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"There are some, My dearest daughter, in whom the
sweet and amorous fire of love towards obedience
burns so high (which fire of love cannot exist
without hatred of self-love, so that when the fire
increases so does this self-hatred), that they are
not content to observe the precepts of the Law with a
general obedience as you are all obliged to do if you
will have life and not death, but take upon
themselves a particular obedience, following the
greatest perfection, so that they become observers of
the counsels both in deed and in thought.
"Such as these wish to bind themselves more
tightly through self-hatred, and in order to restrain
in everything their own will. They either place
themselves under the yoke of obedience in holy
religion, or, without entering religion, they bind
themselves to some creature, submitting their will to
his, so as more expeditiously to unlock the door of
Heaven.
"These are they, as I have told you, who have
chosen the most perfect obedience. I have already
spoken to you of obedience in general, and as I know
it to be your will that I should speak to you of this
particular and most perfect obedience, I will now
relate to you somewhat of this second kind, which is
not divided from the first, but is more perfect, for,
as I have already told you, these two kinds of
obedience are so closely united together that they
cannot be separated.
"I have told you where general obedience is to be
found and whence it proceeds, and the cause of its
loss. Now I will speak to you of this particular
obedience, not altering, however, the fundamental
principle of the virtue."
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