No More Learning

Accordingly, the teachers of perverted doctrines ‘dwell upon the gravel,’ because they draw after them those minds of men which are not established with any stedfastness of gravity, which the streams of errors are as it were ever carrying from place to place. And hence the great preacher, whereas he desired that his hearers should not be led by the chances of time, but that they might be established by firm gravity, charged them, saying, That we henceforth be no more like children, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. [Eph. 4, 14] Thus Holy Church, being borne down by her adversaries for a space, when she sees the bold minds of those in error insulting over her, recalls to remembrance what the behaviour of those was, saying, They shall dwell in the desert places of torrents, and in the caves of the earth, or upon the gravel. For because their wrong preaching, the fire of charity being gone, gained power by coldness of feeling, surely it ‘dwelt in the desert places of torrents. ’ And because it was not open and at large, it ‘lay hid’ in caves. And because it held the people not fixed but lightly moved, it remained not upon the rock but ‘upon the gravel. ’ Concerning which it is yet further added;
Ver. 7. Who rejoiced in the midst of the like, and reckoned there were delights under brambles. [xiii]
24. What do we understand by the name of ‘brambles,’ but those ‘piercings’ [§. 21] of sins, which we have already described above. Now because froward minds delight in wickednesses, which they should have bewailed, all heretics uplift themselves with vain joy in proportion as they gain power for worse acts; and they ‘reckon there are delights under the brambles,’ because they lift up the froward mind to joy, from the same cause that they bear the thorns of sins. For if ever they have been able to draw any one to their error, they plume themselves in glee; and by the same act, whereby they are daily heaping to themselves sins, even by ruining others, they exult that they are as it were leaders to righteousness. And so it is well said; Who rejoiced amongst the like, and reckoned that there are delights under brambles. For they drag all that they are able to their own destruction; and to be under sins, or to add offences to offences, they imagine their heaping up a superabundance of virtuous acquirements.
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Ver. 8. They were children of fools, yea, children of base men; and in the earth not appearing at
all.
[xiv]
25. That is to say, the children of those, who were the masters of errors. So they are called ‘children,’ not as engendered by the seed, but by the imitating of those, who by teaching what is wrong were ‘fools’ in respect of ignorance, and by living wicked lives ‘base men’ in respect of conduct. Who are not allied to our Redeemer by any relationship of wisdom, or by any of life. Concerning which it is said by the voice of Solomon in commendation of Holy Church, Her husband is noble in the gates. [Prov. 31, 23] So these, because they followed the froward examples of those going’ astray, were recorded as being ‘the children of fools and of base men. ’ Now it is rightly subjoined, and on the earth not appearing at all. Because whilst they aim to appear something here, surely from the land of the living they are made outcasts.
26. But this which we have delivered in a type of heretics, nothing is at all in the way, if we understand it as well of persons froward and carnal, though set in the right faith. For neither does Holy Church account those only adversaries to her, who, as placed without, dissent from her faith, but those also who by living amiss inwardly stifle her life. So then let her, afflicted with the wofulness of adversity coming down upon her, survey how in the season of her prosperity, by the wickedness of evil-doers living within her even she was burthened. Let her consider that in due of the deserts of some, the life of all was not unjustly disturbed in her, and let her say, Who gnawed in solitude, scurvy with affliction and misery. As I before said in the first part of this work, the solitude of the interior is sometimes used to be understood in respect of the excellency of contemplation. But in this place, where ‘solitude’ is mentioned in the way of reproach, what else is there demonstrated but a barrenness of goodness? And hence, under the type of Judaea, Jeremiah mourns over the soul of the sinner, saying, How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! [Lam. 1, 1] But when it is said by blessed Job respecting the evil-doers, they gnawed in solitude, it is well to look at that also which is delivered by the Psalmist, His enemies shall lick the dust. [Ps. 72, 9]
27. For there are two sorts of men that lend themselves to their own ambition, i. e. one which always employs the flatteries of the tongue to serve to avarice, another which is bent on robbery by open force. For we ‘gnaw’ when we wear away any thing outwardly with strong effort. For there is ‘licking’ when that which cannot be eaten with ease is tasted by the lightness of the tongue being pressed upon it. All persons then who even under a guise of faith live wickedly, who long after what belongs to another, but are not any way able to seize upon the object that they long after, but try by flattering speeches, and as it were by the softening of sweetness, to carry off the things coveted, what else do they save ‘lick the ground? ’ because the several things of earth, which they cannot by power, they strive to make away with by the softness of the tongue. But they who are sustained in this world by any degree of power, and whilst coveting the things of others, scorn indeed to cozen by deceit, because they are able even by unjust strength to fulfil what they have a mind for, the thing that they long for these persons do not ‘lick’ but ‘gnaw’; because they demolish the life of their fellow-creatures by the forcibleness of power as by the effect of teeth. So then let Holy Church regard the true riches of the Eternal Country, let her behold the throng of the citizens Above, let her discern in her Elect Children the culture of the mind, and the excellencies of
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countless virtues, and from these let her recall the eye of the mind to the life of the wicked, which is made void of all goodness, and by comparison with them let her see how and in what way that life is destitute of all virtuous attainments, because it has abandoned the things on high, and coveted those beneath. Let her see how very often that thing which he longs for, if perchance he has power, he even seizes by violence. Let her see that she has long been subject to such persons as set within her pale, and that by their offences she has come even to the very jeopardy and hurts of the good too, and let her say, Who gnawed in solitude. As though she complained openly, saying, ‘The things of others they would not gnaw, even by seizing them by violence, except they themselves first remained in their own interior solitary, and bare of the culture of virtues. ’ But she rightly explains the kind and sort of those, saying, Scurvy with affliction and misery. For unhealthy flesh, if it be overlooked to be heedfully taken care of, is by foulness growing over it worse pressed with disease, and whilst to the misfortune of sickness the wretchedness of neglect is superadded, heavier inconvenience is undergone by scurf arising.
