over them, and responsible for their conduct, whether they fall or remain steadfast, is the concern of the Lord, and not yours; consequently, that your continual and public lamentations over their irregularities proceed from a principle of pride, malignity, levity, and intolerance; that the church has its pastors to superintend the flock; that the ark has its ministers to sustain it, without needing the interference of any foreign or imprudent succours; and, lastly, that by these means, far from correcting your brethren, you dishonour piety you justify the discourses of the wicked against the just, and you authorize them in saying, as formerly in the Book of Wisdom — why professeth the righteous to have a right to fill the streets, and the public places, with their clamours and upbraidings against our conduct, and holdeth it out as a point of virtue to defame us in the minds of our brethren?
Thirdly. Remember, that the zeal regulated by wisdom seeks the salvation, and not the defamation, of the brother it wishes to edify; that it loves not to injure; that, in order to render itself useful, it studies to render itself amiable; that it is more affected with the misfortune and loss of its brother, than irritated against, or scandalized by, his errors; that, far from going to publish them to others, it would wish to be enabled to conceal them from itself; and that the zeal which censures them, far from lessening the evil, serves only to augment the scandal.
Fourthly. Remember, that the censorious zeal which you display is useless to your brother, seeing he witnesses it not; that, far from being of service, it is even hurtful to his conversion, to which you raise up obstacles, by irritating him against your censures, should he happen to be informed of them; that it is injurious to his reputation, which you wound; and, lastly, to those that listen to you, who, respecting your pretended virtue, never entertain a doubt that they can err, while following your steps, and no longer place slander among the number of vices. Zeal is humble, and has eyes for nothing but its own wants; it is simple, and much more disposed to be credulous with regard to good than evil; it is merciful, and is always indulgent to the faults of others, in the same proportion as it is severe to its own weaknesses; it is gentle and timorous, and prefers to have failed in sufficiently blaming vice, to rashly exposing itself to go too far in censuring the sinner.
Thus, my brethren, you who, returned from the errors of the world, now serve the Lord, allow me to conclude, with addressing to you the same words formerly spoken by a holy father to the servants of Jesus Christ, who, through an indiscreet zeal, made no scruple of tearing in pieces the characters of their brethren:
"A tongue which has confessed Jesus Christ, which has renounced the errors and splendours of the world, which every day blesses the God of peace at the foot of the altar, and is often consecrated, by participation of the holy mysteries, should no longer be intolerant, dangerous, and full of gall and bitterness against its brethren. It is disgracing religion, after having offered up pure prayers and thanksgivings to the Lord in the assembly of believers,
