LETTER LXVI. 

HERE is a mystical exposition of Aaron's taking the earrings of the women to make the golden calf, and of other details connected with it.

AMBROSE TO ROMULUS.

1. THERE is no doubt that letter-writing was invented that we might hold a sort of converse with the absent, but this becomes more excellent in use and example when frequent and pleasant colloquies pass between a parent and his sons, whereby is really produced a sort of image of actual presence, even though they are separate in body; for by such offices love attains its growth, just as it is augmented by our mutual letters between ourselves. All this I begin to experience much more abundantly in these last addresses of your affection, wherein you have thought fit to ask me with what intent Aaron took the gold from the people when they required gods to be made them, and why the head of a calf was fashioned with that gold, and why Moses was so deeply incensed that he commanded every man to rise upon his neighbour and slay him with the sword. For it is a great thing that the absent should suffer no loss either of kindness or of the liberal communication of mutual knowledge. My sentiments on this point, therefore, as you require it, I will offer for the purpose rather of comparison than of instruction.

2. While Moses was receiving the Law on Mount Sinai the people were with Aaron the Priest. Prone as they were to transgress, we do not find that they committed sacrilege so long as the Law was being delivered, but when the Divine Voice ceased, sin overtook them, so that they required gods to be made them. Aaron, thus constrained, asked for their rings and the women's earrings, which, when given to him, he cast into the fire, and the head of a calf was molten of them.

3. We can neither excuse this great priest, nor dare we condemn him. It was not however unadvisedly that he deprived the Jews of their rings and earrings; for they who designed sacrilege could have neither the seal of faith nor ornaments of their ears. The patriarch Jacob too hid the earrings along with the images of the strange gods, when he hid them in Shechem, that no one might come to know of the superstitions of the Gentiles. And he said well,  Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives; not as leaving the men their earrings, but in order to shew that they had them not. Fitly also are the earrings taken from the women, that Eve may not again hear the voice of the serpent.

4. Because they had listened to sacrilegious counsel, an image of sacrilege was formed by the melting of their earrings; for he who hears amiss is wont to perpetrate sacrilege. Why the head of a calf came forth, the sequel shews, for it was signified thereby, either that in time to come Jeroboam would introduce this kind of sacrilege, and that the people of the Hebrews should worship golden calves; or else that all unbelief bears the semblance of brutal and savage folly.

5. Moses, incensed by this unworthy act, broke the tables, and ground the head of the calf to powder, that he might abolish all traces of their impiety. The first Tables were broken in order to the restoration of the second, whereby, through the preaching of the Gospel, unbelief was broken to pieces, and done away. And thus Moses brought down this Egyptian pride, and repressed this self-exalting arrogance, by the authority of the eternal Law. Wherefore David also says,  The Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus, and shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus. 

6. The people drank up all their perfidy and pride, that impiety and arrogance might not drink them up. For it is better that every one should prevail over the flesh and its vices, that it may not be said that  prevailing  ^{07-28 28. a See note e on Letter xliv. 10.}  death hath swallowed him up, but rather,  Death is swalloived up in victory; O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory? And of the Lord it is said,  He shall drink of the brook in the way; for He received the vinegar, that He might drink up the temptations of all men.

7. But in his causing every man to slay his neighbour, the parents their children, the brother his brother, we find an evident precept that religion is to be preferred to friendship, piety to kindred. For that is true piety which prefers divine things to human, eternal to temporal. Wherefore also Moses himself said to the sons of Levi,  Who is on the Lord's side, let him come to me. And he said unto them. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go throughout the camp,  that thus, by the contemplation and love of the Divine Majesty all human ties and affections might be destroyed. It is written that three thousand men were slain, nor need we feel any jealousy of the number being so great, for it is better that by the punishment of a few the body should be exonerated, than that vengeance should be taken on all; nor indeed does any punishment of wrong against God appear too severe.

8. Again, the ministry of the Levites, whose portion is God, was chosen for this work, as being more holy than the others: for they know not how to spare their own who know nothing of their own, for to the holy God is everything. Now he is the true Levite and punisher and avenger, who kills the flesh that he may preserve the spirit, such as he was who says, I  keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. And who are such close neighbours as the flesh and the soul? What is so akin to us as the passions of the body? These the good Levite slays within himself with that spiritual  sword which is  the word of God, sharp and powerful. 

