458 Love within^ discipline ivithout. Scortters, Job 30, persons offending, whom lie loved, he so persecuted, that '- — even when the Lord spared them, he laid them low. Both Hist..
ways a forcible ambassador, both ways an incomparable mediator; the cause of the people he pleaded before God by prayers, the cause of God he pleaded before the people with swords. Within loving he withstood the wrath of God by entreating, without venting himself he consumed sin by smiting. He succours all quickly by the death of a few being manifested. Therefore Almighty God listened the sooner to His faithful servant dealing in behalf of the people, because He saw what he was of himself about to do upon the people in behalf of God. In the governance therefore of the people Moses blended both, that neither should discipline be lacking to mercy, nor mercy to dis- cipline. Hence here also it is said answerably to either excellency; J7fd when I sat as a King with an army around^ nevertheless I was a comforter of them that mourned. For to ' sit with an army around' is the vigour and discipline of governance, but * to comfort the hearts of them that mourn' is the ministration of pitifulness. But because in the midst of all this it is necessary that the line of interpre- ALLEG.tation should fall back to the spiritual meaning, Holy Church when borne down by her adversaries in the last times, calls to mind the laws of her past governance, calls to mind too what great benefits of pitifulness she displayed to them that were aflSicted. Whose discipline and mercy are then derided by the light of mind. And hence it is added; Chap. XXX. 1. Bui now they that are younger than I have rne in derision.
vi. 15. All heretics when compared to the age of the Church Universal are fitly called ' younger' in time, because they went forth out of her, not she out of them. Whence it is 1 John rightly also said by John; They went out from its, hut they ' * were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued ivith us. For ' they that are younger in time deride Holy Church,' when they that went out from her, set at nought the words of her instruction; concerning whom it is further added; Whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
Heresiarchs not numbered tcith the dogs of the Jlock. 459 Who is the * flock' of Holy Church saving the multitude Book of the faithful? Or who else are called ' the dogs' of this — -— - flock, but the holy Teachers, who became the guardians of those believers? Which same whilst in behalf of their Lord they cried aloud, given up to daily and nightly watchings, uttered, so to say, loud barks of preaching. Concerning whom it is said to that Church by the Psalmist, The t07igue Fa. 68, of Thy dogs from the enemies by the same. Since there are ' some that being recalled from the worshipping of idols are made the preachers of God. So ' the tongue of tlie dogs' of the Church goeth forth from enemies, because the Gentiles that are converted the Lord makes even preachers. Whence the slowness of the Jews, who refused to speak in God's behalf by the Prophet upbraiding them is made matter of blame, where he says, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot Is. 56, bark, ^^• 16. Now we speak of the fathers of Heretics meaning those whom we style ' Heresiarchs,' by whose evil preach- ing, i. e. by the seed of speaking, the peoples following them were begotten in error. So then Holy Church ' dis- dains to set the fathers' of heretics ' with the dogs of her flock,' because the founders of erring tenets on trying she rejects, and contemns to number them among the true Fathers. Which persons though they seemed to have recalled some from the erroneousness of heathenism, to have trained the practices of some to the doing what is right, yet for this that they did not think right things of God, she does not ' set them with the dogs of the flock,' because she does not rank them with right preachers. For it is plain that Arius, Photinus, Macedonius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Dioscorus, Seve- rus, and numbers like to these, endeavoured by teaching and persuading to appear fathers. But their errors the Holy Church Universal trying with strict severity, does not ' num- ber those persons among the keepers of her flock,' whom she condemns as breaking up the unity of that flock. Of which same it is said to the Ephesians by the voice of Paul, For /Acts 20, know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And because it sometimes happens that heretics in ])roportion as they fall 460 Miracles no aiich proof of (jrac(i as Charity.
