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Avantages des la patience

VIII.

Ce n’est pas assez : quand ses meurtriers reviennent à lui, il les accueille. Plein de bonté et de miséricorde, il ne ferme son Église à personne. Ces ennemis qui le blasphèment et proscrivent jusqu’à son nom, s’ils font pénitence, s’ils reconnaissent leur forfait, obtiennent, avec leur pardon, une place au royaume céleste. La patience et la bonté peuvent-elles s’élever plus haut? Celui qui a répandu le sang du Christ est vivifié par ce même sang. S’il n’en était pas ainsi, l’Église compterait-elle parmi ses fondateurs l’apôtre saint Paul?

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On the Advantage of Patience

8.

And after all these things, He still receives His murderers, if they will be converted and come to Him; and with a saving patience, He who is benignant ¹ to preserve, closes His Church to none. Those adversaries, those blasphemers, those who were always enemies to His name, if they repent of their sin, if they acknowledge the crime committed, He receives, not only to the pardon of their sin, but to the reward of the heavenly kingdom. What can be said more patient, what more merciful? Even he is made alive by Christ's blood who has shed Christ's blood. Such and so great is the patience of Christ; and had it not been such and so great, the Church would never have possessed Paul as an apostle. ²