教牧守則·對話錄與書信 第 21 章

For men are to be admonished in one way, women in another. The young in one way, the old in another. The poor in one way, the rich in another. The joyful in one way, the sad in another. Subjects in one way, prelates in another. Servants in one way, masters in another. The wise of this world in one way, the dull in another. The impudent in one way, the bashful in another. The forward in one way, the fainthearted in another. The impatient in one way, the patient in another. The kindly in one way, the envious in another. The sincere in one way, the insincere in another. The healthy in one way, the sick in another. In one way those who fear scourges, and therefore live innocently; in another those who have so grown hard in iniquity that they are not corrected even by scourges. In one way the too silent, in another those given to much talking. In one way the slothful, in another the hasty.

The meek in one way, the wrathful in another. The humble in one way, the haughty in another. The obstinate in one way, the inconstant in another. The gluttonous in one way, the abstinent in another. In one way those who mercifully give of their own, in another those who strive to seize what belongs to others. In one way those who neither seize what is others' nor bestow what is their own; in another those who both give away what they have and yet do not cease to seize what is others'. The discordant in one way, the peaceable in another. The sowers of strife in one way, the peacemakers in another. In one way those who do not rightly understand the words of the sacred Law; in another those who indeed understand rightly, but do not speak them humbly. In one way those who, though able worthily to preach, are afraid through excessive humility;

in another those whom imperfection or age forbids from preaching, and yet precipitancy impels. In one way those who prosper in what they temporally desire; in another those who indeed covet the things that are of the world, but are nevertheless wearied by the toil of adversity. In one way those bound by marriage, in another those free from the bonds of marriage. In one way those who have experienced carnal union, in another those ignorant of it. In one way those who bewail the sins of deeds, in another those who bewail the sins of thoughts. In one way those who lament what they have committed, yet do not forsake it; in another those who forsake, yet do not lament. In one way those who even praise the unlawful things they do;

in another those who accuse wicked things, yet do not shun them. In one way those who are overcome by sudden concupiscence, in another those who are bound in fault by deliberate counsel. In one way those who, though the smallest, yet frequently commit unlawful acts; in another those who guard themselves from small things, but sometimes are plunged into graver ones. In one way those who do not even begin good works, in another those who by no means complete what they have begun. In one way those who do evil secretly and good openly; in another those who hide the good they do, and yet by certain deeds permit evil to be thought of them publicly. But what profit is there that we have run through all these gathered together in enumeration, if we do not also unfold, each by each with all the brevity we can, the modes of admonition?

(Admonition 1.) In one way, therefore, are men to be admonished, and in another women; because upon the former heavier things are to be enjoined, upon the latter lighter, so that great matters may exercise the men, but light matters may by soothing convert the women. (Admonition 2.) In one way are the young to be admonished, in another the old; because for the most part severity of admonition directs the former unto profit, but gentle entreaty disposes the latter unto better works. For it is written: Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father (1 Tim. 5:1).