[4482] Wisd. xv. 15-17.
[4483] Wisd. xiii. 1-4.
[4484] Ps. cxxxv. 16-18.
[4485] Ps. xcvi. 5.
[4486] Ex. xx. 23.
[4487] Ex. xx. 4. This section closes here, according to the Oxford text. The Leipzic edition continues as in the above reading.
[4488] Jer. x. 2-5, 9, 11; ii. 12, 13, 19, 20, 27.
[4489] Isa. xlvi. 1, 2, 5.
[4490] Migne refers this to Jer. li. 15-18, but there is nothing corresponding to it in the passage.
[4491] Isa. xlvi. 6, 7.
[4492] Jer. li. 16-19.
[4493] Rev. ix. 1, 13-21.
[4494] Rev. xiv. 9-11.
60. That too great lust of food is not to be desired.
In Isaiah: "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. This sin shall not be remitted to you even until ye die." [4495] Also in Exodus: "And the people sate down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." [4496] Paul, in the first to the Corinthians: "Meat commendeth us not to God; neither if we eat shall we abound, nor if we eat not shall we want." [4497] And again: "When ye come together to eat, wait one for another. If any is hungry, let him eat at home, that ye may not come together for judgment." [4498] Also to the Romans: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." [4499] In the Gospel according to John: "I have meat which ye know not of. My meat is, that I should do His will who sent me, and should finish His work." [4500]
[4495] Isa. xxii. 13, 14.
[4496] Ex. xxxii. 6.
[4497] 1 Cor. viii. 8.
[4498] 1 Cor. xi. 33.
[4499] Rom. xiv. 17.
[4500] John iv. 32, 34.
61. That the lust of possessing, and money, are not to be sought for.
In Solomon, in Ecclesiasticus: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver." [4501] Also in Proverbs: "He who holdeth back the corn is cursed among the people; but blessing is on the head of him that communicateth it." [4502] Also in Isaiah: "Woe unto them who join house to house, and lay field to field, that they may take away something from their neighbour. Will ye dwell alone upon the earth?" [4503] Also in Zephaniah: "They shall build houses, and shall not dwell in them; and they shall appoint vineyards, and shall not drink the wine of them, because the day of the Lord is near." [4504] Also in the Gospel according to Luke: "For what does it profit a man to make a gain of the whole world, but that he should lose himself?" [4505] And again: "But the Lord said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee. Whose, then, shall those things be which thou hast provided?" [4506] And again: "Remember that thou hast received thy good things in this life, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is besought, and thou grievest." [4507] And in the Acts of the Apostles: "But Peter said unto him, Silver and gold indeed I have not; but what I have I give unto you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And, taking hold of his right hand, he lifted him up." [4508] Also in the first to Timothy: "We brought nothing into this world, but neither can we take anything away. Therefore, having maintenance and clothing, let us with these be content. But they who will become rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many and hurtful lusts, which drown man in perdition and destruction. For the root of all evils is covetousness, which some coveting, have made shipwreck from the faith, and have plunged themselves in many sorrows." [4509]
[4501] Eccles. v. 10.
[4502] Prov. xi. 26.
[4503] Isa. v. 8.
[4504] Zeph. i. 13, 14.
[4505] Luke ix. 25.
[4506] Luke xii. 20.
[4507] Luke xvi. 25.
[4508] Acts iii. 6.
[4509] 1 Tim. vi. 7-10.
62. That marriage is not to be contracted with Gentiles.
In Tobias: "Take a wife from the seed of thy parents, and take not a strange woman who is not of the tribe of thy parents." [4510] Also in Genesis, Abraham sends his servant to take from his seed Rebecca, for his son Isaac. Also in Esdras, it was not sufficient for God when the Jews were laid waste, unless they forsook their foreign wives, with the children also whom they had begotten of them. Also in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "The woman is bound so long as her husband liveth; but if he die, she is freed to marry whom she will, only in the Lord. But she will be happier if she abide thus." [4511] And again: "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? Far be it from me. Or know ye not that he who is joined together with an harlot is one body? for two shall be in one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." [4512] Also in the second to the Corinthians: "Be not joined together with unbelievers. For what participation is there between righteousness and unrighteousness? or what communication hath light with darkness?" [4513] Also concerning Solomon in the third book of Kings: "And foreign wives turned away his heart after their gods." [4514]
[4510] Tob. iv. 12.
[4511] 1 Cor. vii. 39, 40.
[4512] 1 Cor. vi. 15-17.
[4513] 2 Cor. vi. 14.
[4514] 1 Kings xi. 4. [Surely this principle is important in teaching fathers and mothers how to guard the social relations of children.]
63. That the sin of fornication is grievous.
In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "Every sin whatsoever a man doeth is outside the body; but he who committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear the Lord in your body." [4515]
[4515] 1 Cor. vi. 18-20.
