61 obedience, poverty, chastity These works alone will triumph at the Last Judgment7 (cf. Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27-35). CHAPTER THREE Obedience, Poverty, Chastity 1. Firstly, you ought to obey God, the Roman Pontiff, the bishops, Superiors of your Order; then, their Vicars, local officials, and the bell calling you to common exercises. This you ought to do quickly, promptly, perfectly, patiently, humbly, decisively, and perseveringly. Nor should you be ashamed to be subject to men, since the Apostle [Peter] would wish us to be subject to all creatures, more so to every authority (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13; 1 Tim 2:2). For there is no authority, he says, unless it is from God. He who resists this authority resists the divine will and that is the highest form of stupidity. You should assume the motive and example of obedience of our Redeemer Himself, who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). He who would refuse to imitate [Christ] would appear not to want to reign with Christ if he did not obey the due authority who takes the place of Christ. The following order must be kept in obeying: the lesser power should yield to the greater power, nor should that lesser power attempt to weaken the greater. [Concerning what has been ordered:] if a previous order will clearly have been revoked, a later order should be given adherence. You should all respect the Ordinaries of the locality with due submission and be most ready to obey them. Nonetheless, in order to avoid many disorders and confusion in jurisdiction, only the Superiors will attend to the just orders of the bishops.8 The members, on the other hand, will obey the Superiors and the laws without any reluctance and pretense. Nor should they believe they have any 7 For the sake of clarity, the sentence order was rearranged in this paragraph. 8 This was the time when the Marians were still a diocesan institute dependent juridically on the bishop of the place. Only in 1699 did the Marians gain the privilege of exemption from this jurisdiction.
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