The World's Great Sermons, Volume 01: Basil to Calvin
Religion
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 01: Basil to Calvin
Sermons
Now St. Paul shows how needful this love is. I speak not of carnal love,
which is only animal affection; but of this charitable love, which is so
necessary that when a man hath it, without all other things it will
suffice him. Again, if a man have all other things and lacketh that love
it will not help him, it is all vain and lost. St. Paul used it so: "Tho
I speak with tongues of men and angels, and yet had no love, I were even
as sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal. And tho I could prophesy and
understand all secrets and all knowledge; yet if I had faith, so that I
could move mountains out of their places, and yet had no love, I were
nothing. And tho I bestowed all my goods to feed the poor, and tho I
gave my body even that I were burned, and yet had no love, it profiteth
me nothing" (I Cor. xiii). These are godly gifts, yet St. Paul calls
them nothing when a man hath them without charity; which is a great
commendation, and shows the great need of love, insomuch that all other
virtues are in vain when this love is absent. And there have been some
who taught that St. Paul spake against the dignity of faith; but you
must understand that St. Paul speaks here not of the justifying faith,
wherewith we receive everlasting life, but he understands by this word
faith the gift to do miracles, to remove hills; of such a faith he
speaks. This I say to confirm this proposition. Faith only justifieth;
this proposition is most true and certain. And St. Paul speaks not here
of this lively justifying faith; for this right faith is not without
love, for love cometh and floweth out of faith; love is a child of
faith; for no man can love except he believe, so that they have two
several offices, they themselves being inseparable.
St. Paul has an expression in the 13th chapter of the first of the
Corinthians, which, according to the outward letter, seems much to the
dispraise of this faith, and to the praise of love; these are his words,
"Now abideth faith, hope and love, even these three; but the chiefest of
these is love." There are some learned men who expound the greatness of
which St. Paul speaketh here as if meant for eternity. For when we come
to God, then we believe no more, but rather see with our eyes face to
face how He is; yet for all that love remains still; so that love may be
called the chiefest, because she endureth forever. And tho she is the
chiefest, yet we must not attribute unto her the office which pertains
unto faith only. Like as I can not say, the Mayor of Stamford must make
me a pair of shoes because he is a greater man than the shoemaker is;
for the mayor, tho he is a greater man, yet it is not his office to make
shoes; so tho love be greater, yet it is not her office to save. Thus
much I thought good to say against those who fight against the truth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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