Institutio Vitae Sacerdotalis (Mainz, 1504)

On the Institution of the Priestly Life (Mainz, 1504)

Trithemius, Johannes / Mernicensis, Nicolaus / Ruscher, Thomas Instruction in the Priestly Life, dedicated to Nicolaus Mernicensis. With a letter to Nicolaus Mernicensis by Thomas Ruscher, 22 October 1494.

4° Inc. s.a. 1872. Trithemius [unclear] Instruction in the priestly life of Dom Johannes Trithemius, abbot of Sponheim, of the Order of the divine father Benedict, of the diocese of Mainz. To Nicolaus Mernicensis, priest of the diocese of Trier.

III. 28.

Thomas Ruscher of Gmund, professor of sacred letters, unworthy preacher of the evangelical word in the church of Mainz, sends perpetual greetings to the well-reputed and catholic priest Nicolaus Mernicensis.

Lest I should seem cold, most learned Nicolaus, in giving thanks before him from whom comes every best gift and every perfect gift, there occurs first the Scripture in Deuteronomy 30: “I have set life and death before your face.” I give thanks because today he also grants this to the one who clings to him who is the true life. And I speak of him who, in my recent days, breathed into the face of a certain man the breath of new life; for this I return thanks to the Creator of all.

And to you, O Trithemius, father of praiseworthy understanding, because you have chosen life not only for yourself, but also that I and many others may live, by means of the life set forth in this so flourishing little work of instruction. As soon as it had been brought as far as me, admitting no other business, as though in need of the breath of life, I longed with the affection of my mind and the desire of my soul until I might look into it.

But what, O father of praiseworthy understanding, you have accomplished in me, most devoted to you, through this so flourishing little work of your instructions, or what I felt while reading it, I would not wish to be hidden from my contemporaries. For when I proceeded to its inner parts, it so flourished in me that my cheeks grew wet.

O brother Nicolaus Mernicensis, most closely joined to me in prayer and charity, how blessed and how holy, by means of this flourishing little work, was your request. O man and son of the spouse of Christ, Nicolaus Mernicensis, and confessor of God, how necessary in this little work are the things that are contained there, especially in these present stormy times, when the Christian faith is torn and oppressed by harmful errors that everywhere are sown and spring up. Necessary, I say, beyond measure. For when the flourishing instruction of priestly pilgrimage has been cast aside, all vices and disgraces arise.

For I know, by the tradition of our elders, that the human soul is nourished by understanding and knowledge of things as by a certain food. I rightly judge the souls of those who have been trained by no disciplines, by no instruction in morals or life, and who have drunk in nothing of the good arts, to be fasting and almost starving; yet their souls too are full, but full of vices and wickedness.

Come then, Nicolaus, know that I would wish myself and my contemporaries to be persuaded to turn wholly to this flourishing little work. For through it we can not only avoid the penalty of crime, but also obtain the favor of praise. For he who does not apply the sense of smell of his soul to this will quickly fall into ruin. Therefore this very thing, before the first printing of its letters, you know is fruitful for me. Especially since it has been gathered, compiled, and handed down with no slight labor by the father and lord of praiseworthy understanding, Dom Johannes Trithemius, abbot of Sponheim, who is far more abundant than I in varied grace of letters; who is watchful in intellect, ready in speech, burning in zeal, and a useful father of a household in the house of the Lord. By his flourishing little work, providing instruction in holy life, he trains me, weak as I am, and at the same time all the unskilled and learned clergy, in precautions.

And surely, O brother, if this instruction in life is lacking to us, who, I ask, judges that we live? Come then, Nicolaus: if this is lacking to us, we are not worthy. For in it, indeed, everything is supplied to us so fully that without these things no one is worthy of life. For if, according to the flourishing instruction of our reverend father in the Lord, Trithemius, which is in hand, we have wholly ordered ourselves while we live here, true salvation is truly promised to us; and he who lives worthy of life will never take it away from any. Therefore all who are worthy must order their life according to the things handed down in this flourishing little work, so that they may not die, but rather live forever.

That you may comprehend this, most worthy Nicolaus: farewell always in him who created all things, and may he preserve by his mercy us who cannot stand by our own powers. Amen.

Given at the studium of Mainz, in the year of our salvation one thousand four hundred ninety-four, in the month of October, on the twenty-second day of the same month.

a ii The opening of the treatise of Johannes Trithemius, abbot of Sponheim, of the order of the holy father Benedict, On the Life of Priests, addressed to Nicolaus Mernicensis, priest, begins. Chapter 1.

Although, dearest brother Nicolaus, you ask me and press me with frequent letters to commend to you, in writing, a form of living praiseworthily in the priesthood, you compel me to labor beyond the powers of my understanding, and expose me to be torn by the bites of rivals, who will judge me presumptuous for this: that I should wish to show you a way on which I myself have not yet learned to walk. And although the matter stands thus, I would rather undergo the judgment of rivalry than suffer loss in my charity toward you. For I have always cherished you with such affection that I have never been accustomed to deny you anything you asked.

Desiring, therefore, to satisfy your requests, I have wished to commend to you a rule of life from the writings of the saints: not because it will be wholly sufficient for your state in every respect, but so that, as some kind of beginning, it may lead you, if you wish, to honorable conduct. First, then, I admonish you to weigh the state of your appointed way of life from the definition of the name. For we are called clerics, all of us who have been specially chosen into the Lord’s portion. Let the word of our name, then, be interpreted, and we shall understand the character of the honorable conduct enjoined upon us. For cleros in Greek is interpreted in Latin as “lot” or “portion.” From cleros, therefore, come clerici: those chosen into the Lord’s portion.

If, then, we recognize that we have been called into God’s portion, why do we still serve the world? Why do we seek on earth the inheritance of dying men, we who await God, promising himself to us as inheritance? For in the Old Testament we read that the Lord commanded the priests and Levites not to receive an inheritance among the children of Israel, their brothers, because he himself was their inheritance. Therefore, if you consider yourself to be a cleric, you ought to walk more honorably than other people by the excellence of your conduct, and by no means love the perishable riches of this world. But if you subject your soul to the inheritance of the age, you will be placed outside the Lord’s portion, among the foolish.

For the Lord will not deem you worthy to receive among his elect if, going after gold, you have resolved to love the world. Greed is most shameful in a priest of Christ, for it makes a servant of God into a minister of idols. If it has once seized your soul, it never again lets it go in possession of itself. For no one can serve two discordant masters. “You cannot,” he says, “serve God and Mammon.” You will not be able to be a good cleric if you are greedy. But I know, and have learned by long experience in living with you, that nature has made you sparing. Beware lest you turn the gift of grace into fuel for greed. For those who wish to become rich in this world often fall into the temptations of the devil. The minister of God must be set apart from care for the world, because the mind cannot go freely to God if it has been entangled in earthly cares. For this reason we wear shaven crowns on the head, so that, once superfluities have been cast away, we may prepare a free ascent to God in thought. For the hairs of the head signify the superfluities of earthly activity. And just as the hairs of the head arise from an excess of moisture, so the anxieties of the world grow from the love of money.

Therefore, when we shave the hairs of the head in the form of a crown, we are admonished that, being applied to God’s service, we should despise all cares of the world. And just as the head is the more eminent part of the body, so the mind is the highest power of reason. Therefore we wear a crown on the head so that, released from earthly cares, we may be lifted more freely in mind to the contemplation of God. Hence we also who are cloistered, who are called monks, adorned with very broad crowns, leave fewer hairs on the head, so that we may show all the more that, dead to the active life, we are free for the contemplation of heavenly things.

Now attend to the definition of the name, and take care to correspond, with worthy merits of life, to the lot of the heavenly Creator. Guard your heart with all vigilance, lest desire sink you into the depth of greed; lest the burning of lust drag your soul down with sinners into the filth of wantonness; lest the arrogance of pride draw you with itself to hell, to be tortured without end. Beware lest through the cares of this world you fall away from the portion of God. Beware lest you lose the reputation of a good name. Beware lest you go on the way of those who despise God. Consider the falls of many priests around you, and always fear a similar danger for yourself. Nowhere among mortals is one lived more safely than if danger is always feared. Hence it is written: “Blessed is the man who is always fearful; but he who is hard of mind will fall into evil.” For truly, the one who fears danger takes care; the one who neglects it falls.

The minister of Christ, the priest of God, must be a man, not a child, so that he may know and understand what sort of burden he has taken up, for the administration of which he will render an account in the strict judgment of God. Let him therefore be prudent, sober, chaste, and quiet. Let him be modest, kindly, and gentle, so that he who is appointed teacher of an untaught people may suffer no contempt because of his own conduct. It belongs to a priest, when questioned, to answer concerning the law; steadfastly to rebuke the vices of those subject to him through the words of holy preaching; and to fear no adversities for love of the truth. The one who exercises the priesthood among the people of God must be a man learned in the divine law, so that he may know how to bring forth, in due season, things new and old, lest among mute dogs unable to... unable to bark, he lose the dignity of his office.

