hat the power of the Holy Ghost might "be purchased with
money" (Acts viii. 19, 20); Demas who "loved this present world" so
much that he forsook S. Paul in the hour of danger (2 Tim. iv. 10);
and the many of whom S. Paul spoke with tears, "whose God is their
belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil.
iii. 19). And, lastly, of those in whom the seed bears fruit an
hundredfold, it seems almost invidious to select examples. But such
were the martyr Stephen, who prayed for his murderers (Acts vii. 60);
Tabitha, "full of good works and almsdeeds" (Acts ix. 36); Cornelius,
upon whom the Holy Ghost fell even before he was baptized (Acts x.
46); S. Luke, "the beloved physician" (Col. iv. 14), "whose praise is
in the Gospel" (2 Cor. viii. 18).

The Parable of "The Tares," which described the sad outward appearance
of "The Kingdom of Heaven," was unhappily at once exemplified in the
early Church. Amongst the first members of the Church of Christ were
found Ananias and Sapphira "to lie unto the Holy Ghost" (Acts v. 3);
and Simon Magus to bring upon himself the rebuke "thy money perish
with thee" (Acts viii. 20). And, as years passed on, we find S. Paul
writing to the Church of God at Corinth to rebuke its members of
schism (1 Cor. i. 12); of being "carnal" and encouraging "envying and
strife and divisions" (1 Cor. iii. 3); of "fornication," and that not
merely in a single instance (1 Cor. v, vi); of tampering with
idolatrous feastings (1 Cor. viii); of disorders in their religious
assemblies, and especially of gross profanity in the celebration of
the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. xi); of strange misuse of the miraculous
gifts of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. xii, xiv); and of denying the great
doctrine of the Resurrection (1 Cor. xv. 12). All of these charges
show how strongly the tares began at once to grow amongst the wheat.
And, in later years, the same Apostle warns the Elders of Ephesus that
"grievous wolves" will enter in among them "not sparing the flock"
(Acts xx. 29); referring probably to the Gnostic heresies against
which the First Epistle of S. John is mainly directed.

Let us pass on to happier examples. The Parable of "The Mustard Seed,"
describing the outward spread of "The Kingdom of Heaven," is
illustrated by almost every chapter of the Acts. Beginning with the
little seed of an hundred and twenty members, the Church increased at
once to thousands on the Day of Pentecost (Acts ii. 41, 47). Then, as