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 bag in
which to put by the money which was collected?
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Why so long time beforehand, on
occasion of impending famine, were supplies of corn sent to the
holy fathers?
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Why did
Apostles in such wise provide things necessary for the indigence of
saints lest there should be lack thereafter, that most blessed Paul
should thus write to the Corinthians in his Epistle: “Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to
the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the
week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath
prospered him, that the gatherings be not then first made when I
come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters,
them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it
be meet that I go also, they shall go with me?”
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These and
much else they most copiously and most truly bring forward. To whom
we answer: Ye see then, albeit the Lord said, “Take no thought
for the morrow,” yet ye are not by these words constrained to
reserve nothing for the morrow: then why do ye say that by the same
words ye are constrained to do nothing? Why are the birds of the
air not a pattern unto you for reserving nothing, and ye will have
them to be a pattern for working nothing?
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John xii. 6
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Acts xi. 28–30
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1 Cor. xvi. 1–4