7. But lest any should fancy that this was granted only to the twelve, see also what Luke relateth: “After these things,” saith he, “the Lord chose also other seventy and two, and sent them by two and two before His face into every city and place whither He was about to come. And He said unto them, The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers few: ask ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry neither purse nor scrip nor shoes, and salute no man by the way. Into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: if not, it shall return to you. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are with them: for the workman is worthy of his hire.”19    Luke x. 1–7 Here it appears that these things were not commanded, but permitted, that whoso should choose to use, might use that which was lawful unto him by the Lord’s appointment; but if any should not choose to use it, he would not do contrary to a thing commanded, but would be yielding up his own right, by demeaning himself more mercifully and laboriously in the Gospel in the which he would not accept even the hire which was his due. Otherwise the Apostle did contrary to a command of the Lord: for, after he had shown it to be lawful unto him, he hath straightway subjoined, “But yet have I not used this power.”

CAPUT VI.

7. De Evangelio vivere non solis Apostolis, sed et aliis concessum a Christo. Ne quis autem arbitretur solis duodecim hoc fuisse concessum; vide etiam quid Lucas narret: Post haec, inquit, designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos, et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum quo erat ipse venturus. Et dicebat illis: Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci: rogate ergo Dominum messis, ut mittat operarios in messem suam. Ite, ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos. Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta, et neminem per viam salutaveritis. In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite: Pax huic domui. Et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra: sin autem, ad vos revertetur. In eadem autem domo manete, edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt: dignus est enim operarius mercede sua (Luc. X, 1-7). Hic apparet non esse illa jussa, sed permissa; ut quisquis uti vellet, eo uteretur quod sibi liceret ex Domini constitutione; si quis autem uti nollet, non contra jussum faceret, sed de suo jure cederet misericordius et laboriosius conversatus in Evangelio, in quo et debitam mercedem nollet accipere. Alioquin contra jussum Domini fecit 0554 Apostolus, qui posteaquam ostendit sibi licere, statim subjecit: Sed tamen ego non sum usus hac potestate.