Remember, I pray you, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
Read Chapter 4
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Destroyed? They never were eternally. But Abel and many other just persons, have been exposed to tribulation in this world, (Worthington) for their greater improvement. Yet Eliphaz falsely concludes from the sufferings of Job, that he must have been a criminal. (Calmet)
If any one should now hold the same opinion, we should deem him very ignorant or foolish. But we have observed, (Preface) that this was not so obvious at that time. Cain, the giants, Her, Onan, Sodom, had been made examples of divine vengeance. But a new order of things was now commencing. (Houbigant)
Whether it be heretics, of whom we have said that the friends of blessed Job bore an image, or whether any of the evil ones, they are as much to blame in their admonitions as they are immoderate in their condemnation. For Eliphaz says, “Who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off?” Since it often happens that in this life both “the innocent perish” and the “righteous are” utterly “cut off,” yet in perishing they are kept for glory eternal. For if innocent people never perished, the prophet would not say, “The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart.” If God in his providential dealings did not carry off the righteous, Wisdom would never have said of the righteous person, “Yes, he was taken away quickly, to prevent wickedness from altering his understanding.” If no visitation ever struck the righteous, Peter would never foretell it, saying, “For the time has come that judgment must begin in the house of God.” They, then, are genuinely righteous who prod...
34. Whether it be heretics, of whom we have said that the friends of blessed Job bore an image, or whether any of the froward ones, they are as blameable in their admonitions, as they are immoderate in their condemnation. For he says, Who ever perished being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Since it often happens that in this life both ‘the innocent perish,’ and ‘the righteous are ‘utterly cut off,’ yet in perishing they are reserved to glory eternal. For if none that is innocent perished, the Prophet would not say, The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart. [Is. 51, 1] If God in His providential dealings did not carry off the righteous, Wisdom would never have said of the righteous man, Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding. [Wisd. 4, 11] If no visitation ever smote the righteous, Peter would never foretell it, saying, For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. [1 Pet. 4, 17] They...