28. Therefore Human Nature having been created aright, but having sunk into disease by the demerit of its own will, it fell into utter overthrow, because being pressed by countless necessities, it found nought in this life save that whereby it should be beaten down; but whereas those same necessities of our nature we generally minister to beyond what is advisable, and overlook the care of the soul, by the wretchedness of neglect we add to our infirmity the foulness of sin. For the necessities of nature are such as to have this in them fraught with the greatest danger, that often there is no discerning therein, what there is done relating to them in the aim at usefulness, and what in the evil of self-gratification. For very frequently occasion of beguilement being met with, whilst we render the things due to necessity we are doing service to the evil of self-gratification, if our self-excusing cloaks itself with the veil of infirmity before the eyes of discernment, and as it were hides itself under the countenance of discharging the useful. But to let loose the frailty of our nature by neglect is nothing else than to add misery to affliction, and by that misery to redouble the foulness of the vices. Whence holy men, in every thing they do, discriminate with the most earnest aim, that the frailty of their nature exact not from them more than is owed, and that under the cloak of necessity there grow not up in them the evil of gratification. For they undergo one thing from infirmity, and another thing from the prompting of temptation, and being appointed as a kind of most equitable umpires between necessity and pleasure, they lift up the one by comforting, and bridle the other by keeping down. Whence it comes to pass, that even if they are exposed to the affliction of their infirmity, yet they never descend from neglect to the foulness of misery. For this mere thing, to be in affliction, is to be subject to the necessities of nature from the frailty of flesh still liable to corruption. Which same necessities he longed to get quit of, who said, Deliver me from my necessities. [Ps. 25, 17] For he knew that, for the most part, the sins of the pleasures break forth by occasion of necessities, and that he might not of his own will commit aught unlawful, he was busy to have that itself plucked up which he was subject to unwillingly in the roots. [An example of this case is found in St. Augustine’s Confessions, B. x. § 43—47. ]
29. But on the other hand, the evil-minded take delight in those necessities of their corrupt state, because they force them back to serve the occasion of gratifications. For while they minister to nature by recruiting their bodies with food, through the gratification of the palate they are swelled out in the glutting of delight. When they seek clothing for covering the limbs, they look out not only for things that may cover, but also may uplift, and against the numbness of cold not only what may defend by thickness, but likewise delight by softness; not only what may soothe the touch by
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softness, but also beguile the eyes by the colour. So then, to turn occasion of necessity to the use of pleasure, what other thing is it but to join the foulness of misery to his affliction? Thus let the Church, being borne down in the season of adversity, call to mind those by whose deserts she undergoes these things, and let her say, Who gnawed in solitude, scurvy with affliction and misery. They indeed would not be made foul by affliction, if they did not superadd to inherent necessities the misery of gratifications. Which same necessities we have earned by the offence of the first parent. But they who add misery to their affliction, from the torture of punishment, break forth into augmentations of guilt. But would that such persons, whilst they scorn to be changed for the better, did things wrong in such a way as not to proffer them to others as well. Would that their own death only were enough for them, and that by their baneful persuasions they did not kill another’s life likewise. For they grudge others being what they are not, they grieve for others to obtain the thing that they lose; for if by chance they perceive any good points springing up in the acts of others, they directly pluck them up with the hand of mischievous reviling. Whence too it follows, And they did eat herbs and the barks of trees.
30. For what is denoted by ‘herbs,’ but the life of those beginning well tender and close to the ground? and what by the barks of trees, but the outward deeds of those who henceforth seek after things aloft? For bad men, when they see persons beginning what is right, either by deriding or as if counselling them, offer opposition. But when they now think with themselves that certain persons are making way to the highest things, because they cannot wholly and entirely scatter to the winds their advancements, they divert those persons from some of their deeds. Thus then to ‘eat herbs and the barks of trees,’ is by pestilent persuasions as by a kind of teeth of their evil-mindedness to scatter to nought, whether the aims of those beginning aright, or the doings of persons now henceforth after the manner of trees making towards that which is above. The children of perdition ‘eat herbs,’ when by scoffing they consume the beginnings of the frail sort. Likewise they ‘eat the barks of trees,’ when with the hand of evil counsel they withdraw from the life of those growing rightly the covering of good deeds. Now these latter they strip like trees in particular actions, but those because like herbs they drag whilst despising them, they as it were eat what they tread under them. The strength of some now rising on high they in part make away with, but the tenderness of some even still placed below they utterly break in pieces. So then let him say, they eat herbs and the barks of trees, because by wicked mockings in some they broke up piecemeal external deeds, and in some hearts in hope growing lively.
