TryingToLearn
Puritan Board Freshman
I recently started reading Bonaventure's "Itinerarium" and at the beginning he says the work was inspired by an encounter his mentor, Francis of Assisi had with a seraphim who appeared to him crucified and then marked Francis with the stigmata. I am just curious as to how we are to think of such things. I believe Francis was genuinely saved, I doubt he was trying to deceive others (and I doubt the entire order was trying to deceive others about the marks on his body after his death). Perhaps a demon appeared to him, but what this was supposed to accomplish on the demon's part, I am quite unsure. The encounter surely seems to have stirred up love for God in both Francis and those who heard of it (Bonaventure), but even so, perhaps it happened in order to introduce superstition into the church which later generations would be deceived by and fall under Rome's spell. Are there any Reformed works that deal specifically with such miraculous claims from the history of the church as this? Thanks!