VIII. If any of our members should have a sure prospect of obtaining a bishopric, or other ecclesiastical dignity, he should be compelled, in addition to the accustomed vow of the society, to take another, that he will always esteem and commend our institution, that he will use no confessor, who is not one of us, in short that he will determine nothing, in any important matter, but in accordance with the judgment of the society; in consequence of the non-observance of which by Cardinal Tolet, the society obtained from the holy see, that afterwards no Maronite, the perfidious offspring of the Jews or Mahomedans, should be admitted; and whoever refuses this vow, no matter how distinguished he may be, must be dismissed as the worst enemy of the society.
CAP. XV.
Quomodo agendum cum monialibus, et devotariis.
I. Caveant valde confessarii et concionatores offendere moniales, aut illis dare occasionem tentationis contra vocationem, sed contra affectu potissimum superiorum sibi conciliato, procurent confessiones saltem extraordinarias excipere, et conciones apud eas facere, si gratitudinem illarum vicissim experiantur; multum enim juvare societatem possunt nobiles, præsertim ac divites abbatiæ, tum per se, tum per parentes ac amicos suos, adeo ut mediante notitia primariorum monasteriorum paulatim in notitiam et amicitias totius fere civitatis venire possit.
II. Vetandum tamen ex altera parte devotabus nostris, ne monasteria fæminarum frequentent, ne vivendi ratio illa ipsis magis arrideat, et sic societas expectatione omnium bonorum, quæ possident, frustretur; inducantur vero ad præstandum votum castitatis et obedientiæ in manibus confessarii sui, ostendanturque illam vivendi rationem esse conformem primitivæ ecclesiæ moribus, utpote lucentem in domo, et non sub modio sine proximi ædificatione ac fructu animarum; præterquam quod exemplo viduarum illarum evangelicarum Christo in sociis suis benefaciant de substantia sua: denique omnia quæ in præjudicium claustralis vitæ sunt, exponantur, eique applicent, hujusmodi instructiones illis sub secreti sigillo communicent, ne forte ad aures religiosorum perveniant.
CHAP. XV.
Concerning the treatment of nuns and devotees.
I. The confessors and preachers should be extremely careful not to offend nuns, nor tempt them from their vocation, but on the contrary by conciliating the affection, especially of the superiors, they should bring it about, that at least the principal confessions will be heard, and discourses delivered by themselves, receiving in return the gratitude of the nuns; for noble and rich abbesses can render great service to the society, both personally and through their parents and friends, so that by the aid of the principal monasteries, they may, by degrees obtain the favor and friendship of almost the whole city where they reside.
II. On the other hand, our devotees should be forbidden to frequent nunneries, lest they become too fond of that manner of life, and our society be, in that way, cheated of its expectation, of obtaining all their property: but, let them be induced to perform the vow of chastity and obedience, under the guidance of their confessor, having instructed them that this is the true method agreeably to the practice of the primitive church, rather to let their light shine through the house, than to hide it under a bushel, useless to our neighbor and barren of good to souls: imitating those holy widows who ministered to Christ, let them bestow their goods on his companions: in short, let every thing prejudicial to a cloistered life be told, and urged against it; but such instructions as these must be given under the seal of secrecy, lest they come to the knowledge of other orders.