Longer Rules (Asceticon, Regulae fusius tractatae) 43–54

Question. The manner of our work has been sufficiently handed down to us, unless we are taught by the circumstances themselves to discover something further. But what kind of men the superiors of the brotherhood should be, and how they should lead those with them, we need to have made clear.

Answer. This part too has been spoken of in summary. But since you rightly wish it to be made clearer (for as is the one who presides and rules, so for the most part the ruled tend to become), it is necessary not to pass it over lightly. The superior, then, remembering the Apostle's command, “Be an example to the believers,” must make his own life a clear pattern of every commandment of the Lord, so as to leave those he teaches no occasion to think the Lord's commandment impossible or contemptible. First, then, as is first, he must so achieve humility in the love of Christ that even when he is silent, the example of his works may stand before them for teaching more powerfully than any word. For if this is the definition of Christianity, the imitation of Christ in the measure of his becoming man, according to what befits each one's calling, those entrusted with the guidance of the many ought, through their own mediation, to lead the still weaker forward to likeness to Christ, according to blessed Paul, who says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” It is fitting, then, that they themselves first, achieving the measure of humility handed down by our Lord Jesus Christ, should become an exact pattern. “For learn from me,” he says, “for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Let meekness of manner, then, and lowliness of heart mark the one who presides. For if the Lord was not ashamed to serve his own servants, but consented to be the servant of the earth and clay that he himself had formed and shaped into a human being (“For I am among you,” he says, “as one who serves”), what must we do for our equals to think that we attain to the imitation of him?

This one thing, then, the superior must have in such measure. Next, he must be compassionate, bearing patiently with those who through inexperience fall short in any of their duties; not passing over sins in silence, but bearing meekly with the refractory and applying remedies to them with all compassion and moderation; able to find a way of treatment suited to the disorder, not rebuking with harshness but admonishing and correcting with meekness, as it is written; sober in present matters, far-seeing of what is to come, able to contend alongside the strong and to bear the infirmities of the weak, and able to do and say everything for the strengthening of those with him; not taking the office of superior on himself, but chosen by those who are foremost in the other brotherhoods, having given sufficient proof of his character in his past life. “Let these also,” he says, “be tested first; then let them serve, being blameless.” So let such a one be entrusted with the office of superior, and let him define good order for the brotherhood, making the distribution of the works according to each one's aptitude.

To whom journeys should be permitted, and how those returning should be examined.

Answer. Let the superior permit a journey to one who can carry it out without harm to his own soul and with benefit to those he meets. If no suitable person is at hand, it is better to bear every affliction and hardship in want of necessities, even to death, than for the sake of bodily relief to disregard plain harm to the soul. “For it would be better for me,” says the Apostle, “to die than that anyone should make my boast empty”; and this in matters within his own right; how much more in matters of commandment! Yet the law of love does not leave even this without relief. For if it happens that one brotherhood has no one suitable to send, those nearby will make up the lack, making their journeys in common and inseparable from one another, so that those weak in soul, or even infirm in body, may be kept safe together with the stronger in such fellowship; the one entrusted with this arranging it well in advance, so that relief may not be hard to find at the moment of need through the pressure of the time.

After his return, let the superior examine the traveller: what he did, with what kind of men he had meetings, what words he spoke to them, what thoughts his soul had; whether he spent every day and every night living with the fear of God, or turned aside somewhere and disturbed any of the things decided, either yielding to outside circumstances or slipping through his own sloth. What has been done rightly, let him confirm by approval; what has gone wrong, let him correct by careful and skilful teaching. For so those who travel will be more watchful through concern to give an account, and we shall be seen not to neglect their life even in time of separation. The history of the Acts shows that this was customary for the saints too, teaching us how Peter, on returning to Jerusalem, gave account to those there of fellowship with the Gentiles; and how Paul and Barnabas, when they arrived and had gathered the church, reported all that God had done with them; and again that all the multitude fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all that God had done. We must know this, however: that running about, business dealings, and huckster's gains must in every way be avoided by the brotherhoods.

That after the superior there must be another able to take care of the brothers in his absence or when he is occupied.

