Of the Work of Monks.

 1. Thy bidding, holy brother Aurelius, it was meet that I should comply withal, with so much the more devotion, by how much the more it became clear u

 2. First then, it is to be seen, what is said by persons of that profession, who will not work: then, if we shall find that they think not aright, wha

 3. Nor do they attend to this, that if another should say, that the Lord indeed, speaking in parables and in similitudes concerning spiritual food and

 4. First then we ought to demonstrate that the blessed Apostle Paul willed the servants of God to work corporal works which should have as their end a

 5. I would, however, proceed to a more searching and diligent consideration and handling of these words, had I not other places of his Epistles much m

 6. Which thing whoso thinks cannot have been done by the Apostles, that with them women of holy conversation should go about wheresoever they preached

 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 al

 8. But let us return to the order of our discourse, and the whole of the passage itself of the Epistle let us diligently consider. “Have we not,” sait

 9. But he speaks more openly in the rest which he subjoins, and altogether removes all causes of doubting. “If we unto you,” saith he, “have sown spir

 10. And he comes back again, and in all ways, over and over again, enforceth what he hath the right to do, yet doeth not. “Do ye not know,” saith he,

 11. And he goes on, and adjoins, lest perchance any should imagine that he only therefore received not, because they had not given: “But I have not wr

 12. But now, that as bearing with the infirmity of men he did this, let us hear what follows: “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myse

 13. Of this weakness of his, he saith in another place, “We made ourselves small among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” For in that pass

 14. Here peradventure some man may say, “If it was bodily work that the Apostle wrought, whereby to sustain this life, what was that same work, and wh

 15. But when he might use to work, that is, in what spaces of time, that he might not be hindered from preaching the Gospel, who can make out? Though,

 16. For he himself also, with an eye to the like necessities of saints, who, although they obey his precepts, “that with silence they work and eat the

 17. On account then of these either occupations of the servants of God, or bodily infirmities, which cannot be altogether wanting, not only doth the A

 18. And a little after he saith, “For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I know the forwardness

 19. As therefore the Apostle, nay rather the Spirit of God possessing and filling and actuating his heart, ceased not to exhort the faithful who had s

 20. For what these men are about, who will not do bodily work, to what thing they give up their time, I should like to know. “To prayers,” say they, “

 21. Moreover, if discourse must be bestowed upon any, and this so take up the speaker that he have not time to work with his hands, are all in the mon

 22. There also is said at what work the Apostle wrought. “After these things,” it says, “he departed from Athens and came to Corinth and having found

 23. Hence arises another question for peradventure one may say, “What then? did the other Apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas, sin, in

 24. This question I should briefly solve, if I should say, because I should also justly say, that we must believe the Apostle. For he himself knew why

 25. If at the least they once had in this world wherewithal they might easily without handiwork sustain this life, which property, when they were conv

 26. That, namely, befalleth them which in undisciplined younger widows, the same Apostle saith must be avoided: “And withal they learn to be idle and

 27. As it is, however, they, against the Apostle of Christ, recite a Gospel of Christ. For so marvellous are the works of the sluggards, hindered that

 28. Here then shall these persons in their turn be in another more sublime degree of righteousness outdone, by them who shall so order themselves, tha

 29. But let us grant this also, that the whole year round there may in the fields be found either of tree or of herbs or of any manner of roots, that

 30. Wherefore, that I may briefly embrace the whole matter, let these persons, who from perverse understanding of the Gospel labor to pervert apostoli

 31. For if they be urged from the Gospel that they should put nothing by for the morrow, they most rightly answer, “Why then had the Lord Himself a ba

 32. Some man will say: “What then does it profit a servant of God, that, having left the former doings which he had in the world he is converted unto

 33. Wherefore even they which having relinquished or distributed their former, whether ample or in any sort opulent, means, have chosen with pious and

 34. But then the Lord saith, “Be not solicitous for your life what ye shall eat, nor for the body, what ye shall put on.” Rightly: because He had said

