# Verified against Divinum Officium (Latin Regula, English translation).
canonicalDate: "01-08"
label:
  la: "Régula Sancti Patri Nostri Benedícti. Caput 1: De genéribus monachórum"
  en: "The Rule of our Holy Father Benedict. Chapter 1: Concerning the Different Kinds of Monks"
text:
  la: |
    Monachórum quáttuor esse génera, maniféstum est. Primum cœnobitárum, hoc est monasteriále, mílitans sub régula vel abbáte. Deínde secúndum genus est anachoritárum id est heremitárum, horum qui non conversatiónis fervóre novício, sed monastérii probatióne diutúrna, qui didicérunt contra diábulum multórum solácio jam docti pugnáre, et bene extrúcti fratérna ex ácie ad singulárem pugnam herémi, secúri jam sine consolatióne alteríus, sola manu vel bráchio contra vítia carnis vel cogitatiónum, Deo auxiliánte, pugnáre suffíciunt. Tértium vero monachórum tetérrimum genus est Sarabaitárum, qui nulla régula adprobáti, experiéntia magístra, sicut aurum fornácis, sed in plumbi natúra mollíti, adhuc opéribus servántes sǽculo fidem, mentíri Deo per tonsúram noscúntur. Qui bini aut terni aut certe sínguli sine pastóre, non domínicis sed suis inclúsi ovílibus, pro lege eis est desideriórum volúptas, cum quidquid putáverint vel elégerint, hoc dicunt sanctum, et quod nolúerint, hoc putant non licére. Quartum vero genus est monachórum quod nominátur giróvagum, qui tota vita sua per divérsas províncias ternis aut quatérnis diébus per diversórum cellas hospitántur, semper vagi et numquam stábiles, et própriis voluntátibus et gulæ inlécebris serviéntes, et per ómnia deterióres Sarabaítis. De quorum ómnium horum misérrima conversatióne mélius est silére quam loqui. His ergo omíssis, ad cœnobitárum fortíssimum genus disponéndum, adjuvánte Dómino, veniámus.
  en: |
    It is well known that there are four kinds of monks. The first kind are the Cenobites: those who live in monasteries and serve under a rule and an Abbot.

    The second kind are the Anchorites or Hermits: those who, no longer in the first fervor of their reformation, but after long probation in a monastery, having learned by the help of many brethren how to fight against the devil, go out well armed from the ranks of the community to the solitary combat of the desert. They are able now, with no help save from God, to fight single-handed against the vices of the flesh and their own evil thoughts.

    The third kind of monks, a detestable kind, are the Sarabaites. These, not having been tested, as gold in the furnace (Wis. 3:6), by any rule or by the lessons of experience, are as soft as lead. In their works they still keep faith with the world, so that their tonsure marks them as liars before God. They live in twos or threes, or even singly, without a shepherd, in their own sheepfolds and not in the Lord's. Their law is the desire for self-gratification: whatever enters their mind or appeals to them, that they call holy; what they dislike, they regard as unlawful.

    The fourth kind of monks are those called Gyrovagues. These spend their whole lives tramping from province to province, staying as guests in different monasteries for three or four days at a time. Always on the move, with no stability, they indulge their own wills and succumb to the allurements of gluttony, and are in every way worse than the Sarabaites. Of the miserable conduct of all such it is better to be silent than to speak.

    Passing these over, therefore, let us proceed, with God's help, to lay down a rule for the strongest kind of monks, the Cenobites.
status:
  la: verified
  en: verified
