6. Which thing whoso thinks
cannot have been done by the Apostles, that with them women of holy
conversation should go about wheresoever they preached the Gospel,
that of their substance they might minister to their necessities,
let him hear the Gospel, and learn how in this they did after the
example of the Lord Himself. Our Lord, namely, according to the
wont of His pity, sympathizing with the weak, albeit Angels might
minister unto Him, had both a bag in which should be put the money
which was bestowed doubtless by good and believing persons, as
necessary for their living, (which bag He gave in charge to Judas,
that even thieves, if we could not keep clear of such, we might
learn to tolerate in the Church. He, namely, as is written of him,
“stole2489
what was
put therein:”) and He willed that
women should follow Him for the
preparing and ministering what was necessary, showing what was due
to
evangelists and
ministers of
God as
soldiers, from the people of
God as the provincials; so that if any should not choose to use
that which is due unto him, as
Paul the
Apostle did not choose, he
might bestow the more upon the
Church, by not exacting the pay
which was due to him, but by earning his
daily living of his own
labors. For it had been said to the
inn-
keeper to whom that
wounded
man was brought, “Whatever thou layest out more, at my coming
again I will
repay thee.”
2490
The
Apostle Paul, then, did “lay
out more,”
2491
in that
he, as himself witnesseth, did at his own charges go a
warfare. In
the
Gospel, namely, it is written, “Thereafter also Himself was
making a
journey through cities and
villages preaching and
evangelizing of the
kingdom of
God; and the twelve with Him, and
certain
women which had been
healed of
evil spirits and
infirmities:
Mary who is called Magdalene, out of whom seven
devils
had gone forth, and Joanna
wife of Chuza
Herod’s
steward, and
Susanna, and many others, who
ministered unto Him of their
substance.”
2492
This
example of the
Lord the
Apostles did
imitate, to receive the
meat
which was due unto them; of which the same
Lord most openly
speaketh: “As ye go,” saith He, “
preach, saying, The
kingdom
of
heaven is at
hand.
Heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse
lepers, cast out
devils. Freely have ye received, freely give.
Possess not
gold nor
silver nor
money in your purses, neither
scrip
on your
journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, neither
staff:
for the workman is worthy of his
meat.”
2493
Lo, where the
Lord appointeth the
very thing which the Apostle doth mention. For to this end He told
them not to carry all those things, namely, that where need should
be, they might receive them of them unto whom they preached the
kingdom of God.
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