1A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish will pull down with her hands that also which is built.La donna saggia edifica la sua casa; la stolta distrugge colle sue mani quella, che era già edificata.A wise woman buildeth her house: the vnwise wil with her handes destroy that also which is built.Sapiens mulier ædificat domum suam; / insipiens exstructam quoque manibus destruet. 2He that walketh in the right way, and feareth God, is despised by him that goeth by an infamous way.Chi cammina per la via retta, e teme Dio, è disprezzato da chi batte la strada dell'ignominia.He that walketh in the right way, & feareth God is despised of him, that goeth an infamous way.Ambulans recto itinere, et timens Deum, / despicitur ab eo qui infami graditur via. 3In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride: but the lips of the wise preserve them.La bocca dello stolto è verga di superbia; ma le labbra dei saggi sono la loro sicurezza.In the mouth of a foole the rod of pride: but the lippes of the wise keepe them.In ore stulti virga superbiæ; / labia autem sapientium custodiunt eos. 4Where there are no oxen, the crib is empty: but where there is much corn, there the strength of the ox is manifest.Dove mancano i bovi, è vuota la mangiatoja; dove sono le grasce in gran copia, ivi si riconosce la forza de' bovi.Where oxen are not, the stal is emptie: but where much corne is, there is the oxes strength manifest.Ubi non sunt boves, præsepe vacuum est; / ubi autem plurimæ segetes, ibi manifesta est fortitudo bovis. 5A faithful witness will not lie: but a deceitful witness uttereth a lie.Il testimone fedele non dirà menzogna, ma il falso testimone vomiterà menzogne.A faithful witnesse wil not lie: but a deceitful witnesse vttereth a lie.Testis fidelis non mentitur; / profert autem mendacium dolosus testis. 6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: the learning of the wise is easy.Il derisore cerca la sapienza, e non la trova: i prudenti si istruiscono agevolmente.A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not: the doctrine of the prudent is easie.Quærit derisor sapientiam, et non invenit; / doctrina prudentium facilis. 7Go against a foolish man, and he knoweth not the lips of prudence.Cammina al contrario dello stolto: egli non conosce i dettami della prudenza.Goe against a foolish man, and he knoweth not the lippes of prudence.Vade contra virum stultum, / et nescit labia prudentiæ. 8The wisdom of a discreet man is to understand his way: and the imprudence of fools erreth.La saggezza dell'uom prudente sta in conoscere la sua strada: l'imprudenza degli stolti li mena fuori di strada.The wisdom of a discrete man is to vnderstand his way: and the imprudence of fooles erreth.Sapientia callidi est intelligere viam suam, / et imprudentia stultorum errans.
9A fool will laugh at sin, but among the just grace shall abide.Lo stolto si burlerà del peccato: ma la grazia avrà sua stanza trai giusti.A foole will •ugh at sinne, & among the iust grace shal abide.Stultus illudet peccatum, / et inter justos morabitur gratia. 10The heart that knoweth the bitterness of his own soul, in his joy the stranger shall not intermeddle.Il cuore (di ciascheduno) conosce l'afflizione dell'anima sua; e il gaudio di lui noi penetrerà un estraneo.The hart that knoweth the bitternes of his soule, in his ioy shal not the stranger be mingled.Cor quod novit amaritudinem animæ suæ, / in gaudio ejus non miscebitur extraneus. 11The house of the wicked shall be destroyed: but the tabernacles of the just shall flourish.La casa degli empj sarà spiantata: ma i padiglioni de' giusti saranno floridi.The house of the impious shal be rased: the tabernacles of the iust shal spring.Domus impiorum delebitur: / tabernacula vero justorum germinabunt. 12There is a way which seemeth just to a man: but the ends thereof lead to death.Havvi una strada, che all'uomo sembra diritta; ma la sua fine mena a morte.There is a way, which seemeth to a man iust: but the later endes therof lead to death.Est via quæ videtur homini justa, / novissima autem ejus deducunt ad mortem. 13Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and mourning taketh hold of the ends of joy.Il riso sarà mescolato col dolore: e il pianto succederà all'allegrezza.Laughter shal be mingled with sorow, and mourning occupieth the later endes of ioy.Risus dolore miscebitur, / et extrema gaudii luctus occupat. 14A fool shall be filled with his own ways, and the good man shall be above him.Lo stolto si pascerà del suo modo di vivere: ma l'uomo dabbene sta meglio di lui.A foole shal be replenished with his wayes, and the good man shal be aboue him.Viis suis replebitur stultus, / et super eum erit vir bonus. 15The innocent believeth every word: the discreet man considereth his steps. No good shall come to the deceitful son: but the wise servant shall prosper in his dealings, and his way shall be made straight.L'uom senza sperienza crede ad ogni parola: ma l'uomo cauto bada, dove mettere i piedi. Il figliuolo, che non ha sincerità, non avrà bene: riusciranno felicemente le cose sue al servo prudente, e le sue vie saranno felici.The innocent beleueth euerie word: the discrete man considereth his steppes.Innocens credit omni verbo; / astutus considerat gressus suos. / Filio doloso nihil erit boni; / servo autem sapienti prosperi erunt actus, / et dirigetur via ejus.
16A wise man feareth, and declineth from evil: the fool leapeth over, and is confident.Il saggio teme, e schiva il male: lo stolto va avanti, e non ha paura.A wise man feareth and declineth from euil: the foole leapeth ouer and is confident.Sapiens timet, et declinat a malo; / stultus transilit, et confidit. 17The impatient man shall work folly: and the crafty man is hateful.L'uomo impaziente agirà da stolto: l'uomo finto diventa odioso.The impatient man shal worke folie: and the subrel man is odious.Impatiens operabitur stultitiam, / et vir versutus odiosus est. 18The childish shall possess folly, and the prudent shall look for knowledge.Gli imprudenti avranno per loro retaggio la stoltezza, e i prudenti saran coronati di scienza.The childish man shal possesse folie, and the prudent shal expect knowlege.Possidebunt parvuli stultitiam, / et exspectabunt astuti scientiam. 19The evil shall fall down before the good: and the wicked before the gates of the just.Giaceranno i cattivi ai piedi de' buoni: e gli empj dinanzi alle porte de' giusti.The euil shal lie downe before the good, and the impious before the gates of the iust.Jacebunt mali ante bonos, / et impii ante portas justorum. 20The poor man shall be hateful even to his own neighbour: but the friends of the rich are many.Il povero è avuto a noia anche da' suoi prossimi: i ricchi hanno molti amici.The poore shal be odious euen to his neighbour: but the freindes of the rich be manie.Etiam proximo suo pauper odiosus erit: / amici vero divitum multi. 21He that despiseth his neighbour, sinneth: but he that sheweth mercy to the poor, shall be blessed. He that believeth in the Lord, loveth mercy.Pecca chi disprezza il suo prossimo: e chi ha misericordia del povero, sarà beato. Chi crede nel Signore ama la misericordia.He that despiseth his neighbour, sinneth: but he that hath pitie on the poore, shal be blessed.Qui despicit proximum suum peccat; / qui autem miseretur pauperis beatus erit. / Qui credit in Domino misericordiam diligit. 22They err that work evil: but mercy and truth prepare good things.Sono in errore quelli, che fanno il male: la misericordia, e la verità preparano i beni.They erre that worke euil: mercie and truth prepare good thinges.Errant qui operantur malum; / misericordia et veritas præparant bona. 23In much work there shall be abundance: but where there are many words, there is oftentimes want.Dovunque si lavora, ivi sarà l'abbondanza: dove molto si parla, vi sarà l'indigenza.In euerie worke there shal be abundance: but where manie wordes are, there is oftentimes pouertie.In omni opere erit abundantia; / ubi autem verba sunt plurima, ibi frequenter egestas.
24The crown of the wise, is their riches: the folly of fools, imprudence.Corona de' saggj son le loro ricchezze: la stoltezza resta agli stolti.The crowne of the wise, their riches: the sollie of fooles, inprudence.Corona sapientium divitiæ eorum; / fatuitas stultorum imprudentia. 25A faithful witness delivereth souls: and the double dealer uttereth lies.Il testimone fedele è liberatore degli uomini; il furbo spaccia menzogne.A faithful witnes deliuereth soules: and the dissen•bier vttereth lyes.Liberat animas testis fidelis, / et profert mendacia versipellis. 26In the fear of the Lord is confidence of strength, and there shall be hope for his children.Nel timor del Signore trovasi fiducia costante; e i figliuoli di lui conserveranno speranza.In the feare of our Lord is confidence of strength, and to his children there shal be hope.In timore Domini fiducia fortitudinis, / et filiis ejus erit spes. 27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to decline from the ruin of death.Il timor del Signore sorgente di vita: ei fa, che si schivino le rovine mortali.The feare of our Lord a fountaine of life, that he may decline from the ruine of death.Timor Domini fons vitæ, / ut declinent a ruina mortis. 28In the multitude of people is the dignity of the king: and in the small number of the people the dishonour of the prince.La dignità del re sta nella moltitudine del popolo: ed è disonore del principe la scarsezza dei sudditi.In the multitude of people the dignitie of the king: and in fewnes of people the ignominie of the prince.In multitudine populi dignitas regis, / et in paucitate plebis ignominia principis. 29He that is patient, is governed with much wisdom: but he that is impatient, exalteth his folly.Chi è paziente si governa con molta prudenza: ma l'impaziente fa manifesta la sua stoltezza.He that is patient, is gouerned with much wisdom: but he that is impatient, exalteth his foilie.Qui patiens est multa gubernatur prudentia; / qui autem impatiens est exaltat stultitiam suam. 30Soundness of heart is the life of the flesh: but envy is the rottenness of the bones.La sanità del cuore da vita alla carne: l'invidia è tarlo delle ossa.Health of hart, the life of the flesh: enuie, the putrefaction of the bones.Vita carnium sanitas cordis; / putredo ossium invidia. 31He that oppresseth the poor, upbraideth his maker: but he that hath pity on the poor, honoureth him.Chi opprime il mendico, fa contumelia al suo Creatore: ma a lui rende onore, chi ha compassione del povero.He that doth calumniate the needie, vpbraideth his maker: but he honoreth him, that hath pitie on the poore.Qui calumniatur egentem exprobrat factori ejus; / honorat autem eum qui miseretur pauperis.
32The wicked man shall be driven out in his wickedness: but the just hath hope in his death.La sua malizia darà all'empio la spinta: ma il giusto nella sua morte ha speranza;The impious shal be expelled in his malice: but the iust hopeth in his death.In malitia sua expelletur impius: / sperat autem justus in morte sua. 33In the heart of the prudent resteth wisdom, and it shall instruct all the ignorant.Nel cuore dell'uom prudente abita la sapienza, ed egli illuminerà qualunque ignorante.In the hart of the prudent resteth wisdom, & it shal instruct al the vnlerned.In corde prudentis requiescit sapientia, / et indoctos quosque erudiet. 34Justice exalteth a nation: but sin maketh nations miserable.La giustizia fa grande una nazione: ma il peccato fa infelici i popoli.Iustice aduanceth a nation: but sinne maketh peoples miserable.Justitia elevat gentem; / miseros autem facit populos peccatum. 35A wise servant is acceptable to the king: he that is good for nothing shall feel his anger.Il ministro intelligente è grato al re: quello, che non è buono a nulla, proverà il suo sdegno.A seruant that vnderstandeth is acceptable to the king: he that is vnprofitable shal susteyne his anger.Acceptus est regi minister intelligens; / iracundiam ejus inutilis sustinebit.
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And, is not in Hebrew.
Calmet
Is. Hebrew, "but the perverse in his ways despiseth him;" (Haydock) shewing by his conduct that he cares not for the Lord. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "he shall be dishonoured, that," etc.
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Pride. He chastiseth with haughtiness, and is ever quarrelling.
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Haydock
Empty. As the land has not bee cultivated. (Haydock)
Calmet
Strength, or number of oxen. (Calmet)
St. Gregory vii. ep. viii
"The virtue of the preachers is manifested where there are many converted to produce fruit." (St. Gregory vii. ep. viii.)
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Not. Because they seek it ill, like the pagan sages. Septuagint, "thou shalt seek wisdom among the wicked, and shalt not find it," etc.
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Prudence. Thou wilt presently perceive his weakness. Hebrew, "abandon a," etc. He is not capable of hearing reason: keep at a distance.
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Way. This science of the saints is the only true wisdom.
Erreth. They are inconstant. Hebrew, "is deceit." They are bent on it.
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Menochius
Sin. Proverbs 10:23. Hebrew, "excuse sin," (Calmet) or "mock at sin," (Haydock) committed by others. (Menochius)
Calmet
Grace, or good-will. They are agreeable to all. (Calmet)
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Stranger. Such cannot well comfort the afflicted. A man is alone acquainted with the affections of his own heart. Septuagint, "he mixeth not insult" (Symmachus) "with strangers."
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Calmet
Death. How many, under the garb of piety, follow their passions! How many are misled by their singularity, or by unskilful directors! (Calmet)
Menochius
We must suspect our own judgment. (Menochius)
Worthington
If any Turks, Jews, or heretics, lead a moral good life, it seemeth both to themselves and to other ignorant people that they are in the right way to salvation; but their error in faith leadeth them to eternal damnation. (Worthington)
Haydock
The persecutors thought they did God a service by putting the apostles to death. Will they be excused? (Haydock)
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Haydock
Laughter. Septuagint, "with content sorrow is not mixed." (Haydock)
Pindar
Joy. Such is the condition of earthly things. (Pindar, Pyth. viii.)
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Above him. Septuagint, "with his counsels," enjoying the content of a good conscience, and a heavenly reward; while the wicked, with all his self-approbation, shall be punished.
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Calmet
Innocent. Good, and unsuspecting; (Josue 9:14., and 1 Corinthians 13:7.) or rather credulous, 1 John 4:1. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "the man who is not bad."
Haydock
Steps. Septuagint, "repenteth." (Haydock)
No, etc. This occurs (chap. 13:13.) in several copies: but here it is omitted in Hebrew, etc.
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Folly. Wrath betrays us into great extravagances.
Calmet
Hateful. Hebrew also, "hateth" folly. Septuagint, "the prudent beareth much," Job 5:2. (Calmet)
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Syrus
Many. "Riches make friends, poverty tries them." (Syrus.)
Cicero
False friends resemble swallows, which retire at the approach of winter. (Cicero, ad Heren. iv.)
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Calmet
He....mercy, is not found in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin manuscripts. (Calmet)
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Truth. Those who are kind and faithful. (Haydock) (Chap. 3:3.)
Septuagint add, (Calmet) as a second version, (Grabe) "the workers of evils understand not mercy and truth: but kind and faithful actions are with those who do good."
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Haydock
Imprudence. This they always betray, while the wise use their riches to assist their fellow-creatures, and receive a crown of glory. (Haydock)
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Calmet
King. Who formerly was styled "a shepherd," to remind him of the care with which he ought to seek the welfare of his subjects. (Calmet)
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Worthington
Bones. As a sound heart preserves the rest of the body, so a good intention often excuses from mortal sin, when the error is not gross. But envy corrupts the works which seem good, and which cannot bear a strict examination. (St. Gregory, Mor. 5:34.) (Worthington)
Septuagint, "a too sensible heart is the," etc. This is beautiful; but not quite conformable to the Hebrew.
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Calmet
Him. God takes the poor under his special protection, (Matthew 25:40.) and is the distributor of all riches. What would the rich do without the poor? (Calmet)
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Haydock
And. Protestants, "but that which is in the midst of fools is made known." (Haydock)
Cornelius a Lapide
A vessel full of gold makes no noise, while that which contains only a few pieces sounds much. (Munster.) (Cornelius a Lapide)
Calmet
Thus the fool makes a parade of all that he knows. (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "but in the heart of fools, it is not known." (Haydock)
Kennicott
Aquila and Theodotion have the negation, (Calmet) as well as the Syriac and Arabic. See Proverbs 5:16. (Kennicott)
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Calmet
Miserable. This sentence ought to be engraven in all public places. Hebrew, "and mercy the sinful people," whom God spares on account of their alms-deeds, (Daniel 4:24.) or "sin is the shame of peoples." (Calmet)
Calmet
Montanus renders chesed mercy, and Pagnin "ignominy." The former is scarcely intelligible, et misericordia populorum peccatum, unless sin be here taken for a sin-offering, (Haydock) as it is by Vatable, Grotius, etc. (Calmet)
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Haydock
Nothing. Literally, "useless," which often means bad. (Haydock)
Calmet
A servant who does not discharge his duty is such. Hebrew, "he that causeth to blush," and has no economy. (Calmet)
Haydock
Septuagint, "He removes shame by his good management. Anger destroys the prudent; but a mild," etc. (Haydock)
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Frugal industrie.
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Feare of God.
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Gnard of the tongue. Diligent labores.
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Truth in al speach.
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Seke wisdom modestly.
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Feloshipe with the wise.
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Knowlege of ourselues. Detestation of s•ane. Internal comforth. Contempt of thir world.
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12. A vvay vvhich semeth iust.] If anie Iewes, Turkes, or Heretikes lead a VVithout true faith none can be saued. moral good life in this world, it semeth both to themselnes, and to other rude people, that they are in a right way of saluation, but their error in faith leadeth them to eternal damnation.
The Catholique faith.
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Spiritual ioy.
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Reward of workes.
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Beleue not al reportes.
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Mature consideration.
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Patience.
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Desire of solide knowlege
Concordance 1. Cor. 14. v. 20.
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Pietie shal be revvarded.
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Compassion of the poore.
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Almes dedes.
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Mercie and 〈◊〉.
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Good dedes with few wordes. Right vse of riches
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Versip••• a 〈◊〉, ••turnetrait.
Tiue testimonie as v. 5.
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Feare to offend God preuen 〈…〉
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Procu〈…〉 and fid〈…〉 in subiectes. Patience.
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30 Health of the hart.] As soundnes of the hart conserueth the rest of the same bodie in life, so a pure intention often excuseth from mortal sinne, as in errours Sincere intention excuieth some errors. committed of probable, not of grosse, nor affected ignorance. But secrete S. Greg. li. 5. c. 34. Moral. enuie in the hart infecteth and putrifieth mans actions, and destroyeth the workes that semed good: which can no more endure strict examination in the day of iudgement, then a rotten cloth can abide washing.
Sincere intention.
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Compassion.
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Confidence in iustice.
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Instruction of the ignorant.
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Publique iustice.
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Industrie in euerie man.
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 69.5
… for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” In the same book too it is written, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 3.4
… And what punishment is worse than the wounds of the conscience within? What judgment harder than that of our hearts, whereby each one stands convicted and accuses himself of the injury that he has wrongfully done against his brother? This the Scriptures speak of very plainly, saying: “Out of the mouth of fools there is a rod for wrong-doing.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.1
I have read the letter which you in your wisdom have written me. You inveigh against me, and, though you once praised me and called me true partner and brother, you now write books to summon me to reply to the charges with which you terrify me. I see that in you are fulfilled the words of Solomon:
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Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 8.20-2
… We therefore render thanks to Almighty God , that we see fulfilled in you what is written, Where there is much increase, there the strength of the oxen is manifest (
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 13.42
… For through the ploughshare of your tongue heavenly corn increases daily, and is multiplied in the garners on high; so that in you we rejoice that what is written is fulfilled, Where there is much increase, there is manifest the strength of the oxen (
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St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.43
… All the ways of a fool are right in his own eyes. The fool showeth his anger on that very day. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. He that keepeth his lips guardeth his own soul; but he that is rash with his lips shall be a terror to himself. The evil man in his violence doeth evil things, and the fool spreadeth out his folly.
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.18
… “Thou shalt seek wisdom among the ungodly and shalt not find it; and: “our enemies are senseless;” and this: “There is neither wisdom, nor courage, nor counsel among the ungodly.”
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John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 6.9
… “But a fool will change like the moon.” For just as it is said of men who are perfect and wise: “To them that love God all things work together for good,” so of those who are weak and foolish it is declared that “everything is against a foolish man,”
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 The Seventh Council of Carthage under Cyprian. Concerning the Baptism of Heretics 1
… moreover, that schismatics cannot season others with spiritual wisdom, since they themselves, by departing from the Church, which is one, having lost the savour, have become contrary to it,—let it be done as it is written, “The house of those that are contrary to the law owes a cleansing.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 6.14
… of Christ, have not the full confession of the sacrament, also that schismatics cannot reason with spiritual wisdom, since they themselves, by withdrawing when they have lost their savor from the Church, which is one, have become contrary to it, let that be done which is written, ‘The houses of those that are opposed to the law must needs be cleansed;’
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Thessalonians 5
… He came to you, to receive pity from you, but he goes away having received a deadly blow, and weeps the more. For when by reason of his poverty he is compelled to beg, and is insulted on account of his begging, think how great will be the punishment of those who insult him. “He that dishonoreth the poor,” it says, “provoketh his Maker.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 11
Dear sisters, man’s envy judges in one way, Christ in another; and the whisper of a corner is not the same as the sentence of His tribunal. Many ways seem right to men which are afterwards found to be wrong.
St Jerome † AD 420 The Dialogue Against the Luciferians 1
… and, as they depart, the saints will say, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.” No one can take to himself the prerogative of Christ, no one before the day of judgment can pass judgment upon men. If the Church is already cleansed, what shall we reserve for the Lord?
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 1.28
Prov. xiv. 12 . A way that seemeth right to a man.
Early Popes (Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals) The Epistles of Zephyrinus 2.1
… For they do not this by laudable and paternal instruction ( probabili et paterna doctrina ), but that they may wreak their vengeful feeling against the servants of God. For it is written, “The way of a fool is right in his eyes;” and, “There are ways which seem right unto a man, but the end thereof leads to death.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.43
… The fool showeth his anger on that very day. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. He that keepeth his lips guardeth his own soul; but he that is rash with his lips shall be a terror to himself. The evil man in his violence doeth evil things, and the fool spreadeth out his folly. Seek for wisdom among the evil and thou shalt not find it.
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St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 To the Bishops of Egypt 1.4
… And their advocates are aware of this, that the Scriptures are very much, or rather altogether, opposed to the doctrines of every one of them; but for the sake of deceiving the more simple sort (such as are those of whom it is written in the Proverbs, ‘The simple believeth every word
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 3.10
… They know not what deceit is, they gladly believe of others what they themselves are, whilst they cannot suspect others to be what they themselves are not. Hence Solomon says: “An innocent man believeth every word.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 3.16
130. “Let him be accursed,” say they, “who says that Christ is a creature, after the manner of the rest of created beings.” Plain folks have heard this, and put faith in it, for, as it is written, “the simple man believes every word.”
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St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.22
… If not how is it that the Apostle complains, ‘For after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God ?’ or how is it if there is no wisdom, that a ‘multitude of wise men ’ are found in Scripture? for ‘a wise man feareth and departeth from evil
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.43
… Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. He that keepeth his lips guardeth his own soul; but he that is rash with his lips shall be a terror to himself. The evil man in his violence doeth evil things, and the fool spreadeth out his folly. Seek for wisdom among the evil and thou shalt not find it. The rash man shall eat of the fruit of his own ways.
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John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 8.1
… because “an angry man acts without counsel.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.43
… The evil man in his violence doeth evil things, and the fool spreadeth out his folly. Seek for wisdom among the evil and thou shalt not find it. The rash man shall eat of the fruit of his own ways. The wise man by taking heed avoideth the evil; but the fool is confident, and joins himself to it.
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 20
[1.] “ To every careful thinker there is a gain” (
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.6
… “a man in grief labours for himself, and forcibly brings about his own destruction.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 14.17
… “For one who is kindly and without sorrow, shall be in want.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.26
But all these things he will receive not with careless slackness and a lazy delight, but, in accordance with the Lord’s word, “with persecutions,” i.e., with the pressure of this world, and terrible distress from his passions, because, as the wise man testifies: “He who is easy going and without trouble shall come to want.”
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St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.22
… If not how is it that the Apostle complains, ‘For after that in the Wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God ?’ or how is it if there is no wisdom, that a ‘multitude of wise men ’ are found in Scripture? for ‘a wise man feareth and departeth from evil ;’ and ‘through wisdom is a house builded
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St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.17
In the Proverbs of Solomon: “The faithful martyr delivers his soul from evils.”
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John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.26
… For, as the Lord says, “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.” Those are certainly worthy of praise as violent, who do violence to their own destruction, for, “A man,” as it is written, “that is in sorrow laboureth for himself and does violence to his own destruction.”
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St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 128.4
… Of old it was not so. Then Moses spoke in a passion of pity, “yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book.” He is not satisfied to secure his own salvation, he desires to perish with those that perish. And he is right, for “in the multitude of people is the king’s honour.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist 2.85
… these are the words of men against men. Christ remained only in the love of Donatus: these are the words of men extolling the glory of a man under the name of Christ, that the glory of Christ Himself may be diminished. For it is written, "In the multitude of people is the king’s honor: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince:"
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 86.13
… and yet he says, that Christ has lost His inheritance, redeemed by His own Blood! See now what a wrong he does, my brethren. The Scripture says, “In a wide nation is the king’s honour; but in the domination of the people is the affliction of a prince.”
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to Hero, a Deacon of Antioch 5
… Exhort my sisters to love God, and be content with their own husbands only. In like manner, exhort my brethren also to be content with their own wives. Watch over the virgins, as the precious treasures of Christ. Be long-suffering,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 19
… Seest thou not the trees too, the more they are shaken by the winds, so much the more do they become stronger and firmer? We then. if we be long-suffering, shall also become strong. For it is said, “a man who is long-suffering abounds in wisdom, but he that is of a little soul is strongly foolish.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 22
… If then thou laugh, there will be as great difference between thee and him, as between a child and a man: but if thou art furious thou hast made thyself a child. For the angry are more senseless than children. If one look at a furious child, does he not laugh at him? “The poor-spirited” (it is said) “is mightily simple.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 108.18
… as well as those of the apostle, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”: and in another place, “we are to suffer affliction” that we may be patient in all things that befall us, for “he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 16.27
… “I have run the way of thy commandments for thou hast enlarged my heart.” For that long-suffering is wisdom we are taught by very clear passages of Scripture: for “a man who is long-suffering is great in prudence; but a coward is very foolish.”
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St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 2.57
57. Is the undertaking then so serious and laborious to a sensitive and sad heart—a very rottenness to the bones
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 43.42
… The good or ill success of an individual is of no consequence to the community, but that of the community involves of necessity the like condition of the individual. With this idea and purpose, he who was the guardian and patron of the community (and, as Solomon says with truth, a perceptive heart is a moth to the bones,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 63.24
46. And so both in every action, and especially in the demand for a bishop, by whom [as a pattern] the life of all is formed; malignity ought to be absent; so that the man who is to be elected out of all, and to heal all, may be preferred to all by a calm and peaceful decision. For “the meek man is the physician of the heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 109.17
… but the Jewish people still more decidedly refused blessing, unto whom he who had been enlightened by the Lord said, “Will ye also be His disciples?” “He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a raiment:” either Judas, or that people. “And it came into his bowels like water.”
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 3.10
… For him whose being better than himself vexed him he cut off from being at all. The envious are to be told that, while they consume themselves with this inward plague, they destroy whatever good they seem to have within them. Whence it is written, Soundness of heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones (
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St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 51
… And no man is so void of feeling as not to be touched at heart, and bowed down to the ground, if he falls in with lips prone to lying. But we must needs put up with all things and endure all things, after committing our vindication to the Lord. He will not despise us; for “he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 33
… Consider, for example, from what point he at once began, and what he set first, as the cause of all its excellence. And what is this? Long-suffering. This is the root of all self-denial. Wherefore also a certain wise man said, “A man that is long-suffering
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 3.43
… Seek for wisdom among the evil and thou shalt not find it. The rash man shall eat of the fruit of his own ways. The wise man by taking heed avoideth the evil; but the fool is confident, and joins himself to it. A long-suffering man is strong in his wisdom; the man of little mind is very unwise.
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John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 14.16
… For no one, in whom the love of carnal passions and especially of fornication still holds sway, can acquire spiritual knowledge. For “in a good heart wisdom will rest;” and: “He that feareth the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness.”
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Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 11.69
Since it is written, Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin maketh peoples miserable (
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1. A WISE WOMAN BUILDETH HER HOUSE: BUT THE FOOLISH WILL PULL DOWN EVEN THAT WHICH IS BUILT. — In Hebrew, wise women (that is, each wise woman, as Vatablus says) built her house; and foolishness (that is, the foolish woman, through her foolishness) destroys it. Whence the Chaldean, she who is wise among women, etc. The Septuagint, wise women built houses, but the foolish one demolished it with her own hands. By house understand family and household property, namely children, daughters, maidservants, servants, and their peace, harmony, virtue and diligence, by which it comes about that they abound in grain, clothing and other things, and increase wealth and estates. This is what a wise matron of the household accomplishes, as will be evident in chapter XXXI; for it is her part to govern the house, as it is the man's part to manage external and public affairs. Whence the Apostle commands Titus, chapter II, 5, to instruct "young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be prudent, sober, chaste, keepers of the home." Hence also the Interlinear Gloss, Genesis II, on those words: And the Lord built the rib which he had taken into a woman: "The rib, it says, built into a woman, so that woman herself might be an example of governing the house." Aristotle in the Economics, book II, chapter I: "A good woman, he says, ought to rule over all things that are within, and to have care of all things according to written laws." And further: "The life of the matron of the household is the rule of the whole house." Thus Ruth built the house of Boaz, "Rachel and Lia built the house of Israel," Ruth IV, 11; Sara the house of Tobias, Abigail the house of Nabal, etc. Thus even now in Calabria, where the customs and silkworms weaving silk flourish, over which women preside, we see in houses a single woman skilled in this art sustain the whole house and family. Therefore the sense is, says Jansenius, as if to say: A wise wife by her diligence and prudent administration and governance of her family, even a small one and of little value at first, excellently instructs, enlarges, and increases it, providing for the house with all necessaries, and rightly educating her children and household members. On the contrary, the foolish woman will not only allow even one well instructed by another to perish, but by her own hands through her foolishness will destroy and lose it, squandering household wealth, and overturning her household members by her words, deeds and example. Simonides praises a wife who is like a bee, chaste, frugal, intent on work, not wandering, cherishing her offspring. Mystically this saying is fulfilled in the Church of the Gentiles and the Synagogue of the Jews. Symbolically, a wise woman is a queen, who by her wisdom builds both the house and family and line of her husband, and the whole kingdom, and enriches it with every temporal and spiritual good. Thus Clotilda built the house of Clovis and the kingdom of France, especially when she converted her husband with his kingdom to Christ. Thus St. Cunegundis built the house of Henry I the Emperor and the whole empire; St. Blanche built the house of St. Louis and the kingdom of France; St. Hedwig, the kingdom of Poland; St. Elizabeth, queen of Portugal, recently by our Holy Father Urban VIII inscribed in the catalogue of Saints, built the kingdom of Portugal; whence from her all the kings of Spain and Portugal down to the modern Philip IV descend in direct line. Tropologically, a wise woman is the mind, which builds the house of her soul, says Hugh, with every virtue and wisdom. Furthermore Bede in Common Places, chapter LXXII On Simplicity, the spiritual fabric of the soul, or house of virtues, aptly thus from St. Jerome constructs and describes it part by part: "The spiritual fabric is firm faith in the heart, the helmet of salvation on the head, the word of truth in the mouth, good will in the mind, the love of God in the breast, chastity girded about in fervor, honesty in action, sobriety in custom, stability in goodness, patience in tribulation, hope in the Creator, love of eternal life, perseverance unto the end. I have said more about this mystical fabric of the Church and soul at the end of the Prophet Haggai. Allegorically, a wise woman is the Blessed Virgin who through Christ built, and daily builds the Church in the number and virtue of the faithful, namely Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, Confessors, etc., as I have said in many places in chapter VIII, 22, and chapter IX, 1.
