約伯倫理 第 1359 章

30. The devil is a four-footed beast through the folly of unclean action; a dragon through the malice of harming; a bird through pride. — What is it that our adversary is first called Behemoth, afterward Leviathan, but now is compared to a bird by the mockery of his lost design? Behemoth, indeed, as we have said, is interpreted 'beast,' which is shown to be four-footed, since like an ox he is said to eat hay. But Leviathan, because he is caught with a hook, is without doubt known to be a serpent in the waters. Now, however, he is brought to the likeness of a bird, when it is said: 'Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?' Why then he should be called beast, or beast of burden, why dragon, why bird, let us investigate.

For we shall the more quickly recognize his names, if we subtly explore the cunning of his shiftiness. He came, indeed, from heaven to earth, and with no further breath does he now raise himself to the hope of heavenly things. He is therefore an irrational and four-footed animal through the folly of unclean action, a dragon through the malice of harming, a bird through the levity of his subtle nature. For because he is ignorant of that which he does against himself, he is a beast in his brute sense; because he maliciously desires to harm us, he is a dragon; but because he is proudly exalted over the subtlety of his nature, he is a bird. Again, because in that which he wickedly does he is possessed by divine power for our benefit, he is a beast of burden; but because he bites secretly, he is a serpent;

but because sometimes through untamed pride he even feigns himself an angel of light, he is a bird. For although he assails the human race with an inexplicable art of iniquity, yet by three vices especially he tempts, namely that he may subject some to himself through lust, others through malice, others through pride. 31. According to those various forms, he tempts in various ways. Christ shows Satan the bait and hides the snare. — Not without reason, therefore, in that which he strives to do, is he named from the very name of his actions, when he is called beast of burden, dragon, or bird. For in those whom he excites to the foulness of lust, he is a beast of burden; in those whom he inflames to the malice of harming, he is a dragon; but in those whom he raises up into the swelling of pride as though they were wise in lofty things, he is a bird;

but in those whom he equally pollutes with lust and pride and malice, he exists at once as beast of burden, dragon, and bird. For he introduced not just one species into the heart of the deceived, in as many as those in whom he has entangled them in his wickednesses. He is therefore called by the name of many things, because before the minds of the deceived he is turned into empty species of forms. For when he tempts a man through the lust of the flesh, and yet by no means overcomes him, with changed suggestion he inflames his heart into malice. Because, therefore, the beast could not come to him, the dragon comes. Him he cannot corrupt with the poison of malice, yet he sets his good things before his eyes, and exalts his heart into pride.

To this man, then, since he could not creep in as a dragon, yet by bringing in the phantasm of empty glory, he flew as a bird before the gaze of his thought. Which bird, indeed, is the more monstrously exalted against us the more he is hindered by no infirmity of his own nature. For because he is not held down by the death of the flesh, and he saw our Redeemer mortal in the flesh, he swelled with a loftier arrogance of exaltation; but where he raised the wing of his pride against his own Author, there he found without doubt a snare of death. For he was laid low by that death of His flesh which, being exalted, he sought; and thence he suffered a snare, whence, as though the bait of his malice, he coveted the death of the Just One. [Old Version XXI] Let it therefore be said: 'Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?'

For the Lord played with him as with a bird, when in the passion of His only-begotten Son He showed him the bait, but hid the snare. For he saw what he might seize with his mouth, but he did not see what he was holding in his throat. For although he had himself confessed Him the Son of God, yet he believed Him to die as a mere man, against whom he stirred up the minds of the persecuting Jews (Matt. VIII, 29). But at the very time of His betrayal he is understood to have recognized too late that he himself would be punished by that death of His. Whence too he terrified Pilate's wife with a dream, that her husband might desist from the persecution of the Just One (Matt. XXVII, 19). But the matter, disposed by an inner dispensation, could by no machination be diverted.

For it was fitting that the death of the Just One, dying unjustly, should loose the death of sinners dying justly. And because this Leviathan was ignorant of this until the time of His passion, being deceived as though by a fresh bird, he suffered the snare of His divinity, while he bit the bait of His humanity. There follows: