306:1
I bid. Quod auditum, mente pertracta. 64. Gravis ejus imperitia est velle docere meliorem. Quantalibet doctrina mens polleat, gravis ejus imperitia est velle docere meliorem. Unde et ea quae ab amicis recte prolata sunt, ab interno d arbitro non recta judicantur. In eo namque vim suae reditu- dinis amittunt, quod auditori non congruunt; quia et medicamina vires perdunt, cum sanis membris apponuntur. In omni ergo quod dicitur, necesse est ut causa, tempus et persona pensetur; si verba sen- tentiae veritas roborat, si hanc tempus congruum postulat, si et veritatem sententiae, et congruentiam temporis personae qualitas non impugnat.
Ibid. Which having heard, ponder it in thy mind (Job 5:27). 64. It is a grave lack of skill to wish to teach one's better. However much a mind may abound in learning, it is a grave lack of skill to wish to teach one's better. Hence even those things which were rightly uttered by the friends are not judged right by the inward Judge. For they lose the force of their rectitude in this, that they do not suit the hearer; because medicines too lose their powers when they are applied to sound limbs. In everything therefore that is said, it is necessary that the cause, the time, and the person be weighed: whether the truth of the sentence gives strength to the words, whether a fitting time demands it, whether the quality of the person does not assail both the truth of the sentence and the fitness of the time.
同節：你既聽見了，就當在心中思量（伯五27）。六十四、想要教導比自己更優之人，乃是嚴重的無知。無論一個心靈在學問上何等豐富，想要教導比自己更優之人，仍是嚴重的無知。故此，即使朋友們所正確說出的話，也不被那內在的審判者判為正確。因為它們在這一點上失去其正直的力量，就是它們不適合於聽者；因為藥物用在健全的肢體上時，也會失去其效能。所以在所說的每一件事上，都必須衡量緣由、時機與對象：即這話的真理是否加強言語，是否有合宜的時機要求它，對象的品質是否不攻擊這話的真理與時機的合宜。
306:2
Ille enim laudabiliter spicula emittit, qui prius hostem quem feriat conspicit. Male namque arcus validi cornua subigit, qui sagittam fortiter dirigens civem ferit.
For he shoots his arrows commendably who first looks upon the enemy whom he is to strike. For badly does he bend the horns of the strong bow, who, forcefully directing the arrow, strikes a fellow-citizen.
因為凡先看清所要擊打的仇敵，才射箭的人，射得可嘉。因為凡強力搭弓、猛力發箭卻射中同胞的人，實在拉錯了強弓的弓角。