suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.”[1] Now there is good reason for refusing wages to him who has not worked diligently, although otherwise he has done no evil. If you do not wish to possess the treasure, all you need do is to refrain from digging, and of itself it will remain hidden from you. To lose a victory or a country you have only to throw down your arms and surrender to the enemy; keep quiet and do not defend yourself when he approaches and you will surely be overcome. The peasant who sows his land with weeds and stones will certainly reap no fruit; but he need not go to even that trouble; all he has to do is to sit still and leave his land untilled. And you, O slothful Christian! hope to enter heaven by idling your time away, by doing nothing, although as you imagine, you are not guilty of any grievous sin?
Confirmed by gospel parables. Do you know what happened to the fig-tree of which the Lord speaks in the Gospel of St. Matthew? “Seeing a certain fig-tree by the wayside, He came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only;” at once the tree was cursed: “and He saith to it: May no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever, and immediately the fig-tree withered away.”[2] But why so? The tree did not bring forth evil fruit, and it had splendid leaves? No matter: “Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”[3] What tree shall be cast into the fire? The tree that bears evil fruit? Yes, and also that which does not bear good fruit. Have you never heard or read in the same Gospel the parable of the servant who hid his talent in the ground, and gave it uninjured to his master when the latter returned? Read and ponder on it attentively, for it seems written expressly for you. “Wicked and slothful servant,” said the master to him in an angry voice; was that the reason I entrusted the talent to you? “Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury.” Away with him at once! “The unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Ah, Lord, how stern Thou art to the poor servant! He has done no wrong.
- ↑ Regnum cœlorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud.—Matt. xi. 12.
- ↑ Videns fici arborem unam secus viam, venit ad eam: et nihil invenit in ea, nisi folia tantum: ait illi; numquam ex te fructus nascatur in sempiternum: et arefacta est continuo ficulnea.—Ibid. xxi. 19.
- ↑ Omnia arbor quæ non facit fructum bonum, excidetur et in ignem mittetur.—Ibid. iii. 10.
