- Be alone in a separate place
near a chief city, if thy conscience is not prepared to be in common
with the crowd.
- Be always naked in imitation
of Christ and the Evangelists.
- Whatsoever little or much thou
possessest of anything, whether clothing, or food, or drink, let it
be at the command of the senior and at his disposal, for it is not
befitting a religious to have any distinction of property with his
own free brother.
- Let a fast place, with one door,
enclose thee.
- A few religious men to converse
with thee of God and his Testament; to visit thee on days of solemnity;
to strengthen thee in the Testaments of God, and the narratives of
the Scriptures.
- A person too who would talk
with thee in idle words, or of the world; or who murmurs at what he
cannot remedy or prevent, but who would distress thee more should
he be a tattler between friends and foes, thou shalt not admit him
to thee, but at once give him thy benediction should he deserve it.
- Let thy servant be a discreet,
religious, not tale-telling man, who is to attend continually on thee,
with moderate labour of course, but always ready.
- Yield submission to every rule
that is of devotion.
- A mind prepared for red martyrdom
[that is death for the faith].
- A mind fortified and steadfast
for white martyrdom. [that is ascetic practices] Forgiveness from
the heart of every one.
- Constant prayers for those who
trouble thee.
- Fervour in singing the office
for the dead, as if every faithful dead was a particular friend of
thine.
- Hymns for souls to be sung standing.
- Let thy vigils be constant from
eve to eve, under the direction of another person.
- Three labours in the day, viz.,
prayers, work, and reading.
- The work to be divided into
three parts, viz., thine own work, and the work of thy place, as regards
its real wants; secondly, thy share of the brethen's [work]; lastly,
to help the neighbours, viz., by instruction or writing, or sewing
garments, or whatever labour they may be in want of, ut Dominus ait,
"Non apparebis ante Me vacuus [as the Lord says, "You shall
not appear before me empty."].
- Everything in its proper order;
Nemo enim coronabitur nisi qui legitime certaverit. [For no one is
crowned except he who has striven lawfully.]
- Follow alms-giving before all
things.
- Take not of food till thou art
hungry.
- Sleep not till thou feelest
desire.
- Speak not except on business.
- Every increase which comes to
thee in lawful meals, or in wearing apparel, give it for pity to the
brethren that want it, or to the poor in like manner.
- The love of God with all thy
heart and all thy strength;
- The love of thy neighbour as
thyself
- Abide in the Testament of God
throughout all times.
- Thy measure of prayer shall
be until thy tears come;
- Or thy measure of work of labour
till thy tears come;
- Or thy measure of thy work of
labour, or of thy genuflexions, until thy perspiration often comes,
if thy tears are not free.
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