Here begynneth the rule of seynt Benet

¶In the name of the Trinite / Here ensueth the {pro}logue of the rule of the blacke monk{is} & minchins / made by the moost religiouse fader seynt Be∣net / whiche in the begynnīge of the sayde prologue sayth thus.

[illustration]

FEre and marke well my childrē / the preceptes and cōmaundementes of oure fader & master / & diligent∣ly apply & inclyne the inwarde spiri∣tuall eres of youre hertes / and gladly perceyue and admitte the frutefull admoniciōs of your good & louinge fader / And effectually accomplishe and fullfyll the same / so that by the laboure and vertu of obedience: ye may retorne and cōme a¦gayne to all myghty god / from whome ye were departed: & disseuered thurgh Idelnesse / vice / and disobediēce. ¶Vnto you all therfore / my wordes be nowe derected and spoken / what so euer ye be: that wyll forsake and renounce youre owne wylles / sensualytes / and pleasures / and take vppon you the myghty and noble spyrituall armure of obedience / to doo seruice to that noble and verie true kynge / almyghty god Iesu christe. ¶And firste what so euer goode purpose or werke ye begyn to take vppon you / ye shall before ye be∣gynne it / aske and moste instantly desyre the goode lorde to performe / and make perfeyte your sayde purpose or werke / that he whiche hathe vowchedsafe to accepte vs / as in the nomber of his chosen children / be not at any season moued / displeased / or greued / thurgh our euyll offences & misdedes. ¶For at all seasones / we ought for the great goodnesse that he hath shewed vnto vs / so to bowe & obey vnto him / lesse that he as a displeased fader: for our demerites / not only dis∣inheryte vs as his vnkynde chyldren / but also as a ferefull lorde & mayster? {pro}uoked by our euill dedes / cōdempne vs as frowarde and vnkynde seruantes to perpetuall paynes / by¦cause

we dyde not our diligence to followe him to euerlas∣tinge glorie. ¶Therfore nowe at the laste / let hir arryse ho∣ly scripture exciting vs with these wordes / Tyme is nowe that we arrise frō slepe / & that we open our yes: to the clere lyght of allmighty god / so that we may {per}ceyue & here with attentyue erys / what dayly is cōmaunded vs by the worde of god saynge thus. ¶If ye this day haue harde the worde of almyghty god / be ye not harde nor stobborne / nor stoppe not the erys of your herte. And also he saith agayne / He that hath erys to here: let him here what the holy goost sayth to all cristen people / But what sayth he? Cōme ye my children and here me / I shall teche you to drede god / Renne ye and be diligent: whiles the lyght of lyfe is a monges you / lesse the derkenes of deth catche you / Also all myghty god / seyng his faythfull people & obedient seruantes & workemen: amon∣ges the multytude of his people / not only cryethe after the maner a forsayd / but also he sayth & demaūdeth in this wy∣se / what man is he that wyll haue euerlastinge lyfe / and de∣syreth to see good dayes? And if thou heryng these wordes woll answere & say / I am he. allmyghty god then sayth to the ageyne. If thou wol haue trewe & euerlasting lyfe: with drawe & kepe thy tonge from all euyll / and suffer no fraude ne dissayte passe thurgh thy lyppes / turne the from all euyll / & doo that is goode / seke out & pursue peax / & folowe the sa∣me. And whē ye do after this maner sayth allmyghty god / then shall myne yes be open & fixed vppon you / & myne erys allway redy to your prayers & peticions / & before ye shall call vppō me I shall p̄uent you / & shall say / lowe here I am / redy to youre desyres. ¶O dere susters (sayth seynt Benet) what thyng may be to vs swetter then this voyce of our sauiour? in the maner a forsayd / callynge vs to him. Be holde susters (sayth seint Benet) Sith almyghty god of his owne kynd∣nes / pitie / & mere mociō / byfore we aske it: sheweth to vs the way of lyfe / let vs therfore array / & excercyse our selue in the fayth / and in the obseruāce of good workes / & let vs take vp∣pon vs: the Iorney of allmyghty god / folowinge the lawe &

