1. Thy bidding, holy brother Aurelius, it was meet that I should comply withal, with so much the more devotion, by how much the more it became clear unto me Who, out of thee, did speak that bidding. For our Lord Jesus Christ, dwelling in thine inner part, and inspiring into thee a solicitude of fatherly and brotherly charity, whether our sons and brothers the monks, who neglect to obey blessed Paul the Apostle, when he saith, “If any will not work, neither let him eat,”1    2 Thess. iii. 10. [R.V.] are to have that license permitted unto them; He, assuming unto His work thy will and tongue, hath commanded me out of thee, that I should hereof write somewhat unto thee. May He therefore Himself be present with me also, that I may obey in such sort that from His gift, in the very usefulness of fruitful labor, I may understand that I am indeed obeying Him.

CAPUT PRIMUM.

0547

1. Ad scribendum hoc opus impulsus est ab Aurelio. Monachorum qui operari nolunt, 0548 opinio de sensu Apostoli jubentis operari. Opponunt Evangelii praeceptum de non curando corporali victu. 0549 Apostoli praeceptum de opere spirituali accipi volunt. Arbitrantur se non operantes obedire Apostolo et Evangelio. Jussioni tuae, sancte frater Aureli, tanto devotius obtemperare me oportuit, quanto magis mihi quis ex te jusserit, claruit. Dominus enim noster Jesus Christus habitans in interiori tuo , tibique sollicitudinem paternae et fraternae charitatis inspirans, utrum filiis et fratribus nostris monachis, qui beato Paulo apostolo obedire negligunt dicenti, Qui non vult operari, non manducet (II Thess. III, 10), permittenda sit ista licentia, voluntatem ac linguam tuam assumens in opus suum, imperavit mihi ex te, ut hinc ad te aliquid scriberem. Adsit itaque ipse etiam mihi, quo ita paream, ut ei me parere ex ejus munere ipsa utilitate fructuosi laboris intelligam.