Chapter XI. 29. “Be kindly disposed,”92 says he, “toward thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge de- liver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” I understand who the judge is: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”93 I understand who the officer is: “And angels,” it is said, “ministered unto Him:”94 and we believe that He will come with His angels to judge the quick and the dead. I under- stand what is meant by the prison: evidently the punishments of darkness, which He calls in another passage the outer darkness:95 for this reason, I believe, that the joy of the divine rewards is something internal in the mind itself, or even if anything more hidden can be thought of, that joy of which it is said to the servant who deserved well, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord;”96 just as also, under this republican government, one who is thrust into prison is sent out from the council chamber, or from the palace of the judge. 30. But now, with respect to paying the uttermost farthing,97 it may be understood without absurdity either as standing for this, that nothing is left unpunished; just as in common speech we also say “to the very dregs,” when we wish to express that something is so drained out that nothing is left: or by the expression “the uttermost farthing” earthly sins may be meant. For as a fourth part of the separate component parts of this world, and in fact as the last, the earth is found; so that you begin with the heavens, you reckon the air the second, water the third, the earth the fourth. It may therefore seem to be suitably said, “till thou hast paid the last fourth,” in the sense of “till thou hast expiated thy earthly sins:” for this the sinner also heard, “Earth thou art, and unto earth shall thou return.”98 Then, as to the expression “till thou hast paid,” I wonder if it does not mean that punishment which is called eternal.99 For whence is that debt paid where there is now no opportunity given of 92 Benevolus; Vulgate, consentiens. What is matter of prudence in a civil case, becomes matter of life and death in spiritual things. The Lord does not intend to inculcate simply a law of worldly prudence as asserted by a few modern commentators. 93 John v. 22. 94 Matt. iv. 11. 95 Matt. viii. 12. 96 Matt. xxv. 23. 97 The word translated “farthing” means literally “a fourth part” and on this original sense Augustin’s second interpretation is based. 98 Gen. iii. 19. 99 Universalists have quoted the passage to prove the doctrine that punishment will not be endless, others in favor of purgatory. The main idea is the inexorable rigor of the divine justice against the impenitent. “The Chapter XI 40 Chapter XI