It is now your duty, O Nicolaus, to reprove the vices of others with diligent admonition, and to show yourself free from those vices, lest, if you reprove crimes while vicious yourself, you make yourself liable to condemnation. For no one can confidently rebuke in another what he remembers, with conscience as witness, that he himself has committed.

Therefore the man who judges the sins of others must be blameless, because one who commits in himself what he reproves in others does not correct but provokes. But today many among priests are found like hypocrites: they grow angry at brothers who offend in lighter matters, and do not wish anyone to be indignant at themselves. Wretched is the condition of human frailty: a sinner condemns a sinner, and in an equal crime he pronounces an unequal sentence.

I would be lying if I said that very often an adulterer does not accuse his neighbor of fornication; that a judge vicious in many things does not condemn a few vices in another; and that, so that he may be able to conceal his own depravity, he does not make known everyone else’s offenses. Against such a man it is said by the Lord: “Hypocrite, first cast out the beam which you carry in your own eye, and then you will see the speck in another’s.” Why does the sacrilegious man rebuke the thief? Why does the criminal accuse the vicious man? Every correction will be altogether fruitless when an equal foulness of life stains it.

Therefore, so that you may be free of the reproach of hypocrites, take care, as one who corrects another, not to fall into a similar sin. Correction will never be useful among subjects while the one who presides bends his neck beneath public sins. Indeed, the right of correction is lost when the conduct of the corrector is stained by the vices of his subjects. The authority of the priesthood grows cheap if public wickedness corrupts the honesty of one’s conduct. Therefore every correction should take its beginning in its own author, and only then will it proceed securely into public view. Let him whose own conscience gnaws at him over a similar crime suspend for a time the sentence of rebuke.

The condition of believers is now for the most part corrupt, and as the people are, so also is the priest: all are devoted to avarice, from the greatest down to the least. Woe to a sinful race, which is always sliding toward graver offenses, while it beholds its own judges guilty of the same offense. Ecclesiastical authority has now come to such misery that we are commanded to embrace the priest’s words, not his deeds. For unhappy priests teach this about themselves, bearing witness to their own defilement: “Attend, O faithful of Christ, to the words of our instruction; beware of our examples.” These words are worthy of everlasting shame: as much as they ought to have instructed the people of God by doctrine, so much do they scandalize them by perverse works. Unlearned, ignorant men, and now boys without discretion are advanced to the priesthood.

to bark. He would lose the dignity of his office. Now it is your part, O Nicholas, to censure the vices of others with diligent admonition, and to show yourself free from vices, lest, if you censure crimes while yourself vicious, you make yourself deserving of condemnation. For no one can confidently rebuke in another what he remembers, with conscience as witness, that he has committed himself. Therefore he who judges the sins of others must be irreproachable, because one who commits in himself what he censures in others does not amend but provokes.

But today many among priests are found resembling hypocrites: they are enraged at those who offend in lighter matters, yet do not wish anyone to be indignant at them. Wretched is the condition of human frailty: sinner condemns sinner, and in the same crime passes an unequal sentence. I lie if it is not very often that an adulterer censures his neighbor for fornication; a judge vicious in many things condemns a few vices in another; and, so that he may be able to hide his own depravity, he makes public the offenses of all. Against him it is said by the Lord: Hypocrite, first cast out the beam that you carry in your own eye, and then you will see the splinter in another's. Who rebukes a thief, if he is sacrilegious? Why does a wicked man censure one who is vicious?

Every correction will be altogether fruitless when an equal baseness stains the life. Therefore, if you wish to avoid the reproach of hypocrites, beware of sinning in the same fault as the one you correct. Correction will never be useful among subjects while the one in authority bends his neck under public sins. Indeed he loses the right of correction when the conduct of the corrector is defiled by the vices of his subjects. The dignity and authority of the priesthood are debased if public iniquity has consumed the honorableness of one’s way of life. Therefore let every correction take its beginning in its own author, and only then proceed securely into public. Let him suspend the sentence of correction for a time if his own conscience reproves him in a similar crime.

The condition of believers is now corrupted for the most part, and as the people are, so also is their priest; all pursue avarice, from the greatest to the lowest. Woe to the sinful nation, which is always slipping into heavier things, while our judges are held fast by an equal offense. Ecclesiastical authority has now brought itself down to such misery that we are commanded to embrace the words of priests, not their deeds. For unhappy priests say of themselves, bearing witness to their own defilement: “Attend, O faithful Christians, to the words of our instruction; beware of our examples.” O words most worthy of everlasting confusion: as much as they ought to have instructed the people of God by teaching, so much by their perverse works they cause scandal. Untaught, crude, and now without discernment, they come to the priesthood.

You are young, and flexible in either direction. Therefore you must watch over yourself with the greatest diligence, lest you be corrupted by the companionship of the undisciplined. For nothing harms young men so much as the corrupt examples of their elders. Indeed, the younger you are, the more carefully you must see to it that you guard your life in sincerity of the fear of the Lord. For it is written: “A young man according to his way, even when he has grown old, will not depart from it.” What you learn as a youth, you will practice in old age.

On avoiding the companionship of women. Chapter 2

But what shall I say about familiarity with women, which is most destructive to the priests of God, since the decrees of the holy fathers forbid it to them with a sufficiently strict prohibition? If I set before you the warnings of the most blessed father Jerome, you will at once cry out: “I cannot manage a household without the service of a maidservant; I am not able to prepare food for myself; I do not wish to clean dirty clothes. Why,” you say, “do you cite to me the precepts of Jerome, which bind only the willing? Who appointed Jerome as my lawgiver?” I answer: the universal holy church approves his sayings. Among the canons it places his precepts issued on this matter, and do you presume to mutter against so great an authority? But you will say: “Contrary custom has abrogated this law, and by long time it must be held as law.” But wickedness lies to itself and by foolish consideration is deceived within itself. A custom contrary to good morals can never either remove a law or establish one. And what is so contrary to priestly honorableness as to delight in the companionship of young women? Chastity is put in danger where the society of priests passes among little women. For the first and strongest temptations of clerics come from frequent access to women. Foolish presumption has overthrown many who, so to speak, handed over into the enemy’s hands the instruments of victory. Danger is avoided only with the greatest difficulty if the occasion is not avoided. Indeed, while a woman stays with a cleric, and she sits alone with him alone, prepares food for him as he eats, arranges his little bed as he sleeps, speaks to him, smiles at him, she supplies fuel for lust. However holy a woman may be, she is always to be feared by a cleric. For just as sparks spring from coals, so the force of desire is diffused from constant familiarity with women. Woman is the gate of the devil, the door of hell, the way of iniquity, the terrible sting of the scorpion, and a nocturnal kind of deception to a chaste man when she is familiar with him. When she approaches, she stirs him; when she speaks, she inflames him; when she touches, she burns fiercely. We do not condemn sex itself, but we warn of the danger to chastity. We read that Saint Augustine so greatly fled women that he would not permit even his own sister to enter his episcopal house. And we ourselves have known very many priests who for many years governed both the house and the people entrusted to them innocently, without the service of a maidservant. Nor will it be hard for you to imitate what you see others have done.

Therefore take care not to approach the company of young women, since it is difficult to live chastely even among old women. Remember whose body you handle at the altar, and do not pour out your mouth, consecrated by divine ministries, in the kisses of prostitutes. It is most shameful to touch a woman with polluted caresses by hands consecrated with the oil of holy anointing, by which the Son of God is held and sacrificed. Do not give blemishes to your glory, and your name as a reproach to everyone. All will tear you to pieces in public, and in the fields the rustic plowmen and vine-dressers will do so every day with vigor, if, being yourself a young man, you presume to live with women, especially younger ones. You will become a proverb and a mockery to all the people if you frequently enter the dwellings of young women.

Keep watch at all times against your invisible enemy, who is always flying around your side and laying snares. And, according to Naso: “Resist evils at their beginnings,” while the temptations are still weaker. For as we see, after a cleric has once offered his body to the embraces of prostitutes, rarely or never does he return to perfect amendment. For all who are vexed by perverse love, the longer they have lain in the filth of lust, the more difficultly they return to health of mind. Vice, when strongly grown old, fixes its roots in the human heart.

Oh, how many priests there are today in the Church of God who, submerged in the depth of lust, despise the patience of God, as it is written: “When the impious man has come into the depths of evils, he despises.” No doubt there are many among the clergy befouled by lust, who, although from the beginning of their promotion they had resolved to live chastely, have been deceived by negligent custody of the senses, and now, without any fear of God, mingle with prostitutes as though lawfully and by custom. Nothing is worse than the custom of sin, by which the gravest crimes come to be considered as the smallest. The strongest bond of sin is the habit of sinning, which grows with time and gains strength by delay. Therefore he gave the best counsel against the fires of the flesh who said in verse: “Resist at the beginnings; medicine is prepared too late when evils have grown strong through long delays.”

