vER.47,48. ST.LUKE. 465 faith,and isworse than an infidel.THEOPHYL. Rightlyalso shallthe unbelievingsteward receivehis portion with the unbelievers,becausehe was withouttruefaith. 47.And thatservant,which knew his lord'swill, andpreparednot himself,neitherdid accordingto hiswill,shallbe beatenwithmany stripes. 48.But he thatknew not,and did commit things worthyof stripes,shallbe beatenwith few stripes. Foruntowhomsoever much isgiven,ofhim shallbe much required: and to whom men have committed much,ofhim theywillask themore. THEOPHYL. Our Lord here pointsto something stillgreater and more terrible,for the unfaithfulsteward shallnot only bedeprivedof the grace he had, so thatit should profithim nothingin escaping punishment, but the greatnessof his dignityshallthe ratherbecome a cause of his condemnation. Hence itis said,And that servantwho knew his lord'swill and did it not,shallbe beatenwith many stripes.CHRYS. chrys. For allthingsare not judged alikein all,but greaterknow- .Ho!J"t!!6' ledgeisan occasionof greaterpunishment. Thereforeshall thePriest,committing the same sinwith the people,suffer a farheavierpenalty. CYRIL. For the man of understandingwho has given up his willto baser things will shamelesslyimplore pardon, becausehe has committed an inexcusablesin,departingas itwere maliciouslyfrom the willof God, but the rude or un learnedman will more reasonably ask for pardon of the avenger. Hence it is added, But he thatknew not,and did commit things worthy of stripes,shallbe beaten with few stripes.THEOPHYL. Here some object,saying, He is de servedlypunished who, knowing the willof his Lord, pur suesitnot; but why is the ignorant punished? Because when he might have known, he would not,but being himself slothful,was the cause of hisown ignorance. BASIL.But you willsay,If the one indeed receivedmany Bssii.;u stripes,and the other few,how do some say He assignsno ^ v* end to punishments? But we must know, that what ishere VOL.in. 2 H