1. The Lord is good 0 and everywhere His mercy is shed abroad, which comforts us with your love in Him. How greatly He loves those who believe and hope in Him and who love both Him and one another, and what blessings He stores up for them to enjoy hereafter, He shows most of all by this, that upon the unbelieving and the abandoned and the perverse, whom He threatens with eternal fire in company with the devil if they persist in their evil disposition unto the end, c He nevertheless in this present world bestows so many benefits, making “His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sending rain on the just and on the unjust.” d That is a brief sentence, meant to suggest further thoughts to the mind, for who can count up how many benefits and unearned gifts the wicked receive in this life from Him whom they despise? Among these is this great blessing, that by the instances of intermingled tribulation with winch, like a good physician, He blends the charm of this world, He warns them, if they but pay heed, to “flee from the wrath to come” a and to agree, while they are in the way b (that is, in this life) with the word of God, which by their wicked lives they have made their “adversary” What, then, is not sent to men by the Lord God in His compassion, when even tribulation is a blessing sent by Him? For prosperity is God's gift when He comforts us, while adversity is God's gift when He is warning us. And if, as I said, He furnishes these even to the wicked, what does He prepare for those who wait for Him c? Among this number rejoice ye that by His grace you have been gathered, “forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”d For there will not fail to be occasion for your bearing with one another, until the Lord has borne you hence and " death is swallowed up in victory " and “God shall be all in all.” e Yet in strife we ought never to take pleasure, though from time to time it is either born of love or puts love to the test.
1. Bonus est dominus et misericordia eius ubique diffusa, quae nos de vestra caritate in suis visceribus consolatur. Quantum enim diligat credentes et sperantes in se et illum atque invicem diligentes et quid eis in posterum servet, hinc maxime ostendit, cum infidelibus et desperatis et perversis, quibus in mala voluntate usque in finem perseverantibus ignem cum diabolo aeternum minatur, in hoc tamen saeculo bona tanta largitur, qui facit oriri solem suum super bonos et malos et pluit super iustos et iniustos. Breviter enim aliquid dictum est, ut plura cogitentur; quam multa enim habeant impii in hac vita munera et dona gratuita ab illo quem contemnunt, enumerare quis potest? Inter quae illud magnum, quod exemplis interpositarum tribulationum, quas huius saeculi dulcedini tamquam bonus medicus miscet, admonet eos, si adtendere velint, fugere ab ira ventura, et cum in via sunt, id est in hac vita, concordare cum sermone dei, quem sibi adversarium male vivendo fecerunt. Quid ergo non misericorditer praestatur hominibus a domino deo, a quo etiam tribulatio beneficium est? Nam res prospera donum est constantis, res autem adversa donum est admonentis dei. Et si haec praestat, ut dixi, etiam malis, quid praeparat sustinentibus se? Quorum in numero vos per illius gratiam congregatos esse gaudete, sustinentes invicem in dilectione, studentes servare unitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis. Non enim deerit quod in vobis invicem sufferatis, nisi cum vos ita portaverit dominus absorpta morte in victoriam, ut sit deus omnia in omnibus.
2. For who is easily found that is willing to endure reproof? And, what about f that wise man of whom it is said, “Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee” g? Surely then we ought not to refrain from reproving and correcting a brother in case he go down to death in false security? It is a usual experience and a common occurrence for one who is reproved to be mortified at the time a and to wrangle and be recalcitrant, yet afterwards to reflect within himself b in silence, alone with God, where he is not afraid of displeasing men by being reproved, but is afraid to displease God by refusing correction, and thenceforward to refrain from doing the thing for which he was justly rebuked, and in proportion as he hates his sin, to love the brother whom he realizes to have been the enemy of his sin. But if he belongs to the number of those of whom it is written, “Rebuke a fool and he will go on to hate thee,” c the contention is not born of his love, but yet it tries and tests the love of his reprover, since he does not repay hatred with hatred, but the love which prompted his rebuke endures undisturbed, even when he who was rebuked requites it with hatred. If the reprover, however, choose to render evil for evil to the man who takes offence at being reproved, he was not fit to reprove another, but clearly fit to be reproved himself. Act upon these principles, so that occasions of provocation may either not arise among you, or, when they do occur, be immediately quenched in speedy peace. Strive more earnestly to disseminate harmony among yourselves than to encourage fault-finding, for just as vinegar corrodes a vessel if it remain too long in it, so anger corrodes the heart if it linger on to another day. d “These things, therefore, do, and the God of peace shall be with you.” e At the same time pray for us, that we may with cheerful mind carry out the good advice we have given you.
2. Dissensiones autem numquam debent amari. Sed aliquando tamen aut caritate nascuntur aut caritatem probant. Quis enim facile invenitur, qui velit reprehendi? Et ubi est ille sapiens, de quo dictum est: Corripe sapientem et amabit te? Numquid tamen ideo non debemus reprehendere et corripere fratrem, ne securus tendat in mortem? Solet enim fieri et frequenter accidit, ut ad horam contristetur, cum re-prehenditur, et resistat et contendat et tamen postea consideret secum in silentio, ubi nemo est nisi deus et ipse nec timet displicere hominibus, quia corripitur, sed timet displicere deo, quia non corrigitur, et deinceps non faciat illud, quod iuste reprehensus est, et, quantum odit peccatum suum, tantum diligat fratrem, quem sensit hostem peccati sui. Si autem de illo numero est, de quo dictum est: Corripe stultum et adiciet ut oderit te. non de caritate illius dissensio nascitur, sed tamen caritatem reprehensoris sui exercet et probat, quia non ei rependitur odium, sed dilectio, quae cogit reprehendere, inperturbata perdurat, etiam cum ille qui reprehensus est, odit. Si autem ille qui corripit, reddere vult malum pro malo ei qui corripienti indignatur, non fuit dignus qui corriperet, sed dignus plane, qui etiam ipse corripi deberet. Haec agite, ut aut non inter vos existant indignationes aut exortae statim celerrima pace perimantur. Maiorem date operam concordandis vobis quam redarguendis, quia, sicut acetum corrumpit vas, si diutius ibi fuerit, sic ira corrumpit cor, si in alium diem duraverit. Haec ergo agite, et deus pacis erit vobiscum, orantes simul et pro nobis, ut ea quae bene monemus, alacriter impleamus.