LETTER VIII.

第八封信

 （注：修会圣愿：指男、女会士所矢发的贞洁、贫穷、服从三个誓愿。） 

 To the Minister- General of the Friars Minor.

致小兄弟会总会长

To the Reverend Father N., Minister-General of the whole Order.

致尊敬的N.神父，整个修会总会长。

May the Lord protect thee, and keep thee in His holy love. I recommend to thee, my Brother, patience in all thy works, so that no matter what impediments thou meetest with either from the brethren or from others, even if they were to strike thee, thou shouldst receive it as a favour, and desire that and nothing else. And thou shouldst love those who act thus towards thee, and not wish them to be different until the Lord grants it for thy consolation. But thou must love them by desiring that they become better Christians. By this I shall know if thou truly lovest God, and me, His and thy poor servant, if thou actest in this manner, namely, that thou never allowest any brother who has sinned, no matter how deeply, to leave thy presence without pardon. And if he will not ask it, thou must ask him if he desire it. And if he should afterwards be brought before thee again, even a thousand times, love him still, even more than thou lovest me, in order to draw him to good; and always be compassionate towards such. Enforce this also on the Guardians as much as pos¬sible，telling them thou art determined to act in this manner. And let all the brethren who know him to have sinned be careful not to reproach him for it, nor to speak evil of him, but let them have great com¬passion on such a one, and keep the sins of their brother secret, for those who are whole do not need a physician, but those who are sick. If any brother, by the instigation of the enemy, should sin mortally, he is bound under obedience to have recourse to his Guardian, and the Guardian is equally bound to send him to the Custos. And this Custos has no power to inflict any further punishment upon a brother who is penitent than this: ‘ Go, and sin no more.’ Do this, and farewell.

愿天主护佑你，并使你处于祂的圣爱中。我建议你，我的兄弟，要在一切事务上忍耐，无论这些妨碍是来自于兄弟还是来自别人都没有关系，即便是他们打了你，你也应该像接受一个恩惠一样接受它，渴望这样并认为这不算什么。你应该爱那些这样对待你的人，除非天主的垂顾与允许你不可区别对待他们，并且你应渴望他们会变成好基督徒，如此我便可知道你是否真的爱天主，真的爱我，祂卑微的仆人，如果你这样做，也就是说，你从不允许任何兄弟陷于罪恶中，无论是大罪还是小罪，这种情况的存在是不可原谅的。如果他没有提及此事，你必须主动询问他是否想要忏悔告解，如果后来他又因此被带到你面前，仍然要爱他，甚至比爱我更多，以便把他引至良善，并要时常对此心怀怜悯。也要尽可能迫使院长这样做，告诉他们你决定采取这种方式。让知道了他犯错的那些兄弟们既不要因此指责他，也不要说他坏话，而应该让他们对如此不幸的一个人心怀怜悯，并为他们兄弟的罪过保守秘密，因为不是健康的人需要医生，而是有病的人。（路：5：31）如果任何一位兄弟受敌人唆使犯了致死的大罪，他应该去寻求院长的帮助，同样院长应该把他送到修会会长那里。如果这位兄弟忏悔了，修会会长没有权利对他进行更进一步的惩罚，而应这样说：“去吧，从今以后，不要再犯罪了。”（若：8：11）就这样做，主内再见。