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.

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 a certain Jew, by name Aquila, of Pontus by birth, lately come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife, because that Claudius had ordered all Jews to depart from Rome, he came unto them, and because he was of the same craft he abode with them, doing work: for they were tent-makers.”74    Acts xviii. 1–3 This if they shall essay to interpret allegorically, they show what proficients they be in ecclesiastical learning, on which they glory that they bestow all their time. And, at the least, touching those sayings above recited, “Or I only and Barnabas, have we not power to forbear working?” and, “We have not used this power;”75    1 Cor. ix. 6–12 and, “When we might be burdensome to you, as Apostles of Christ,”76    1 Thess. ii. 6 and, “Night and day working that we might not burden any of you;”77    2 Thess. iii. 8 and, “The Lord hath ordained for them which preach the Gospel, of the Gospel to live; but I have used none of these things:”78    1 Cor. ix. 14, 15 and the rest of this kind, let them either expound otherwise, or if by most clear shining light of truth they be put to it, let them understand and obey; or if to obey they be either unwilling or unable, at least let them own them which be willing, to be better, and them which be also able, to be happier men than they. For it is one thing to plead infirmity of body, either truly alleged, or falsely pretended: but another so to be deceived and so to deceive, that it shall even be thought a proof of righteousness obtaining more mightily in servants of God, if laziness have gotten power to reign among a set of ignorant men. He, namely, who shows a true infirmity of body, must be humanely dealt withal; he who pretends a false one, and cannot be convicted, must be left unto God: yet neither of them fixeth a pernicious rule; because a good servant of God both serves his manifestly infirm brother; and, when the other deceives, if he believes him because he does not think him a bad man, he does not imitate him that he may be bad; and if he believe him not; he thinks him deceitful, and does, nevertheless, not imitate him. But when a man says, “This is true righteousness, that by doing no bodily work we imitate the birds of the air, because he who shall do any such work, goes against the Gospel:” whoso being infirm in mind hears and believes this, that person, not for that he so bestows all his time, but for that he so erreth, must be mourned over.

CAPUT XIX.

22. Operatum esse Paulum opus vere corporale. Ibi etiam dicitur quid operabatur Apostolus. Post haec, inquit, egressus ab Athenis venit Corinthum; et cum invenisset quemdam Judaeum nomine Aquilam, Ponticum genere, recens advenientem ab Italia, et Priscillam uxorem ipsius, propterea quod jussisset Claudius discedere omnes Judaeos Roma, accessit ad illos, et propter artis similitudinem mansit apud illos opus faciens: erant enim tabernaculorum artifices (Act. XVIII, 1-4). Hoc si conati fuerint allegorice interpretari, ostendunt quomodo proficiant in ecclesiasticis litteris, quibus se vacare gloriantur. Et certe illa quae supra dicta sunt, Numquid ego solus et Barnabas non habemus potestatem non operandi? et, Non sumus usi hac potestate (I Cor. IX, 6, 12); et, Cum possemus vobis oneri esse ut Christi Apostoli (I Thess. II, 7); et, Nocte et die operantes, ne quem vestrum gravaremus (II Thess. III, 8); et, Dominus ordinavit eis qui Evangelium annuntiant, de Evangelio vivere: ego autem nullius horum usus sum (I Cor. IX, 14 et 15): et caetera hujusmodi, aut exponant aliter, aut si praeclarissima luce veritatis urgentur, intelligant et obediant: aut si obedire vel nolunt vel non possunt, saltem illos qui volunt, meliores, qui autem et possunt, feliciores esse fateantur. Aliud est enim corporis infirmitatem, vel veram allegare, vel 0567 falsam praetendere: aliud autem sic decipi, et sic decipere, ut insuper ideo videatur in servis Dei major esse justitia, quia potuit inter imperitos regnare pigritia. Qui enim veram corporis ostendit infirmitatem, humane tractandus est; qui autem falsam praetendit et convinci non potest, Deo dimittendus est: neuter tamen eorum perniciosam regulam figit ; quia bonus servus Dei et manifeste infirmo fratri suo servit, et fallenti cum credit, quia malum eum non putat, non imitatur ut malus sit; et si non ei credit, fallacem putat, ac nihilominus non imitatur. Ab illo vero qui dicit, Haec est vera justitia, ut nihil corporaliter operando imitemur volatilia coeli, quoniam qui tale aliquid fuerit operatus contra Evangelium facit: quisquis animo infirmus hoc audit et credit, non quia sic vacat, sed quia sic errat, lugendus est.