, how many things could he
bring together whereof even the monks are now ashamed! Over and above
this, they persuaded men that services of man's making were a state of
Christian perfection. And is not this assigning justification to works?
It is no light offense in the Church to set forth to the people a
service devised by men, without the commandment of God, and to teach
that such service justifies men. For the righteousness of faith,
which chiefly ought to be taught in the Church, is obscured when
these wonderful angelic forms of worship, with their show of poverty,
humility, and celibacy, are east before the eyes of men.

Furthermore, the precepts of God and the true service of God are
obscured when men hear that only monks are in a state of perfection. For
Christian perfection is to fear God from the heart, and yet to conceive
great faith, and to trust that for Christ's sake we have a God who has
been reconciled, to ask of God, and assuredly to expect His aid in all
things that, according to our calling, are to be done; and meanwhile,
to be diligent in outward good works, and to serve our calling. In these
things consist the true perfection and the true service of God. It does
not consist in celibacy, or in begging, or in vile apparel. But the
people conceive many pernicious opinions from the false commendations of
monastic life. They hear celibacy praised above measure; therefore they
lead their married life with offense to their consciences. They hear
that only beggars are perfect; therefore they keep their possessions and
do business with offense to their consciences. They hear that it is an
evangelical counsel not to seek revenge; therefore some in private life
are not afraid to take revenge, for they hear that it is but a counsel,
and not a commandment. Others judge that the Christian cannot properly
hold a civil office or be a magistrate.

There are on record examples of men who, forsaking marriage and the
administration of the Commonwealth, have hid themselves in monasteries.
This they called fleeing from the world, and seeking a kind of life
which would be more pleasing to God. Neither did they see that God ought
to be served in those commandments which He Himself has given and not
in commandments devised by men. A good and perfect kind of life is that
which has for it the commandment of God. It is necessary to admonish men
of these things.

And before these times, Gerson rebukes this error of the monks
c