31. Or surely to ‘eat herbs’ is to copy some things light and tender belonging to the ancient Fathers. Whilst to ‘eat the barks of trees’ is to practise their deeds so far as the outside, but in these same works not to maintain a right intention. For there are some persons who, whereas they cannot obtain the glory of the present world by that world’s courses of conduct, seek after a semblance of sanctity, assume the garb of reverence, long to appear imitators of the old Fathers, and some few things indeed, little and light, they do employ themselves upon, but their strong things, and such as come forth from the root of charity alone, they are indifferent to imitate. These truly ‘eat herbs,’ because they overlook what is great, and are filled with what is worthless. Yet very often they put in execution even some deeds seemingly more vigorous, but they do not hold a right intention in those same deeds. To which persons surely to ‘eat the barks of trees’ is to take to them the outward acts of the Elect, and not to have a good intention in good acts. For whilst for the sake of human applause they search out right deeds, but are indifferent to imitate the heart of those doing rightly, they are filled ‘by the barks of trees’ alone. For with all the desire they seek after the glory or
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abundance of the present life. Whence too it is rightly subjoined, And the root of junipers was their
meat.
32. For being set within by faith, whilst they for the most part lend themselves to thoughts of avarice, they as it were ‘eat’ that, whereby in the final close of life the roughnesses of punishments are put forth. Which persons, while they do not long after the fruitage of divine revelation, but make themselves subservient for the going after things temporal, are never filled with the bread of wheat, but with the ‘root of the juniper. ’ For the mere things springing up from what is beneath and lowest engross them, that they may prick them afterwards after the manner of the juniper by the hardness of recompensing, as by the sharpness of leaves. For whilst they despise God here, they are never made sensible what great evil it is that they do. For still they are ‘eating the root of the juniper,’ but how sharp the branches of this root are they do not give heed; because verily bad conduct now as it were in the root gives delight in sin, but afterwards as it were in the branches it pricks in punishment. Where also it is well subjoined; Who, carrying these same off from the valleys, when they found each one, did run thereto with clamour.
33. In comparison surely with things above, all the present life is a ‘valley. ’ But these, because they know not to contemplate the heights of mountains, i. e. the strong deeds of the Saints, are always busied in the lowest gratification as in ‘the valleys,’ and when they find any gain, even of a slight acquisition, they run with clamouring, because they strive even by wrangling to make off with this, for ‘upon each being found in the valley to run with clamour,’ is on the occasions of cases arising to wrangle even for small payment. Now it very often happens that him, whom good conduct exhibits as holy, occasion of earthly advantage springing up puts to the proof. For you may see persons already employed on what is lofty, already in the practice of abstinence, already in the work of instruction, following after the patterns of the fathers that went before; but when they suddenly find the gain of the present life, as the fruit of the valley, they ‘run thereto with clamour’; because the quiet of overlaid sanctity being broken through they spring forth to that.
34. It may be too that by ‘herbs and the barks of trees’ not only the deeds of the good are meant, as has been said before, but consolations and blessings in this life. For oftentimes Almighty God, when He enriches His Elect with interior gifts, uplifts them with external honours as well. And while He renders them objects of honour by advancing them above others, He exhibits them the wider as objects of imitation; and sometimes the evil-minded despise indeed the life of those, but long to attain their good success in this world. And so because they seek here below the flatteries of transitory comfort, they ‘eat herbs’; because in their thoughts they dwell on the external glory of these persons, they ‘chew the barks of trees’; and because in all these they minister to avarice alone with the entire bent of their mind, they are filled with the ‘root of the juniper. ’ All which things they ‘carry off from the valleys,’ because from love of this low corruptible life they are made to burn with boundless lusts. And ‘when they find each one, they run thereto with clamours,’ because surely of the holy Fathers, whose merits they never seek to acquire, they are busy to lay hold of the posts and governments, and when they very frequently cannot attain these by quiet means, they even try it by bursting asunder the peacefulness of concord.
35. And for this that these are widely separated from the conduct of the Fathers going before, it is rightly subjoined; They dwelled in the desert places of torrents, and in the caves of the earth, or upon the gravel. For on the side of good we rightly take the ‘torrents’ for the holy preachers, who
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whilst in the present life they flow into us by divine effusions, are as it were collected by a concourse of waters in the winter season. Who also withdraw themselves on the summer sun appearing, because when the light of the Eternal Country shines forth, they will cease to preach. ‘The desert places of these torrents’ are the benefits of the life of time. For these they abandon, and betake themselves to the obtaining of heavenly gains. But all these that ‘torrent’ had forsaken who said; For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung. [Phil. 3, 8] But because the minds of the wicked seek to obtain those things in this life, which the righteous abandon despising them, they are related to ‘dwell in the desert places of the torrents. ’ For those things which are unworthy of the Saints, those same long to win as great. But the ‘caves of the earth’ are wicked thoughts, in which they bury themselves from the eyes of their fellow-creatures. For as they are evil, they shun being seen by men, and whilst they pretend themselves something else than what they are, they conceal themselves in the lurking places of their conscience, as ‘in caves of the earth,’ which persons would not do all these things, unless they were hopeless of an eternal and substantial life, unless they set their mind in this uncertainty of the temporal state. Whence it is well added, Or upon the gravel.
