Note 55 — Chapter III
Reading edition
The monks were strictly enjoined by the monastic rules to study the Bible unceasingly. The Statutes of the Dominican order are particularly impressive on this point, and enforce a constant reading and critical study of the sacred volume, so as to fortify themselves for disputation; they were to peruse it continually, and apply to it before all other reading semper ante aliam lectionem. Martene Thesan. Nov. Anecdot., tom. iv. col. 1932. See also cols. 1789, 1836, 1912, 1917, 1934.