64. What are those carnal things which beget death, and what are the spiritual things which lead to life.
Paul to the Galatians: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: for these are contrary the one to the other, that ye cannot do even those things which ye wish. But the deeds of the flesh are manifest, which are: adulteries, fornications, impurities, filthiness, idolatries, sorceries, murders, hatreds, strifes, emulations, animosities, provocations, hatreds, dissensions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: with respect to which I declare, that they who do such things shall not possess the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, magnanimity, goodness, faith, gentleness, continency, chastity. For they who are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with its vices and lusts." [4516]
[4516] Gal. v. 17-24.
65. That all sins are put away in baptism.
In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "Neither fornicators, nor those who serve idols, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor the lusters after mankind, nor thieves, nor cheaters, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers, shall obtain the kingdom of God. And these things indeed ye were: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God." [4517]
[4517] 1 Cor. vi. 9-11.
66. That the discipline of God is to be observed in Church precepts.
In Jeremiah: "And I will give to you shepherds according to my own heart; and they shall feed the sheep, feeding them with discipline." [4518] Also in Solomon, in the Proverbs: "My son neglect not the discipline of God, nor fail when rebuked by Him. For whom God loveth, He rebuketh." [4519] Also in the second Psalm: "Keep discipline, lest perchance the Lord should be angry, and ye perish from the right way, when His anger shall burn up quickly against you. Blessed are all they who trust in Him." [4520] Also in the forty-ninth Psalm: "But to the sinner saith God, For what dost thou set forth my judgments, and takest my covenant into thy mouth? But thou hatest discipline, and hast cast my words behind thee." [4521] Also in the Wisdom of Solomon: "He who casteth away discipline is miserable." [4522]
[4518] Jer. iii. 15.
[4519] Prov. iii. 11, 12.
[4520] Ps. ii. 12.
[4521] Ps. l. 16.
[4522] Wisd. iii. 11.
67. That it was foretold that men should despise sound discipline.
Paul, in the second to Timothy: "There will be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine; but according to their own lusts will heap to themselves teachers itching in hearing, tickling their ears; and shall turn away their hearing indeed from the truth, but they shall be converted unto fables." [4523]
[4523] 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4.
68. That we must depart from him who lives irregularly and contrary to discipline.
Paul to the Thessalonians: "But we have commanded you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that ye depart from all brethren who walk disorderly, and not according to the tradition which they have received from us." [4524] Also in the forty-ninth Psalm: "If thou sawest a thief, at once thou rannest with him, and placedst thy portion with the adulterers."
[4524] 2 Thess. iii. 6. [A very noteworthy safeguard of apostolic ordinances; but mark the charity with which it is softened, 2 Thess. iii. 14, 15. Compare also cap. ii. 15.]
[4525] Ps. l. 28.
69. That the kingdom of God is not in the wisdom of the world, nor in eloquence, but in the faith of the cross, and in virtue of conversation.
In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "Christ sent me to preach, not in wisdom of discourse, lest the cross of Christ should become of no effect. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; but to those who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reprove the prudence of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? Since indeed, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Because the Jews desire signs, and the Greeks seek for wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and to the Gentiles foolishness; but to them that are called, Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." [4526] And again: "Let no man deceive himself. If any man think that he is wise among you, let him become a fool to this world, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, Thou shalt rebuke the wise in their own craftiness." [4527] And again: "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are foolish." [4528]
[4526] 1 Cor. i. 17-24.
[4527] 1 Cor. iii. 18-20.
[4528] Ps. xciii. 11.
70. That we must obey parents.
In the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: "Children, be obedient to your parents: for this is right. Honour thy father and thy mother (which is the first command with promise), that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest be long-lived on the earth." [4529]
[4529] Eph. vi. 1-3.
71. And that fathers also should not be harsh in respect of their children.
Also in the same place: "And, ye fathers, drive not your children to wrath: but nourish them in the discipline and rebuke of the Lord."
[4530] Eph. vi. 4.
72. That servants, when they have believed, ought to serve their carnal masters the better.
In the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: "Servants, obey your fleshly masters with fear and trembling, and in simplicity of your heart, as to Christ; not serving for the eye, as if you were pleasing men; but as servants of God." [4531]
[4531] Eph. vi. 5, 6.
73. Moreover, that masters should be the more gentle.
Also in the same place: "And, ye masters, do the same things to them, forbearing anger: knowing that both your Master and theirs is in heaven; and there is no choice of persons with Him." [4532]
[4532] Eph. vi. 9.
74. That all widows that are approved are to be held in honour.
In the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy: "Honour widows which are truly widows. But the widow that is wanton, is dead while she liveth." [4533] And again: "But the younger widows pass by: for when they shall be wanton in Christ, they wish to marry; having judgment, because they have cast off their first faith." [4534]
[4533] 1 Tim. v. 3, 6.
[4534] 1 Tim. v. 11, 12.
75. That every person ought to have care rather of his own people, and especially of believers.