“But hasten, and do not put yourself off until future hours: he who is not ready today will be less ready tomorrow.” Scripture says: “Do not delay being converted to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day,” because the longer you defer repentance, the less fit you will be for repenting.

Now climb the watchtower of your mind, and see the madness of foolish priests, who are led captive by vile concubines, so that they do not do whatever they themselves wish, but what is commanded them by their whores. You would meanwhile see the solid cleric sitting beside his concubine, gazing at her with open mouth; and if she smiles at him, he laughs; if she becomes angry, he flatters her until he is reconciled into her favor. The unhappy priest is led captive by a woman, and he who ought to have ruled others is overcome by the dominion of his maidservant.

Oh, who would believe how many wretched groans he utters amid these things, whenever he thinks of casting off this most harsh yoke of the arch-devil, what pains he carries in his heart? Sometimes, indeed, he is touched by such great displeasure against his beast that he plans to drive her away from him the next day. Meanwhile he gives and receives insulting words; then after words they come to blows: he strikes and is struck back; he curses and is blasphemed. Oh astonishing spectacle: the head of a priest, which it is not lawful for a prince to touch, is torn, struck, and bruised by the hands of a prostitute.

Then, after curses and blows, the woman turns herself to weeping; tears are brought forth, with the devil pouring them in, until at last she recalls the unhappy captive to mercy and makes him gentle toward herself. You would now see the cleric suddenly changed, and so moved by the tears poured in by the devil, that he who had suffered the injury first begs forgiveness. The table is then set out; the feast is restored; sighs are mingled with words; negotiations for new marriages are undertaken.

Amid these things the solid priest sits there, disputing about patience and meekness. He sighs that he has sinned against his mistress, and labors with all his strength to recover her favor. What happens after the friendship has been renewed you may more properly think about than I may say. There is no fear of God before the eyes of a priest bound by the chains of a concubine, no dread of the pains of hell, no thought of priestly dignity, no memory of public honor. This vice of incontinence has now prevailed so far in the clergy that it has almost begun to be lawful. What a memorable condition of the human race: those who ought to have corrected the crimes of others commit worse ones.

To our shame, priests publicly defamed by intercourse with their concubines sit in villages and cities. So great a number of them is found today that if any prelate wished to correct such men in his diocese alone, defeated by their mere multitude, he would be frightened away from his purpose. If you should enter the house of any one of such men, you would sometimes find your priest in bed with his concubine.

You would also see, when they rise from bed, the ill-omened father receive the child on his knees, and, after offering kisses, place him on his right knee and the breviary on his left. While praying, he smiles at the smiling infant; he flatters him when he cries; he addresses him when silent with frequent words and nods. Meanwhile the flattering mother runs up, snatches the sweet pledge from the father’s hand together with the book, handles the leaves, tears them, and with saliva flowing from his mouth, with his parent’s permission, stains them. Amid all this there is no devotion in the one praying, no attention is applied to the words, but every concern is spent in consoling the crying child. The words fall confused from the mouth of the one praying, interrupted by the child’s frequent kisses, so much so that when the prayer is completed he scarcely remembers that he has prayed.

Meanwhile the bell-ringer pulls the bell, the altar is prepared for the sacrifice, and the priest is awaited in the church by the people. The priest runs in with washed hands, in place of the boy, puts on the sacred vestments as quickly as he can, and distractedly performs the sacrifice of God. O conscience, where do you remain meanwhile? Where do you lie despised? O wretched man, you who handle the Son of God with polluted hands, how long will you wound, tear apart, and destroy your soul? With what rashness, finally, do you approach the altar, polluted in body and soul? If the great compassion of almighty God did not spare you for a time, the angels, provoked by indignation, would strike you heavily at the altar.

Where is the vow of perpetual chastity that you promised into the hands of the bishop when he ordained you? Where is the reverence due to the priesthood you assumed? You have sinned; why do you not do penance? How long do you despise the long-suffering of God? Or do you not know that the patience of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart you store up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of the just judgment of Jesus Christ. I think, indeed, that you intend to repent in the future; but you give too little thought to death, the nearest cutter-off of repentance. For the merciful God, who promised pardon to the penitent, did not pledge tomorrow to the one who delays.

But when a woman living with a cleric has once led him away captive, she never, or only rarely, lets him go free unless death intervenes. I pass over the fact that many, through the tricks and evil deeds of their concubines, are often driven to such madness that they can by no means free themselves from their foulest love for them. Hearing shudders at the crimes of harlots, and the purity of chastity does not allow one to hear what things are sometimes perpetrated by priests’ concubines. From their menstrual blood they prepare a dish for their lords, and while they draw them to love...

... the little child, the witness of his father’s fornication, babbling in his arms, and during the reading of the canonical hours wailing, to be comforted with words and songs. You would see them rising from bed and, on bended knees and with kisses offered, receiving their ill-fated father; placing him on the right knee and the breviary on the left. While he prays, he smiles at the child, caresses it as it cries, and when it falls silent he addresses it with words and nods. Meanwhile the flattering mother runs up, snatches the dear pledge from the father’s hand, seizes the book, turns the leaves, licks them, and with the father’s permission soils the fountain of salvation with her flowing mouth. Amid these things there is no devotion in the one praying, no attention applied to the words, but every concern is spent in consoling the crier. The words from the mouth of the one praying fall away in confusion, interrupted by the child’s frequent kisses, so that, when the prayer is finished, he scarcely remembers that he has prayed.

Meanwhile he pulls the bell with his teeth; he prepares the altar for sacrifice, and is expected here by the people in the church. With hands washed in the boy’s filth, the priest hurries up and puts on the sacred vestments with all possible haste. With a distracted mind he completes the sacrifice of God. O conscience, where do you remain meanwhile? Where do you contemplate the holy things? O wretched man, you who handle the Son of God with polluted hands, how long will you wound, tear, and destroy your soul? With what rashness, finally, do you approach the altar, polluted in body and soul? Unless the great mercy of almighty God spared you for a time, the angels invoked at the altar would strike you with grave indignation.

Where is the vow of perpetual chastity that you promised into the bishop’s hands when he ordained you? Where is the reverence owed to the priesthood you have assumed? You have sinned; why do you not do penance? You have fallen; why do you not rise? How long do you despise the long-suffering of God? Or do you not know that the patience of God leads you to penance? But you, according to your hardness and impenitent heart, treasure up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of just judgment. I think, indeed, that you plan to repent in the future; but you scarcely consider that the cutting off of penance may be very near. For the merciful God who promised pardon to the penitent did not promise tomorrow to the one who delays.

But the cleric whom a woman once cohabiting with him has led away captive she never, or rarely, releases free, unless death intervenes. I pass over the fact that many priests are so ensnared by the deceits and sorceries of their concubines that they cannot in any way free themselves from those women’s most shameful love. The heard crimes of prostitutes cause horror, and the sincerity of modesty does not permit one to hear what things are sometimes perpetrated by priests’ concubines. They prepare a dish for their masters from menstrual blood; and when they wish to entice their hearts to their love, they turn them to colic and madness. With horrible sorceries and superstitions they entangle priests in their desires, until, their strength gradually exhausted, they render them wholly useless.

Blessed is the man whom God has guarded from an evil and lustful woman. There is no wickedness like the malice of a woman who enjoys evil loves. Whatever she contrives, she attempts; whatever she can, she dares. No one believes what efforts, ways, and inventions she uses so that, when she plans to deceive someone, she may cast him down into her pleasures with an indissoluble bond. She joins herself devotedly to her master, not because she loves him, but because she desires him. For the crowd of concubines follows the prey, not the priest. So long as he is rich and abounds in everything, she does not leave her master’s side; but if he begins to lack bread, the concubine attaches herself to another.

Avoid also conversations with women; decline frequent greetings in the marketplace, because through light words one comes to the worst deeds. For the incautious speech of women has deceived many. Be watchful at every time, and never think that you should trust yourself as long as you live in the flesh. For we have known very many who fell in old age, though they seemed secure to themselves because of past victory. Temptation is never absent from a man so long as he lives in this life. But if you cannot manage domestic care without the service of a maidservant, take an honest old woman from your own kin, from whose living with you no suspicion can arise among the people. Yet take care of this before all else: do not take a married woman as a maidservant. For what God has joined together, let no man separate. The living together of another man’s wife is not free from suspicion of evil. I want you, so far as possible, to have good testimony from all. Let the dangers of others make you cautious; and where you see that many have fallen, do not wish to walk incautiously.