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2. HE WHO WALKS IN A STRAIGHT PATH AND FEARS GOD IS DESPISED BY HIM WHO WALKS IN AN INFAMOUS WAY. — In Hebrew, he who walks in his uprightness fearing (or fears) the Lord, and he who is perverse in his ways despising (or despises) him. Where "him" can refer both to the Lord and to him who walks in uprightness. Rabbi Solomon, Rabbi Levi, Jansenius and others refer it to the Lord, and in a twofold sense. The first is causal, that is to say, the reason why someone walks in the straight path of virtue is the fear of the Lord, or because he fears the Lord. For this fear continually spurs him on to walk in the straight way pleasing to God, lest, if he should deviate anywhere, he offend God. Conversely, the reason why someone is depraved and perverse in his ways, that is in his actions, is that he despises God and the fear of God. For he who has cast off the fear of God, he gradually rushes headlong into all crimes, as atheists and politicians do. Thus the author of the Greek Catena. Again, you may expound it thus, that is to say, he who walks in the straight path of virtue gives manifest evidence that he fears God: but he who proceeds in the perverse way of vice, by this very fact signifies that he despises God. For the external life testifies to the internal fear or contempt of God, according to that saying of St. Gregory: "The proof of love is the exhibition of works." The second sense is, that is to say, he who walks according to the norm of divine law, he fears, that is, reveres and religiously worships God; but he who deviates from this norm, he gradually despises God, and the reverence and worship of God. For just as virtue begets the fear and worship of God, so vice and a vicious life beget contempt of God, of religion and of piety, according to that passage of Psalm XIII, 1: "The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God." And that of Proverbs XVIII: "The wicked man, when he comes into the depths, despises." But our Aben-Ezra, Baynus and others refer "him" to him who walks in the straight path, that is to say, the impious and perverse man despises the pious man, who walks straight according to the law, and fears and reveres God. Yet this sense comes down to the same thing as the former ones: for he who despises him who fears God, indirectly despises God himself; just as he who despises a servant, also despises the master of the servant, and finally, as contempt grows, directly despises the master himself, namely God. This is what Christ says, John XV: "If you were of the world, the world would love what is its own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." And Job cap. XII, 4: "The simplicity of the just is laughed to scorn." Where see St. Gregory. So great is the perversity of impious men, that unless they make all such as themselves, they do not rest; hence they mock the pious and good, and call them distorted, hypocrites, Jesuits, etc. The cause is the dissimilarity of morals: for they see that their own life and vices are in fact condemned and refuted by the contrary virtues and morals of the pious; wherefore, not bearing these perpetual censors of their life, as it were a thorn in their eyes, they mock them, vex them, persecute them, to make them like themselves. St. Prosper gives this reason in his Sentences and Epigrams cap. XXXIX, concerning the hatreds of the world toward Christians: "All," he says, "who wish to live piously in Christ, must necessarily suffer reproaches from the impious and dissimilar, and be despised as foolish and insane, who lose present goods and promise themselves invisible and future things. But this contempt and this mockery will be turned back upon them, when both their abundance shall pass into want, and their pride into confusion. The impious part of the world is hostile to the part of the pious, / Nor can it bear dissimilar minds. / Laughing at those unwilling to use present riches, / And hoping that what they believe can be given to them. / But these reproaches are to be despised by holy peoples, / Which foolishly the hearts of others turn from God. / For our hope becomes more certain from this sight than all, / That God, promising, is whatever we believe." And Salvian, lib. VIII On the Governance of God: "The greatest cause of discord," he says, "is the diversity of wills, because it can either not happen at all, or scarcely happen, that anyone should love in another that thing from which he himself dissents; and so they hated them not without cause, in whom they determined all things to be rivals and enemies to themselves." Indeed, even Pliny in his Panegyric of Trajan, cap. LIII: "This," he says, "is the first duty of good citizens toward the best emperor, to pursue the dissimilar; for they have not sufficiently loved good princes who have not sufficiently hated bad ones." And the Comic poet: "The faction of the bad always hates the good." Moreover, the Septuagint takes בוזהו bozehu, that is, despises him, reciprocally for despises himself. For it is the same thing in Hebrew to use a reciprocal pronoun as an absolute one. Hence they translate, ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀτιμασθήσεται, that is, he who walks crookedly in his ways shall be dishonored, or shall be covered with ignominy. For just as virtue begets praise, so vice begets reproach and ignominy, on account of which the vicious man is despised and contemned by all. He himself therefore by his own vice brings contempt upon himself, and is guilty to himself, and convicts himself that he has unworthily done injury to his brother. And St. Jerome confirms this sense, when he says: For just as virtue begets praise, so vice begets reproach and ignominy, on account of which the vicious man is despised and contemned by all. He himself therefore by his own vice brings contempt upon himself, and it is his own fault and cause.
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3. IN THE MOUTH OF THE FOOL IS THE ROD OF PRIDE: BUT THE LIPS OF THE WISE KEEP THEM. — The Septuagint, from the mouth of the imprudent the rods of contumely (Theodotion, the rod of injury); but the lips of the wise keep [The Scholiast: heal, namely the sorrows and wounds of the soul, which the proud and contumelious tongue inflicted either on themselves or on others] them; the Chaldean, in the mouth of the fool is a rod and tribulation; the Syrian, a goad and contumely. For pride begets injury and contumely; for the proud, in order to exalt themselves above others, despise them, and are injurious and contumelious toward them. Our Salazar by the rod understands a scepter, or rod, which is the sign of empire and power, so that the sense is: "In the mouth of the fool, the rod of pride," that is, the foolish and senseless sinner, through arrogance and pride, as if he were bearing a rod and scepter of empire in his mouth, thinks it is permitted him to speak against the reputation of all, and indeed he attacks all with reproaches, burdens them with insults, blackens them with detraction. But truly in Hebrew it is not סבט scebet, that is, a scepter, but חטר choter, that is, a rod, or staff for striking, namely for inflicting reproaches, injuries and contumely, as the Septuagint, Theodotion, the Chaldean, the Syrian, our translator and the Hebrews render it. Whence Vatablus: "A rod," he says, "or the rod of pride is the tongue, by which we strike men, as by a rod we strike horses." The sense therefore is solid and clear, as if to say: The fool, because he is proud, with his mouth and tongue as it were with the rod of pride scourges others, this one by mocking, that one by despising, another by insulting, etc.; but in scourging others he scourges himself also, because those whom he scourges are scourged by him in turn by the law of retaliation. His proud words therefore, which he utters from his mouth, will be to him a rod, that is, a cause and instrument and a ferule, by which he may be beaten, confounded and punished. "But the lips of the wise keep them," both because they take care lest, like the fool, they scourge others with their curses, and draw upon themselves in turn both the scourges of words and of blows; and because if they are attacked by the fool with the scourges of malediction, against these they defend themselves with the shield of prudence, modesty and gentleness. For thus they act and respond prudently, modestly and gently, so that they prove their own innocence, and confound the foolish one who curses, and compel him to be silent, according to that saying of St. Augustine, sermon 15 On the Resurrection: "A curse, repelled by patience, returns to its author, leaving unharmed him who was its target." And Bede thus expounds it: "In the mouth of the fool," he says, "is the rod of pride, and the lips of the wise keep them: because fools through vain speech afflict the humble, whom they despise; but these same humble in spirit fortify themselves through learning in wisdom, lest they be deceived." Whence St. Ambrose, book III On Duties, chapter IV, teaching that we ought not to seek our gain from the misfortunes of others, shows how grave is the sin of detraction and contumely. "For what punishment," he says, "is more severe than the wound of an interior conscience? What judgment more severe than the domestic one, by which each person is guilty to himself, and accuses himself that he has unworthily done injury to his brother? Which Scripture condemns not slightly, saying: From the mouth of fools the rod of contumely. Therefore he is condemned for foolishness, who commits contumely. Is not this more to be fled than death, than loss, than poverty, than exile, than the pain of weakness? For who does not regard a defect of the body, or loss of patrimony as lighter than a defect of the soul, and loss of reputation?" Symbolically, St. Gregory, XXIV Morals, chapter IX, adapts this saying to proud prelates and preachers: "But this," he says, "is wont to be the property of arrogant preachers, that they desire to correct even their afflicted hearers more strictly than to foster them gently: for they study more to rebuke evils by objurgation than to confirm goods by praise. For they desire to appear superior, and therefore rejoice more when anger elevates their minds than when charity equalizes them; they always seek to find things which they may strike rigidly by rebuking; whence it is written: In the mouth of the fool is the rod of pride: because he knows how to strike rigidly, but does not know how to sympathize humbly." St. Gregory's example is followed as usual by St. Isidore, book I Origins, chapter XLI: "Proud teachers," he says, "know rather to wound than to correct, with Solomon attesting: In the mouth of the fool is the rod of pride; because by rebuking they act rigidly, and do not know how to sympathize humbly." Because, as Polychronius says in the Greek Catena, "those whom they reprove, they study not so much to correct as to confound." Thus also St. Chrysostom in the same place. Thus also Hugh: "In the mouth of the fool is the rod of pride," that is, he says, imperious correction is in the mouth of the fool, and conversely in the mouth of the just is the rod of gentleness and sweetness. For this reason in the ark there was manna together with the rod. And of the rod of Aaron it is read that it budded and brought forth almonds: which are food for the weak. Finally, St. Jerome at the beginning of his third Apology against Rufinus, turning back his invective against himself upon him: "I understood," he says, "that saying of Solomon to be fulfilled in you: In the mouth of the fool is the rod of contumely."
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4. WHERE THERE ARE NO OXEN, THE MANGER IS EMPTY (in Hebrew, clean): BUT WHERE THERE ARE MANY HARVESTS, THERE THE STRENGTH OF THE OX IS MANIFEST. — Theodotion wrongly, reading בעון beon, that is in labor or strength, instead of באין been, that is where not, translated it ἐν ἰσχύι, that is in the strength of oxen in the manger the offspring shall be forced, and a multitude of offspring in the power of the bull. For thus there is no antithesis, but empty tautology; therefore one must read been, that is where there are no oxen. It is a litotes and metonymy: for where oxen are lacking, which by plowing produce crops, not only is the manger empty, but also the storehouse: for where straw is not, neither can grain be, as if to say, where the ox is lacking, there the field cannot be tilled; but with an untilled and unplowed field, no produce from it is to be hoped for. Whence the Hebrew אבוס ebus, that is manger, Marinus and others translate as storehouse, granary, likewise threshing floor, in which crops are beaten out and threshed. Therefore from the manger by metonymy and metalepsis understand both storehouses and cellars, and also tables (for the manger is as it were the table of oxen and beasts of burden), and food and provisions; for the manger contains these and offers them to beasts for eating. But from beasts understand men; for where provisions are lacking to beasts, there consequently they are lacking also to men. Whence from the Hebrew thus you may translate, where there are no oxen, the storehouses are clean, that is empty; and the abundance of produce is from the strength of oxen, that is, as Vatablus says, he who labors has something to eat; but he who pursues idleness has want in his house. Or, where there is labor and laborers, there is abundance of things; but where idleness and the idle, there is want. The version of Symmachus comes to the same thing, in that there are no oxen, the offspring of the manger, that is hay which is placed in the manger for beasts, supply, grows in place of wheat; and a multitude of offspring in the power of the bull; the Chaldean, a multitude of crops in the strength of the ox; and Aquila, where there are no oxen, hay is made; choice offspring, and a multitude of fruits in the strength of the heifer, as if to say, where there are no oxen plowing the earth, there the earth does not produce crops, but barren hay springs up and is generated of itself: but where oxen plow strongly, there an abundance not of hay, but of crops is produced. This proverb therefore teaches grammatically and physically, says Jansenius, that farmers ought to take care to provide themselves with oxen and strong ones, by which they may be able to till the earth properly, if they wish to reap a copious harvest from it. Then ethically under this example it is signified to all that they ought to labor, who wish to eat and become rich, and that want will befall those who pursue idleness. But politically the commonwealth ought to provide itself with vigorous and prudent rulers, who if they be lacking, the commonwealth be in all ways destitute: if they be present, let them bring to it an abundance of all goods by their unwearied labor and prudence. He mentions oxen rather than horses, both because in Palestine and Egypt, as well as in Italy and other places, they plow with oxen rather than horses; and because oxen, slowly indeed, but more deeply and vigorously by plowing furrow and break up the clods of earth, so that the seed drives deeper roots, and germinates more abundantly, and produces more crops; and finally because oxen are frugal, and live on grass and hay, whereas horses live on oats, barley, wheat: whence they themselves consume a great part of the crops which they produce, whereas oxen, content with straw and hay, leave all the grain to their master, and thus enrich him. Hence the ox was to the ancients a symbol of plowing, and thence of harvest and fertility, as appears in the strong oxen which Pharao saw, Genesis XLI, 2. See the sayings of Isaiah XXXII, last verse. Mystically and tropologically, St. Jerome in Habacuc cap. III: "Oxen," he says, "will not be in the mangers, because where the mangers are full, the strength of the ox is manifest. The ox is a laborer, the ox of the Lord bearing the yoke, the ox, in whose footstep he who sows is blessed." And St. Gregory, lib. III of the Register, epistle 30 to Eulogius: "That," he says, "the people of the Church grows, that spiritual harvests are multiplied for the heavenly storehouse, we have never been uncertain of this from the grace of almighty God, which flows abundantly in your most blessed selves. We therefore give thanks to almighty God, because we see fulfilled in you what is written: Where there are many harvests, there the strength of the oxen is manifest. For if the strong ox had not driven the plow of the tongue into the earth of the hearts of the hearers, so great a harvest of the faithful would by no means have arisen." Now Bede in particular adapts individual things to individuals in this way: "Oxen, he says, are Catholic teachers, the manger is the assembly of hearers, the crops he calls the fruits of good works. Therefore the proud man swells in vain and unlearned eloquence strikes the ears and hearts of those subject to him, because where there are not learned preachers, the crowd of common people gathers to listen in vain; but where many operations of virtues appear, there it is most clearly evident that not a heretic spoke in vain, but he labored for the fruit of the word, he who knows both to ruminate the word itself with a chaste mouth, and to walk the way of truth with the straight foot of discernment. Nor is it to be wondered at that we have said hearers are signified in the manger, since an ox is fed from the manger, but a teacher is accustomed to nourish hearers by the word; but it is to be observed that both from the labor of the ox the manger is filled, and the ox itself is refreshed by its fruit from the manger. For indeed a faithful preacher both refreshes hearers by the word, and by the same refreshment he himself profits before God; which is figured in the work of Elijah, who feeds the widow of Zarephath, by whom he himself is also fed." Moreover, the qualities of the ox fittingly agree with the teacher and evangelical preacher, so much so that if he should observe and emulate them, he will abundantly fulfill all the duties of his office. For first, the ox is most laborious and thus a symbol of labor. Whence the ancients, as Pierius testifies in his Hieroglyphics, wishing to depict labor, depicted the head of an ox; in a similar way the teacher and preacher, in order to bear fruit, must labor greatly in preaching and teaching; concerning which matter I have said more on Ezekiel, chapter 10, verse 14. Second, the ox is an innocent, simple, sincere animal. Let the preacher be such also, that he do well to all, harm to none. Whence Ovid, in the Fifteenth Book of the Metamorphoses: "What have oxen deserved, an animal without fraud and deceit, innocent, simple, born to endure labors?" Third, the ox labors for others, not for itself, according to that saying, "Thus you oxen do not bear the plough for yourselves." Likewise the evangelical preacher labors and preaches not for himself, but for others, and thus like St. Paul he gives himself wholly to the salvation of others and even beyond. Hence the ox is a symbol of beneficence. Fourth, they are strong and mighty: let the preacher be strong, so that he fear no one. Thus St. Dionysius in the Celestial Hierarchy, chapter 15: "The image of the ox, he says, presents the appearance of strength and vigor, and by which they cleave the spiritual furrows to receive heavenly and fruitful rains." Hence oxen with swiftness plant their foot firmly in running; hence also they are armed with horns, with which they attack enemies and put them to flight or prostrate them. Fifth, the ox is frugal for itself, and eats only straw, grass and hay: "The bull, says Horus Apollo in the Hieroglyphics, chapter 44, with full strength, strong and temperate." Thus let the preacher be sober and frugal for himself. Certainly St. Peter, as St. Gregory of Nazianzus testifies, ate only lupines. Yet as it is fitting that an ox be fed from the harvest in which it labored, so also it is fitting that a preacher be fed by the faithful to whom he preaches, according to that which God ordained through Moses and through Paul: "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn," Deuteronomy 25:4, and 1 Corinthians 9:9. Sixth, the ox was a victim which was sacrificed to God. Whence it was a symbol of religion, equally of mortification and martyrdom, and represents Martyrs: such were the Apostles and Apostolic preachers. Seventh, in the four mystical animals of Ezekiel, chapter 1, verse 10, which drove the chariot of the glory of God and the Gospel in every direction throughout the world, there was the sole of the foot of a calf, and thus the third animal was an ox. Which St. Gregory explains, homily 3 on Ezekiel: "Because, he says, holy preachers are designated by the name of oxen, the Apostle Paul teaches, expounding the testimony of the law: Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. In holy preachers therefore the sole of the foot is that of a calf, namely advancing maturely, and strong, and divided; because each preacher has reverence in maturity, and strength in work, and division of the hoof in discernment. For his preaching is not easily received if he appears to be light in morals. And there will be no showing of maturity if against all adversities the strength of work does not attend." Eighth, the ox in its gait and ploughing is slow, but exact and perfect: thus let the teacher be slow, so that he accommodate himself to the rude and slow people, nor let it weary him to explain and inculcate the same thing frequently and in detail. Ninth, land which is not subdued by oxen with the plough produces hay, thorns and thistles; but that which is subdued by them produces a joyful harvest of grain: thus souls which are not worked by preachers with the plough of the word of God become wild, and produce nothing but tares and thorns of vices; but those which are furrowed, weeded and sown by it, bring forth a joyful fruit of virtues. Tenth, aptly Cajetan and from him Salazar explain the present parable of oxen thus: Just as he who lacks oxen has a manger, that is a clean stable; but he who has oxen, even if his stable be more unclean to him, rejoices nevertheless in the multitude of produce and fruits: so also he who does not undertake the cares of souls, nor labors in tilling the field of the Lord, but is wholly devoted to himself, enjoys perhaps a greater cleanliness and purity of conscience; but he who yokes his oxen, that is, renders his labors to his neighbor, and joins the active life to contemplation, he indeed has a more unclean manger or stable of his mind and conscience: for from human custom and busy life something of filth, at least light, always accrues, yet he reaps more abundant and copious fruits. We perceive the truth of this opinion in this happy age of our time, when we see Religious men burning with zeal for God, laboring strenuously in the field of the Lord like oxen, converting in France and Germany many thousands of heretics to the orthodox faith, and subjecting the Emperor of Ethiopia with his whole empire to the Roman Church, we rejoice and marvel; when we behold the Blessed Francis Xavier and his followers leading the Indians, Japanese, and Chinese to Christ, we give thanks to God. Indeed, in one island of Japan seven hundred thousand Christians are numbered, of whom many willingly and eagerly pour out their blood and life for Christ. Certainly, to pass over other things, in the single year of the Lord 1624, one hundred sixty-five Christians in Japan steadfastly suffered death for the faith. Of these, more than fifty were burned slowly in fire and roasted, others were killed by frost, others were drowned in the sea, others were crucified, others were pierced by the sword. Their leaders were three Fathers of the Society of Jesus. Following them as their shepherds, nobles, commoners, virgins, married women, and even very many aged and decrepit old men and little children, who proceeded to death playfully as to a feast. There were not lacking, whether you regard the cause, or the age, or the sex, or the rank, or the kind of death, new Lawrences, new Agnes, new Symphorosas, new Maccabees and Maccabaean women, new Adrians, new Getulians, new Nathalia, new Pancratius, new Vitus, new Innocents, because there was not lacking a new Herod; to whom therefore you may likewise sing that which the Church sang to the ancients: Hail, flowers of Martyrs, / Companions rising as roses; / Before the altar itself innocent / You play with palm and crowns. Watered by their blood, the Church of Japan shall grow far more happily; namely, as Prudentius sings concerning the Crowns, that is, De Coronis: The number of Martyrs under every / Hail always grew. From recent letters from Macao it is reported that most recently five hundred of the Christians in Japan have bravely fallen, slain by various kinds of torments for the faith of Christ, so that already many thousands of those slain for Christ are numbered in Japan. Go now, brave ones, where the lofty path / Of great example leads. Why do you / Cowardly turn your backs? The conquered / Earth grants the stars.
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5. A FAITHFUL WITNESS DOES NOT LIE; BUT A DECEITFUL WITNESS UTTERS LIES. — Hebrew: a witness of truths, or of faithfulness, shall not lie; but a witness of falsehood shall breathe out lies; the Septuagint: and an unjust witness shall kindle falsehoods (the Complutensian and Royal editions: a lying witness); Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion: a false witness announces falsehoods; the Chaldean: he who speaks a lie is a detracting witness; Vatablus: a true witness does not lie; a false witness vomits forth lies. The sense appears plain, yet nevertheless contains several things which various interpreters set forth variously. First, R. Levi, R. Solomon, Jansenius and Baynus, that is to say: A witness who is not accustomed to lie in familiar conversations and abhors falsehoods, he likewise will be a faithful and truthful witness when called upon in judgment to testify to something juridically; but he who is accustomed to utter lies among his own and to lie constantly, if asked by a judge, will easily be a liar and will readily produce false testimony. For habit is converted into disposition, disposition into nature, and becomes as it were a second nature; wherefore he who has become accustomed always to speak the truth will with difficulty bend himself to utter something false by chance; and conversely, he who is accustomed to lie will with difficulty restrain himself from falsehood, especially when hope of gain or some other advantage allures and invites him to it. Second, R. David, that is to say: He who wishes to be held a faithful witness refrains from falsehood; for if he be caught even once in a lie, he will lose credibility, and no one will believe him even when he speaks the truth; he therefore who utters a lie even once will henceforth lose credibility, and will be held everywhere as a deceitful and lying witness, or at least as one suspected of lying. Third, Hugo, that is to say: A faithful witness, even if he should sometimes be deceived and speak something false from error, nevertheless never lies on purpose, that is, does not speak against his mind, so as to say that which he knows to be true is false, or vice versa; but a deceitful witness lies on purpose and asserts to be true things which he knows to be false; and vice versa. Fourth, more forcefully Lyra and from him Salazar: "A faithful witness does not lie," that is, cannot be induced by any prayer or price, by any threats or punishments, to lie; but a lying witness without price and threats of his own accord utters and breathes forth lies, just as a furnace breathes out and exhales sparks and scintillations. For in Hebrew יפיח iaphiach, that is breathes out, signifies first, ease and proneness to lying; second, abundance of lies, as great as the abundance of sparks in fire: whence Vatablus translates, vomits forth lies; third, that his heart is full of fraud and falsehood, and therefore he exhales the same from his mouth, just as a fire full of fire constantly exhales sparks through a chimney with vigor. Fourth, force and impetuosity, that is to say: A liar breathes forth his lies with great force and impetuosity, so as to persuade them to his hearers, just as a pyre with great force and impetuosity hurls forth its sparks. Fifth, vanity, namely that lies are evanescent; but truth is firm and stable. For lies are like bubbles, which boys easily blow forth from a tube made of clay, but with the same ease are blown away; for when the thin and fragile bubble ascends into the air, it is burst by the slightest motion of air, and the thin bubble suddenly vanishes into the breezes: in like manner a lie is quickly fashioned and formed, and is likewise quickly dissipated and blown away. Again the Hebrew כזב cazab, that is lie, alludes both in letters and in meaning to casaph, that is prestidigitation, fascination, witchcraft: such is the nature of a lie; whence a liar is as it were a prestidigitator and sorcerer, who by a lie as by a fascination binds, fascinates, blinds and seduces the ears of his hearers. Hence again a lie is called כחש cachas, that is thinness, leanness, emaciation, because it has nothing of truth and substance, so that if you wish to paint a lie, you would paint a woman wasted away and consumed by leanness. Moreover cachas alludes to מכח sacach, that is he has forgotten, and to חשך chasach, that is he has been darkened, by metathesis. For in a lie mere vanity, confusion of memory and obscurity of mind concur. Finally, "a faithful witness shall not lie," because how dear faith is to him, so dear is truth to him, and so hateful is falsehood; wherefore just as faith, so also truth is holy to him, and in the manner of an oath. For this reason Christ forbade the faithful to swear, Matthew V, 34: "But I say to you not to swear at all; etc. But let your speech be: yes, yes; no, no; and that which is over and above these, is of evil," namely of the vice of incredulity and distrust innate to man from original sin; by which it comes about that often one who asserts simply is not believed, but one who swears is believed. To swear therefore is not permitted, unless this evil compels it, namely the distrustful incredulity of man. Whence in paradise, where this evil was not, it was not permitted to swear, just as it is not permitted to the Blessed in heaven: for the Blessed are so truthful, and so reverent of the divine name, that they do not dare to swear. Indeed, Isocrates also, to Demonicus, although a Gentile: "Good men," he says, "show themselves more faithful than by oath." And Plutarch in his Problems: "An oath," he says, "is to a free man in place of torture." For the Romans extracted truth from slaves through torture, from a citizen by oath, from a priest by his word alone. Thus Chromatius, Bishop of Aquileia, whom St. Jerome calls the most learned and most holy of his age, writing on the aforesaid words of Christ in Matthew, says that Christ forbade the faithful to swear, because their words "ought always to be so true, so faithful, that they be held for an oath." And he adds: "The reason for an oath is that everyone who swears swears to this end, that he may speak what is true. And therefore the Lord wished there to be no difference between an oath and our speech; because just as in an oath there ought to be no perfidy, so also in our words there ought to be no falsehood, because both perjury and falsehood are condemned by the penalty of divine offense (others more truly read, judgment), Scripture saying: A mouth that lies kills the soul. Whoever therefore speaks truth, swears, because it is written: A faithful witness shall not lie." He swears, not expressly and formally, but tacitly and finally, namely because he speaks truth, for which reason all use of oath was introduced; for the end of an oath is truth and the knowledge of truth, which the faithful man without an oath simply, stating the matter as it is, attains; interpretatively therefore he swears, that is, he does and attains by simple assertion what another who swears attains by his oath. These words of Chromatius (wrongly read as Chrysostom in the ancient codices of Canon Law) have been transferred into Canon Law, and are found 22, Question V, Canon XII: Juramenti, where the Gloss rightly notes that the Lord wished there to be no difference between an oath and our speech, must be limited to the generality of the precept, so that, just as God forbade all perjury, so also He forbade all falsehood, lest anyone think it permitted to lie outside of perjury, as Chromatius explains; otherwise there is great difference in the gravity of the crime: for a perjurer sins far more gravely by perjuring himself than a liar by lying. Chromatius concludes: "Thus from God who is truthful and knows not how to lie, whatever is said is forbidden in place of an oath, because all that He speaks is true." So holy to God is truth, which the faithful ought to imitate. Mystically, the author of the Catena of the Greeks: "An unjust and unfaithful witness," he says, "is the devil; for he, while promising the use of temporary pleasure to the unwise, provides nothing other than the punishment of eternal fire. But a "faithful" "witness" is the Lord; indeed, He in all His words and promises is most faithful, and never lies or deceives. Moreover, the unjust witness "kindles" falsehood, because what lay extinguished, he again stirs up either by a new accusation or by false testimony. This is the author of the Catena according to the Septuagint. Again, a faithful witness is a Martyr, who testifies to the truth of faith and his fidelity to God by his death, and seals it with his blood. Again, one who lives rightly and holily, and perseveres faithfully in holiness by resisting all difficulties and temptations. Whence Blessed Theodoretus of Studion, in the Catechetical homilies which John Livineius, Canon of Antwerp, published, prefixed this title to the tenth: "Martyrs are not only those who shed their blood, but also those who live a divine life;" and he proves this both by the authority of St. Paul and by reason. For the Apostle says, he remarks, Hebrews XI: "They wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted, of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts, in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." And a little later: "Therefore we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us, looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith." Do you see how he called all lovers of piety and those enduring an afflicted life with patience universally Martyrs? Wherefore... we, brethren, are numbered in this martyrdom: for we who, enduring the hardships of a crucified life, embrace them, who guard the virgin vow, nor shrink from obedience, in which there is something like a contest, testify that Jesus is Christ and the Son of God, we testify to judgment and future recompense, we testify that we shall render an account of our life to the terrible tribunal of Christ, resisting the devil, the enemy of Christ, tormenting and by constant suggestion of deadly pleasures, as it were with scourges, urging us to deny that God exists. Thus far Studion.
