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Longer Rules

St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925

Rule 15: At What Age Should We Allow Professions to Be Made, and When May We Consider the…

Since the Lord says: “Suffer the children to come unto me,”³ and the Apostle praises him who from a babe has learned sacred letters,⁴ and elsewhere enjoins the bringing up of children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,⁵ we judge every time, even that of early youth, to be fitting for the reception of novices. Those who are bereft of parents we accept without more ado, and become fathers of orphans after the example of Job’s zeal⁶; but such as are under their parents’ control, when they are brought by them in person we receive in the presence of a number of witnesses, so as not to give a handle of accusation to those who seek one but rather to stop every unjust mouth that utters blasphemy against us. Accordingly we must receive them in accordance with the above principle, but it is expedient that they be not numbered and enrolled with the body of the brethren immediately-—so that in case of failure on their part no reproaches fall on the life of godliness. They should be trained in all godliness as common children of the brotherhood, but both houses and meals, of boys and girls⁷ alike, should be kept separate, so that neither boldness nor excessive freedom towards their elders be engendered, but owing to rarity of meeting reverence for seniors be preserved. (Two other dangers will thus be obviated:) the encouragement to sin that arises from seeing the punishments inflicted on their elders for neglect of duty, should they ever happen to be careless, and the elation which often arises imperceptibly, when they see their seniors stumbling in matters where their own conduct is correct. For he that is childish in mind is no better than the child in years. So that it is not surprising if the same faults are often found in both. Furthermore it is inexpedient for the young through intercourse with their elders to show premature and rash zeal as regards those things in which their elders owing to their age are naturally decorous.

Therefore both for the above reasons and because it is seemly in other respects, it is right to keep the apartments of the boys and the elders separate. Besides, the house of the monks will not be disturbed by the repetition of lessons necessary for the young. But let the prayers ordered for daily use be common both to boys and elders. For both boys are commonly stirred up by the zeal of their elders and the seniors get no small help in prayer from the presence of children. But as regards sleep and rising, the hours of meals and their quantity and quality, let a separate régime and manner of life be prescribed suitable for boys. Let a monk of some age be put in charge of them, surpassing the rest in experience and with a reputation for patience; able to correct the sins of youth with fatherly compassion and skilled words, while he applies to each offence the appropriate remedies, so that at the same time he both punishes the sin and trains the soul in impassivity. For example: has a boy been angry with his comrade? Then let him be compelled to appease him and serve him in a manner befitting the offence. For the habit of humbling oneself cuts out, so to speak, anger from the soul, just as pride as a rule engenders it in us. Has a boy touched food between meals? Let him go without food for the best part of the day. Has he been caught eating in a greedy or rude fashion? Let him be debarred from food at meal time and be compelled to see the rest eating as usual, so that he is punished by abstinence and taught to behave himself. Has he uttered idle words, insulted his neighbour, told lies, or said any other forbidden thing? Let him be disciplined in the stomach and by enforced silence.

Moreover, their literary studies must be appropriate to their ideal.⁸ Thus their teachers will use the language of the Scriptures, and in place of myths will tell them stories of wonderful deeds and educate them by maxims drawn from the Proverbs⁹ and offer rewards for remembering both words and things, so that they accomplish their purpose with delight and mental relaxation finding neither tedium nor offence in their studies. And such pupils being rightly trained will easily attain attention and learn to avoid mental dissipation, if they are regularly examined by their tutors as to their thoughts and wanderings of imagination. For youth, being simple and guileless and unaccustomed to falsehood, confesses readily the secrets of the soul and, to avoid being caught frequently dwelling on forbidden subjects, a boy will avoid wrong thoughts and keep recalling his mind from them, fearing the shame entailed by the scoldings he will receive.

So the soul must be led to practise good immediately and from the outset, while it is still plastic and soft, pliable as wax, and easily moulded by the shapes pressed upon it. So that when reason is added and the power of discrimination it may run its course, starting from the elementary lessons it has already learned and the examples of religion delivered to it; reason will suggest utilitarian motives, habit will make success easy. At this point we must allow the profession of virginity, since it is now valid and takes place with the person’s own consent and judgment, reason being fully developed. Henceforward rewards and punishments are awarded by the righteous Judge to the virtuous and sinners according to their desert. We should bring in the Church authorities¹⁰ as witnesses of their consent, so that by their means the consecration of the body may be hallowed as an offering to God, and their witness may confirm the event.¹¹ “For in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”¹² For thus the zeal of the brethren will avoid calumnies, and those who after making a profession try to annul it will be given no loophole for shameless conduct. But let him that does not accept the life of virginity, since he cannot care for the things of the Lord, be dismissed before the same witnesses. Moreover, when a lad has made his profession after careful examination and consideration—which latter he should be allowed to have by himself for a number of days, so that we do not seem to snatch at him—then at last we must receive him and number him among the brotherhood, to share the same house and food as his seniors.

One thing I omitted to say, and I had better add now. Since some crafts must be practised from childhood, when any of the boys seem fitted to learn, we do not forbid them to spend their days with the teachers of the craft. But at night we restore them to their comrades, with whom also they must take their meals.

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