宋高僧傳 11.5

11.5

系曰：稽諸律藏，出家者犯戒，則招二罪，一違制，二業道也。高氏在家素不受戒，無違制愆，俗容有業道罪，寧得有護戒神邪？況高氏既持不殺，則冥然感止持無作之善生焉。因「鮮克有終」，致遭幽責，告諸五眾，當畏護戒之神。夫如是，明則有戒法，幽則有鬼神歟！

The appraisal says: Examining the Vinaya Piṭaka, when a renunciant violates a precept, it incurs two kinds of sin: first, violating the regulation; second, the karmic path. Since Mr. Gao was a layman and had never received the precepts, he had no fault of violating regulations. A layman may have the sin of the karmic path, but how could there be a precept-protecting spirit? Furthermore, since Mr. Gao had observed the precept against killing, he had imperceptibly induced the arising of non-manifest good from restraint and observance. Because "few are capable of carrying it through to the end," he brought upon himself punishment from the unseen world. Proclaiming this to the five assemblies: one ought to fear the spirits that protect the precepts! If it is like this, then overtly there is the Dharma of precepts, and covertly there are ghosts and spirits!