VKR. 4—7. ST. LUKE. 431
lifelesslimbsofmartyrstobe torninpiecesby wildbeasts
andbirds,seeingthattheycan inno wisepreventtheomni
potenceof God from quickeningand bringingthem tolife
again.CHRYS. Observehow our Lord makes His disciples
superiorto all,by exhortingthem todespisethatverydeath22°Tn
whichisterribleto all. At the same time alsoHe bringsMa"-
themproofsof the immortalityof the soul: adding,/ will
forewarnyou whom ye shallfear: fear Him, which after
He hathkilledhathpower to castintohell.AMBROSE. For
ournaturaldeathisnot the end ofpunishment: and there
foreHe concludesthat deathis the cessationof bodily
punishment,but the punishmentofthe souliseverlasting.
And God alone is to be feared,to whose power nature
prescribesnot,but is herselfsubject;adding,Yea,I say
untoyou,Fear Him. THEOPHYL. Here observe,thatupon
sinnersdeathissentas a punishment,sincetheyare here
tormentedby destruction,and afterwardsthrustdown into
helL But ifyou willsiftthe words you willunderstand
somethingfarther.For He saysnot,"Who castsintohell,"
but haspower to cast. For not everyone dying in sinis
forthwiththrustdown intohell,but thereissometimespar
don givenforthe sakeof the offeringsand prayerswhich
aremade forthedeada.
AMBROSE. Our Lord thenhad instilledthevirtueofsim
plicity,had awakeneda courageousspirit.Theirfaithalone
was wavering,and welldidHe strengthenitby addingwith
respectto thingsof lessvalue,Are notfivesparrowssold
fortwo farthings? and not one of them isforgottenbefore
God. As if He said,If God forgetsnot the sparrows,
how can He man? BEDE. The dipondinsisa coinof the
lightestweight,and equalto two asses.GLOSS.Now thatGloss.
whichin number isone isin weightan ass,but thatwhich
istwo isa dipondins.AMBROSE. But perhapssome one will
say,How isitthatthe Apostlesays,Does theLord care1Cor.9,
foroxen? whereasan ox isof more valuethana sparrow;
buttocareforisone thing,tohaveknowledgeanother.
• This opinionof Theophylact'sis ii.c.1 ; Coccius,lib.x. art.4 ; Chry-
ditn-rentfrom the declareddoctrines sost.Phil.i.'-!!.Trans.p.38, note e;
bothoftheRoman andGreekChurches, Horn. de Stat Tr. p. 130. note c;
and the generallanguage of the Fa- and Tracts forthe Times, No. IxxiL
there. See Bellarrainede Purg. lib. p.32.