Job 30, away more into the erroneoiisness of misbelief, j^uard them- ?: selves the more fully in outward practising, so that they may appear to do great things above the rest of the world, the Holy Church Universal sets at nought all their works, whicli she observes do not come forth by the authority of faith. Whence also it is rightly added by the voice of blessed Job, Ver. 2. The power of whose hands was nothing to nie^ and of life itself they were accounted unworthy. vii. 17. ' Power in the hand' is greatness in practising. But ' the power of the hands' of Heretics is reckoned ' as nothing to' Holy Church, because she sees that, the true faith being lost, whatsoever they do it is of no merit. For the charity of God and our neighbour they forsake, who both imagine what is false concerning God, and by wrangling are separated from their neighbours. But * the strength of the hands' without charity the great preacher beat's witness is of no 1 Cor. avail, in that he says, And though I bestow all my goods to 13, 3. f^Qfi ifiQ poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity^ it profiteth me nothing. But sometimes Heretics perform signs and miracles as well, but in order that they may here receive back the rewards of their chasten- ing and abstinence, i. e. the praises, which they go after. Matt. 7, And hence it is said by the voice of the Redeemer, Many will say to Me in that day. Lord, Lord, have we not "pro- phesied in Thy Name, and in Thy Name have cast out devils, and in Thy Name done many wonderful works? And then %oill I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from. Me, ye that work iniquity. By which same sentence what is there given to be understood, but that in man it is the humbleness of charity and not the signs of , miraculous virtues that ought to be revered.? Whence Holy ' Church now, even if there be any miracles of heretics per- formed, sets it at nought, because she sees that these are no j proof of holiness. Since the way to prove holiness is not to perform miracles, but to love every man as one's self; and con- cerning God to think what is true, and of his fellow-creature to think better things than of himself. For that true power lies in love, and not in the manifesting of a miracle, ' Truth' Heretics^ seeking vain knoioledye, go empty. 461 shews, Who says. By this shall all men know that ye are Took My disciples, if ye have love one to another. For He Who ^ says not, ' in this shall it be known that ye are My disciples, 35. if ye shall perform miraculous signs,' but Who saith, Mf ye have love one to another,' plainly proves that it is not miracles but charity alone that proves the true servants of God. 80 the witness to the heavenly discipleship is the gift of brotherly charity. Which same love, because all heretics refuse to have, whilst they are divided from the Unity of the Church Universal, it is justly said con- cerning them; the strength of whose hands was nothing to me. And because to these same signs, that they set forth, they do not accord themselves by any humility, it is rightly added, And of life itself they ivere accounted unworthy. Or indeed, all heretics Holy Church declares unworthy of life itself, for this reason, because under the Name of Christ, they fight against the Name of Christ. Of whom it is yet further added; Barren by want and hunger.
1 8. All heretics, whilst in sacred Revelation they make it viii. their aim to dive into secrets of God beyond what they are capable of, by their hunger become barren. For they do not seek those things, whereby they may train themselves to humility, may order their ways in tranquillity, keep patience, shew forth long suffering, but those alone which may prove them learned and talkers; they aim to know those things, by which they may seem to be in a special manner instructed. For they very often treat with boldness of the nature of the Divine Being, whilst, wretched as they are, they know not their own selves. And so they become ' barren by want and hunger,' because they desire to dive into those things, by which they should not bring forth the buddings of a good life. For the things which they dive into are beyond themselves. And whilst they make for that which they are unable to comprehend, they neglect to acquaint themselves with those things, by which they might have been instructed. Which same boldness of theirs the great Preacher rightly checks, saying, not to think of himself more highly than he ought Uom. to think, but to think soberly. Hence Solomom says, ^^' ^' Set bounds to thine own wisdom. Hence again he says, Prov.23, 4.
46'2 Reverent forbearance needed in hiyJt, enf/uiries.
Job 30, Hast t/wu/oufid honey? eat ho much as is sufficient for thee, . ' /g.y< thou he filled theretaith, and twmit if. For the svveet- Prov. ness of spiritual meaning he who seeks to eat beyond what ' * he contains, even what he had eaten he * vomiteth;' because whilst he seeks to make out things above, beyond his powers, even the things that he had made out aright, he forfeits. V. 27. Hence he says again; As for one to eat much honey is not good, so he that woiddsearch out Majesty shall be crushed with ylory. For the glory of the Invisible Creator, which when searched into with moderation lifts us up, being dived into beyond our powers bears us down. Therefore heretics, because in proportion as they aim to be more completely filled by sublime perception, so much the more entirely they become empty, have it rightly said concerning them, barren by want and hunger. Since by unbounded attempts the more they go after the know- ledge of heavenly acquaintanceship, the more they lose it.
