Dissertation V — On the religious state

Prologue

I have published four volumes upon this argument, of which the first is entitled Historico-Apologetic Commentary, and so forth; the other, Apostolico-Monastic Discipline. Against this Apostolico-Monastic Discipline two volumes came forth: one entitled The Vindication of Regulars; the other marked with this epigraph, The Cloistered Life. These two little books, truly famous and full of erroneous comments, fables, and jeers, I ground down and utterly shattered in the work entitled A Defence of the Decrees of the Council of Trent, distributed into two volumes, and published by the command of the most wise Pontiff Benedict XIV. From these I shall cull a few things.

Nature of the Religious State

Within this division

Chapter I — The notion of the religious state, and its obligation of aspiring to evangelical perfection
Chapter II — On the vow of poverty
Chapter III — Regulars vowing evangelical poverty vow the very community of goods
Chapter IV — The decrees of the Council of Trent and the constitutions of the Supreme Pontiffs urge Regulars to an exact common life, private purses being driven out
Chapter V — Community being taken away, neither the vow of obedience nor the observance of regular discipline can long stand
Chapter VI — How hostilely life-rents fight with the vow of monastic poverty. The excuses and sophisms with which the corruption of private purses is wont to be encrusted
Chapter VII — On the games of Regulars, and other things which fight with the vow of poverty
Chapter VIII — How grave is the obligation of Prelates of bringing in community. What Regulars ought to do who dwell in cloisters where, the common life being driven out, private purses creep in. And whether young men can lawfully receive the religious habit in these places
Chapter IX — On the vow of chastity and of obedience
Chapter X — On the noviceship of Regulars
Chapter XI — On the profession of Regulars
Chapter XII — On the study of letters upon which Regulars are bound to apply themselves; what method is to be observed in learning the sciences