 35. And that which follows concerning birds of the air and lilies of the field, He saith to this end, that no man may think that God careth not for th

 36. Since these things are so, suffer me awhile, holy brother, (for the Lord giveth me through thee great boldness,) to address these same our sons an

 37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying them upon your shoulders, while we with a finger will not touch them. Seek out, and acknowledge the la

 38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Wh

 39. For there is less sin, if people do not praise the sinner in the desires of his soul, and speak good of him who practiseth iniquities. Now what is

 40. And then that further device of theirs, (if words can express it), how painfully ridiculous is it, which they have invented for defense of their l

 41. Wherefore, they which will not do right things, let them give over at least to teach wrong things. Howbeit they be others whom in this speech we r

12. But now, that as bearing with the infirmity of men he did this, let us hear what follows: “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To them that are under the law, I became as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.”30    1 Cor. ix. 19–21 Which thing he did, not with craftiness of simulation, but with mercy of compassion with others; that is, not as if to feign himself a Jew, as some have thought, in that he observed at Jerusalem the things prescribed by the old law.31    S. Jerome in Ep. inter Augustinianas, 75, n. 9–11. For he did this in accordance with his free and openly declared sentence, in which he says, “Is any called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.” That is, let him not so live, as though he had become uncircumcised, and covered that which he had laid bare: as in another place he saith, “Thy circumcision is become uncircumcision.”32    Rom. ii. 25 It was in accordance then with this his sentence, in which he saith, “Is any called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised;”33    1 Cor. vii. 18 that he did those things, in which, by persons not understanding and not enough attending, he has been accounted to have feigned. For he was a Jew, and was called being circumcised; therefore he would not become uncircumcised; that is, would not so live as if he had not been circumcised. For this he now had in his power to do. And “under” the law, indeed, he was not as they who servilely wrought it; but yet “in” the law of God and of Christ. For that law was not one, and the law of God another, as accursed Manicheans are wont to say. Otherwise, if when he did those things he is to be accounted to have feigned, then he feigned himself also a pagan, and sacrificed to idols, because he says that he became to those without law, as without law. By whom, doubtless, he would have us to understand no other than Gentiles whom we call Pagans. It is one thing therefore to be under the law, another in the law, another without law. “Under the law,” the carnal Jews; “in the law,” spiritual men, both Jews and Christians; (whence the former kept that custom of their fathers, but did not impose unwonted burdens upon the believing Gentiles; and therefore they also were circumcised;) but “without law,” are the Gentiles which have not yet believed, to whom yet the Apostle testifieth himself to have become like, through sympathy of a merciful heart, not simulation of a changeable exterior; that is, that he might in that way succor carnal Jew or Pagan, in which way himself, if he were that, would have wished to be succored: bearing, to wit, their infirmity, in likeness of compassion, not deceiving in fiction of lying; as he straightway goes on, and says, “I became to the weak as weak, that I might gain the weak.”34    1 Cor. ix. 22 For it was from this point that he was speaking, in saying all those other things. As then, that he became to the weak as weak, was no lie; so all those other things above rehearsed. For what doth he mean his weakness towards the weak to have been, but that of suffering with them, insomuch that, lest he should appear to be a seller of the Gospel, and by falling into an ill suspicion with ignorant men, should hinder the course of God’s word, he would not accept what by warrant of the Lord was his due? Which if he were willing to accept, he would not in any wise lie, because it was truly due to him; and for that he would not, he did not in any wise lie. For he did not say, it was not due; but he showed it to be due, and that being due he had not used it, and professed that he would not at all use it, in that very thing becoming weak; namely, in that he would not use his power; being, to wit, with so merciful affection endued, that he thought in what way he should wish to be dealt withal, if himself also were made so weak, that possibly, if he should see them by whom the Gospel was preached to him, accepting their charges, he might think it a bringing of wares to market, and hold them in suspicion accordingly.

CAPUT XI.

