RICH AND POOR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIE,—It is rather interesting to note Bacon's observation on the words, "Sell all thou haat " :—
"Beware how in making the Portraiture thou breakest the Pattern: for Divinity maketh the love of ourselves the Pattern ; the love of our Neighbours but the Portraiture. Sell all thou hart and give it to the poor and follow me,' but sell not all that thou hast except thou come and follow me, that is except thou bast a Vocation wherein thou mayest do as much good with little means as with great ; for otherwise in feeding the Stream thou driest the Fountain."—Essay XIII., edition 1701.
His remarks seem to consider the rule as a counsel of perfec- tion, and to have been suggested by a passage of Thomas Aquinas, who, commenting on the same words, lays down that the counsels of perfection are not obligatory on all men. See " Summ. Theolog.," Secunda Secundae, Quaest. 184, Art. III.—
Previous page
