Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 25

(Admonition 7.) In one way are the wise of this world to be admonished, in another the dull. The wise, indeed, are to be admonished that they cease to know the things they know; the dull, too, are to be admonished that they seek to know the things they know not. In the former this must first be destroyed, that they deem themselves wise; in the latter there must now be built up whatever is known of heavenly wisdom, because, while they are in no wise proud, they have, as it were, prepared their hearts for receiving the edifice. With the former we must labour that, becoming fools that they may be wiser, they forsake foolish wisdom and learn the wise foolishness of God; but to the latter it must be preached that, from what is deemed foolishness, they pass more nearly over to true wisdom. For to the former it is said:

If any man among you seem to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise (1 Cor. 3:18); but to the latter it is said: Not many wise according to the flesh (ibid. 1:26). And again: The foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that He may confound the wise (ibid. 27). The former are for the most part converted by the arguments of reasoning, the latter sometimes better by examples. To the former it profits that they lie vanquished in their own allegations; to the latter it sometimes suffices that they come to know the laudable deeds of others. Whence the excellent master, a debtor to the wise and to the unwise (Rom.

1:14), when he admonished some of the Hebrews who were wise and some who were slower, speaking to the former concerning the completion of the Old Testament, overcame their wisdom by argument, saying: For that which decayeth and groweth old is near unto vanishing away (Heb. 8:13). But when he saw that some were to be drawn by examples alone, in the same Epistle he added: The saints had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bonds and prisons; they were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they died by the slaughter of the sword (ibid. 11:36, 37). And again: Remember your prelates, who have spoken the word of God to you; whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation (ibid. 13:7);

so that victorious reason might break the former, and coaxing imitation might persuade the latter to ascend to greater things. (Admonition 8.) In one way are the impudent to be admonished, in another the bashful. The former, namely, nothing but harsh rebuke restrains from the vice of impudence; but the latter modest exhortation for the most part disposes to what is better. The former know not that they offend, unless they are rebuked even by many; to the latter it for the most part suffices for conversion that the teacher recall their evils to memory at least gently. The former he better corrects who reproves by inveighing; but to the latter greater profit is brought if what is reproved in them be touched, as it were, from the side. For, openly rebuking the impudent people of the Jews, the Lord says:

Thou hast had a harlot's forehead, thou wouldst not blush (Jer. 3:3). And again, comforting the bashful, He says: Thou shalt forget the confusion of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more, for He that made thee shall rule over thee (Isa. 54:4). Impudently offending, too, Paul openly rebukes the Galatians, saying: O senseless Galatians, who hath bewitched you? (Gal. 3:1). And again: Are you so foolish, that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh? (ibid. 3). But the faults of the bashful he reproves as though with compassion, saying: I rejoiced in the Lord exceedingly, that now at length your thought for me hath flourished again, as you did also think; but you were busied (Phil. 4:10);

so that harsh rebuke might uncover the faults of the former, and gentler speech might veil the negligence of the latter.