Greetings in the Lord. I hear with sorrow—as I ought to be sorrowful about hearing such news—excellent fathers and friars, that you live without peace and unity. You live in one house, but you are not of one mind, and you are not of one heart and one soul in the Lord,2 as required by the Rule.3 That way of miserable and useless living comes either from the weakness of your humility—because where there is true humility, there is peace—or it originates in my negligence. As a matter of fact, it must be both your fault and mine, because we do not weep aloud before the Lord who has created us and we do not pray that he make our way straight in his sight and lead us in his righteousness. He errs, he errs, he errs who presumes to guide himself by his own wisdom—not to speak of guiding others. [Latin: Errat, errat, errat, qui suo consilio seipsum, nedum alios praesumit dirigere: Google Translate: He errs, errs, errs, who by his own counsel presumes to direct himself, let alone others] But guidance must be obtained from God by humble prayer and a devout mind, as the Psalm says, “Direct my steps according to your word.”5 And Tobias teaches his son: “At all times praise the Lord and plead with him to guide your ways.”6 Because you have not done this, or you have not done it properly, it is no wonder that you were not directed but rather hindered. What now? Life without peace is dangerous because it is without Christ, and it is death rather than life.
Therefore I am forced to do in my absence what I did not want to do while present.7 Of course I would by far prefer being with you now, but I cannot be. For that reason, receive my order in salutary obedience, if by chance the Lord of peace will deign to work with us. The entire trouble, or rather the root of your disorder, is that you are not in concord with your head, the prior; this is more harmful than if one friar disagrees with another. Therefore, by authority of this office,8 I order you, Friar Michael Dressel, to resign from your office and [surrender] the seal. By the same authority I release you from the office of prior in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And since I am absent this letter should have the same effect upon you as I would, were I present. I do not want you to complain that I have judged you without a hearing, or that I have not accepted your defense. I am completely convinced that everything you did, you did with the best of intentions. Under no circumstances could I think that you have done anything intentionally or maliciously from which disturbance might have arisen. You have done as much as you had grace to do. I thank you for this, and if any of your friars should not show you their gratitude I should be most displeased. The following should console you. It is not enough that a man be good and pious by himself. Peace and harmony with those around him are also necessary. For the sake of preserving peace, the best undertakings must often be deemed unsatisfactory and be rightly condemned. How much less, then, can undertakings which have not led to peace, though done with good intentions and complete devotion, be considered preferable to peace! Since the prior is now released from his office, I ask you for the sake of Christ’s mercy to plan immediately and unanimously [the election of the new prior]. Choose three candidates in order of preference, according to the Rule.10 I have often found elections to be useless and votes cast in vain. As a result, [I urge you] to conduct this business sensibly and not to elect anyone who is not eligible [for this office], or have anyone of you even cast his vote for such a man; by this I mean someone who may already have an office or who for other reasons is not eligible. In voting this way one wastes time and effort and the votes are cast in vain. Therefore I would like you to list publicly, before the election, all who are not eligible, so that everyone may know for whom he cannot vote. It would not be wrong if you would also list some [friars] qualified for election for the benefit of any who perhaps do not know who is eligible. Whomever you might elect, my excellent friars, do this with all deliberation so that you do not search [for the right candidate] by means of your own ability, but as I have already said, ask with constant prayers for the Lord’s guidance. Scripture states, namely, in Jeremiah, “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not his own, nor are the steps in which he walks his own.”11 For behold, I declare to you and I predict by this letter that if you will not maintain your Rule by prayers as a trust of God, you will not have peace and favorable results, even if St. John the Baptist were your prior. Everything rests in the hand of the Lord. He who does not believe this will suffer distress and restlessness until he finds out by experience.
I ask you to be diligent and faithful in the training of novices. This is, of course, the first and most important task of the whole monastery, as I have said and stressed during my visit with you. Farewell, and pray for me and for all of us. In the monastery at Magdeburg, Friar John Busch, the subdeacon, passed away; at Dresden, the Father Senior, John Kunzel. The plague roars around us, and we daily expect the fate the people of Magdeburg suffer. Therefore pray for us and the brethren at Magdeburg, that the Lord may in mercy call whom he intends to call. Farewell in the Lord. From Wittenberg, September 25, 1516
| Hail in the Lord! I hear with sorrow, as I am worthy to hear, dear fathers and brethren, that ye live without peace and unity, and, though ye be in one hand, have not one manner, nor, as the rule requireth, one heart and one soul in the Lord. Have one heart and one soul in the Lord. This wretched and useless way of life comes either from the weakness of your humility, because where there is humility there is peace, or from my negligence, or at least from your guilt and mine, because we do not complain before the Lord who made us, nor pray that he may guide our way in his sight, and lead us in his righteousness.
