Exordium cistercii

The Exordium Cistercii is a 12^th century summary of the same events described in the Exordium Parvum. In the manuscripts, it is followed by a summary of the Charter of Charity and a collection of early Cistercian legislation, the Institutes. Some of the language versions below contain all 3 documents, some only the Exordium Cistercii.

God, for whom it is easy to make great things from small, many things from few, beyond all hope stirred up the heart of many to imitate them, so that in the cell for the testing of novices, thirty were dwelling together.