生平·會規與作品 第 46 章

CHAPTER ONE. In the first place, if anyone come to conversion, let him be received on this condition, that he persevere there until his death. Let not his lay garments be changed for him, unless he first make deeds of sale concerning his property, as the Lord commanded, saying: 'If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast, give to the poor, and come, follow me' (Matt. 19). Certainly, if he will not sell, let him make deeds of donation either to his kinsfolk or to the monastery, provided that he be free and possess nothing of his own. But if his father or mother be living, and he have not the power of making the deeds, when they have departed let him be compelled to do so. Whatever he has brought with him, let him hand over to the abbot; let him reserve nothing for himself:

and if any of his kinsfolk send anything, let him offer it to the abbot. If it be necessary for him, let him have it at the abbot's bidding; if it be not needful for him, let it be brought into common stock, and given to him who has need of it. II. Let all things be common to you. III. Let no one have a private cell, or a little cupboard, or any enclosure of his own; let all remain in one common room. IV. Let them not swear; for the Lord said: 'Swear not at all, but let your speech be Yea, yea; Nay, nay' (Matt. 5). V. Whoever is found to lie, let him receive lawful discipline; for 'The mouth that lieth killeth the soul' (Wisd. 1); and, 'Thou shalt destroy them that speak a lie' (Ps. 5). VI. Let them not curse; for it is written: 'Nor shall the evil-speakers possess the kingdom of God' (1 Cor. 6). VII.

Let them do, not whatever work each one may wish, but that which has been appointed for them. VIII. While we chant the psalms, let no one presume to speak. IX. At table, while they eat, let no one speak; but let one read some book: that, as the body is refreshed by food, so the soul may be refreshed by the word of God, as the Lord says: 'Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word of God' (Matt. 4). Such as is the earth without rain, and flesh without food, such is the soul if it be not refreshed by the word of God. X. Let no one receive a godchild from baptism. XI. Let women never enter into the monastery. Whoever is in a remote place, when the signal is struck, let none come too late to any work of God. If he come too late, let him at once take the rod in his hands.

When the abbot, or the prior, or any elder reproves him, let him by no means presume to answer back. XII. Do not have quarrels among yourselves; for so says the Apostle: 'The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle' (2 Tim. 2). Certainly, if anyone should go too far, as human frailty is wont, so that they provoke one another with harsh words, 'let not the sun go down upon your wrath' (Eph. 4). XIII. But let no one presume to blame the one who is angry; rather let those who know they have done what they ought not have done ask pardon of one another, fulfilling that command of God where He says: 'Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you. But if you do not forgive, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins' (Matt. 6). 'The wrath of man does not work the justice of God' (James 1).

'If you offer your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, go first to be reconciled to your brother; and then coming you shall offer your gift' (Matt. 5). Be assured that while you are angry against another, your prayer is not received; nor is it permitted for an angry man to receive Communion. And therefore fulfill what the Lord says: 'My peace I give you, my peace I leave with you' (John 14). 'By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another' (John 13). John says further: 'He who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness. He who hates his brother is a murderer. God is love; he who abides in love, God abides in him' (1 John 3).

And when we are commanded to love our enemies and to do good to them, with what face do we hate a brother? XIV. At all seasons let them read until Terce; after Terce let each one do the work assigned to him. XV. Let no one secretly receive anything, and above all let no one receive or transmit letters without the abbot's knowledge. XVI. Let the abbot provide food and clothing. For just as it is established that they should have nothing of their own, so it is just that all should receive from the holy abbot whatever is necessary. XVII. Let the sick be cared for, that they may recover the more quickly. XVIII. Perform every service with good will, that you may fulfill this: 'Willingly will I sacrifice to you' (Ps. 53).

For far higher will be the reward of him who does willingly what is commanded than of him who does it unwillingly. XIX. 'Strive to enter through the narrow gate,' for straight and toilsome is the way that leads to life, but broad and spacious the way that leads to death (Luke 13). But you, as though you were about to enter a struggle, if you were marching into battle against some nation, and were not to meet death there, so much the more fight in this spiritual struggle, that the adversaries may not strike down your souls. As many vices as you have, so many adversaries will you have; therefore fight like soldiers of Christ, that with Him you may reign in heaven, who said: 'If anyone will take up his cross and follow me: if anyone forsakes father,'

