Chapter XVIII. Of Religious Orders and Confraternities

Q. What is the meaning of so many religious Orders in the Catholic Church, under different denominations; are not all Catholics of the same religion?

A, Yes, certainly, all Catholics, and consequently all these religious, though called by different denominations, are all of one religion, professing one and the same faith, acknowledging one and the same Church-authority, and all the decisions of the Church; subject to one and the same head, and closely united together in one communion.

Q. In what then do^hese religious Orders differ one from another, if they are all of one religion?

A. They differ in having different rules and constitutions prescribed by their respective founders; different habits; different exercises of devotion and penance; different institutes; some wholly sequestered from the world, and addicted to prayer and contemplation; others employed in preaching, teaching and converting souls; others tending the sick, redeeming captives, &c. so as to make a beautiful variety in the Church of God of different companions, all tending towards Christian perfection, though by different exercises, according to the spirit of their respective institutes.

Q. Are not all these religious consecrated to God by certain vows?

-4, Yes: there are three vows which are common to them all, viz. of poverty, chastity and obedience. By the vow of poverty, they renounce all property in the things of this world, so as to have nothing at their own disposal; by the vow of chastity they renounce all carnal pleasures; and by the vow of obedience, they give up their own will to follow that of God in the person of their superior.

Q. How do we know that this voluntary poverty, perpetual chastity, and entire obedience, are agreeable to God?

A. That voluntary poverty, or renouncing the goods and possessions of this world, is agreeable to God, is evident from St. Matt. xix. 21. 'If thou jvilt be perfect, go and sell all thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.' That perpetual chastity is agreeable to God, is no less evident, from St. Matt. xix. 12. ' There be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake — he t^at is able to receive it, let him receive it.' And that an entire obedience to lawful superiors must needs be agreeable to the divine Majesty, is evident, because obedience is better than sacrifice; since by obedience we give up to God, and for God, that which is naturally most dear to us, viz. our liberty, and that which stands most in the way of our soul's welfare, viz. our own will and self-love.

Q. Ought any Christians to embrace this state of life without a call from God?

A, No, certainly; it would be rashness to atj tempt it.

Q. How shall any person know if he have a call from God to this state of life?

A, By consulting God, his director, and his own heart In choosing a state of life every one ought to consult God, in the first place, by fervent prayer, begging daily of him like the convert: St. Paul, Acts ix. 6. 'Lord! what wilt thou have me to do?' He ought also to consult with a virtuous and prudent director, and to lay open to him the inclinations of his heart, and the motives upon which he is inclined to embrace this kind of life; for there is no better proof of a call from God than when a person, after having consulted God by prayer, finds in himself a strong inclination to a religious life, and that for a long time, and upon motives which have nothing in them of self-love, but are such as could not be suggested but by the grace of God.

Q. What are the motives upon which a Christian should embrace a religious life?

A. To do penance for his sins; to fly from the dangers and corruptiotis of this wicked world: to consecrate himself wholly to the service of God, and sanctify himself by the exact observance of his vows, and all the exercises of a religious life; and to tend without ceasing to Christian perfection.

Q. But may it not be feared, that young persons may too rashly engage themselves by vows in a \ religious state for which they are not fit?

A. To prevent this inconvenience, the Catholic Church suffers none to be professed in any order of men or women without a year's noviceship, by way of probation or trial.

Q. Is a religious state of life very ancient in the Church of God?

A. Yes, very ancient; for not to mention St. John Baptist's life in the wilderness, St. Luke i. 30. and the lives of the first Christians of Jerusalem, who had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, &c.' Acts ii. 44, 45, 46, in which they exhibit a specimen of a religious life; we learn from the most certain monuments of antiquity, that even in the three first centuries there were religious men, whom Eusebius calls Ascetse, and great numbers of nuns or virgins consecrated to God; though neither the one nor the other was as yet formed into the regular monas-teries till the beginning of the fourth century.

About the middle of the third century, St. Paul the first hermit, flying from the fury'of the persecution begun by Decius, in the year 289, retired into the desert of Thebais, and there passed ninety years and upwards in a lonesome cave, in conversation with God. His wonderful life is extant^ written by St. Jerome.

