.Saint jFcancis oC ^BUinu i6i 



change His decree if the finner turn from 

 his fin : and fo great is my faith in your 

 prayers, that were I in the midmoft part of 

 Hell and you fent up a prayer to God for 

 me, I fliould feel a certain eafe ; therefore 

 I pray you yet again to recommend me, a 

 finner, unto God, Which came into the world 

 to fave finners, that He will grant me His 

 Mercy." And this Brother Elias faid with 

 great devotion, ay, even with tears ; upon 

 which Saint Francis, like a pious Father, 

 promifed to pray to God for him ; and fo he 

 did. And praying to God very fervently for 

 him, he knew by revelation that his prayer 

 was heard of God, in fo far as concerned the 

 revocation of the fentence of Brother Elias' 

 damnation, for finally his foul fhould not be 

 damned ; but affuredly he would forfake 

 the Faith and die outfide the Order. And 

 even fo it happened ; forafmuch as Fred- 

 eric, King of Sicily, rebelling againft the 

 Church, and being excommunicated by the 

 Pope, he and whofoever fliould give him aid 

 or counfel, the faid Brother Elias, who was 

 held to be one of the moft wife men in the 

 world, being fummoned by that fame King 

 Frederic, joined himfelf unto him, and be- 

 came a rebel to the Church and an apof- 



tate 

 II 



