Moralia in Job 1091

Verse 26. — He struck them as it were wicked in the place of those who see. Those who live wickedly within the Church's bosom, divine vengeance strikes as it were the impious. What 'as it were' signifies in the Scriptures. The Church is the place of those who see. — In Sacred Scripture 'as it were' is accustomed to be put sometimes for likeness, sometimes for truth. For 'as it were' is put for likeness, as the Apostle says: As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. 6:10). But it is put for truth, as John says: We beheld His glory, the glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father (John 1:14). But in this place it makes no difference whether it be put for likeness or for truth, because in whatever sense it is said, the depraved life of the wicked is openly signified.

But Sacred Scripture properly calls the unbelieving 'the impious.' For by this distinction sinners are discerned from the impious, because, although every impious man is a sinner, yet not every sinner is impious. For even he who is pious in faith can be called a sinner. Whence John says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). But he is properly called impious who is separated from the piety of religion. For of such the Prophet says: The impious shall not rise in the judgement (Ps. 1:5). But the holy Church is called the place of those who see. For in it one rightly takes his stand, that the true light, which is God, may be seen. Whence it is said to Moses:

There is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock while my majesty passes by (Exod. 33:21). And after a little: I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts (Exod. 33:23). By the place indeed the Church is figured, by the rock the Lord, but by Moses the multitude of the people of Israel, which did not believe when the Lord was preaching on earth. This people, then, stood upon the rock, beholding the back of the passing Lord, because, namely, after the Lord's Passion and Ascension, being led into the holy Church, it deserved to receive the faith of Christ; and whose presence it did not see, His back parts it came to know.

Let it be said, then, of those whom within the holy Church divine vengeance finds persisting in iniquities—let it be said of those whose life the Apostle Paul brands: Who profess that they know God, but by their deeds deny Him (Titus 1:16): He struck them as it were wicked in the place of those who see. For there they were standing, where they seemed to see God. There they loved the darkness, where the light of truth is beheld. And although they had their eyes open in faith, yet they held them closed in deed. Whence it is well said also of Judea: Her watchmen are blind (Isa. 56:10), because, namely, they did not see in deed what they discerned by profession. Whence also it is written of Balaam: Who falling, has his eyes open (Num. 24:16).

For falling in deed, he held his eyes open in contemplation. So then these men also, opening their eyes in faith and not seeing in deed, placed within the Church by a pious appearance, are found outside the Church by an impious manner of life. Of whom it is elsewhere well written: I saw the wicked buried, who also, while they lived, were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as of just works (Eccles. 8:10). The peace of the Church hides many false Christians. Some seek glory from the profession of the Christian religion. — For the very tranquillity of ecclesiastical peace more calmly hides many who are beset by the plague of their own depravity under the Christian name.

Yet if the light breeze of some persecution should stir these, it soon lifts them like chaff outside the threshing-floor. But some are marked with the calling of Christianity for this reason: because, the name of Christ being loftily exalted, almost all now look to appear faithful; and because they see others called by this name, they themselves blush not to appear faithful, but neglect to be what they glory to be called. For they take up the thing of inward virtue for the sake of the adornment of outward appearance; and those who before the supernal Judge stand with no conscience of unfaithfulness, before human eyes are cloaked in word only by a holy profession. Faithful who live wickedly often, by divine judgement, make shipwreck of faith. Many die in the house of faith without faith.

But to these the fellowship of the faithful turns to a heaping-up of punishment. — Now some hold the faith to the marrow, but in no way take care to live faithfully. For in their conduct they persecute what they venerate in belief. To these it often happens, by divine judgement, that through the very thing wherein they live wickedly, they lose also that which they wholesomely believe. For unceasingly they defile themselves with depraved actions, and they distrust that a vindication of the just judgement can be repaid upon this; and often, while they neglect to live well, even with none persecuting they slip down all the way to faithlessness. For those who do not believe that a strict judgement impends, who suppose that they sin unavenged, by what compact can they either be or be called faithful?

For to have lost the faith is to not believe that worthy punishments can be repaid for uncorrected evil works. Because, then, they scorn to keep works worthy of faith, they lose also the faith itself which they seemed to hold. Concerning whom it is well recorded through the Prophet, under the figure of Jerusalem, the words of enemies casting it down, by whom, namely, it is said: Lay it bare, lay it bare, even to the foundation in her (Ps. 136:7). For Paul says: Other foundation no man can lay, besides that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11). The enemies, then, casting down, lay Jerusalem bare unto the foundation, when perverse spirits, having first destroyed the edifice of good work, drain out from the heart of the faithful the very solidity of religion.

For just as the structure is built upon the foundation, so works are built upon faith. To have laid bare even to the foundation, then, is, the work of living well being overthrown, to have also scattered the strength of faith. Hence also it is said to Judea through Jeremiah: The sons also of Memphis and of Taphnes have deflowered thee even to the crown (Jer. 2:16). For to be deflowered even to the crown is, after the practice of evil action, to be corrupted even in the very loftiness of faith. For when most wicked spirits enwrap the soul of anyone in depraved works, but cannot vitiate the integrity of faith, they as it were still defile the lower members, but do not reach unto the crown. But whosoever is corrupted in faith is now deflowered even unto the crown.

For the malignant spirit anoints as it were from the lower members even to the top, when, defiling the active life, it corrupts the chaste loftiness of faith with the disease of distrust. Because, therefore, all these things are hidden from human eyes, but lie open to the divine gaze, and many in this house of faith die without faith, let it rightly be said: He struck them as it were wicked in the place of those who see. For they show themselves pious in the Church before men; but because the divine judgements cannot lie hid, they are smitten as it were wicked. And to these it grows the more unto a heaping-up of punishment, that each of them, mingled among the faithful in the Church, knowingly despises the truth of faith;

and so much the graver vengeance follows, in that through the examples of the upright the knowledge of living well also accompanies them. For as many upright and faithful brethren as are now shown to them, by so many witnesses are they assailed in the judgement to come. They know, therefore, what they neglect to follow. Whence it is fittingly subjoined: