Question XV: Whether religious ought to labor with their hands

On this point there have been twin errors, yet both extremes.

The FIRST was that of the Psallians, or Messalians, of whom the Historia tripart. lib. 7. cap. 10. and St. Augustine de haeres. 57. speak, who denied that it was lawful for Monks to labor.

The SECOND was that of William, against whom St. Bonaventure wrote the little work on the poverty of Christ, especially q. 2. where he held that religious were bound to labor. His followers were Wycliffe, condemned in the Council of Constance sess. 8. and in the Bull of Martin V. The same was asserted by the sectaries, excepting those who preach; see Castrum V. Labor. Vuald. l. 3. doctrin. fidei, cap. 12. D. Thom. opusc. 19. cap. 5.

I ASSERT, first, that Religious are not bound to apply themselves to labor.

It is PROVED from St. Bonaventure contr. Guil. quaest. 2. first from that passage of Luke 10. where Christ says: Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled: Ergo she was not doing what was commanded. He urges that Christ, praising Mary, praised her not laboring, but attentive to the contemplation of life, as being the better part.

NEXT he proves it, because Christ sent the Disciples to preach, thence promising them sustenance on this ground: For the workman is worthy of his hire. Hence also the Apostles said Act. 6. It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. And Paul in 1 Cor. 9. testifies that he could have expected his sustenance from preaching without manual labor, which nevertheless he says he did not do, for reasons on the other side, as he says following St. Thom. ad 5. The Apostle adds there the reason why he could do this: They that serve the temple, eat of the things that are of the temple; and they that wait at the altar, partake with the altar. St. Augustine uses this reasoning in the book cited.

THIRDLY he proves it from St. August. l. de oper. Monach. from whose context this error also must be driven out, and not merely the opposite extreme uprooted.

It is CONFIRMED by the Glosses of the Fathers, and by the examples of the saintly Founders of Religions, who did not labor, as Benedict, Dominic, Augustine, who did not command it either; Nay, not even the holy Father Francis, who only admonishes that those who wish to labor should not be so attached to it as to neglect spiritual things. St. Bernard moreover composed his Apology, as did the strong argument of St. Bonaventure from the case of Martha adduced above, and from 1 Timoth. where he says that bodily labor profiteth little.

I ASSERT secondly, that some labor rightly.

St. August. de oper. Monach. took this up as a matter to be proved at length.

The Apostle indeed labored to give an example to the Pseudo-apostles, who preached for temporal things alone, 2. Cor. 11. Then that he might not burden those to whom he preached, 2. Cor. 12. Thirdly, to give an example to the idle, 2. Thessal. 3. Yet in other places he did not do so, as St. Thom. says ad 5. with St. August. loc. cit. There indeed he exhorts all Christians, even religious; and those who cannot have a livelihood from elsewhere he commands to labor, saying: If any man will not labor, neither let him eat, as the holy Doctors expound. They add that labor is enjoined for sustenance, lest they turn to base gains; therefore he exhorts them to avoid other occasions of evil, for instance concupiscence, by chastening the body 2. Cor. 6. In labors, and in chastity. To shun the occasion of theft, Ephes. 4. He that stole, let him now steal no more: but rather let him labor. To turn aside covetousness of another's goods, 1 Thessal. 4. That you may walk honestly toward them that are without: To avoid base dealings 2. Thessal. 3. For when we were with you, this we declared to you: That if any man will not work, neither let him eat. For we have heard there are some that walk among you disorderly, working not at all; but curiously meddling.

It is CONFIRMED, for St. Hier. also in his letter to the Monk Rusticus, and St. Benedict, and the holy Father Francis, and St. Augustine exhort to it. Add that some are necessary for the ministries, as laymen, or conversi. And many works are required for the community, see the holy Doctors.

They OBJECT against the first assertion from Genes. 2. He placed him in Paradise of pleasure, to work it. And ch. 3. In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread. But these things are said of all.

The holy Doctor answers that work was given to innocent Adam for solace, and that it is not the work of toil that is referred to there, but good work, whereby by working well he kept himself unharmed in Paradise. But as a punishment it was given to Adam after his fall, not to all; otherwise holy Kings would till the fields. It is given also so that sustenance may be had laboriously with solicitude, which suits all. Hence thou shalt grasp what Zach. ch. 13. I am a husbandman: for Adam is my example, etc. means.

The remaining objections of William, taken from the Apostle and the Fathers, are easily dissolved; for the Apostle imposed labors not on all, but on certain idle wanderers, and exhorted the rest to do the same at times to avoid occasions of evil; as I said. See the holy Doctor ad argumenta, in the solution of which he pours himself out more fully.

See St. Augustine in that work, where thou shalt behold these things as in a mirror: In the earliest times indeed there had burst forth the Sarabites, Gyrovagi, the Idle, wandering about, to whom occupation was enjoined that they might be the censors of others, not truly imitators. Others despised the works of the community under the color of praying. These Hieronymus, Augustinus, Bernardus reprehend. Peruse resp. quarta, cap. 3. D. Bonav. where thou shalt find excellent things.