S. AURELII AUGUSTINI HIPPONENSIS EPISCOPI DE OPERE MONACHORUM LIBER UNUS .

 CAPUT PRIMUM.

 2. Primum ergo videndum quid dicant illius professionis homines qui operari nolunt: deinde, si eos non recte sentire invenerimus, ad eorum correctione

 CAPUT II.

 CAPUT III.

 CAPUT IV.

 CAPUT V.

 CAPUT VI.

 CAPUT VII.

 CAPUT VIII.

 10. Apertius et clarius id esse ex consequentibus. Et redit rursus, modisque omnibus etiam atque etiam commendat quid sibi liceat, et tamen non faciat

 CAPUT X.

 CAPUT XI.

 CAPUT XII.

 CAPUT XIII.

 CAPUT XIV.

 16. Paulus praecipiens operari servos Dei, non vult tamen eorum necessitates minus curari a fidelibus. Labor servis Dei eligendus qui animo libero exe

 CAPUT XVI.

 18. Et paulo post dicit: Nam de ministerio quod fit in sanctos, ex abundanti est mihi scribere vobis. Scio enim promptum esse animum vestrum, de quo g

 19. Sicut ergo non cessavit Apostolus, imo Spiritus Dei possidens et implens et agens cor ejus, exhortari fideles qui haberent hujusmodi substantiam,

 CAPUT XVII.

 CAPUT XVIII.

 CAPUT XIX.

 CAPUT XX.

 24. Hanc quaestionem breviter solverem, si dicerem, quia et juste dicerem, credendum esse Apostolo. Ipse enim sciebat cur in Ecclesiis Gentium non opo

 25. Si saltem habebant aliquid in hoc saeculo, quo facile sine opificio sustentarent istam vitam, quod 0568 conversi ad Deum indigentibus dispertiti s

 26. Contingit enim eis quod in viduis junioribus indisciplinatis cavendum idem apostolus dicit: Simul autem et otiosae esse discunt non solum autem o

 CAPUT XXIII.

 28. Proinde rursus istos alio sublimiore gradu justitiae superabunt, qui se ita instituerint, ut quotidie in agros tanquam in pastum pergant, et quo t

 29. Verum et hoc concedamus, toto vertente anno posse in agris reperiri vel ex arbore vel ex herbis, vel ex quibusque radicibus quod in escam sumi pos

 30. Quapropter, ut breviter complectar, isti qui ex Evangelii perverso intellectu tam manifesta apostolica praecepta pervertere moliuntur, aut non cog

 CAPUT XXIV.

 CAPUT XXV.

 33. Quamobrem etiam illi qui relicta vel distributa, sive ampla, sive qualicumque opulenta facultate, inter pauperes Christi pia et salubri humilitate

 CAPUT XXVI.

 35. Et quod sequitur de volatilibus coeli et de liliis agri, ad hoc dicit, ne quisquam Deum putet servorum suorum necessaria non curare cum ejus sapi

 CAPUT XXVIII.

 CAPUT XXIX.

 CAPUT XXX.

 39. Minus enim peccatur, si non laudetur peccator in desideriis animae suae, et qui iniqua gerit benedicatur (Psal. IX, 24).

 CAPUT XXXII.

 CAPUT XXXIII.

5. I would, however, proceed to a more searching11    Enucleatius and diligent consideration and handling of these words, had I not other places of his Epistles much more manifest, by comparing which, both these are made more clearly manifest, and if these were not in existence, those others would suffice. To the Corinthians, namely, writing of this same thing, he saith thus, “Am I not free? am I not an Apostle?12    So Griesbach amd Lachmann. But text recept. “Am I not an Apostle? am I not free?” Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an Apostle, to you assuredly I am. For the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. My defense to them which interrogate me is this. Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a woman who is a sister,13    “Sororem mulierem.” as also the other Apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” See how first he shows what is lawful to him, and therefore lawful for that he is an Apostle. For with that he began, “Am I not free? am I not an Apostle?” and proves himself to be an Apostle, saying, “Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord?” Which being proved, he shows that to be lawful to him which was so to the other Apostles; that is, that he should not work with his hands, but live by the Gospel, as the Lord appointed, which in what follows he has most openly demonstrated; for to this end did also faithful women which had earthly substance go with them, and minister unto them of their substance, that they might lack none of those things which pertain to the necessities of this life. Which thing blessed Paul demonstrates to be lawful indeed unto himself, as also the other Apostles did it, but that he had not chosen to use this power he afterwards mentions. This thing some not understanding, have interpreted not “a woman which is a sister,” when he said, “Have we not power to lead about a sister a woman;” but, “a sister a wife.” They were misled by the ambiguity of the Greek word, because both “wife” and “woman” is expressed in Greek by the same word. Though indeed the Apostle has so put this that they ought not to have made this mistake; for that he neither says “a woman” merely, but “a sister woman;” nor “to take” (as in marriage), but “to take about” (as on a journey). Howbeit other interpreters have not been misled by this ambiguity, and they have interpreted “woman” not “wife.”

CAPUT IV.

5. Pauli sententia ex aliis ejus Epistolis declarata. Enucleatius autem et diligentius adhuc ista verba considerarem atque tractarem, nisi haberem alia loca Epistolarum ejus multo manifestiora, quibus collatis et ista liquidius manifestantur, et si ista non essent, illa sufficerent. Ad Corinthios enim scribens de hac eadem re, ita dicit: Non sum liber? non sum apostolus? Nonne Christum Jesum Dominum nostrum vidi? Nonne opus meum vos estis in Domino? Si aliis non sum apostolus, vobis verumtamen sum. Signaculum enim apostolatus mei vos estis in Domino. Mea defensio ad eos qui me interrogant haec est. Numquid non habemus potestatem manducandi et bibendi? Numquid non habemus potestatem sororem mulierem circumducendi, sicut et caeteri Apostoli, et fratres Domini, et Cephas (I Cor. IX, 1-7). Vide quemadmodum primum ostendat quid sibi liceat, et ideo liceat quia apostolus est. Inde enim coepit: Non sum liber? non sum apostolus? Et probat se apostolum esse, dicens: Nonne Christum Jesum Dominum nostrum vidi? Nonne opus meum vos estis in Domino? Quo probato ostendit sibi licere quod caeteris Apostolis; id est, ut non operetur manibus suis, sed ex Evangelio vivat, sicut Dominus constituit, quod in consequentibus apertissime demonstravit: ad hoc enim et fideles mulieres habentes terrenam substantiam ibant cum eis, et ministrabant eis de substantia sua, ut nullius indigerent horum quae ad necessaria vitae hujus pertinent . Quod beatus Paulus licere quidem sibi demonstrat, sicut et caeteri Apostoli faciebant, sed ea potestate se uti noluisse postea commemorat. Hoc quidam non intelligentes, non sororem mulierem, cum ille diceret, Numquid non habemus potestatem sororem mulierem circumducendi? sed uxorem interpretati sunt. Fefellit eos verbi graeci ambiguitas, quod et uxor et mulier eodem verbo graece dicitur. Quanquam hoc ita posuerit Apostolus, ut falli non debuerint: quia neque mulierem tantummodo ait, sed sororem mulierem ; neque ducendi, sed circumducendi. Verumtamen alios interpretes non fefellit haec ambiguitas, et mulierem , non uxorem, interpretati sunt.