Remember how many of the strongest and wisest men, from the beginning of the world down to this day, have perished through the company of women. A woman deceived Adam, the first-formed man, and, having supplanted him, killed us all. From the beginning of the created world, the sons of God sinned through women, and by their crimes brought the flood upon the whole world. Likewise, when the children of Israel were going out of Egypt, the women of the foreigners laid them low in the desert. Why do we recount these women, when a cheap little prostitute delivered Samson, the strongest of all men, captured by her charms, to death and disgrace? Let no one presume upon his own strength; let no one trust in his former chastity, since often the man who today is seen to stand strongly is tomorrow seen to fall into the depths of fornication. Solomon, the wisest man, could not beware of the deceits of women; who, then, will be safe now? The strong and the wise fall by the sword of women, and do we, fragile and foolish as we are, presume upon security? For the man who fell says, “The wickedness of a man is better than a woman who does good.” It is safer to live with a wicked man than with a good woman. For the devil, the adversary of chastity, never ceases to lay snares for a chaste man, if he can find material for deceiving him. Since he is cunning, he knows how to dissemble for a time, until at last, in one hour, he can overturn all the labor and reward of past continence. Little by little he inserts himself among those who love, and under the appearance of Christian charity deceives the unwary.

And he who once submits to shameful love is scarcely ever freed from it entirely. For fornication is more easily fled than amended. Therefore I warn and beseech you to flee the company of women, lest you lose the reputation of a good name. For a priest once defamed for fornication will never recover the honor he has lost. Avoid also conversations with women; shun frequent greetings in the marketplace, because through slight words one comes to the worst deeds. Careless speech with women has deceived many.

Be watchful at all times, and never think that you should trust yourself, so long as you live in the flesh. For we have known very many who fell in old age, who seemed secure to themselves because of a past victory. Indeed temptation is never lacking to a man as long as he lives in this life. But if you cannot manage domestic care without the service of a maidservant, take an upright old woman from your own kin, one from whose living with you no suspicion could arise among the people. Nevertheless, beware of this before all else: do not take a married woman as a maidservant. For what God has joined, let man not separate. The living together of another man’s wife is not free from suspicion of evil. I wish you, as far as possible, to have good testimony from everyone. Let the dangers of others make you cautious; and where you see that many have fallen, do not wish to walk incautiously.

Remember how many very brave and very wise men, from the beginning of the world down to this day, have perished through the company of women. A woman deceived Adam, the first-formed man, and when he had been overthrown she slew us all. From the beginning of the created world, through women the sons of God sinned, and by their crimes brought the flood upon the whole world. Likewise, when the children of Israel were going out from Egypt, the women of the foreigners overthrew them in the desert. Why do we recount these women, when a vile harlot, having captured Samson, the strongest of all men, by her love, handed him over to death and disgrace? Let no one presume on his own strength; let no one trust in former chastity, since often the man who today is seen to stand bravely is tomorrow seen to fall into the depth of fornication. Most wise Solomon could not guard against the deceits of women; who, then, will now be safe? The strong and wise man falls by the sword of women, and we, fragile and foolish, presume upon security. For the one who fell says: Better is the wickedness of a man than a woman who does good. It is safer to live with a wicked man than with a good woman.

For the devil, the adversary of chastity, never ceases to lay snares for the chaste man, if he can find material for deceiving him. Since he is cunning, he knows how to dissemble for a time, until at last in a single hour he can overthrow all the labor and reward of past continence. He gradually insinuates himself among those who love one another, and under the guise of Christian charity he sows sweet words about virtues and vices, until he draws the unwary into the snare of crime.

Then, from that point, they begin to speak more familiarly; they disclose to one another all their more secret matters; little by little they grow accustomed to touching one another with their hands. Finally, through mutual laughter, future unions are prepared; and while by custom they live familiarly, they suddenly fall into the pit of the devil. But afterward, when they have once fallen into mutual guilt, the deed seems somewhat abhorrent to them, but they cannot easily draw back from what has been begun. They therefore continue on the road on which they had set out; and although in the beginning conscience abhors the crime, nevertheless by habit it gradually bears it more lightly. And at first, indeed, they begin to behave wantonly with a certain shamefaced fear; but thereafter, blinded by depraved habit, they are no longer ashamed. Meanwhile the belly, aware of the secret, begins to swell, and to make public the crime that had lain hidden. At last a little infant is born; for a short time father and mother blush, and immediately return to their accustomed crimes. Then, from that point, all shame is cast far away; the eye of conscience is blinded; the fear of God and of hell is utterly driven from memory. They now live licentiously in sins, bound together with devilish glue; they live defamed before men; they live alienated from God. Soon the long-standing crime turns into despair; the remedy of penance is mocked; the long-suffering patience of God is despised.

Meanwhile the priest is made so much a slave to lust that he seems to himself unable to live without a concubine. He can indeed amend his sin, but he refuses, because he feels himself pleasantly entangled in the chains of lust. He promises himself that he will take up the resolution of penance in the future; he promises to amend his life. But while, amid so many crimes, he puts off the will to do penance, concubinary priests rarely come to the remedies of saving penance, because they hope that their life will still be prolonged for a long time. Indeed some are so maddened by diabolical enticements that they are able to think of nothing but carnal things and care nothing about future recompense. They love a criminal concubine more than eternal happiness. What sort of penance do you think these men perform at the end, when they are pressed not by will but by necessity? Those who have consumed the whole time of their life in lust rarely obtain true penance in the final moments of their life. For even if the late penance of such persons, by God’s mercy, is sometimes genuine, nevertheless they will not be able to reach the kingdom of heaven without the most grievous torments of purgatory. Finally, if revelations are to be believed, the very great multitude of clerics in the lower world suffers, because of the vice of incontinence, inestimable eternal punishments. enduring forever. You see where careless familiarity with women drags a cleric: it condemns him to the eternal torments of hell. Therefore the beginnings of temptations must be resisted, because lust is never better conquered than if it is avoided by flight. For if through habit it has once entangled you, it never lets you go free without the special grace of God.

If you hesitate to put trust in my words, read the examples of the elders. But there is no need to seek examples in books, when you can find proofs before your eyes. Look: we know many old priests today whose lives we know to be incontinent. We see age growing old in them, and the vices of youth by no means ceasing. And when they come to extreme old age, they do not give up their depraved habits; rather, such as they always were from the beginning, such also they go to death.

You would see among them priests now decrepit who have so drunk in the poison of lust that, although because of advanced age they can no longer act lasciviously in deed, they burn for their accustomed sin in thought, word, and gestures. Of such people the Lord says through the prophet: “If the Ethiopian can change his skin, and the leopard his spots, then you too will be able to do good, though you have learned evil.” In old men intercourse with women can cease, but the desire for the act remains as before. Therefore, as you ought to be as an old man, so also now live as a young man. For it is difficult for an old man to correct his habits and to think new thoughts in an old mind. Indeed, old age has habits; it does not receive them. He who as a young man has sported wantonly with a woman is mad as an old man. Therefore it is good for a man when he has borne the yoke of the Lord from his youth, since if someone has been evil in youth, he will rarely be good in old age.

¶ On the Remedy against Lust. Chapter III

Physicians are accustomed first to show the sick, by careful discussion, the seriousness of their disease, and only then to apply help by remedies. For once the gravity of the sickness is known, the bitterness of the potion causes less fear. I am going to do this with you also. First, then, by many kinds of demonstration I have disclosed to you the danger of cohabitation with a woman, and, so far as I could, I have declared what the end of this disease is. It follows now, therefore, that we should consider the remedy.

For the flesh always lusts against the spirit, and unless it is restrained by wholesome exercise, it casts both itself and him into the depth of damnation. Hence the poet rightly admonishes, saying: “If you remove idleness, Cupid’s bows perish; the torches, despised, lie without light.” For Holy Scripture forbids this, because every idle person is in desires.

Therefore one who wishes to extinguish the vice of lust must keep himself continually exercised in some holy work. For idleness is the enemy of the soul. Hence blessed Jerome admonishes someone, saying: Always do something good, so that the devil may find you occupied. Indeed, the best remedy against evil thoughts is occupation in some holy work. For when the mind is pleasantly intent upon some good exercise, it does not think of other things. Access will not lie open to the devil if the mind is occupied in some exercise. Take an example in holy David: while occupied with military affairs he subdued lust; while idle and staying in his house he committed adultery. When the hand is free from work, the mind grows weak in thought. Therefore, if you desire to conquer lust, flee idleness.

But with what exercises you ought to fill your time, receive briefly, if you please. In the morning accustom yourself to rise from sleep before daylight, and to devote some little time to both the canonical and the votive prayers. And when by praying devoutly you have completed the duty of your service, you will then devote yourself to sacred readings, until you understand that you are called by your office to celebrate mass. After mass one must again devote oneself to prayers and apply oneself most devoutly to sacred meditations. Then one must work with the hands, attend to the affairs of the house, and, if anything has to be arranged by some necessity, let it be disposed with the fear of God. The manual work of a priest is to write, to bind books copied either by himself or by others, or printed books, and to apply himself to other honorable labors according to his condition or necessity. Then, after food has been taken, praises must be rendered to God, who feeds us here on earth, and one must pray again that after this life he may feed us without end in heaven. When these things have been duly completed, one must not immediately go off to idle tales, but again devote oneself to sacred letters. Then one must work with the hands until vespers, which should not be extended beyond the fourth hour in manual labor.

