COLLOQUY XIV.
The Religious should Win the Minds of the People more by their own Humility than by the Sufferance of the Bishops, and that by Examples of Holiness they will Profit the Church more than by Privileges and Exemptions.
After the general Chapter of Assisi, at which more than five thousand Brethren were assembled from every Province, the holy Father sent them two and two to preach the Word of God in all countries. Many of them returned to him complaining sorrowfully that some Bishops were opposed to them, and would not allow them to preach in their dioceses. ‘ Father,’ said they, ‘we went to the places thou didst assign to us, we obeyed thy commands, but we could not fulfil our desires, nor those of the people ; for many Bishops expelled us from their dioceses, and, as often happens to the poor, being unknown and suspected, we had to endure many insults. We beg of you, therefore. Father, to obtain for us from the Sovereign Pontiff permission and privilege to preach all over the world, without the consent of the Bishops.’ At which the blessed Father, filled with holy indignation, exclaimed : ‘O my Brethren, you know not the will of God, and you seek by your foolishness to rob me of the conquest of the world. For our Lord Jesus Christ wishes that I should overcome the world by the most profound subjection and humility, and that I should perform the great work of drawing souls to Him by the example of my lowliness. My Brethren, you will convert all by your words if you humble yourselves before all by your actions. Those who cruelly persecute you will be converted to Christ by the example of your patience, and will desire to kiss the very ground on which you walk. I ought not so much to wish for liberty under pretence of the salvation of others, as I should wish to have that profound humility which becomes my state, and by which I shall both advance in virtue myself, and shall strengthen others in virtue. You must first by holy humility, and the reverence the people have for you, gain over the Bishops, that they may see and love your holy lives, and be satisfied with the respect you show to them. Then they will themselves ask you to preach to their people, and will command all to be present at your sermons. Humility will obtain more for you than privileges. If the Prelates of the Church see you truly humble, and entirely free from avarice, and that you exhort the people to pay what is due to their own Churches, they will beg of you to labour for the salvation of their flocks, and to hear the confessions of all, although I do not desire you to burden yourselves much with this ministry ; for those who are converted to God, and deplore their sins, will find many priests to hear their confessions. In this way you will easily conciliate Bishops and Prelates.’