# Verified against Divinum Officium (Latin Regula, English translation).
canonicalDate: "04-11"
label:
  la: "Régula Sancti Patri Nostri Benedícti. Caput 58: De disciplína suscipiendórum fratrum"
  en: "The Rule of our Holy Father Benedict. Chapter 58: Concerning the Discipline of Those to Be Received As Brethren"
text:
  la: |
    Nóviter véniens quis ad conversatiónem, non ei fácilis tribuátur ingréssus, sed sicut ait Apóstolus: Probáte spíritus si ex Deo sunt. Ergo si véniens perseveráverit pulsans et inlátas sibi injúrias et difficultátem ingréssus post quáttuor aut quinque dies visus fúerit patiénter portáre et persístere petitióni suæ, annuátur ei ingréssus et sit in cella hóspitum paucis diébus. Póstea autem sit in cella noviciórum ubi méditent et mandúcent et dórmiant. Et sénior eis talis deputétur qui aptus sit ad lucrándas ánimas, qui super eos omníno curíose inténdat. Et sollicitúdo sit si revéra Deum quærit, si sollícitus est ad opus Dei, ad obœdiéntiam, ad obpróbria. Prædicéntur ei ómnia dura et áspera per quæ itur ad Deum. Si promíserit de stabilitátis suæ perseveréntia, post duórum ménsuum círculum legátur ei hæc régula per órdinem, et dicátur ei: «Ecce lex sub qua militáre vis; si potes observáre, ingrédere; si vero non potes, liber discéde». Si adhuc stéterit, tunc ducátur in supradíctam cellam noviciórum et íterum probétur in omni patiéntia. Et post sex ménsuum circúitum legátur ei régula, ut sciat ad quod ingréditur. Et si adhuc stat, post quáttuor menses íterum relegátur ei éadem régula. Et si hábita secum deliberatióne promíserit se ómnia custodíre et cuncta sibi imperáta serváre, tunc suscipiátur in congregatióne, sciens et lege régulæ constitútum quod ei ex illa die non líceat égredi monastério, nec collum excútere de sub jugo régulæ quem sub tam morósam deliberatiónem lícuit aut excusáre aut suscípere.
  en: |
    In the case of anyone newly come to essay conversion of life, let not an easy entrance be accorded him; but as says the Apostle: “Prove the spirits, whether they are from God.” Therefore if anyone who comes shall have persevered in knocking for admission and after four or five days shall have been found patiently to bear all the injuries inflicted upon him and the difficulty of gaining entrance and shall be found to persist with his petition, let entrance be granted him and let him be in the guests’ house for a few days. After that, let him be in the novices’ cell where he may meditate and eat and sleep. And let there be deputed to take charge of him, a senior, such an one as is well fitted to win souls, to be solicitous for his welfare and to watch with scrupulous care, whether in very truth he seek God and be solicitous as to the Work of God, obedience and humiliations. Let there be set before him all the hard and the rough things through which lies the way to God; and if he shall have given promise of stability and perseverance let this rule be read right through to him after the lapse of two months and let this be said to him: “Behold the law under which thou dost wish to serve as a faithful soldier; if thou art able to keep it, enter; but if thou art not able, depart free.” If thus far he shall have stood firm, then let him be conducted to the aforenamed novices’ cell and be again tested in all patience; and after the lapse of six months let the rule be re-read to him that he may know upon what he is entering: and if thus far he stand firm, after four months let this same rule again be re-read to him: and if, having deliberated of the matter with himself he shall have promised that he will keep it all and observe everything ordered him, then let him be received into the community, knowing himself to be now established by the law of the rule so that it is not lawful for him from that day onwards to go forth from the monastery, nor to shake free his neck from beneath the yoke of the rule which it was permitted him after such prolonged deliberation either to refuse or to accept.
status:
  la: verified
  en: verified
