They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
All Commentaries on Job 30:8 Go To Job 30
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
41. It is right for us to know that some within the pale of Holy Church are styled ‘fools,’ but yet ‘noble,’ whilst others are ‘fools’ and ‘base.’ For they are called ‘fools,’ but cannot be ‘base,’ who contemning the wisdom of the flesh, desire foolishness that shall stand them in stead, and after the newness of the interior descent are exalted by the nobility of virtue, who set at nought the foolish wisdom of the world, and covet the wise foolishness of God. Since it is written, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men. This ‘foolishness’ Paul charges ourselves to lay hold of, when he says, If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. [1 Cor. 1, 25] This ‘foolishness’ they that perfectly followed obtained to hear from the voice of Wisdom, Ye which have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [Matt. 19, 28] Mark how by abandoning temporal things they purchased the glory of eternal power. Accordingly what is there more foolish in this world than to abandon one’s own? And what more noble in the eternal world than to come with God as judges? Verily the nobility of these judges is made mention of by Solomon bearing record, where this which I have already spoken before is said, Her husband is noble in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land. [Prov. 31, 23] For noble above measure does he regard those, whom he calls ‘senators.’ This ‘nobility’ Paul had beheld in himself, when being united by the spirit to the relationship of the Creator, he said, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone graven by art or man’s device; [Acts 17, 29] i.e. we are styled ‘the offspring of God,’ not as being brought forth in His Nature, but as being by His Spirit both created by His Will and made anew by His adoption. So much the more then is each one lifted up to this nobility, in proportion as he is renewed in the image he has received to the likeness of That Being in a copy.
42. But contrariwise they are ‘fools and base men,’ who while, in following themselves, they flee from the wisdom Above, are lulled to sleep in their ignorance as in the vileness of an abject descent. For in proportion as they do not understand that for which they were made, in the same measure they lose the relationship of high birth vouchsafed then in the Likeness. So they are ‘fools and base men,’ whom the slavery of the soul withholds from the fellowship of the Eternal Inheritance. As it is written, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [John 8, 34] And it is spoken by the voice of the great preacher, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. [1 Cor. 3, 19] They then, who whilst they were wise in earthly things were held back from the interior nobility, were ‘fools and base men’ at once. Whose actions while very many imitate they are rendered ‘the children of fools and base men,’ and whilst they follow these in notions and practices, they are at once ‘fools,’ because they do not understand true wisdom, and ‘base men,’ because they are not renewed by any freedom of the Spirit. But these persons though they may practise the arts of the wicked, yet very often in this life occupy the places of the just, and they account themselves the children of those, whose offices from lust of honour they outwardly discharge. Which persons holy correction recals to the knowledge of themselves, i.e. that being settled in bad desires, they should mind whose children they are. For they are not the children of those whose places they occupy, but whose deeds they execute: Therefore let it be rightly said, The children of fools and base men. Where it is fitly subjoined;
And on earth utterly not appearing.
43. For as there are very many persons upon earth, and they are hidden from the knowledge of their fellow creatures by the lowness of their vile condition, as by a kind of overlaying of a cloak, so there are some in the Church, who whilst they submit themselves to the degradation of wicked deeds, are not known to the Divine sight. To which persons it is one day to be said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. So, ‘to be on earth and appear’ is in a right faith through the excellency of practice to display the nobility of the soul. ‘To be on earth and utterly not appear,’ is to be set fast in the Church indeed by faith, but to show forth nothing worthy of faith in practice. These then being within the pale of Holy Church, to the eyes of the Divine Being both ‘appear’ in respect of judgment, and yet do ‘not appear’ in respect of the deserts of a good life, because those things, which by confessing they hold, by living they do not shew forth. Concerning whom Paul saith, They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him. [Tit. 1, 16] These persons in Holy Church bear down rather than venerate the faith which they protest that they hold, whereas by her name they covet rather to secure their own profits than her’s. But the Elect, whilst they take care to preserve the deservingness of faith by right deeds, are brought near to the knowledge of their Maker even amidst the throngs of lost sinners. Which is well denoted in the Gospel by the woman suffering from the bloody flux. Concerning whom the Lord says, Who touched Me? Peter answered reasoning, Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? [Luke 8, 45. 46.] But he obtained to hear the causes in true reason, when the Lord said to him, Somebody hath touched Me, for I likewise perceive that virtue is gone out of Me. See how the throng ‘pressed’ the Lord, but she only ‘touched’ Him, who came to Him in humility, because surely even many lost sinners in Holy Church by learning ‘press’ the truth, which same they neglect to ‘touch’ by living well. They ‘press’ and are far off, because by professions they follow Divine knowledge, by habits flee it. They ‘press,’ I say, and are far off, because by acting they contradict that faith, which by speaking they assert. As then we are instructed by this testimony, that by touching some do not ‘touch’ the Lord, so some are not ‘seen’ by the Lord, even when they are seen; because to His secret regards, and for the punishment of condemnation, they do appear, but for the claim of Election they do not appear. Therefore let it be rightly said, And on earth utterly not appearing, because though the Church held them to the extent of seeming, yet those being within her the Creator did not see, in that He did not know them. Who in the season of peace for this reason maintain the faith to the extent of words, because they see that that faith flourishes generally. But when a sudden storm of adversity rises up against that Church, they are directly parted from her by a public denial; and whatever they before held as if venerating her, they afterwards fight against the same as deriding her.