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6. THE SCOFFER SEEKETH WISDOM, AND FINDETH IT NOT; BUT KNOWLEDGE IS EASY TO HIM THAT UNDERSTANDETH. — In Hebrew, the scoffer seeks wisdom, and does not, supply, find it, or as Cajetan has it, is present: and knowledge to the intelligent is light; Symmachus, the pestilent one sought wisdom, and it is not. For easy the Chaldean renders, and knowledge to the prudent is vile, that is, is obtained at a small and vile price. The phrase "knowledge is easy to him that understandeth" can be taken in two ways: first, passively, that is to say, the knowledge of the prudent is easy, so that it may be learned from the prudent themselves, or the prudent easily grasp and learn knowledge. Whence the Hebrew texts have, knowledge to the intelligent, or of the intelligent, is light or easy; and thus the antithesis is clear and direct between the scoffer and the intelligent, or prudent, in learning wisdom, namely that wisdom is difficult, indeed impossible, to the scoffer, because with all his labor by which he seeks it, he does not find it; but to the intelligent, or prudent, the same is easy, because namely the scoffer, addicted to his pleasures, does not seek it seriously, but as it were in jest and mockery, indeed he mocks and scorns it: such are hypocrites, heretics and Jews: but the prudent man, with a sincere heart, seriously and resolutely seeks it out, and therefore easily finds it, because wisdom, meeting him who seeks in this manner, offers itself willingly, namely honesty and virtue. Whence Vatable renders, he who is endowed with judgment, to him wisdom is at hand. Thus Bede and Jansenius; for, as St. Cyril says in John, book I, chapter XII: "The wise man imitates hunting dogs seeking beasts here and there. For he himself, often and much investigating a thing not understood, and questioning, at length attains it." Secondly, actively, that is to say, "The knowledge of the prudent is easy," not only so that it may be learned from them, but also so that it may be taught by them; because the prudent easily teach knowledge or prudence, inasmuch as they themselves have learned it by long study and use and are thoroughly skilled in it; and therefore the rude and ignorant will easily learn the same from them, if they submit themselves to their teaching. Whence the Septuagint renders, you will seek wisdom among the wicked, and will not find it; but sense among the prudent is easy; or, as the author of the Catena of the Greeks renders, among the prudent sense and understanding are easy to find. Because although the wicked sometimes give good precepts and teachings of virtues speculatively, yet because they do the contrary in deed, hence to hearers who believe more in works than in words, they do not persuade the same; but the prudent and good, because what they teach by word, they show by example, hence they easily impart and impress the same on others. To this are reduced the various and probable and fitting expositions of this verse by different authors. For first, Rabbi Solomon expounds it, that is to say, the scoffer, when he has need of wisdom and seeks it, experiences his mind stripped of it. This will happen especially on the day of judgment according to the parable of the foolish virgins, to whom, the bridegroom coming, their oil failed, Matthew XXV. Secondly, Baius, by scoffers, understands boys: who, addicted to jests and games, do not grasp the precepts of wisdom, but at them as it were are stupefied and laugh, and soon, despising them, turn back to their trifles and games, that is to say, jesters, and those addicted to jests and games, do not grasp wisdom, but the prudent, the sincere and the serious; for to these virtue, which consists in maturity and severe chastisement of passions, is easy. Third, Jansenius argues forcefully and in detail, meaning: A scoffer, that is, one who for a long time has not only failed to acquiesce in the salutary admonitions of the wise through weakness, but has also by ingrained malice resisted truth and wisdom, and abandoned them, falling by just judgment of God into tribulations and distresses, and for this reason, when a wise man seeks counsel by which to escape pressing evils, he frequently does not find wisdom assisting him and counseling him well, but by his own counsels he is always allowed to fall into worse things. Again, those who mock the doctrine of truth, as heretics and Jews do, however much they seek true wisdom with the greatest efforts, nevertheless do not find it, both because they seek badly, and outside the Church where it is not; and because, delivered over to a reprobate sense, they have become foolish, and like the blind groping at midday. Likewise, those who from youth have devoted themselves entirely to vain trifles and empty matters, refusing to show respect to wisdom, when they have advanced to mature age and wish to devote themselves to wisdom and desire to attain it, are found to perceive it with difficulty, and to make progress in it with hardship. On the contrary, "the doctrine of the prudent is easy," for which in Hebrew it is, knowledge to the prudent (intelligent) man is easy, that is, a prudent man, who has always loved prudence, and has always accommodated himself to understanding from youth, he will easily perceive any sciences whatsoever, and whatever is said wisely. The Syriac favors this exposition, when it translates, the wicked man seeks wisdom, and it is not found. Fourth, Lyra and from him our Salazar explain it, meaning: A scoffer, that is, a proud man, who on account of arrogance and swelling disdains the doctrine of others, even of Doctors and the Wise, and presumes to seek, judge and measure wisdom by his own intellect, to which he gives preference; he certainly will not attain it, because wisdom is to be learned not from one's own rude and proud intellect, but from the wise and modest; for just as wind scatters the tracks of beasts and dulls the power and scent of tracking in dogs: so also arrogance and pride, by which one attributes much to his own intellect and scorns and mocks others, takes away the power of seeking wisdom. But "the doctrine of the prudent is easy," that is, whoever listens to others humbly, and wishes to be taught by them, these easily and in a short time procure for themselves great wisdom.
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7. GO AGAINST A FOOLISH MAN, AND HE KNOWETH NOT THE LIPS OF PRUDENCE. — For "knoweth not," Jansenius and some others read "know not." For thus the Hebrew has it, and they give this sense, to wit: If thou goest against a foolish man, that is, if thou opposest thyself to him in disputation, thou shalt not know, that is, thou shalt not find in him the lips of prudence, nor shalt thou learn from him to speak learnedly and prudently. For the imperatives here do not signify a precept, but a permission, or rather the consequence of one thing from another, or what shall follow from one thing being posited. A similar case was in chapter XII: "Turn away the wicked, and they shall be no more," to wit: If thou turnest away the wicked, it shall follow from this that they shall be no more. Others, for prudence, read contrarily "know not the lips of imprudence," to wit: Beware lest from the company of fools thou learn to speak foolishly and imprudently. But the Roman Codices, Bede and others read "knoweth not the lips of prudence." Whence Bede, in the first place, thus expounds it, to wit: If thou goest openly against the foolishness of the fool in disputation, he knoweth not to understand what thou speakest prudently. So also Lyra and Dionysius, to wit: If thou fallest upon a fool in rebuking him, or in disputing with him, he indeed shall hear thee; but he shall not know, that is, he shall not grasp thy words, however skillfully and prudently uttered. Secondly, and more truly, for "against" in Hebrew it is מנגד minneged, that is, from the region of, from before, that is, from afar, far off. For מן min signifies removal and distance. Minneged therefore is the same as far off; and it is opposed to לנגד leneged, that is, before. The sense therefore is, to wit: "Go against," that is, contrary to the foolish man, so that, if he go to the East, thou, withdrawing from him, goest to the West, that is, flee, withdraw, remove thyself far from the fool; "and," that is, because, "knoweth not the lips of prudence," that is, because he knoweth not to hear or to speak prudence, but whatever comes into his mouth he utters rashly and imprudently. Thus Aben-Ezra. When, he says, this word נגד neged is joined with מן min, it signifies to withdraw far: but if the same lamed be ascribed to it, it signifies nearness to a thing, or approach to a thing, to wit: Depart from the sight of the fool, and be far from the dull and ignorant of knowledge, for the lips of prudence signify knowledge. So also R. Levi: Remove thyself far, he says, from the senseless, lest thou contract fellowship with him. So also the Chaldean, Pagninus, the Zurich Bible and others. Thou wilt say: By what authority did our author translate "and knoweth not" in the third person, when in the Hebrew it is "and thou knowest not," in the second person, that is, "know not," or "thou shalt not know"? I answer: Our author seems to have thought there is here a change of person, which is frequent in Scripture, so that Solomon, turning from the wise man to the fool, says: Thou, O wise man, go against a foolish man, that is, remove thyself from the fool by a contrary way; but thou, O fool! know not the words of prudence, that is, keep to thyself alone thy ignorance and lack of knowledge of prudence, do not reveal it to the wise man, nor breathe it upon the simple: which our author clearly translated, changing the second person into the third, and, that is, because, the fool knoweth not the lips of prudence; for this sudden change of person is customary among the Hebrews, but unusual and strange among the Latins. Similar tacit and sudden changes of persons are frequent in the Prophets and the Canticles: for the Prophets suddenly fly from Cyrus, David, Solomon, etc., to Christ, as is evident in Isaiah chapter XLV, 8, and chapter XVI, 1. Or certainly if thou refer this to the same person of the wise man, it must be said to be an antiphrase, so that prudence is put for imprudence, as some Latin Codices read and Pagninus, who translated, "go far off with a foolish man, and thou shalt not know the lips of lies." For the fool seems to himself wise and to speak most prudently: but this his wisdom and prudence among the wise is true imprudence and foolishness. Furthermore, others variously translate and expound these things from the Hebrew. First, R. Solomon, go, he says, before a foolish man, and thou shalt not know the lips of prudence, that is, if thou converse with a fool, thou shalt not learn prudence from him. Secondly, the Zurich Bible, go from the face of a foolish man, in whom thou observest not the lips of knowledge. Thirdly, Vatable, go from the face of the unwise, since thou knowest not the words of knowledge, that is, let there be nothing of commerce between thee and a fool, if thou art inexperienced and ignorant: because from a fool thou shalt not learn knowledge, but foolishness. Fourthly, the Chaldean, go by another way from a foolish man, because in his lips there is no knowledge; and to this the Vulgate version is recalled by Cajetan and Baynus, understanding the pronoun him: "Go," they say, "against a foolish man, and him who knoweth not the lips of knowledge," that is, depart far from the fool, and from him who speaketh unskillfully and imprudently. Fifth, Jansenius, as if to say, go against a foolish man, that is, remove yourself from the fool, and know not the lips of knowledge, that is, be silent, indeed, if it be necessary, feign that you know nothing, and are unskilled in speaking and lacking in prudence, rather than that you should converse or dispute with a fool. Sixth, the Septuagint depart altogether in another direction: All things, they say, are contrary to the imprudent man; but the weapons of sense (in Greek αἰσθήσεως) that is, of sense, judgment, knowledge, doctrine, that is, of a prudent and sensible mind, for αἴσθησις is νόησις, the lips of wisdom, or, as the author of the Catena of the Greeks translated it, to the foolish man all things fall adversely; but the lips of the wise are organs of judgment and sense, that is, he says, "the lips of the wise are fit organs of judgment and sense, so that they turn away folly, and deliberately pursue malice: for malice can have nothing in common with true wisdom." For just as in organs with exact judgment of the ears, smaller pipes are gradually fitted and tempered together with larger ones in great proportion of sounds harmoniously, and from this they produce sweet melody and harmony: so likewise the wise man arranges and tempers his discourses with great prudence of sense, and from this he brings about wonderful grace and favor both to his hearers and to himself, so much so that, when they hear him speaking, they think they are hearing the harmony of organs. For the Greek ὅπλα signifies not only weapons, but also organs and any instruments whatsoever. But if you translate arma in this place with the Complutensians and Romans, the sense will be, as if to say, To the imprudent man on account of his imprudence the words by which he brings upon himself the hatred of all turn out all contrary and adverse: for all rise up against him and provoke him; but the weapons of sense, the lips of wisdom, that is, the weapons of the sensible man, by which he fortifies himself against all adversities, indeed even makes enemies his friends, are words prudently and graciously brought forth by his lips. Or, as our Salazar says, as if to say, All things and everything wage cruel war against the imprudent; but nevertheless there are no weapons more savage against him than the lips of wisdom of the sensible man. By these he is pierced more cruelly than by arrows and javelins, by these his stolidity and folly is wounded more savagely than by swords and spears. Moreover, this fool, and in the other proverbs, is the same as the imprudent, vicious, depraved, wicked man; but the wise man is the prudent, endowed with virtue, upright, good: for this is true and practical wisdom, as I have often warned. Thus St. Ambrose, book III, epistle 19, after the beginning: "Your words, he says, be full of understanding. Whence also Solomon says: The weapons of understanding are the lips of wisdom. And elsewhere (Proverbs XV): Let your lips be bound with sense, that is, let the manifestation of your words shine forth, let understanding flash, and your discourse and treatment need not the assertion of another, but your word defend itself as it were with its own weapons." Finally, Theodorus the Abbot in Cassian, Collation VI, chapter IX, thus explains the Septuagint: "As, he says, it is said of the perfect and wise: All things work together unto good for those who love God, so it is pronounced of the weak and foolish: All things are adverse to the unwise man; for he profits neither from prosperous things nor is amended by adversities. For it is the virtue of the same kind both to bear sad things bravely and also to moderate prosperous things; and he who is overcome in one of them, it is most certain that he cannot bear either. Yet one can more easily be crushed by prosperous things than by adversities. For these sometimes even against their will retain and humble, and by most salutary compunction either make them sin less or amend them; but those, softening minds with pernicious and flattering blandishments, cast down the secure in their prosperous fortune with greater ruin."
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8. THE WISDOM OF THE PRUDENT IS TO UNDERSTAND HIS WAY: AND THE FOLLY OF FOOLS IS ERRING. — The Chaldean: the wisdom of the prudent is the understanding of his way; the folly of the senseless is fraudulent; the Syrian: he who is skilled in wisdom understands his way; but the way of the fool is in error. "Prudent," in Hebrew arum, in these Proverbs is taken in a good sense for cautious and wise. The meaning is, as if to say, A cautious and wise man understands his ways, that is his actions, because before he undertakes them, he foresees and considers the manner in which he may prudently, rightly and honestly perform them according to God's law and will, so that through them he may strive toward and attain to an honest life, and finally a blessed one by the right path. And in this consists his true wisdom. But truly the imprudence and folly of fools consists in this, that they do not understand, do not foresee, so that their ways might be right; but they deviate from rectitude into the wandering and devious errors of pleasures, to which sense and concupiscence carry them away; whence from one pleasure they deviate and wander into another and another, until by constantly erring more and more, they finally fall into ruin and hell, which is the greatest and irrevocable error. For erring, in Hebrew it is mirma, that is deceit, fraud, deception, as Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion and the Septuagint translate it: Madness, they say, of the imprudent in deception, that is in error, because namely their error deceives them and leads them to destruction and hell. And thus in reality deceit and deception are the same as error, as Our translator rendered it. Thus the author of the Catena of the Greeks: "The wisdom of the prudent understands their ways; but the madness of fools leads into error: Because the prudent, he says, institute all their actions prudently; but the mad, not even while they are erring do they recognize their error, but they are never not occupied in the dark shadows of ignorance and lack of knowledge." It can secondly be taken properly as deceit. Whence Vatablus, repeating the understanding, thus translates: the wisdom of the cautious is to understand his way; but the folly of fools is to understand deceit, that is, fools think of nothing else than how they might deceive others. And thus the antithesis is beautiful, as if to say, The wisdom truly of the prudent and cautious is not to know the frauds and deceits by which he might acquire wealth or honors, or craftily oppress his neighbor, but to know his way, namely what he ought to do and which way to go, so that he might reach heaven and blessed life. On the other hand the wisdom of fools is to devise deceits and frauds by which they might enrich and magnify themselves; for they think themselves wise and prudent, since they are able to reach their goal through deceits: but this wisdom of theirs is the greatest folly and imprudence, because they neglect to examine and know their own ways, namely by which they might tend toward happiness, and they are wholly occupied in examining the ways of others, that is the actions of their neighbors, so that they might overturn them through deceits and frauds; by which reasoning they overturn not so much their neighbors as themselves, and precipitate themselves into ruin and hell. What could be more foolish than this? For, as the Psalmist says, Psalm VII: The fool and the wicked "hath opened a pit, and dug it, and is fallen into the hole he made;" for deceits recoil upon the head of the deceiver, frauds recoil and return upon the head of the fraudulent. It alludes to the prudence of the serpent, which in Hebrew is called arum, that is prudent, Genesis III, 1, of which Christ says: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and simple as doves." Among other arguments of the serpent's prudence, one is, says Salazar, that, since it lacks feet and therefore must crawl, it avoids steep places, and directs its ways almost always through level and even ground, as Pliny testifies, book VI, chapter XV; but on level ground it moves so swiftly that it equals the speed of the lightest horses, as if Solomon were saying: Imitate, O man, the craftiness of the serpent; for just as this creature loves level ways suited to it, so do you also love "ways," that is actions, studies and occupations suited to your nature and ability: for these are level to man, indeed inclined toward him, the others difficult and steep. Thirdly, and more properly: "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way," that is, the way suited and fitting to him, as if to say: The wise man understands what way, that is, what state, what rank, what office, what occupation, what study, what art, what action is his, that is, suited to him, which namely may be fitting to his temperament, nature, inclination, abilities, talents. And in this consists his wisdom. "But the imprudence of fools is deception, deceit and error," because they do not think what is suited to them and their nature, and equally to their salvation; but they embrace that which ambition, levity, avarice or lust carries them toward; whereby it comes to pass that they fall into grave difficulties both present and eternal, from which they cannot extricate themselves: which is great imprudence. Thus daily we see most people err in choosing a state of life, in embracing offices, from this that they do not consider whether that state or office is suited to them and salutary; but whether it be wealthy, splendid, honorific, for example a pastorate, an abbey, a rich and splendid bishopric is offered, it is immediately seized, nor is it first examined whether it is proportioned to the nature, grace, abilities, shoulders of him who seizes it; whereby it comes to pass that many are unequal to the burden, and not only cast themselves, but also their subjects, whose care they have undertaken, into perdition. Is not this imprudence, and that of the highest sort, inasmuch as it concerns a most grave matter? For such is eternal salvation, which is the ultimate end, and the highest good of man. For what is more preposterous than to prefer the means to the end, namely a bishopric to salvation, and then afterward to accommodate the end to the means chosen by oneself, namely salvation to a bishopric, indeed to wish to force it? "O cares of men! O how much is vain in things," nay rather foolish, stupid and pernicious! Another embraces matrimony, because a rich, beautiful, noble bride is offered; nor does he consider whether her character agrees with his character, whereby it comes to pass that afterward, finding her character dissimilar to his, nay adverse, he lives in perpetual affliction, in quarrels, in sorrows. Another applies himself to study, so that he may obtain a prebend or dignity, when he is of dull wit and born for mechanical arts: he loses time, loses his natural gifts, loses the talent given to him by God, and strives to invade by force another not given to him, and thus in other matters. Hence the perdition of souls, and shipwreck of salvation. How many in the world are damned, who in the ecclesiastical or religious state would be saved, and vice versa. Therefore Solomon teaches that true wisdom consists in this, that each one wisely according to God, by the judgment of right reason, setting aside private affections and the allurements of the world and the flesh, may discern, namely what way, that is what occupation, what state, what office, what action, is suited to him, that is to his nature and inclination, and proportioned, measured and fitting to his abilities both of nature and of grace, so that he may live rightly and honorably, and thus may arrive at eternal happiness, to which he was created by God, and to which this life is nothing but a way, a pilgrimage and a course; whoever acts otherwise is now imprudent, and deceives and mocks not so much others as himself. The root of this disparity is that the wise man examines all things by the dictate of wisdom, and weighs them according to divine and eternal reasons; the foolish man, however, according to human, temporal and fleeting reasons, which he prefers to divine and eternal ones, which is the height of foolishness. Our Blessed Aloysius Gonzaga notes this, who is therefore depicted with a balance, in one scale of which he weighs temporal reasons, in the other eternal ones, which far outweighing the former impel him to do and measure all his actions according to the dictate of divine and eternal reasons. This is what the wise man says: Whatever you do, do it prudently, and regard the end. And St. Bernard, sermon 20 among the minor ones: "Attend, man, whence you come, and be ashamed; where you are, and groan; whither you go, and tremble." And the Psalmist: "I have thought on the days of old," he says, "and have had eternal years in my mind." If therefore you are wise, in each action choose this, do this, which in the hour of death, which on the day of judgment, which throughout all eternity you will wish you had chosen, you had done: "Once spoken, thought, done, it is eternal: live, study, labor for eternity." This is the wisdom of the Saints.
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9. A FOOL SHALL MOCK AT SIN; AND AMONG THE JUST SHALL GRACE DWELL. — For fool, the Complutensian edition and the codex of Monte Cassino and the Lombard codex read fools in the dative plural, and thus it can be translated from the Hebrew. For shall mock, in Hebrew it is יליץ ialits, which various translators render variously: first, to mock; second, to cavil, that is, to interpret the deed or word of someone in an evil sense; third, to palliate or excuse; fourth, to speak, especially sophistically; fifth, to intercede. Whence first, the Chaldean translator renders it, fools put comparisons in sin; and among the upright is good pleasure, that is to say, Fools diminish their crimes by comparing them with more heinous ones, and flatter themselves that compared with those they appear good and honest; second, Pagninus, a fool speaks words of transgression; and among the upright there shall be words of love, that is, as Vatable says, if a fool does something evil, he speaks it openly; and among the upright there is always mention of charity; third, the Zurich Bible, fools excuse transgression, but among the upright is good pleasure or benevolence; fourth, R. Emmanuel, each of the fools shall palliate transgression, and among the upright is good will, or, a fool shall be an interpreter or mediator of transgression, and among the upright benevolence; fifth, Baynus, a fool speaks transgression, and among the upright grace, that is, he says, a fool speaks foul things which ought not even to be named; but the discourses of the just are seasoned with grace and elegance; sixth, R. Solomon renders it, for fools a fine intercedes. For when, he says, they have sinned against God and men, it is necessary that they satisfy both for the offense through a fine, just as the Philistines for the transgression committed against the ark of God paid five golden mice, I Kings VI, 5; seventh, R. Levi renders it, transgression shall make fools speak. For when, he says, through transgression they see that they have not attained the end which they desired, but rather have incurred punishments and hardships, they shall speak and complain of their miserable and unhappy lot; eighth, Aben-Ezra: יליץ ialits, he says, is to interpret the mind of others and to accommodate oneself to it; for מליץ melits is an interpreter, that is to say, A fool, that is an impious man, speaks to the mind of those with whom he strives to perpetrate sin, according to that saying of Isaiah III, 9: "They have proclaimed their sin as Sodom, and have not hid it." But Our translator most excellently and most properly renders יליץ ialits as shall mock, and Symmachus as shall deride, which comprehends much: first, that is to say, A fool with laughter and jest, as if playing, perpetrates sin, just as if he were playing with sin and mocking at it, according to what he said in chapter X: "As it were in sport a fool worketh wickedness." And chapter II: "They are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the worst things." Where I have said more about this matter. Again, when the fool, that is the impious man, is reproved concerning sin, he mocks, that is, by evasion, excuse, and laughter he eludes the one who reproves him and his correction; but conversely the fool is mocked by sin, whence the Complutensian edition and the codices already cited and Dionysius the Carthusian read, sin shall mock at fools, just as food on a hook deceives fish, says Dionysius. And Aquila, sin shall mock at fools, but among the just there shall be grace, that is to say, Punishment shall mock at the pleasure and guilt of the impious, which guilt shall bring upon them suddenly; but among the just there shall be the grace of God, which shall prosper them and finally make them blessed. The fool therefore who rushes headlong unrestrained into crimes seems to mock at sin; but rather sin mocks at him, and the devil the master of sin; for on account of sin he shall torment him most bitterly both in this life and in hell, where he shall deride him, mock at him and scoff at him, that he was so mad as to yield to his sworn enemy tempting him to sin, nay to believe, that he was so senseless as not to think of the fires of hell, but for a small pleasure surrendered his soul to them. But "among the just shall grace dwell," because by acting honorably they shall gain for themselves the grace of God and men. Whence the Syriac translator renders it, fools commit sin and the upright good pleasure. Secondly, the fool mocks sin, not his own, but that of another, that is, he derides sinners and brings their sins to mind through laughter and jest, and proposes them to others as objects of ridicule: for under the word sin he metonymically understands the sinners themselves. This sense agrees very well with the following antithesis: "And among the just shall dwell grace," in Hebrew רצון ratson, that is, good pleasure or benevolence, as if to say: The fool, when he sees someone sinning, divulges his sin, laughs at him, mocks him, and exposes him to the ridicule of all, whereby he brings upon himself the anger and hatred of him and others; but the just man, if he sees someone sinning, benevolently covers his sin, excuses it, and privately corrects him kindly so that he may amend; wherefore among the just dwells grace, that is, benevolence, peace, concord, friendship. Thus Jansenius. Thirdly, sin is often taken metonymically for the victim which is offered for the expiation of sin, as in Leviticus VI, 17, and chapter V, 6. Thus Christ is said to be made a curse and sin for us, that is, a victim for sin and curse, II Corinthians V, 21. Again רצון ratson, that is, grace, good pleasure, is sometimes taken for a victim offered graciously and willingly, as in Isaiah LX, 7: "They shall be offered upon my acceptable altar," in Hebrew, upon the altar for grace, that is, as a gracious and willing victim. The sense therefore is, as if to say: The impious man, having committed sin, if he be admonished to offer the victim prescribed by the law of Leviticus chapter V for the expiation of sin, will not wish to provide it, but will mock it, that is, will evade or deride the one admonishing him. But "among the just shall dwell grace," by which they keep themselves undefiled from sin, so that they have no need of a victim for sin; wherefore if they offer any, they do not offer it for sin, but for grace, that is, as a gracious and spontaneous offering to God. To this the version of the Septuagint tends, the houses of the wicked shall owe a cleansing, but the houses of the just are acceptable, as if to say: The wicked will not wish to pay the victim for sin owed, but will remain in this debt as if mocking and deriding both sin and the victim for sin; but truly the just are acceptable, that is, pleasing and acceptable to God, whence they have no need of a victim for sin; but if they offer any, they do not offer it for sin, but as a spontaneous offering to conciliate God's grace more to themselves. Thus Salazar. Whence the Syrian, following in his manner the Septuagint, translates: the houses of the wicked seek cleanliness rightly, and the houses of the just receive it. This sense is more obscure and profound, but the second is clearer and fuller.
