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| Chapter XVI. The answer to the effect that bad men cannot possess true knowledge.
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Chapter XVI.
The answer to the effect that bad men cannot possess
true knowledge.
Nesteros: One who does
not carefully weigh every word of the opinions uttered cannot rightly
discover the value of the assertion. For we said to begin with that men
of this sort only possess skill in disputation and ornaments of speech;
but cannot penetrate to the very heart of Scripture and the mysteries
of its spiritual meanings. For true knowledge is only acquired by true
worshippers of God; and certainly this people does not possess it to
whom it is said: “Hear, O, foolish people, thou who hast no
heart: ye who having eyes see not, and having ears, hear not.”
And again: “Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I also will
reject thee from acting as My priest.”1911
For as it is said that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge are hid,”1912
how can we hold
that he who has scorned to find Christ, or, when He is found blasphemes
Him with impious lips, or at least defiles the Catholic faith by his
impure deeds, has acquired spiritual knowledge? “For the Spirit
of God will avoid deception, and dwelleth not in a body that is subject
to sin.”1913
There is then no
way of arriving at spiritual knowledge but this which one of the
prophets has finely described: “Sow to yourselves for
righteousness: reap the hope of life. Enlighten yourselves with the
light of knowledge.”1914
First then we
must sow for righteousness, i.e., by works of righteousness we must
extend practical perfection; next we must reap the hope of life, i.e.,
by the expulsion of carnal sins must gather the fruits of spiritual
virtues: and so we shall succeed in enlightening ourselves with the
light of knowledge. And the Psalmist also sees that this system ought
to be followed, when he says: “Blessed are they that are
undefiled in the way: who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they
that seek His testimonies.”1915
For he does
not say in the first place: “Blessed are they that seek His
testimonies, and afterwards add: Blessed are they that are undefiled in
the way;” but he begins by saying: “Blessed are they that
are undefiled in the way;” and by this clearly shows that no one
can properly come to seek God’s testimonies unless he first walks
undefiled in the way of Christ by his practical life. Those therefore
whom you mentioned do not possess that knowledge which the impure
cannot attain, but ψευδώνυμον
, i.e., what is falsely so called, of which the blessed Apostle
speaks: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thee,
avoiding profane novelties of words, and oppositions of the knowledge
that is falsely so called;”1916
which is in
the Greek τάς
ἀντιθέσεις
τῆς
ψευδωνύμου
γνώσεως. Of those then
who seem to acquire some show of knowledge or of those who while they
devote themselves diligently to reading the sacred volume and to
committing the Scriptures to memory, yet forsake not carnal sins, it is
well said in Proverbs: “Like as a golden ring in a swine’s
snout so is the beauty of an evil-disposed woman.”1917
For what does it profit a man to gain the
ornaments of heavenly eloquence and the most precious beauty of the
Scriptures if by clinging to filthy deeds and thoughts he destroys it
by burying it in the foulest ground, or defiles it by the dirty
wallowing of his own lusts? For the result will be that which is an
ornament to those who rightly use it, is not only unable to adorn them,
but actually becomes dirty by the increased filth and mud. For
“from the mouth of a sinner praise is not comely;”1918
as to him it is said by the prophet:
“Wherefore dost thou declare My righteous acts, and takest My
covenant in thy lips?”1919
of souls like
this, who never possess in any lasting fashion the fear of the Lord of
which it is said: “the fear of the Lord is instruction and
wisdom,”1920
and yet try to get
at the meaning of Scripture by continual meditation on them, it is
appropriately asked in Proverbs: “What use are riches to a fool?
For a senseless man cannot possess wisdom.”1921
But so far is this true and spiritual
knowledge removed from that worldly erudition, which is defiled by the
stains of carnal sins, that we know that it has sometimes flourished
most grandly in some who were without eloquence and almost illiterate.
And this is very clearly shown by the case of the Apostles and many
holy men, who did not spread themselves out with an empty show of
leaves, but were bowed down by the weight of the true fruits of
spiritual
knowledge:
of whom it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: “But when they
saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were
ignorant and unlearned men, they were astonished.”1922
And therefore if you are anxious to
attain to that never-failing fragrance, you must first strive with all
your might to obtain from the Lord the purity of chastity. For no one,
in whom the love of carnal passions and especially of fornication still
holds sway, can acquire spiritual knowledge. For “in a good heart
wisdom will rest;” and: “He that feareth the Lord shall
find knowledge with righteousness.”1923
But that we must attain to spiritual
knowledge in the order of which we have already spoken, we are taught
also by the blessed Apostle. For when he wanted not merely to draw up a
list of all his own virtues, but rather to describe their order, that
he might explain which follows what, and which gives birth to what,
after some others he proceeds as follows: “In watchings, in
fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long suffering, in gentleness,
in the Holy Ghost, in love unfeigned.”1924
And by this enumeration of virtues he evidently meant to teach us that
we must come from watchings and fastings to chastity, from chastity to
knowledge, from knowledge to long suffering, from long suffering to
gentleness, from gentleness to the Holy Ghost, from the Holy Ghost to
the rewards of love unfeigned. When then by this system and in this
order you too have come to spiritual knowledge, you will certainly
have, as we said, not barren or idle learning but what is vigorous and
fruitful; and the seed of the word of salvation which has been
committed by you to the hearts of your hearers, will be watered by the
plentiful showers of the Holy Ghost that will follow; and, according to
this that the prophet promised, “the rain will be given to your
seed, wherever you shall sow in the land, and the bread of the corn of
the land shall be most plentiful and fat.”1925
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