Moralia in Job 1039

Verse 3. — He was angry against Job, because he said himself to be just before God. But against his friends he was indignant, because they had not found a reasonable answer, but had only condemned Job. 10. These at once press the heretics by rightly preaching, and the Church by being proud. — It must be skillfully observed that he reproved blessed Job because he had said himself to be just before God; but his friends he reproved for this, that, condemning him, they gave no reasonable answer against him. For by these very indications it is openly gathered that by him is designated the kind of the lovers of vainglory. For Job he reproved for presumed justice, but his friends for their foolish answer.

For all the followers of vainglory, while they prefer themselves to all, reprove some for foolish notions, others for unworthy merits; that is, they judge some to know nothing, others not to live well. And although they justly reprove all placed outside the Church for thinking perverse things, yet they also contemn those who are within, on account of their contempt of life; and against the former they are proud out of the greatness of thinking rightly, but against the latter as though from the merit of living well.

— Well is Elihu reported now to rebuke blessed Job, now his friends, because the lovers of vainglory, sometimes constituted within the holy Church, both press their adversaries while they preach true things, and contradict the morals of that same holy Church while they glory over that very preaching. They press their adversaries by the virtue of what is said, they press the holy Church by the quality of the saying. Those they assail by the preaching of truth, this by the vice of elation. There follows: Verses 4, 5. — Therefore Elihu waited while Job spoke, because they who spoke were elder. But when he had seen that the three could not answer, he was very angry.

Only after the contests of the heretics did there come forth acute perceptions and a more intricate searching out of words. — Although the holy Church is without doubt more ancient than her adversaries — because they came forth from her, not she from them, as is said of them through John: They went out from us, but they were not of us (1 John 2:19) — yet rightly is the younger Elihu described as having been junior to those same adversaries, because indeed after the wars of the heretics had arisen, the arrogant, puffed up with the pride of knowledge, began to be within the holy Church. For when the graver contests of the enemies came forth, then assuredly the subtler darts of the perceptions were sought out, then the obstacles of arguments, then the more intricate searching out of words.

Often men of fervent wit, while they discover apt things, swell up arrogantly; and, as commonly happens through the vice of pride, they are laid low by the very keen perceptions with which they strike the enemy, for in those things which they rightly think concerning God, they seek not God's glory but their own. Hence Elihu too indeed speaks many things rightly, and yet is rebuked by the divine voice as though he had spoken perversely. But when it is said that Elihu waited while Job was speaking, because those who spoke were his elders, it is plainly shown that he reserved honour toward blessed Job not out of reverence for Job himself but out of reverence for his friends; for the arrogant who are placed within the same holy Church which they defend despise it.

And it often happens that they revere the talents of those who think ill more than the simple life of the innocent, and that they defer more to the tongues of those who speak outside than to the merits of those placed within; although both stand opposed from different sides, since the former disagree with the rectitude of understanding, and the latter with the holy Church by depravity of morals. There follows: