37. We are not binding heavy
burdens and laying them upon your shoulders, while we with a finger
will not touch them. Seek out, and acknowledge the labor of our
occupations, and in some of us the infirmities of our bodies also,
and in the Churches which we serve, that custom now grown up, that
they do not suffer us to have time ourselves for those works to
which we exhort you. For though we might say, “Who goeth a
warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and
eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth a flock, and partaketh
not of the milk of the flock?”2595
yet I call our
Lord Jesus, in
Whose name I fearlessly say these things, for a witness upon my
soul, that so
far as it concerns mine own convenience, I would much
rather every day at certain hours, as much as is
appointed by rule
in well-governed monasteries, do some
work with my
hands, and have
the remaining hours free for reading and praying, or some
work
pertaining to
Divine Letters,
2596
| 2596 Reg. S. Ben. c.
xlviii. |
than have to hear these most
annoying perplexities of other men’s causes about secular
matters, which we must either by adjudication bring to an end, or
by intervention
cut short. Which
troubles the same
Apostle hath
fastened us withal, (not by his own sentence, but by His who spake
through him,) while yet we do not read that he had to put up with
them himself: indeed his was not the sort of
work to admit of it,
while running to and fro in his Apostleship. Nor hath he said,
“If then ye have secular
law-suits, bring them before us;” or,
“
Appoint us to
judge them;” but, “Them which are contemptible
in the
Church, these,” saith he, “put ye in place. To your
abashment I say it: is it so that there is not among you any
wise
man who can
judge between his
brother, but
brother goeth to
law
with
brother, and that before infidels?”
2597
So then
wise believers and
saints,
having their stated abode in the different places, not those who
were running hither and hither on the
business of the
Gospel, were
the persons whom he willed to be charged with
examination of such
affairs. Whence it is no where written of him that he on any
occasion gave up his time to such matters; from which we are not
able to excuse ourselves, even though we be contemptible; because
he willed even such to be put in place, in case there were lack of
wise men, rather than have the affairs of
Christians to be brought
into the
public courts. Which
labor, however, we not without
consolation of the
Lord take upon us, for
hope of
eternal life,
that we may bring forth fruit with
patience. For we are
servants
unto His
Church, and most of all to the weaker members, whatsoever
members we in the same body may chance to be. I pass by other
innumerable ecclesiastical cares, which perchance no man credits
but he who hath experienced the same. Therefore we do not
bind
heavy burdens and place them on your shoulders, while we ourselves
touch them not so much as with a
finger; since indeed if with
safety to our
office we might, (He seeth it, Who tries our
hearts!)
we would rather do these things which we
exhort you to do, than the
things which we ourselves are forced to do. True it is, to all both
us and you, while according to our degree and
office we
labor, both
the way is strait in
labor and toil; and yet, while we
rejoice in
hope, His yoke is easy and His burden
light, Who hath called us
unto
rest, Who passed forth before us from the vale of
tears, where
not Himself either was without pressure of griefs. If ye be our
brethren, if our sons, if we be your fellow-
servants, or rather in
Christ your
servants, hear what we
admonish, acknowledge what we
enjoin, take what we dispense. But if we be
Pharisees, binding
heavy burdens and laying them on your shoulders;
2598
yet do ye the things we say, even
though ye disapprove the things we do. But to us it is a very
small
thing that we be judged by you,
2599
or of any human assize.
2600
Of how
near and dear
2601
charity is
our care on your behalf, let Him look into it Who hath given what
we may offer to be looked into by His
eyes. In fine: think what ye
will of us:
Paul the
Apostle enjoins and beseeches you in the
Lord,
that with silence, that is, quietly and obediently ordered, ye do
work and eat your own bread.
2602
Of him, as I suppose, ye believe
no evil, and He who by him doth speak, on Him have ye
believed.
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