown, and ſealed with more then ſeven ſeales.
My deſigne in this treatiſe is not to offend theſe Fathers, but to inſtruct them, and to ſhew them how farr diſtant they are from true holineſs, alſo to demonſtrate to them that in aſpiring to a degree of glory above Abraham, Moſes, and other ſuch petty Saints, who never did workes of ſupererogation, they take the courſe to come behind the meaneſt: and that ſome crimes are more tolerable then their ſanctity. The Lord open their eyes that they may ſee it is a dangerous thing to mock him, and that they have to do with a terrible Judg, who cannot be deceived, who ſearcheth the heart, and from whom nothing is hid.
A Table of the Chapters.
OF the Monaſtick profeſſion in general. Chap. 1.
Of the begging Fryars, and their vows: and of the difference betwixt them and the Jeſuits. Chap. 2.
Of the excellence, and prerogatives of each Order of the begging Fryars. Chap. 3.
Of the words Minor, and Minime; and of the obſervation of the whole Rule. Chap. 4.
Of the auſterity, and diſciplines of the Capucins; and firſt of their habit. Chap. 5.
Divers auſterities and obſervations of the Capucins, as well thoſe to which they are obliged by their Rule, and by the Conſtitutions of their Order, as thoſe to which they oblige themſelves by voluntary devotion. Chap. 6.
Of the whippings of the Capucins. Chap. 7.
Of the penances of the Capucins. Chap. 8.
Some extravagant actions in which the Capucins place holineſs. Chap. 9.
Of the names which the Capucins take at their entrance into this profeſſion. Chap. 10
Of the form of making their vow. Chap. 11.
Some obſervations upon this vow. Chap. 12.
The impiety of the Superiours anſwer. Chap. 13.
That corporal auſterities, and whipping, and tormenting of the body are not marks of holineſs. Chap. 14.
That the auſterities, and humilities of the Capucins are full of hypocriſie. Chap. 15.
Of the pleaſant proceſs betwixt the Capucins, and the Recollects about the tip of their hoods. Alſo of Maſſes in green, red, and violet. Chap 16,
By what means St. Francis obtained of Pope Innocent III. the approbation of his Rule. Chap. 17.
Of the humility, and incomparable patience of St. Francis, and of his most notable actions. Chap. 18.
The great reward which St. Francis received for his humility. And of his marks. Chap. 19.
That under the Cloak of humility St. Francis hid an unparallel'd pride. Chap. 20
The Laws, and ordinances contained in Saint Francis his Rule. Chap. 21.
That the holy Scripture is falſified, and wreſted in St. Francis's Rule. Chap. 22.
Of poverty, and riches. Chap. 23.
Of the vow of poverty, and of idle begging, and of works and ſatisfactions of ſupererogation. Chap. 24.
Of the fraternity of the Cord. An extract of a book entituled The Treaſure of the Indulgences of St. Francis's Cord, tranſlated out of Italian into French. Alſo of the Canonization of St. Francis, and Ignatius de Loyola. Chap. 25.
THE CAPUCIN TREATED, OR, The Lives of the CAPUCINS, with the Life of St. FRANCIS their Patron, &c.
CHAP. I. Of the Monaſtique profeſſion in general.
THe Monks do generally profeſs works of Supererogation, that is, to do more good works, and more perfect, then thoſe which God commands in his Law; that is, they profeſs to do works more excellent then to love, and ſerve God with all their heart, and with all their ſtrength; for it is that which God commands in his Law. Therefore they ſerve God with more than all their ſtrength; they are more vertuous than God would have them to be. Moreover they would make us believe, that by their profeſſion of auſterity, and ſevere Diſcipline, they do more ſatisfactory works, and ſuffer more puniſhment than their ſins deſerve, and that the overplus ſerves for others. For the Pope gathers this overplus into the Church-treaſury, and diſtributes it to people by his indulgences.
By theſe works of ſupererogation the Monks pretend to attain unto a ſupereminent degree of celeſtial glory, far above thoſe ſmall Saints who contented themſelves to fulfill the Law of God, without doing any more. This degree of glory is called by the Doctors Aureola. To which degree Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, David, &c. have not attained; for they never did works of ſupererogation.