36. For the ‘gravel’ is the present life, which by the mere failure of mutability, as by the impulse of a river, is unceasingly being brought to its end. Hence to ‘dwell upon the gravel’ is to attach one’s self to the tide of the present life, and there to set the bent of the mind, where it cannot stablish the step by standing firmly. There is another circumstance ‘in gravel,’ which ought in no wise to be passed over in silence, namely, that when the foot is set upon the top of it, it slips by the mere rolling tendency thereof, and is made to roll down to the bottom. From which circumstance the life of the wicked is in nothing at variance, because whilst for love of the world they set themselves to do some things lawful and respectable, they in a manner set the foot flat upon the top, but suddenly the foot slips to the bottom, because their course of conduct, whilst it ever seeks after more, descends even to what is wicked and unlawful. So then, when Holy Church meets with the crosses of this period, let her in remembrance have recourse to the life of the carnal, whom even in her prosperity she bore as adversaries to her, and by whose deserts it is that she suffers these things let her see and know, saying, They dwelled in the desert places of torrents, and in caves of the earth, and upon the gravel. For because they are bared of the teaching of the Fathers, they are related to ‘dwell in the desert places of the torrents’; because they cover themselves up in the hidden thoughts of the heart, they are related to ‘dwell in caves of the earth’; whilst because they desire to fix their aim in the changeableness of the present state of being, they are related to ‘dwell upon the gravel. ’ But would that such, seeing that sins when they tempt they have no mind to do violence to, even after they have been committed, cleansed them away by weeping: would that at all events, when done, they acquainted themselves with their evil deeds, ‘and applied to the barren fig-tree the basket of dung, i. e. to the unfruitful soul the richness of lamenting.
37. But the mind of man has for the most part this thing proper to it, that as soon as ever it falls into transgression, it is still further removed from the knowledge of self. For this very evil, that it commits, inserts itself to the soul as a bar before the eye of reason. Whence it comes to pass, that the soul, being first encompassed by voluntary darkness, afterwards does not any longer even know the good it should seek. For the more it attaches itself to evil things, the less does it apprehend the good ones that it loses. Since the light of truth, because it minutely tries the offences of lost sinners, in the same degree that it is neglected when had, so does it, judging rigidly, allow it to be, that not even when lost it should be sought back, and when it is banished from the act, it departs from the
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perception; that that whereof the face, as it were, is slighted in practice, should now no longer have its very hinder parts appear in the remembrance. Thus, hence it is that lost sinners, whilst subject to sins to be lamented, rejoice; concerning whom it is said by Solomon, Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the worst things. [Prov. 2, 14] Hence it is that occasions of lamentations they go through dancing; hence it is that the business of their death they carry on laughing. Whence here also it is fitly subjoined,
Ver. 7. Who rejoiced in the midst of the like, and reckoned there were delights under the brambles. [xv]
38. ‘They rejoice in the midst of the like,’ because, surely, they give heed to the transitory things which they receive, and neglect to look at the lasting blessings which they lose. And whilst they are on fire with the love of things temporal, they are willingly ignorant of the true joy. Which same if they earnestly sought to acquaint themselves with, how greatly the delights which they seek after are to be wept for, they would see. But, while they are unconcerned to know what are better, they choose those alone for themselves, as the highest, which flatter the eyes in the visible by a fleeting beguilement. That is to say, they fix fast their heart, following after the visible, and rejoice so much the more outwardly, in proportion as they are without the remembrance of themselves inwardly. Yet, generally, there are mixed with their joys calamities, and by the actual things, by which they are filled with pride, they are scourged. For neither can they, without grievous inconveniences of anxieties, either seek when not possessed, or retain when sought, the temporal things that they desire; among their equals aim at superior glory; from inferiors exact respect beyond what is meet, and to superiors shew forth the same less than they ought; for the most part display the mastery by masterfulness; ever do what is wicked, and yet, that they may not have the credit of wickedness, guard themselves with dread. All these things surely sting the wretched persons, but those same stings they do not feel, from being overcome by the mere love of the things of time. And hence it is rightly said now, And reckoned there were delights under the brambles; because, being closely encompassed by the enjoyments of sins, from the affecting of the present life, how sharp the things they are that they undergo they are not aware.
39. Therefore they ‘rejoice,’ but ‘under brambles’; because they delight in earthly things indeed, but yet, whilst they are unable to manage those same things of time without trouble, the wretched persons are stung by that same care which they are pressed by. They continue ‘under the brambles,’ and this very thing they account delight, because they at once endure hardships indeed from the love of the present life, but yet, being bound about by the absorption of over-great desire, they account the trouble of that endurance to be pleasure. Hence Jeremiah, rightly taking upon himself the likeness of all human conduct, complains in lament, saying, He has made me drunken with; wormwood. [Lam. 3, 15] For as we have already said before in a part above, any one drunk knows nothing what he is undergoing. But he that is made ‘drunk with wormwood,’ both has the thing that he has taken bitter, and yet does not understand that same bitterness which he is filled with. So the race of man, being by the right judgment of God left to themselves in their pleasures, and by those same pleasures consigned to voluntary sufferings, is ‘drunk with wormwood’; because both these are bitter things which it endures for the love of this life, and yet that same bitterness, by the blindness of concupiscence, as by the insensibility of drunkenness, it remains ignorant of. For thirsting after the glory of the world, whilst it finds instead thereof numberless tribulations, what it drinks is bitter. But because it took this too eagerly, from mere drunkenness it is not now able to
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discern the evil of that bitterness. For bad men, for the sake of the glory of this world, love tribulations even, and on account of it willingly lend themselves to all toils, and most devotedly submit their necks to the yoke of heavy labours. Which is well described by Hosea whilst prophesying, under the likeness of Ephraim, saying, And Ephraim is a heifer that is taught to love threshing. [Hos. 10, 11] For a heifer accustomed to the labours of threshing, very often, when loosed, returns even not forced to the same customariness of labour. So the mind of the wicked being devoted to the services of this world, and accustomed to the wearyings of temporal things, even if it be allowed to be freely at liberty to itself, yet is eager to submit itself to earthly pains and toils, and seeks the usage [al. ‘from usage’] of a wretched way of life, ‘the threshing’ of labour, that it should not be acceptable, even if it were allowable, to give over the yoke of worldly servitude. Which same yoke the Lord loosed from the neck of the disciples, when He said, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness; and straightway added, and cares of this life; and so that day come upon you unawares. [Luke 21, 34] And again, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart. [Matt. 11, 28] What is it for the Lord to call Himself ‘meek and lowly’ in preceptorship, save leaving behind the difficulties for exercising self-exaltation, to point out some plain ways of living well? But because the minds of the wicked are more pleased by what is harsh in self-exalting than by what is gentle in mildness and humility, they ‘suppose there are delights under brambles. ’ For from love of the world they are ready to bear what is hard as things soft and delightful, whilst they try in this life to lay hold of the topmost pinnacles of affairs.
40. The Lord bids ceasing from the labours of the world, He prompts the sweetness of holy tranquillity, and yet the frenzied mind of the wicked is more rejoiced to obtain what is harsh in the carnal way than to hold what is mild in the spiritual way. It is more fed by the bitterness of wearisomeness than by the sweetness of tranquillity. Which the Israelitish people openly shews us in itself, which same, whilst it received the refreshment of manna from above, lusted after the flesh- pots, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, from Egypt. [Numb. 11, 5] For what is denoted by the ‘manna,’ but the food of grace, having a sweet savour, given from Above for the refreshment of the interior life to persons rightly free?
And what by the ‘flesh-pots,’ saving carnal works, which are with difficulty to be dressed by the toils of tribulations, as by fires? What by ‘melons,’ but earthly sweets? What by ‘leeks and onions,’ which those who eat very often shed tears, excepting the hardness of the present life, which is both gone through by the lovers of it not without mourning, and notwithstanding is loved with tears? Therefore, forsaking ‘manna,’ together with melons and fleshmeats they sought leeks and onions, surely because bad minds despise the gifts of tranquillity, sweet by grace, and for the sake of carnal pleasures they covet the wearisome ways of this life, even though full of tears; they scorn to have where they may rejoice in a spiritual manner, and ardently seek where they may even groan in a carnal way. So then, let Job with a truth-telling voice rebuke the madness of these persons, for no other reason than that by a perverted judgment they set the troubled before the tranquil, the hard before the gentle, the harsh before the mild, the transitory before the eternal, the suspicious before the assured. The madness of such let Holy Church call to remembrance, when she is encompassed with cruel adversities without, which persons she held within herself as if believers, but for long endured their life opposing the faith, and let her say, Who rejoiced in the midst of the like, and reckoned there were delights under brambles; surely, because the evil things that they do, they learnt by the badness of the wicked going before. Whence also it is rightly subjoined;
Ver. 8. They were children of fools, yea children of base men.
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41. It is right for us to know that some within the pale of Holy Church are styled ‘fools,’ but yet ‘noble,’ whilst others are ‘fools’ and ‘base. ’ For they are called ‘fools,’ but cannot be ‘base,’ who contemning the wisdom of the flesh, desire foolishness that shall stand them in stead, and after the newness of the interior descent are exalted by the nobility of virtue, who set at nought the foolish wisdom of the world, and covet the wise foolishness of God. Since it is written, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. This ‘foolishness’ Paul charges ourselves to lay hold of, when he says, If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. [1 Cor. 1, 25] This ‘foolishness’ they that perfectly followed obtained to hear from the voice of Wisdom, Ye which have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [Matt. 19, 28] Mark how by abandoning temporal things they purchased the glory of eternal power. Accordingly what is there more foolish in this world than to abandon one’s own? And what more noble in the eternal world than to come with God as judges? Verily the nobility of these judges is made mention of by Solomon bearing record, where this which I have already spoken before is said, Her husband is noble in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land. [Prov. 31, 23] For noble above measure does he regard those, whom he calls ‘senators. ’ This ‘nobility’ Paul had beheld in himself, when being united by the spirit to the relationship of the Creator, he said, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone graven by art or man’s device; [Acts 17, 29] i. e. we are styled ‘the offspring of God,’ not as being brought forth in His Nature, but as being by His Spirit both created by His Will and made anew by His adoption. So much the more then is each one lifted up to this nobility, in proportion as he is renewed in the image he has received to the likeness of That Being in a copy.