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10. THE HEART THAT KNOWETH THE BITTERNESS OF HIS OWN SOUL, IN HIS JOY A STRANGER SHALL NOT BE MIXED. — The Syriac: the heart knowing, or understanding, sadness is of his soul; the Arabic: the heart of a sensitive man (which is easily touched and feels), his soul is sad; and in his joy magnificence shall not be mixed. First, Jansenius and Baynus thus expound it, that is to say: The heart, which is troubled and conscious to itself of secret sorrow, shall not be easily comforted by remedies applied from without. For true pain, which penetrates and pervades the heart, is not easily removed by external blandishments. And this is what is said: "A stranger," or something strange, "shall not be mixed in his joy," because namely it does not bring him joy, will not temper the joy of his heart into sorrow; for no external affection of love will be able to be to him in joy, that is, unto joy, so that namely he may give himself to joy, and by it as a solace temper his sadness. Those conscious to themselves of graver sin experience this. Whence Symmachus translates, and in his joy shall not be mixed with strangers, namely with delights and joys. For as St. Augustine says, Against the Letters of Petilian, book III: "If the truth of crime bites my conscience, what does it profit me if the world exalts me with continual praises? for this is merely external, that is intimate." Wherefore St. Ephrem, tract. On Prayer: "Every," he says, "worldly and profane pleasure cast into a bitter conscience is like a small drop of honey poured into a vat of wormwood." Second, Cajetan, that is to say: A prudent man hides and suppresses in his heart the sorrows and anguishes of his soul, according to that: He feigns hope in his countenance, suppresses deep sorrow in his heart. The same likewise, when he rejoices and is glad, hides his gladness, and is alone conscious of his joy: "But the joys of the imprudent, like their sorrows, are wont to overflow," says Seneca, epistle 100. Third, our Salazar brings forth two expositions; the former is by adding only in this manner: "The heart which knows alone," he says, "the bitterness of his own soul," that is the heart which in adverse fortune alone knows and feels its own anguishes, and has no one conscious of or sharing in its pain, this very thing when it then uses a second fortune, calls no one into the partnership of its gladness and joy, but alone with itself silently likewise enjoys and possesses its joys. The latter, which he himself prefers to the former, so that knows is taken for loves, that is to say: "The heart that knoweth the bitterness of his own soul," that is the heart namely, which reaches such a point of pain and anguish, that it loves its own bitterness and harshness, and sadness is to it a pleasure, "in his joy a stranger shall not be mixed," that is to say: Away! Truly no one will wish to be called into a part and partnership of such joy and pleasure. And so the proverb rebukes those who, loosening the reins of sadness, come to such a point that they now willingly apply themselves to it, and love and kiss their own sorrows and pains. Seneca is angry at these in the book On Consolation to Marcia: "Just as all vices lie deep within, unless they are suppressed while they are rising: so also this sadness, and misery, and savagery toward itself, finally feeds itself on its own bitterness; and it becomes a perverse pleasure of an unhappy mind, pain." But these expositions, though ingenious indeed, obscure or entangle the plain meaning of Solomon. Therefore the Hebrew has, the heart knows the bitterness of its own soul, and in his joy a stranger shall not be mixed, that is, says Vatablus, the mind itself knows the bitterness and gladness of its own conscience, and no other; for no one can sufficiently explain to another the hidden sorrow or joy in the soul; nor however much he explains it, can another perceive it as he himself feels it in his mind. For it is one thing to hear or see these things, another to feel them. The Zurich version translates it in the neuter gender, and in his joy nothing strange mingles itself, that is to say: His joy is pure and unmixed, and is not mingled with any sorrow or other passion. Our interpreter presses this meaning more forcefully, understanding, after the manner of the Hebrews, the relative pronoun which, whence his sense is, as if to say, The heart, that is the mind and conscience, which alone is perfectly conscious of its own bitterness and sadness, this same alone will be perfectly conscious and possessed of its own joy, when it emerges from sadness into joy: just as he who has escaped from danger and anguish of shipwreck and swum to shore, he alone as he felt his anguish in the shipwreck, so alone feels, esteems and tastes the joy of his escape and liberation and the weight of that joy. Thus Jacob mourning Joseph as if dead, when he heard that he was alive and living, "his spirit revived, and he said: It is enough for me, if Joseph my son be yet alive; I will go and see him before I die," Genesis XLV, 28. Thus certain mothers thinking their sons had fallen in war, and therefore mourning, when they appeared unexpectedly and presented themselves alive to their mothers, from sudden and excessive joy with their vital spirits dissolved breathed out their souls. Thus the Hebrews afflicted by Pharaoh in Egypt wept bitterly; but liberated by Moses they rejoiced wonderfully, nor did Egypt or any foreigner mingle in their joys. Furthermore this meaning can be applied to any sadness and gladness of the heart; yet it is most true in supernatural sadness and gladness, especially in compunction of soul, by which the penitent grieves bitterly over his own sins or those of others, and other dangers or afflictions of the spirit: for to this compunction is joined unspeakable joy, which neither the penitent can explain, nor another lacking compunction can grasp; and so compunction in itself and in its own sorrow contains a wondrous and heavenly joy, and that first, because compunction is holy, and reconciles the soul to God, which is the matter and cause of great joy. Whence St. Ephrem, a great lover and herald of compunction, sermon 3 On Compunction, exclaims: "O power of tears! how far do you reach, you who with much confidence, hindered by no restraints, penetrate heaven itself? O power of tears, by which if you will you can stand before the holy and exalted immaculate throne of the Lord with joy? O power of tears, in whose presence and confidence the orders of Angels and all heavenly virtues always exult! O power of tears! how in the twinkling of an eye as if lifted up on swift wings you carry and raise yourself to heaven, and obtain what you ask from holy God; and it meets you cheerfully ...relieves sorrow. Progressing further, St. Ephrem, vol. I, oration On the Last Judgment and Compunction: "Certainly," he says, "know, brothers, there will be nothing sweeter on earth than the grace of tears; if any of you having experienced the sweetness of tears through prayer should desire to be lifted from the earth, this whole person outside the body is borne to heaven. And why do I say outside the body? nay, outside the whole world he is entirely, nor is his conversation any longer found on earth. This joy of compunction the Psalmist tasted saying: "Thou wilt feed them with the bread of tears, and wilt give them tears to drink in measure," Psalm LXXIX, 6. Thus St. Mary Magdalene was nourished by her tears with which she washed the feet of Christ, more than Simon by his feasts. Whence she withdrew to Balm, and there for thirty years alone devoted herself to Christ alone in compunction and most sweet tears: wherefore daily lifted up to heaven, she merited to hear the concert of Angels, and by it as if by food was nourished both in body and mind. Fourth, because compunction brings certain hope of blessedness, and is as it were an earnest and foretaste of heavenly joy. Whence well the elder Macarius, homily 15: "Christians have," he says, "the consolation of the spirit in tears, mourning and lamentation; and those tears are in place of delights." Nay, St. Chrysostom, homily 24 on the epistle to the Ephesians: "There is," he says, "nothing so pleasant as mourning which is from God." St. Augustine experienced this sweetness of tears in Psalm CXXVII: "If," he says, "hope is so sweet, how much sweeter will the thing itself be?" And with some things interjected: "The tears of those praying are sweeter than the joys of theaters." This is what Christ promises, Matthew V, 5: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." Where St. Chrysostom, homily 45: "But where," he says, "tell me, shall they be comforted? and certainly here, and what is more, there in the future. Therefore if you wish to be comforted, mourn. And do not think that what I said is an enigma. For when God comforts, even if thousands of sorrows rush in, you stand superior to all." Fifth, because compunction delights God, the Angels and all the Saints; why therefore should not the penitent rejoice, in that through it he delights God and the Angels? Hear Christ: "There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner doing penance, more than upon ninety-nine just persons," Luke XV, 7. To which St. Bernard alludes, sermon 68 in the Canticles: "The Angels," he says, "rejoice at the penance of the sinner. But if the delights of the Angels are my tears, what are the delights themselves?" Therefore the tears of sinners are the wine of the Angels. And the Psalmist, Psalm LV, 9: "Thou hast put," he says, "my tears in thy sight;" as Symmachus translates it, thou hast put my tears within thee. Tears therefore are gems more than crystalline, which God holds so dear that he treasures them in his bosom. Wherefore God soothes those who give themselves to compunction with wonderful consolations, according to that: "According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy consolations have given joy to my soul," Psalm XCIII, verse 19. Second, because compunction proceeds from the love of God: for the penitent grieves that he has offended God, because he sees how great a good God is whom he has offended, and how lovable he is to himself and to all: but love causes joy. Whence St. Basil, homily 4 On Thanksgiving, objecting to himself: If thou commandest perpetual joy, O Paul, Philip. IV, 4, why dost thou interpose tears? To this, he says, we can answer that the laments and tears of the Saints proceed from the fervor of charity; for with the eyes of the heart fixed upon him whom they love, they accumulate joy for themselves from thence. And a little later: "The Apostle," he says, "permits us to weep with those who weep, because such tears are a kind of seed and interest, by which that eternal joy increases daily and is accumulated." Thus tears do not hinder spiritual joy, but accumulate it, and like oil nourish and kindle fire. Third, because the penitent desires and rejoices to be compunct, and by compunction and tears themselves is fed as it were with the most delightful feasts. Whence the heart that knows, thou shalt expound, the heart that loves bitterness, that is compunction, of its soul. Thus Christ says to the reprobate: "I never knew you," that is I do not love you, I hate you, Matt. VII, 23. Wherefore Blessed Antiochus, homily 107 On Compunction: "The dewy sprinklings of tears," he says, "are to the heart like the sweetness of honey, or a sweet fragrant incense before God." Rightly does St. Peter Cellensis, book On Breads, chapter XX: "Bread," he says, "of those who mourn is abundance of tears. For as bread refreshes the hungry, so tears refresh the grieving soul: the hungry man fails without bread, the wounded soul languishes without the shedding of tears; bread mitigates hunger, tears brings forgiveness and remission of sins. Grant therefore to me thy unworthy servant, O Lord, tears, illumination of heart and strength, that pouring forth fountains of tears continually with sweetness, my heart may be enlightened in pure prayer; but may that great bond of my sins be blotted out by modest tears, and may the burning fire there be extinguished by slight weeping." And sermon 4, speaking of David: "In one," he says, "night he sinned, and through each night he wept and watched, watered his bed, and washed his wound, and by the virtue of tears became blessed." And soon after: "O virtue of tears, which bringest back to heaven those who desire thee from the depths! O virtue of tears, which art a medicinal workshop of sinners! through thee sinners become blessed; wherefore our Lord also proclaims such blessed, saying: Blessed are they that mourn now; for you shall laugh, in the future namely. He did not indeed say blessed those who weep for the dead, or for loss of house, or for necessity, or for anything else of this world: But blessed, he says, are those who mourn for their sins. For now for a short time they weep; but there in the eternal ages they shall be comforted. O how great is the joy in the heavens, as soon as a sinner on earth has shed tears!" Anagogically, Bede, Lyra, Dionysius and others understand these things of heavenly joy, that is to say: Penitents and the patient, who suffer hard things in this life and mourn bitterly, these through mourning will arrive at heavenly joys, into which no stranger will be mixed, namely the impenitent, the impatient and therefore the reprobate. They drew this from St. Gregory, who in book VI of the Morals, chapter X says: "The heart, he says, which knows the bitterness of its own soul, etc. For the human mind knows the bitterness of its own soul, when inflamed with desires for the eternal homeland it learns by weeping the pain of its pilgrimage. But in his joy no stranger will be mixed, because he who now is estranged from sorrow of heart is not then a partaker in the joy of consolation," which words he also repeats elsewhere. This is what Christ says to the Apostles: "Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." He explains the cause and magnitude of this joy, when he adds: "Again I will see you, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one shall take from you." Indeed thus also the Rabbis explain it, who like the authors already cited bring forward this sense as if it were literal. R. Solomon: "The just man, he says, is conscious of his labor and pain, which he has endured for the study of the law. Wherefore when in the future age he shall receive rewards, no stranger will be mixed in his joy. Aben-Ezra: "It is fitting, he says, that the mind should afflict its body with sorrow and trouble, mortify it with fastings, and strive to withdraw it from the delights of this age; but in the joy with which it shall be filled, no stranger will be mixed, that is, weakness and labor will not be mixed with its pleasure, but this pleasure pertains to the future age, which no pain will disturb: or it is understood as the pleasure of salvation, according to that: I was exceeding glad in thy salvation." Thus he. Furthermore the Septuagint translates: the heart of a man that is sensitive, his soul is sad; but when he shall rejoice, shame shall not be mixed in; and from these the Syriac: the heart understanding at all times is sad to itself. Which our Salazar thus explains: "The heart of a man that is sensitive," that is, which is weak in feeling, and is easily touched with sorrow, and grieves from lighter causes; "his soul is sad," namely always sad, because light causes and reasons for grieving are always at hand from here and there. "But when he shall rejoice, shame shall not be mixed in," that is, if when he shall have conceived joy, he will not do it dissolutely, he will not be mixed with those who dissolve in joy, who pour themselves out in laughter, who break into guffaws: for that is shameful and ignominious. Or otherwise and rather, by the name of shame he understands mockery and derision, that is to say: His joy will not be dissolute, not scurrilous: for it will not be mixed with mockery or derision, etc. More sublimely and piously the author of the Greek Catena thus translates and explains the Septuagint: the heart of a man sensing the force of sin makes his soul sad; but when he is filled with joy, it is not mixed with pride. The mind perceiving the sense of sin saddens the spirit; for he who desires to obtain the name of a good man and to maintain his character, recalling the sins which he has committed, cannot but be moved within himself, and detest what he has done from his heart. As for joy, what is spoken of here is that which has been undertaken according to virtue. In like manner it is not of any injury or insolence that is spoken here, but of that which is joined with malice: for contraries cannot come together into one at the same time. Thus the author of the Greek Catena. And if you read and explain the Septuagint in this way, it agrees with the Vulgate, and the sense will be the same as that which I assigned a little before. Furthermore the matter and cause of compunction are first, one's own sins; secondly, those of others: for he who is zealous for the honor of God and the salvation of souls is wonderfully moved and tormented, whenever he sees or hears the sins of others, by which divine goodness and majesty are offended. Thus the Psalmist: "I saw, he says, transgressors, and I pined away, because they kept not thy words," Psalm 118, 158. And: "The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me." Thirdly, the hardships, temptations and very many and very great dangers of this life, from which the holy man desires to be freed and to free others; whence moved by compunction he groans with St. Paul: "Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Fourthly, the desire of the heavenly homeland, from which sighing he says: "I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord." Fifthly, the desire of God; for the holy soul insatiably desires and thirsts for God, namely ardently desires most intently to love Him, and to please Him, again to see Him and to enjoy Him; wherefore while she sees herself weighed down by this body, and is unable to love her God so much, and always to have Him present in her mind, as she would wish, she is moved and groans. Thus the Psalmist, Psalm XLI, 4: "My tears, he says, have been my bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God? These things I remembered, and poured out my soul in me: for I shall go over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God." And the bride moved by desire for the bridegroom: "I sought, she says, him whom my soul loveth; I sought him, and found him not. I will rise, and will go about the city: by the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth." Thus, as is found in the Lives of the Fathers, lib. V, booklet 3 On Compunction, St. Arsenius wept throughout the whole time of his life, and therefore carried a cloth in his bosom, that he might wipe away these continual tears. Abba Pastor: "A monk, he says, ought always to have mourning within himself." St. Syncletica: "Labor, she says, is and a great struggle for the impious who turn to God, and afterwards unspeakable joy. For indeed it is written that our God is a consuming fire: thus it is necessary that we also kindle this divine fire in ourselves with tears and labors." Abba Hyperichius: "Night and day, he says, the monk labors, keeping vigil, persisting in prayers; and piercing his heart he produces tears, and more swiftly provokes God's mercy." Another there: "If, he says, I could not bear the reproach of my mother, how shall I be able to bear the confusion of Christ and His holy Angels against me on the day of judgment?" Another seeing someone laughing: "Before the Lord of heaven and earth, he says, we shall render an account of our whole life, and you laugh?" Another: "Just as we carry about the shadow of our bodies everywhere with us, so we ought to have weeping and compunction with us, wherever we may be." "We ought always to weep and to say: Woe to me, woe to me!" Another: "Tears are like the promised land, to which if you come, you shall no longer fear war. For thus God wills the soul to be afflicted, that it may always desire to enter into that land." See more and wonderful things in Climacus, step 5 On Careful Penance, and in St. Chrysostom in the two books which he wrote On Compunction of Heart. See also our Thomas the God-taught On the Imitation of Christ, lib. I, cap. XVI and seq., where he establishes this axiom: "Give yourself to the compunction of the heart, and you shall find devotion." For compunction is the mother of devotion and devout joy. Wherefore St. Chrysostom exhorts all to it sharply, hom. 65 to the People, and adds the reason, that it itself produces sincere joy of heart, whereas the joys of the world produce sadness, and end in it. Our Salazar thus explains it: "The heart of a man sensitive," that is, which is weak in feeling, and is easily touched by sorrow, and grieves from lighter causes; "his soul is sad," namely always sad, because light causes and reasons for grieving are always at hand here and there. "But when he shall rejoice, it shall not be mixed with reproach," that is, if when he shall have conceived joy, he shall not do it dissolutely, shall not be mixed with those who dissolve in joy, pour themselves out in laughter, break loose in guffaws: for that is shameful and reproachful. Or otherwise and rather, by the name of reproach he understands mockery and derision, as if to say: His joy shall not be dissolute, not scurrilous: for it shall not be mixed with mockery or derision, etc. More sublimely and more piously the author of the Greek Catena thus translates and explains the Septuagint: the heart of a man sensing the force of sin makes his soul sad; but when it is suffused with joy, it is not mixed with pride. The mind sensing the force of sin saddens the spirit; for he who desires to obtain the name of a good man and to maintain his character, recalling the sins which he has committed, cannot but be moved within himself, and to detest what he has done from his heart. As for joy, moreover, the discourse here is about that which has been received according to virtue. In like manner it is not about any injury or insolence whatsoever that is treated here, but about that which is joined with malice: for contraries cannot come together into one at the same time. Thus the author of the Greek Catena. And if you read and explain the Septuagint in this way, it agrees with the Vulgate, and the sense will be the same as that which I assigned a little before.
14:11
In Hebrew, the tent of the upright shall flourish; in the Zurich Bible, it shall cause to flourish; in the Septuagint, the tabernacles of the upright shall stand, or remain unmoved. The literal sense is clear, that is to say: Houses, that is, dwellings and palaces, which the wealthy impious build magnificently, as if they would last forever, are equally with their family and offspring quickly destroyed by God avenging; but truly the house, family and offspring of the just shall flourish, and shall remain stable and firm for many ages. Thus we see in Rome those magnificent palaces, columns, statues, trophies of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Augustus, Nero, Decius, etc., utterly perished, so that not even ruins remain, indeed scarcely is the place known where they were erected. But truly the Basilicas of the Lateran, of St. Peter, of St. Paul, of St. Lawrence, erected by Constantine the Great, and of St. Mary Major erected by John the Patrician, and others like them endure even to this day, are frequented, are celebrated. Indeed even the Baths of Diocletian, because they were built by Christian Martyrs, endure even to this day, and have been converted into a temple of St. Mary of the Angels, lest the labor of the Martyrs perish, but serve the Blessed Virgin: for by her aid they obtained the crown of martyrdom. St. Largus, St. Smaragdus, St. Zeno, with ten thousand soldiers, whom Diocletian, fearing them as Christians, condemned to the building of the baths. Which being finished, he ordered all of them to be slain at once at the waters of the Salvia, where St. Paul had been beheaded by Nero. The Church celebrates their birthday with annual remembrance on the 9th of July. Anagogically, the impious build houses, as if they were always to dwell in them, and therefore they are quickly destroyed by God. But the just, knowing themselves to be here guests and pilgrims, do not build houses, but tabernacles, which for them germinate trees of virtues, from which they may build for themselves eternal houses, from which the heavenly Jerusalem may be built. Thus Bede: "A house indeed is wont to be in a dwelling, a tabernacle in a journey. Therefore the house of the impious shall be destroyed, because the dwelling of the present life, in which the wicked desired to remain, they shall lose in death. But the tabernacles of the just shall germinate, because from the tabernacles of the present life, in which they are now pilgrims and guests, they shall be transferred to the heavenly homeland." So also the author of the Greek Catena, who adds also the tropological sense: A tabernacle, he says, is indeed less than a house: for a house is the seat of those remaining fixed, but a tabernacle of those passing through, or existing in motion. Wherefore by this is designated a thought still wandering and unstable, but by that a habit established and firm; if therefore the houses of the impious are destroyed, much more shall their tabernacles be overturned. But among the just the contrary is received. Or certainly by the houses of the wicked are signified their depraved actions confirmed by use: but by the tabernacles of the upright, their free choices." Therefore "the tabernacles of the just shall germinate," that is, shall always flourish and bloom in merits and glory, until they germinate and produce the very fruits of heavenly glory.
14:12
In Hebrew, but his last ways are ways of death; in Chaldean, it is the way which the sons of men think to be straight, and its end is the way of death; in Syriac, his ways are the path of death; Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion, they go in the way of death; the Septuagint, it is a way which seems straight to men, but its last ways lead down to the depths of hell. This way is desire, disordered affection, pleasure, ambition, which, although perverse, nevertheless to the desirous, to the pleasure-seeker, to the ambitious man blinded by his desire, pleasure and ambition, appears honest, fair and straight; but this way is truly devious from the straight path, from salvation, from heaven and from God: wherefore the more they follow it, the more they stray from the straight path and from heaven, and finally they descend straight into death both of guilt, blindness and obstinacy, and of hell, and that not by one way, but by many ways and paths: for as many as are his desires and crimes, so many are the ways to death and hell. Thus the author of the Greek Catena: "The way," he says, "in this place is the human mind or will blinded by lust, which prefers apparent goods to true goods, the unstable to the stable, temporal things to eternal and immortal things:" For, as St. Augustine says, sermon 12 On the Seasons: "The inclination of the will seeks authority for vices; and what use has made customary, it persuades to be good or near to good." Note the last ways. For desire does not immediately lead men to mortal sin and hell, but at first it is venial: but gradually progressing from lesser to greater things, it finally falls into mortal sin, to which continually becoming accustomed it hardens itself and dies, and thus descends to the depths of hell. Wherefore the Wise Man admonishes here that one must resist the beginnings of desire, for a small error in the beginning becomes great in the end. Whence that saying: Resist beginnings: late is medicine prepared, When evils through long delays have grown strong. Wherefore this sentence applies to any vice, to which if you yield, from one to another and another, you finally fall into ruin. Therefore the way of virtue is narrow and rough, but it leads to heaven: the way of pleasure is broad and pleasant, but it leads to the depths of hell, Matt. VII, 13. Choose, but look to the end. To this sense agrees the following proverb: "Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow, and the end of joy is mourning." Secondly, Baynus and Salazar understand by this way earthly happiness, to which because all things prosperous and according to wish fall out, many applaud, and think it to be the straight way to full blessedness, but they err: for its end ceases in ruin and destruction, and that by various ways, modes and reasons. Whence Eusebius of Emesa, homily On SS. Epiphor and Alexander: "Do you," he says, "call this man happy, who is strong unto his own death? to whom the deceptive shadow of present advantages gathers the causes of eternal evils? Who would reasonably praise one hastening swiftly to steep precipices? Who would admire his ascent, whom he perceives from on high is about to fall?" Thirdly, this way can be understood as error, either in faith or in morals. Error in faith is atheism, paganism, Saracenism, heresy. For to the atheist atheism, to the pagan paganism, to the Saracen Saracenism, to the heretic heresy appears to be true faith, and the right way to salvation: but its last ways lead to death and hell. Error in morals is that by which someone thinks lawful and honest and conformable to the law of God what is deformed, dishonest and unlawful. But this happens frequently, when someone too much indulges and trusts in the judgment either of his own, or of ignorant or wicked counselors, teachers, confessors, etc. Wherefore Solomon tacitly admonishes here that no one should trust in his own judgment, or that of others, unless he knows them to be skilled and good. For he is imprudent and unhappy who, following the guidance of wicked counselors or confessors, when asked: "Where are you going?" answers: "Where they lead me:" for they lead themselves and their followers to death. To this applies the fable of the fox in Aesop. For when all animals invited by the lion to his cave entered it in competition, the fox alone held back. Asked the reason she said: "Because I see the footprints of all animals turned back, none turned forward; assuredly I see all entering, none returning;" namely all were torn to pieces by the lion in the cave: this was the end, this was the terminus of those entering, which the fox wisely avoided by not entering, looking to it. Let the prudent man imitate the fox, who is invited by the flesh or the demon to illicit pleasures, leading into hell.
14:13
In Hebrew, in laughing the heart will grieve; Symmachus, the heart will labor; the Chaldean, even in laughter the heart grieves, and the end of joy is sorrow. Thus also the Syrian. This sentiment properly pertains to the laughter and joy of the impious, and thus coheres with the preceding verse and confirms and explains it, as if to say: The impious are greatly pleased with their enticements and pleasures, and these seem right and just to them; but they are mistaken, both because their laughter and pleasure is mixed with great sorrows, and because their joy will finally end in mourning. The cause is, both because their companion is an evil conscience, which always terrifies and torments them, so that they never have pure and solid joy; and because they use pleasures immoderately, and pour themselves out into them, and all that is immoderate is harmful and afflicts; and because their pleasures are often in gluttony, excess, lust, which create nausea, vomiting, fevers, filth and diseases; and finally, because God has appointed this pain of sorrow as the punishment of impiety to the impious. Thus honey from bilious stomachs turns into gall and bile, as Galen testifies, in the book On Good and Bad Humors; thus all the sweet waters of rivers end in the sea, and there become bitter. Again, our Alvarez de Paz, in book V of Documents for Attaining Perfection, part III, chapter XLI, aptly refers this sentiment to levity of mind, which pours itself out into laughter and guffaws, and opens a door to greater vices. For levity of mind and unbridled laughter generates scurrilities, detraction and mockery; it stirs up anger in those who are deceived, and indignation, and not seldom breaks out into open insults hurled back and forth. This is an enemy of compunction, a foe of devotion; but the mother of inept joy, which is wont often to end in sadness and sorrow, because it is written: "Laughter will be mingled with sorrow, and the end of joy is mourning." Truly vain laughter is mingled with sorrow, when a bitter word resists the word by which you laughing wounded your brother; and the end of joy is occupied by mourning, when a manifest insult hurled at you responds to the shameful name by which you saddened him. Thus Alvarez. A symbol of this mixture of joy with sorrow among the impious is the gadfly of fish, of the size of a spider, which vexes other fish, especially tuna. Just as therefore the tuna experiences gadflies in calm water, so every human pleasure and happiness experiences its thorns. "It often shines, but the same thing is sometimes darkened by clouds," says Accius in the Bacchae. Again, a symbol of this laughter is the phalangium, a deadly creature, which kills with laughter, as Strabo testifies, in book XI: thus indeed the laughter of the world often dissolves into tragedies and wailing, in which it seems to imitate the dances of the Lapps. For the Lapps, shivering under the rigid North, in order to refresh themselves, arrange feasts with citharodes summoned, in which they pour themselves out into leaps and dances: but soon turned back into wailing and deep sighs, they fall to the ground. These are the evil joys of the mind. See Olaus, book IV, chapter VIII. Likewise the gem-apple of Fenella, which whoever touched was immediately pierced with many darts, so that thus pierced was Kemethus, king of the Scots, as Cardano testifies, book XII, chapter LVI. Thus pleasure pierces its followers with the darts of sorrows. Moreover, the bears of Russia, which, coveting the honey of bees, thrust their head, which they have very weak, into a club armed with iron spikes, which honey hunters place, striking it they crush it and kill themselves, as Olaus testifies, book XVIII, chapter XIV, namely "a will bought with pain harms." It can, however, secondly, this opinion be taken generally of any laughter and joy on account of the comforts of this life, even honest or indifferent ones. For all this joy is mixed with sorrow, and often ends in mourning. The cause is that this is the nature of pleasure and of temporal goods, that they are mingled with many evils which create sorrows: for just as all mixed things consist of four elements contrary to one another, so all things consist of a mixture of contrary things and qualities, which produce sadness and gladness, and God did this so that He might call us away from them to solid goods and the joys of virtues and heavenly glory; hence He willed that in heaven there should be pure and unmixed joys, in hell pure and unmixed sorrows and anguishes: but on earth, which is midway between heaven and hell, He mingled sorrows with joys, so that man might aspire to the pure joys of heaven, and might avoid the pure sorrows of hell. Just as therefore a worm is born in an apple, and dregs are mixed in wine: and pain is born in and mixed with pleasure; hence pleasure foams into it, and as it were ends in it like dregs. All therefore worldly joys are brief and mixed with gall, according to that common saying: "Where there is a teat, there is a tumor; where there is honey, there is gall." Hence the Philosophers said that God has a double cask, one of honey, and another of gall, and from both pours out to each his own cup. And the Psalmist: "The cup in the hand of the Lord is full of wine unmixed and mingled; and He hath inclined from this to that," Ps. LXXIV, 9. And the Comic poet: "Thus it has pleased the gods: from the same height pleasure, and sorrow follows as its companion." Apuleius, lib. II Our Propitious Roman Consul, Philosopher and Martyr Severinus Boethius, lib. III, meter 7, thus sings: Every pleasure has this: It drives those who enjoy it with stings; And like a pair of flying bees, Where it has poured forth welcome honey, It flees and with too tenacious bite Strikes and wounds the hearts. Wherefore Epictetus, art. 20: "He is worthy," he says, "of the banquet of the gods, who uses created things moderately; but he who scorns even lawful pleasures, is no longer a guest of God, but a companion." Solomon alludes to laughter poured forth and excessive, which dissolves the vital spirits of the heart, and thus torments the heart, and ends in sadness. This is seen in melancholics, who are sometimes most joyful, and pour themselves out into laughter, but soon become most sad and sorrowful. Hence a sign of melancholy is the pouring forth of the spirit into laughter and gladness: for nature excites this so that it might arm itself against melancholy; but soon being overcome by it, it succumbs to it, as if Solomon said: "In laughter the heart will ache, and the end of joy is sadness." St. Bernard gives a most illustrious and foremost example in Christ the Lord, sermon 1 on Palm Sunday: for in that day Christ was led in triumph by the people into Jerusalem as king and Messiah; but on the fifth day thereafter, the same people crying out: Crucify, crucify, demanded that He be led to the cross. "Let the worldly soul see," he says, "let it see and understand that the end of joy is occupied by sorrow, etc. Whence also the glory of the procession He wished to be exalted, He who shortly before knew that the day of most shameful passion was about to befall Him. Who therefore should now hope in the uncertain glory of temporal things, when the same faces accused Him in turn and harassed Him with insults. He, while striving most earnestly to reconcile peace and friendship among them, accomplished nothing. At length an adamantine chain bound them together, so that however much they were divided by hatreds, they were always nevertheless together, and followed one another mutually. What mystery do we believe is signified under this fiction? In turbid and adverse matters, one should not despair entirely of better fortune. Again, in prosperous and desired matters, one should not be entirely free from fear: for in human life perpetually joyful things succeed sad things, and sad things succeed joyful things; and pleasure is tempered by pain, pain by pleasure. This is therefore the bittersweet (γλυκύπικρον) of pleasure, that is, sweetly bitter, or pleasantly bitter. Athenaeus, book XI, page 43, and Herodotus, book IV, write that the Hypanus river flows thin and sweet from springs a five days' journey away; then after another four days' journey it becomes very bitter: thus pleasure, honeyed at the beginning, becomes sour at the end, and becomes bitter. For, as Cicero says, in the oration for Caelius and in book II of On Oratory: "Loves and delights wither quickly, and in all things the greatest pleasures are bordered by disgust." Should not the same succession of exaltation and humiliation follow even in Him who committed no sin, the creature of times and the Creator of the universe? For in the same city, by the same people, and at the same time, now indeed He is honored with the glory of procession and divine praises; afterwards, however, He is questioned with insults and torment, and is reckoned with the wicked. This is the end of transitory joy, this is the fruit of temporal glory. Therefore the Prophet prays prudently: That he may sing to the Lord the glory of him, and not be wounded, that is, may have a procession which passion does not follow." Therefore all the joys of the world are preceded by sorrow, accompanied by sorrow, terminated by sorrow. Indeed, Charles V, the most powerful and fortunate Emperor, when at Brussels he transferred his dominions and kingdoms to Philip II, his son, confessed before the entire Senate with tears that throughout the entire time of his reign he had not possessed even for a quarter of an hour pure and unmixed joy, but all of it was mixed with many cares, anguishes, and pains, and as it were sprinkled with abundant gall. Just as therefore in music grave sounds are mixed with acute sounds and tempered, and thus produce a moderate and pleasant harmony: so God mixes and tempers prosperous things with adverse, joyful things with sad, so that man may produce a pleasant harmony of temperance, patience, hope and prayer. Whence St. Ambrose, book I On Cain and Abel, chapter IV: "God," he says, "sets a limit to our delights and joys, lest, overflowing their banks, they overwhelm reason." This is the first cause. St. Augustine gives the second, sermon 29 in Matthew: "Therefore," he says, "God mixes bitterness with earthly happiness, so that that happiness may be sought whose sweetness is not deceptive." St. Chrysostom, however, in a homily on Psalm 123: "Therefore," he says, "God neither leaves men always in sadness, lest they fail; nor in rest and prosperity, lest they become more negligent; but by changes and vicissitudes He varies their salvation." Finally, just as honey growing old becomes bitter like gall, so also does pleasure. "All old honey becomes bitter through cooking; nor is this surprising, since even without cooking it becomes more bitter with time from its sweeter state," says Galen, On Antidotes, after the beginning. The conclusion therefore is: Human life is a continuous tragedy, whose catastrophe and end terminates in mourning, especially in death. Moreover, just as tragedy has a threefold subject matter, namely the terrible, the wonderful and the miserable, and this on account of a threefold end and affection which it strives to excite in the hearer, namely through the terrible, terror; through the wonderful, admiration and veneration; through the miserable, compassion, as Aristotle teaches in the Poetics: so likewise this threefold object of the tragedy of human life is ordered by God to the same threefold end and affection, as is evident to one who considers it; for the tragic cases of others, indeed of ourselves, first deter us from pleasure, which is their parent; secondly, they instil veneration of the Godhead and admiration of His judgments; thirdly, compassion, so that we may sympathize with the tragic life of mortals by consoling and healing as much as we are able. The examples and living mirrors of this sentiment of Solomon are therefore the tragic events and the deaths of the powerful and fortunate of this age, such as Cyrus, Alexander, Darius, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Nero, Vitellius, Galba, Julian, Valens, etc., and the rich man Epulon; Luke XVI, 22. Moreover the Septuagint translates, in joys sorrow shall not be mixed, but finally it goes into mourning; the Scholiast, and its final joy is evil. Which reading directly contradicts the Hebrew, the Chaldean, the Vulgate Latin and all others; wherefore it seems that a negation has crept into it: for that negation removed renders the same sense which the Hebrew and Vulgate have; if however you wish to keep it with the not so as to agree with the others, explain it thus, as if to say: Although joy be sometimes pure, however rarely, so that sorrow be not mixed with it, nevertheless one should not trust in it, nor rely upon it as if it would always endure, because soon sorrow will succeed it. Or, as the Author of the Greek Catena, who reads thus, in full joy no sadness is mixed, but the end of joy is followed by mourning; and thus he explains it: The Wise Man, he says, speaks of that joy which obtains to the just in the future age: for that is full and free from all sadness. But he calls the end of the joy of the present life the pleasantness of life, as if to say: in heaven alone is there full and pure joy, on earth however every joy ends in mourning, and therefore in the heavens is happiness happy in all respects; on earth however happiness is unhappy and miserable, and happy misery, and unhappiness.
