Chapter XXVIII.
Mercy must be freely shown even though it brings an
odium of its own. With regard to this, reference is made to the
well-known story about the sacred vessels which were broken up by
Ambrose to pay for the redemption of captives; and very beautiful
advice is given about the right use of the gold and silver which the
Church possesses. Next, after showing from the action of holy
Lawrence what are the true treasures of the Church, certain rules are
laid down which ought to be observed in melting down and employing for
such uses the consecrated vessels of the Church.
136. is a very
great incentive to mercy to share in others’ misfortunes, to help
the needs of others as far as our means allow, and sometimes even
beyond them. For it is better for mercy’s sake to take up a
case, or to suffer odium rather than to show hard feeling. So I
once brought odium on myself because I broke up the sacred vessels to
redeem captives—a fact that could displease the Arians. Not
that it displeased them as an act, but as being a thing in which they
could take hold of something for which to blame me. Who can be so
hard, cruel, iron-hearted, as to be displeased because a man is
redeemed from death, or a woman from barbarian impurities, things that
are worse than death, or boys and girls and infants from the pollution
of idols, whereby through fear of death they were defiled?
137. Although we did not act thus without
good reason, yet we have followed it up among the people so as to
confess and to add again and again that it was far better to preserve
souls than gold for the Lord. For He Who sent the apostles
without gold also brought
together the churches without gold. The Church has gold, not to
store up, but to lay out, and to spend on those who need. What
necessity is there to guard what is of no good? Do we not know
how much gold and silver the Assyrians took out of the temple of the
Lord? Is it not much better that the priests
should melt it down for the sustenance of the poor, if other supplies
fail, than that a sacrilegious enemy should carry it off and defile
it? Would not the Lord Himself say: Why didst thou suffer
so many needy to die of hunger? Surely thou hadst gold? Thou shouldst have given them sustenance. Why are so many captives brought on the slave market, and why are so many unredeemed left to be slain by the enemy? It had been better to preserve living vessels than gold ones.
138. To this no answer could be given. For
what wouldst thou say: I feared that the temple of God would need
its ornaments? He would answer: The sacraments need not
gold, nor are they proper to gold only—for they are not bought
with gold. The glory of the sacraments is the redemption of
captives. Truly they are precious vessels, for they redeem men
from death. That, indeed, is the true treasure of the Lord which
effects what His blood effected. Then, indeed, is the vessel of
the Lord’s blood recognized, when one sees in either redemption, so that the chalice redeems from the enemy those whom His blood redeemed from sin.
How
beautifully it is said, when long lines of captives are redeemed by the
Church: These Christ has redeemed. Behold the gold that can
be tried, behold the useful gold, behold the gold of Christ which frees
from death, behold the gold whereby modesty is redeemed and chastity is
preserved.
139. These, then, I preferred to hand over to you
as free men, rather than to store up the gold. This crowd of
captives, this company surely is more glorious than the sight of
cups. The gold of the Redeemer ought to contribute to this work
so as to redeem those in danger. I recognize the fact that the
blood of Christ not only glows in cups of gold, but also by the office
of redemption has impressed upon them the power of the divine
operation.