42. But contrariwise they are ‘fools and base men,’ who while, in following themselves, they flee from the wisdom Above, are lulled to sleep in their ignorance as in the vileness of an abject descent. For in proportion as they do not understand that for which they were made, in the same measure they lose the relationship of high birth vouchsafed then in the Likeness. So they are ‘fools and base men,’ whom the slavery of the soul withholds from the fellowship of the Eternal Inheritance. As it is written, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [John 8, 34] And it is spoken by the voice of the great preacher, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. [1 Cor. 3, 19] They then, who whilst they were wise in earthly things were held back from the interior nobility, were ‘fools and base men’ at once. Whose actions while very many imitate they are rendered ‘the children of fools and base men,’ and whilst they follow these in notions and practices, they are at once ‘fools,’ because they do not understand true wisdom, and ‘base men,’ because they are not renewed by any freedom of the Spirit. But these persons though they may practise the arts of the wicked, yet very often in this life occupy the places of the just, and they account themselves the children of those, whose offices from lust of honour they outwardly discharge. Which persons holy correction recals to the knowledge of themselves, i. e. that being settled in bad desires, they should mind whose children they are. For they are not the children of those whose places they occupy, but whose deeds they execute: Therefore let it be rightly said, The children of fools and base men. Where it is fitly subjoined;
And on earth utterly not appearing.
[xvii]
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43. For as there are very many persons upon earth, and they are hidden from the knowledge of their fellow creatures by the lowness of their vile condition, as by a kind of overlaying of a cloak, so there are some in the Church, who whilst they submit themselves to the degradation of wicked deeds, are not known to the Divine sight. To which persons it is one day to be said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. So, ‘to be on earth and appear’ is in a right faith through the excellency of practice to display the nobility of the soul. ‘To be on earth and utterly not appear,’ is to be set fast in the Church indeed by faith, but to show forth nothing worthy of faith in practice. These then being within the pale of Holy Church, to the eyes of the Divine Being both ‘appear’ in respect of judgment, and yet do ‘not appear’ in respect of the deserts of a good life, because those things, which by confessing they hold, by living they do not shew forth. Concerning whom Paul saith, They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him. [Tit. 1, 16] These persons in Holy Church bear down rather than venerate the faith which they protest that they hold, whereas by her name they covet rather to secure their own profits than her’s. But the Elect, whilst they take care to preserve the deservingness of faith by right deeds, are brought near to the knowledge of their
Maker even amidst the throngs of lost sinners. Which is well denoted in the Gospel by the woman suffering from the bloody flux. Concerning whom the Lord says, Who touched Me? Peter answered reasoning, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? [Luke 8, 45. 46. ] But he obtained to hear the causes in true reason, when the Lord said to him, Somebody hath touched Me, for I likewise perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. See how the throng ‘pressed’ the Lord, but she only ‘touched’ Him, who came to Him in humility, because surely even many lost sinners in Holy Church by learning ‘press’ the truth, which same they neglect to ‘touch’ by living well. They ‘press’ and are far off, because by professions they follow Divine knowledge, by habits flee it. They ‘press,’ I say, and are far off, because by acting they contradict that faith, which by speaking they assert. As then we are instructed by this testimony, that by touching some do not ‘touch’ the Lord, so some are not ‘seen’ by the Lord, even when they are seen; because to His secret regards, and for the punishment of condemnation, they do appear, but for the claim of Election they do not appear. Therefore let it be rightly said, And on earth utterly not appearing, because though the Church held them to the extent of seeming, yet those being within her the Creator did not see, in that He did not know them. Who in the season of peace for this reason maintain the faith to the extent of words, because they see that that faith flourishes generally. But when a sudden storm of adversity rises up against that Church, they are directly parted from her by a public denial; and whatever they before held as if venerating her, they afterwards fight against the same as deriding her. Whence it is fitly added;
Ver. 9. And now am I their song, yea, I am become their byword.