14:14
That is to say, the fool, that is the impious man, is nourished for a time by his riches and pleasures; but he is overcome by the good man, because he is nourished by solid and eternal goods, which he apprehends by certain faith and hope. Whence the Chaldean translator renders it, he shall be satisfied with his ways who is vain of heart, and the good man shall be satisfied with his fear. For fear has annexed to it faith and hope by which the just man is nourished and satisfied. The Septuagint: he shall be satisfied with his ways who is bold of heart (St. Jerome against Rufinus reads, rash), but the good man from his thoughts. For the just man rejoices in his faith and hope, and from these expects eternal satiety: but the fool fills and inebriates himself with his pleasures; yet he is not fully nor solidly satisfied by them, especially because soon after them he expects eternal hunger. Our Salazar understands by the fool, or as the Chaldean has it, the vain of heart, the proud man; by the good man, truly, the humble man, that is to say, the proud man shall be filled with his pride, that is shall pay the full penalties of his pride; but the humble man shall bear the reward of his humility, and shall be preferred to the proud man, and shall subject him to himself. Maurer, writing in the latter member ממעלליו (which the Arabic interpreter seems to have read), renders it, with his ways, that is his deeds, is satisfied he who is turned away of heart, whose mind is turned away, has fallen away from God; and by his deeds the good man is satisfied. Each one perceives the fruit of his own deeds, both the impious and the just. Furthermore Cajetan thus renders it, he shall be satisfied with his ways who goes forth from his heart, and from his leaves the good man (the Hebrew על means leaves, and upon, as our translator renders it), and thus explains it: He who goes forth outside himself to external delights shall be satisfied with his going forth, that is shall pay its penalties, because he shall be satisfied with delights even to nausea; for soon those very things shall turn to him into disgust, as St. Gregory beautifully teaches, homily 36 in the Gospel. "And from his leaves the good man," repeat, shall be satisfied, that is, says Cajetan: "The good man dwelling in himself is satisfied not only with fruits but also with leaves, because to the just all things work together unto good, according to that Psalm 1: And his leaf shall not fall away." Where Theodoret: "Leaves and flowers," he says, "are the hope of beatitude, the fruit is beatitude itself;" because just as leaves and flowers are harbingers of fruits, nay they produce and cause them: so likewise hope is a harbinger of beatitude, and produces and causes it. Again leaves signify modesty and the decorum of external conversation, says Origen in Psalm 1: for this one like leaves covers, adorns, preserves and increases the decorum of fruits, that is of virtues internal to the mind. Now just as all worms which feed on leaves, spinning threads make, as caterpillars, silkworms, etc., as witnesses Pliny and Aristotle; nay silkworms from the leaves of the mulberry spin threads of silk, by which finally wrapping themselves they die, but warmed by the heat of spring they come back to life and become butterflies, and fly away into heaven: so likewise from modesty, the decorum of conversation, and the grace of speech and edification the just man spins for himself threads of hope of heavenly glory, by which dying and in the resurrection coming back to life he shall fly away into heaven. Whence St. Basil, homily 8 of the Hexameron, teaches that the transformation of the silkworm is an express type of our resurrection. Furthermore hope is rightly compared to a thread, and from the Hebrew is called תקוה ticua, that is extension, or extended thread, because just as we extend threads and cords twisted from them very far, and bind and fasten ourselves to the most remote things: so likewise through hope, which we extend toward God and toward heaven, we bind and fasten ourselves to God and heaven. Hope therefore is ticua, that is a thread, and a line of long expectation, by which the mind of the one hoping extends and prolongs itself toward the thing hoped for, while it pants toward it in hoping, and thus as it were couples it to itself, as I said on Hosea II, 15.
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St. Ambrose, book III On Duties, chapter X, whose words have been translated into Canon Law and are found at 22, Question IV, final chapter, understands by innocent a just, simple and candid man, who measuring others by his own candor, readily gives credence to anyone, and is not suspicious of evil, such as Joshua was, who believed the Gibeonites when they falsely claimed to be from far away, and made a covenant with them contrary to God's will, Joshua IX. "And because," he says, "he was still ignorant of the places and unacquainted with the inhabitants, he did not know their deceits, nor did he consult God, but quickly believed. So holy was faith in those times that no one was thought able to deceive. Who would reprove this in the Saints, who measure others by their own affection? And because truth is dear to them, they think no one lies, they are ignorant what deception is; they willingly believe what they themselves are, and cannot suspect what they are not. Hence Solomon says: The innocent believeth every word. Not to be blamed is this facility, but to be praised is this goodness. This is to be innocent, to be ignorant of what harms; and if one is circumvented by someone, yet he judges well of all, who reckons that faith is in all." St. Ambrose adds that Joshua, when the fraud of the Gibeonites was discovered, did not revoke the peace he had given them: "Lest, while he reproved another's perfidy, he should dissolve his own faith." But for innocent the Hebrew word is פתי peti, that is, a little child, inexperienced, unskilled, unwise, whom anything is easily persuaded, whose excessive facility and levity in believing anything is here censured. Whence Aquila translates it θελγόμενος, that is, beguiled, cajoled, believes every word, the astute uses intelligence; Symmachus, a little child, or boy; the Chaldean and Zurich versions, unwise. Whence Bede: "He forbade this innocence," he says, "and taught to have this astuteness, John in his first epistle, chapter IV, when he says: Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God." The sense therefore is clear and plain, as if to say: The rude, inexperienced and unwise readily believes every word, and therefore believes any suggestion, impulse and counsel that is given to him by anyone, even by a fraudulent and hostile person, by which it comes about that he allows himself to be led to his own destruction and ruin; but the astute, that is, the cautious and prudent man, does not believe every word and counsel, but considers his steps, where namely he prudently and safely plants the foot of his action, lest he fall into a pit or ditch of rashness and perdition; wherefore he carefully distinguishes and separates good counsel from bad. Whence the Syriac translates, the astute discerns good from evil; the Chaldean, he attends to his own good. For the Hebrew אשור ascur, that is, step, alludes to it, indeed as to the root it is the same as אשר oscer, that is, blessedness, happiness, right success, man's good. This seems to be what the Septuagint intended when they translate, the simple believes every word; but the astute goes into repentance, as if to say: The astute foresees things to be repented of, that is, evils that would follow from the word and counsel that is wrongly suggested to him, which, if he followed it, he would repent of; wherefore, being foreknowing of these, he says: I will not buy such repentance at that price, I do not believe, I do not follow that counsel, because it will lead me to late repentance; I condemn excessive credulity, because its companion is repentance. This is signified by the Hebrew יבין iabin, that is, he considers, understands, foresees, what namely בין bin, that is, between good and evil counsel or path, lies between. He therefore opposes פתי peti, that is, soft and flexible in believing, to ערום arum, that is, cautious and prudent, who believes nothing unless well examined; for, as the Adage-writer says: "Worms are not born in the cypress because of its bitterness, nor in the box because of its hardness: thus the plague of flattery flees from severe and sad natures, and seizes soft and easy ones." And Seneca: "And," he says, "to believe all and to believe none is a fault; I would say the one more honorable a fault, the other safer." For both excessive slowness in believing and excessive levity in believing is a fault. The former is that of heretics, who believe nothing except what they either see with their eyes or comprehend with their mind, concerning whom there exists a book On the Art of Believing Nothing; the latter is that of children and frivolous persons. Paul otherwise the Septuagint translates and the author of the Catena of the Greeks explains: "The simple man, he says, believes every word; indeed even the crafty man also, who believed more quickly than he ought, is led to repentance;" and thus he explains: Therefore to believe every word is madness? It is altogether. He who, he says, does all things by counsel and reason, easily escapes those losses which are wont to happen to the incautious and precipitate. But the simple man (such as he is who immediately concludes after the first impression, or what he has heard only superficially, straightway believes) is light and imprudent. Indeed even the prudent man, if he has soon given credence to the first impression, is not rarely deceived, and thus is led to repentance. Finally this sentence is general, whence it can be applied in various ways: first, to those who believe flatterers, and therefore esteem themselves more than they truly are; second, to those who believe those who suggest evil counsels; third, to those who believe detractors; fourth, to those who believe their own rash imaginings and suspicions, as melancholics do, when they ought to resist them, and say to themselves: This is suggested by melancholy, not by truth; therefore it is sad and false, not joyful and true. Thus Seneca advises, book II On Anger: "Let us believe nothing, he says, except what falls before our eyes and is manifest (concerning the vices of others), and whenever our suspicion appears vain, let us rebuke credulity. This correction produces the habit of not easily believing." Solomon is followed by Sirach, Ecclesiasticus XIX, 4: "He who believes quickly is light of heart, and shall be diminished;" see the things said there. Moreover how deceitful and fallacious flatterers are, so that it is not permitted to believe them, Alanus teaches, book On the Complaint of Nature: "These, he says, are the laterals of princes, palace dogs, artificers of flattery, makers of praise, potters of falsehood; these are they who sound the magniloquent trumpet of commendation in the ears of the rich, who in order to extract gifts, anoint the head of the rich man with the oil of flattery." Cyril illustrates this maxim beautifully with an apology of an ox and a pig, lib. I Apolog. moral. cap. XI, whose title is: By more diligent rumination digest all things before you act. The apology is as follows: "After some digestion of the food taken, the ox again brought it back to his throat, and while lying down he was chewing the cud, the pig seeing this approached him, and said: What is this that you are doing, horned one? To which he replied: I am chewing the cud, said he. Then the pig: A little while ago you laid down so heavy a yoke, why now do you not rest? Is it not enough to have chewed once? To this the ox is said to have answered thus: Certainly, my brother. If you were to chew the cud, you would not feel thus at all. Where, I ask, is the sense of food located? Is it not in the throat? Therefore the more diligently we chew food, the more of its flavor we perceive, and through the judicial sense of taste we are more vehemently delighted. Certainly nature, being provident, has fashioned the molars as double teeth, so that there might be greater chewing; and the sense of tasting has been providently placed in the mouth, so that by delight we might hold food longer under the throat. Moreover, when I chew the cud, I digest better, and I take in food more purified. Then the pig, having heard these things, added: Who taught you to chew the cud? To which he replied: Certainly that art which taught me to do this in the body is the same which taught the wise man to chew the cud in the mind. For the prudent man by subtle meditation chews the cud of whatever he says or does. Wherefore he speaks digested things, and similarly he acts upon approved things. For what purpose indeed was clear counsel of reason communicated to man, and the good of meditation most dear to him granted? Is it not that he might use these things salutarily in doing things? Whence the mastication of premeditation is always to be placed before in all human acts. Those who are governed by wisdom, for the most part pursue more digested and purer studies." He then adds that the same thing must be weighed more often, and he proves this from four digestions of food: "Nor is it enough once, he says, to see the thing to be done, but it is necessary to chew it subtly many times; just as food is pre-cooked by four digestions, so that from it purer substance is given to the members. For all food, before it is united to the soul, is pre-purged by four digestions. First it goes to the stomach, and there it is digested, and the pure is separated from the impure, and what is impure is sent out through evacuation. Then the pure that remains is transmitted to the liver, where it is digested, and becomes blood; and the pure is again separated from the impure, and the impure is sent out through urine. Then the pure that remains is drawn by the kidneys, where it is digested a third time, and again the pure is separated from the impure, and the impure is sent out through sweat and spittle. Then the pure that remains is scattered through the members, and in the members it is digested a fourth time; and again the pure is separated from the impure, and that impure, which is as it were pure, is preserved in the seminal vessels, and is sent out in generation; but the most pure that remains, converted into the substance of the members, is finally joined to the soul, made living and the substance of life. Whence no impurity of food comes to the soul, unless the food has been purged four times from all impurities. You therefore, dearest, because you do not chew the cud, receive food more impurely, and on account of this by divine law you are judged an unclean animal." Having heard these things, the pig, blushing, departed." IN THE DECEITFUL THERE SHALL BE NOTHING GOOD: BUT TO THE FAITHFUL SERVANT HIS WORKS SHALL BE PROSPEROUS, AND HIS WAY SHALL BE DIRECTED. — This maxim is not in the Hebrew, and therefore it does not have a number in the verses, but is joined to the number of the preceding verse. Our author transcribed it from the Septuagint, who placed it in the preceding chapter, where I explained it.
14:16
For "transgresseth" in Hebrew is מתעבר mitabber, which signifies both to be angry and to pass over and transgress; whence the Zurich Bible translates, "the fool, when he is transgressed, is confident"; but Vatablus rather, "the fool is angry and confident," as if to say: The fool is indignant against the law of God, and is confident when he acts wrongly; and the Chaldean, "the fool boils over in foolishness, and is confident in it." The Septuagint, however, in their codex for מתעבר mitabber by metathesis had מתערב mitareb; whence they translate, "the fool shall be mingled with the wicked: 'The wise man,' they say, 'fearing shall decline from evil; but the imprudent, trusting in himself, shall be mingled with the wicked;'" and the Syriac, "is mingled in it confidently"; the Author of the Greek Catena, "he who trusts in himself is polluted by iniquity." St. Jerome adds, Against Rufinus: "The wise man," he says, "by fearing declines from evil; the fool, trusting, is mingled with it"; and Lucifer of Cagliari in his Apology for St. Athanasius: "The fool by fearing shall decline into evil; but the unwise is mingled confidently in wickedness." Yet for "in evil" it seems that "from evil" should be read, as the other Greek and Latin codices have it. Both these versions come to the same thing, namely: The wise man fears punishments and torments, and therefore declines from evil, and withdraws himself from calamity; but the fool, burning with anger, transgresses laws and rights, and mingles himself with wicked men and rash deeds, confident that no evil shall befall him from it, nay, that he shall rule both things and men, and therefore casts himself into grave disputes, and other calamities and punishments. Whence R. Solomon translates the Hebrew בוטח boteach, that is "is confident," as "slips and falls to the ground"; but incorrectly, as those skilled in Hebrew think. Thus Remus, brother of Romulus, rashly leaped over the first walls of Rome; but he paid for this rashness with his death, being struck on the head by his brother Romulus. Whence Hugo: "The fool," he says, "is like an unbridled and blind horse, which fears nothing, because it sees nothing; whence it is commonly said that nothing is bolder than a blind horse." "For fear is the bridle of an exulting mind," says St. Basil, because the prudent man foresees the future calamities that shall befall him from evil; and therefore, fearing them, he abstains from evil. Just as we see those who are naturally cold, and therefore timid, guard themselves from dangers, into which the overly hot, bold and precipitate cast themselves unwarily. Much more does the fear of God do this, which, foreseeing far greater losses of hell befalling him from sin, flees sin with all zeal, lest he cast himself willingly into such fires. Thus also Bede: "Just as it is foolish," he says, "to trust in one's own agility, to wish to leap across a swift torrent or a chasm wider than one's leap; but wise to turn aside to level ground or a bridge: so he who declines sin as much as he is able, fearing lest he be involved in evils, is wise; but he is foolish who sins contemptuously, flattering himself, either because he will do penance later for his deeds, or if he should suddenly die, will bravely endure the punishments of hell." Finally, the Interlinear Gloss explains it thus: "The wise man fears punishments, the fool is confident of impunity."
14:17
In Hebrew, brief, or narrow in the nostrils shall make folly: and a man of thoughts shall be hated. Brief in the nostrils is quick-tempered, that is swift to anger; just as long, or broad in the nostrils is called long-suffering, that is patient and slow to anger; for this is a sign of gentleness, that of choler, indeed also the cause, because in him who has broad nostrils, spirit and choler more easily expire; whereas in him who has narrow nostrils, it is constricted and compressed, and thus makes him choleric, as I said on Exodus chapter XXXIV, verse 6. For a man of devices in Hebrew is איש מזמות is mezimmot, that is a man of thoughts, designs, machinations, that is a man who thinks much, devising and plotting much. But because this can be done in various ways, hence it is translated variously here. First, the Chaldean takes it as slow and tardy: "He who, says he, is hasty in spirit, is reckoned foolish, and he pursues with hatred one who differs from his counsel," namely one who is slow and morose, especially one who delays his anger to restrain his fury; for the quick-tempered hate the cold, the slow and the moderate, as if unlike themselves, and resisting their anger and haste. Again, a man of thoughts, says Vatablus, is a man who always thinks and does nothing, namely an idle man, whom, as it were lazy, inert, and a useless burden to the earth, all hate. Secondly, the Septuagint by a man of thoughts, or a thinking man, understand a prudent man; whence they translate, the impatient acts with rashness; but a prudent man endures much; the Author of the Catena of the Greeks, dissembles and endures much. They seem to have read in their codex ישא iissa, that is he endures, he shall tolerate, for which Our version and others, with the letter nun inserted, read ישנא iissane, that is he shall be hated. The Zurich version, taking שׂ for ח (for the Hebrews exchange these letters with each other), and for שׂ sin reading שׁ schin, namely for ישנא iissane reading ישנא iisane or iisne, that is he shall be changed, translates, the quick-tempered designates folly; but he who is circumspect acts otherwise. Furthermore the Septuagint thus explains, and thus our Salazar adapts the Latin Vulgate to them: He describes, says he, the difference between an imprudent man, and one who is endowed with prudence. For the former from anger commits many rash and absurd things, the latter however endures much; the former inflicts damages, the latter sustains them; the former strikes and inflicts blows on others, the latter receives them; the former inflicts injuries, the latter does not refuse those inflicted by others. To this sense the translation of the Vulgate is to be referred: "The impatient works folly," that is he becomes angry and rages most foolishly; "and a man of devices is hateful," he namely who from cunning and shrewdness laudably restrains his anger, and the injuries and insults inflicted upon him endures with equanimity, is hated by that fool, etc. But this sense seems more forced. Therefore Thirdly, plainly and genuinely Our version by a man of thoughts understands one who is cunning, who namely turns arts and frauds in his mind, and through deceits plots evils against others, so that he may vent his hatred, or his malice upon them when occasion is given; for he is called cunning who turns his mind to malice, or who is borne hither and thither with a certain inconstant motion of mind, variously and deceptively. Whence Festus: "Those are called cunning, says he, whose minds frequently turn to malice." And Cicero, in book III of On the Nature of the Gods: "I call those cunning, whose mind turns swiftly." Akin to cunning is the shape-shifter, who namely easily turns his skin, that is his face, and changes his countenance in any way, namely crafty, a simulator, a deceiver. For Solomon opposes the quick-tempered, who immediately betrays his anger through signs and words of impatience, to the cunning man, who craftily suppresses his anger, and dissembles it for a time, and seeks the opportunity and manner of harming and avenging himself. For the impatient immediately vomits forth his bile, and sins in this only, that he foolishly utters and betrays his anger through uncouth cries and gestures; whence from him little, or nothing, where his anger has already cooled, is to be feared by you: only yield to him raging for a moment and be silent. For the quick-tempered, says St. Gregory, in the third part of the Pastoral, admonition 17, "we correct better, if in the very commotion of their anger we withdraw; for the disturbed know not what they hear, but when brought back to themselves, they receive the words of exhortation so much more willingly, the more they blush that they were tolerated so quietly." But the cunning man dissembles his anger, simulates friendship, cooks up and turns over in his mind deceits, by which he will oppress you unaware, when you least expect it: this man therefore is to be feared by you. For the anger and outburst of the impatient is like a flame, which when kindled by its own heat immediately consumes itself: but the hatred of the cunning man is like coals of fire, but covered with ash, which when you unwary touch them, you shall be burned by the hidden fire. Again, the impatient man is like a barking dog, but one that does not bite; but the crafty man is like a serpent that does not bark, but bites secretly. This proverb therefore warns that nothing should be done through anger, much less through hatred and deceit. "For anger is momentary insanity," says St. Basil, homily On Anger. And St. Chrysostom, homily On Gentleness: "Who," he says, "seeing a man raging with anger, would not doubt that the wretched man is either possessed by a demon, or voluntarily rushes into such great insanity? Anger is a voluntary demon, a desired insanity of the mind, is a defection. But deceit and hatred is obstinate insanity, an obstinate demon." Therefore, "says the author of a sermon To the Brethren in the Desert, in St. Augustine, volume X, sermon 28, let us not have a heart steeped in hatred, lest we be sons of Judas the traitor, lest we be hanged with him, and be dragged by the devil together with him to the depths of hell. He who carries hatred in his heart is a second devil; and he who impedes peace is Antichrist; and he who establishes peace among brethren is truly a son of God."
14:18
For "shall possess" in Hebrew is נחלו nachalu, that is, they shall inherit, as Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion and the Syriac translator render it. Which word signifies first, little ones, that is, the foolish, as if having innate stupidity, says Vatablus, so that it appears to be their own as it were a dowry, inheritance and peculium; secondly, that they do not allow themselves to be torn away from foolishness, just as an heir does not suffer himself to be separated from his inheritance; thirdly, that they rejoice in foolishness, are nourished by it and enjoy it, as it were from their rich estate; fourthly, that they communicate their foolishness to others, just as a rich man communicates the goods of his field to others. Whence the Septuagint translates, the imprudent shall divide evil; but the prudent shall hold understanding. For foolishness here is taken in the practical sense, namely evil and malice, just as on the other hand knowledge or wisdom is taken for good, and goodness and virtue itself. Moreover, the author of the Catena of the Greeks explains τὸ divide in three ways: "He opposes," he says, "understanding to malice; but malice is opposed to virtue: understanding therefore in this place signifies virtue. Malice," he says, "as it were some delicate food the foolish divide among themselves; and they also tear into parts and lots, or divide wickedness among themselves. For he who is rash or bolder than is just, is not fearful: nor has he Understanding, and to anger hasty and treacherous matters turn out badly: him indeed he acts foolishly, this one he hates. He who is a flatterer or sycophant is also proud." Another explains it thus in the same place: "Let the same be established concerning the other similar opposite vices. The unwise divide malice among themselves as a common treasure, inasmuch as they also hate one another, and bite one another, and injure one another, and envy one another mutually; and thus malice in some equal manner divided among themselves rise up against one another. But the just obtain understanding, because they rule over all the senses, and keep them accurately in their duty, lest namely through sight, or hearing, or smell, or taste, or touch, or through words, or deeds, or thoughts they commit anything that offends God, and thus render themselves unworthy of the heavenly kingdom." Mystically, Hugo: "The wise," he says, "of this world are therefore called little ones by the Saints, because as it were little children learning their letters or elements, in the book of the universe they admire and are amazed at the beauty of creatures, which are the letters of this book; but the understanding of them, namely God's power, wisdom, goodness and other attributes they do not grasp at all. Moreover, "the prudent shall expect knowledge," that is, the prudent shall strive for knowledge and virtue, patiently awaiting the fruit of their study and labor, so that namely they may attain, possess and hold the perfection of knowledge and virtue, as the Septuagint translates, so that they may pour it out upon others. Whence the Syriac translator renders, the prudent shall divide knowledge, just as the rich divide with the poor, and parents divide bread and food with their children. For "shall expect" in Hebrew is יכתירו iachtiru; which properly signifies to gird about and to crown. Whence the Chaldean translates, the crown of the prudent is knowledge; R. Solomon, the prudent shall weave a crown of knowledge upon their head: Aben-Ezra, the wise shall acquire a diadem of knowledge, and shall be raised to honors; Vatablus, the clever shall crown themselves with knowledge; Pagninus, they shall be crowned with knowledge; others, they shall crown knowledge; others, they shall crown others with knowledge. These three versions Baynus, Vatablus, Jansenius, Cajetan aptly and wisely explain, and from them our Salazar. The first is, he says: "The prudent shall place upon themselves a crown of knowledge," that is, they shall glory and exult in the knowledge of virtue and honesty alone, and as it were crowned with the crown of a king shall rule over others. Or otherwise: They shall receive that knowledge as it were a certain crown, by which they shall constitute themselves kings and rulers of themselves for moderating the powers of the soul. The second is: "The prudent shall crown knowledge," that is to say, they shall indeed lead many to the study of true wisdom, so that it may now be seen not destitute, but surrounded and crowned with a multitude of disciples. Or, "they shall crown knowledge," that is, they shall ennoble it, shall bestow glory and splendor upon it. For, when the wise on account of the force of their wisdom have perhaps obtained a crown, honors and empire, not so much they themselves as their wisdom is crowned and adorned. For thus we commonly say that the rewards and ornaments of letters and wisdom are those things which are conferred upon the learned and wise. The third is: "And the prudent shall crown others with knowledge," that is, they shall not only be wise for themselves, but also for others, whom they shall adorn and honor with similar wisdom.
14:19
Pro jacebunt in Hebrew is שחו seachu, that is, they shall be bowed down; the Septuagint, they shall slip; the Syriac, they shall fall; the Chaldean, the wicked shall be corrupted before the good, and the impious shall be astonished in the gates of the just. R. Solomon, Bede and Hugh think this shall come to pass in the future age: then indeed the rich man Dives, before whose table the poor man Lazarus lay, shall lie before the feet of Lazarus; Nero, confounded, shall lie before the feet of St. Peter and Paul; the unhappy Trajan shall fall before the feet of St. Ignatius, Decius before the feet of St. Lawrence, Dacianus before the feet of St. Vincent, etc. But although universally and especially this shall come to pass in the age to come, yet in this age too it not rarely happens that God exalts the pious, humbles the impious, and compels them to become suppliants to the pious and to implore their aid. Thus concerning the impious and idolatrous Gentile nations to be subjected to the Church, Isaiah prophesies, cap. XLIX, 23: "Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and shall lick up the dust of thy feet." Thus Diocletian and Maximian lay before the feet of Constantine the Great; Eugenius, Maximus and other tyrants before the feet of Theodosius; the Saxons and Saracens before the feet of Charlemagne. Thus today the Calvinists and heretics of Germany lie before the feet of Ferdinand II, most clement and most pious, and therefore blessed by God, and most fortunate Emperor. Furthermore, that the wicked are subjected to the good is a great good not only for the good, but also for the wicked. For the good compel the wicked subjected to them to faith, piety and salvation, who otherwise on account of their impiety would be going into hell. This therefore is an effect of the love, benevolence and predestination of God; just as on the other hand it is a sign and effect of hatred, curse and divine reprobation when He permits the wicked to rule over the good. Whence the Septuagint translates, the impious shall observe, or shall worship the gates of the just, because led finally to repentance they subject themselves to the doctrine of the just, says the author of the Greek Catena. Thus in Rome we see Gentiles once idolaters, indeed any sinners whatsoever, who come to the city for the sake of repentance, with great humility and devotion fall down at the thresholds of the Apostles, and venerate them, kiss them, and water them with profuse tears, so that from St. Peter, the key-bearer of Christ and heaven, they may deserve forgiveness of their sins and the grace of God, by which heaven may be opened to them. And therefore also to the Supreme Pontiff, as the Vicar of Christ and successor of St. Peter, they bow their necks and prostrate themselves at his feet, so that they may obtain absolution and blessing.
14:20
The Septuagint: friends shall hate poor friends. He speaks of friends who are not true: for these indeed, though poor, love on account of the honesty of friendship; but among the common sort, who measure friendship by utility in the manner of the common people, according to that saying: The common people approve friendships by utility. For these, since they cultivate friendship only on account of the advantages which they hope to gain from it, despise poor friends, as being inconvenient to them, indeed burdensome, and seek out the rich. Understand hatred here not as positive, but as negative, so that it is the same as lesser love, contempt, disdain; for indeed the rich man does not properly and positively hate poor relatives. "Hateful" therefore, that is, less beloved, neglected, despised. Thus it is said in Gen. XXIX, 31, Leah was hated, that is, less beloved and neglected by Jacob in comparison with Rachel, and in Mal. I, 3: "I have hated Esau," that is, I have neglected him; and in John XII, 25, we are commanded to hate, that is, to love less, the soul, and to set it aside for the divine law and the love of Christ. Thus Job and Tobias, reduced to poverty, were hateful to their own, even to their wives. That saying is well-worn: While thou art fortunate, thou shalt number many friends; If times become cloudy, thou shalt be alone. And Maximus, serm. 11 from Socinus: "Dolphins, he says, so long as the wave is beneath them, accompany ships swimming: but they never go ashore. Thus flatterers remain in good fortune, in adversity they desert." Cicero, lib. IV ad Herenn., compares these to swallows which come in summer and fly away in winter: "As swallows, he says, are at hand in summer time, driven away by cold they depart: thus false friends are at hand in the fair season of life, as soon as they see the winter of fortune, they all fly away." Whence Epictetus in his Dialogue with the Emperor Adrian: "What, he says, is a poor man? whom, as a deserted well, all look upon, and leave him in his place." And Martial: Thou shalt ever be poor, if thou art poor, Aemilianus; Riches are now given to none but the rich. This is what St. James reproves in the faithful, cap. II, 2: "If there shall come into your assembly a man with a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire, and you have respect to him that is clothed in fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well; but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool, do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?" See the remarks there. Mystically, R. Levi and the author of the Greek Catena understand rich and poor not only in wealth, but also in knowledge and eloquence. For the learned and eloquent have many followers, so that they may learn knowledge and eloquence from them; but the rude and inarticulate are neglected and despised by all.
