HOMIL. 1 Acts 16. 14. 4.32. 206 The Riches, even here, of voluntary Poverty. [14.] Thus it is possible that he who hath nothing may XV. possess all men's goods. Thus may all men's goods be acquired: whereas, were we to get all men's goods, we are bereft of all. Perhaps this saying seems to be a paradox; but it is not. "But," you will say, "How does he who hath nothing possess all men's goods? Doth he not much more so, who hath what belongs to all?" By no means: but the contrary. For he who hath nothing commands all, even as they did. And throughout the world all houses were open to them, and they who offered them took their coming as a favour, and they came to them as to friends and kindred. For so they came to the woman who was a seller of purple', and she, like a servant, set before them what she had. And to the keeper of the prison; and he opened to them all his house. And to innumerable others. Thus they had all things, and had Acts nothing: for they said that none of the things which they possessed was their own; therefore all things were theirs. For he that considers all things which are to be common, will not only use his own, but also the things of others as if they belonged to him. But he that parts things off, and sets himself as master over his own only, will not be master even of these. And this is plain from an example. He who possesses nothing at all, neither house, nor table, nor garment to spare, but for God's sake is bereft of all, uses the things which are in common as his own; and he shall receive from all whatsoever he may desire. Thus he that hath nothing possesses the things of all: but he that hath some things, will not be master even of these. For first, no one will give to him that hath possessions; and, secondly, his property shall belong to robbers, and thieves, and informers, and changing events, and be any body's rather than his. Paul, for instance, went up and down throughout all the world, carrying nothing with him, though he went neither unto friends nor kindred. Nay, at first he was a common enemy to all: but nevertheless he had all men's goods, after he had made good his entrance. But Ananias and Sapphira, hastening to gain a little more than their own, lost all, together with life itself. Withdraw then from thine own, that thou mayest use others' goods as thine own. [15.] But I must stop: I know not how I have been carried We must not hurry the Reward of our Alms. 207 1, 2. 19. 17. into such a transport in speaking such words as these unto men, ICOR.5. who think it a great thing to impart but ever so little of their own. Wherefore let these my words have been spoken to the perfect. But to the more imperfect, this is what we may say, Give of what you have unto the needy. Increase your substance. For, saith He, 'He that giveth unto the Prov. poor lendeth unto God. But if you are in a hurry, and wait not for the time of retribution, think of those who lend money to men: for not even these desire to get their interest immediately; but they are anxious that the principal should remain a good long while in the hands of the borrower, provided only the repayment be secure, and they have no mistrust of the borrower. Let this be done then in the present case also. Leave them with God, that He may pay thee thy wages manifold. Seek not to have the whole here; for if you recover it all here, how will you receive it back there? And it is on this account that God stores them up there, inasmuch as this present life is full of decay. But He gives even here also; for, Seek ye, saith He, the kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you. Well then, let us look towards that kingdom, and not? S.Mat. 6.33. be in a hurry for the repayment of the whole, lest we diminish our recompense. But let us wait for the fit season. For the interest in these cases is not of that kind, but is such as is meet to be given by God. This then having collected together in great abundance, so let us depart hence, that we may obtain both the present and future blessings; through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom unto the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honour, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a drunkard, or a railer, or an extortioner; with such an one, no not to eat. FOR since he had said, Ye have not rather mourned, that such an one should be taken away; and, Purge out the old leaven; and it was likely that they would surmise it to be their duty to avoid all fornicators: for if he that has sinned imparts some of his own mischief to those who have not sinned, much more is it meet to keep one's self away from those without: (for if one ought not to spare a friend, on account of such mischief arising from him, much less any others:) and under this impression, it was probable that they would separate themselves from the fornicators among the Greeks also, and the matter thus turning out impossible, they would have taken it more to heart: he used this mode of correction, saying, I wrote unto you not to keep company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world: using the word altogether, as if it were an acknowledged thing. For that they might not think that he charged not this upon them, as being rather imperfect, and attempt to do it under the erroneous impression that they were perfect, he shews that this were even impossible to be done, though they wished Discipline, towards Heathens, impossible. 209 9,10,11. it ever so much. For it would be necessary to seek another 1COR.5. world. Wherefore he added, Since ye must needs then go out of the world. Seest thou that he is no hard master, and that in his legislation he constantly regards not only what may be done, but also what may be easily done. For how is it possible, says he, for a man having care of a house and children, and engaged in the affairs of the city, or who is an artisan or a soldier, (the greater part of mankind being Greeks,) to avoid the unclean who are to be found every where? For by the fornicators of the world, he means those who are among the Greeks. But now I have written unto you, If any brother be of this kind, with such an one no not Here also he glances at others who were living in wickedness. But how can one that is a brother be an idolater? As was the case once in regard to the Samaritans, who chose piety but by halves. And besides he is laying down his ground beforehand for the discourse concerning things offered in sacrifice to idols, which after this he intends to handle. Or covetous. For with these also he enters into conflict. Wherefore he said also, Why do ye not rather suffer wrong? Why do ye not endure to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud. Or a drunkard. For this also he lays to their charge further on, as when he says, One is hungry, and another is drunken: and, meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. Or a railer, or an extortioner: for these too he had rebuked before. [2.] Next he adds also the reason why he forbids them not to mix with heathens of that character, implying that it is not only impossible, but also superfluous. V. 12. For what have I to do to judge them that are without? Calling the Christians and the Greeks, "those within" and "those without," as also he says elsewhere', He must also 11 Tim. have a good report of them that are without. And in the Epistle 3. 7. to the Thessalonians he speaks the same language, saying?, ? 2 Thes. Have no intercourse with him, that he may be put to shame. And, Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Here, however, he does not add the reason. Why? Р 3. 14. 210 Discipline, towards Heathens, superfluous. HOMIL. Because in the other case he wished to soothe them, but in XVI. this, not so. For the fault in this case and in that was not the same, but in the Thessalonians it was less. For there, he is reproving indolence; but here, fornication and other most grievous sins. And if any one wished to go over to the Greeks, he hinders not him from eating with such persons; this too, for the same reason. So also do we act; for our children and our brethren we leave nothing undone, but of strangers we do not make much account. How then. Did not Paul care for them that were without as well? Yes, he cared for them; but it was not till after they had received the Gospel, and he had made them subject to the doctrine of Christ, that he laid down laws for them. But so long as they despised, it was superfluous to speak the precepts of Christ to those who knew not Christ Himself. Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without, God judgeth. For since he had said, What have I to do with judging those without; lest any one should think that these were left unpunished, there is another tribunal which he sets over them, and that a fearful one. And this he said, both to terrify those, and to console these; intimating also that this punishment which is for a season snatches them away from that which is undying and perpetual: which also he has plainly declared elsewhere, saying, 11 Cor. 1 But now being judged, we are chastened, that we should not be condemned with the world. 11.32. (2.) 17.7. [3.] Wherefore take away from among yourselves that wicked person. He hath mentioned an expression found in the Old Deut. Testament2, partly hinting that they too will be very great gainers, in being freed as it were from some grievous plague; and partly to shew that this kind of thing is no innovation, but even from the beginning thus it seemed good to the legislator, that such as these should be cut off. But in that instance it was done with more severity, in this with more gentleness. On which account one might reasonably question, why in that case he conceded that the sinner should be severely punished and stoned, but in the present instance not so; rather he leads him to repentance. Why then were the lines drawn in the former instance one way and in the latter another way? For these two causes: one, because these |