Moralia in Job 946

42. Although no good works are to be neglected, lesser ones must yet yield to greater. — In which words indeed it must be weighed how distinctly all things are related, in that no reward is passed over by him. For he is just in his actions, dutiful toward the infirmities of his neighbours, diligent in the affairs of the poor. For he who ponders the good things of eternal recompense must needs stretch himself out to every cause of the reward to follow. Hence it is said through Solomon: 'He that feareth God neglecteth nothing' (Eccles. 7:19). Hence also Paul says: 'Ready unto every good work' (2 Tim. 2:21). But among these things it must be known that sometimes in our actions lesser goods must be passed over for the sake of greater ones.

For who does not know that it is a merit of a good work to bury the dead? And yet to a certain man who had begged to be allowed to go and bury his father it was said: 'Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God' (Luke 9:60). For the service of this office had to be set after the office of preaching, because by the former he would lay in the earth those dead in the flesh, but by the latter he would raise up to life those dead in soul. Through the prophet also it is said to the chiefs of the synagogue: 'Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed' (Isa. 1:17). And yet Paul the Apostle says: 'Set them to judge who are the most contemptible in the Church' (1 Cor. 6:4).

For he was kindling his hearers to the virtue of wisdom, to the diverse kinds of tongues, and to the searching out of the mysteries of prophecy as well, saying: 'Be zealous for spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy' (1 Cor. 14:1). But because they would not receive spiritual gifts if earthly affairs had pressed them down, he had far earlier premised, saying: 'Set them to judge who are the most contemptible in the Church' (1 Cor. 6:4). As if he plainly said: let those who are of lesser merit in the Church, and who possess none of the virtues of great gifts, themselves judge concerning earthly affairs, so that through those by whom great things cannot be done, lesser goods may be supplied. And these he both calls contemptible, and yet calls wise, when he says:

'Is there not a wise man among you, that is able to judge between his brethren?' (1 Cor. 6:5). From which what is gathered, except that those should examine earthly cases who have perceived a wisdom of external things? But those who are enriched with spiritual gifts ought assuredly not to be entangled in earthly affairs, so that, while they are not compelled to dispose of lower goods, being well-exercised they may be able to serve the higher goods. 43. Those who cannot in person are bound to exercise the offices of charity through others. — But great care must be taken that those who shine with spiritual gifts do not utterly desert the affairs of their infirm neighbours, but commit these to be handled by others for whom it is fitting.

Whence Moses too appointed seventy men over the people in his stead, so that the more he withdrew himself from external causes, the more ardently he might penetrate inward things. And so it comes about that the highest men make greater progress toward spiritual gifts, while lowly matters do not trample down their minds; and, on the other hand, the lowest men in the Church do not live without a good work, while in outward things they find right things to do. For holy Church subsists in the unity of the faithful just as our body is united in the framework of its members. For some are the members in the body which serve the beholding of light, others which are by no means separated from the touch of the earth. The eye indeed is intent upon the light, and, lest it be blinded, is guarded from dust.

But the foot then discharges its office covered, when it does not shrink from taking up the dust of the earth. Yet these members of the body are joined together by imparting to one another their mutual offices in turn, so that the foot may walk for the eyes, and the eye may look out for the foot. 44. The members of the Church, though distinct in office, are conjoined in charity. — Thus, then, the members of holy Church ought to be both distinct in office and conjoined in charity, so that the highest men may provide a way for those who are occupied in earthly affairs, that the foot, as it were, may walk toward the light of the eyes; and again, whatever those entangled in earthly affairs do, they may refer this to the profit of their superiors, so that the foot, whose way is watched over, may walk not for itself alone, but also for the eyes.

While therefore they come together for one another by alternate ministration, it is wondrously brought about that, because the elect by turns do for one another what they are able by expending themselves, there become their works even those which they themselves cannot do. 45. When necessity urges, contemplation must be interrupted so that the profit of the neighbour may be served. — But among these things it must be known that, when there are lacking those who might fittingly serve the outward cases of neighbours, those too who are full of spiritual gifts ought to condescend to their infirmity, and, as far as they can decently, to serve their earthly necessities by the condescension of charity.

Nor ought the mind to grow weary, if its perception, always intent upon the contemplation of spiritual things, is sometimes bent down, as if made lesser, to the dispensing of the smallest matters, seeing that that Word by which all created things subsist willed, in order to profit men, having taken up humanity, to be made 'a little lower than the angels' (cf. Heb. 2:9). What wonder, then, is it if a man draws himself down for the sake of a man, when the Creator of men and of angels took upon Himself the form of a man for the sake of man? And yet the perception is not made lesser when it is thus drawn down, because it penetrates the higher things all the more subtly, the more humbly it does not, for the love of its Maker, despise even the lower things.

What is unworthy of us or difficult, if we lead the mind both above and below, we who with the same hand of the body wash the face with which we also shoe the foot? Blessed Job therefore, because when he did great things he did not despise the least, let him say: 'And the cause which I knew not I searched out most diligently' (Job 29:16). 46. Let us not be hasty in judgments. Graver crimes are to be believed more slowly; but when they are recognized, to be punished more quickly. — In which matter I see it must be noted that we ought never to be hasty in pronouncing sentence, lest we rashly judge things undiscussed, lest any evils merely heard should move us, lest we believe things said here and there without proof. Which indeed we tremble to commit, if we more subtly weigh the deeds of our Author.

For He Himself, in order to restrain us from the hasty pronouncing of sentence, although all things are naked and open to His eyes, yet was unwilling to judge the evils of Sodom merely on hearing, He who says: 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous. I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me, or whether it be not so, that I may know' (Gen. 18:20). Therefore the almighty Lord and knower of all things—why does He seem as if to doubt before proof, except that He may set before us an example of gravity, lest we presume to believe men's evils before proving them? Behold, through angels He goes down to know the evils, and forthwith smites the wicked;

and He who is patient, He who is meek, He of whom it is written: 'But Thou, O Lord, judgest with tranquillity' (Wis. 12:18), He of whom it is again written: 'The Lord is a patient rewarder' (Ecclus. 5:4)—finding them wrapped in so great a crime, as it were laid aside patience, and was unwilling to await the day of the final judgment for vengeance, but forestalled them by the fire of judgment before the day of judgment. Behold, He believed the evil as if with difficulty when He heard it, and yet smote it without delay when by knowing the truth He found it—that He might give us an example, namely, that graver crimes are both to be believed slowly when they are heard, and to be punished more quickly when they are truly recognized. Bearing therefore the solicitude of this diligence, blessed Job says:

'And the cause which I knew not I searched out most diligently' (Job 29:16). Which words indeed we can not unfittingly refer, even by the voice of the Church, to a typical interpretation. For she, through her elect, when she judges the evils of the carnal, searches out what she knows not, because she searches out by judgment the evils which she knows not by doing, correcting them. And so holy Church, when she has been for a time pressed down by the wickedness of the unjust, remembers, saying: 'The cause which I knew not I searched out most diligently.' As if she plainly said: The evils which I had not known by doing among my elect, I chastised by strictly judging them in wicked men.

And because she now, by the power of her preaching, crushes the devil, and from his very mouth snatches the soul of each one whom she receives, it follows, saying: