§ 4:4:. THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT. 221
Tlie spirit of the rule may be judged from the followiug sentences of the prologus^ which contains pious exhortations : " Having thus," he says, " my brethren, asked of the Lord who shall dwell in his tabernacle, we have heard the precepta preso'ibed to such a one. If we fulfil these conditions, wa shall be heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Let us then prepare our hearts and bodies to fight under a holy obedience to these precepts ; and if it is not always possible for nature to obey, let us ask the Lord that he would deign to give us the succor of his grace. Would we avoid the pains of hell and attain eternal life, while there is still time, while we are still in thia mortal body, and while the light of this life is bestowed upon us for that purpose, let us run and strive so as to reap an eternal reward. "We must then form a school of divine sei'vitude^ in which, we trust, nothing too heavy or rigorous will be established. But if, in conformity with right and justice, we should exercise a little severity for the amendment of vices or the preservation of charity, beware of fleeing under the impulse of terror from the way of salvation, w^hicli cannot but have a hard beginning. When a man has walked for some time in obedience and faith, his heart will expand, and he will run with the unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments. May he grant that, never straying from the instruction of the Master, and persevering in his doctrine in the monastery until death, w^e may share by j^atience in the sufferings of Christ, and be worthy to share together his kingdom." ' The leading provisions of this rule are as follows : At the head of each society stands an abbot, who is elected by the monks, and, with their consent, appoints a provost (j)'r(jej)Osihis), and, when the number of the brethren requires, deans over the several divisions {decanice), as assistants. He governs, in Christ's stead, by authority and example, and is
epitome of Christianity, a learned and mysterious abridgment of all doctrines of the gospel, all the institutions of the holy fathers, and all the counsels of perfection." Montalembert speaks in a similar strain of French declamatory eloquence. Monasti cism knows very little of the gospel of freedom, and resolves Christianity into a nevt law of obedience.
' We have availed ourselves, in this extract from the preface, of the translatioB :;f Montalembert, ii. 44 sq.
^22 THIRD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590.
to his cloister, wliat tlie bishop is to his diocese. In the more weiglity matters he takes the congregation of the bretlircn into consultation ; in ordinary affairs only the older members. The formal entrance into the cloister must be preceded by a probation or novitiate of one year (subsequently it was made three years), that no one might prematurely or rashly take the 6olemn step. If the novice repented his resolution, he could leave the cloister without hindrance ; if he adliered to it, he was, at the close of his probation, subjected to an examination in presence of the abbot and the monks, and then, appealing to the saints, whose relics were in the cloister, he laid upon the altar of the chapel the iiTcvocable vow, written or at least subscribed by his own hand, and therewith cut off from himself forever all return to the world.
From this important arrangement the cloister received its Btability and the whole monastic institution derived additional earnestness, solidity, and permanence.
The vow was threefold, comprising stalilitas, perpetual adherence to the monastic order ; conversio morum, es^^ecially voluntary poverty and chastity, which were always regarded as the very essence of monasti(i piety under all its forms ; and dbedientia coram Deo et Sanctis ejus, absolute obedience to the abbot, as the representative of God and Christ. Tin's obedience is the cardinal virtue of a monk.'
Tlie life of the cloister consisted of a judicious alternation of spiritual and bodily exercises. This is the great excellence of the rule of Benedict, who proceeded here upon the true principle, that idleness is the mortal enemy of the soul and the workshop of the de\nl.'' Seven hours were to be devoted to prayer, singing of psalms, and nu^ditatiou ;' from two to three
Cap. 5 : "Primus huinilltatis gradus est obedieutia sine mora. Ilicc coiivcnit lis, qui nihil sibi Ghristo cariua aliquid existiinant ; propter servitium sanctum, quod prof'essi sunt, scu piopter mctum gelicnnie, vel gloriam vitae aeternic, mox ut aliquid imperatum a majore fuerit, ac si divinitus imperetur, moram pati nesciunt in faciendo."
' (zap. 48: " Otiositas inimica est animae ; et ideo ecrtie tem[)oribus occupari debent fratrcs in labore manuum, certia itcrum horis in lectione divina."
' Tlie hora canoniae aie the Noctunue vipiliie, Matutinie, Prima, Tcrtia, Scxla^ Nona, Vespera, and Completorium, and are taken (c. IG) from a literal iuterpifr