Hereby I would declare nothing else but only that all men should understand, that monkery was devised by man’s invention, not delivered unto the church of Christ by the apostles; and that at the first it seemed to be tolerable, but afterward became altogether intolerable. How unprofitable it is to the commonwealth, experience itself teacheth. And whosoever knoweth not that it is quite repugnant to true religion, knowethnothing. They
[tutor magnificus, patria Nursensis… sacrum ordinem nostrum primus]
[in monte Cassino incepit, anno videlicet Domini 520… Hie scripsit]
[regulam monachorum omni discretione praecipuam, sermone luculen-]
[tam..Moritur, ut volunt quidam, anno Domini quingentesimo]
[quadragesimo secundo. Sed Marianus Scotus.aliter sentit,]
[dicens eum obiisse anno Domini sexcentesimo primo.—Trithem. de]
[Viris Illustr. ord. S. Benedicti. Lib. π. cap. 1. Opp. p. 29. Mogunt.]
[1605. ] [1 Militant sub ejus (Benedicti) regula multi ordines monachorum,]
[&c.—Ibid. Lib. 1. cap. 3. p. 19.] [2 De hoc sacratissimo Benedicti ordine fuerunt sancte Romans]
[et universalis ecclesize summi pontifices decem et octo… Cardinales]
[quoque…centum octoginta quatuor;.. Archiepiscopi… in diversis]
[mundi partibus.. mille quingenti sexaginta quatuor. Episcopi]
[.. tria millia quingenti duodecim.—Ibid. cap. 5. p. 20.] [3 de ordine divi patris Benedicti plus quam 15000 sancti et]
[catalogo divorum inserti, abbates, monachi et moniales, numerantur.]
[—1Ibid. Lib. mr. cap. 337. p. 114. Sunt qui scribunt ex hac monas-]
[tica religione nostra sanctorum catalogo insertos tam viros quam mo-]
[niales, quindecim millia sexcentos.—Ibid. Serm. 1. p. 531.] [4 ut vocant, Lat. omitted: as it is called. ] [> The Carmelites, a subdivision of the Mendicant Friars, were]
[placed by Honorius III. A.p. 1226, among the approved orders in the]
[western church.—Mosheim, Εἰ. H. Book 11. cent. xmr. par. 2. chap. 2.]
feign, that it is meritorious before God, and the state of perfection. But who seeth not how repugnant it is to Christ’s merit, and to the sincere doctrine of the gospel? What godliness or necessity is it that moveth us, after that we have wholly betaken ourselves to one God in baptism, to betake ourselves also and to make our vows to saints, and to bind ourselves by religion of an oath to the observing of their rules? True religion forbiddeth us to vow ourselves to saints, or by any means to depend in way of religion upon them. True religion forbiddeth us to choose us any other fathers or masters. True religion forbiddeth us to devise new manners of worshippings or new religions, or to receive them that are devised by others. The example of Jeroboam and his fellows maketh us afeard. True religion forbiddeth us to swear by the names of other gods. Religion referreth us to one God by faith and obedience, Superstition breaketh this band, and admitteth creatures. St Paul to the Corinthians saith: “Every one of you saith, I am Paul’s, I am Apollo’s, I am Cephas’, and I am Christ’s. [5 Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Behold, Christ is our Redeemer and our Master. The faith of Christ hath made us one body. By baptism we are baptized into one body, that we might be called Christians, not Petrines or Paulines. St Paul would not suffer that Christians should take their name of the apostles: how much less would he abide that at this day some should be called Benedictines, some Franciscans, some Dominicans’? We are the Lord’s inheritance and possession; it is not lawful for us to bind ourselves to the service of men. But who so bind themselves, they tear in sunder the unity of Christ’s body, they profane the cross and baptism of Christ. The apostle saith plainly: “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” And therefore although they be commonly called spiritual persons, yet are they nothing less than spiritual. For the apostle saith: “When one of you saith, I am Paul’s, and I Apollo’s, are ye not carnal?” To what end is it, after the receiving of the gospel of Christ Jesus and the doctrine of the apostles, which contain and deliver unto us all godliness, to invent new rules? For truly, when they had
[6 religet, Lat. See Vol. 1. p. 233. n. 5: and Vol. m. p. 231.] [ Cf Vol. ur. p. 295.]]
once found out certain peculiar laws and means of living, they separated themselves from the common sort of Christians in all outward manner of living, in their behaviour, and in all their apparel, to the intent that by that means they might make evident to all men, that they would live apart as it were from that common, lay, and imperfect church, to live more holily, perfectly, and spiritually. But how well the same hath framed or doth frame with them, the whole world speaketh it at this day.
The vows which they vow are most foolish. They vow chastity, which they have not. Chastity is the gift of Godand it is not incident to all men. And St Paul saith: “Whoso cannot live continently, let him marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” Generally he said, “to burn,” whether it were in a vow, or out of a vow. Neither is it lawful, that a human vow and which was foolishly taken in hand and vowed should prejudice the law of God. What manner of poverty it is which is in abbeys, experience itself teacheth. They put off poverty, when they put off their common garments: and with their cowl they put on great riches; for monks, a thing which in the old time would have seemed a strange and monstrous matter, are made princes. The common sort of them live idly, and eat their bread freely and for nought, against the apostle’s rule in the 2 epistle to the Thessalonians, chap. iil., where such be also accursed. They forsake their parents and kinsfolk, whom by the law of God they are bound to serve and obey, and betake themselves unto strange men, by whom they are enforced to infinite superstitions. And they which are thus freely set at liberty to? their parents, either they are set at liberty through superstition, or to the intent they may have all the days of their life wherewithal to lie and riot in idleness. So that it is evident, that such put on the cowl for their belly’s sake, not for any religion. What obedience is that, which is quite contrary to the obedience which is revealed by the word of God? When the magistrate commanded? them to sustain and bear public burdens with the residue of the faithful, they be evermore free and exempted.