14. Here peradventure some
man may say, “If it was bodily work that the Apostle wrought,
whereby to sustain this life, what was that same work, and when did
he find time for it, both to work and to preach the Gospel?” To
whom I answer: Suppose I do not know; nevertheless that he did
bodily work, and thereby lived in the flesh, and did not use the
power which the Lord had given to the Apostles, that preaching the
Gospel he should live by the Gospel, those things above-said do
without all doubt bear witness. For it is not either in one place
or briefly said, that it should be possible for any most astute
arguer with all his tergiversation to traduce and pervert it to
another meaning. Since then so great an authority, with so mighty
and so frequent blows mauling the gainsayers, doth break in pieces
their contrariness, why ask they of me either what sort of work he
did, or when he did it? One thing I know, that he neither did
steal, nor was a housebreaker or highwayman, nor chariot-driver or
hunter or player, nor given to filthy lucre: but innocently and
honestly wrought things which are fitted for the uses of men; such
as are the works of carpenters, builders, shoemakers, peasants, and
such like. For honesty itself reprehends not what their pride doth
reprehend, who love to be called, but love not to be, honest. The
Apostle then would not disdain either to take in hand any work of
peasants, or to be employed in the labor of craftsmen. For he who
saith, “Be ye without offense to Jews and to Greeks and to the
Church of God,”2515
before what men he could possibly
stand abashed, I know not. If they shall say, the
Jews; the
Patriarchs fed
cattle: if the
Greeks, whom we call also Pagans;
they have had
philosophers, held in high
honor, who were
shoemakers: if the
Church of
God; that just man,
elect to the
testimony of a conjugal and ever-during
virginity, to whom was
betrothed the
Virgin Mary who bore
Christ, was a
carpenter.
2516
Whatever
therefore of these with
innocence and without
fraud men do
work, is
good. For the
Apostle himself takes precaution of this, that no man
through necessity of sustaining
life should turn aside to
evil
works. “Let him that stole,” saith he, “
steal no more; but
rather let him
labor good with his hands, that he may have to
impart to him that needeth.”
2517
This then is enough to know, that
also in the very work of the body the Apostle did work that which
is good.
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