46. But this is so great, that certain understand it to be the fruit an hundred-fold.166    St. Jerome mentions this interpretation; but b. 1. agt. Jovinian, and on Matt. 18, takes that which assigns the hundred-fold to virginity. Ben. ed. For the authority of the Church bears a very conspicuous witness, in which it is known to the faithful in what place the Martyrs, in what place the holy nuns deceased, are rehearsed at the Sacraments of the Altar.167    Ser. 159, he says, “Martyrs are in such place rehearsed at the Altar of God as that prayer is not made for them; but for the other deceased that are mentioned prayer is made.” Ben. ed. But what the meaning is of that difference of fruitfulness, let them see to it, who understand these things better than we; whether the virginal life be in fruit an hundred-fold, in sixty-fold the widowed, in thirty-fold the married; or whether the hundred-fold fruitfulness be ascribed unto martyrdom, the sixty-fold unto continence, the thirty-fold unto marriage; or whether virginity, by the addition of martyrdom, fill up the hundred-fold, but when alone be in sixty-fold, but married persons bearing thirty-fold arrive at sixty-fold, in case they shall be martyrs: or whether, what seems to me more probable, forasmuch as the gifts of Divine grace are many, and one is greater and better than another, whence the Apostle says, “But emulate ye the better gifts;”168    1 Cor. xii. 31 we are to understand that they are more in number than to allow of being distributed under those different kinds. In the first place, that we set not widowed continence either as bearing no fruit, or set it but level with the desert of married charity, or equal it unto virgin glory; or think that the Crown of Martyrdom, either established in habit of mind, although proof of trial be wanting, or in actual making trial of suffering, be added unto either one of those these chastities, without any increase of fruitfulness. Next, when we set it down that many men and women so keep virginal chastity, as that yet they do not the things which the Lord saith, “If thou willest to be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast, and give unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, follow me;”169    Matt. xix. 21 and dare not unite themselves to those dwelling together, among whom no one saith that any thing is his own, but all things are unto them common;170    Acts ii. 44, 4, 32 do we think that there is no addition of fruitfulness unto the virgins of God, when they do this? or that the virgins of God are without any fruit, although they do not this? Therefore there are many gifts, and some brighter and higher than others, each than each. And at times one is fruitful in fewer gifts, but better; another in lower gifts, but more. And in what manner they be either made equal one to another, or distinguished one from another, in receiving eternal honors, who of men would dare to pronounce? whereas yet it is plain both that those differences are many, and that the better are profitable not for the present time, but for eternity. But I judge that the Lord willed to make mention of three differences of fruitfulness, the rest He left to such as understand.171    Matt. xiii. 8 For also another Evangelist hath made mention only of the hundred-fold:172    Luke viii. 8 we are not, therefore, are we, to think that he either rejected, or knew not of, the other two, but rather that he left them to be understood?

46. Hoc autem tam magnum est, ut eum fructum centenum quidam intelligant . Perhibet enim praeclarissimum testimonium ecclesiastica auctoritas, in qua fidelibus notum est, quo loco martyres, et quo defunctae sanctimoniales ad altaris sacramenta recitentur . Sed quid significet fecunditatis illa diversitas, viderint qui haec melius quam nos intelligunt; sive virginalis vita in centeno fructu sit, in sexageno vidualis, in triceno autem conjugalis: sive centena fertilitas martyrio potius imputetur, sexagena continentiae, tricena connubio; sive virginitas accedente martyrio centenum fructum impleat, sola vero in sexageno sit, conjugati autem tricenum ferentes ad sexagenum perveniant si martyres fuerint: sive quod probabilius mihi videtur, quoniam divinae gratiae multa sunt munera, et est aliud alio majus ac melius, unde dicit Apostolus, Aemulamini autem dona meliora (I Cor. XII, 31); intelligendum est plura esse, quam ut in tres differentias distribui possint. Primum, ne continentiam vidualem aut in nullo fructu constituamus, aut ad conjugalis pudicitiae meritum deponamus, aut virginali gloriae coaequemus; aut coronam martyrii vel in habitu animi, etiamsi desit tentationis examen, vel in ipsa passionis experientia constitutam, cuilibet illarum trium castitati sine ullo incremento fertilitatis accedere existimemus. Deinde, ubi ponimus quod multi ac multae ita custodiunt continentiam virginalem, ut tamen non faciant quae Dominus ait, Si vis esse perfectus, vade, vende omnia quae habes, et da pauperibus, et habebis thesaurum in coelo; et veni, sequere me (Matth. XIX, 21); nec audeant eorum cohabitationi sociari, in quibus nemo dicit aliquid proprium, sed sunt eis omnia communia (Act. II, 44, et IV, 32): nihilne putamus fructificationis accedere virginibus Dei, cum hoc faciunt? aut sine ullo fructu esse virgines Dei, etiamsi hoc non faciunt?

CAPUT XLVI.

Vita communis sanctimonialium excellentior. Multa ergo sunt dona, et aliis alia clariora ac superiora, singulis singula. Et aliquando alter fructuosus est donis paucioribus, sed potioribus; alter inferioribus, sed pluribus. Et quemadmodum inter se vel coaequentur vel distinguantur in accipiendis aeternis honoribus, quis hominum audeat judicare? dum tamen constet et multa esse ista diversa, et non ad praesens tempus, sed in aeternum prodesse meliora. 0424 Sed Dominum tres arbitror voluisse fructificationis commemorare differentias (Matth. XIII, 8), caeteras intelligentibus reliquisse. Nam et alius evangelista solum commemoravit centuplum (Luc. VIII, 8): numquid ideo putandus est alia duo vel improbasse vel ignorasse, ac non potius intelligenda reliquisse?