約伯倫理 第 1344 章

God restrains the power of the apostate angel. The sword of this Behemoth is the very malice of harming. But by Him from whom he was made good by nature, his sword is applied, because his malice is restrained by the divine dispensation, lest he be permitted to strike the minds of men as much as he desires. Since therefore our enemy both can do much and strikes less, the piety of the Creator constrains his sword, so that it may lie folded back within his own conscience, and his malice may not extend itself into the deaths of men beyond what is justly disposed from above. That therefore he strongly prevails against many things, this he can from the beginning of his great condition; but that he is conquered by some, his sword is indeed folded back by the Author.

For this Behemoth, who is the beginning of the ways of God, when he received license of temptation against the holy man, moved the Sabeans, drove off the flocks, brought down fire from heaven, stirred up the winds by disturbing the air, shaking the house overthrew it, extinguished the feasting sons, worked upon the wife's mind by the deceit of depraved persuasion, pierced the husband's flesh with inflicted wounds (Job 1:13ff.); but his sword is folded back by the Creator, when it is said: Preserve his soul (ibid., 2:6). Who, his sword folded back, is described—by the evangelist's testimony—to be of how great an infirmity, because he could neither remain in the possessed man, nor again invade the brute animals unless commanded, presuming, saying:

If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine (Matthew 8:31). For the sword of his malice is shown how folded back it is, to whom, if the supreme Power did not grant license, he would not be able even to rage into a herd of swine. When therefore would this one dare of his own accord to harm men made to the image of God, of whom indeed it is established that, unbidden, he does not presume even to touch a swine? Here the heresy of Arius is refuted. It is also to be noted that while Behemoth is called the beginning of the ways of God, the mad dogma of Arius is dissipated by open reason. For he confesses the Son of God to be a creature, and behold, Behemoth is shown to be created first in the making of things.

It remains therefore that Arius either preach the Son not made, or foolishly suppose Him created after Behemoth. But that which, whatever is applied, is returned upon itself, the sword of Behemoth is rightly called applied. For his malice boils itself down upon itself, when it does not exercise itself against the life of the elect at its own pleasure, being forbidden. But he is permitted to strike many by their more exacting deserts, so that, when they forsake God, they may serve the condemned enemy. By the elect, however, he is the more powerfully conquered, the more humbly they submit themselves to the one Author of all. Since therefore, by the fact that he is called the beginning of the ways of God, and by the fact that he is shown to be very intolerable by the Lord's permission, we openly recognize with how great an enemy we fight.

It remains therefore that each one of us subject himself to his Author so much the more fully, the more truly he weighs the violent forces of the adversary against himself. For what are we but dust? But what is he, but one of the heavenly spirits, and—what is yet greater—the highest? What therefore should dust dare of its own strength, when it fights against the prince of angels? But because the Creator of the higher spirits assumed an earthly body, rightly now the humble dust conquers the proud angel. For by cleaving to true fortitude it receives the strength which the deserting spirit, when it follows itself, has lost. And it is fitting that he who believed himself strong, having deserted the Creator, be conquered by dust; that the exalted one who fell may find himself overcome.

But he pants greatly in his raging, that while the depths torment him, man ascends to the heights; that in that loftiness the flesh, borne aloft, remains, from which he himself, so great a spirit, lies cast down without end. But the order of merits has changed the places of minds. Thus, thus did pride merit to be cast down, thus humility to be exalted, to the end that both the heavenly spirit by exalting itself should endure hell, and the humble earth without limit should reign above the heavens.