9. But he speaks more openly
in the rest which he subjoins, and altogether removes all causes of
doubting. “If we unto you,” saith he, “have sown spiritual
things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal
things?” What are the spiritual things which he sowed, but the
word and mystery of the sacrament of the kingdom of heaven? And
what the carnal things which he saith he had a right to reap, but
these temporal things which are indulged to the life and indigency
of the flesh? These however being due to him he declares that he
had not sought nor accepted, lest he should cause any impediment to
the Gospel of Christ. What work remaineth for us to understand him
to have wrought, whereby he should get his living, but bodily work,
with his own bodily and visible hands? For if from spiritual work
he sought food and clothing, that is, to receive these of them whom
he was edifying in the Gospel, he could not, as he does, go on to
say, “If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we
rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power,
but tolerate all things that we may not cause any hindrance to the
Gospel of Christ.”2498
What
power doth he say he had not
used, but that which he had over them, received of the
Lord, the
power to
reap their
carnal things, in order to the
sustenance of
this
life which is lived in the
flesh? Of which
power were others
also partakers, who did not at the first
announce the
Gospel to
them, but came thereafter to their
Church preaching the self-same.
Therefore, when he had said, “If we have sown unto you
spiritual
things, is it a great matter if we shall
reap your
carnal
things?” he subjoined, “If others be partakers of this
power
over you, are not we rather?” And when he had demonstrated what
power they had: “Nevertheless we have not used,” saith he,
“this
power; but we put up with all things, lest we should cause
any impediment to the
Gospel of
Christ.” Let therefore these
persons say in what way from
spiritual work the
Apostle had
carnal
food, when himself openly says that he had not used this
power. But
if from
spiritual work he had not
carnal food, it remains that from
bodily
work he had it and thereof saith, “Neither did we eat any
man’s
bread for nought; but
wrought with
labor and
travail night
and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because
we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to
follow us.
2499
All
things,” saith he, “we suffer, lest we cause any hindrance to
the Gospel of Christ.”
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