The Twelve Books — Historical footnotes

The blessed Apostle, like a true and spiritual physician, either seeing this disease, which springs from the spirit of accidie, already creeping in, or foreseeing, through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that it would arise among monks, is quick to anticipate it by the healing medicines of his directions. For in writing to the Thessalonians, and at first, like a skilful and excellent physician, applying to the infirmity of his patients the soothing and gentle remedy of his words, and beginning with charity, and praising them in that point, that this deadly wound, having been treated with a milder remedy, might lose its angry festering and more easily bear severer treatment, he says: “But concerning brotherly charity ye have no need that I write to you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. For this ye do toward all the brethren in the whole of Macedonia.” He first began with the soothing application of praise, and made their ears submissive and ready for the remedy of the healing words. Then he proceeds: “But we ask you, brethren, to abound more.” Thus far he soothes them with kind and gentle words; for fear lest he should find them not yet prepared to receive their perfect cure. Why is it that you ask, O Apostle, that they may abound more in charity, of which you had said above, “But concerning brotherly charity we have no need to write to you”? And why is it necessary that you should say to them: “But we ask you to abound more,” when they did not need to be written to at all on this matter? especially as you add the reason why they do not need it, saying, “For you yourselves have been taught of God to love one another.” And you add a third thing still more important: that not only have they been taught of God, but also that they fulfil in deed that which they are taught. “For ye do this,” he says, not to one or two, but “to all the brethren;” and not to your own citizens and friends only, but “in the whole of Macedonia.” Tell us then, I pray, why it is that you so particularly begin with this. Again he proceeds, “But we ask you, brethren, to abound the more.” And with difficulty at last he breaks out into that at which he was driving before: “and that ye take pains to be quiet.” He gave the first aim. Then he adds a second, “and to do your own business;” and a third as well: “and work with your own hands, as we commanded you;” a fourth: “and to walk honestly towards those that are without;” a fifth: “and to covet no man’s goods.” Lo, we can see through that hesitation, which made him with these preludes put off uttering what his mind was full of: “And that ye take pains to be quiet;” i.e., that you stop in your cells, and be not disturbed by rumours, which generally spring from the wishes and gossip of idle persons, and so yourselves disturb others.