About the year 271, St. Anthony, a young gentleman of Egypt, left his estate and the world to consecrate himself to a religious life. He found, at his first retirement, some others that had already undertaken that kind of life, though few in number, and those living near the towns or villages; but he, by his example, drew great numbers after him into the desert, and is generally looked upon as the author and father of a monastic life. His life is written by the great St. Athanasius, and is full of excellent lessons of spirituality.

About the year 313, St. Pachomius retired from the world, and after having lived some time in solitude with St. Palemon, became the father of many religious, and the first founder of the famous congregation of Tabenne, to which he prescribed a rule which he had received from an angel.....From these beginnings, the deserts of Egypt and of Thebais, soon were peopled with innumerable solitaries, and all those parts were full of religious of both sexes of admirable virtue,* insomuch, that when Rufinus visited those countries in the latter end of the fourth century, he found in the city of Oxyrincus alone, ten thousand religious men, and twenty thousand nuns.

From Egypt this kind of life, so agreeable to the principles of the gospel, and the spirit of Christianity, quickly spread itself through all parts of the world inhabited by christians. St. Hilarian, having learned St. Anthony's way of living, began to practise the like in Palestine about the beginning of the fourth century; and that country also was quickly replenished with religious men and wo-men: whilst St. James, afterwards bishop of Nisibis, St. Julian Sabas, and other great servants of God, whose lives and miracles are recorded by Theodoret in his Philotheus, propagated the same way of living in Syria and Mesopotamia. About the same time, or not long after, the deserts of Pontus and Cappadocia began also to be inhabited by religious men, whose manner of life was embraced by those two great lights of the church, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Basil, the latter of which composed an excellent rule for his religious, professed to this day by the Greek and Russian monks, and by some in Poland and Italy.

As for the Western parts of the church, we find that the monastic life had already gained a great footing there in the fourth century. St. Augustine |informs us of a monastery near the walls of Milan, Yull of good religious men, under the care of St. Ambrose, 1. 8. Confess, ch^. 6; and of several such religious societies at Rome,^ his book of the manI ners of the Catholic Church, chap. 33; and of a h''^ religious house near Treves, in Germany, where two courtiers, upon reading the life of St. Anthony, consecrated themselves to God, 1. 8. Confess, c. 6. And the same St. Augustine, upon his return into Africa, after his conversion, propagated the same kind of life in that part of the world also.

In France, the great St. Martin, bishop of Tours, in the fourth century, whose apostolic life and miracles are recorded by Sulpicius Severus, founded the monastery of Marmoutier, in which he united together in one the clerical and monastical life, as St. Eusebius had done before him at Vercelli in Piedmont. But the most famous monastery in all France was that of the isle of Lerines, founded towards the close of the fourth century, by St. Honoratus, afterwards bishop of Aries; which was the fruitful parent of many, great saints and illustrious prelates.

As for our British islands, though we know not the particular time when the first monasteries began to be established, yet we are assured, that we were not long behind our neighbours in en>- bracing this kind of life. The monastery of Ban-gor, in Wales, in which there were above two thousand monks was very * ancient; and we aro told of an ancient monastery at Winchester, before the Saxons came over into this land. As for Ireland, St. Patrick who established Christianity there, settled also the monastic discipline amongst his converts; which from thence was propagated to the Picts in Scotland, by St. Columba, alias Columkil, the apostle of that natfon, who having first founded in Ireland the famous abbey Dearmach, afterwards passing into Scotland, founded that of the isle of Hy^from which two monas-teries, many others, as well in Ireland as in Scot-land, had their origin, as following the institute of the aforesaid St. Columba, of whom Ven. Bede, in his third book of Ecclesiastical History of the English Church, chap, 4. writes thus: ^ Of whose life and words (he speaks of St. Columba) some writings are said to be preserved by his disciples. But whatsoever he was himself, this we know of him for certain, that he has left successors renowned for much continency, the love of God, and regular observance.'

From this monastery of the isle of Hy, St. Ai-dan, the first bishop of Lindisfarn, and many other apostolic preachers came, who preached and established Christianity among the Northern English, as St. Augustine and his companions did amongst those of the South, St. Felix amongst the East English, and St. Birinus amongst those of the West.

Q. I should be glad to know which are the chief religious Orders that flourish at present in the church of God; together with the names of their founders, the time of their first institution, &c.