But when, now that the day is declining, it is time to sleep, first have recourse to most devout prayers. When these are finished, set an account of your actions throughout the day, and, declaring yourself guilty before God for your negligent way of life, ask for pardon and indulgence. For if you judge yourself, you will be absolved by God. And unless you keep yourself steadfast in the fear of the Lord, the house of your conscience will quickly be overthrown. But if you have been caught beforehand in some fault, soon have recourse to the lament of penitence, and choose such a confessor, if it can be done, as knowledge of the Scriptures proves fit and as his way of life commends. For one whose conduct is reprobate rarely opens in truth the way of salvation to those who confess. But if, at the enemy’s suggestion, you begin to feel temptations of the flesh in your soul, do not strengthen them by delay, but drive them out as quickly as possible through prayers and holy exercises. The serpent of lust is slippery, and unless it is crushed in the head, it is not easily destroyed. While the adversary is still weak, he is easily overcome. Nor, if you have conquered once, should you think yourself secure, because the victory is not complete where battle is waged daily. Therefore, as long as you can be subjected, do not believe that you have conquered. Do not trust in your own strength; do not claim victory for yourself, but know that your hope rests in the aid of God alone. For no one is chaste by his own powers. Good will, helped by the grace of God, conquers the flesh.

One must pray to the Lord without ceasing against the temptations of the flesh, and say: Pierce my flesh with your fear, for I have feared your judgments. Do not love the delights of this world, which will make you quickly vanish away and will easily inflame you with the heat of lust. In your diet let excess be avoided, and let hunger, not variety of foods, move the appetite. Let not enticements of lusts be set before you, but things that nourish the body and do not inflame it. Wine, in which there is wantonness, should always be suspect to you, lest you be set on fire by a double heat, namely of drink and of youth. He who constantly uses wine fosters the fire of lust in his lap. The shameful uncovering of Noah, and the incest of Lot, should always admonish you to fear wine. For drunkenness is the burial of a living man: it destroys the senses, extinguishes reason, binds the mind, wounds the conscience, diminishes the health of the body, and kills the soul. Drunkenness is a spring of evils: it stirs the flesh to lust, defiles the heart with the worst thoughts, and loosens the tongue into the foulest words. It is the saying of most holy Jerome: A full belly easily foams into lust.

Therefore let the chaste man’s refreshment be moderate; let his drink be sparing and thin; let his speech be modest. Let him beware the familiarity of women. Let him direct his senses with every guard, lest he fall into the pit of lust. Whenever a base thought begins to strike the mind, let the memory of the Lord’s passion come upon him; let him place his thought in the wounds of Jesus Christ. For it is written: Blessed is he who will seize and dash his little ones against the rock. But the rock, says the Apostle, was Christ. For the recollection of the Lord’s passion is the most effective remedy for all temptations. Indeed, one whom the passion of Christ does not soften, no exercise will cure. Therefore, as soon as the lust of the flesh begins to attack the spirit, let the cultivator of chastity lift his hands to heaven and say: Lord Jesus Christ, lover of chaste counsel, you know that my strength to resist is slight. Help my weakness through your bitter passion. I believe in the Lord that, if he persists in praying with devotion, he will easily obtain victory against the flesh. But I wish you, most beloved brother, to avoid not only deeds but also words filthy words. For evil conversations corrupt good morals. Nor should you wish to imitate those who, given over to filthy talk, think themselves chaste in heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Vain speech is the mark of a vain heart. The speech a man utters proves what sort of person he is inwardly.

There are some, and indeed many priests, who by their wanton habits violate the purity of consciences, even though they do not physically proceed to acts of lust. They sit with women, speaking obscene things, mixing touches and kisses with their itching desire, and amid all this they boast that they are chaste. And where, then, does that divine saying remain: “Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”? If it is not permitted to a chaste man to look at a woman in order to desire her, how much less is it permitted shamelessly to touch, kiss, and handle her with his hands? For the Apostle says: “Abstain from every appearance of evil,” as befits the saints.

Or does the appearance of evil not seem present to you, when men thought chaste sit among women and are handled with kisses and touches? I would be lying if I said that I had not seen priests, and men of greater dignity, wholly consumed in obscene talk, touches, and kisses with women, and showing no reverence for their own rank. Is it not a sign of inward lust when someone has become accustomed to speaking filthy words and to touching with wanton touches? Amid this, will chastity of mind remain there?

But you, dearest Nicolaus, if you desire to present yourself as a worthy minister to God, if you wish to escape the most harsh yoke of lust, must abstain not only from deeds but also from filthy words and from the company of women. It is impossible for the mind not to be wounded when you touch a woman with a kiss and a wanton hand. Remember your last things, says the wise man, and to the end you will not sin. For nothing restrains a man from sin so much as an intent remembrance of death.

On the reading and study of the Scriptures. Chapter iii

I know from experience that the study and reading of the Scriptures is the most effective remedy against all temptations. For blessed Jerome says: “Love the knowledge of the Scriptures, and you will not love the vices of the flesh.” Scripture alone is what promises us heavenly remedy in tribulation. What will we be able to know or believe about our own eternal homeland, if we do not have the Scriptures? For the Apostle says: “All Scripture is divinely inspired,” so that through patience and the consolations of the Scriptures we may have hope. Therefore I warn you to take up the study of the holy Scriptures as a consolation in this pilgrimage, because if you are assiduous in reading them, you will easily despise the world with all the emptiness of its vanities.

For nothing so raises minds from vain anxiety to things above; nothing so quiets the fires of the flesh as diligence in sacred reading. In short, study is especially suited to your office, as Malachi says: The lips of the priest keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. For, as we said a little before, a priest of Christ must be learned in the divine law, so that he may know, and have the means from which to bring forth, a sermon. For one who has undertaken to rule souls, for whom he will render account to God, the supreme judge, must necessarily read and understand many things.

Indeed, as that great Gregory Nazianzen said, and after him the Roman pope: The governance of souls is the art of arts. But if a man has learned nothing in the Holy Scriptures, what will he teach others? Or what benefit in preaching will a priest be able to bring to his hearers if he does not know the Scriptures? Alas for our present times, in which as the people are, so is the priest. Our priests cast aside the study of Scripture and neglect learning; instead of books of Scripture they rear birds and dogs. Let the bishops see to it who promote such idiots and ignorant men to the dignity of the priesthood, who entrust the care of Christ's sheep to unskilled pastors. Withdraw from the company of those who cast aside knowledge, who neglect the reading of Scripture, who despise study. They savor nothing but what is worldly; they love nothing but vanity; they understand nothing except what is carnal. They will quickly overturn you if you often pass into their assembly. They sit in ambush with drinkers in taverns; they give themselves to games and feasts; there is no fear of God before their eyes. They grow angry if anyone begins to speak of the Scriptures in their presence; they disdain to hear a reading, but turn instead to fables. What have you to do with them? Are they not priests, but asses in their way of life? They understand absolutely nothing of the Scriptures; they despise learning. They do not know how to write or speak the Roman tongue; they have scarcely learned to expound the Gospels in the vernacular. How many errors, fables, and heresies they proclaim to the people by preaching in the church: who could believe it unless he had experienced it? Instead of books they get children for themselves; instead of study they love concubines. These are blind guides of the blind, who do not instruct the people of God in justice, but rather lead them astray. O how many poor Christians live in the countryside who, because of the ignorance of their priests, do not know what befits a Christian. Amid these things there is no one who takes notice, no one who grieves over the danger to souls, no one who applies a remedy. All savor the things that are earthly; all seek their own; all run after profits. But what are these things to us? Each one stands or falls before his own lord. And although it does not belong to me to correct these things, nevertheless I cannot help grieving when I see every evil in the church proceeding from the ignorance of priests.

b iiij For who would not grieve that those men do not know the commandments who have been appointed to instruct others? Behold, no knowledge is sought in the ordaining of priests; those who have not been called are permitted to come forward; the life of the man to be ordained is never examined, as above all it ought to have been. Therefore the Christian people are led away captive by the cords of sins; the ardor of charity is extinguished; the harmony of brotherly love is violated. Our priests flow over with worldly desires; they do not dare correct the vicious, because they know themselves to have sinned in greater matters. For there are few who duly instruct the flock by word and example. Nor is it any wonder if lesser men are free from the study of Scripture, since among prelates you find few who cling to the examples of the ancients. For those chosen are generally not the more learned, but those more eager to gather riches. They have either no copies of the Scriptures or few, since in fact they pursue knowledge with hatred. Nothing so diminishes ecclesiastical dignity and makes it contemptible as the ignorance of prelates. When formerly bishops, abbots, and the other prelates and priests applied their minds to the Scriptures, so easy an entrance did not lie open to crimes and sins. For love and knowledge of the Scriptures teach men to despise the world, flee vices, and love the most sacred virtues. As long as the Israelite people remained in the law of the Lord, no power of the enemy prevailed against them. But after they cast aside knowledge of the law, they were subjected to many adversities. For Scripture says: Because they did not have wisdom, they perished through their own foolishness. Today also priests and rectors of churches are very numerous, but few of them attend to knowledge of the law and of the Scriptures. And because, as the Lord speaks through the prophet, the priests have cast aside knowledge of the law, therefore they have been made contemptible among the people. They do indeed cry to the Lord in tribulation, but he does not hear them, because whoever turns his ears away so as not to hear the law, his prayer will be abominable. Therefore priests should not wonder that laypeople despise them, since they themselves spurn the commandments of Christ. But I greatly fear that more serious things will soon come against the clergy. But enough of these matters.