19. But, on the other hand, they that in Holy Church are truly humble, and truly instructed, are taught touching heavenly mysteries, both some things when viewed to under- stand, and some things not understood to reverence, that so what they understand they may hold with reverence, and what they do not as yet understand they may look forward to with humility. Whence it is said to us by Moses, that in Ex. 12, eatino; the lamb, that which remaineih of it we should burn with fire; for we ' eat the lamb,' when in understanding many particulars of the Lord's human Nature, we deposit them in the belly of the mind. Wherefrom there are some things left to us, which cannot be eaten; because many particulars still remain concerning Him, which can by no means be under- stood. Which same nevertheless are to be ' consumed with fire,' because the things which we are unable to understand concerning Him, we reserve with humility for the Holy Spirit. Which same humility very often reveals even those things to the perceptions of the Elect, which appeared to be things impossible to be understood. For the froward minds of heretics, whilst they proudly attribute understanding to them- selves, as it were presume to deliver fixed decisions even touching what is unknown. Whence it comes to pass, that the self-elation itself which lifts them up in themselves within, should without drive them off from the truth, and Heretics but gnaw at lowest and outmost truth. 463 that in the declarations of God they should hardly even Book comprehend the outward things, who thought that they had — -, — '— in an especial manner g(me to the bottom of spiritual secrets. Whence it is also added here; Ver. 3, 4. Who (jnawed in solitude, being scu7'vy with calamity and misery, and chewed herbs and the barks of trees.
20. That is wont to be ' gnawed,' which cannot be eaten, ix. Now heretics because they apply themselves to make out Scripture by their own power, assuredly never can compre- hend it, which same whilst they do not make out, they, as it were, do not eat. And because, not being aided by grace from on high, they are unable to eat it, they as it were ' gnaw' ' it with certain efforts. Since they handle it outwardly, when indeed they endeavour but do not attain to the interior parts of it. Which same because they are separated from the society of the Church Universal, are mentioned as gnawing not any where, but ' in solitude.' To which same * solitude' that the false teachers draw their followers, Truth long before forewarned, saying. If they shall say unto you, M.sit.24j Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth. And these are^^* rightly recorded as ^ scurvy with affliction and misery,' because they are des})icable at once by the destructiveness of their practices, and the badness of their perceptions. Who do also * eat herbs and the barks of trees,' because being kept off by the bar of self-exaltation, they are unable to perceive in sacred Revelation what is great and interior, but with difficulty discover therein a few things that are tender and exterior. Since by ^ herbs' the plainer statements, and by * the barks of trees' the exterior declarations of the Fathers are betokened. Those then who seek to know those things, by which they may not at all be learned, but seem to be, whilst in the sacred volumes they do not from the heart's core search out the force of charity towards God and our neigh- bour, are as it were ' fed by the herb and the bark,' because they are either the lowest or the outer things which nourish the souls of those who carry themselves proudly. Or surely to * eat herbs' is touching Holy Scripture to observe the I least precepts, and to disregard the greater ones. Whom Truth rightly rebukes, saying, IVoe luito you, Scribes and Mait.23, 464 Silt wounds us either fo?- harm or sorrow.
Job 30, Pharisees^ hypocrites; for ye pay tithe of mint aticl anise . — '- — and cummiii, and have omitted the weiqhtier matters of the Law. Who do also ' eat the barks of trees,' because there are some who in the sacred volumes respect the outside of the letter only, nor keep in safety any thing belonging to the spiritual meaning, whereas they imagine that there is nothing more in the words of God, but that which they may hear on the outside. Which persons nevertheless the passion of vain glory possesses in all their errors, and the thirst after honour holds them captives, and generally by the very things that they speak they seek after nothing else but earthly profits.
Rom.i6, Concerning whom it is said by Paul, For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. Whence too it is rightly subjoined; And juniper roots for their meat. X. 21. For the juniper tree has prickles instead of leaves, for so bristly is that which they put forth, that like to thorns it is able to prick the person handling it. Now a thorn is all sorts of sin; because whilst it draws into self-gratification, as it were by pricking it wounds the soul. Whence it is Ps.32,4. spoken by the voice of one righteous and penitent, / was turned in my calamity, while the thorn is broken, surely because the mind is turned to lamenting, that the prick of sin may be broken by repenting. But in another translation, 1 < con- the thorn is described not as ' broken^,' but ' fixed V vvhich 2 < ^n- same is not at variance with the same sense, because the *8^' mind of the penitent is brought to sorrow when the sin that has been committed is retained fixed fast in the recol- lection. What then is there denoted by the ' root of the juniper' saving avarice, from which the thorns of all the sins 1 Tim. are produced? Concerning which it is said by Paul, For the ' ' love of money is the root of all evil. For that springs up covertly in the mind, and brings forth openly the prickles of all sin in the practice. Which same prickles arising from this root the great preacher immediately implies, when he sub- joins, Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. For he who spoke of ' many sorrows' made known as it were the prickles arising from this root. So by * junipers' we understand sins, but by ' the root of junipers' what else do Heretics covetous^ vociferous, and sure to fail. 4iio we understand, but avarice, i. e. tlie material of sins? So Book XX.
then because heretics in their words generally go after ex ternal gains alone, yet are not ignorant that they make up what is wrong, but do not abandon the preachings of error, whilst they wish to receive their emoluments as teachers, it is well said of them now by the voice of the holy man, and juniper roots for their meat, because whilst they think of avarice with all the faculties of their minds, they are as it were fed by that nourishment, wherefrom assuredly the prickles of sins ensuing are used to be produced. Which persons if ever in sacred Revelation they seemingly discover things with sagacity, which while they do not understand, they fancy make for their statements, they directly scatter these vociferating them to their wretched hearers, whom they covet not the souls of but the substance. Whence it is fitly brought in next, Ver. 5. Who carrying these same off from the valleys^ when they found each of them, ran to them with clamour.
22. They ' carry them off from the valleys,' because with xi. a high spirit they gather them from the lowly sayings of the Fathers. Which same whilst they exult to have found making for their cause, they run to them with outcries, because every thing that they have a perception of, by the appetite of praise they strive to cry abroad to the ears of men. It goes on; Ver. 6. Tliey shall ditell in the desert places of the torrents, and in the caves of the earthy or upon the ground.
23. We give the name of ' torrents' to the brooks, that are xii. gathered by the winter rains, which likewise at certain seasons are dried up. Thus with justice the framers of wrong doctrines arc called ' torrents;' because being cold to the warmth of charity, they grow to a height in the deadness of the winter season; because they do not flow out with perpe- tual fulness, but by the pleadings of Catholics, as by summer suns, are dried up. And indeed the fabricators of wrong doctrines springing up against Holy Church, are already made an end of by the heat of truth, yet notwithstanding the things which they taught their disciples do not cease to maintain and to defend. Thus then they that follow the errors I of those persons ' dwell in the desert places of torrents,' i. e. VOL. II. H h 466 Heretics given to lurking, and unstable ways.
Job 30, put their trust in the preaching of those, whose effusions are '- — ah'eady by the answering and reasoning of Catholics dried up. Now what else do we take ' the caves of the earth' for, but the hidden preachings of heretics? For heretics meet together in secret conclaves in such sort, that the reverence, which they cannot invest their erring belief with by reason, they may by concealment, and that to weak souls the speech of pervertedness may appear more to be treated with awe in proportion as it is secret. Hence in Solomon the woman as Prov. 9, a type of heresy persuades, saying, Stolen waters are sweet, ^'' and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Which self-same Mat.24, secret preachings * Truth' abhors, saying, Then if any man 27' * shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. And again; Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West: so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So then that is ' in the secret chambers' there, which here is phrased in * caves.' Thus heretics ' dwell in caves,' because they generally conceal their error by preachings in secret; that in the degree that they forbear to shew themselves to the more learned and wiser sort, they may the more iiTesistibly draw to them the uninstructed. Whence also the words are rightly brought in next; Or upon the gravel. For we call by the name of ' gravel' those very little stones which the water of the river draws along. 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 Eph. 4 ^y fi^*^^ gravity, charged them, saying, That we henceforth 14. be no more like childre7i, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. 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 remem- brance what the behaviour of those was, saying. They shaL dwell in the desert places of torrents, and in the caves of the Hereticsrejoice inthat ivhich ivounds; are children off oolsAQl earth, or upon the gravel. For because their wrong preaching, Book 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.
24. What do we understand by the name of * brambles/ xiii. but those * piercings^' of sins, which we have already '§• 2 K 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.
Ver. 8. They were children of fools, yea, children of base men; and i7i the earth not appearing at all.
25. That is to say, the children of those, who were the xiv. 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. So these, Prov.si I because they followed the froward examples of those going 23. astray, were recorded as being ' the children of fools and of 4()8 Carnal livers. Greedij (jnawers without goodness.
Job 30, base m(3n.' Now it is rightly subjoined, aiid on the earth not f^^^'^^^ appearing at all. Because whilst they aim to appear some- thing 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 under- stood 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.f* And hence, under the type of Judaea, Jeremiah Lam. 1, mourns over the soul of the sinner, saying. How doth the city sit solitary that uasfull of people! 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 Ps.72,9. Psalmist, His enemies shall lick the dust.
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 thev save ' lick the ground?' because the several TJie Church complains of them within her pale. 469 things of earth, which they cannot by power, they strive to Book 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 dis- cern in her Elect Children the culture of the mind, and the excellencies of 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