Answer. Since it often happens that the superior is separated from the brotherhood through bodily illness, or the necessity of a journey, or some other circumstance, let there be another, chosen for this after testing by him and by others able to test, to take over the care of the brothers in his absence; so that those present may receive the encouragements of the word from one person, and the brotherhood may not, in the superior's absence, take on some democratic form to the dissolving of the rule and of the good order handed down, but that what has been approved after testing may be kept to the glory of God. And there should be someone to answer guests who arrive with understanding, so that those who seek the word may be built up in a manner worthy of the subject, and the community of the brotherhood may not be put to shame. For for all alike to leap at speaking causes disturbance and is a sign of disorder; since the Apostle did not allow even those counted worthy of the gift of teaching to speak several at once, when he says, “If a revelation is made to another, let the first be silent”; and again he exposes the impropriety of such disorder when he says, “If, then, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?” And if the guest through ignorance directs his questions to another, even if the one questioned face to face is fully able to answer, let him nevertheless keep silent for the sake of good order and point out the one entrusted with this part, as the apostles did in the Lord's time, so that the use of speech may be orderly and seemly.

For if in the treatment of bodies it is not for everyone to use the knife on the sick, but for one who has acquired the art by long time, experience, practice of the works, and the teaching of experts, what reason is there for anyone at random to leap at the treatment that is done by the word, in which even the smallest oversight brings the greatest loss? Among those with whom not even the distribution of bread is permitted to anyone at random, but such a service belongs to one, entrusted after testing, how is it not much more necessary that spiritual food be offered to those who ask for it by one of the more capable, chosen and watched with care? So it is no ordinary self-will for one questioned about a judgment of God to venture on an answer so fearlessly and at random, instead of pointing out the one entrusted with the stewardship of the word, who, as being surely a faithful and wise steward, has been chosen to distribute the spiritual food in due season and to order his words with judgment, as it is written. And if something escapes the one who ought to answer and another discovers it, let him not leap at once to correct him, but suggest what occurred to him privately. For from this an occasion of pride against their superiors arises for the lesser; so that even if someone answers usefully, but not fittingly, he is liable to the penalties for disorder.

On not concealing the sins of a brother or of oneself.

Answer. Every sin must be reported to the superior, either by the sinner himself or by those who know of it, if they themselves cannot heal it, according to what the Lord commanded. For vice kept silent is a festering disease in the soul. Just as we would not call a benefactor the one who shuts deadly things up in the body, but rather the one who draws them out into the open through pain and lancing, so that the harmful thing may be thrown off by vomiting, or at least the manner of treatment may become clear through the disclosure of the disorder, so plainly to hide sin is to help prepare death for the sick man. “For the sting of death,” he says, “is sin.” “And open rebukes are better than hidden friendship.” Let no one, then, conceal for another, lest he become a fratricide instead of a lover of his brother; nor for himself. “For he who does not heal himself,” he says, “in his works is brother to him who destroys himself.”

On those who do not accept what the superior lays down.

Answer. The one who does not accept what the superior has approved should contradict him openly or privately, if he has some strong argument in accordance with the will of the Scriptures, or else keep silent and do what was commanded. If he is ashamed himself, let him use some others as mediators for this, so that, if the order is against Scripture, he may rescue both himself and the brothers from harm; but if it is shown to have been made on proper grounds, he may also free himself from vain and dangerous doubt (“For he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith”) and not cause the simpler to slip into disobedience. “For it would be better for him,” says the Lord, “to have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.” But if some persist in disobedience, finding fault in secret without making their grievance public, as being a cause of doubt to the brotherhood, shaking its assurance toward the commandments, and teachers of disobedience and insubordination, let them be cast out of the brotherhood. “For drive out a pestilence from the council,” he says, “and strife will go out with it”; and again, “Remove the evil one from among you.” “For a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

That one must not meddle with the superior's arrangements, but attend to one's own work.

Answer. So that no one may easily fall into such a passion of doubt, to the harm of himself and others, this must be guarded against in general in a brotherhood: that no one at all should meddle with the superior's arrangements or busy himself with what is being done, except those nearest the superior in rank and understanding, whom he will necessarily take into counsel and consideration about common affairs, obeying the exhortation of him who said, “Do everything with counsel.” For if we have entrusted to him the management of our souls, as one who will give account to God, it is wholly unreasonable to distrust him about the most trivial things, and both to be filled oneself with unfitting suspicions against the brother and to give occasion for them to others. Therefore, so that this may not happen, let each remain in that to which he was called; and having given himself wholly to the care of what falls to him, let him not meddle at all with the other arrangements, imitating the Lord's holy disciples, among whom, although the matter of the Samaritan woman could have led to suspicion, nevertheless “no one,” it says, “said, What do you seek? or, Why are you talking with her?”

