28. Those, Though Often Corrected, Who Are Unwilling to Change
If any brother has been frequently corrected for some fault and even excommunicated, but still has not changed, let a more stinging punishment come to bear on him: that is, proceed to punish him with the rod.
2 If, even then, he does not correct it, or perhaps, God forbid, carried away with pride, he even wants to defend his deeds, then let the abbot act as a wise physician. 3 If he has applied compresses, if also the oil of encouragement, if the medicine of the Holy Scriptures, and if at last the cauterizing fire of excommunication or strokes of the rod, 4 and if even then he sees that his diligence achieves nothing, let him then make use of something greater: prayer for the brother, both his own and that of all the brothers, 5 so that the Lord, who can do all things, may work a cure for the sick brother.
6 If even in this way he is not healed, let the abbot only then use the instrument for amputation, as the Apostle says:
Remove the evil one from your midst. (1 Cor 5:13)
7 And again:
If the unbeliever departs, let him depart. (1 Cor 7:15)
8 In this way, one sick sheep will not infect the whole flock.
