Chapter XXVII.
In contempt of money there is the pattern of justice,
which virtue bishops and clerics ought to aim at together with some
others. A few words are added on the duty of not bringing an
excommunication too quickly into force.
133.
To
come to an
end; we know that contempt of riches is a form of justice, therefore we
ought to avoid love of money, and strive with all our powers never to
do anything against justice, but to guard it in all our deeds and
actions.
134. If we would please God, we must have love, we
must be of one mind, we must follow humility, each one thinking the
other higher than himself. This is true humility, when one never
claims anything proudly for oneself, but thinks oneself to be the
inferior. The bishop should treat the clerics and attendants, who
are indeed his sons, as members of himself, and give to each one that
duty for which he sees him to be fit.
135. Not without pain is a limb of the body
cut off which has become corrupt. It is treated for a long time,
to see if it can be cured with various remedies. If it cannot be
cured, then it is cut off by a good physician. Thus it is a good
bishop’s desire to wish to heal the weak, to remove the spreading
ulcers, to burn some parts and not to cut them off; and lastly, when
they cannot be healed, to cut them off with pain to himself.
Wherefore that beautiful rule of the Apostle stands forth brightly,
that we should look each one, not on his own things, but on the things
of others.
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In this way
it will never come about that we shall in anger give way to our own
feelings, or concede more than is right in favour to our own
wishes.
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Phil. ii. 4
.