Moralia in Job 1257

57. To the more violent temptations of the devil they turn a deaf ear, and to the clamors of the belly.—Who else can be understood by the exactor but the devil, who once in paradise handed to man the coin of evil persuasion (Gen. 3:6 ff.), and daily seeks to exact from him the guilt of this debt? The word of this exactor is the beginning of evil suggestion. The clamor of this exactor is temptation now not gentle but violent. This exactor clamors when he tempts mightily. Not to hear the clamor of the exactor, then, is by no means to consent to the violent onslaughts of temptations. For one would hear it if one did what it suggests. But when one scorns to do wicked things, it is rightly said: He hears not the clamor of the exactor. [Job 39, Vulg. 26] 58.

But some in this passage prefer to understand the belly by the exactor. For it too exacts a certain debt from us, since even by nature it demands that the daily fruit of human labor be paid to it. Abstinent men, therefore, who are here figured under the name of the wild ass, when they forcibly repress the desires of the gullet, as it were despise the words of the clamoring exactor. But since for the continent man there are, against innumerable vices, many contests of the virtues, why, under the contemned clamor of the exactor, is it here said of the belly alone that he restrains its assault and onset—unless because no one seizes the palm of the spiritual contest who has not first, within himself, through the afflicting of the belly's concupiscence, overcome the incentives of the flesh?

For one does not rise up to the conflict of the spiritual contest unless the enemy set within our very selves—namely the appetite of the gullet—is first tamed; for if we do not overthrow those things that are nearer to us, we surely pass on in vain to assail those that are farther off. For in vain is war waged in the open field against outward enemies, if within the very walls of the city an ambushing citizen is harbored. The very mind also of the one contending is driven back, under the grave disgrace of confusion, from the encounter of the spiritual contest, when, weak in the battle of the flesh, it is overcome, pierced through by the swords of the gullet. For when it sees itself laid low by small things, it blushes to grapple with greater. 59.

Those who take no care to subdue the gullet rise up incautiously to spiritual wars.—But some, ignorant of the order of the contest, neglect to subdue the gullet, and now rise up to spiritual wars. These sometimes do even many things that belong to great fortitude, but, with the vice of gluttony holding sway, through the enticement of the flesh they lose all that they bravely did; and while the belly is not restrained, through carnal concupiscence all the virtues together are overwhelmed. Whence also it is written of Nebuchadnezzar the conqueror: The prince of the cooks destroyed the walls of Jerusalem. For what does Scripture signify by the walls of Jerusalem but the virtues of the soul, which stretches toward the vision of peace?

Or who is understood by the prince of the cooks but the belly, which is served with most diligent care by those who cook? The prince of the cooks, then, destroys the walls of Jerusalem, because, when the belly is not restrained, it loses the virtues of the soul. Hence it is that Paul, contending against the walls of Jerusalem, withdrew the forces from the prince of the cooks, when he said: I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway (1 Cor. 9:27). And he had also premised, saying: So I run, not as uncertainly; so I fight, not as one beating the air (ibid., 26). For when we restrain the flesh, by the very blows of our abstinence we beat not the air but the unclean spirits; and when we subject that which is within us,

we deal blows to the adversaries set outside. Hence it is that when the king of Babylon commands the furnace to be kindled (Dan. 3), he orders a heap of naphtha, tow, pitch, and faggots to be supplied; yet this fire does not consume the abstinent youths, because the ancient enemy, although he sets before our sight innumerable concupiscences of foods by which the fire of lust may grow, yet upon good minds the grace of the Spirit from above breathes gently, so that they endure unharmed by the heats of carnal concupiscence—so that, even though the flame should burn as far as the temptation of the heart, yet the temptation should not burn as far as consent. [Job 39, Vulg. 27] 60. In five ways gluttony tempts us.

It is not the food but the appetite that is in fault.—It must moreover be known that in five ways the vice of gluttony tempts us. For sometimes it anticipates the times of need; sometimes indeed it does not anticipate the time, but seeks daintier foods; sometimes it demands that whatever is to be taken be prepared more elaborately; sometimes again it is suited both to the quality of foods and to the time, but in the very quantity of what is taken it exceeds the measure of moderate refreshment. And sometimes what it desires is baser, and yet by the very heat of immoderate desire it sins the worse. For Jonathan, by his father's mouth, merited the sentence of death, because in the tasting of honey he anticipated the appointed time of eating (1 Sam. 14:27).

And the people led out of Egypt perished in the desert, because, despising the manna, they asked for the flesh of animals, which they thought daintier (Num. 21:5). And the first fault of the sons of Eli arose from this, that the priest's servant, at their bidding, would not receive the flesh of the sacrifice cooked after the ancient custom, but sought it raw, that he might prepare it more elaborately (1 Sam. 2:12 ff.). And when it is said to Jerusalem: This was the iniquity of Sodom thy sister, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance (Ezek. 16:49), it is openly shown that she therefore lost salvation, because along with the vice of pride she exceeded the measure of moderate refreshment.

