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| Chapter L. The Levites ought to be utterly free from all earthly desires. What their virtues should be on the Apostle's own showing, and how great their purity must be. Also what their dignity and duty is, for the carrying out of which the chief virtues are necessary. He states that these were not unknown to the philosophers, but that they erred in their order. Some are by their nature in accordance with duty, which yet on account of what accompanies them become contrary to duty. From whence he gathers what gifts the office of the Levites demands. To conclude, he adds an exposition of Moses' words when blessing the tribe of Levi.
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Chapter L.
The Levites ought to be utterly free from all earthly
desires. What their virtues should be on the Apostle’s own
showing, and how great their purity must be. Also what their
dignity and duty is, for the carrying out of which the chief virtues
are necessary. He states that these were not unknown to the
philosophers, but that they erred in their order. Some are by
their nature in accordance with duty, which yet on account of what
accompanies them become contrary to duty. From whence he gathers
what gifts the office of the Levites demands. To conclude, he
adds an exposition of Moses’ words when blessing the tribe of
Levi.
255. If, then, in
the Gospel of the Lord the people themselves were taught and led to
despise riches,347
how much more
ought ye Levites no longer to be bound down by earthly desires.
For your portion is God. For when their earthly possessions were
portioned out by Moses to the people of our fathers, the Lord suffered
not the Levites to have a share in that earthly possession,348
for He Himself would be the strength of
their inheritance. Wherefore David says: “The Lord is
the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup.”349
Whence we get the name
“Levite,” which means: “Himself is mine,”
or “Himself for me.” Great, then, is his honour, that
God should say of him: Himself is Mine. Or, as was said to
Peter about the piece of money found in the fish’s mouth:
“Give to them for Me and for thee.”350
Wherefore the Apostle, when he
said: “A bishop should be sober, modest, of good behaviour,
given to hospitality, apt to teach, not covetous, nor a brawler, one
that rules well his own house,” also added: “Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine,
not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure
conscience. And let them also first be proved, and so let them
serve, being found blameless.”351
256. We note how much is required of us. The
minister of the Lord should abstain from wine, so that he may be upheld
by the good witness not only of the faithful but also by those who are
without. For it is right that the witness to our acts and works
should be the opinion of the public at large, that the office be not
disgraced. Thus he who sees the minister of the altar adorned
with suitable virtues may praise their Author, and reverence the Lord
Who has such servants. The praise of the Lord sounds forth where
there is a pure possession and an innocent rule at home.
257. But what shall I say about chastity,
when only one and no second union is allowed? As regards
marriage, the law is, not to marry again, nor to seek union with
another wife. It seems strange to many why impediment should be
caused by a second marriage entered on before baptism, so as to prevent
election to the clerical office, and to the reception of the gift of
ordination; seeing that even crimes are not wont to stand in the way,
if they have been put away in the sacrament of baptism.352
| 352 The question
kept coming up from time to time: Did Baptism annul all previous
impedimenta ordinationis? Even in the fifth century, as
Pope Innocent I. (Ep. XXIX.) shows, some maintained that as Baptism
puts away all sins committed previous to its reception, so also it
removes all impediments to ordination. This same idea St. Ambrose
combats here. | But we must learn, that in baptism
sin can be forgiven, but law cannot be abolished. In the case of
marriage there is no sin, but there is a law. Whatever sin there
is can be put away, whatever law there is cannot be laid aside in
marriage. How could he exhort to widowhood who himself had
married more than once?
258. But ye know that the ministerial office
must be kept pure and unspotted, and must not be defiled by conjugal
intercourse; ye know this, I say, who have received the gifts of the
sacred ministry, with pure bodies, and unspoilt modesty, and without
ever having enjoyed conjugal intercourse. I am mentioning this,
because in some out-of-the-way places, when they enter on the ministry,
or even when they become priests, they have begotten children.
They defend this on the ground of old custom, when, as it happened, the
sacrifice was offered up at long intervals. However, even the
people had to be purified two or three days beforehand, so as to come
clean to the sacrifice, as we read in the Old Testament.353
They even used to wash their
clothes. If such regard was paid in what was only the figure, how
much ought it to be shown in the reality! Learn then, Priest and
Levite, what it means to wash thy clothes. Thou must have a pure
body wherewith to offer up the sacraments. If the people were
forbidden to approach their victim unless they washed their clothes,
dost thou, while foul in heart and body, dare to make supplication for
others? Dost thou dare to make an offering for them?
259. The
duty of the Levites is no light one, for the Lord says of them:
“Behold I have taken the Levites from among the children of
Israel, instead of every first-born that openeth the matrix among the
children of Israel. These shall be their redemption, and the
Levites shall be Mine. For I hallowed unto Me all the first-born
in the land of Egypt.”354
We know that
the Levites are not reckoned among the rest, but are preferred before
all, for they are chosen out of all, and are sanctified like the
firstfruits and the firstlings which belong to the Lord, since the
payment of vows and redemption for sin are offered by them.
“Thou shalt not receive them,” He says, “among the
children of Israel, but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the
tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all
things that belong to it. They shall bear the tabernacle and all
the vessels thereof, and they shall minister in it, and shall encamp
round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle setteth
forward the Levites shall take it down, and when the camp is pitched
they shall set up the tabernacle again. And the stranger that
cometh nigh shall surely be put to death.”355
260. Thou, then, art chosen out of the whole
number of the children of Israel, regarded as the firstfruits of the
sacred offerings, set over the tabernacle so as to keep guard in the
camp of holiness and faith, to which if a stranger approach, he shall
surely die. Thou art placed there to watch over the ark of the
covenant. All do not see the depths of the mysteries, for they
are hid from the Levites, lest they should see who ought not to see,
and they who cannot serve should take it up. Moses, indeed, saw
the circumcision of the Spirit, but veiled it, so as to give
circumcision only in an outward sign. He saw the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth; he saw the sufferings of the Lord, but he
veiled the unleavened bread of truth in the material unleavened bread,
he veiled the sufferings of the Lord in the sacrifice of a lamb or a
calf. Good Levites have ever preserved the mystery entrusted to
them under the protection of their own faith, and yet dost thou think
little of what is entrusted to thee? First, thou shalt see the
deep things of God, which needs wisdom. Next, thou must keep
watch for the people; this requires justice. Thou must defend the
camp and guard the tabernacle, which needs fortitude. Thou must
show thyself continent and sober, and this needs temperance.
261. These chief virtues, they who are
without have recognized,356
but they
considered that the order resting on society was higher than that
resting on wisdom; though wisdom is the foundation, and justice the
building which cannot stand unless it have a foundation. The
foundation is Christ.357
262. First stands faith, which is a sign of
wisdom, as Solomon says, in following his father: “The fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”358
| 358 Prov. ix. 10, and Ps. cxi. [cx.] 10. |
And the law says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,
thou shalt love thy neighbour.”359
It is a
noble thing to do one’s kindnesses and duties towards the whole
of the human race. But it is ever most seemly that thou shouldst
give to God the most precious thing thou hast, that is, thy
mind,360
for thou hast nothing better than
that. When thou hast paid thy debt to thy Creator, then thou
mayest labour for men, to show them kindness, and to give help; then
thou mayest assist the needy with money, or by some duty, or some
service that lies in the way of thy ministry; by money to support him;
by paying a debt, so as to free him that is bound; by undertaking a
duty, so as to take charge of a trust, which he fears to lose, who has
put it by in trust.
263. It is a duty, then, to take care of and
to restore what has been entrusted to us. But meanwhile a change
comes, either in time or circumstances,361
so
that it is no longer a duty to restore what one has received. As,
for instance, when a man demands back his money as an open enemy, to
use it against his country, and to offer his wealth to
barbarians. Or, if thou shouldst have to restore it, whilst
another stood by to extort it from him by force. If thou restore
money to a raving lunatic when he cannot keep it; if thou give up to a
madman a sword once put by with thee, whereby he may kill himself, is
it not an act contrary to duty to pay the debt? Is it not
contrary to duty to take knowingly what has been got by a thief, so
that he who has lost it is cheated out of it?
264. It is also sometimes contrary to duty
to fulfil a promise,362
| 362 Cic. de
Off. I. 10, § 32. | or to keep an
oath. As was the case with Herod, who swore that whatever was
asked he would give to the daughter of Herodias, and so
allowed the death of John,
that he might not break his word.363
And
what shall I say of Jephthah,364
who offered up
his daughter in sacrifice, she having been the first to meet him as he
returned home victorious; whereby he fulfilled the vow which he had
made that he would offer to God whatever should meet him first.
It would have been better to make no promise at all, than to fulfil it
in the death of his daughter.
265. Ye are not ignorant how important it is
to look to this. And so a Levite is chosen to guard the
sanctuary, one who shall never fail in counsel, nor forsake the faith,
nor fear death, nor do anything extravagant, so that in his whole
appearance he may give proof of his earnestness. For he ought to
have not only his soul but even his eyes in restraint, so that no
chance mishap may bring a blush to his forehead. For
“whosoever looketh on a woman to desire her hath already
committed adultery with her in his heart.”365
Thus adultery is committed not only
by actual committal of the foul deed, but even by the desire of the
ardent gaze.
266. This seems high and somewhat severe,
but in a high office it is not out of place. For the grace of the
Levites is such that Moses spoke of them as follows in his
blessing: “Give to Levi his men, give Levi his trusted
ones, give Levi the lot of his inheritance, and his truth to the holy
men whom they tempted in temptation, and reviled at the waters of
contradiction. Who said to his father and mother, I know thee
not, and knew not his brethren, and renounced his children. He
guarded Thy word and kept Thy testimony.”366
267. They, then, are His men, His trusty
ones, who have no deceit in their hearts, hide no treachery within
them, but guard His words and ponder them in their heart, as Mary
pondered them;367
who know not
their parents so as to put them before their duty; who hate the
violators of chastity, and avenge the injury done to purity; and know
the times for the fulfilling of their duty, as also which duty is the
greater, which the lesser, and to what occasion each is suited.
In all this they follow that alone which is virtuous. And who,
where there are two virtuous duties, think that which is the more
virtuous must come first. These are in truth rightly
blessed.
268. If any one makes known the just works
of the Lord, and offers Him incense, then: “Bless, O Lord,
his strength; accept the work of his hands,”368
that he may find the grace of the
prophetic blessing with Him Who liveth and reigneth for ever and
ever. Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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