Page:The Church, by John Huss.pdf/245

Rh tivity, lest by defect of pure purpose we fall into hypocrisy, of which it is said: "Take heed that ye do not your alms to be seen of men," Matt. 6:1. Nor will there be any example of conforming one's works to one's words such as Christ spoke of: "The Pharisees say and do not," Matt. 23:3. And so he counselled the hypocrite to "first cast out the beam out of his own eye," Luke 6:42. Nor will there be there the care of this world, choking out the Word, of which it is said: "Be not anxious, saying what shall we eat," etc., Matt. 6:31. Nor will there be any reproving of the brother, of which it is said: "If thy brother sin against thee, go and rebuke him between thyself and him alone," Matt. 18:15. All these twelve counsels, in their primary form, they will not hold it necessary to put into practice, but they will observe them in a secondary sense and form, as eternal commands, which are healthful in the way unto life.

And would that the clergy, and especially the religious who value the counsels of men, and that all others who depend on human counsel might hearken unto these counsels of the heavenly physician, for undoubtedly they are preservatives against possible sins, purgatives for sins already committed, and conservatives of health already attained. Therefore, all pilgrims are obligated to keep these counsels or some of them, as occasion demands, on the pain of venial sin. And in order to pronounce judgment in these cases the best judge will be cautious in regard to himself when he is watching out that he may not fall into sin by failure to observe any one of these twelve—that he does not act quickly, lest he contemn a divine counsel.

And it is to be noted that the twelfth counsel, namely, the rebuke of a brother, sometimes is a counsel when it concerns venial offences, and sometimes a command when it concerns the rebuke of mortal sins. And this second kind of rebuke it belongs to every one to exercise, and it is always obligatory, but not on all occasions, for, as to place