'mother, wife, children, and possessions, he shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess eternal life' (Matt. 19). Have this contest among yourselves: who may surpass the other in humility, in charity; who may be the lesser; who may be more vigilant in the work of God; who may have the greater patience; who may be silent, meek, gentle, contrite: that God and His angels may rejoice over your holy manner of life, and that the devil, the ancient enemy, may be confounded, who always plots how to make wretched man act against the will of God, so that there may be nothing for which he was cast down through his own presumption. 'So run that you may obtain' (1 Cor. 9), and may be able to say: 'I have run the way of your commandments' (Ps. 118). See, brethren, how circumspectly you walk;

not as unwise, but redeeming the time, for the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understanding what is the will of God. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is riotousness, but be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Father and God: subject to one another in the fear of Christ (Eph. 5). XX. For the vigils, from the month of October until Easter, let them do two nocturns and three lessons. At one lesson let the brother read three pages, and pray; let him read another three, and rise up. XXI. Say an antiphon, a responsory, and another antiphon; the antiphons themselves in the order of the Psalter.

After this let them say the matins, the direct psalm: 'I will extol you, my God and my King' (Ps. 144). Then in order let the whole matins office be said in antiphons. Every Sunday celebrate six lessons. At the first lesson let the account of the resurrection always be read, and let no one sit. When the lessons are finished, say matins, with the direct psalm: 'I will extol you, my God and my King.' Then, 'Confess to the Lord' (Ps. 117). Then, 'Let us sing to the Lord' (Exod. 15). 'Praise the Lord, O my soul' (Ps. 145). The Benediction (Dan. 3). 'Praise the Lord from the heavens' (Ps. 148). 'We praise you, O God' (Te Deum). 'Glory to God in the highest,' and the little chapter. Let it be said thus every Sunday. XXII. From holy Easter until the month of September, let there be fasting only on the fourth and sixth days. From the month of September until the Lord's Nativity, let there be fasting daily.

Again, in the two weeks before Lent, let there be fasting daily; except on Sunday, on which it is by no means permitted to fast, on account of the resurrection of the Lord. If anyone fasts on the Lord's Day, he sins. From the Lord's Nativity until two weeks before Lent, let there be fasting on the second, fourth, and sixth days; thereafter, from then until Easter, let there be fasting every day except Sunday. He who fasts on Sunday sins. As for the courses: in a fast let three be prepared, but at the midday meal and at supper only two; at the midday meal let them receive two portions, and likewise at supper, but in a fast three. Let no one presume to have at his bed anything to be eaten or drunk. XXIII.

Whoever has been excommunicated for some fault, let him be shut up in a single cell, and let him read there with one elder, until he is bidden to come for pardon. XXIV. Let those who are in health never receive fowl or flesh-meat; to the sick let whatever is necessary be provided. XXV. On every Saturday and every Sunday, or on feast days, let twelve psalms, three antiphons, and three lessons be said: one from the Prophets, another from the Apostle, and a third from the Gospel. XXVI. These spiritual arms we provide for you, though you are less than fit warriors, against the fiery darts of the devil.

Rejoice and exult in the Lord, venerable sons, and give Him abundant thanks continually, who has deigned to draw and summon you from the dark manner of life of this world to the harbor of quiet and of religion. Consider continually whence you have come, and to what you have been counted worthy to attain. You have faithfully forsaken the darkness of the world, and have happily begun to see the light of Christ. You have despised the fire of lust, and have come to the refreshment of chastity; you have spurned gluttony, and have chosen abstinence; you have repudiated avarice and luxury, and have held fast to charity and mercy. And although the fight will not be lacking to you until the end of life, yet by God's gift we are secure concerning your victory.

But I beg you, venerable sons, that as much as you are secure concerning things past, so much may you be solicitous concerning things to come. For all crimes or sins quickly return to us, if they are not daily driven off by good works. Hear the Apostle Peter saying: 'Be sober and watch, for your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking something to devour' (1 Pet. 5). As long as we live in this body, let us by day and night, with Christ as our helper and leader, fight back against the devil. For there are some, which is worse, who are negligent and lukewarm, who glory in the mere name of Christianity, and think it enough for them to have changed their garment and taken up only the habit of religion; not knowing that word of the prophet:

'Son, when you approach the service of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare your soul for temptation' (Ecclus. 2); nor do they consider the sentence of the Psalmist: 'Because of the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways' (Ps. 16); and that which the Apostle said: 'Through many tribulations must we enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Acts 14). For we can lay aside worldly garments and take up religious ones in the space of a single hour; but to retain good morals continually, or to labor against the evil pleasures of this world as long as we live, with Christ as our helper, we ought to strive. For not he who begins, but he who perseveres unto the end, he shall be saved (Mark 13).