A. I shall endeavour to satisfy you as briefly as I can. And, first, as to the East. The Orders that flourish there, are those of St. Anthony, and of St. Basil, of which we have spoken already.

In the West St. Augustine, upon his return into Africa, about the year 390, with divers others his companions, entered into a religious society, wherein he lived for three years before his coming to Hippo. And after his coming to that city, where he was first made priest, and afterwards bishop, he erected a monastery within his own house, living there with his clergy in common; to which institute the c^anon regulars of Saint Augustine owe their original, who have flourished ever since in the church of God, and have branched out into divers congregations, as that of Saint John Latern, that of Saint Victor, of Saint Genovesa, <Stc. As the hermits of St. Augustine's Order, commonly called Austin friars, derive their institute from his first religious society, before his coming to Hippo, those hermits were translated from the desert into towns, by pope Innocent the fourth, to the end that their godly conversation might be more profitable to their neighbours. From this Order Luther apostatized in the sixteenth century, and like the dragon; Revel, xii. ver. 4. <Drew with him the third part of the stars of heaven,' (that is, great numbers of religious of all denominations) 'and cast them to the earth.'

Towards the end of the fifth century, St. Benedict, vulgo Bennet, retired from the world; and after having practised for many years a religious life in a most eminent degree of perfection, founded twelve monasteries in Latium; and the thirteen at Mount Cassini, in the kingdom of Naples, from which he happily passed to the mountain of eternity, in the sixth century. He composed an excellent rule, which was afterwards embraced by almost all the religious of the West, till towards the twelfth century; and has furnished the church of God with innumerable prelates and apostolic men, and heaven with innumerable saints. The wonderful life of St. Benedict was written by St. Gregory the Great in his dialogues.

From the rule of St. Benedict many other Orders have sprung besides the Benedictines, as the Cluniacenses, so called from their first abbey of 'Cluny in France. These were instituted by St. Odo, in the tenth century, and for a long time flourished in great sanctity. The Camaldulenses, instituted by St. Romuald, amongst the Apennino mountains, about the year 1000, and to this day edifying the church, yielding a sweet odour of sanctity to all that come near them. The monks of Valombrosa, instituted by St. John Gaulbert, in the eleventh century, and called from the place of their first institution. The Cistercians, so called from their first abbey, founded about the end of the eleventh century, by St. Robert, abbot of Molesme in France. St. Robert being obliged to return to his abbey of Molesme, left for his successor St. Albericus, who was succeeded by St. Steven Harding, an Englishman, who had the happiness to receive St. Bernard into his society, by whose preaching and miracles this Order was wonderfully propagated, and the religious of it, from him are commonly called Bernard ines. Of this Order is the famous abbey of La Trappe in France, which in these, our days, has renewed the austerities and abstracted lives of the primitive religious. I pass over several other religious professing the rule of St. Benedict, as the Silvesterines, the Grandimontenses, the Celestines, so called from St. Peter Celestine, their founder, the Olivetants, &c.

Towards the end of the eleventh century, St. Bruno, a doctor of Paris, with six companions, retired from the world to the desert mountains of Carthusia, in the diocese of Grenoble in Dauphine, and there laid the foundation of the Order of the Carthusians, formerly in England called the Charterhouse monks j who to this day have happily preserved their primitive fervor, keeping perpetual silence (only when they are singing the praises of God) perpetual abstinence, wearing always a rough hair-shirt, and continually employed in prayer and contemplation.

About the year 1120, St. Norbert, who had exchanged the court life, for the voluntary poverty recommended by the Gospel, founded an Order of Canon regulars, from him called Norbertines, and Premontratenses, from Premontr6, the place of their first abbey, in the diocese of Laon in France.

In the same age also wsls instituted in France the Order of the Blessed Trinity, for the redemption of captives out of the hands of infidels, by St. John de Matha and St. Felix de Valois, two holy priests and solitaries invited to this charitable work by divine visions. As in the following age another Order was instituted in Spain for the same end, by St. Peter Nolascus. This is commonly called, the Order of our Lady de Mercede, or of the Redemption.

