Stoics and Saints - College of Stoic Philosophers

204 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
It is in a far different sense that we can say of St.
Francis that his life was passed in the world. His
interests were of another kind altogether. The battles of
systems and orders, the contests of rough kings and
haughty churchmen, ruffle not the quiet serenity of his
soul. We are back again in the calm region of saintly
aspiration, a region of pure
like Christ, to receive and radiate again
and earnest endeavour to live
the influences of
His life, and to bring the powers of the spiritual sphere to
bear on mankind. These powers of the spiritual sphere
were not such powers as Innocent III. wielded, when, in
what he believed to be a holy, a spiritual war, he went
flaming with fire and sword through Languedoc, and
stamped out heresy with the iron heel of the chivalry of
Europe. The man whose life we have now before us
aimed at the mastery
of no such instruments. It is
probable that he would have shuddered at them, for he was
one of the humblest and gentlest of men. His only
weapons were the purely spiritual weapons of example and
persuasion. He sought by living and preaching to act on
his fellows, and he cared for no other results than these
would win. This is
why we find ourselves now in another
region than that into which the life of a great ecclesiastical
statesman can usher us
;
when we turn to St. Francis,
and his mistress, holy Poverty, we are among
again, and close to the vital springs of the power
Church.
the saints
of the
Becket exercised a tremendous influence and Innocent III.
wielded the same power yet more royally. He made him
self absolute Lord of Christendom, and kings of great
nations did homage
to him for their crowns. But it was
such men as St. Bernard and St. Francis who made the
Beckets and the Innocents possible. It was the saints, the
holy unworldly men, who furnished the standing ground for