A Letter to a certain Minister Provincial

May the Lord bless you, Friar N. minister (cf. Num 6:24a). I tell you, as I can, for the state of your soul, that those things which impede you to love the Lord God, and whatever else would be an impediment for you or the other friars, even if they whip you, all these you ought to hold on to for the sake of grace. And want it so and not something else. And let this be for you by a true obedience from the Lord God and from myself, because I know firmly, that such is a true obedience. And love them who do these things to you. And do not desire anything from them, except as much as the Lord will give you [to desire it]. And in this love them; and do not want that they be better Christians. And lest that be more to you than a hermitage. And in this I want you to know, if you love the Lord and myself, His servant and yours, that if you do that, namely that there be no friar in the world, who will have sinned, as much as one can sin, who, after he has seen your eyes, will never leave without your mercy, if he seeks mercy. And if he does not seek mercy, you are to ask from him, if he wants mercy. And if he would sin a thousand times before your eyes, love him more than me for this, that you draw him to the Lord; and you will always pity such ones. And you will announce this to the guardians, when you can, that you are firmly decided to do such yourself.

Moreover out of all the chapters, which are in the Rule, which speak of mortal sins, with the Lord helping, we will make such a chapter with the counsel of the friars in the Pentecost Chapter:

If any of the friars at the instigation of the enemy will have sinned mortally, he is bound by obedience to have recourse to his own guardian. And all the friars, who know him to have sinned, are not to shame him nor utter detraction against him, but let them have great mercy upon him and keep very private the sin of their brother; "because a doctor is not needed" by the healthy, "but by those who are sick." (Mt 9:12) Similarly they are bound by obedience to absolve him canonically, just as has been said. And these are to have entirely no power of enjoining any other penance except this: "Go and sin no more." (cf. John 8:11)

This was written, so that you should observe it better; keep it with you until Pentecost; be there with your friars. And this and all other things, which are lesser in the rule, with the Lord God helping, you will take care to fulfil.