ledinge of his gosple / that we may deserue to see him in his kyngdōme of heuen / whiche hath thus called vs to him by his grace. In which kyngdōm / if we intēde to haue a restin∣ge place / we must diligently inforse and indeuor our selfe to labor in good workes / without the which the sayd restinge place & kyngdōme / can not be attaygned. ¶But then aske we all myghty god with the prophete saynge thus. Goode lorde who shall dwell in thy heuenly kyngdōme and place / or who shall make his restynge place in thy holy mounte of heuen? After this interrogacion. Dere susters (saythe seynt Benet) let vs here our lorde answeringe: and shewinge to vs the ryght way to his heuenly mansion. ¶He (almyghty god saythe) shall dwell in my heuenly howse / that lyueth without spot of synne and dothe ryghtfull werkes. He that thinkes truly in his hart / and worketh no desseyte with his tonge / he that hathe doone none euyll to his neyghbor: nor enterprysed none obprobriose sclaunderose / nor shamefull thinge to the hurte of his neyghbor. He that dispiseth & put∣teth out of his hart. our mortall foo the cursed finde / and ha∣th vtterly brought him to nought / with all his suggestions temptacions / and entisinges / & hath brokyn & resisted them at the firste monicion of them / and stedfastly holden his in∣warde thoughtes vnto christe. they that drede god & extoll not theym selfe / ne be prowde of their good religiose dedes / but supposinge and thinkinge verely the goodnes which is in them / not to be of them selfe / but of the gyfte of god: doo lawde / and magnify god for his graciose operacion ī them / saing with the {pro}phete thus. Not to vs good lord / not to vs / but to thy holy name gyue thou prayse & glory / as thapostell Paule whiche dyd not impute any parte of his p̄ching & te∣chinge to hīselfe / but sayd. By the grace of god & not of my selfe / I am as I am. & ageyne he saythe. He that ioyeth or se∣keth ony laude or glory / let hī ioy ī god / & gyue laude & glory to hī. wherof our lord speketh thus ī his gospell / who so he∣reth these my wordes / & doth the same in dede: I shall lyken hī to a wyse man that hath bulded his howse vppō a rocke.

there cam bytter stormes / both waters & wynd{is} / & brast īto the howse / & yet it fell not downe / why? for it was buelded vppon a stedfaste stone. ¶Oure lorde whiche dyd accom∣plisshe & perfourme all these poyntes and condicions in his owne persone / loketh dayly that we shall make goode / and by oure werkes satisfye and conforme vs to these his ho∣ly monicions / And therfore the dayes of this present lyfe be prolongued vnto vs and prorogued as a daye of treuxe / for the amendinge of oure shrewde dedes / the apostell saynge thus. Can thou nat tell man / that the longanimite / pacience and longe sufferance of almyghty god / is to induce and ex∣cyte the to repentance penance and reformacion? For oure lorde saith of his great mercy and pitie / I will not the deth of a synner / but I desyre that he be conuerted and amēded / and lyue. ¶Nowe dere susters (saith seint Benet) whā we asked our sauioure of the dwellers and inhabitantes of his holy and heuenly mācion / we harde by and by / his precepts howe we myght attaygne to it / & to deserue to dwell in it. And if we doo the office of trewe inhabitantis / we shall be inheritours of the kyngdome of heuē / Therfore dere sisters (sayith seynt Benet) ye muste make redy youre hartes / and your bodies to obey the preceptes and cōmaundementes of our rule / by vertu of obedience / And where thurgh the fra∣gilite of nature / and the infirmite of our selfe we be insuffi∣cient and vnhable so to do / we shall beseche all myghty god that his grace may be to vs / ayde & socoure in that behalfe / And if we woll eschewe the paynes of hell / & cōme to euer∣lastinge lyfe / let vs then whiles we haue tyme and laysour: and whiles we in this our mortall body lyue: and may ful∣fyll by the lyght of this presēt lyfe / all these forsayde p̄ceptes: diligētly ren and labor. & so good work{is} do nowe / that they may profyte vs in tyme to cōme. ¶wherfore (sayth seynte Benet) we muste nowe orden a schole of the seruice of al∣myghty god / that is to say this p̄sent rule / ī the whiche ordi∣nāce (sayth seynt Benet) we trust to put nothyng that hard is / sharpe / or greuous / Albeit / if any maner of thyng for any

resonable cause / passe by our sayd schole & ordinance for the redressinge of defaultes and for the cōseruacion of charite / the whiche thou shalte thynke rigorouse or straiete / thou shalt not therfore be sodenly afrayde / and for fere at a chop flee and forsake the waye of euerlastinge lyfe / seinge that it cannot be entred: but with a harde & a straict begynninge / For in proces of tyme / & by cōtinuance of good cōuersacion / the way of the cōmaūdemēt{is} of almyghty god / is by thex∣cellent swetnesse of his loue / & with glad hart / easely & ioy∣fully walkyd / And so this schole of saynte Benet / is ordey∣gned to thentēt that we neuer departinge from christis in∣structions & p̄ceptis / but alwaye {per}seueringe in his doctrine in monasteris: tyll dethe cōme vppon vs / thurgh pacience and tribulacions / beare so in vs parte of his passion / that fy∣nally we may deserue to be cytezins of his kyngedom of heuyn.