You, however, should consider not what others do, but what you yourself must do. For many are called to the priesthood in the church of God, but few are chosen. Therefore we must take the utmost care that we who are born into the Lord's portion may also be chosen. What does it profit here to exercise the priesthood for a very brief time, if one happens to be separated from the sight of God? Nothing, then, is better than to fix desire on heavenly things, to devote oneself to the study of sacred reading, to despise present things for the love of God, and to think on future things. Hence Peter says in the Aurora:

For what is better for a man than if, by long reading, he fixes his mind there, whence life comes to him? Therefore continual study must be devoted to reading the Scriptures, because reading nourishes the mind and supplies nourishment to the virtues.

Therefore, so that you may not lose the value of time, read the sacred Scriptures, write books, persist in devout prayers, and at the proper times also work with your hands. Do not be ashamed to learn what you do not know, because then you will be able usefully to instruct others, if you always seek to be informed by teachers. Do not be ashamed to take on the name of disciple, if you desire to attain to the honor of mastery. For the Holy Spirit, who teaches man knowledge, is a lover of humility.

When you sit at table to take food, remember first that the sacred letters are to be sounded forth, so that while the flesh is fed, the mind may not be deprived of its own nourishment. For in the Council of Toledo it is read as follows: Out of reverence for God and for priests, the whole synod established this, that since idle tales are often accustomed to be introduced at meals, reading from the divine Scriptures should be mingled with every priestly banquet. For through this souls are built up toward the good, and tales are not prohibited by necessity. For the word of God is the food of the spirit, because man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The ancient fathers and priests devoted the greatest diligence to the holy Scriptures, so that they might healthfully feed the mind and provide useful things for the instruction of posterity. Let us follow in their footsteps, so that we may deserve to be found worthy ministers before God.

On Avoiding Avarice and Cupidity. Chapter 5

Although at the beginning of our discourse we argued against avarice and cupidity, nevertheless we are led by a certain reason to speak again in this place about this very matter. For action is never sufficiently taken against this vice unless it is uprooted from the foundation. But our Savior, knowing how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, said to those who followed him: Unless someone renounces all that he possesses, he cannot be my disciple. Hence the psalmist admonishes us, saying: If riches abound, do not set your heart upon them. And the apostle says: Having food and clothing, let us be content with these. What more do we seek, we who are ministers of God? Greed is shameful in a priest of God; shameful is avarice, and damnable the continual hunger for gold.

Therefore, most beloved brother, if you desire to live in freedom of spirit, do not seek perishable money; do not love riches. Cast your thought upon the Lord, and he will nourish you; he himself will feed you when you are hungry; he himself will guard you. Nor do I wish you to cast off domestic provision entirely, but that you not go beyond measure through avarice. The root of all evils is cupidity.

Nothing is better for a man than, by reading divine things, to fix his mind there whence life comes to him. Therefore continual effort must be devoted to reading the Scriptures, because reading nourishes the mind and supplies supports for the virtues. Therefore, lest you lose the value of your time, read the sacred Scriptures, write books, devote yourself to devout prayers, and at the proper times also work with your hands. Do not be ashamed to learn what you do not know, because then you will be able usefully to instruct others if you always seek to be instructed by teachers. Do not be ashamed to bear the name of pupil, if you desire to attain the honors of mastership. For the Holy Spirit, who teaches man knowledge, is a lover of humility.

When you sit down at table to take food, remember first that the sacred letters must be sounded, so that, while the flesh is fed, the mind may not be deprived of its own nourishment. For in the council of Toledo it is read as follows: “For reverence toward God and the priests this universal synod decreed that, because idle tales are often accustomed to be brought in at meals, reading of the divine Scriptures should be mingled with every priestly banquet. For by this both souls are built up toward good, and unnecessary tales are forbidden.” For the word of God is the food of the spirit, because man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The ancient fathers and priests devoted the greatest diligence to the holy Scriptures, so that they might both feed the mind wholesomely and provide useful things for the instruction of posterity. Let us tread in their footsteps, so that we may deserve to be found worthy ministers before God.

On fleeing avarice and greed. Chapter 5

Although at the beginning of our discourse we have argued against avarice and greed, nevertheless we are led by a certain principle to speak even in this place about this very matter. For nothing is ever done sufficiently against this vice unless it is utterly rooted out. But our Savior, knowing how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, says to those who follow him: “Whoever has not renounced all that he possesses cannot be my disciple.” Hence the psalmist admonishes us, saying: “If riches abound, do not set your heart upon them.” And the apostle says: “Having food and clothing, let us be content with these.” What more should we seek, we who are ministers of God? Greed is shameful in a priest of God; shameful is avarice, and the continual hunger for gold is damnable.

Therefore, most beloved brother, if you desire to live in the freedom of the spirit, do not seek money that will perish, and do not love riches. Cast your thought upon the Lord, and he himself will nourish you; he himself will feed the hungry; he himself will guard you. Nor do I wish you to cast aside household foresight altogether, but do not fall because of it. The root ...of all evils is covetousness, which does not allow a person to live for God in freedom of spirit, but always twists the mind with bitter cares and does not permit him to think of anything except riches. Moderation, however, is the safest thing: it is neither oppressed by poverty nor lifted up by abundance into pride. We see among the priests of God worshippers of idols, who are always watchful in gathering money, who devote themselves to avarice, and who think nothing, or very little, about eternal life. They live as if they had been born for gain; they cast piety toward the poor far away; they desire nothing other than to seek and find gold.

You would see among them certain avaricious and wretched rich men, who have a very great supply and abundance of temporal things, but lack the ability to use what they have acquired. All the days in which they dwell on earth they live wretchedly. They do not dare to eat and drink according to the necessity of the body; they always desire to add something to the heap of money; they keep watch over profits; they care absolutely nothing for the salvation of souls. They grieve more over a lost denarius than if ten souls entrusted to them were to perish. But it is no wonder if he neglects another's soul who damns his own. For whoever has once subjected his heart to avarice and covetousness will never, or only rarely, be free. He always burns for greater profits in money; he always pants after an increase of gold; and his desire to possess grows in proportion as his money happens to have increased.

Henceforth one benefice, however rich, is not enough. To obtain still others, the avaricious priest runs about; by right and wrong he labors to get what he wickedly desires. Meanwhile he runs to the apostolic see; he relates the grounds of his petition, which, when examined according to the truth, are immediately found false. Then one man obtains many prebends; he leases the care of the sheep to hirelings; he receives wool and milk from the sheep, but scorns to feed the flock. The prophet says: Woe to the shepherds who feed themselves. Those who obtain many benefices by dispensation of the supreme pontiff think themselves free from guilt, but they do not consider what is required for that obtaining.

But you, stand firm and do not transgress the ancient boundaries which your fathers set; rather, set a limit to desire, lest you fall into sin. I want you to be content with one benefice, which is sufficient for you according to the moderation of your state, lest, if you take on more without just necessity, you be judged more severely for it before God. Do not take as your example the multitudes of those who act otherwise; do not walk along the broad road of sinners, if you wish to reach life. Let him who serves the altar live from the altar; but he who neglects to feed the sheep, by what presumption does he ask wool and milk from them? Ecclesiastical benefices were instituted for the support of those who serve them, not for the avarice of those who seek their own interests. ought to rebuke sinners to wish, by their own presence, to show themselves patrons of sins. For entrance into taverns is forbidden to priests by the holy fathers, unless they are on a journey. It is disgraceful for a priest of God to enter a tavern with rustics, and for a mouth consecrated to God to be defiled by impure speech. The word of one who preaches is easily despised if it is poured out familiarly among rustics. From the habit of familiarity they will begin to despise you and to count you as one of their own. For no reverence is paid to superiors if their life is narrowed down among their subjects.

