46. But this is so great,
that certain understand it to be the fruit an hundred-fold.2190
| 2190 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. |
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.
2191
| 2191 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. |
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;”
2192
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;”
2193
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;
2194
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.
2195
For also
another Evangelist hath made mention only of the hundred-fold:
2196
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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