CAP. XVI.
De contemptu divitiarum palam præ se ferendo.
I. Ne sæculares nobis adscribant nimium affectum erga divitias, juvabit nonnunquam recusare eleemosynas minoris momenti, quæ pro officiis à societate præstitis offeruntur; quamquam ab iis qui omnino nobis sunt addicti, etiam minimas quascumque acceptare conveniat, ne avaritiæ arguamur, si tantum dona insigniora admittamus.
II. Negandæ erunt sepulturæ personis vilibus, in templis nostris, quamvis valde addicti fuerint societati, ne videamur pluralitate mortuorum divitias venari, et constet de beneficiis quæ à mortuo recipimus.
III. Cum viduis aliisque personis, quæ societati pleraque suà dederunt, agendum erit valde resolute et acrius, cæteris paribus, quam cum aliis, ne videamur propter considerationem bonorum temporalium illis favere plus quam cæteris; immo idem observari convenit respectu illorum qui in societate sunt, sed postquam bonorum suorum cessionem et resignationem in favorem societatis fecerint; et si necesse sit à societate dimittantur, sed omni cum discretione, ut saltem partem eorum quæ societati dederant ei relinquant, aut morientes testamento legent.
CHAP. XVI.
Of the outward exhibition of a contempt of riches.
I. To prevent the seculars from charging us with covetousness, it will be occasionally proper to refuse the smaller alms, which are offered for services performed by the society; from those, however, who are entirely devoted to us, it is best to accept even the smallest offerings, lest we exhibit avarice, by admitting of none, but large gifts.
II. Sepulchre in our churches should be denied to vile persons, although they may have been greatly attached to the order, for a multitude of such tombs, might make us suspected of covetousness, and the very benefits received from the dead, be discovered.