The one who presides must surpass all by a certain reverence of maturity, and wisely avoid excessive familiarity with those subject to him. For the eminence of authority is broken when it is indiscreetly mixed with the actions of subordinates. Slander no one, nor take scandal against anyone. It is shameful for a priest to pollute his tongue with detraction, when it has been appointed at the altar to pray for all. Nor should you give ear to detractors, because the detractor and the willing listener are worthy of equal condemnation: the one carries the devil on his tongue, the other in his ear. Let such a person learn not to slander easily when he sees that you are unwilling to listen.

Do not be hasty with your tongue, and do not stand in the company of detractors, because they are hateful to almighty God. Hedge your ears with thorns, lest you hear the words of detractors. Let no lie come forth from your mouth. Let no foul speech proceed from you, but be a guardian of your tongue, lest you offend in speech. Do not be slothful or idle, nor given over to sleep and laziness, but always kindled with the fervor of the Holy Spirit.

Do not neglect the frugality of hospitality. Meet the poor and strangers mercifully with whatever diligence you can, knowing that this is proper to a priest: to have care for the needy. Have gold not to keep it, but to spend it in alms for the poor. Let the hungry bellies of the poor praise you, not the belching banquets of the rich. Let your table be with the poor and needy, because in such people Christ is received and the heavenly court is honored. Avoid the banquets of the proud rich, especially of the powerful, at which nothing is done concerning the salvation of souls, and absolutely nothing is treated concerning spiritual conduct.

Let your clothing be honorable, not costly. In giving alms, do not seek glory from men, but expect praise and reward from God alone. Be a father of the poor and a guardian of orphans. Let no poor person go away from you unconsoled. Do not be a striker, nor derided among the people. Injure no one with insult, but do good to all, as much as you can, even to your enemy. Never flatter sinners, but rebuke them as one who has received authority from God. Do not be a striker of the consciences of the people entrusted to you, nor bring forth the word of God indiscreetly.

but with the moderation of piety. Be merciful to those who repent, and do not break the bruised reed, knowing that you have taken up the care of the weak, not of the strong. For it is better to send a penitent with mercy to purgatory than, by the severity of the confessor, to consign one in despair to hell.

Do not neglect to pray your canonical hours with reverence and devotion at the times appointed by the Church. Likewise, do not omit to read the Hours of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, the vigils of the dead, and the rest that are owed according to the priestly order.

Have care for your household in the fear of God. If you have a household, persuade them by word and example to preserve modesty and honor. For indeed the reputation of a priest is harmed among the people when the people speak ill of his household.

Let your speech be strengthened by the testimony of the Scriptures, because whatever is taught apart from the holy Scriptures is despised with the same ease with which it is approved. I do not want you to imitate those who preach in church without learning, who frequently cite fables and phantasms of dreams, and who are ignorant of the mysteries of the divine Scriptures. Chattering and talkative priests, speaking without reason, do not edify the people, but labor to draw them into admiration of themselves with empty speeches and Aesopian fables. For it is a foolish and damnable abuse, with the Scriptures and Gospel set aside, to teach Christian people the fables of Aesop and the invented deeds of the Romans.

Nor should you be surprised if the untrained people listen to these things more gladly than to the Scriptures, since the Apostle foretold this, saying: “There will be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap up teachers for themselves, having itching ears; and from hearing the truth they will turn away, and they will turn to fables.” Hence Jerome says: to roll out words and, by rapidity of speech, to create admiration for oneself among the untrained crowd belongs to unlearned men. A bold forehead often interprets what it does not know, and when it has persuaded others, it also usurps for itself the knowledge that it does not possess. Nothing is so easy as to deceive a lowly little crowd and an unlearned assembly by fluency of tongue, which admires all the more whatever it does not understand.

But you, speak the things that befit sound doctrine, and do not seek the applause of the untrained if you desire to find a place among the learned. Do not imprudently desire the care of souls, unless you have first learned to govern yourself and others justly according to the ecclesiastical sanctions. For the office of teaching the people exposes one to many dangers and is troubled by daily anxieties. For the ruler of souls must be without fault, as a steward of God: not proud, not wrathful, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy for shameful gain, but hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, continent, embracing the faithful word that accords with doctrine, so that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

but with the moderation of piety. Be merciful to penitents, and do not break the bruised reed, knowing that you have undertaken the care of the weak, not of the strong. For it is better to send a penitent with compassion to purgatory than, by a confessor’s severity, to consign one driven to despair to hell.

Do not neglect to say your canonical hours with reverence and devotion at the times appointed for the church. Do not omit to read also the Hours of blessed Mary ever-virgin, the vigils of the dead, and the other offices due by priestly order. Have care for your house in the fear of God. If you have a household, persuade it by word and example to preserve modesty and honorable conduct. For a priest’s reputation among the people is indeed harmed when the people speak badly of his household.

Let your preaching be strengthened by the testimony of the Scriptures, because whatever it teaches apart from holy Scripture is rejected as readily as it is asserted. I do not want you to imitate those who preach in church without learning, who frequently cite fables and phantoms of dreams, and are ignorant of the mysteries of the divine Scriptures. Ranting and garrulous priests, speaking without reason, do not build up the people, but labor to draw them into admiration of themselves by empty speeches and Aesopian fables.

For it is a foolish and damnable abuse, with the Scriptures and the Gospel set aside, to teach Christian people fables and invented deeds of the Romans. Nor should you wonder if the ignorant people hear these things more gladly than the Scriptures, since you read that the Apostle said this: “There will be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap up teachers for themselves, itching in their ears; and they will turn their hearing away from the truth and turn to fables.” Hence Jerome says: “To roll out words and, by speed of speech, make the ignorant crowd admire oneself belongs to unlearned men.” A brazen brow often interprets what it does not know; and, after persuading others, it claims for itself knowledge that it does not have. Nothing is so easy as to deceive a base and unlearned common crowd in an assembly by fluency of tongue; whatever it does not understand, it admires all the more.

But you, speak the things that befit sound doctrine, and do not seek the applause of the unskilled if you wish to find a place among the learned. Do not shamelessly desire the care of souls unless you have first learned to govern both yourself and others justly according to ecclesiastical sanctions. For the office of teaching the people is subject to many dangers and troubled by daily anxieties. For the ruler of souls must be without crime, as God’s steward: not proud, not angry, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for shameful gain, but hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, continent, holding fast the faithful word that accords with doctrine, so that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

He who has been appointed ruler of souls must teach no less by example than by speech. Even a robber can accuse avarice; but only one who does what he teaches can correct it. He is a delicate teacher who debates fasting on a full stomach. Therefore life must be required before doctrine, because one teaches more fully by deed than by word. For the most excellent kind of teaching is the demonstration of example. And indeed the Lord Jesus first acted, and afterward taught. In teaching, the man whose speech is confirmed by the witness of his work has the greatest authority. The ruler’s speech easily profits his subjects if it is supported by honorable conduct. But whoever teaches well and lives badly destroys himself by the sentence of his own mouth, and does not turn his subjects away from evil instruction.

Consider at the same time how dangerous the care of souls is, especially in these times, when iniquity abounds everywhere and the charity of many has grown cold. For the days are evil, and men are slow to justice; the whole world lies in wickedness, and faith is rare on the earth. Amid these things the word of God is despised by the people, the discipline of Christian religion is neglected, and priestly authority is held in contempt. Lay life, liable to many sins and crimes, neglects the remedies of penance, gives itself to deceits and frauds, and disregards the warnings of priests. If the pastor of souls has not diligently announced to the people committed to him their crimes and the penalties due to sinners, he will also be guilty before God of their blood.

And after these things God will bring everything into judgment, where the pastor of souls is compelled to render accounts for each one; and if he has been negligent in this world, he is damned more severely. Therefore it is safer to flee humbly from the care and rule of souls than to usurp it arrogantly. For if each person in that dreadful judgment can scarcely suffice to render account for his own life, how will he answer for so many thousands committed to him? O how well he lives who lives for himself. It seems good and pleasant among men to live in this world as a bishop, abbot, pastor, or any prelate; but who will be able to consider how terrible the end of a negligent man is? For a most severe judgment will be made against those who rule, and the mighty will suffer mighty torments. He passes well who lives simply, to whom nothing of earthly honor is entrusted. For before God the shepherd, the earthly shepherd will have to be presented to render account. Here already the crisis of final condemnation threatens, where the account of a badly administered stewardship is demanded, and the blood of many sheep is required from the hand of one shepherd. What will the unskilled shepherd then be able to answer to the charges, who was negligent in the care of the sheep? He must necessarily fall silent, because he has nothing to answer.

[c ij] He who has been appointed ruler of souls must teach no less by example than by speech. For only the man who does what he teaches can rebuke avarice and luxury in word. He is a delicate master who disputes about fasting with a full belly. Therefore life must be sought before doctrine, because it teaches more fully by deed than by speech. For the demonstration of example is the most excellent kind of teaching. And Jesus himself first did, and afterward taught. For he teaches with the greatest authority whose speech is confirmed by the witness of his work. The ruler’s speech easily benefits his subjects if it is supported by honorable conduct. But he who teaches well and lives badly destroys himself by the sentence of his own mouth, and does not turn his subjects away from evil instruction.

