Page:The Church, by John Huss.pdf/255

Rh hirelings but the voice of the Shepherd at the call of the hireling. Listen to the hirelings as they are set forth by the Lord himself. 'Scribes,' he said, 'and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Whatsoever they bid you, those things do, but whatsoever they do, do not ye.' What else did he say except hear the voice of the shepherd when the hireling calls? For, sitting in Moses' seat, they teach God's law; therefore God teaches through them. But, if they seek to teach their own things, hear them not, do them not, for certainly such people seek their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ. No hireling, however, has dared to say to the people of God: 'I seek thy things and not the things of Jesus Christ.'" Thus much Augustine. At the close of this homily he uses these words: "See, how the hireling is said to flee when he seeth the wolf. Why? Because he careth not for the sheep. Why does he not care for the sheep? Because he is an hireling. What is an hireling? He is one that seeketh temporal gain, but will not dwell in the house forever." Thus much Augustine, who shows that there are now hirelings in the church and they sit in the cathedras, that is, in the authority of teaching God's law.

And again Augustine, on the words, "Simon Peter drewin the net full of great fishes," John 21:11 [''Nic. Fathers'', 7: 443], says, “He is least who breaks in deeds what he teaches in words"; and further on: "Finally, to show that those least ones are reprobates, who teach in words, speaking good things, which they break by living ill, and that they will not be as the least in the life eternal and will not even be there, after Christ had said, 'he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven,' Christ added: 'for I say unto you except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.' These certainly are the scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses' seat, and of these Christ said: 'Whatsoever they bid you, do, but whatsoever they do, do not ye, for they