De monachorum votis

De monachorum votis

But what about the vows of monks? First, regarding the nature of the vow itself, Scripture neither commands nor advises that anything should be devoted to it. God does not approve anything except what He commands or advises. So why don’t I see what good a vow adds to piety? The Mosaic law didn't require any vows, but it allowed them. The Gospel, since it is a certain freedom of the spirit in its entirety, completely disregards the bondage of vows. And as it seems to me, it is solely due to ignorance of faith and the freedom of the Gospel that the practice of making vows has been accepted. Nothing contradicts faith when it comes to the freedom of the spirit in the practice of vows. The Scholastics also teach that a work done in accordance with a vow is more valuable than one done without a vow. Wicked people judge piety by actions rather than by spirit and faith! And why do they prefer action because of their vow, when neither is it required nor is the vow consulted? Next, I ask you to consider what is being devoted. Celibacy, poverty, and obedience are promised. I don't deny that celibacy is a requirement. But since our weakness is such that, as Christ himself denies, not everyone can grasp the teaching on celibacy, what good is it to spread such a complex and dangerous matter among so many thousands of people? From the ancient hermits, as far as can be gathered from history, very few have fought successfully against the flesh, even though they diligently starved their bodies and were well fortified against the snares of the devil through knowledge of divine scriptures. How will we overcome in such luxury, in such great idleness, so defenseless, so ignorant of sacred scriptures and the Gospel, unless you are extremely well-informed, and thus unfortunately engage with Satan? Success teaches us how wisely we should make our vows. Moreover, poverty is required of all Christians by divine law; thus, it pertains not only to monks. However, evangelical poverty is not that common kind of begging; it achieves its goal of eternal life more easily and securely. In the triple way: to have in the wealth of external goods, in the delights of the flesh, but to share what you have with everyone, to give generously to all in need, and to do this in order to relieve another's poverty. True evangelical poverty isn't about owning nothing, but rather possessing in such a way that you feel like a steward of someone else's property, not your own. . This is what Paul teaches in Ephesians. Instead, let him work hard with his own hands, which is good, so that he may have something to give to those in need. This can also refer to what is in the Gospel: 'Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor.' For this reason, Christ wanted him to be poor, so that he could give. Now we call nothing poverty, except what we receive from others. Do you see how far it is from the Gospel to the institution of begging? Just as poverty is required, so is labor for the sake of the work, not for our own benefit, but for the sake of our brothers. It is far from being the case that begging is approved. Finally, they promise obedience. But we owe this to our parents, teachers, and authorities by divine right. Therefore, there is no unique perfection in the monastic life. But now, I don't want to argue about monks. Let them see how those who have chosen the monastic life have preferred it above all other kinds of life, believing that it is not from the spirit of Christianity but from something else entirely. The nature of works is what matters. Once, monasteries were nothing but schools, where celibates lived freely as scholars, spending their time as they pleased, sharing everything with their fellow students, obeying and generously submitting to their teachers, singing together, praying, discussing, and engaging in the whole of life not for some particular kind of Christianity or for the sake of perfection, as people talk about now, but rather as a training and rudiment for the imperfect. Oh, if only the condition of monasteries were the same today! For then we would have schools that are more sacred and less filled with superstition and impiety. In which part of Christian matters does Antichrist reign more powerfully than in monastic servitude? Melancthon's Loci. Common things. There are still judicial and ceremonial laws, about which it’s not necessary to say more in this summary. The judicial laws, penalties, and also the forensic matters are revealed in the divine writings to the Jewish people. This kind of law ignores the evangelical letters, which prohibit vengeance for the Christian people, and the mandates of poverty and communal sharing, and it establishes a forum that is forbidden, as Paul teaches in his First Letter to the Corinthians. Indeed, it is a serious offense that you have disputes among yourselves. There are ceremonial laws regarding the rites of sacrifices, the distinction of days, the clothing, the victims, and other similar matters. In these, there’s no doubt that the mysteries of the Gospel are foreshadowed, as the letter to the Hebrews teaches. Some of the letters of the prophets also testify to this, as they often adapt the types of the law to the mysteries of the Gospel. Many things are found in the psalms. Therefore, in this area, allegories are required, but wisely. For here, even great authors often speak foolishly, more than childishly. They don't accept allegorical interpretation unless the rituals and actions presented here are such that they would be considered just, as if you were to freely make yourself a servant under the evangelical vows; it is just that you serve and fulfill them, although I won't assert that the evangelical spirit is this and the desirable conclusion is that the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood are presented as signs of the priesthood of Christ. Now, one will handle allegories poorly unless they are very knowledgeable about the entirety of Scripture. However, the spirit will judge easily, indeed, common sense will determine how and in what way it is permissible to use allegories. However, they contribute little to understanding the essence of both the law and the Gospel, unless they are addressed appropriately. This is what the letter shows. The inscriptions in Hebrew, which compare Aaron with Christ, astonishingly present Christ so clearly before our eyes, teaching us precisely what benefits the world has received through Christ, and what Christ's priesthood contributes to humanity, so that we are justified not by any other means, but through the priesthood of Christ. It remains to discuss the power of the law and then also its abrogation, which passages must first be examined here. But when that discussion can't be understood unless the law is compared to the Gospel, I will address both the power of the law and its abrogation later, where I will speak about the Gospel. Now we will add to this point what should be understood about human laws.