Moralia in Job 1386

8. The harmful concord of the reprobate with Satan and among themselves. — The flesh of this Leviathan are all the reprobate, who by desire do not rise up to the understanding of the spiritual fatherland. But the members of the flesh are those who join themselves to those same persons acting perversely and going before them into iniquity, just as, on the contrary, it is said through Paul to the Lord's body: Ye are the body of Christ, and members of a member (1 Cor. 12:27). For one thing is a member of the body, another a member of a member. For a member of the body is a part in relation to the whole, but a member of a member is a particle in relation to a part. For a member of the body's member is the finger in relation to the hand, the hand in relation to the arm; but a member of the body is this whole together in relation to the entire body.

As therefore in the spiritual body of the Lord we call those members of a member who in his Church are governed by others, so in that reprobate congregation of this Leviathan the members of the flesh are those who by iniquitous work join themselves to certain more wicked ones. But because the malignant enemy is in accord with himself in perverse work from the first even to the last, the divine discourse mentions in him the members of the flesh cohering to himself. For thus do the perverse feel unanimously, that they are divided by no dispute against one another. No altercation of diversity then rends them, and therefore they vehemently prevail against the good, because they hold together in concord in evil. As indeed we said above concerning the good (Book 24, no.

55), as it is pernicious if unity is lacking to the good, so it is more pernicious if it is not lacking to the wicked. For the unity of the reprobate hinders the way of the good the more harshly, the more harshly it opposes itself to it by combination. 9. It is permitted to dissolve this unity, by the example of Paul. — Paul had beheld this pernicious unity of the reprobate, when, caught in the midst of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, he said: Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am judged (Acts 23:6). By which voice indeed being struck, the crowd of hearers straightway leaped apart against one another. And when the multitude of those in tumult is divided into two parts, escape is opened to Paul, because him whom the united crowd of persecutors had bound fast, being divided it set loose.

The just therefore are rescued while the unjust are divided, and the wishes of the elect come to perfection while the ranks of the reprobate are confounded through discord. Which is well designated also by the division of the Red Sea (Exod. 14:21ff.). For while the wave is divided into two parts, the way is stretched by the elect people toward the land of promise, because while the unity of the wicked is rent, good minds are led through to that which they crave. If the unity of the wicked had not been harmful, divine providence would by no means have scattered the tongues of the proud in such great diversity (Gen. 11:8). If the unity of the wicked had not been harmful, the Prophet would not have said concerning the enemies of the holy Church: Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues (Ps. 54:10).

Because therefore this Leviathan is then unbridled in his powers against the elect of God, unto the increase of his malice he is permitted to have unity also among the reprobate, so that he may put forth his powers the more robustly against us, by however much he assails us not only with the blow of strength, but also with the manner of union. But who could suffice against these things? What mind would not tremble at the burdens of so great an exaltation and framework from the very root of its thoughts? Whence, because he sees that we tremble through weakness, forthwith the divine clemency adds what it may do through itself. For it follows: