Excerpts from ThurstanŐs letter to William, archbishop of Canterbury, explaining the flight of the monks who left St MaryŐs York
(3/3)
I have given you a wordy and perhaps wearisome
account, because it seemed to me necessary that the state of
affairs, which will hardly be pleasing in the
eyes of other monks, shall be set forth in full, lest an erroneous account
should be spread by the report of enemies. And with regard to
these matters, I entreat
you, O father, for Christ’s sake, to support by your authority the cause
of those who wish to change to a stricter and safer life. If their abbot comes
to you, recall him, by the wisdom vouchsafed you, to peace, and admonish him
not to stand in the way of the holy purpose of his sons.
…
Moreover, these men should not be regarded as turning away from their vow, but
as looking forward, since they are leaving a place where the opportunity of sin
is too great and desire to serve God in more security. … It is surely
well known that the rule of the Blessed Benedict has almost throughout the
world of
monks lost in the sight of all its place and position so that no one can wonder
enough who it is that dares to profess with such solemnity before God and His
saints what he daily neglects, or, to tell the truth, is compelled not to observe.
…
Wherefore those who wish to observe the rule of their profession ought not to
be opposed but protected, nor should they be blamed because for that reason they
hasten to change their home. For ‘God is not chosen for the sake of the
place, but the place for the sake of God.’
… But because of the scandal in the eyes of the weak, who have small knowledge
of the truth, we ask your Holiness and all who have listened to our petition,
to labour to restore peace between the abbot of York and these oft-mentioned
monks. Finally, we ought to remember that a similar secession of monks from
Molesme founded and established that perfect rule of Cistercian life which is
now the
marvel of almost the whole church. Its characteristic for purity was praised
with Christian piety by Father Hugo, archbishop of Lyons, who faithfully determined
that the holy rule should be restored in most perfect entirety. And in the
last place, since the complaint of the malicious monks has come to the notice
of the
apostolic See, over which Pope Urban II presides, a mandate and decree have
gone forth, that the abbot himself should return to the rule of his abbey, from
which
he had departed as much as any one, and that none of the rest who had wished
to live in the absolute observance of their rule should suffer any hindrance
or violence.