14:21
Our Interpreter in the Hebrew reads for "poor" ענים aniim, that is, of the poor; now they read ענוים anavim, that is, of the meek. The Hebrew and Chaldean thus have it: the sinner despises his companion; but he who has mercy on the meek, or the afflicted, to him belong beatitudes, that is, he is thrice and four times blessed. The Septuagint: "He who dishonors the poor sins; but he who has mercy on the beggars is most blessed," according to that of David: "Blessed is he that understands concerning the needy and the poor," Psalm XL, 1. The sense is clear, as if to say: He who despises his neighbor who is in need sins, first, by pride, because he despises him proudly; second, by mercilessness and inhumanity, because he abandons the indigent and does not succor him in his necessity; and because he sins, hence he is miserable and brings upon himself both present and eternal miseries. On the other hand, he who has mercy on the poor performs a glorious work of almsgiving, and as it were a divine one, and therefore is now blessed in hope, and in reality after death will be blessed in heaven. Hence for "sins" in Hebrew it is חוטא chote, that is, he errs, deviates, turns aside from the way, the mark, the law, namely from the virtue of mercy, from God, from heaven and blessedness, to which the way of mercy straight leads the merciful; otherwise to sin in Latin is said as it were to consort with a concubine, that is, to have relations with a concubine, or to commit adultery, as the Sipontine says: yet from this, sinning is extended to any crime whatsoever, and signifies to transgress any law, as here it notes him who violates the rights of charity and almsgiving. Yet here also mystically he commits concubinage or adultery, because he loves his riches as concubines in such a way that he prefers to transgress the law of God rather than to distribute them to the poor, as the law of charity commands. You will ask, why is he who has mercy on the poor most blessed? I answer first, because the poor are blessed, according to that paradox of Christ: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;" this kingdom therefore, as being their own, the poor will give to those whom they have found beneficent in this life. For the blessed will communicate their blessedness by their benefits, and will likewise bless them. Wherefore Christ, in Luke XVI, 9: "Make, He says, to yourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into eternal dwellings." Hence St. Augustine, homily 39 among 50: "In such a cause, he says, the worker lives happily, and dies now secure, with whom his patrimony walks into an immortal barn, in which he has made the Lord his debtor, while he fed another by giving. He cannot incur any destruction, who has procured piety by almsgiving, to whom the Prophet bears such testimony: Save him, and quicken him, O Lord. O double benefit of the Prophet! He saves equally, and commends equally that he be saved, because he himself will save that he be quickened, and he himself will give life to him who asks in the land." And St. Chrysostom, homily 35 to the People: "So great, he says, is the power of almsgiving, that with much confidence it introduces its wards; for it is a note to the janitors of heaven, watching the doors of the bridal chamber; nay, and it is venerable, and those whom it has known to be its cultivators, it will introduce with much freedom; and no one will contradict, but all will yield." Second, because "it is more blessed to give than to receive," as St. Paul says from the discipline of Christ, Acts XX, 35, where I have said much on this matter. Third, because the promise of Christ is: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Whence St. Augustine, homily 29 among 50: "Before the gates of hell," he says, "mercy stands, and permits no one to be cast into prison." And St. Chrysostom, homily 33 to the People: "It is better," he says, "to know this art of giving alms than to be a king and to be crowned with a diadem, etc. For this teaches you how you can become like God, which is the sum of all goods." And homily 36: "Scripture says: A man is a great thing, and a merciful man is precious. This is a greater grace than to raise the dead. For it is much greater than to raise the dead in the name of Jesus to feed the hungry Christ: for in this you do well by Christ, but in that he himself does well by you. And the reward is in doing well, not in suffering well. For here, in signs I say, you owe yourself to God, but in almsgiving you have God as your debtor." And homily 9 On Penance: "Almsgiving, that queen of virtues, will most swiftly bring men to the very heights of their heavens, acting in the place of the best advocate. Almsgiving is a great thing; it goes before the air, passes through the moon, strikes the rays of the sun, comes to the very summit of the heavens, passing through the heavens themselves, and running down through the peoples of Angels and the choirs of Archangels and all the superior powers, it stands beside the royal throne." St. Jerome, epistle 150 to Hedybia: "Do you wish to be perfect and to stand in the first rank of dignity? Do what the Apostles did; sell all that you have and give to the poor, and follow the Saviour. Do you not wish to be perfect, but do you wish to hold the second rank of virtue? Give up all that you have, give to your children, give to your relatives." Fourth, almsgiving makes us divine men, and as it were certain earthly gods; therefore it makes blessed and makes the blessed. Thus St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the book On the Beatitudes: "If the name of merciful," he says, "befits God, to what else does the word of Christ exhort you, except that you become God, as it were marked with the proper mark of divinity." St. Gregory Nazianzen in the oration On the Love of the Poor: "Man has nothing so divine as to deserve well of others, although he confers greater, this one lesser benefits, each certainly according to his strength. Be to the wretched a god, imitating the mercy of God." See the sayings at Deuteronomy cap. XV, 10, and cap. XXVI, 12, where I have recounted twenty-one fruits and as it were beatitudes of almsgiving. See also Julius Fulcius, book On the Good of Almsgiving. HE THAT BELIEVETH IN THE LORD, LOVETH MERCY. — This verse is wanting in the Hebrew and the Septuagint; it exists however in the Bibles corrected at Rome, and therefore ought to be retained, not abolished, as Cajetan and Jansenius wish. First, Lyra and Dionysius thus expound it, as if to say "He that believeth in the Lord" with faith formed by charity, he "loveth mercy"; for he who by charity loves God, by the same loves also his neighbour, and exercises mercy toward him. For by charity we love God for his own sake, and our neighbour for God's sake. Second, Hugo, as if to say, He who believes the oracles of God, by which in Holy Scripture he has promised ample rewards to the merciful, he certainly loves mercy, so that through it he may obtain the aforesaid rewards. Among which some, and among them our Salazar, establish that God has fixed by a most firm decree with himself that no one who is more liberal in distributing alms shall depart impenitent in mortal sin. Of which matter many examples are available. Third, more plainly and forcefully, as if to say, He that believeth in the Lord, or, he that trusts in the goodness of God, he who has placed his confidence in God, he who has transferred his hopes to God, certainly hoping that God will be liberal toward him, if he himself shows himself liberal toward the poor, and therefore nothing necessary for life will be lacking to him, but rather he will abound in all things, he certainly loves mercy, and loving it exercises it, trusting, indeed knowing that through it he will acquire great riches. For the whole cause why the timid and the avaricious do not expend their own on the poor is fear of want and distrust in God; this therefore Solomon removes here. This is what the Apostle says exhorting the Corinthians to almsgiving, II epistle, cap. IX, verse 10: "Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, and bread to eat, will multiply your seed and increase the growth of the fruits of your justice." Where I have taught that almsgiving is like seed, which cast into the earth, namely into the bosom of the poor, germinates a hundredfold; and I have cited the words of St. Basil, by which he compares almsgiving to a well, which the more it is drawn from, the more pure water springs forth and bubbles up.
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Syrian, merciful and just do all good things. For "errant" in Hebrew is התעו hitu, that is, they deviate, they wander, namely from the way of virtue and salvation, like errors, or wandering sheep, according to that passage in Isaiah LIII, 6: "All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way." Hence Christ as the good shepherd took sinners like wandering sheep upon his shoulders, and brought them back into the way of salvation. Or like drunkards, who with their brains filled with fumes do not know how to direct their steps, but their feet stagger, and deviating from the paths they wander into trackless places, according to that passage in Isaiah XIX, 14: "The Lord hath mingled the spirit of giddiness in the midst thereof, and he hath caused Egypt to err in all his works, as a drunkard reeleth and vomiteth." For the sinner like a drunkard staggers and wanders in his lusts, and everywhere strikes against rocks. The Septuagint translates πλανώμενοι, that is, wandering, or erring ones; and as it were planets, or wandering stars, which do not proceed in a straight line like fixed stars, but wander laterally through their orbits; whence St. Jude in his epistle, verse 13, calls heretics "wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever." For "they work" in Hebrew is חרשו choresu, that is, who plough, or who fabricate evil, which Cajetan explains, as if to say: Not only do those err who work evil with their hands, but also those who conceive and contrive it in their mind. Our translator more fully renders it: "Who work"; for to plough and to fabricate is to work, and therefore the principal works of craftsmen are ploughing and fabrication, and to contrive is to work: for both the mind working by contriving and the hand working by operating works. Therefore the Hebrew to the letter thus has it: Do not those who fabricate, or plough, evil err? Mercy and truth fabricate, or plough, good. It is a metaphor from agriculture, or from the craft of fabrication. From agriculture, as if to say: Those who work evil, plough badly and wander from the straight way and the straight furrows and ridges of virtue, and rave, so to speak; wherefore their ploughing and sowing will not yield a harvest to them, that is, they will not bring forth reward, but punishment and torment. Thus Aben-Ezra and R. Levi. He says therefore: Do not those err who, ploughing a stony or thorny field, sow in it noxious and poisonous seeds? For what will they reap from it but thorns, tares, colocynths, and other bad and poisonous herbs? As if to say: Certainly they err, and most gravely indeed. In the same way, those err most gravely who in the field of their depraved heart sow depraved thoughts, and desires of pride, anger, gluttony, lust, etc.; for from these they will reap nothing but haughtiness, quarrels, brawls, drunkenness, fornications, adulteries, etc., by which they create evil for themselves, namely death and ruin both present and eternal. On the other hand, those who in the fertile field of a good heart sow good thoughts, these will bear the fruit of good works, and through them the reward of eternal blessedness. From the craft of fabrication, as if to say: Just as a craftsman errs and sins in fabricating new and harmful weapons, because he often perishes and is killed by them: so do those err who fabricate sin, which is as it were a sword killing the soul of the sinner. The sinner therefore is to himself the fabricator of death and hell: just as the Cyclopes were fabricators of their own destruction, and just as Perillus the inventor and fabricator of the brazen bull was first enclosed and burned by the tyrant Phalaris in the same; of whom Ovid in the Art of Love: And Phalaris with the bull tormented the limbs of violent Perillus; the unhappy author steeped his work. The impious therefore err completely, because by fabricating evil they fabricate for themselves evil of punishment and hell; on the other hand the pious by fabricating for themselves good of virtue, fabricate for themselves good of reward and heavenly glory: but this good of virtue is either mercy or truth, that is, justice; for every office of virtue is either a debt, and is called justice, or not a debt, liberal and gratuitous, and is called mercy, as I have already warned many times. This is what Our translator means, when he renders it: Mercy and truth prepare good, namely of reward and glory both present and eternal; because they fabricate houses, nay heavenly palaces, according to that passage of St. Chrysostom, homily 8 On Penance: "Eternal are the tabernacles in the heavens, which do not fall with time, nor change their possessors. Let us expend money in this structure: we shall have no great care for architects or workmen. The hands of the poor build such houses; the lame and the hungry build them; and almsgiving itself is the artificer." Hence the Septuagint translates, Those err who fabricate evils; the good fabricate mercy and truth. Which they explain when they add, Those who fabricate evils do not know mercy and faith; but almsgiving and faith are with those who fabricate good things. Thus also the Syriac, as if to say: Those err who fabricate evils; because while they do not know, that is, do not think, do not esteem, do not weigh how great is the good of mercy and faith, that is, of justice, neglecting it they fabricate works of mercilessness, or of avarice and injustice, by which they fabricate for themselves a rack in hell; but truly the good, because they esteem and weigh how great is the good of mercy and justice, hence they exercise it, and fabricate it, and beware of all mercilessness and injustice, and by this very thing they fabricate for themselves houses and eternal crowns in the heavens. Furthermore, because the Hebrews lack cases, and therefore their nouns can be rendered in any case, hence for fabricate, or prepare, others translate, fabricating, or preparing. Thus the Chaldean, the perverse, he says, err, who think evil; mercy and truth to those who think good, as if to say, God's mercy and truth, that is, faithfulness, will mercifully and faithfully render to the good the reward which he promised, so that, just as they themselves showed themselves merciful and faithful to God, so in turn they may feel God merciful and faithful toward them. For our mercy toward our neighbor attracts and provokes God's mercy toward us, and faithfulness provokes faithfulness. Thus Jansenius, Banus, and the Zurich version, which translates, Do not those err who devise evil? but it will be dealt with benignly and faithfully with those who strive for good; and Pagninus, mercy and truth will be to those working good. Though this sense is grammatically and vocally different, yet as to meaning it comes down to the same thing as the prior sense already assigned, as is plain to one who considers it. Moreover, by truth could also be understood the light by which God illuminates the intellect of one working well, so that he may know more fully the dignity of virtue and the good things promised to him by God, so that he may exercise it more ardently, according to that passage of Psalm 118: "The declaration of thy words giveth light, and giveth understanding to little ones." Note: The error here, by which those err who work evil, is not speculative, but practical, namely it is an erroneous and perverse choice, and operation of evil culpability, which brings with it the evil of punishment. Wherefore this error is properly imprudence, and an imprudent choice, by which evil is preferred to good. Choice, however, is an act of the will and of free will; wherefore in it properly lies this error. This error of the will, however, ordinarily has as a companion, indeed as a predecessor, an error in the intellect of the sinner. For often the intellect errs speculatively, thinking to be licit what is forbidden and illicit, as is evident in those who sin from ignorance; yet often it is not speculative, but practical, namely it is a dictate and judgment of practical reason dictating, for example to a thief: Here and now you must steal, so that you may consult your life and pleasure; or certainly it is a lack of consideration of several reasons and motives, which could restrain and hold back the will from sin. For often the sinner does not have an explicit judgment, for example, Here and now you ought to commit this sin of theft, but only a defect of consideration, by which he so considers the beauty and advantages of the money which he intends to steal, that he considers little or nothing the baseness and harms of the sin which are attached to this theft. Whence it comes about that the will, carried away by the beauty and advantages of the money proposed by the intellect considering them, chooses to steal, not esteeming the harms that will come to him from it. This defect of consideration, however, ordinarily brings with it a judgment partly explicit, partly implicit of sinning. For a thief, for example, before he decides to steal, has this explicit judgment: Here and now it is good for you to take this money; in which is interpretatively contained this implicit judgment: It is good for you here and now to sin and to steal, because here and now to take another's money is nothing other than to steal and to sin. This practical judgment therefore concerning things to be done or to be desired, absolutely pronounced by the intellect and reason with such lack of consideration, is an imprudent act, and at variance both with right judgment and with right appetite; wherefore practically it is erroneous, and consequently the will's choice following and embracing it errs likewise, and becomes erroneous. Thus St. Thomas and the Scholastics, II-II, Question 78, Article 1, to 1. Thus Adam, Lucifer, and the Angels sinned, in whom there was no error, but most clear knowledge of things and of God's law, through mere defect of consideration: for thus they considered their own beauty, not considering that they had it from God, so that it pleased them more than was fitting, they became proud, and finally rebelled against God. In a similar way those sin who sin from certain knowledge and malice. Truly St. Augustine in the Confessions: "Thou didst command, O Lord, and so it is, that every disordered mind is a punishment to itself, etc. Thou pourest penal blindnesses upon unlawful desires."
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For work in Hebrew it is עצב etseb, that is, labor, pain, care, anxiety, fatigue, affliction; for the root עצב atsab signifies to labor, to suffer, to be tormented in mind. For abundance in Hebrew it is מותר mother, that is, increase, abundance, superabundance, excellence, dignity, prerogative. For want in Hebrew it is מחסור machsor, that is, defect, scarcity, want. First, Pagninus from the Hebrew thus translates: in all things in which man labors, there is dignity; but the word of superfluous lips is truly imputed to defect, as if to say: Labor is dignity to man, but loquacity is indignity and want. "For man is born to labor, and the bird to flight," Job V, 7. Hence Adam, parent of all nobles, kings and princes, was placed not only after the fall, but even before it in paradise, to cultivate it by his labor, Genesis II, 15. Second, Baynus from the Hebrew thus translates and explains: "In all pain and sadness which man retains within himself, there will be abundance; and daily the secret sadness grows, but truly by the words of the lips it is diminished; that is, the pain disclosed and poured into the bosom of a faithful friend is mitigated. And according to this sense the verse can be accommodated to confession; for truly nothing mitigates more the sadness which one conceives from his sins than sincere and free confession made in the ear of a pious priest. For those words of the lips, namely of the one confessing and of the one absolving, greatly mitigate the sorrow conceived from sins and bring consolation." Our Salazar understands by one lacking pain a parasite and flatterer: for this man is especially talkative, and by flattering seeks a table for himself, just as a dog by wagging head and tail begs food from his masters, as if to say: Where there is labor, there is abundance of things; where there is flattery, trifles, buffoonery, there is want: for those who hunt riches by base peddling of words are always in need and poor. Third, Cajetan translates: in all labor there will be abundance; and the word of the lips only tends to defect. And the sense of the proverb is, he says, that all labor by its own nature produces some gain, except labor in speech. For the more one labors to multiply words, the more he tends toward defect. So that multiloquy by its own nature does not tend toward gain, but only toward defect, and truly it is so. For it brings tedium to the hearer, sin to the discourse, and indignity to himself by multiloquy. Thus far Cajetan. Fourth, Our translator most excellently translates: in all work there will be abundance, etc., as if to say: From any work and labor proceeds profit and abundance of things, but no fruit proceeds from empty speech. In whatever art one labors, the fruit of notable labor will be evident; but truly verbosity produces nothing but emptiness and want. Thus R. Solomon, R. Levi and Aben-Ezra. It is signified therefore, says Jansenius, that riches are prepared by labor and diligence, not by garrulity, which frequently leads to want and defect, because talkative people allow time to pass away in idleness. But he says: "In all work and labor," that is, through any labor, or work of whatever kind, abundance will come forth to man, because through various kinds of operation riches are prepared, through agriculture, through commerce, through crafts, etc. Honest labor therefore is commended, and just as by many other sentences of this book, so also by this verse idle garrulity is condemned. Furthermore, what is understood literally of the labors of the body and bodily advantage, must be understood mystically of the operation of virtues. For he who according to the parable of the Gospel, having received five talents, shall have worked in them, will gain five others also, and to everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall abound. But those who delight in words only, and speak of virtue only not from the heart, but with the lips only, or invoke God only by the multitude of words, being meanwhile sterile in good works, will not come to fruit, will suffer defect of virtues and of the grace of God, and finally eternal want. "For not everyone," says the Lord, "that saith to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father, who is in heaven," Matthew VII, 21. To this the Chaldean version contributes: in everything, it says, which makes you anxious, it will be advantageous to you; and superfluous lips will be in want. For anxiety sharpens diligence in seeking all methods and investigating whatever reasons, so that the matter which troubles us and keeps us anxious may be accomplished skillfully and happily. And the Syriac: in whatever matter you shall be anxious, there will be joy of pleasure; but he who is poor in his own house will be quiet and cheerful. The Lord heals all sorrow. The speech of the wicked lips brings them want. For it is fitting that they be fed by their words, not by bread, who know how to do nothing but pour forth words and do not know how to labor. And the Septuagint: in every diligent one there will be abundance; but the sweet one and free from sorrow will be in want. Moreover the author of the Greek Catena thus translates and explains the Septuagint: to every diligent and anxious one abundance is present; but he who lives sweetly, free from care and sorrow, will struggle with want. "Whoever seriously applies himself to the study of virtues, it is necessary that he excel both in action and in knowledge. For it can scarcely happen that he who is perpetually occupied with the consideration of those matters which fall under action should not abound in both. But truly he who is affected in a different way, who shrinks from the labors and troubles of virtue, it is altogether fitting." Therefore "in every work there will be abundance," etc., that is to say, virtue is situated not in speaking but in doing; nor is he just who speaks good things, but he who completes good things by strenuous action. Furthermore, Abba Abraham in Cassian, Conference XXIV, final chapter, thus explains the Septuagint: "He who is sweet and without sorrow will be in want. For the kingdom of heaven is not seized by the idle, not by the remiss, not by the delicate, not by the tender, but by the violent. Who then are these violent ones? Namely those who bring forth splendid violence not against others but against their own wills, who by praiseworthy seizure defrauding themselves of all pleasure in present things, are pronounced by the voice of the Lord to be excellent plunderers, and by such manner of seizure violently invade the kingdom of heaven. For the kingdom of heaven according to the sentence of the Lord suffers violence, and the violent seize it. These truly are praiseworthy violent ones, who do violence to their own destruction." Finally, similar to this proverb is that verse 4: "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty; but where there are many harvests, there the strength of the ox is manifest." Consult what I have noted there.
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First, the plain sense is, that is to say, Riches are an ornament to the wise, and encircle and adorn him like a crown with a royal diadem. But "the foolishness of fools is imprudence," in Hebrew, the foolishness of fools is foolishness, that is, all the glory of fools is foolishness; fools have no crown by which to adorn themselves except foolishness, because even if they are rich, yet riches, since they know not how to use them rightly, are not to them for honor and utility, but for damage and disgrace. Whence the Chaldean translator renders it, and the glory of fools is their foolishness, that is to say, Fools have nothing of good things except foolishness; every thing, every hope of theirs is mere foolishness; their whole estate is foolishness; all their wealth, and all their goods turn to foolishness, according to that saying: A monkey remains a monkey, even though it wear golden insignia." Solomon signifies that riches add to wisdom a certain increase and dignity, as they added to Solomon. Whence he himself says: "All good things came to me together with her, etc., because she is the mother of all these," Wisdom VII, 11. And: "Wisdom is more useful with riches, and profiteth more them that see the sun," Ecclesiastes VII, 12. Thus Lysander congratulated Cyrus: "They rightly call thee blessed, he said, because fortune is joined with thy wisdom," as Cicero testifies, in the book On Old Age. Therefore riches like a crown adorn the wise man, and add splendor to him: first, because wisdom deserves to be crowned with them, and by them it shines, not foolishness: namely, those endowed with virtue are adorned with riches, not the vicious; secondly, because riches in the hand of the wise are well placed, and as it were blessed, because through the wise man they shall attain their end to which they were created by God, which is, that they be rightly expended in alms and other works of virtue. For riches to the wise man are instruments of great works. Whence Bion said, "riches are the sinews of actions," because without them nothing is done, as Laertius testifies, book IV, chapter VII. Another said, "riches are the sinews of war." Pythagoras asserted, "that neither a horse without a bridle, nor riches without prudence can anyone govern." Democritus said that the use of money with prudence is useful for exercising liberality, and for helping others; but with foolishness it is common largesse, as Stobaeus testifies, discourse 92. Wherefore, if riches, endowed with sense, reason, voice and other faculties, were to fly from the foolish, impious and avaricious to the wise, pious and liberal, and were to cry out: We will not dwell with the impious, but with the holy; we will not be locked away in the chest of the avaricious, but in the belly of the poor; injury is done to us, violence is inflicted, when we are given to the inept and unworthy, and forced to serve their avarice, pride, belly and lust with hard servitude. Come, ye holy; come, ye merciful, vindicate us from this hard servitude, snatch us that with you we may be sanctified, and may exercise mercy: for this is the end, this is our blessedness, to which we were created by God; thirdly, because the wise distribute riches in alms; and almsgiving is the queen of virtues, says St. Chrysostom, homily 7 On Penance, and therefore places her royal crown upon the head of the wise. And homily 9: "That almsgiving, that queen of virtues, shall most clearly lead men to the very heights of heaven, acting as their best advocate." And homily 8, thus he adds: "To this one the gates of heaven are opened with great facility, and as it were their queen entering, none of the guards stationed at those gates dares to ask who she is, or whence she comes; rather all receive her: for almsgiving is altogether a queen;"; fourthly, because the wise man uses riches as a lord and king of them, but the fool and the avaricious man is enslaved by them as a servant; he possesses gold, this one is possessed by gold. A monkey remains a monkey, even though it wear golden insignia." Solomon signifies that riches add to wisdom a certain increase and dignity, as gold: thus St. Chrysostom, homily 16 on Matthew. Gold therefore serves the wise man as a king like a royal crown, binds and chains the fool like shackles and bonds; fifthly, the wise, because they know how to use riches rightly, are adorned by them, and become wiser and holier, and more merciful; but fools having obtained riches are more infatuated by them, and become more foolish, and as it were mad and insane, as St. Chrysostom says, homily 7 in the epistle to the Colossians. Finally, riches are a crown to the wise man, because expended by him in works of piety, they bring forth for him unfading crowns in heaven, which Christ will decree and adjudge to almsgivers alone on the day of judgment, Matthew XXV. Secondly, Lyra: The crown of the wise, he says, is wisdom, which adorns and enriches them like great riches, that is to say, wisdom crowns and adorns the wise man more than any riches, golden and jeweled crowns, because the crown of wisdom is most rich. Whence Aristotle, book XII of the Rhetoric: "And because," he says, "to reign is the sweetest thing, it is also sweet to seem wise; for it is the property of kings to be endowed with wisdom." Calanus the Gymnosophist to Alexander the Great: "You will be king," he says, "if you rule yourself; you will be king if reason rules you." And Bias, fleeing when his city was captured, when he was warned to carry away his possessions as others did, answered: "I carry all my things with me." Thus also the author of the Greek Catena explains it: The riches, he says, or glory of the wise is prudence. Concerning this crown of wisdom and virtues I have said more in chapter IV, verse 9, and Ecclesiasticus I, verses 11 and 12. Thirdly, the Septuagint in their codex, for עשרם osram, that is their riches, dropping the letter ע, reading ערום arum, that is astute, translate, the crown of the wise is astute; but the conversation of the imprudent is evil. Thus also the Syriac in its manner following the Septuagint. The sense is, that is to say, one man excelling in astuteness, that is in shrewdness and wisdom, like a crown adorns and beautifies the other wise men, and the whole college and assembly of them; but on the other hand one imprudent and foolish man disgraces the whole assembly both of the wise and of the unwise by his foolishness, because he breathes upon them and blows the poison of his folly and vices, or certainly disgrace and infamy. Thus St. Athanasius was the crown of the Alexandrian Church, St. Augustine of the African, St. Basil of the Greek, St. Gregory of the Roman, who, as St. Ildefonsus says, in the book On Illustrious Men: "He surpassed Anthony in holiness, Cyprian in eloquence, Augustine in wisdom." Thus St. Bernard was the crown of the Cistercians, Blessed Peter Damian of the Camaldolese, St. Thomas Aquinas of the Dominicans, St. Bonaventure of the Franciscans, etc. Mystically, Bede: "The greatest folly of the foolish," he says, "is this, that being improvident of eternal things they rejoice only in present comforts. For imprudence is called as it were lack of foresight."
14:25
In Hebrew, a witness of truth delivers souls, and a deceitful man breathes out lies, that is a deceitful one; or repeating the witness, and a deceitful witness breathes out lies; the Septuagint, a faithful witness will deliver from evils (St. Cyprian, book III of Testimonies, reads, a faithful martyr); "but a deceitful man kindles lies" (the Roman and Complutensian editions, renounce, both signify the Greek ψευδής); the Chaldean, he who speaks lies is deceitful. Understand "lies" as full and perfect, namely not idle and jesting only, but harmful and pernicious: for these in the Scriptures are called lies by antonomasia, which a liar as it were breathes out and hurls like pestilential fires from his mouth upon the innocent, and thus the antithesis is clear, that is to say, He who either publicly or privately, as Jansenius says, testifies concerning the deeds and words of someone, and indicates the matter as it is, frequently delivers souls, that is, men who are unjustly oppressed. But he delivers from impending death, from attempted calumny and injury, from infamy and any unjust oppression, from which when he delivers one, he does not deliver one soul only, but many, as of his whole family and friends, who would be sprinkled with ignominy with him, so that it is well said: "A faithful witness delivers souls." On the contrary, he who bears false witness concerning a matter oppresses souls, whom he deprives either of inheritance and property, or of life, or finally of honest reputation. Secondly, our Salazar more profoundly thinks that here is given a sign by which a truthful witness may be distinguished from a false one. For the truthful one, he says, is especially eager to free the guilty, excusing and, as far as possible, lessening their offenses; on the other hand the false one strives to condemn and oppress by his lies, exaggerating small offenses and amplifying lighter faults. Wherefore among other documents of the Jurist Bartolus, by which he instructs judges in discerning witnesses, he teaches that this is a notable sign of falsehood: "If he exaggerates offenses, and by his words shows that he greatly desires the condemnation of the accused. For truth," he says, "is benevolent; but falsehood is cruel and savage." Finally, this verse coincides with verse 5, and with verse 17 of chapter XII; wherefore I shall add nothing more here. Mystically, the truthful witness is Christ, says Hugh, and any preacher and teacher of true and saving doctrine; for he delivers souls from sin, the devil, death and hell. The false witness is the heretic, the impostor and the hypocrite, who by flattering and proposing the allurements of pleasures and the freedom of the flesh, drives souls into heresy, luxury and pride, and thus destroys them and hurls them into hell.
14:26
The fear of the Lord is here understood chiefly as filial, which is nothing other than reverence, worship and love of God. "Confidence of strength" is strong and robust confidence. Whence the Syriac version: the fear of the Lord is valid and strong hope; or by hypallage, fiducial strength, which namely acts and endures all things confidently, freely and fearlessly, indeed undertakes and overcomes difficult things. Therefore it signifies that the fear of the Lord produces both strength and confidence; yet he says conjointly "confidence of strength," so as to intimate that confidence is the cause of strength. For this reason those who fear God are strong and robust, because they have placed all their confidence in God almighty; wherefore since they know themselves to be the care and concern of God, they fear nothing, but generously overcome all temptations, persecutions, tribulations, enemies: for the fear of God overcomes the fears of all things which are inferior to God, just as the light of the sun overcomes and obscures any light whatsoever. They say therefore with St. Paul: "If God be for us, who is against us?" And with David, Psalm XXVI, 1: "The Lord is my illumination and my salvation, whom shall I fear? If armies in camp should stand against me, my heart shall not fear. If battle should rise up against me, in this will I hope," that is to say, Whoever wishes to conquer me must first conquer God; for God is my protector and my shield on all sides. Thus St. Gregory, book V of the Morals, XII: "In the way of God," he says, "one begins from fear, so as to come to strength. For just as in the way of the world boldness produces strength, so in the way of God boldness produces weakness. And just as in the way of the world fear produces weakness, so also in the way of God fear produces strength, as Solomon attests: In the fear of the Lord is the confidence of strength said to be, because namely our mind despises the terrors of temporal things all the more powerfully, the more truly it submits itself to their author through reverence, which constituted in the fear of the Lord will not find outside what it may fear, because while it joins itself with right fear to the creator of all things, it is lifted up by a certain power above all things." This is what Solomon's follower Sirach, following his custom, frequently inculcates, as in Ecclesiasticus XXV, 14: "The fear of the Lord hath exalted itself above all things." And chapter XXXIV, 19: "The eyes of the Lord are upon them that fear him, a protector of power, a firmament of virtue, a shelter of heat, and a shadow at midday, a deprecation of offence, and an aid in falling, exalting the soul, and enlightening the eyes, giving health, and life, and blessing." See the sayings there. Armed with this fear of God, St. Lawrence overcame the gridiron, St. Sebastian intrepidly received the arrows of all, St. Vincent laughed at the racks of Dacian, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Agatha, St. Lucy, etc., conquered fires, wheels, lions and all the torments of tyrants. Clad in this fear, St. Athanasius despised all the persecutions of the Arians, St. Anthony scattered all the illusions of demons like spider webs, St. Hilarion, St. Macarius, and the other Ascetics transcended all the blandishments of the flesh and all the temptations of the world. St. Ignatius, the founder of our Society, when he frequently undertook difficult matters beyond the strength of nature, was accustomed to answer those who marveled: "Do you not know what great strength hope in God has?" He knew this himself, because he experienced it continually. Therefore confidence in God is confidence of strength; confidence in kings and princes is confidence of fragility. Whence the Psalmist: "Put not," he says, "your confidence in princes, in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation," Psalm CXLV, 2. AND TO HIS SONS THERE SHALL BE HOPE. — For hope the Hebrew is מחסה machse, that is, as the Chaldean version has it, protection, shelter, refuge, and thence hope: for, as Rabbi Levi says, hope like a shield protects and guards the one who hopes; the Septuagint, firmament; Rabbi Solomon, refuge: for they are confident, he says, and under the shadow of the merits of the parent the sons shall lie hidden in safety. Baynus refers the pronoun his to the Lord who preceded, that is to say, To the sons of the Lord God there shall be hope; so that the sense is: In the fear of the Lord is confidence of strength, because the fear of the Lord makes those who fear it sons of God: but to the sons of God there is supreme hope; for what should not the sons of God hope for from God their father? Better, Bede, the Author of the Greek Catena, and others refer his pronoun to the fear of the Lord, as if to say: To the sons of the fear of the Lord, that is to those who fear God supremely, so that from the fear of the Lord as if from a womb they appear to be sown, conceived and begotten, there will be hope, protection and safeguard. For thus those who are very wise are called sons of wisdom, those who are very obedient are called sons of obedience, those who are very loving are called sons of love, so that from love as if from a mother's womb they appear to be born. Thus the Romans said that Cato was so continent that he appeared to be born from the womb of continence. In a similar manner therefore those are called sons of the fear of God who fear and revere God greatly, and for this reason they walk carefully in his sight, striving that in all things they please him, and that they offend him not even in the least. Again, you may refer τὸ his to the fear of the Lord not in the abstract, but in the concrete; his therefore, that is of him who fears the Lord: for the concrete one fearing is hidden and included in the abstract fear. And this phrase and relation to the concrete included in the abstract is frequent among the Hebrews. The plain sense therefore is, as if to say: The fear of the Lord brings forth confidence of strength, not only to him who fears, but also to his sons; for God strengthens and fortifies these, and loads them with all his blessing on account of the fear and merits of the father. His sons therefore nourish great hopes, and from this they bear exalted spirits; just as the sons of kings and princes, because they nourish sublime hopes, hence they likewise foster sublime spirits. Finally, how great this hope is, and how great its strength, St. Leo describes forcefully, sermon 2 On the Ascension: "This faith (and hope: "for faith is the substance of things to be hoped for," Hebrews XI, 1) increased by the Ascension of the Lord and strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, neither chains, nor prisons, nor exiles, nor hunger, nor fire, nor the tearing of beasts, nor the exquisite torments devised by persecutors terrified. For this faith throughout the whole world not only men, but also women; and not only boys of tender age, but also tender virgins even unto the shedding of their blood contended. This faith cast out demons, drove away diseases, raised the dead." St. Leo then adds: "Nor is there any one of you, O most beloved, to whom nothing is conferred in the distribution of this grace; because the cause of justice is common to all Christians, and the fullness of blessing pertains to all. Let no one therefore who is good despair of his hope on account of unworthiness (that is on account of merit; for thus the Latin Fathers speak), since even the Thief, sanctified by the kiss of Christ crucified, rests among the delights of paradise." Thus St. Leo.
