§11Quid in zeli tenebras ruis, quid te nubilo liuoris inuoluis, quid inuidiae caecitate omne pacis et caritatis lumen extinguis, quid ad diabolum cui renuntiaueras redis, quid Cain similis existis? homicidii namque facinore constringi eum quisque zelauerit et odio habuerit fratrem suum declarat Iohannes apostolus in epistula sua dicens: qui fratrem suum odit homicida est: et scitis quia omnis homicida non habet in se uitam manentem. et iterum: qui dicit se in luce esse et fratrem suum odit in tenebris est usque adhuc et in tenebris ambulat et non scit quo eat, quoniam tenebrae excaecauerunt oculos eius. qui odit, inquit, fratrem suum in tenebris ambulat et non scit quo eat. it enim nescius in gehennam, ignarus et caecus praecipitatur in poenam, recedens scilicet a Christi lumine monentis et dicentis: ego sum lumen mundi. qui me secutus fuerit non ambulabit in tenebris, sed habebit lumen uitae. sequitur autem Christum qui praeceptis eius insistit, qui per magisterii eius uiam graditur, qui uestigia eius adque itinera sectatur, qui id quod Christus et docuit et fecit imitatur secundum quod Petrus quoque hortatur et monet dicens: Christus passus est pro uobis relinquens uobis exemplum, ut sequamini uestigia eius. §12Meminisse debemus quo uocabulo plebem suam Christus appellet, quo titulo gregem suum nuncupet.
Why do you rush into the darkness of jealousy, why do you wrap yourself in the cloud of envy, why do you extinguish all the light of peace and charity with the blindness of jealousy, why do you return to the devil whom you had renounced, why do you exist like Cain? For John the apostle declares in his epistle, saying: 'He who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.' And again: 'He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he goes, because darkness has blinded his eyes.' 'He who hates,' he says, 'his brother, walks in darkness, and does not know where he goes.' For he goes unwitting into Gehenna; ignorant and blind, he is cast headlong into punishment, departing, of course, from the light of Christ who warns and says: 'I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' Now, he follows Christ who stands fast in His precepts, who walks by the way of His teaching, who follows His footsteps and His paths, who imitates that which Christ both taught and did, according as Peter also exhorts and warns, saying: 'Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow His steps.' We ought to remember by what name Christ calls His people, by what title He designates His flock.
oues nominat, ut innocentia christiana ouibus aequetur: agnos uocat, ut agnorum naturam simplicem simplicitas mentis imitetur.
He names them sheep, so that Christian innocence may be likened to sheep; He calls them lambs, so that simplicity of mind may imitate the simple nature of lambs.
quid sub uestitu ouium lupus latitat, quid gregem Christi qui christianum se mentitur infamat? Christi nomen induere et non per Christi uiam pergere quid aliud quam praeuaricatio est diuini nominis, quam desertio itineris salutaris? quando ipse doceat et dicat eum ad uitam uenire qui mandata seruauerit et eum esse sapientem qui uerba eius audierit et fecerit, doctorem quoque eum maximum in regno caelorum uocari qui docuerit et sic fecerit, tunc praedicanti profuturum quod bene adque utiliter praedicatum fuerit, si id quod ore promitur factis sequentibus inpleatur.
Why does a wolf lurk under the clothing of sheep? Why does he who falsely claims to be a Christian bring disrepute upon Christ's flock? To put on the name of Christ and not to go by the way of Christ, what else is it than a transgression of the divine name, than an abandonment of the salutary way? Since He Himself teaches and says that he comes to life who has kept the commandments, and that he is wise who has heard His words and done them, and also that he is called the greatest in the kingdom of heaven who has taught and so done, then what has been well and usefully preached will profit the preacher, if what is uttered by the mouth is fulfilled by the deeds that follow.
quid uero insinuauit crebrius discipulis suis Dominus, quid inter monita salutaria et praecepta caelestia custodiendum magis seruandumque mandauit quam ut eadem dilectione qua discipulos ipse dilexit nos quoque inuicem diligamus? quomodo autem uel pacem Domini uel caritatem tenet qui intercedente zelo nec pacificus potest esse nec carus?
What indeed did the Lord more frequently instill into His disciples, what among His salutary admonitions and heavenly precepts did He command to be guarded and observed more than that we should also love one another with the same love with which He loved His disciples? But how does he hold either the peace of the Lord or charity, who, through the intervention of jealousy, can be neither peaceable nor loving?
§13Ideo et apostolus Paulus cum pacis et caritatis merita depromeret cumque adseueraret firmiter et doceret nec fidem sibi nec eleemosynas nec passionem quoque ipsam confessoris et martyris profuturam, nisi caritatis foedera integra adque inuiolata seruasset, adiecit et dixit: caritas magnanima est, caritas benigna est, caritas non zelat, docens scilicet et ostendens eum posse caritatem tenere quisque magnanimus fuerit et benignus et zeli ac liuoris alienus.
Therefore also the apostle Paul, when he was bringing forth the merits of peace and charity, and when he was firmly asserting and teaching that neither faith, nor alms, nor even the very suffering of a confessor and martyr would profit him unless he had kept the covenants of charity whole and inviolate, added and said: 'Charity is magnanimous, charity is kind, charity envies not;' teaching, of course, and showing that anyone can hold charity who is magnanimous and kind and free from jealousy and envy.
item alio loco cum moneret ut homo iam sancto Spiritu plenus et natiuitate caelesti Dei filius factus non nisi spiritalia et diuina sectetur, ponit et dicit: et ego quidem, fratres, non potui uobis loqui quasi spiritalibus sed quasi carnalibus, quasi infantibus in Christo.
Likewise in another place, when he was warning that a man already filled with the Holy Spirit and, by a heavenly birth, made a son of God, should pursue nothing but spiritual and divine things, he poses and says: 'And I indeed, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
. lacte uos potaui, non cibo. nondum enim poteratis, sed neque nunc potestis.
I have fed you with milk, not with meat; for you were not yet able, but neither now can you.
adhuc enim estis carnales.
For you are still carnal.
ubi enim in uobis zelus et contentio et dissensiones, nonne carnales estis et secundum hominem ambulatis?
For where there is among you jealousy and contention and dissensions, are you not carnal, and walk according to man?'