About the year 1200, the Carmelites were first brought into Europe, and were quickly spread through all parts of Christendom, where they have flourished exceedingly: no where more than heretofore in England, where from the colour of their mantles they were called white friars. These were originally hermits living upon Mount Carmel, who whilst the christians were in possession of Syria and the Holy Land, were assembled together by Aimeric the patriarch of Antioch, and received a rule from Albert patriarch of Jerusalem. This rule was afterwards mitigated by the pope; but embraced again in its full extent by St. Teresa, in the sixteenth century, and by the friars and nuns that follow her reform, and are called Discalced, or Barefoot Carmelites.

Not long after the Carmelites coming into Eu-rope, God was pleased to raise two new Orders, which have flourished from that time to this day; and furnished the church with several popes, innumerable cardinals, bishops, ecclesiastical writers, and apostolic men; and have both been very fruitful in saints, viz. the Order of St. Dominick, and that of St. Francis. The Dominicans, or Friars Preachers, were instituted for preaching the Gospel to infidels and sinners, which they have done with great success. These were formerly, in our country, called Black Friars, from the colour of their cloak or outward habit, which is black, as the Franciscans, were called Grey Friars. St. Francis would have his religious, for humility, called Friars Minors, whom he trained up in great poverty and penance. And so great and speedy was the increase of this Order, that in a chapter held by the saint himself, at Assisium, there were assembled no less than five thousand reliorious. This Order at present is the most numerous in the church of God, and is divided into three chief branches, under their respective generals, viz. the Conventuals, the Observants, and the Capuchins. The Observants are again sub-divided into Cordeliers, Recollects, &c. Besides which, there is the congregation of St. Peter of Alcantara, which is the strictest of all. The nuns, who follow the rule of St. Francis, are commonly called Poor Clares, from St. Clare, who first received the habit from St. Francis, and was the first abbess. Besides these there are Capuchinesses or Penitents nuns, of the third Order of St. Francis, &c.

Other Orders that have been founded between the beginning of the thirteenth century and the sixteenth, are the Servites, or servants of the blessed Virgin, instituted about 1232, by seven gentlemen of Florence, who retired themselves ta a neighbouring mountain to do penance; the Crucigeri, or Crutched Friars, though these, by some-are supposed to have been much more ancient;.

the Jesuali instituted by St. John Colombin, anno 1356; the Brigiitins, by St. Brigit, anno 1360; the Hieronnimites, by Pedro Ferdinando, anno 1383; the Minims, by St. Francis of Paula, about the year 1460, &c.

The sixteenth century gave rise to "several new, Orders: the Theatins, or Regular Clerks, were instituted anno 1528, St. Cajetanus Thianseus, a n^an of apostolic life. This Order flourishes very much in Italy, as well as the Barnabites or Clerics Regular of St. Paul.

The Jesuits, or Society of Jesus, were instituted by St. Ignatius of Loyola anno 1540, as a troop, or company of auxiliaries, to assist the pastoral clergy in that time of the church's greatest necessity; to labour in the conversion and sanctification of souls; to train up youth in piety and learning; to defend the faith against heretics, and propagate it amongst infidels: in all which particulars, this Order has done signal services to the church in these two last centuries.

About the same time, St. John de Deo founded an Order of religious brethren, to take care of the sick, and to provide for them all necessary assistance both for soul and body.

In the beginning of the seventeenth century, St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva, instituted the Order of the nuns of the Visitation of the blessed Virgin. And thus have I given you a short account of the chief orders that flourish in! the church.

Besides these religious Orders, there are certain regular congregations of clergy living in common, though not under the tie of religious •vows; as, the Oratorians, instituted by St. Philip.'Neriusj'in the sixteenth century; the Fathers of the Christian Doctrine; the Lazarians, or Fathers of the Mission, &;c.

Q. Are there not also many confraternities amongst the Catholics, in which many of the laity are enrolled; pray what is the meaning of these confraternities?

A, These confraternities, or brotherhoods, are certain societies or associations, instituted for the encouragement of devotion, or for promoting of certain works of piety, religion and charity, under some rules or regulations, though without being tied to them, so far as that the breach or neglect of them would be sinful. The good of these confraternities is, that thereby good works are promoted, the faithful are encouraged to frequent the sacraments, to hear the word of God, mutually to assist one another by their prayers, &c.