Teaching

For we must drive out by gentle encouragement his excessive timidity, which hinders him from expressing his opinion. We must temper his shyness by introducing the idea of brotherly fellowship. We must by questioning him find out whether he understands; and must give him confidence so that if he thinks there is an objection to make he may freely lay it before us. We must at the same time enquire of him whether he has ever heard these things before, and so perhaps they, as being things well-known and commonplace, fail to move him. We must then act in accordance with his answer, so as either to speak more clearly and simply, or to refute a contrary opinion, or not to set forth at greater length things that are familiar to him, but instead to give a brief summary of them, and to pick out some of those points that have been said mystically in the Sacred Scriptures, and particularly in the narration itself, the explanation and interpretation of which may make our discourse more agreeable. But if he is exceedingly slow-witted, and out of accord with and averse to every such inducement, we should bear with him in a compassionate spirit, and after briefly running through the other points, impress upon him in a way to inspire awe the truths that are most necessary concerning the unity of the Catholic Church, temptations, and the Christian manner of living in view of the future judgment; and we should rather say much on his behalf to God, than say much to him about God.

And the more so, the closer the friendship between them and us; for in proportion as we dwell in them through the bond of love, so do things which were old become new to us also.