[xviii]
44. By which same words that time of Holy Church is set forth, when she is openly derided by the lost; when the wicked gaining ground, faith shall be for a reproach, and truth shall be for a ground of accusation. For so much the more contemptible shall each individual be in proportion as he may be more righteous; and the worse object of abhorrence, the more worthy object of praise. Therefore the Holy Church of the Elect in the time of calamity ‘becomes a proverb’ to the wicked, because when they see the good die by torments, they take their likeness of cursing from those. For in proportion as they see a passing death, but do not see a lasting life, so much the more in scoffing do they flee present ills, in proportion as by the understanding interiorly they do not reach to lasting
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goods. But the particulars that are subjoined because they are not involved in obscurer sorts of sentences, we must run through in brief, that we may be able to come the sooner to those parts, wherein we have to labour. It goes on;
Ver. 10. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
[xix]
45. All the wicked ‘fly far’ from Holy Church, not by the paces of footsteps, but by the characters of practices; they fly far not in place, but desert, whereas, pride gaining ground, they contemn her with open upbraiding. For ‘to spit in his face’ is not only to detract from the good in absence, but to give the lie to each one of the just even in presence. And these then whilst the wicked by openly deriding set at nought, they as it were let out in insults upon them loose words, like streams of spittle running down. But Holy Church knows how to gain ground in sufferings, and in the midst of reproaches to maintain an honourable life; she is taught neither to be cast down by adversities, nor to glory in prosperity. She is instructed, in meeting prosperity, to lay low the mind in downcasting; she is taught, in meeting adversity, to lift up the soul to the hope of the height above. She knows how to ascribe her good things to the mercifulness of the Redeemer, she knows how to ascribe her evil things to the justice of the Judge, that both what is good she has by His bestowing, and what is bad she suffers by His permitting. And hence He immediately adds touching the Lord, saying,
Ver. 11. Because He hath opened His quiver and afflicted me. [xx]
46. What is denoted by ‘the quiver’ of God, but secret counsel? Now the Lord casts the arrow from the quiver, when from His secret counsel He sends forth an open sentence. For that any man is scourged, we know, but for what cause the scourge comes, we know not. But when after the scourge amendment of life follows, the actual power of counsel is itself disclosed as well. So the quiver shut is hidden counsel. But we are chastened by an open quiver, when by that which follows after the scourge, we see with what counsel we are stricken. When the Lord beholds sins, and yet does not move the hand to vengeance, He as it were holds the quiver shut, but by striking He shews, how greatly that displeased Him in us, which He bore long beholding it. Therefore let the Holy Church of the Elect being pressed by tribulations say, For He hath opened His quiver, and afflicted me. Which same on meeting with the insolent voices of her adversaries, when she sees that her preaching is not received, giving over the hardness of some, restrains the words of her preaching. For reflecting that her persecutors are rendered worse at the voice of her exhortation, she rather prefers to hold her peace. And when she sees them persons unworthy to hear, she binds up her preaching with silence drawn over. Whence he fitly adds;
And put a bridle into my mouth.
[xxi]
47. They were acquainted with ‘a bridle put upon themselves’ before certain persons, who said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. [Acts 13, 46] Holy men see ‘the bridle’ of silence put upon themselves with the hard hearts of lost sinners, when they say by the Prophet, How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? [Ps. 137, 4] Paul
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also charged ‘a bridle to be put,’ who enjoined the disciple, saying, A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject, knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth condemned of himself. [Tit. 3, 10] For holy teachers very often by lofty ken survey the hearts of those that oppose them, and when they see those hearts forsaken by God, afflicted and groaning they hold their peace. Doth not Solomon sometimes ‘put a bridle’ upon the teachers, who saith, Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, [Prov. 9, 8] but if we hold our peace from rebuking for this reason, because we are afraid for the scorner’s hates to rise up against us, we no longer seek God’s profits, but our own. Wherein it requires to be known that sometimes when bad men are reproved they become worse. Them therefore we spare, and not ourselves, if from the love of those we cease from the rebuking of them. Whence it is needful that we sometimes endure keeping to ourselves what they are, in order that they may learn in us by good living [al. ‘by seeing’] what they are not. Therefore because Holy Church, who ever gives forth her words in a spirit of charity, sometimes also withholds them on the principle of charity, let her say, He hath put a bridle in my mouth. As though he confessed openly, saying, ‘Because in some I did not see the advancement of preaching, from those I refrained assault, that my life at all events by patience they might be taught, whereas my words they would not by the preaching proffered consent to receive. ’ But very often this
grieves us most in tribulations, that we meet with them from those, in whom we trusted with the love of kin. And hence it is added;
Ver. 12. At the right hand of the East my calamities on the spot arose.
