BENEDICT of CANFIELD. — Born William Filch; Capuchin mystical writer, born in Essex county (England) in 1562, died in the convent of St Honoratus in Paris on 21 November 1610. Converted from Protestantism, he became a Capuchin in Paris on 23 March 1587; from 1589 he studied theology in Italy, where he composed the first draft of his *Rule of Perfection*, matured in the spiritual environment of northern Italy. In 1592 he was novice master and in 1594 guardian at Orléans. From 1599 for about three years he resided in England, where he was imprisoned by heretics. After 1602 he is found as novice master at Rouen and as a sought-after and influential spiritual director of many souls, including Mme Acarie (q.v.), the convert Abra de Raconis, Maddalena de Sourdis, and Marie de Beauvilliers. He wrote several spiritual works; in *Le chevalier chrétien* (Paris 1609, English trans. London 1610), he expounds Christian doctrine and morality. His *La règle de perfection* (Paris 1609, pts. 1–2; ibid. 1610, completed with pt. 3 on the mystical life) enjoyed wide diffusion in its synthetic and practical form; there are about 18 French editions, 8 Latin (two printed in Italy: Rome 1625 and 1666), 5 German, 5 Flemish, 2 Spanish, and 3 Italian (Venice 1616, Rome 1649, Viterbo 1667).
Benedict teaches that perfection consists in the creature’s intellect and will, which are “nothing,” being united with God, who is “all”; the summit is the mystical union of the spirit with the divine essence. This is attained by a simple and loving gaze upon the divine will and by the continual exercise of fulfilling it; every act should be motivated by pure and perfect love of God. Beginners must train themselves to do in all things the exterior will of God, expressed in his law and reason; the proficients must, in the contemplative life, carry out the interior will of God, which is manifested in the soul’s inward recollection; the proper exercise of the supereminent or mystical life consists in conforming to the essential will of God, attained through infused contemplation, whose abiding content is the incarnate Word, crucified for us; the Christian regards his own sufferings as participation in the Passion of Jesus Christ.
This system is built upon the mystical doctrines of Henry Herp (q.v.) or Harphius (d. 1477), with reference also to Alfonso da Madrid (q.v.) and the ancient Franciscan school. The doctrine of “nothing” and “all” recalls St John of the Cross. There is moreover a clear kinship with the *Breve compendio di perfezione cristiana* of the Milanese noblewoman Isabella Cristina Lomazzi Bellinzaga (q.v.), following in the footsteps of St Catherine of Genoa (q.v.). Many Capuchin mystical authors, such as Lorenzo da Parigi (q.v.), Costantino da Barbanson (q.v.), Giovanni Evangelista da ’s‑Hertogenbosch, Paolo da Lagny (q.v.), were formed on Benedict’s work, which also exerted considerable influence outside the Order, on St Vincent de Paul, Cardinal Bona (q.v.), and Cardinal de Bérulle (q.v.). The doctrinal content is sound and in conformity with tradition, enriched by his own interpretation and experience. The lack, however, of greater theological precision and clarity opened the door to criticism, for example from Girolamo della Madre di Dio Gracián (d. 1614, q.v.), and to quietist misinterpretations; for this reason the book was placed on the Index on 24 March 1689.