Nicholas
Bishop servant of the servants of God.

For an everlasting memorial.

Soriano, Italy: August 14, 1279 A.D.

HE WHO SOWS went forth from the bosom of the Father into the world to sow His own seed, ¹ that is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, clothed with the garment of humanity, the one (who was) to sow the evangelical word among each of the approved and reprobate, foolish and learned, studious and slothful, and according to the Prophet² the future farmer on earth who would disperse His own seed, the evangelical doctrine, without destruction, among all (men), who [as] the one (who) will draw all things to Himself had come to save all (men), who afterwards on behalf of the salvation of all (men) immolated His very self to God the Father as the price of human redemption. However though this seed, dispersed by the communicative charity of God, would fall among individuals, some along the road, namely upon hearts accessible to the suggestions of demons, other upon rock, namely upon hearts penetrated by no plowshare of faith, [and still] other (seed) among thorns, namely upon hearts lacerated by solicitudes for riches, and therefore one (was) trampled by depraved affections, the other shrivilled (up)—since it was lacking in the humour, grace—the rest, suffocated by inordinate solicitudes, ³ was overgrown, but good ground received the other [seed], meek and docile in heart. ⁴