[III. Perfect Obedience]

¹The Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple; ^{Lk 14:33 2}and: Whoever wishes to save his life must lose it. ^{Lk 9:24}

³That person who offers himself totally to obedience in the hands of his prelate leaves all that he possesses and loses his body.^{a 4}And whatever he does and says which he knows is not contrary to his will is true obedience, provided that what he does is good.

⁵And should a subject see that some things might be better and more useful for his soul than what a prelate commands, let him willingly offer such things to God as a sacrifice; and, instead, let him earnestly strive to fulfill the prelate’s wishes. ⁶For this is loving obedience because it pleases God and neighbor. ^{1 Pt 1:22}

⁷If the prelate, however, commands something contrary to his conscience, even though he may not obey him, let him not, however, abandon him. ⁸And if he then suffers persecution from others, let him love them all the more for the sake of God. ^{1 Jn 3:15 1 Jn 3:16 9}For whoever chooses to suffer persecution rather than wish to be separated from his brothers truly remains in perfect obedience because he lays down his life for his brothers. ^{Jn 15:13 10}In fact, there are many religious who, under the pretext of seeing things better than those which the prelate commands, look back, ^{Lk 9:62} and return to the vomit ^{Prv 26:11} of their own will. ¹¹These people are murderers ^{2 Pt 2:22} and, because of their bad example, cause many to lose their souls.^b

[IV. Let No One Make Being Over Others His Own]

¹I did not come to be served, but to serve, says the Lord. ^{Mt 20:28}

²Let those who are placed over others boast about that position as much as they would if they were assigned the duty of washing the feet of their brothers. ³And if they are more upset at having their place over others taken away from them than at losing their position at their feet, the more they store up a money bag ^{Jn 12:6} to the peril of their soul.^c

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[Caput III - De perfecta obedientia]

¹Dicit Dominus in Evangelio: Qui non renuntiaverit omnibus quae possidet, non potest meus esse discipulus; ²et: Qui voluerit animam suam salvam facere perdet illam.

³Ille homo relinquit omnia, quae possidet, et perdit corpus suum, qui se ipsum totum praebet ad obedientiam in manibus sui praelati. ⁴Et quidquid facit et dicit, quod ipse sciat, quod non sit contra voluntatem eius, dum bonum sit quod facit, vera obedientia est.

⁵Et si quando subditus videat meliora et utiliora animae suae quam ea quae sibi praelatus praecipiat, sua voluntarie Deo sacrificet; quae autem sunt praelati, opere studeat adimplere. ⁶Nam haec est caritativa obedientia, quia Deo et proximo satisfacit.

⁷Si vero praelatus aliquid contra animam suam praecipiat, licet ei non obediat, tamen ipsum non dimittat . ⁸Et si ab aliquibus persecutionem inde sustinuerit, magis eos diligat propter Deum. ⁹Nam qui prius persecutionem sustinet, quam velit a suis fratribus separari, vere permanet in perfecta obedientia, quia ponit animam suam pro fratribus suis. ¹⁰Sunt enim multi religiosi, qui sub specie meliora videndi quam quae sui praelati praecipiunt, retro aspiciunt e et ad vomitum propriae voluntatis redeunt; ¹¹hi homicidae sunt et propter mala sua exempla multas animas perdere faciunt.

[Caput IV - Ut nemo appropriet sibi praelationem]

¹Non veni ministrari, sed ministrare, dicit Dominus. ²Illi qui sunt super alios constituti, tantum de illa praelatione glorientur, quantum si essent in abluendi fratrum pedes officio deputati. ³Et quanto magis turbantur de ablata sibi praelatione quam de pedum officio, tanto magis sibi loculos ad periculum animae componunt.