約伯倫理 第 812 章

Verse 3. — They have driven away the ass of the orphans, and have taken the widow's ox for a pledge. 57. The elect are orphans. — Whom do we here take for orphans, but the elect of God, set in tenderness of mind, who are nourished by the great grace of faith, and do not yet see the face of their father, who has already died for them? And there are many in the Church who behold certain persons striving after heavenly things, holding all earthly things in contempt; and although they themselves toil amid the labors of this world, yet to those whom they see panting after heavenly things they bring, out of the goods they possess in this world, the help of this life. And although they themselves are unable to perform spiritual works, yet they gladly minister aids to those who strive toward the highest things.

For the ass is wont to bear the burdens of men. Such a one, then, is as it were a certain ass of the elect, who, serving in earthly deeds, carries burdens for the uses of men. And often, when heretics turn any such person away from the bosom of holy Church, they drive off, as it were, the orphans' ass, because in dragging him to their own perfidy, they thrust him back from the ministry of the good. 58. The widow is the Church. — And who ought to be understood by the widow but holy Church, which is for a time deprived of the vision of her slain husband? But the ox of this widow is each preacher. And it often happens that heretics, by their perverse dogmas, draw away even those who seemed to be preachers.

They take away, then, the widow's ox, when they carry off even a preacher from holy Church. And it is rightly added: For a pledge. For when a pledge is taken, there is indeed one thing that is held, but yet another is still sought. And very often heretics attempt to carry off those who preach for this reason, that they may draw away their followers also. For a pledge, then, is the widow's ox taken away, when he who was preaching is snatched off for the very purpose that others may follow. By his ruin it very often comes about that these also go forth from the bosom of holy Church, who within it, endowed with good morals, seemed to be meek and humble. Whence it is also subjoined: