Probably from an apocryphal Gospel.
Editorial footnote · The Clementine Homilies, Chapter LXI.—Monarchy.; original source section: Chapter 61, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source
Search a Bible verse · Source library · Sources and text rights
The Clementine Homilies — Historical footnotes
Chapter LXI.—Monarchy.; original source section: Chapter 61
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Thomas Smith (original Homilies books I-V credit; record allocation unreviewed), Peter Peterson (original Homilies books VI-XII credit; record allocation unreviewed), James Donaldson (original Homilies books XIII-XX credit; record allocation unreviewed), Alexander Roberts (Edinburgh series editor), James Donaldson (Edinburgh series editor), Arthur Cleveland Coxe (American revision with prefaces and notes), Matthew Brown Riddle (American volume collaborator; individual note authorship unspecified).
Read the original source · Text reuse terms
Read the surrounding source paragraph
“But if any one of those present, being able to instruct the ignorance of men, shrink from it, thinking only of his own ease, let him expect to hear this sentence: ‘O wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have given my money to the exchangers, and I at my coming should have got my own. Cast out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.’ And with good reason; ‘for,’ says He, ‘it is thine, O man, to prove my words, as silver and money are proved among the exchangers.’ Therefore the multitude of the faithful ought to obey some one, that they may live in harmony. For that which tends to the government of one person, in the form of monarchy, enables the subjects to enjoy peace by means of good order; but in case of all, through desire of ruling, being unwilling to submit to one only, they must altogether fall by reason of division.