Consider also how dangerous the care of souls is, especially in these times, when iniquity abounds everywhere and the charity of many has grown cold. For the days are evil, and men are slow toward justice; the whole world lies in wickedness, and faith is rare on the earth. Amid these things the word of God is despised by the people; even among religious persons discipline is neglected; priestly authority is contemned. Lay life, liable to many sins and crimes, neglects the remedies of divine mercy and, intent on deceits and frauds, despises the conduct of priests. And unless the ruler of souls diligently announces to the people committed to him their crimes and the penalties due for sins, he will also be guilty of their blood before God. And after these things God will bring all things into judgment, where he compels pastors of souls to render accounts for each one, and he will condemn more heavily those who were negligent in this world.

Therefore it is safer to flee humbly from the care and rule of souls than to usurp it arrogantly. For if each person in that dreadful judgment will scarcely suffice to render an account of his own life, how will he answer for so many thousands committed to him? O how well he lives who lives for himself. You see that bishops, abbots, pastors, or any prelates hold a good place among men in this age; but it is enough to consider how terrible the end of a negligent man will be. For a most severe judgment will be made upon those who are in charge, and the mighty will mightily suffer torments.

He passes well who lives simply, to whom nothing of earthly honor is committed, to whom no care of souls is entrusted. For pastoral care is never without danger as long as one lives in this world. And in this, too, there is a very great sea of dangers: when the soul has been separated from the body by death, the earthly pastor must be presented before God, the supreme pastor, to render account. A hard point of final damnation threatens, when an account of stewardship badly administered is demanded, and the blood of many sheep is required from the hand of one pastor. What, then, will an unskilled pastor be able to reply to the charges, since he was negligent in the care of the sheep? He must fall silent, because he has no answer.

Be diligent in examining all the mysteries of the Scriptures. And if any uncertainty occurs to you as you read, know that you must refer it to the interpretations of the elders. You have nearby the school of the most ancient city of Trier, in which there is an abundance of learned men, to whom you can have recourse in the ambiguity of questions. Let gold not be dearer to you than knowledge, because the fruit of wisdom is eternal, but the use of riches is brief and momentary. Let there be no one who prevents your saving study: not mother, not brother, not kinsman, not sister. Do the work of an evangelist; learn what you are to teach, lest you exist as both shepherd and idol. You are one man and have no second; for whom, then, would you store up riches? Live temperately. Do not visit weddings and immoderate banquets, because they strip the mind of virtues and leave the purse empty of coins. Buy for yourself, from the alms offered, books of divine Scripture, so that, taught by constant reading of them, you may be able worthily to instruct the people committed to you, and to raise yourself by contemplation to heavenly things. Love the knowledge of the Scriptures, and it will exalt you before God and men. Do not contend with the pleasures of the flesh; restrain the impulse of anger, and never forget death.

What sort of priest he ought to be in his inner conduct. Chapter seven.

Since indeed it is not enough for a minister of Christ to lead an honorable life before men unless he also strives to appear clean from every crime before God, I exhort you to direct your heart in the fear of the Almighty and never admit any thoughts against God. For a priest of God must be holy in mind and body, and clean in thought. Hence the Lord says: Be holy, since I am holy, the Lord your God, who sanctify you. And Peter, the chief apostle, says: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of acquisition, that you may proclaim the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. First, let charity hold a place in your heart, for it is the fullness of the law and the consummation of the prophets. For the greatest of all virtues is charity, which consists in love of God and neighbor. God must be loved with the whole heart for his own sake, and the neighbor for God’s sake. No one truly loves God if he hates his neighbor in the faith. For Christ is God and man. Therefore he does not love the whole Christ who hates a human being. God accepts no good work unless the flame of charity has kindled it on the altar of the heart. For charity holds the chief place among the virtues. Humility follows it, which is remembered as the guardian of the virtues. So great is the excellence of this virtue that all glory quickly perishes unless humility preserves it. be strengthened by the foundation of humility. For holy Pope Gregory says: “He who gathers virtues without humility carries dust into the wind. For where he is seen to be carrying something, there he is more gravely blinded.” Therefore the greatest ornament of a priest is charity, and the most precious pearl in his garment is humility. You too, brother, express these twin virtues in yourself, and you will be a fruitful preacher in the Church of God. Whatever you say, you will easily persuade your hearers if you have charity and humility in your heart and diligently show them in your work.

Let cursed ambition have no place in your heart; once it has invaded a mind, it so blinds it that it brings on forgetfulness of God and of one’s own salvation. Be a Christian lover of men and an enemy of vices. Keep the commandments of God, and do not neglect ecclesiastical sanctions. Honor all men for God’s sake, and never deem anyone worthy of contempt. What you do not wish to be done to you, do not do to another. Let not the sun go down upon your anger. Flee the flatteries of the rich, and never indulge sinners. Deny yourself to your own desires, so that you may become a disciple of Christ. Chastise your body, according to the Apostle, bringing it into servitude. Spurn delights; love chaste fasting. Be dutiful toward the poor. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, free the captive, console the sorrowful, bury the dead.

Do not love the world; do not seek riches; do not run after vanities. For no one serving as God’s soldier entangles himself in secular affairs. Do injury to no one, but learn patiently to bear injury inflicted on you, after the example of your Lord, who, hanging on the cross, prayed for his persecutors, that they might not perish. Have peace with all men; have concord and unanimity only with the devout. Do not be proud and arrogant, not sleepy and lazy, not given to wine and much eating, not a slanderer and one who rashly judges anyone. Guard your actions at every hour, and let the memory of future things always turn in your thought. For Scripture says: “Son, remember your last things, and you will not sin forever.” Therefore always think that you will die; fear the day of judgment; dread the torments of hell. If you do these things, you will easily overcome all temptations of the flesh.

Spurn the pleasures of the world, so that you may be able to enter rejoicing into the joys of heavenly blessedness. Do not deceive your soul: no one can rejoice here with the world and afterward reign with Christ. For through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. Therefore, having spurned present things, let us hasten with every desire toward eternal joys. With all watchfulness guard your heart, because from it life proceeds. If you have been overtaken by some sin, do not delay to seek the remedies of penitence and to cleanse yourself in confession through true contrition. Strive to enter into life by the narrow way, that is, not to fulfill the desires of the flesh, to hate the world, and to live by the spirit. You have been called to serve God as a soldier against the vices of the flesh. Do not rest before victory; do not withdraw from the fight, because no one will be crowned unless he is victorious. In this life there is no certain victory, but continual battle. He who perseveres to the end will be saved. A man will be tested at his end. The life of a good man upon earth is warfare. For you are a soldier of the highest king; it is not permitted you to desert his contest. A good soldier follows his king wherever he goes.

Where, then, is your king? In heaven. Why do you not follow him? What are you doing on earth, if you are a soldier of that heavenly king above? Why, then, do you not follow your own king? For he himself says: “He who ministers to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also will my minister be.” Let him follow, he says, not with the steps of the feet, but with the steps of the affections. The Apostle also says: “No one serving as God’s soldier entangles himself in secular affairs, so that he may please the one to whom he has pledged himself.” Therefore, just as those who serve an earthly king obey all his commands and are ready and prompt wherever they are sent, offering no excuse on account of wife or children, so the soldier of Christ must obey his commands in all things and make no excuse at all.

You therefore, who await the unfading crown of victory, labor like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Let no care of earthly anxiety weigh you down; let no enticement of fleshly pleasure touch your mind. Nothing is happier than the soldier of Christ, to whom the kingdoms of heaven are promised; nothing is more laborious, because he daily places his life in danger; nothing is stronger, because he conquers the devil; nothing is weaker, because he overcomes the flesh. Let not household choke you, nor kinship impede you, nor the flesh constrain you. I want you to be without anxiety, so that you may freely think on the things that are God’s. Go naked and unencumbered to heaven, because naked your mother bore you, and naked the earth will receive you.

Love what you do not lose; contemn what you cannot hold; seek that in which you may rejoice happily forever. Live in such a way that you do not fear to die. A good conscience has not deserved death, because through it it knows that it will come to the eternal joys of the heavenly homeland.

You now have, most loving brother, what you asked of me. You have some pattern of good conduct on which you may imprint yourself. You have a rule of holy exhortation to which you can diligently have recourse. I have done what I could, not as much as I wished. For the rest, live according to the Gospel and the constitutions of the holy fathers, in which the whole form of Christian perfection is seen. Farewell, remembering us.

From Spanheim, on the Kalends of April, in the year 1486.

Here ends the little book of Lord Johannes Trithemius, abbot of Spanheim, On the Life of Priests. that is, not to carry out

To fight ... of the flesh ...

[fragmentary duplicate text continues; already translated above]