And Esau lost the glory of the firstborn, because with great heat of desire he coveted a mean food, namely lentils (Gen. 25:33); and while he even preferred it to the selling of his birthright, he showed with what appetite he panted after it. For it is not the food but the appetite that is in fault. Whence we often take daintier foods without guilt, and taste baser ones not without the reproach of conscience. For this Esau, of whom we have spoken, lost his primacy for lentils, while Elijah in the desert preserved the strength of his body by eating flesh (1 Kings 17:6). Whence the ancient enemy also, because he understands that not the food but the concupiscence of food is the cause of damnation, subjected the first man to himself not by flesh but by fruit (Gen.

Gen. 3:6), and tempted the second not by flesh but by bread (Matt. 4:3). Hence it is that very often the fault of Adam is committed even when base and cheap things are taken. For not Adam alone received the commandment of prohibition, that he should abstain from the forbidden fruit. For when God indicates that certain foods are contrary to our health, he forbids us them as it were by a sentence. And when, coveting, we touch harmful things, what else do we do but taste forbidden things? 61. Those things are to be eaten which necessity seeks, not which lust suggests. How great discretion is necessary for this.—Those things, therefore, are to be taken which the necessity of nature seeks, and not which the lust of eating suggests.

But it is a great labor of discretion both to grant something to this exactor and to deny something; both by not giving to restrain the gullet, and by giving to nourish nature. This discretion is perhaps intimated when it is said: He hears not the clamor of the exactor. For the word of this exactor is the necessary demand of nature. But its clamor is the appetite of the gullet passing beyond the measure of necessity. This wild ass, then, hears the word of this exactor, but hears not its clamor, because the discreet and continent man both refreshes the belly up to the tempering of necessity, and restrains it from pleasure. [Job 39, Vulg. 28] 62.

Pleasure cloaks itself under the guise of necessity.—But it must be known that pleasure so cloaks itself under necessity that scarcely can any perfect man discern it. For while necessity asks that the debt be paid, pleasure supplies the fulfilling of its desire; and it hurries the gullet headlong the more securely, the more it conceals itself under the honorable name of necessity to be fulfilled. Often, however, in the very act of eating, pleasure follows stealthily joined on; but sometimes it shamelessly tries to go even freely before. It is easy indeed to detect when its pleasure anticipates necessity, but it is very difficult to discern when in the very necessary eating it secretly attaches itself.

For because it follows the going-before appetite of nature, coming as it were from behind, it is seen more tardily. For at that very time when the debt to necessity is paid, because through the eating pleasure is mingled with necessity, it is not known what necessity asks and what, as has been said, pleasure supplies. Often indeed we do discern; and because we know both to be joined together, in this—that we are carried beyond the bounds—it pleases us to be deceived knowingly; and while the mind flatters itself out of necessity, it is deceived by pleasure. For it is written: Make not provision for the flesh, in its desires (Rom. 13:14). What therefore is forbidden to be done in desire is granted in necessity. 63. The desires of the flesh, not the flesh, are to be slain.

Care must be taken lest, while we pursue the enemy, we slay the citizen whom we love.—But often, while incautiously we condescend to necessity, we serve desires. And sometimes, while we strive too immoderately to withstand desires, we increase the miseries of necessity. For it is thus necessary that each one hold the citadel of continence, so that he slay not the flesh, but the vices of the flesh.

For very often, while the flesh is restrained more than is just, it is even enfeebled from the exercise of good work, so that it is not sufficient even for prayer or preaching, while it hastens to smother utterly the incentives of vices within itself. For we have as a helper of our inward intention this man whom we bear outwardly, and in him are inherent the motions of wantonness, and in him are supplied the effects of good working. But often, while in him we pursue the enemy, we even slay the citizen whom we love; and often, while we as it were spare a fellow-citizen, we nourish the enemy for battle. For by the same nourishments the vices grow proud, by which the fostered virtues live. And when virtue is nourished, very often the forces are increased for the vices.

But when immoderate continence weakens the forces of the vices, virtue too, failing, gasps for breath. Whence it is necessary that the inner man, our self, preside as a kind of impartial arbiter between himself and the one whom he bears outwardly, so that his own inner man may both suffice always to serve the due ministry, and never proudly gainsay with unbowed neck; nor let him be moved if it murmur somewhat by way of suggestion, provided he always press it down with the superimposed heel of dominion. And so it comes to pass that, while we suffer the repressed vices indeed to struggle against us, and yet forbid these to grapple with us on equal terms, neither do the vices prevail against virtue, nor again does virtue succumb with the utter extinction of the vices.

In which matter pride alone is utterly extinguished, because, although it may serve victory, yet for the subduing of the pride of thoughts a continual battle is kept for us. Whence well is it here said, by the voice of the Lord, of everyone who is a continent man and both suits the due necessity and gainsays violent pleasure: He hears not the clamor of the exactor. But because the discreet man raises himself to the understanding of higher things in proportion as he chastises within himself the incentives of the flesh, rightly, after the contempt of the exactor's clamor, is subjoined: