35. to the abbots of the Cistercian Order (1132/40)

To our most beloved and venerable brothers, the lord abbots of Cîteaux, Clairvaux, Pontigny and others congregated in the name of Christ, brother Peter, the humble abbot of Cluny, sends greetings and true love in the Lord.

By what affection of the most beloved do I always love your universality among professed of the religious life, with how much honour do I revere you, …

The reason indeed of this my love towards you is…

I revere in you the fervour of new institution, the perseverance of labour, the meagreness of foodstuffs, the poverty of your clothes, and other innumerable things agreeing with the humility of the monastic project. I embraced with the arms of my whole heart the pratices of your sacred labour and smelling it, I cleaved to the good odour of your name, and I, convinced, was unable to hear anyone interpreting perverse things about you. For I was not content that I alone felt this about you, but made into your preacher, I, the herald of your way of life, preached to ours and others, and both privately and publically with many laudations extolling what [practices] are yours; I also converted the love of many adverse souls towards you. And since through the grace of God … he gave efficacy to my words and united the hearts of our brothers by the unity of our souls, such that in faith and charity already it is possible to believe [there is] not two but one one congregation.

He [the odious enemy, the devil] cast among us the apple of discord, so that, with the one and only charity receding, he sought to put to flight with a minor effort, all types of virtue, and with the head of all good things cut off, also all the members were made to die. Thus plainly he did when the tithe was not rendered by you to Cluniac brothers, or others, and this was affirmed by apostolic privilege.

[gigny]

This I bring up only that moderns are subjected under the ancients, the sons to the fathers by the order of justice…