約伯倫理 第 1277 章

16. Corrupt teachers are not anxious for their offspring, whereas good ones are. — What is understood by the foot but the passage of action? What is signified by the field but this world? Of it the Lord says in the Gospel: 'The field is the world' (Matt. 13:38). What is expressed by the beast but the ancient enemy, who, lying in wait for the plunder of this world, is daily glutted with the death of men? Concerning it, in the promise of the Lord, it is said through the Prophet: 'And no evil beast shall pass through it' (Isa. 35:9).

The ostrich therefore, abandoning her eggs, forgets that the foot may trample them (Job 39:14-15); for the hypocrites indeed abandon those whom they beget as sons in their manner of life, and take no care at all lest, being left destitute of the solicitude of exhortation or the safeguard of discipline, the examples of wicked works pervert them. For if they loved the eggs which they bring forth, they would surely fear lest someone, by displaying perverse works, should tread upon them. This foot Paul feared for his weak disciples, as if for the eggs which he had laid, when he said: 'Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ' (Phil. 3:18). And again: 'Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers' (Phil. 3:2). And again:

'We charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they received from us' (2 Thess. 3:6). This foot John dreaded on behalf of Gaius, who, when he had set forth beforehand many evils of Diotrephes, added: 'Dearly beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good' (3 John 11). This foot even the leader of the Synagogue feared for his weak flock, saying: 'When you have entered the land which the Lord your God shall give you, beware lest you wish to imitate the abominations of those nations' (Deut. 18:9).

She also forgets that the beast of the field may crush them; for indeed, if the devil, raging in this world, should snatch away the sons brought forth in good conversation, the hypocrite takes no care at all. This beast of the field Paul feared on behalf of the eggs which he had laid, saying: 'I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the charity which is in Christ Jesus' (2 Cor. 11:3). This beast of the field Peter feared for the disciples, when he said: 'Your adversary the devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist, being strong in the faith' (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Therefore truthful masters have, over their disciples, a heart of fear springing from the power of charity:

but the hypocrites fear the less for those committed to them, the less they perceive what they themselves ought to fear. And because they live with a hardened heart, they do not acknowledge with any tenderness of due love even the very sons whom they beget. Whence still, under the figure of the ostrich, it is added: