Of the Work of Monks 24
24 Section 24 PL 40, 567
24. This question I should briefly solve, if I should say, because I should also justly say, that we must believe the Apostle. For he himself knew why in the Churches of the Gentiles it was not meet that a venal Gospel were carried about; not finding fault with his fellow-apostles, but distinguishing his own ministry; because they, without doubt by admonition of the Holy Ghost, had so distributed among them the provinces of evangelizing, that Paul and Barnabas should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the Circumcision. But that he gave this precept to them who had not the like power, those many things already said do make manifest. But these brethren of ours rashly arrogate unto themselves, so far as I can judge, that they have this kind of power. For if they be evangelists, I confess, they have it: if ministers of the altar, dispensers of sacraments, of course it is no arrogating to themselves, but a plain vindicating of a right.
Hanc quaestionem breviter solverem, si dicerem, quia et juste dicerem, credendum esse Apostolo. Ipse enim sciebat cur in Ecclesiis Gentium non oporteret portari venale Evangelium, non culpans coapostolos suos, sed distinguens ministerium suum: quia ita inter se distribuerant, procul dubio admonente Spiritu sancto, evangelizandi provincias, ut Paulus et Barnabas ad Gentes irent, illi autem in circumcisionem . Hoc tamen eum praecepisse iis qui non habebant ejusmodi potestatem, ea quae jam multa dicta sunt manifestant.