14:27
This verse together with verse 26 is treated, since both form a pair joined concerning the fear of the Lord. See the commentary on verse 26 above.
14:28
In Hebrew, in the consumption of the people the breaking of the prince; Vatablus, the weakening of the empire; the Septuagint, in the defect (Symmachus, in the scarcity) of the people the breaking of the prince; the Zurich Bible, in the multitude of the people is the magnificence of the king: but where there is no people, the prince fears. For the Hebrew word הדרת hadrat is dignity, beauty, ornament, magnificence. The sense therefore is clear, that is to say, In the multitude of the people, or, as you would translate from the Hebrew, in the multiplication of the people, that is, when the people is multiplied both in number, and in probity, virtue, obedience, then in wealth and census, then in wisdom, industry, strength and fortitude, the king is likewise multiplied, increases and grows, both in the number of subjects, and in the opinion of his virtue; for from the people they judge the king: for what kind of king, such is the people; and at the example of the King the whole world is composed; then in riches: for the rich people enriches the king by its tributes and gifts; then in wisdom and strength: for from the wisdom, industry and government of the people flows the wisdom of the prince, according to that passage in chapter XI, 14: Where there is no governor, the people shall fall; but safety is where there are many counsels. Again, a strong people makes the prince strong, because in war it protects him and defends him even at the risk of life. Wherefore truly Symmachus, epistle 34, book X, says: To be loved, he says, honored, cherished is greater than empire. The Poet: The prince nourishes not citizens only, but even enemies: as a gray she-wolf would bear the offspring of another. On the other hand, when the people fails both in number, and in virtue, then in wealth, then in wisdom and strength, the prince likewise fails in these same things: for the riches and goods of the prince are situated in the riches and goods of the people. Wherefore it is a sign that the prince is either imprudent, or avaricious, or wicked, when the people fails. For a good prince by his wisdom, clemency, government, industry, attracts to his own and to his kingdom foreigners and strangers from everywhere: but a bad one and a tyrant, burdening his own with tributes and charges, scatters and drives them away, so that elsewhere they seek lands where, having found a better prince, they may be treated better. For a good prince seeks not his own, but the good of the people: indeed he esteems the good of the people as his own, as it truly is; but a tyrant looks to his own, not the good of the people, whence he plunders, burdens, oppresses the people; and therefore the people hates the tyrant, and either avoids him, or defrauds and steals from him whatever it can, or even rebels, and plots his destruction. Whence the Septuagint translates, in the defect of the people the breaking of the prince, the overthrow of the prince. For, as blessed Peter Chrysologus rightly says, sermon 173: As the honor of the head extends to the members, so the suffering of the members extends to the pain of the head, to the injury of the head. Hence God, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, shows his magnificence in the innumerable multitude of holy Angels, the Blessed, stars and all creatures serving him. Whence Daniel, beholding it, in chapter VII, says: Thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him. And the Psalmist thus describes the magnificent kingdom of Christ, Psalm II: Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And Psalm LXXI, 8: He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Hence Solomon, a type of Christ, was wonderfully magnificent in the number, riches and strength of soldiers and servants, so much so that from the mere sight of them the queen of Sheba was astonished, III Kings X. Thus Xenophon writes of Cyrus, book VIII of the Cyropaedia, chapter XXX: There was such affection of men toward him, that any nation would have considered it a loss to itself if it did not send to Cyrus whatever was excellent in its region, either born, or nourished, or perfected by art. Likewise any city, any private man considered himself wealthy if he had done something pleasing to Cyrus. For Cyrus also received from each those things of which those who gave them had abundance; and in turn he bestowed upon those whom he perceived to be in want. Understand these things concerning a multitude properly instructed, composed and ordered: for this brings honor and strength to the king: but if it be uncomposed and disordered, it will rather dishonor and weaken the king, so much so that it may be laid low and routed by a few valiant men rightly disposed in battle. Let Xerxes be an example, who, spreading the sea with fleets, the land with forces, nay, joining the Hellespont together, piercing Mount Athos, traversing the seas on foot, and leading mountains with his fleets, as Cicero says in book II of On Ends, and leading twenty thousand Persians into battle, was routed and slain at Thermopylae by three hundred Lacedaemonians under the command of Leonidas; and this was foretold to him by Demaratus, whom Seneca thus introduces speaking wisely to Xerxes in book VI of On Benefits, chapter XXXI: Demaratus alone said that that very multitude, which pleased him, undigested and burdensome, was to be feared by two hundred; for it has not strength, but weight; the immoderate can never be ruled, nor can anything that cannot be ruled last long. In the first place, he says, the Lacones being placed in the way on a mountain, will give you experience of themselves. So many thousands of nations three hundred will delay, will stick fixed in their footsteps, and will guard the narrow passes committed to them and will overwhelm them with their bodies. All Asia will not move them from their place. So great threats of war and the assault of almost all mankind rushing down, the fewest will sustain. And further down: It is true what is said, that the apparatus of war is greater than what can be received by those regions which you have determined to attack; but this thing is against us. For this very reason Greece will conquer you, because it cannot contain you. You cannot use the whole world. Moreover, that which is the one salvation of things, to meet the first onsets of affairs, and to bring aid to things that are declining, you will not be able to do, nor to support and strengthen things that are falling. You will be conquered long before you feel yourself to be conquered. But it is not the case that you should think your army cannot be sustained by this, because the number of it is unknown even to you. Nothing is so great that it cannot perish, to which is born from its own magnitude a cause of destruction, so that other things may rest. Those things which Demaratus had foretold came to pass: three hundred, impelled by divine and human force, and changing whatever had stood in the way, stood firm: and Xerxes, scattered throughout all Greece here and there, understood how much a multitude differs from an army. On the other hand, tyrants effect, nay, desire the poverty, impotence, and fewness of their subjects, lest they dare to rise up and rebel against them: as we read of Dionysius and the other tyrants of Sicily. The same thing is seen today in the Turk, concerning whom this is commonly said: Wherever the Turk sets his foot, there straightway follows desolation and devastation of lands and inhabitants. Aristotle gives the reason in book V of the Politics, chapter X: The guard of a king, he says, is from his citizens; but of a tyrant from foreigners: he has confidence in his people in no respect. And so to take away arms from his citizens, and to trample down the multitude of the people, and to drive them out of the city, and to render the city empty of inhabitants, is proper to tyranny: likewise to harass the nobility, to overthrow them secretly and openly, and to send them into exile, as adversaries and plotters against his power. Whence the counsel of Periander given to Thrasybulus to cut off the outstanding ears of grain, as if it were fitting to remove the more eminent of the citizens from their midst. All these things are principles of changes. See the same author, chapter XI, where he teaches that a tyrant, in order to confirm his tyranny, first, takes away courage from his subjects; second, makes citizens discord among themselves; third, deprives them of all power, wealth, and strength. A symbol of this thing is the physeter, a small fish which goes before the whale, leads and rules it: for it shows forth the shallows and dangers. For just as the honor of the physeter is the magnitude of the whale, so the honor of the king is the magnitude of the people, concerning which the Poet says: By this whale is safe, led through the waves: And the people is happy in its watchful prince. For, as the Comic poet says: By the labor of citizens the affairs of princes become glorious: It is the shame of a shepherd, if he does not have his flock well: With a prince member ailing, the whole body has ill: No one is a friend, no one is faithful to an ungrateful prince: A good prince is poor to himself and rich to the public: Providing for the security of all, he despises his own. Finally, God grants pious and humble kings a multitude of people, and punishes the impious and proud with the fewness of the same, as is evident in David. Whence in Canon Law, Question IV, chapter XI, the Church, from St. Gregory, or, as the ancient codices have it, St. Augustine, is said: Sometimes on account of the merits of Prelates the life of subjects is corrupted and condemned, so that subjects favoring their Prelates in evil fall with them together, as the children of Israel, long bearing the sins of the priests, at length fell with them into the hands of enemies. Likewise David numbered the people, II Kings, last chapter, by which sin the sword of the Lord raged in the people. But in a numerous nation is the glory of the king, in the diminution of the people is the crushing of the prince. Whoever therefore was proud on account of the numerousness of his nation, is justly punished in its diminution.
14:29
That is, he displays and exhibits folly with loud voices, clamors, and waving of hands and arms. In Hebrew, long in nostrils (that is, long-suffering and slow to anger, as I said above), much in understanding; but short in spirit exalting his folly; the Chaldean version: he who is long-suffering has much prudence; and he who is hasty in spirit multiplies folly; the Septuagint: μακρόθυμος, that is, a long-suffering man, much in prudence; ὀλιγόψυχος, that is, impatient or faint-hearted, very imprudent; the Complutensian editors: but the impatient strong (for they read ἰσχυρός, that is, strong, for ἰσχυρῶς, that is, strongly, mightily, very much) is foolish; the Syriac: but the very sad is foolish, because by his faint-heartedness and sadness he does not alleviate his evil, but increases, doubles and triples it. Blessed Antiochus, homily 24, reads: A long-suffering man is of great prudence; but the faint-hearted is very foolish; St. Jerome, on chapter V to the Galatians: The faint-hearted is exceedingly unwise; but he who is patient and endures all things is a wise man. For the long-suffering are magnanimous, and therefore prudent, patient and slow to anger; but the faint-hearted are small-minded, and therefore imprudent, impatient and quick to choler, as is evident in children and women. Hence in Hebrew they are called short in spirit, that is, in a narrow, confined and straitened mind, which can bear nothing, but immediately leaps and springs forth into anger. On which account Aristotle beautifully says, in book VII of the Ethics, chapter VI: Anger, he says, seems in some way, but not perfectly, to hear reason, just like swift servants, who indeed before they have heard the whole of what is said, run off; and therefore err in their action. Dogs also, before they consider whether it is a friend, if only someone knocks at the door, bark: so also anger, on account of the heat and swiftness of its nature, having heard reason indeed, but not having heard the command, hastens to vengeance itself. Wherefore Blessed Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, says: In all things, he says, let us show ourselves as ministers of God, as St. Paul admonishes, II Corinthians VI, 4. But much patience shines forth in this; if many contrary or adverse things, let long-suffering bear many things in much gentleness. For patience without long-suffering will not be much, but short: without true gentleness it will be altogether nothing. Thus his Life has it. See Cassian, Collation XVI, chapter XXVII, and Collation XVIII, chapter XIII. Hear St. Ephrem, tract. On Vices and Virtues: A long-suffering man is governed by much prudence. But what is more excellent than this? For the long-suffering man always dwells in joy and gladness and exultation, has his hope fixed in the Lord, and is alien from all anger. For the long-suffering man endures all things, is not easily provoked to anger, nor does he turn to insults, is not easily moved by empty words. If he is afflicted by injury, he does not bear it with difficulty. To those who oppose him he does not resist. In any matter he remains firm and steadfast. He is deceived by no impostures. He is not easily provoked to anger. In adversities he rejoices. He delights in every good work. He bears the envious with an equal and willing mind. When commanded he does not resist, when rebuked he does not grieve. In long-suffering he always exercises himself. Furthermore, the prudence of the patient and the imprudence of the impatient first show themselves in this, that the patient shows himself master of anger, the impatient its servant; the patient therefore rules himself and his affections, and therefore consists in perpetual peace and tranquility; the impatient, however, is driven by continuous passions, and therefore lives in perpetual tumult and disturbance of mind. Whence Abba Benjamin, in Palladius's Lausiac History, tormented by a severe dropsy, said calmly to his sympathizing brethren: Pray that my inner man be not dropsical. For this body, neither when it was well did it profit me; nor when it was ill did it harm me. Most excellently St. Gregory, book V of the Morals, chapter XXX: If therefore anger, he says, takes away the quiet of the mind, it shuts its habitation to the Holy Spirit, by whose withdrawal the empty mind is led to open madness, and is scattered from the innermost foundation of thoughts even to the surface. And after a few words: In what way therefore is this man far from the possessed, who is not conscious of his own action? Whence it often happens that anger leaps forth even to the hands; and the further reason recedes, the more boldly it rises up, and the mind cannot retain itself, because it has become subject to an alien power, and by that fury the members without exercise themselves in blows, by which within the mind itself, the mistress of the members, is held captive. Secondly, the patient man by his silence and obedience rules not only his own anger, but also that of others; the impatient man serves and is enslaved to both. Thus St. Vincent, insulting the tyrant Dacian on the rack: Rise up, he said, against me, and rage with all the malice of your spirit; you will see that by the power of God I can do more than you who torture me. He spoke and it came to pass, so much so that Dacian, raging, exclaimed: We are conquered. So too St. Lawrence, insulting Valerian: Wretch, he said, I have always desired these feasts; this flame provides me refreshment. Thirdly, the patient man by his patience often converts the impatient man, and makes him patient by his own patience; the impatient man, on the other hand, by his impatience makes others impatient. The impatient man therefore is like one fevered, the patient man is like a physician who heals the fever of impatience and restores the impatient man to patience and right mind. Hear Blessed Peter Chrysologus, sermon 38: Is it not the case that whenever the fire of choler has inflamed a wretched man, and the raging fever has made the sick man mad, the senses are disturbed, the mind perishes, savagery comes, humanity departs, and—to say no more—while the man dies, fury lives? Hence he grinds his teeth, tears his parents, rends those near him, strikes with his fist, bites and harms those who obey him; then the physician, for the glory of virtue, for the honor of his art, for the accumulation of fame, arms himself; patience takes on forbearance, despises injuries, endures bites, bears labors, and suffers no light penalties, so that he may free the laborer from punishment; he cherishes with oil, persists in care, dispenses medicine, certain that the sick man, once he has received health, will repay the reward of honor through obedience. I ask, what greater madness, what more serious force of fury, what indeed greater madness than for a holy man to strike the cheek, to beat the face of a meek brother, to cover the grace of a peaceful countenance with sad bruising? to strip a man of the sole garment that covers him? and for vile plunder to leave nothing to God, nothing to man, nothing to nature, nothing to shame? to compel a man occupied with his own affairs? and to reckon another's punishment as his own consolation? Therefore, brothers, if we have learned that those perpetrating such things labor under the gravest madness, let us obey Christ, and let us bear with all the virtue of piety the bites, blows, and entire burdens of our raging brothers, so that we may both free our brothers from punishment and obtain for ourselves the eternal reward of patience. See what I have said at length concerning the patient man and patience in Exodus I. Thus St. Gregory the Great said to the Emperor Maurice and his sons who persecuted him: Since I am a sinner, you all the more (as I think) reconcile God to yourselves, the more you afflict me serving Him sluggishly. Thus at last he whom arms could not conquer, patience conquered; thus his Life has it, book IV, chapter XVII. Namely: Patience is a noble way of conquering: he conquers who suffers; if you wish to conquer, learn to suffer. Fourthly, because the patient man by his patience acquires perfect patience, and Patience hath a perfect work, James I, 4. See what is said there. Whence St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus, when asked what was the expeditious way to perfection, replied: If you suffer much in the name of Christ. Wherefore that noble matron of Alexandria asked of Cassian, through St. Athanasius, a most troublesome sick woman, so that by serving her and receiving reproaches from her, she might learn patience: So that, she said, I may become accustomed to render good for evil, benefit for injury. Therefore to do mighty deeds is Roman, to suffer mighty deeds is Christian; because patience is the queen of all things, which surpasses all things, just as a rock by enduring conquers the assaults of the sea.
14:30
The Hebrew קנאה kina, that is, zeal, emulation, envy, is as if to say: A sound heart, that is, a mind sound from passions, especially from malice and anger (whence the Septuagint translates it, a meek heart), also makes the body and flesh lively and healthy; but the passions of the soul, and especially envy so affects and eats away the body, that even the bones, which are the hardest and most solid, it consumes and wastes away. For from a good and cheerful disposition of mind, by natural sympathy, there follows a good condition of the body, and conversely, as the natural philosophers and experience teach. For the mind breathes into and communicates its own health, peace, joy, equally as its sickness, disturbance, and sadness to the body, inasmuch as it is intimately united to it. Thus R. Levi, and R. Solomon, Aben-Ezra, Jansenius and others. Hear St. Basil, homily On Envy: The envious themselves confess this vice by their own mouth; their look is withered, their cheek somewhat sad and hollow, their brow lowered: whence envy is called livor, that is, pain of the heart, and because it makes the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. livid, that is, dark, pale and sad, the envious, eating themselves away with sorrow, contract a livid color, according to that epigram of Virgil On Livor: Livor, a wasting poison to the wicked, Devours the marrow untouched in the bones, And drinks all the blood from the limbs. That this is the meaning is clear from the Septuagint, a meek man of heart is a physician; but the worm of the bones is the sensitive heart. The author of the Catena of the Greeks translates it, a heart wounded by the sense of error, namely that envy, with black bile or anger, easily feels adversity and is agitated by passions, and even by a single word less aptly spoken, as if touched by a needle, is pricked and wounded. Seneca graphically depicts the sensitive heart, in book III On Anger, chapter X: For as, he says, ulcers, at a light touch, and then even at the suspicion of a touch, become painful, so the mind affected is disturbed by the smallest offenses, so much so that some are provoked to litigation by a greeting, a letter, a speech and a question: they are never touched without complaint, being sick. And in chapter XXIX, book III, he thus says: What you see happen in dumb animals, the same you will find in stupid men; we are disturbed by trifles and empty things. A ruddy color excites the bull, the asp rises at a shadow, a cloth provokes bears and lions; all things which are by nature wild and rabid are terrified at the least. The same happens to dull minds, they are struck by the suspicion of things, so much so that they call slight benefits injuries. This meaning is also hinted at by the Chaldean, who says: he saw the wrath of his heart, it is medicine to his flesh; and as rottenness in wood is strong, so also in the bones is envy; and the Syrian, he who calms his anger is a physician to himself, the worm of the bones is envy; and Vatablus and Pagninus, the life of the body is a gentle mind; and the rottenness of the bones is envy, as if to say: The health of the body is to withdraw oneself from anger and to be gentle; but envy corrupts the body. Note here: The Hebrew מרפה marpe is the same as health and gentleness; for physicians heal diseases by soothing them with medicines. A sound heart therefore is a gentle heart, not a light one, as some translate it incorrectly. Therefore the health of the heart, first, is gentleness and meekness itself: for this directly opposes anger and envy, which are the greatest sickness, decay and death of the heart; and this brings health and longevity to the flesh and body, which anger and envy diminish and cut short. Whence the saying: τὰ ἄχολα μακρόβια, that is, animals which lack bile and gall, are long-lived, as deer. Second, the health of the heart is love and charity. Whence St. Augustine, or whoever is the author, sermon 47 On Various Matters: Let all the envious know, he says, who rejoice in the tribulations of others, that they are putrefied and cut off and dead members, and therefore do not have feeling, and when they depart from other members, they do not feel, because they are without feeling. Our feeling, brothers, is one faith, and one charity is one health: let us hold faith as feeling, let us hold charity as health; and although different members have different duties: yet let them be held by the unity of charity, so that they may deserve to go after the head. Third, the health of the heart is the health of reason, mind and judgment: for this lulls anger and envy to sleep, by proposing reasons that soothe anger and envy, for example, that the things of this world are vile and light, and unworthy on account of which a man born for heaven should be angry or envious of anyone; that the good of charity, grace, peace of mind is greater than all that on account of which one envies another; that envy harms the envious more than him whom he envies; for the supreme torment of the envious is envy itself, according to that saying: Envy the Sicilian tyrants did not invent A greater torment. Wherefore St. Gregory, book V of the Morals, chapter XXXIV: He who, says he, desires to be completely free from the plague of envy, let him love that inheritance which the number of co-heirs does not narrow; which is both one to all and whole to each; which is shown to be so much more abundant, the more the multitude of those receiving it is enlarged. The diminution therefore of envy is an affection arising from internal sweetness, and its complete death is perfect love of eternity. For when the mind is withdrawn from the desire of that thing which is divided by the number of recipients, so much the more does it love its neighbor, the less it fears its own losses from his advancement. Fourth, R. Solomon, Baynus and the Zurich Bible translate it as healing of the heart, or a heart that heals: for this is what the Hebrew word מרפא marpe properly signifies; whence the healing of the heart here can be understood not only passively, which is in the heart itself being healthy in itself, but also actively, which heals others who are sick and afflicted, that is to say, A meek heart, prudent and full of charity, heals the sorrows and sufferings of others, instructing them with prudent and sweet reasons, consoling them, encouraging them, and thus also restores life and joy to their flesh and body. The contrary is plainly done by a heart consumed with envy: for this infects and consumes both minds and flesh and bones, both its own and those of others. Whence the Septuagint translates it, a meek man of heart is a physician, because he drives away from the mind both his own and that of others anger and envy, which is a grave disease; and because he dispels the envy and decay of flesh and bones, flowing from envy. Therefore the meek man is marpe, or Raphael, that is, the physician of God, or one who heals, and God who heals, because just as Raphael healed and freed Tobias the elder from blindness, the younger from Asmodeus, Sarah from widowhood and anguish, so likewise the meek man cures all infirmities of the soul. It alludes to natural health of the heart; for just as this produces life and health of the flesh and other members: for the heart is the workshop generating vital spirits, which it sends into each member; whence, if it be healthy and vigorous, it will create living and vigorous spirits, which by distributing through the members, will make them likewise living and vigorous; but if it be sick and badly affected, it will generate corrupted spirits, which by dispersing through the members, will breathe upon them its own infirmity and corruption, so much so that it causes the bones to rot and waste away: so likewise the health of the heart, that is of the mind, generates spirits, that is healthy thoughts and affections, that is living and vigorous ones, by which all the senses both interior and exterior, and the flesh itself and the whole body are nourished and flourish, indeed it breathes the same nourishment and flourishing into others; but if the mind be sick with anger, envy or some other passion, it will create angry, envious, sad thoughts, etc., by which it will impress those same affections and infirmities upon all the senses and the whole body, as Isaiah teaches, chapter I, verses 5 and 6. Whence St. Chrysostom, homily 6, in Acts: Not so quickly, says he, did a physician free a feverish man from fevers by his treatment, as a patient man cooled another who was angry and burning with rage, having seized him through the spirit of his own words. And below: The meek indeed, says he, cure that worst of all affections, envy; nay rather, a patient man never admits that grave disease into his own soul; but if he sees brothers honored, he rejoices with them and congratulates them, counting the glory of others as his own, and considering the possessions of friends as common, he rejoices indeed in good things; but in sad things he sympathizes. For this reason he admonished so earnestly in chapter IV, verse 23, saying: With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life proceeds from it; and therefore one must pray constantly with the Psalmist, Psalm L: Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my bowels. For God is he who says: I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in the midst of you, Ezekiel XXXVI, 26. Where I have said much about this heart. Mystically St. Gregory, book V of the Morals, chapter last; and III part of the Pastoral, admonition 6, understands by flesh and bones weak and strong virtues: The life of the flesh, says he, is the health of the heart, because, if the innocence of the mind is guarded, even those things which are weak without are strengthened. And the rotting of the bones is envy, because by the vice of envy even strong deeds of virtues perish before the eyes of God. For bones to rot through envy is a certain loss even of what is robust. Morally, learn here how harmful and pestilential envy is, not only to those who are envied, but to the envious person himself. Whence St. Basil, in his homily On Envy: As, he says, they say that a viper is born by tearing open the womb of its mother, so envy gnaws at and wastes away the soul that conceives it. St. Basil's brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the Life of Moses: Envy, he says, is the prince of evils, the mother of death, the first gate of sin, the root of vices, the beginning of sorrow, the parent of calamity, the cause of disobedience, the beginning of shame, a deadly goad, a hidden sword, a disease of nature, poisonous bile, self-inflicted decay, a bitter weapon, a nail piercing the soul, a flame of the heart, a fire of the bowels. He who has this is unhappy not from his own evils, but from the goods of others. Similar to the kites, which they say feed on carcasses and die from precious ointment. St. Jerome in chapter 5 to the Galatians: Envy is tormented by another's happiness, and is divided into a twofold passion, when either he himself is something in that which he does not wish another to be, or seeing another to be better, he grieves that he is not like him. Someone has wittily jested about envy, saying: Nothing is more just than envy, which forthwith gnaws at and torments its very Author and the soul. St. Chrysostom, homily 40 to the People: The envious are worse than beasts, and equal to demons, and perhaps worse: for beasts, needing food, or provoked by us, arm themselves against us; but the envious, even when attracted by benefits, have pursued the well-deserving with evils. Demons too, although they wage unceasing war against us, do not lay snares for those of their own kind; whence Christ closed the mouths of the Jews, when they slandered him by saying he cast out demons by Beelzebub. But the envious have neither respected the communion of nature, nor spared themselves. And a little later: This sin lacks all excuse. For the fornicator can indeed plead lust, the thief poverty, the murderer rage. But you, what excuse will you give, I ask? None at all, except only intense wickedness, etc. This vice is worse than fornication and adultery. For the latter stops in the deed, but the force of envy subverts the whole Church, and harms the entire world. This is the mother of murder: thus Cain killed his brother, thus Jacob Esau, thus Joseph his brothers, thus the devil all men. Wherefore the symbol and image of the envious is the basilisk. For as the basilisk, according to Solinus, Aelian and others, is a serpent born for the destruction and death of the earth, which by its very look infects the air, burns plants, kills animals, and dissolves even stones; and this same creature, if it looks at itself in a mirror, is killed by its own breath reflected back upon itself: so the envious and slanderer, even what is weak without, is strengthened. And rottenness of the bones is envy, because through the vice of malice even strong deeds of virtue perish before the eyes of God. For bones to rot through envy is for even robust things to be destroyed. He who hurls curses at a pure soul wounds himself with his own arrows, and slays himself with his own sword. Symbolically, Hugo: Life of the flesh is the health of the heart. By the name of heart, he says, a Prelate is denoted, because from him the spirit of life flows into others as into kindred members, then when he is healthy and sound; but if he be in poor health and labors under vices, he will instill his vices into the members subject to him, so that even the bones, that is, those strong and mighty in virtue, gradually wither and waste away through vices, and especially if he labors under the vice of envy, and grieves that those subject to him are equal to him in wisdom and grace or surpass him: for this envy will provoke in turn the aversion, anger, and envy of the subjects, which will gnaw at, eat away and consume the bones, that is, the innermost and strongest parts of the commonwealth, college, monastery, etc. Excellently Seneca, in the book On Clemency: For princes indeed, he says, to be envied and to envy are kindred evils; but to envy is the greater evil: for to be envied is a mark of virtue, to envy is a mark of weakness and madness. Therefore rottenness of the bones is envy, because, just as the marrow of the bones is nourished and irrigated from the head and brain through the spine, and therefore when the brain fails and is emptied, the marrow fails and is emptied: so also when the prince, who is the head, fails through envy, the bones of the commonwealth, namely the nobles, waste away; from this arise quarrels, suspicions, hatreds, wars, seditions, by which both the king and the nobles are consumed. This is supported by what we read in the Life of St. Mechthild, that when she was suffering grievously from a headache, so much so that she could obtain no rest, Christ appeared to her, and showing the wound of His heart said: Enter here, that thou mayest rest; immediately she entered with joy, and it seemed to her that her head was refreshed with as many silken pillows as it had been struck by the blows of pain. Wherefore she heard Christ saying: Silkworms bear silk, and of me it is written: I am a worm, and not a man. For this reason in all tribulation and necessity she had recourse to the heart of Christ, and from it she drew forth a wonderful solace and joy. Finally, from this passage and similar ones, Chaeremon the Abbot in Cassian, Collation XII, VI, teaches that meekness and patience are the most efficacious remedy against the temptation of the flesh and all other vices whatsoever, because patience brings peace to the soul and to all the members and bestows it. By which, he says, it is clearly shown that patience is so efficacious a medicine of the heart, according to that saying of Solomon: A patient man is the healer of his own heart, so as to uproot not only the fuel of anger, sadness, acedia, vainglory, and pride, but also of lust and all vices alike; for in longsuffering (as Solomon says) is the prosperity of a king. For he who is always meek and tranquil is neither inflamed by the disturbance of anger, nor consumed by the anguish of acedia and sadness, nor distended by the vanity of vainglory, nor lifted up by the swelling of pride. Great peace have they that love thy name, O Lord, and there is no stumbling-block to them, Psalm CXVIII. Anagogically, St. Jerome at the end of his Commentary on Isaiah, on those words, Their worm shall not die, says: This worm, he says, is understood by many as the conscience of sinners, which torments those constituted in punishments, according to that which is said in Psalm XXXI: I was troubled in my misery, while the thorn is fixed. And in Proverbs, Chapter XIV: The heart of the prudent understandeth itself (in Greek αἰσθητικόν, that is, sensitive). And again in Proverbs XXV: As a moth consumeth a garment, and a worm a wood, so the sadness of a man consumeth the heart. For the damned in hell, like dogs, are tormented exceedingly by envy, anger, sadness, anguish and remorse of conscience, because they understand and feel how grievous are the punishments they are forced to bear for a slight pleasure of sin; for these passions like a moth gnaw and eat them, but in such a way that they never consume and destroy them, but gnaw and eat them forever. Wherefore Isaiah says: Their worm shall not die.
