46. But this is so great,
that certain understand it to be the fruit an hundred-fold.
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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.
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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;”
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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;”
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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;
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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.
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For also
another Evangelist hath made mention only of the hundred-fold:
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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?
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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.
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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.
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1 Cor. xii. 31
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Matt. xix. 21
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Acts ii. 44, 4,
32
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Matt. xiii. 8
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Luke viii. 8