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In this wicked world, in these evil days, when the Church measures
her future loftiness by her present humility, and is exercised by
goading fears, tormenting sorrows, disquieting labors, and dangerous
temptations, when she soberly rejoices, rejoicing only in hope, there
are many reprobate mingled with the good, and both are gathered
together by the gospel as in a drag net; and in this world, as in a
sea, both swim enclosed without distinction in the net, until it is
brought ashore, when the wicked must be separated from the good, that
in the good, as in His temple, God may be all in all. We
acknowledge, indeed, that His word is now fulfilled who spake in the
psalm, and said, "I have announced and spoken; they are multiplied
above number."
This takes place now, since He has spoken, first by the mouth of his
forerunner John, and afterward by His own mouth, saying,
"Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He chose
disciples, whom He also called apostles, of lowly birth, unhonored,
and illiterate, so that whatever great thing they might be or do, He
might be and do it in them. He had one among them whose wickedness He
could use well in order to accomplish His appointed passion, and
furnish His Church an example of bearing with the wicked. Having
sown the holy gospel as much as that behoved to be done by His bodily
presence, He suffered, died, and rose again, showing by His
passion what we ought to suffer for the truth, and by His resurrection
what we ought to hope for in adversity; saving-always the mystery of
the sacrament, by which His blood was shed for the remission of sins.
He held converse on the earth forty days with His disciples, and in
their sight ascended into heaven, and after ten days sent the promised
Holy Spirit. It was given as the chief and most necessary sign of
His coming on those who had believed, that every one of them spoke in
the tongues of all nations; thus signifying that the unity of the
catholic Church would embrace all nations, and would in like manner
speak in all tongues.
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