[VII: Let Good Action Follow Knowledge]

¹The apostle says: The letter kills, but the spirit gives life. ^{2 Cor 3:6}

²Those people are put to death by the letter who only wish to know the words alone, that they might be esteemed wiser than others and be able to acquire great riches to give to their relatives and friends.

³And those religious are put to death by the letter who are not willing to follow the spirit of the divine letter but, instead, wish only to know the words and to interpret them for others.

⁴And those people are brought to life by the spirit of the divine letter who do not attribute every letter they know, or wish to know, to the body but, by word and example, return them to the most high Lord God to Whom every good belongs.

[VIII. Avoiding the Sin of Envy]

¹The apostle says: No one can say: Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit; ^{1 Cor 12:3 2}and: There is not one who does good, not even one. ^{Rom 3:12}

³Therefore, whoever envies his brother the good that the Lord says or does in him incurs a sin of blasphemy because he envies the Most High Himself Who says and does every good thing. ^{Mt 20:15}

[IX. Love]

¹The Lord says: Love your enemies [do good to those who hate you and pray for those who persecute and slander you]. ^{Mt 5:44}

²For that person truly loves his enemy who is not hurt by an injury done to him, ³but, because of love of God, is stung by the sin of his soul. ⁴Let him show him love by his deeds.

[X. Castigating the Body]

¹There are many people who, when they sin or are injured, frequently blame the enemy or their neighbor. ^{Gn 3:12 Gn 3:13 2}But it is not so, because each one has the enemy in his power, that is his body through which he sins.

³Blessed is the servant, ^{Mt 24:46} then, who always holds captive the enemy delivered into his power and wisely safeguards himself from him; ⁴because, as long as he does this, no other enemy visible or invisible will be able to harm him.

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[Caput VII - Ut bona operatio sequatur scientiam]

¹Dicit apostolus: Littera occidit, spiritus autem vivificat.

²Illi sunt mortui a littera qui tantum sola verba cupiunt scire, ut sapientiores teneantur inter alios et possint acquirere magnas divitias dantes consanguineis et amicis.

³Et illi religiosi sunt mortui a littera, qui spiritum divinae litterae nolunt sequi, sed solum verba magis cupiunt scire et aliis interpretari.

⁴Et illi sunt vivificati a spiritu divinae litterae, qui omnem litteram, quam sciunt et cupiunt scire, non attribuunt corpori, sed verbo et exemplo reddunt ea altissimo Domino Deo cuius est omne bonum.

[Caput VIII - De peccato invidiae vitando]

¹Ait apostolus: Nemo potest dicere: Dominus Jesus, nisi in Spiritu Sancto; ²et: Non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.

³Quicumque ergo invidet fratri suo de bono, quod Dominus dicit et facit in ipso, pertinet ad peccatum blasphemiae, quia ipsi Altissimo invidet, qui dicit et facit omne bonum.

[Caput IX - De dilectione]

¹Dicit Dominus: Diligite inimicos vestros [benefacite his qui oderunt vos, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos].

²Ille enim veraciter diligit inimicum suum, qui non dolet de iniuria, quam sibi facit, ³sed de peccato animae suae uritur propter amorem Dei. 4Et ostendat ei ex operibus dilectionem.

[Caput X - De castigatione corporis]

¹Multi sunt, qui dum peccant vel iniuriam recipiunt, saepe inculpant inimicum vel proximum. ²Sed non est ita: quia unusquisque in sua potestate habet inimicum, videlicet corpus, per quod peccat.

³Unde beatus ille servus, qui talem inimicum traditum in sua potestate semper captum tenuerit et sapienter se ab ipso custodierit; 4quia dum hoc fecerit, nullus alius inimicus visibilis vel invisibilis ei nocere poterit.