Steganography Vindicated, Unlocked and Illustrated

[The monks argued] that they could not live otherwise than they had learned, and that the Bursfelde reform original: "reformationem Burſfeldenſem" was too austere and unbearable for them to undergo to any degree. The commissioners, having heard these and many other objections raised against the reform, and wishing to condemn no one hastily, warned them to deliberate further; they then began their official visitation. On the following day, which was August 20th, after the inquiry was completed, the visitors found that Otto, the Abbot of that place, was for certain reasons not fit for the pastoral care required to introduce the reform. After some pious admonitions, they finally persuaded him to resign his abbatial dignity. Thus, Otto resigned the Abbey that same day. The visitors continued their inquiry on that day and the next. Finally, on the morning of August 21st at eight o’clock, they entered the chapter house again and summoned all the monks found there. When they had come and were seated in the designated place, the visitors tried to advise and persuade them in a pious and fatherly way to cast off their "deformity" a term used in monastic records to describe a lack of proper discipline or "form" and submit their necks to the holy reform. However, since they were in no way willing to comply with the pious warnings of the Fathers, the visitors—by the authority granted to them by the Ordinary a high-ranking church official with jurisdiction, likely the Archbishop—expelled them all from the monastery, stripping them by sentence of all rights to this community, regarding elections or any other matters.

Then, they turned their attention to the appointment of a new Abbot. Since no members of the original community remained, the right of election had passed to the Archbishop. Using their delegated authority, and with the advice and consent of the brothers present to introduce the reform, they named, appointed, and installed Johannes Kolenhauſen—a monk and cellarer the officer in charge of a monastery's food and stores of St. James near Mainz original: "Moguntiam"—who was present at the time. The first brothers who came for the reform of this monastery from the community of St. James were four in number; but these men, having been raised in the relative comforts original: "deliciis" of St. James, looked down on staying here for long because of the lack and poverty of this monastery. When those monks returned to St. James, others were sent in their place and stayed for a time, and when they also left, others were sent again. For many years, none of the monks coming from St. James showed steady perseverance in this place except for one; until finally, young men coming from the schools were gathered, and having been instructed and professed according to the custom of the order, they brought a necessary end to these frequent departures. Then in the following year, on the 2nd day of September, the annual chapter of the Bursfelde Union and Observance a influential Benedictine reform movement focused on strict adherence to the Rule of St. Benedict was held in the Monastery of St. Matthias near Trier original: "Trevirim". At this meeting, Johannes, the Abbot of this monastery, and the monastery itself, earned the right to be incorporated into the union and the sharing of all indults, privileges, and graces in the usual form, after the necessary and customary letters were presented.

§. 8. The Origin of the Bursfelde Reform and Union.

In the year of the Lord's Incarnation 1417, all the Abbots and Prelates of this order throughout the entire province of Mainz original: "provinciam Moguntinam" were called and summoned to the council—