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?”120    1 Cor. ix. 7 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,121    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?”122    1 Cor. vi. 4–6 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;123    Matt. xxiii. 3 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,124    1 Cor. iv. 3 or of any human assize.125    Ab humano die Of how near and dear126    Germana 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.127    2 Thess. iii. 12 Of him, as I suppose, ye believe no evil, and He who by him doth speak, on Him have ye believed.

CAPUT XXIX.

37. Occupationes Augustini. Mallet more Monachorum operari certis horis. Non alligamus onera gravia; et vestris humeris imponimus quae nos digito attingere nolumus (Matth. XXIII, 4). Quaerite, et agnoscite labores occupationum nostrarum, et in aliquibus nostrorum etiam corporum infirmitates, et Ecclesiarum quibus servimus talem jam consuetudinem, ut nos ad illa opera, ad quae vos hortamur, vacare non sinant. Quanquam enim dicere possimus, Quis militat suis stipendiis unquam? Quis plantat vineam, et de fructu ejus non edit? Quis pascit gregem, et de lacte gregis non percipit (I Cor. IX, 7)? Tamen Dominum Jesum, in cujus nomine securus haec dico, testem invoco super animam meam, quoniam quantum attinet ad meum commodum, multo mallem per singulos dies certis horis, quantum in bene moderatis monasteriis constitutum est, aliquid manibus operari , et caeteras horas habere ad legendum et orandum, aut aliquid de divinis Litteris agendum liberas, quam tumultuosissimas perplexitates causarum alienarum pati de negotiis saecularibus vel judicando dirimendis, vel interveniendo praecidendis: quibus nos molestiis idem affixit apostolus, non utique suo, sed ejus qui per eum loquebatur arbitrio, quas tamen ipsum perpessum fuisse non legimus. Alter enim se habebat apostolatus ejus discursus. Nec dixit, Saecularia igitur 0577 judicia si habueritis, ad nos deferte; aut, nos constituite ad judicandum: sed, eos qui contemptibiles sunt in Ecclesia, hos, inquit, collocate. Ad reverentiam vobis dico: sic non est inter vos quisquam sapiens, qui possit inter fratrem suum judicare? Sed frater cum fratre judicatur, et hoc apud infideles (I Cor. VI, 4-6)! Sapientes ergo qui in locis consistebant fideles et sanctos, non qui hac atque hac propter Evangelium discurrebant, talium negotiorum examinatores esse voluit. Unde nunquam de illo scriptum est quod aliquando talibus vacaverit, a quibus nos excusare non possumus, etiamsi contemptibiles simus; quia et hos collocari voluit, si sapientes defuissent, potius quam ut negotia Christianorum deferrentur in forum. Quem tamen laborem non sine consolatione Domini suscipimus pro spe vitae aeternae, ut fructum feramus cum tolerantia. Servi enim sumus ejus Ecclesiae, et maxime infirmioribus membris, qualialibet in eodem corpore membra simus. Omitto alias innumerabiles ecclesiasticas curas, quas fortasse nemo credit, nisi qui expertus est. Non ergo alligamus onera gravia, et humeris vestris imponimus quae nos digito non tangimus; quandoquidem si officii nostri salva ratione possemus (videt ille qui probat corda nostra), mallemus haec agere, quae ut agatis hortamur, quam ea quae nos agere cogimur. Sane omnibus et nobis et vobis pro nostro gradu et officio laborantibus et arcta via est in labore et aerumna; et tamen in spe gaudentibus jugum ejus lene est et sarcina levis, qui nos vocavit ad requiem, qui prior transitum fecit a convalle plorationis, ubi nec ipse sine pressuris fuit. Si fratres, si filii nostri estis, si conservi, vel potius in Christo servi vestri sumus; audite quae monemus, agnoscite quae praecipimus, sumite quae dispensamus. Si autem Pharisaei sumus alligantes onera gravia et imponentes humeris vestris; quae dicimus facite, etiamsi quae facimus improbatis (Matth. XXIII, 3). Nobis autem minimum est ut a vobis dijudicemur, aut ab humano die (I Cor. IV, 3). Quam germana charitate sit nobis cura de vobis, ille inspiciat qui dedit quod inspiciendum ejus oculis offeramus. Postremo quod vultis sentite de nobis: Paulus apostolus vobis praecipit et obsecrat in Domino, ut cum silentio, id est, quieti et obedienter ordinati operantes, vestrum panem manducetis (II Thess. III, 12). Nec de illo, ut arbitror, aliquid mali creditis, et in illum qui per eum loquitur credidistis.