He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
All Commentaries on Job 34:26 Go To Job 34
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
25. In holy Scripture the word ‘as,’ is wont to be used, sometimes for resemblance, sometimes for reality. For it is for resemblance, as when the Apostle says, As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: [2 Cor. 6 10] but for the reality, as John says, We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of the Father. [John 1, 14] But in this passage it makes no difference, whether it is put for resemblance, or reality: for, in whatever way it is taken, the evil life of the wicked is plainly signified. But holy Scripture specially calls unbelievers ‘ungodly.’ For sinners are distinguished from ungodly by this difference, that though every ungodly man is a sinner, yet every sinner is not ungodly. For even a man who is godly in the Faith can be called a sinner. Whence John says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. [1 John 1, 8] But a man is properly called ‘ungodly’ who is estranged from the holiness of religion. For of such the Prophet says, The ungodly shall not rise up in the judgment. [Ps. 1, 5] But Holy Church is called the place of beholders. For people rightly assemble therein, in order that the True Light, which is God Himself, may be seen. Whence it is said to Moses, There is a place by Me, and thou shall stand upon a rock, when My Majesty passeth by. [Ex. 33, 21. 22.] And shortly afterwards, I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back parts. [ib. 23.] For, by the place, is typified the Church, but by the rock, the Lord, but by Moses, the multitude of the people of Israel, which did not believe, when the Lord was preaching upon earth. It stood, therefore, on the rock, beholding the back of the Lord, as He was passing by: because in truth having been brought into Holy Church, after the Passion and Ascension of the Lord, it obtained a knowledge of the faith in Christ, and beheld the back parts of Him, Whose presence it had not seen. Let it be said, then, of those whom Divine Vengeance finds within Holy Church, still persisting in their iniquities; let it be said of these, whose conduct Paul describes thus, Who confess that they know God, but in words they deny Him: [Tit. 1, 16] let it be said of these, He hath smitten them as ungodly in the place of beholders. For they were standing in that place, where they seemed to see God. They loved darkness in that very place, where the light of truth is beheld. And although they had had their eyes opened in faith, yet they kept them closed in their works. Whence it is also well said of Judaea, Her watchmen are blind, because, namely, they did not behold in works that which they saw in profession. Whence it is written also of Balaam, Who falling hath his eyes open. [Num. 24, 16] For, falling in works, he kept his eyes open in contemplation. In like manner these also, who open their eyes in faith, and who see not in works, who are placed, from their appearance of piety, within the Church, are found, by their ungodly conversation, without the Church. Of whom it is well written in another place, I saw the ungodly buried, who when they were alive, were in the holy place, and were praised in the city, as men of just works. [Eccles. 8, 10]
26. But the very tranquillity of the peace of the Church conceals many under the Christian name, who are beset with the plague of their own wickedness. But if a light breath of persecution strikes them, it sweeps them away at once as chaff from the threshing floor. But some persons wish to bear the mark of Christian calling, because, since the name of Christ has been exalted on high, nearly all persons now look to appear faithful, and from seeing others called thus, they are ashamed not to seem faithful themselves; but they neglect to be that which they boast of being called. For they assume the reality of inward excellence, to adorn their outward appearance: and they who stand before the heavenly Judge, naked from the unbelief of their heart, are clothed, in the sight of men, with a holy profession, at least in words.
27. But some persons maintain the faith in their inmost heart, but are not careful to live faithfully. For they assail in their conduct that which they reverence in profession. And it frequently happens that they lose, by Divine judgment, even that which they wholesomely believe, through the wickedness of their lives. For they unceasingly pollute themselves by wicked deeds, and do not believe that the vengeance of just judgment can fall in retribution upon this conduct. And frequently, when they neglect to live strictly, they fall into unbelief, even when no one persecutes them. For they who do not believe that a strict judgment is hanging over them, who imagine that they can sin, without being punished for it; how can they either be, or be called, faithful? For to believe that due punishment cannot be inflicted on their unrepented wickedness, is to have lost their faith. Because then they scorn to maintain works worthy of faith, they lose even the faith which they seemed to possess. And the language of destroying enemies over these is fitly mentioned by the Prophet, under the character of Jerusalem. For it is said by them, Make her void, make her void, even to the foundation thereof. [Ps. 137, 7] For Paul says, Other foundation can no man lay but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. [l Cor. 3, 11] Destroying enemies, then, make Jerusalem bare, even to the foundation, when evil spirits, having first destroyed the edifice of good works, draw away also the firm foundation of religion from the hearts of the faithful. For works are built on faith, as a building on a foundation. To have laid bare then even to the foundation, is, after having overthrown good works, to have scattered the strength of faith. Hence also it is said to Judaea by Jeremiah, The sons also of Memphis and Taphnis have polluted thee even to the head. [Jer. 2, 16] For to be polluted even to the head, is, after a habit of evil deeds, to be corrupted in the very sublimity of the faith. For when abandoned spirits involve the soul of any one in wicked works, but cannot pollute the integrity of his faith, they pollute, as yet, the inferior members, as it were, but reach not to the head. But whoever is corrupted in the faith, is at once defiled even to the head. For a malignant spirit reaches, as it were, from the inferior even to the higher members, when, defiling the outward conduct, it corrupts with the disease of unbelief the pure loftiness of the faith. Because then all these things are hidden from the eyes of men, but are open to the sight of God, and many die, without faith, in this abode of faith itself, let it be rightly said, He hath smitten them as ungodly men, in the place of beholders. For they exhibit themselves, before men in the Church, as godly persons, but because they cannot escape the Divine judgments, they are smitten as ungodly. And it tends to increase their punishment, that each of them, having been thrown together with the faithful in the Church, wittingly despised the verity of the faith. And a heavier punishment follows them, as the knowledge of good living also attends them in the examples of righteous men. For the righteous and faithful brethren who are now set before them, are so many witnesses to assail them in the coming judgment. They know, therefore, that which they neglect to follow.
