Page III

a iij

...monks, after they had distributed all their resources to the poor, provided a meager living for themselves through the labor of their own hands, and gave away whatever was left over to the poor—these people will declare either that no such men ever existed, or that they were fools. As if indeed to be a fool for Christ’s sake, as the world thinks, were not the highest wisdom A reference to 1 Corinthians 4:10, where St. Paul speaks of being "fools for Christ's sake" in contrast to the worldly-wise.. Now indeed, those who seek after ecclesiastical honors—which are beautiful in appearance, yet ruinous to those who use them badly—and desire by any means to possess titles, when they hear that these truly divine men were led only reluctantly and unwillingly to undertake the office of Bishop Episcopatum: the office or rank of a bishop committed to them, they will say with a laugh that these are old stories and alien to the customs of our time.

Again, when they read that these same men, after they had been unwillingly made bishops, remained mindful of their duty; they abandoned their solitude and the contemplation that was so dear to them, and devoted themselves entirely to feeding their flock by both word and example. Many, unless I am mistaken—such as are found in these times of ours—will not so much set these men before themselves as examples to be imitated, but rather will think they should listen to those who, under any pretext, call them away from feeding the flock.

Moreover, those whose understanding is not raised higher than what the senses can perceive—when they hear of the miracles that were performed, and that Christ himself, while he was visible on earth, performed no greater miracles than those he performed through them—how likely is it that they will not believe them? But truly, one must not look at what nature can do by itself, which usually follows the course established for it by its Architect original: Architectus. A common philosophical and theological metaphor for God as the creator and designer of the universe.; but rather what is possible in divine...