He who errs, he who errs, he who fails to guide himself by his counsel, much less others, [German: Der irrt, der irrt, der irrt, der sich vermißt, durch seinen Rath sich selbst, geschweige denn andere zu leiten]
but this must be obtained from God by humble prayer and godly disposition, as the Psalm [119:133.] 9) does: "Let my walk be sure in thy word." Thus Tobias taught his son [Cap.4, 20. Vulg.], "Give thanks always to GOD, and ask Him to guide you in your ways." Therefore, because you did not do this, or did not do it rightly, it is not to be wondered at that you were not guided, but hindered. How now? There is danger in a life without peace, because it is without Christ, and is rather a death than a life.
Therefore I am forced to do absently what I did not want to do at the present time, and now I would like to be present extraordinarily gladly, but I am not able to do it. Therefore, with wholesome obedience, accept this decree of mine, whether perhaps the Lord of peace will deign to work with us. For the whole or the chief cause of your confusion is that you are at variance with your head and prior, and this is more harmful than one brother being at variance with another. Therefore, by the authority of my office, I command you, brother Michael Dressel, that you take office and seal. By this authority I also absolve you from the office of a prior, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. And by this letter, as one absent, I will have done to the absent what I would have done presently to the present. Nor do I want you to complain that I have judged you unheard and have not heard your excuses. For I believe very gladly that all you have done was done in the best opinion, nor can I in any way think that you have done anything deliberately and maliciously to bring about this disturbance; you have done as much as you have had grace to do. For this I give thee thanks, and all thy brethren; if they give thee no thanks, they displease me much.
But this is what must comfort you, that it is not enough for a man to be good and godly for himself, but there must also be peace and harmony of others with him. Often the best works fail, and are justly condemned, that peace may be preserved: how much more are not those to be preferred to peace, which a man hath done in good faith and with all diligence, and yet by the same hath not ministered peace!
Therefore, after the prior has been dismissed from office, I ask you, for the sake of Christ's mercy, to be unanimously careful to elect three in order according to the statutes, namely, so that you do not (as I have often experienced useless elections and futile votes) mention one of them, nor does anyone among you give his vote to one whom one cannot have, namely, one who is already in office or otherwise not available. 1) For if you vote in this way, you lose time and labor, and the votes are given in vain. Therefore it would please me if, before the election, all those were publicly enumerated who cannot be given to you, that every one might know to whom he ought not to give his vote. Nor is it a mistake for you to list some of those who can be given to you.
But whomsoever ye shall choose, do this for him, brethren, with all diligence, that ye entreat, not with your strength, but with continual prayer, as I have said, that the Lord may guide you. For the scripture saith in Jeremiah [Cap. 10:23], "I know, O Lord, that the doings of man are not in his power, neither is it in any man's power how he shall walk, or how he shall direct his course." For behold, I testify unto you by this present writing, and I say unto you beforehand, that except ye obtain a rule over you by prayer of God, ye shall have no peace nor prosperity, even if St. John the Baptist were your prior. All things are in the hand of the Lord; he who does not believe this will have trouble and distress until he learns it.
In the instruction of the young people, I ask you to be diligent and faithful, as in that which is first and highest for the whole convent, as I said and recommended to you when I was present. Be well and pray for me and for all of us. In the convent of Magdeburg the brother Johannes de Buscha (Busscha) has died; the Subdiaconus in Dresden, the 2)father senior, Johann Kunzel. The plague is raging all around us, and we daily expect what the Magdeburgers are suffering. Therefore be mindful of us and of those in Magdeburg, that whom He will call away. He will call in mercy. Be at ease in the Lord. From Wittenberg, on Thursday after Mauritius [Sept. 25] 1516. Brother Martin Luder, temporary [medius] vicar of the Augustinians.
| Greeting in the Lord. I hear with sorrow, as I ought to hear, excellent fathers and brothers, that you live without peace and unity, and that in one house you are not of one mind, nor according to the rule do you have one heart and one soul in the Lord. This miserable and useless manner of life comes from the infirmity of your humility, — for where is humility there is peace— or from my negligence, or certainly from the fault of both of us, that we do not weep before the Lord who made us, nor pray that he would direct our ways in his sight and lead us in his justice.
He errs, he errs, he errs, who would guide himself, not to say others, by his own counsel. . . .
Therefore I am forced to do absent what I would not like to do present, though I greatly wish I could now be present, but I am not able. Therefore receive my command in salu- tary obedience, if perchance the Lord will deign to work his peace in us. For the whole of your strife, or rather its root, is your discord with your head, the prior, which is more harm- ful than a quarrel between brothers. Wherefore, by the authority of my office, I command you. Brother Michael Dressel, to resign your office and seal; and by the same authority I absolve you from the duties of the priorate, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. And these letters shall have the same force as if I were present. I would not have you complain that I have judged you unheard, nor would I receive your excuses. I willingly believe that you have done all with the best intentions in the world, nor can I imagine that you have purposely and maliciously fomented discord; you have done what you had grace to do. For this I thank you, and if your brothers do not thank you they will greatly displease me. . . .
[Instructions for electing a new prior.] . . . I beg that you will be diligent and faithful in the instruction of youth, as in that which is the first and main business of the convent.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments only accepted when directly related to the post.