On disputed matters in the brotherhood.

Answer. About disputed matters in the brotherhood, when some disagree about something, they should not contend against one another contentiously, but reserve the decision for those more capable. So that order may not be confused, with everyone asking questions at all times, and no occasion for wrangling and idle talk may arise, there must be one person, tested and capable, either to put before the brotherhood for common examination what some are in doubt about, or to refer it to the one in charge. For in this way the consideration of what is sought will be more orderly and more skilful. For if every matter needs knowledge and experience, much more do such matters. And if one would not entrust the use of tools to the inexperienced, much more should the handling of words be left to the capable, who will be able to discern the place, time, and manner of questions, setting out objections without contentiousness and with prudence, listening with understanding, and carefully keeping the solutions of what was asked for the building up of the community.

How the superior should rebuke.

Answer. Let the superior apply rebukes to those who have sinned without passion. For to reprove a brother with wrath and anger is not to free him from sin, but to involve oneself in faults. Therefore he says, “correcting opponents with meekness.” Nor should he be severe in matters where he himself is slighted, and show kindness toward the sinner in matters where he sees another despised; rather he should then be all the more indignant at the evil. For so he will escape the suspicion of self-love and give proof, by the difference between his treatment of himself and of the other, that he does not hate the sinner but turns away from the sin. But if he makes the difference in his indignation not as described but the opposite, it is plain that he is indignant neither for God's sake nor for the danger of the one who has sinned, but for his own love of glory or love of rule. For he must show zeal for the glory of God, which is dishonoured by the transgression of the commandment, and have the compassion of brotherly love for the salvation of the brother endangered by sin (since “the soul that sins shall die”); and at every sin he must be moved as against sin, and show the ardour of his disposition by the vehemence of his punishment.

In what way the fault of one who has sinned should be corrected.

Answer. Let the superior apply corrections to those subject to passions according to the principle of medicine, not being angry with those who … idle talk by silence; immoderate sleep by watching in prayer; bodily idleness by labours; unbecoming eating by fasting; grumbling by separation, so that none of the brothers will choose to work with him, nor will his work be mixed with that of the others, as has been said before, unless by repentance without shame he is seen to have been freed from the passion. And then the work done in grumbling may be accepted, yet not even then for the use of the brothers, but disposed of for some other need. The reason for these things has been sufficiently shown before.

With what disposition penalties should be accepted.

Answer. Just as we said that the superior must apply treatments to the sick without passion, so in turn those being treated must not receive penalties in enmity, nor consider as tyranny the care offered them out of compassion for the salvation of the soul. For it is shameful that those sick in body should trust physicians so much that, even if they cut or burn or pain them with bitter medicines, they consider them benefactors, while we do not have the same disposition toward the physicians of our souls when they work our salvation by a painful regimen; since the Apostle says, “And who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have grieved?” and again, “For see what earnestness this very thing, your being grieved according to God, has produced in you.” So, looking to the end, we should judge as our benefactor the one who causes us godly grief.

How the teachers of crafts should correct the boys when they err.

Answer. … [Those] of the brothers who are found at fault by those teaching the crafts [should be brought] before the superior to be reproved, so that he may determine the penalty fitting each sin; … [for so the offender will be corrected,] being ashamed of being reproved before many, the rest will be safer from falling into the like, and fitting treatment can be applied rather by the more experienced. [Sloth] in work, or idle talk, or a lie, or anything else of the kind forbidden to the godly, they must bring before the overseer of the common good order and reprove there, so that the measure and manner of healing the sins may be devised by him. For if rebuke is the healing of the soul, it is not for everyone to rebuke, as it is not for everyone to heal, unless the superior himself entrusts it to someone after much testing.

That the superiors of the brotherhoods should refer their affairs to one another.

Answer. It is good also for a meeting of those set over the brotherhoods to take place at certain appointed times and places, at which they may lay before one another the matters that have turned out unexpectedly, the characters that are hard to handle, and how they dealt with each; so that whatever has sometimes been done wrongly by someone may be reliably brought to light by the judgment of many, and what has been done rightly may be confirmed by the witness of the many.