gives them this name rather than that of thieves ; because their theft is not apparent. [ They are included hy implication , who try to get the property of others , either by violence or injustice. — V. g.] — He mentions three kinds of flagitious crimes, which are committed against the man himselfj against his neighbour, and against God. — ini o<p.£/\srsy for then must ye needs) Others have written dxpsiX sre1 [Ye ought to have gone out, etc.], for l 'xps'iXsn , but the present is also used, vii. 14, ini apa rd rizva v^uv dxa- tiuprd iari. What is writien without express limitation, should not be always taken absolutely, if there should follow from it any unsuitable consequence. In the present day there is room for this paraphrase ; “ otherwise you must needs go out of a land inhabited by Christians.” They are therefore especially to be avoided, who among Christians wish to be considered virtuous above others, and yet are fornicators , etc. — opg/Xerg) you must needs. For thus all intercourse as citizens would be done away with : That, which is evangelical perfection to monks, is absurd ( dronv , out of place) and unsuitable in the eyes of Paul. — X0O/40U, of the world) which abounds in profligate men.
11. ’ Ad&Xpbs, a brother) an ordinary appellation. — ovofiu^mg, who is called) A word in the middle voice [or rather, used in a middle sense , neither a favourable nor unfavourable sense]. — npvog, a fornicator) the crimes are here enumerated, on account of which others are to be avoided ; then in vi. 9, 10, more are added, on account of which every man should fear for himself.2 — /xTjds cvvstiOisiv, not so much as to eat) not only not with such a man as a host, but not even with him at the house of a third per- son. The lowest degree of intercourse, which men have, ivhen mixed up in company with one another , is to eat together. Even among tlie Jews, Din, excommunication took away all inter- course in regard to eating together. We must not eat with the man, who shall be unfit to eat along with the saints in the king- dom of God, vi. 10. Let the Church of the present day take heed, in which the guests at the Lord’s table are not like chil-
1 So ACD(A)G Vulg. both Syr. and Memph. Versions. But B (judging from silence) favours Rec. Text’s reading, dip tiKsxe. — Ed.
2 M e$vaog, a drunkard) It indicates the man who drinks large quantities of wine, although he does not break out into unbridled revellings. — V. g.