“O good Lord! this is a hard reckoning, that I must go and seek him out that is offended with me, before I pray or do any good deed.  I cannot go unto him.  Peradventure he is a hundred miles from me, beyond the seas; or else I cannot tell where:  if he were here nigh, I would with all my heart go unto him.”  This is a lawful excuse before God on this fashion, that thou wouldest in thy heart be glad to reconcile thy neighbour, if he were present; and that thou thinkest in thy heart, whensoever thou shalt meet with him, to go unto him, and require him charitably to forgive thee; and so never intend to come from him, until the time that you both depart one from the other true brethren in Christ.

Yet, peradventure, there be some in the world that be so devilish, and so hard-hearted, that they will not apply in any condition unto charity.  For all that, do what lieth in thee, by all charitable means, to bring him to unity.  If he will in no wise apply thereunto, thou mayest be sorrowful in thy heart, that by thine occasion that man or woman continueth in such a damnable state.  This notwithstanding, if thou do the best that lieth in thee to reconcile him, according to some doctors’ mind, thou art discharged towards God.  Nevertheless St. Augustine doubteth in this case, whether thy oblations, prayers, or good deeds, shall avail thee before God, or no, until thy neighbour come again to good state, whom thou hast brought out of the way.  Doth this noble doctor doubt therein?  What aileth us to be so bold, and count it but a small fault, or none, to bring our neighbour out of patience for every trifle that standeth not with our mind?  You may see what a grievous thing this is, to bring another man out of patience, that peradventure you cannot bring in again with all the goods that you have:  for surely, after the opinion of great wise men, friendship once broken will be never well made whole again.  Wherefore you shall hear what Christ saith unto such persons.  Saith Christ, “I came down into this world, and so took on me bitter passion for man’s sake, by the merits whereof I intended to make unity and peace in mankind, to make man brother unto me, and so to expel the dominion of Satan, the devil, which worketh nothing else but dissension:  and yet now there be a great number of you, that have professed my name, and say you be christian men, which do rebel against my purpose and mind.  I go about to make my fold:  you go about to break the same, and kill my flock.”  “How darest thou,” saith Christ, “presume to come unto my altar, unto my church, or into my presence, to make oblation unto me, that takest on thee to spoil my lambs?  I go about like a good shepherd to gather them together; and thou dost the contrary, evermore ready to divide and lose them.  Who made thee so bold to meddle with my silly beasts, which I bought so dearly with my precious blood?  I warn thee out of my sight, come not in my presence:  I refuse thee and all thy works, except thou go and bring home again my lambs which thou hast lost.  Wherefore, if thou thyself intend to be one of mine, lay even down by and by thine oblation, and come no further toward mine altar; but go and seek them without any questions, as it becometh a true and faithful servant.”