[xxii]
48. For ‘calamities’ would ‘rise to the left,’ if at the hand of any persons set without the pale of Religion, and openly denying Christ, she met with the adverse dealings of persecution. But when she undergoes from persons seemingly believers the trial of tormentings, it is as if calamities arose to her at the right hand, because they who are enlisted under Christ’s name, assail Christ’s name in her. For by the very usage of speech we speak of having as ‘on the right’ what we account as great, and as on the left that which we look down upon, which Zechariah openly teaches, saying, And he shewed me Jesus the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. [Zech. 3, 1. 2. ] Who that he might the more plainly shew this that he set before, added going on; And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Jesus was clothed with filthy garments. ‘Jesus was [al. ‘is spoken of as’] clothed with filthy garments,’ because though He was a stranger to all sin, yet He came into the likeness of the flesh of sin. And to Him on His coming Satan stood on His right hand. For the Lord appeared to hold the Jewish People as great, and the Gentiles as nought. But after that He appeared Incarnate, the Gentile world, which had been held as ‘on the left’ believed, whilst the Jewish People swerved aside to unbelief. Thus ‘Satan stood on the right hand to Him’; because he carried off from Him that People, which had been for a long while beloved. But because that same Jewish people, being now lost, shall in the end one day believe, as the Prophet testifies, who says, The remnant shall be saved; [Is. 10, 21] the Lord removes Satan from His right hand, saying, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. And betokening the deliverance of that same people, he adds, because He hath chosen Jerusalem. Which same people because under the guidance of unbelief it let itself run down to the burnings of hell, but whilst it is brought back to faith, is set free from that same burning of everlasting fire, has it directly added there concerning it, Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
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49. So then as there for ‘the right hand’ the Jewish people is denoted, so in this place by the term of ‘the right hand,’ the faithful people of Holy Church is denoted. And hence the Judge that is to come ‘shall set the goats on His left Hand, and the sheep on His right Hand. ’ But when these very persons too fret Holy Church in the time of adversity, who seemed to be of the faithful, surely ‘calamities arise to her on the right hand. ’ Now rightly is this same called ‘the right hand of the East’; since it is written of the Head itself of the same, The East is His Name. [Zech. 6, 12 Vul. ] For seeing that the light springs from the East, He is rightly called ‘the East,’ by the light of whose righteousness the night of our unrighteousness is enlightened. So ‘calamities arise to the right hand of the East’; because these likewise leap forth to persecution, who were supposed to be Elect Members of our Redeemer. Which same calamities he rightly declares ‘arise on the spot,’ because whereas they who persecute were not persons without her pale, evils are brought about by them suddenly and on the spot. But if ‘the right hand’ is a designation of those who are truly believers, ‘calamities arise to the right of the East,’ because on the crisis of persecution breaking forth, the righteous undergo the cruel assaults of the wicked. It follows;
Ver. 12. They overturned my feet, and oppressed with their footpaths as with waves. [xxiii]
50. What are denoted by the Church’s ‘feet,’ but her outermost members? which while they lend themselves to earthly deeds, are able to be the sooner deceived by adversaries in proportion as they do not understand things on high. Therefore these ‘feet adversaries overturn,’ that is to say, when they draw her outermost members to the error of their doctrine. The ‘feet overturned’ cannot keep the way, in that all the weak being either persuaded by the promises of their persecutors, or affrighted by their threats, or broken by their tortures, swerve from the right path. Now ‘the paths’ of adversaries are rightly likened to waves, when it is said, and they oppressed with their footpaths as with waves; in this way, because the life of the evil-minded, mischievous with wayward restlessness, comes down as a tempest for the overwhelming the ship of the heart, so to say. Concerning which same tempest it is said by Solomon, As a tempest passing, the wicked shall not be. [Prov. 10, 25] And when the weak man sees the froward flourishing, that man the wave of wretched imitation plunges into the sea of frowardness. It follows;
Ver. 13. They did away with my paths, they plotted against me, and prevailed, and there was not any to bring help.
[xxiv]
51. Let blessed Job tell these things of evil spirits, i. e. of secret enemies. Let the Church Universal speak them of bad men persecuting, i. e. of open adversaries. For these ‘do away with her paths,’ when in the souls of certain weak ones they interrupt the ways of truth by crafty persuading. These in ‘plotting prevail, when those, whom they cannot openly force to evil, they turn aside by pretending what is good, but that is very wonderful, which he subjoins, And there was not any one to bring help, when the Psalmist exclaims touching the help of God; A helper in seasons, in tribulation. And, Let them hope in Thee, who know Thy Name, for Thou, Lord, wilt not forsake those that seek Thee. [Ps. 9, 9. 10. ] And when it is written again, Did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded? or did any abide in His commandments, and was forsaken? Or whom did He ever despise, that called upon Him? [Ecclus. 2, 10] On what principle, then, is it now said; And there was not any to bring help, excepting that those, whom Almighty God loves for all eternity, He
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sometimes leaves for a time? Whence it is written; For a small moment have I forsaken thee, and with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment, and with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee. [Is. 54, 7. 8. ] Hence too the Psalmist besought, saying, O forsake me not utterly. [Ps. 119, 8] He then knew that he might be left for a little while with advantage, who prayed that he might not be ‘utterly forsaken. ’ For the Lord by coming helps His Saints, by ‘leaving’ puts them to the proof, by gifts he establishes, by tribulations he tries. Whence too it is rightly said by one of Wisdom, For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline until she try him in his thoughts. [Ecclus. 4, 17] Since the soul of the righteous grace calls, trial puts to the question. And Almighty God allows the adversaries of His Elect to grow to a height in time, that the life of the good may be purified by the pitilessness of the bad.
52. Since the Lord would never suffer them to be hostile to the good except he also saw what great good they did. For whilst the unrighteous deal cruelly, the righteous are purified, and the life of the wicked is enlisted to the advantage of the innocent, in that this same both by bearing down it abases, and by abasing ever fashions to better. Hence too it is rightly said by Solomon; the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. [Prov.