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For 'he that calleth him fool' in Hebrew is עשק oschek, that is, he does violence, defrauds, oppresses. He calleth him fool therefore, that is, he casts calumny and reproach, mocks, scoffs. Again, he calleth him fool, that is, by calumny, sycophancy (for the Septuagint renders it συκοφαντεῖ, concerning which word I shall say more at chapter XXVIII, verse 10), fraudulently defrauds him either of his right, or of alms owed to him: for it is opposed to him who shows mercy. Whence Pagninus renders it, he that taketh away something from the poor; the Zurich Bible, he that doeth violence to the lowly; others, he that defraudeth the needy. For 'reproacheth' the Septuagint renders it, παροξύνει, that is, irritates, or exasperates; Theodotion, blasphemeth; St. Jerome against Rufinus, provoketh; the Chaldean, he that oppresseth the poor, bringeth reproach upon his own soul; and he that hath mercy on the injured, honoreth himself, because we are all brethren from the same God the Father, nay from the same Adam, and the same earth, and Eve our progenitors. As therefore he that oppresseth or helpeth his brother, oppresseth or helpeth as it were a part of himself and himself: so also he that oppresseth or relieveth the poor, oppresseth or relieveth his brother and himself; for a brother is as it were another self. The Syrian, he that speaketh evil to the poor, stirreth up wrath against the Creator; he that honoreth the Lord, showeth mercy to the poor. You will ask why? The first cause is general, which I have already given, namely that the poor by the common right of creation is the work and creature of God; and he who praiseth or blameth a creature, tacitly praiseth or blameth the Creator as it were the maker, who created and fashioned it. Thus St. Paulinus, epistle 32: He that despiseth, saith he, the poor, exasperateth him that made him, that is, the common Creator of all, who as he rejoiceth in the sustenance of the needy, so he is saddened by their want. The second is proper, namely that poverty equally with riches is created by God. For God willed that the greater part of men should be poor, both for the merit of patience and poverty; and that by poverty they might be compelled to labour, to till the fields, and to exercise all mechanical arts, without which human life and the order of the universe would not stand, nor subsist. For, as St. Chrysostom saith, homily Against those who come together only on feast days, which is the antepenultimate homily of the fifth volume: If poverty were taken away, the constitution of the whole of life would be taken away, and all manner of living would be thrown into confusion; for there would be neither sailor, nor pilot, nor farmer, nor weaver, nor shoemaker, nor painter, nor any other craftsman: if we had to do without these, all things would perish; now as it were a certain best mistress, necessity through poverty, urgeth each one to works even against their will. But if all were rich, all would also live in idleness; and thus all things would be corrupted, and nothing would not perish. And from this St. Chrysostom there showeth that there is a Divinity, and demonstrateth his providence concerning human affairs. This is what Ecclesiasticus saith at chapter XI, 14: Poverty and riches are from God. See the things said there. He therefore who findeth fault with or mocketh the poor, tacitly findeth fault with and mocketh God, and God's providence, which hath constituted the order and series of the poor. Much more doth he who oppresseth the poor. For the violent oppressor thinketh that God cannot take the poor out of his power and force, saith Rabbi Levi and Aben-Ezra. The third is more proper and peculiar, namely that God by his ineffable providence and disposition hath so ordered all things, that in particular this man and that man should be poor, but this one and others rich, according to that in Proverbs XXII, verse 2: The rich and poor have met one another; the Lord is the maker of them both. Hear St. Chrysostom in the Catena of the Greeks: He assigneth two sins in this place, namely the calumny of the poor, and the offence of God. But how doth he that raileth at the poor irritate God, who made him? because God not only created him according to soul and body, but also created him such, namely poor and miserable, and in such a condition as to be easily taken and found fault with by a malicious tongue. You will say again: If God createth some in want, and ordereth that they lead a needy and miserable life according to his wisdom, to what end do we pity them? for indeed I have heard not a few who speak thus: By what right are we obliged to be liberal and merciful to the poor? if God had loved them, he would not have made them poor. How long do we play against our salvation? how long do we mock at those things for which we ought rightly to tremble, fear and shudder? do we hold in contempt as sordid and full of a thousand evils? did God love more Lazarus the beggar and full of sores, or the rich man feasting sumptuously? Assuredly this destroyeth us, that we turn even the divine words into jests and mockery. Fourth, because God claims the poor as His own, as it were abandoned by the world and often oppressed, and He exercises a peculiar care, providence and protection over them, just as a mother exercises peculiar care over her small, sick and afflicted children, according to that: To Thee the poor man is left, to the orphan Thou shalt be a helper, Psalm X, 34. The poor therefore have God as their steward and procurator of their sustenance and life, He who presides over the Angels in heaven, and under whom are bowed those who bear the orb. Hence also Christ says: Whatsoever you did to one of these My least ones, you did it to Me; wherefore on the day of judgment He will adjudge the liberal toward the poor, as if beneficent toward Himself, to heaven, but the avaricious toward the poor, as if maleficent toward Himself, to hell, Matthew XXV. Fifth, because Christ coming into the world honored poverty, consecrated it and as it were deified it, because He united it to Himself, that is to God, hypostatically with His humanity: For He chose a poor mother, a poor tax, and indeed all poor things, as the Council of Ephesus says. The poor man therefore is a living image of poor Christ, as St. Francis used to say. Sixth, because Christ sanctioned voluntary poverty as an evangelical counsel, and placed it in the first place among the blessed of His kingdom, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Matthew V, 3. For this poverty is divine, and imitates and reflects the perfections of God. For just as God, self-sufficient, stands out above all created things, so also the poor in spirit, despising earthly things and yearning for heavenly things, fixed in God, despises all that is beneath God. Again, just as God is Lord of the whole world, so also in His own way is the poor in spirit, according to that of St. Paul, II Corinthians VI: Having nothing and possessing all things. Whence John Climacus, in step 17, asserts that a poor monk is lord of the world, and because he has cast his care upon God, he possesses through faith all nations as servants. The same adds that a poor servant of God loves no thing viciously: for all things which he has, or can have, he reckons as if they were not; and, if it should happen that they depart, he esteems them as dung. In this same sense St. Bernard speaks most excellently, sermon 21 in the Canticles, that it was said by the Only-Begotten, as he himself speaks: If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to Myself; the same also he says is common to all his brothers, to whom all things are not only added, but also subjected, if only they are stripped of earthly things and lifted higher above them. But if it is so, he says: Let not the rich of this world, brothers of Christ, think that they alone possess heavenly things, because they hear Him saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Let them not, I say, think that they alone possess heavenly things, because they hear only these in the promise. They also possess earthly things, and some as having nothing, and possessing all things, the more truly lords in proportion as they are less desirous. Finally, to a faithful man the whole world is a wealth of riches. Wholly indeed, because both adversities and prosperities alike all serve him and work together for good. Therefore the avaricious man hungers for earthly things like a beggar, the faithful man despises them like a lord. The former by possessing begs, the latter by despising keeps. Moreover, just as God is rich in grace and virtues, so also is the poor in spirit; whom, as St. Ambrose says, book III, epistle 1, God alone knows to be rich, inasmuch as he is rich in eternity, who stores up not the fruit of riches but of virtues. Does it not seem to you that he is rich, who has peace of mind, tranquility, quiet, so that he desires nothing, is agitated by no storms of cupidities, neither despises old things nor seeks new things, and by always desiring becomes in the highest riches needy? Besides, just as God, elevated above all earthly things, dwells in heaven, so also the poor in spirit, according to that of St. Cyprian, tract. On the Lord's Prayer: He who has already renounced the world is greater than its honors and the world itself; and therefore he who dedicates himself to God and Christ desires not earthly but heavenly kingdoms. And St. Gregory, book I of the Register, epistle 5, describing the state of his mind when he was a religious: I, he says, desiring nothing in this world, fearing nothing, seemed to myself to stand on a certain summit of things, so that in me I almost believed fulfilled what I had learned from the Lord's promise through the Prophet (Isaiah, chapter LVIII): I will lift thee up above the height of the earth. For he is lifted above the height of the earth who also treads under foot by the contempt of his mind those things which appear high and glorious in the present age. The poor in spirit, therefore, and thus a despiser of the world, acts: Innocent days without cloud, nights without crime; He occupies heaven on earth, nor are the stars lacking. Finally, the poor in spirit emulates, insofar as it is permitted, the purity, holiness, and perfection of God and Christ, and strives to pour his own will completely into the divine will, so that he may will the same in all things that God wills, and thus become one spirit with Him. For this reason he seeks and imitates God's stability and eternity. Hear St. Bernard, sermon 21 in the Canticles: You will be, he says, amid adversities and prosperities of changeable times, holding a certain image of eternity, namely this inviolable and unshaken equanimity of a steadfast mind, blessing the Lord at all times, and therefore securing for yourself, even in the doubtful events and certain defects of this unstable age, a state of unchangeability in a certain perpetual manner, when you shall have begun to renew and reform yourself into that distinguished ancient likeness of the eternal God, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For just as He is, so also will you be in this world, neither timid in adversities, nor dissolute in prosperities. Wherefore Salvian, Bishop of Marseilles, who flourished in the year of the Lord 460, says: Concerning those who, freed from all or nearly all burdens, follow the way of the Savior, and imitate the Lord Jesus Christ not only in holiness but also in poverty, there is nothing that can be said except that which the Prophet also said: But thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable to me; for I honor them in no other way than as imitators of Christ, I venerate them in no other way than as images of God, I respect them in no other way than as members of Christ. The same author, in book III Against Avarice, calls the poor the money-changers of the Savior, and in book IV, forcefully: There are, he says, to whom, although many things are lacking, not all things are lacking. Christ alone is He to whom nothing is lacking that is not lacking in all mankind. None of His servants is an exile, none is tormented by cold and nakedness, with whom He does not grow cold. He alone hungers with the hungry; He alone thirsts with the thirsty. And therefore, as far as His compassion is concerned, He is in greater need than others. For every needy person is in need only for himself; Christ alone is He who begs in the universality of all the poor. And since these things are so, what do you say, O man, who call yourself a Christian, when you see Christ in need, that you leave your resources to those who are not in want? Christ is poor, and you accumulate the riches of the wealthy. Christ hungers, and you prepare delicacies for those in abundance. Christ also complains that water is lacking to Him, and by you the shops of drunkards are filled with wine. Christ is consumed by the want of all things, and by you abundance is gathered for the luxurious. Christ promises you eternal rewards for the gifts given by you, and you bestow all things on those who will give you nothing in return. To this belongs the history of Blessed Martin, of Amiens, who clothed Christ in a poor man, when Christ appeared to him the following night, attended by a choir of Angels, showing the garment given to the poor man by him and saying: Martin, still a catechumen, clothed me with this garment. Thus Severus in the Life of St. Martin. Most excellently does St. Chrysostom say that poverty is a certain person or mask, under which God Himself lies hidden and concealed: and when the beggar extends his hand, it is God Himself who receives the alms.
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There are various versions here from various authors, and consequently various expositions: First, Baynus, translating it in his own way, expounds it thus: The impious man in the very machination of his malice, namely while he devises and plots it, is often expelled both from life and from his plotting: hence the just man hopes in his death, namely that with him removed by death, he will be freed from his vexation and injury. Second, the Septuagint translates: the impious man is repelled in his malice, but he who trusts in his holiness is just; or, as the author of the Greek Catena reads it: The impious man on account of his malice shall be expelled and proscribed; but he who hopes in the Lord through justice and holiness shall be reckoned just; and he expounds it thus: The impious man, he says, on account of his malice shall be expelled, and shall be uprooted from the earth, and being cast out shall be plunged into a narrow place, and there shall be perpetually kept and guarded. But he who trusts in the Lord, etc. It is indeed beautiful and safe to trust in the Lord; if however anyone shall have been instructed in good works, since indeed such a man shall merit the name of a just and holy man with Him. For hope is vain and rash which is wholly destitute of good works. You may ask why the Septuagint substitute holiness for death? I answer, because the holy life of the just is followed by a holy death: therefore the death of the just is holy, indeed holiness itself, because it confirms the just in holiness, blesses and glorifies him. And this is the reason why the just man hopes in his death: namely because his death is holy and the consummation of holiness. For if his death were impious and wicked, he would certainly not hope for it, but would dread it. Perhaps also the Septuagint innovate the Greek ὁσιότης, that is holiness, and give it a new meaning (as they did with certain other Greek words), so that it signifies the same as ὅσια, that is the funeral rites of the dead, the just dues of funerals, parentalia, the expiation of souls. Whence ὁσιόω means I expiate, I pay the just dues, likewise I sanctify, I consecrate. Holiness therefore they understand here not so much of life as of funeral rites, by which namely the deceased, expiated after the manner of the faithful by the prayers and sacrifices of the living, is freed from the pains of Purgatory, and passes into eternal rest. For this the dying desire, and commend to their own, and place their hopes in it after death. Third, the Chaldean: the impious man is repelled in his malice (the Syriac, is destroyed); and he who trusts that he shall die is just; the Syriac, he who trusts that he is free from sins is just. For he who is free from sins does not fear, but awaits death as a door and passage to a better life. Whence Climacus, in the sixth step: That man, he says, is proved who awaits death each day; but he is truly holy who desires it each hour. Fourth, Jansenius: For repelled, he says, the Hebrew word signifies more accurately, is impelled or driven, according to which meaning it will most fittingly signify that the impious man is driven by his own malice, so that he is never secure or stable, but is always in a troubled mind, tormented by the remorse of conscience; so that he is snatched toward any vices, driven by the blast of his own passions and evil suggestions, and by the disposition of divine justice is driven from one misfortune into another. For this is what the first psalm compares to the impious man as dust which the wind drives from the face of the earth. And in another place: Let them become, he says, as dust before the face of the wind, and the angel of the Lord straitening them, Psalm XXXIV; or, as the Hebrew has it, driving them. Therefore also Isaiah says the impious are like a raging sea, which cannot be at rest, nor is there peace for the impious, Isaiah LVII. To this sense it well agrees what is opposed: But the just man hopes in his death, that is, when the impious man through his own malice is always driven, so that he is never secure anywhere; on the contrary the just man even in his death, when men are especially wont to fear, trusts well and is secure. Fifth, our Hebrew scholar translates the Hebrew יִדָּחֶה (iiddache) as "he shall be driven out," meaning in malice, that is from malice, through malice, on account of malice, and often in malice itself, in the very act of crime, the impious man is driven out of life, hope, scheming, happiness, and all his goods, and thrust into hell to be bound with eternal chains, fires and torments: wherefore he dies unwillingly, fearfully, anxiously, indeed he is driven out of life by force; but the just man hopes in his death, namely that through death he will pass to a blessed life, from earth to heaven, from men to Angels and God, from time to happy eternity; wherefore he dies willingly, joyfully and cheerfully. He hopes therefore and trusts in his death, that is he dies confidently, indeed he desires and longs for death as the end of labors, pains and hardships of this life, and the beginning of joys and eternal happiness. Hence the Philosopher, when asked in what respect the pious differed from the impious, answered: In good hope. For the pious hope for a better lot and life, the impious despair, indeed they expect a most wretched lot and life in hell. Therefore the impious man hopes in life for riches, pleasures, honors; but expelled from these, he has lost his hope; but the just man hopes for nothing in this life, expects nothing in it except tribulations; but he hopes in death, namely that through it his afflictions will be ended, and delights will begin. He says therefore: To me life is in tedium, death in desire. Thus violently, fearfully and anxiously were driven out of life Antiochus, II Maccabees IX, Herod the infanticide, Diocletian, Valerian, Maximian, Valens, etc. On the other hand, these were the voices of the pious confident in death. St. Nicholas: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; St. Martin: Suffer me to look upon heaven rather than earth, that my spirit, now about to go on its way to the Lord, may be directed to him; St. Ambrose: I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live. Nor do I fear death, because we have the Lord as our good; St. Jerome: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after thee, O God; St. Mary of Egypt: Now thou dost dismiss thy handmaid, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Venerable Bede: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; St. Gorgonia: In peace in the selfsame I will sleep and rest; St. Francis: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name; the just wait for me until thou rewardest me; Blessed Peter of Alcantara: I was glad at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord; St. Mary of Oignies: How beautiful thou art, our King, O Lord! Alleluia; St. Nicholas of Tolentino: My Lord Jesus Christ, leaning upon his most holy Mother and our Father Augustine, saith to me: Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord. See more in St. Gregory, book IV of the Dialogues, and John Severanus, who in the past year published a great volume on the precious death of the Saints. But especially do the Martyrs hope in their death, because through martyrdom they pass to the crowns and palms of Martyrs. Whence our Edmund Campion, a noble champion of faith in England, condemned to the cross, sang for joy: We praise thee, O God; which John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, had done before him. But Rudolph Sherwin, Campion's companion in death, said: This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us be glad and rejoice therein. The voices of the other Martyrs were similar, their exultations and jubilations similar: for death to them is the seed of eternal glory and the highest crown. Wherefore the Psalmist, congratulating them, sang: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, Psalm CXV; which indeed is made precious in Confessors by their life, in Martyrs by its cause, whose preceding life is tinged with perpetual death. Hence Prudentius concerning crowns: A beautiful thing, he says, to suffer the blow under the sword of the persecutor, A noble gateway through a wide wound is opened to the just. Thus St. Genesios of Arles, as Eucherius says, is sacrificed to Christ, and is drenched with triumphant blood, and by the wave of precious blood the Sacraments of baptism are fulfilled. And truly precious are the wounds of Martyrs, which lend a brief life to God under the exchange of eternity. Of which you may rightly say: Purple blood flowed from the white breast. And that of Claudian in honor of Honorius: And the lion, rejoicing in sacred wounds, Admits the spear, more proud in death. For as many as are the wounds in a Martyr, so many are the ornaments. Hence Tertullian, in the book On the Soul, chapter LV, says that they glory and rejoice in the very scars of the body, Who shine with wounds borne, With the gift of martyrdom, a proud gem. And Fortunatus on the Maccabees: Breasts that could conquer with warlike steel Invite dear wounds to their throats. St. Leo, sermon On St. Lawrence: All torments, he says, have been discovered for the glory of Martyrs, when the instruments of torture have been turned into the honor of triumph. St. Cyprian, book II, epistle 6: Blood flowed, he says, which would extinguish the fire of persecution, which would overcome the flames and fires of hell with glorious bloodshed; and in the Exhortation to Martyrs: This death is precious which purchases immortality at the price of its own blood, which receives a crown in the completion of virtue. Thus in Eucherius: The mother of the Maccabee sons, honorable in glorious mourning, poured them into the bosom of divine adoption in an enviable death. And Arnulphus of Lisieux, sermon in the Council of Tours: Blessed, he says, are those who have compensated their unworthy and corruptible blood for the inestimable blood of Christ! It is beautiful for us (says Tertullian, chapter XXXIX of the Apology) that we are summoned to tribunals, we conquer when we are beaten; these are our palms, this is our chariot of triumph: the blood of Martyrs is the seed of Christians; for such a loss light repays abundantly, this kind of death is becoming. Prudentius: The triumph of the Lord is the passion of Martyrs, and the pouring out of blood for the name of Christ, and joy amid torments.
14:33
In Hebrew, in the heart of the intelligent wisdom rests, and in the midst of fools it is known, namely when the prudent and intelligent man brings forth his wisdom among fools, that is the wicked, so that he may restrain their foolishness and impiety, and teach them prudence and integrity, as if to say: Wisdom in the heart of the wise man, that is the prudent and upright, sitting as in a chamber and throne of its own, rests, and adorns, illuminates and honors him with all its splendor, beauty and glory, so much so that it also illuminates and transforms both fools and the wicked, and makes them wise and pious. So great is the power of wisdom and virtue. So great in turn is the zeal and ardor of the wise and holy man, who, knowing that wisdom and holiness have been given to him not for himself alone, but as a universal good, imparts and communicates the same to all others, especially to the unwise: wherefore he loses nothing of his wisdom, but increases it by great increments of degree: just as fire insinuating itself into neighboring stubble does not diminish its heat, but amplifies it; and the sun diffusing its rays does not empty its light, but multiplies it; and God creating Angels, men, the world, and communicating His gifts to them, does not diminish them, but spreads them far and wide: for it is the property of divinity to communicate itself and its gifts to creatures without any loss to itself, indeed with great increase of its glory. Let the wise and holy man therefore imitate God, so that like the sun among fools he may walk, and breathe the rays of his wisdom to all: Like God walking on earth, And a holy Angel in the flesh. Furthermore the Septuagint, Aquila and Theodotion translate differently, in the heart of a good man wisdom rests; but in the heart of the imprudent it is not known, as if to say: Wisdom and virtue dwell in the heart of the wise and holy man; but in the heart of the foolish and wicked, there dwells not wisdom, but foolishness and malice, according to that passage in Wisdom I, 4: Wisdom shall not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins. It appears therefore that the Hebrew codices once varied: for those which the Septuagint, Aquila and Theodotion used had the negation not; but those which Our version and the Chaldean used lacked it, as all the Hebrew and Latin codices commonly lack it today: and to each reading its own true and fitting sense is evident, as is clear from what has been said.
14:34
Understand justice here both as general, for any virtue, and as special, which is the virtue that renders to each his due: for this especially exalts and elevates kings, kingdoms and commonwealths, just as conversely rapine, tyranny, and all other injustices and impieties are the ruin and destruction of kings and kingdoms. "For the miserable" in Hebrew has a twofold reading. For some codices read חסר cheser, that is, defect, diminution, want, misery. Thus the Septuagint read it. Whence they translate, "But sins diminish tribes and families." Thus also our author seems to have read it. Now for חסר cheser some read חסד chesed, that is, piety; for the letters ר and ד are indeed related and neighboring; but chesed various ones translate and explain variously. First, some, as if to say, But the piety of peoples is sin, that is, the religion and piety of the gentiles is the sin of idolatry: for their religion is the worship of idols, not of the true God. Others, as if to say, Whatever the gentile idolaters do without faith is sin. But this is an error, which conflicts with the sayings of St. Paul in Romans II, 14; Matthew V, 47; Daniel cap. IV, vers. 24. See the sayings in Romans XIV, 23, to those words: "All that is not of faith is sin." Second, others, as if to say, Chesed, that is, piety or mercy, to peoples is sin, that is, a sacrifice for sin, by which namely the people expiate their sins, according to that in Daniel IV: "Redeem thy sins with alms." For sin in Scripture not rarely by metonymy signifies a victim for sin. Whence Vatablus translates, "But beneficence to peoples is an expiatory sacrifice." Third, and more aptly, chesed here, as also in Leviticus XX, vers. 17 and 25, can be taken for reproach, as if to say, Justice makes a nation glorious: but sin makes it the same reproachful and miserable, as our author translates. Whence also the Chaldean, "reproach of the people is sin"; the Syriac, "sin makes them vile." Fourth, aptly also our author Salazar takes chesed, that is, mercy, metonymically for misery, which is the object of mercy, as if to say, Mercy of peoples is sin, that is, sin renders peoples worthy of compassion and mercy, namely on account of their misery; whereas conversely justice affects peoples with praise and glory, and therefore renders them worthy not of compassion, but of emulation even unto envy. Furthermore, justice exalts kings and peoples, both in riches, renown and glory; both by enlarging their kingdoms, boundaries and territories; both by prospering them in all things; and finally by adorning them with every virtue and grace in this life, and glory in the future, which is the end of every commonwealth, namely that it direct peoples through virtues to happiness and heavenly glory. Conversely, the misery which sin brings upon peoples is manifold, namely famine, plague, war, seditions, rapines, deceits, frauds, ignominy, crimes, and finally hell. Examples are in the tribe of Benjamin, which on account of the outrage committed upon the wife of the Levite was utterly cut off, and nearly destroyed, Judges XX, 47. Likewise in the families of Jeroboam, Jehu and all the kings of Israel, which were in turn utterly destroyed by their successors; whereas conversely under David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah, when justice and piety flourished, both their family and the people subject to them were powerful, rich, happy and glorious. The same can be seen today in just and pious kings and kingdoms. Indeed, God exalts and enriches the Emperor Ferdinand II with so many victories, lands and kingdoms, that for many hundreds of years no Emperor has been more powerful, happier, more glorious than he, and he himself seems to be the just happiness of his times, indeed of many centuries, and happy justice: for justice begets exaltation, exaltation begets happiness. Indeed in these very days in which I write these things, he shows his justice and piety in a notable and royal apophthegm. For when a certain heretical prince demanded of him freedom of religion, he answered prudently and equally justly, indeed religiously, that this freedom was not within his right and jurisdiction, and that it should be sought not from the Caesar, but from the Pontiff. See Thomas Bozius, On the Signs of the Church, where he narrates and demonstrates the happiness of the faithful and pious in every kind of thing, and conversely the unhappiness of the unfaithful and impious.
14:35
He is called useless here, that is, foolish and imprudent, and therefore harmful and injurious, inasmuch as he brings shame upon the king. For he is opposed to the intelligent man. The intelligent man, therefore, is the king's minister who is prudent in counsel, clever in discovering, versatile in conversation, dexterous in handling, efficacious in executing, swift in deliberating, and finally wise and strong in every action, equally faithful and upright; and thus he is useful to the king, for accomplishing all his affairs wisely and successfully. He therefore is acceptable to the king, indeed he is as it were the mouth, hand and soul of the king. Wherefore Sixtus, not the Pontiff, but the Philosopher, in the Sentences, no. 180: Honour, he says, the wise man as the image of the living God. And no. 137: The mind of the wise man is inhabited by God. The Hebrew, Symmachus, Aquila and Theodotion have, the pleasure or favour of the king toward the intelligent servant, and his wrath or fury will be confounding, that is, putting to shame; the Chaldean, in his wrath or displeasure will be putting to shame; the Syrian, in his wisdom the wicked is destroyed; Pagninus, the love of the king is toward the intelligent servant, and his wrath will be against him who puts him to shame; the Zurich version, but the shameful one kindles his wrath. The government of the commonwealth and of peoples is a matter of the utmost difficulty and labour: hence it demands the highest prudence and wisdom. Wherefore kings and princes choose for themselves counsellors and administrators endowed with wisdom, and hold them very dear, indeed almost as masters and governors, love and honour them; on the other hand they hate the imprudent and foolish, who either suggest counsel through imprudence, or execute prudently what has been prudently established by them imprudently, such as are the rash, the unskilled, the inexperienced, the precipitate, the indiscreet, the irascible and the like. For these both put themselves and the king, whose administrators they are, to shame and disgrace, and bring upon him dishonour and ignominy. For their imprudence and folly is ascribed and imputed to the king who appointed them: just as conversely, the prudence and wisdom of the legate or minister is attributed to the king; for such a king is esteemed as his legate, counsellor, administrator is. He therefore carries the honour or dishonour of his king in his mouth and hand. Thus David was the wise minister of Saul, and was in his favour, until after he had slain Goliath, Saul heard him preferred to himself by the people singing: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands, moved with envy he persecuted him. Thus Arsenius was the wise minister, indeed the master of Arcadius, afterwards an Anchorite; Belisarius of Justinian, Cassiodorus of Theodoric, Thomas More of Henry VIII king of England, not a pope, but a wise man: so long as Henry trusted himself to him, so long was he wise; but when carried away by lust he rejected his sound counsels, he became foolish, and therefore killed Thomas; in whose death he cut off the head not so much of Thomas as of himself and of all England. Foolish ministers were Eusebius to Constantine, Valens and Ursatius the Arians to Constantius, Eutropius to Arcadius, Maximus to Julian, Wolsey to Henry VIII king of England, who therefore incurred the wrath of kings and miserably perished. MemorableisthesentenceofHomulius,aRomanSenator,saying that he would prefer rather a bad prince who had good counsellors and friends than a good one who had bad ones, to whom he committed the administration. For this depends more on them as it were administrators than on the prince himself: these also, if they are good, will make the prince good. Thus Fulgentius, book VII, chapter II. Alfonso king of Aragon used to say that the counsellors of kings ought to be kings, or to have the minds of kings. The same, when the Catalans urged him to give his young son Alfonso seven wise, just and upright governors, he answered: If you give him not seven of these, but only one, I would easily concede to him both the government and the kingdom itself. Thus Aeneas Sylvius and Panormitanus, book II On the Deeds of Alfonso. Pyrrhus king of Epirus, says Plutarch in his Life, professed that he had subdued more cities by the eloquence of Cineas than by arms. He held him in honour and made use of his services in the greatest matters, according to that of Euripides: All that threatening iron can conquer, polished words can conquer. This is that Cineas who, sent ahead by Pyrrhus, by his wise discourse Moreover, the Author of the Catena of the Greeks refers this εὐστροφία mystically to penance, by which the penitent and one coming to his senses turns from sin to God, and he gives examples of the Saints Peter and Paul: Such εὐστροφία, that is, easy and happy conversion, was the work of Paul as minister; for the zeal by which he burned, but not according to knowledge, being touched by heavenly power, he suddenly changed it into that which was according to knowledge. Such a minister also was Peter; for having thrice denied the Lord, turning back again with his whole soul to penance, he not only freed himself from that foul stain of denial, but also became more illustrious and more beloved of God than he had been before. For the latter part or antithesis of the verse, the Septuagint translates: anger destroys even the prudent, as if translating word for word from the Hebrew, anger is that which shames, that is, destroys, the wise; for the foolish are not shamed, inasmuch as they are full of reproaches and shameful things, they have hardened their brow and have unlearned shame; indeed they have become insensible in the sense of shame. Tropologically, if a king seeks intelligent ministers and hates the foolish, how much more God who is King of kings? Whence St. Ambrose in Psalm 118, octon. 6: He has, he says, diligent ministers of many works. These same are fishermen, and also hunters and reapers. These are the Apostles and Apostolic teachers and preachers, who ought to apply all diligence in catching souls, as fishermen apply in catching fish, hunters in catching birds and beasts, reapers in gathering the harvest, as St. Basil beautifully teaches, homil. in illud, Take heed to thyself. And Cineas, who could overcome and subject any peoples whatsoever to Pyrrhus, wisely and modestly rebuked Pyrrhus's desire to rule, saying: What, he said, shall we do, O Pyrrhus, when Italy is captured? We shall invade Sicily, said Pyrrhus. What after Sicily is captured? Cineas pressed on: We shall attempt Africa and Carthage, said Pyrrhus. What after Africa? Cineas replied. When we have gained possession of all things, what then? Pyrrhus smiled: We shall live in leisure, my good man, we shall drink together daily, and entertain ourselves with mutual conversation. Then Cineas opportunely said: And now, what prevents us from drinking together and spending our leisure among ourselves, since we already hold these things, and they are at hand without trouble, which we shall seek through blood, through much sweat, through dangers, and shall bring many calamities to others and receive them ourselves? Is not this wise counsel? Pyrrhus would have been happy if he had obeyed him; but the lust of ruling turned him aside and destroyed him, so that he became a prey to the Romans. Moreover, the Septuagint explain who is the intelligent minister, while they add: An intelligent minister is acceptable to the king, and by his own agility he removes disgrace, as if to say: An intelligent minister is therefore pleasing to the king, because by his agility, that is, by his diligence, skill, grace, swiftness, he immediately accomplishes what is commanded him by the king. Whence the author of the Catena of the Greeks reads: By his own cunning and agility he removes disgrace from the midst. For in Greek it is εὐστροφία, that is, cunning, agility, by which one turns and moves oneself in all directions, so as to accomplish the matter. Whence εὔστροφος is well-turned, twisting, rolling, agile, versatile, and thus immediately correcting error; such was Ulysses, who transformed himself into all human forms and manners. Whence he is called by Homer πολύτροπος, that is, multiform, multimodal, multifarious; and such ought to be the legates and ministers of princes, so that according to the nature of the case they may know how to turn themselves into all forms and methods, suitable for place, persons and time, by which they may transact the business committed to them, and correct the errors committed.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
14:10
… Since peace is the fruit of righteousness (Is. 33:17; Bar. 5:4), the "peacemaker," who is the truly just man, opposes injustice (Prov. 14:10 LXX). …
14:21
… The Old Testament contains it expressly, for example, in Deut. 15:11; Tob. 4:7-12; Ps. 40:1-4; it proclaims blessed the one who comes to the aid of the poor (cf., for example, Ps. 111:5-9; Prov. 14:21; 22:9); it affirms that almsgiving obtains all graces, not excluding the remission of sins (cf., for example, Tob. 4:7-9; 12:9; Sir. 3:33; 7:36; Dan. 4:24); it is preferable to fasts …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.