12. In hac re, ut in aliis, Paulus ex compassione se infirmis accommodat. Quomodo sine fictione et fallacia factus est quasi sub lege et quasi sine lege. Timet ne Evangelium, si ex eo vivat, venale putetur ab infirmis. Jam vero quia infirmitati hominum compatiens id faciebat, audiamus sequentia: Cum enim liber sim, inquit, ex omnibus, omnium me servum feci, ut plures lucrifacerem: iis qui sub Lege sunt, quasi sub Lege, cum non sim ipse sub Lege, ut eos qui sub Lege erant lucrifacerem; iis qui sine Lege sunt, quasi sine Lege, cum sine lege Dei non sim, sed sim in lege Christi, ut lucrifacerem eos qui sine Lege sunt. Quod non simulandi versutia faciebat, sed compatiendi misericordia; id est, non quasi ut se fingeret Judaeum, sicut nonnulli putaverunt, quia legitima vetera Jerosolymis observavit . Fecit enim hoc secundum liberam et manifestam sententiam suam, in qua dicit, Circumcisus quis vocatus est? non adducat praeputium ; id est, non sic vivat, quasi praeputium adduxerit, et id quod nudaverat texerit: sicut alio loco dicit, Circumcisio tua praeputium facta est (Rom. II, 25). Secundum hanc ergo sententiam suam, qua dicit, Circumcisus quis vocatus est? non adducat praeputium. In praeputio quis vocatus est? non circumcidatur (I Cor. VII, 18); fecit illa quae non intelligentibus et parum attendentibus finxisse putatus est; Judaeus enim erat et circumcisus vocatus; noluit adducere praeputium, 0558 id est, noluit ita vivere ac si circumcisus non esset. Hoc enim jam in potestate habebat. Et sub Lege quidem non erat sicut illi qui eam serviliter operabantur; sed tamen in lege Dei et Christi. Non enim alia lex erat illa et alia lex Dei, sicut perditi Manichaei solent dicere. Alioquin si cum illa fecit, finxisse putandus est; finxit et paganum et sacrificavit idolis, quia dicit factum se fuisse iis qui sine Lege sunt quasi sine Lege. Quos utique non nisi Gentiles, quos Paganos dicimus, vult intelligi. Aliud est ergo esse sub Lege, aliud in Lege, aliud sine Lege. Sub Lege carnales Judaei: in Lege spirituales et Judaei et Christiani; unde illi servaverunt morem illum patrium, sed onera insolita credentibus Gentibus non imposuerunt; et ideo et illi circumcisi sunt: sine Lege autem Gentes quae nondum crediderunt, quibus tamen se Apostolus congruisse testatur per misericordem compassionem, non per versipellem simulationem; id est, ut eo modo subveniret carnali Judaeo vel Pagano, quo modo sibi ipse, si hoc esset, subveniri voluisset: portans utique eorum infirmitatem in compassionis similitudine, non fallens in mendacii fictione; sicut continuo sequitur, et dicit, Factus sum infirmis infirmus, ut infirmos lucrifacerem (I Cor. IX, 1-22). Hinc enim loquebatur, ut etiam omnia illa diceret. Sicut ergo quod factus est infirmis infirmus, non erat mendacium; sic et caetera illa superius. Quam enim dicit infirmitatem suam erga infirmos fuisse, nisi compatiendi eis, in tantum ut, ne videretur venditor Evangelii, et verbi Dei cursum apud imperitos in malam suspicionem decidens impediret, nollet accipere quod jure dominico debebatur? Quod si vellet, non utique mentiretur, quia vere debebatur: et, quia noluit, non utique mentitus est. Neque enim dixit non sibi deberi: sed deberi ostendit, et debito se usum non esse, nec omnino uti velle professus est, eo ipso factus infirmus, quo potestate sua uti noluit; tam misericordi scilicet indutus affectu, ut cogitaret quemadmodum secum agi vellet, si et ipse ita infirmaretur, ut posset de illis per quos sibi Evangelium praedicaretur, si eos videret sumptus accipere, quasi mercimoniorum nundinas suspicari.