9. There is also a sword of the Spirit, which pierces the soul, as was said to Mary,  A sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Is not the flesh united with the soul by a kind of fraternal bond? Is not discourse also related and akin to our mind? When therefore we check our discourse, that we may not incur the sin of much speaking, we put aside the rights of blood, and loose the bonds of this fraternal connexion. Thus by the force of reason the soul severs from itself its irrational and, as it were, cognate part.

10. And so Moses taught the people to rise against their neighbours, by whom faith was in danger of being mocked, and virtue hindered, that whatever in us was straying from virtue, perplexed by error, or entangled in vice might be cut off. By this direction to the people he obtained not only a mitigation of the Divine wrath and a turning away of offence, but even conciliated for them grace.

11. Thus, according to our apprehension, we have explained, since you asked it, our sentiments. And do you, if you have aught preferable, impart it to us, that from you and from ourselves we may learn which to choose and follow.

Farewell: love me as a son, for I also love you.

EPISTOLA LXVI.

 1224D   Praemissa laude epistolarum, maxime quae de re utili instituuntur, docet per id quod Aaron mulierum inaures in vituli caput conflaverit, significari ereptum serpentinis flatibus fidei signaculum, ac praemonstratam Judaeorum idololatriam: per id vero quod fractis tabulis Moyses vitulum comminuit, indicari delendam superbiam ac perfidiam: per illud tandem quod in proximum jussit saevire, nos admoneri, ut consanguineos   1225A   posthabeamus religioni, et quidquid Deo in nobis resistit, praecidamus. 

AMBROSIUS ROMULO.

1. Epistolarum genus propterea repertum, ut quidam nobis cum absentibus sermo sit, in dubium non venit: sed fit hoc usu exemploque pulchrius, si inter parentem ac filios crebra et jucunda alloquia caedantur; ut vere inter disjunctos corpore quaedam imago referatur praesentiae: his enim adolescit officiis amor, sicut tuis ad me, aut meis ad te augetur litteris. Sed hoc multo locupletius proximis tuae dilectionis experiri coepi affatibus, quibus me consulendum putasti, quid sibi vellet quod Aaron aurum detraxerit populo poscenti sibi fieri deos, et quod eo auro figuratum sit vituli caput, vel quod Moyses  1225B tam dure indignatus sit, ut juberet proximum quemque insurgere gladiis in necem proximi sui (Exod. XXXII, 2 et seq.). Magnum est enim nullum pati absentibus damnum irrepere, non solum suavitatis, sed etiam collationis et liberalis scientiae. Quid igitur de eo sentiam, quoniam exposcis, conferendi magis quam exponendi studio loquar.

2. Cum Moyses in monte Sina legem acciperet, populus erat cum Aaron sacerdote; et quamvis frequenter ad culpam lubricus, tamen quamdiu lex dabatur, sacrilegio errasse non proditur. Verum ubi divinum conticuit oraculum, peccatum irrepsit, ut peterent sibi fieri deos. Coactus Aaron petiit annulos eorum, et inaures mulierum: quae tradita in ignem misit, et conflatum est vituli caput.

 1225C 3. Neque excusare tantum sacerdotem possumus, neque condemnare audemus. Non imprudens tamen, qui annulos Judaeis et inaures abstulit; etenim qui sacrilegium moliebantur, nec fidei signaculum habere poterant, nec ornamenta aurium. Denique et patriarcha Jacob 1055 abscondit inaures cum simulacris gentium, quando in Sichimis abscondit (Gen. XXXV, 4); ut nullus audiret superstitiones gentilium. Pulchre autem dixit:  Deponite annulos et inaures aureas,   quae sunt inaures mulierum vestrarum (Exod. XXXII, 2); non quo virorum inaures relinqueret,  1226A sed quod viros non habere manifestaret. Congrue quoque inaures auferuntur mulieribus, ne iterum Eva vocem serpentis audiret.

4. Et ideo quia sacrilegium audierant, conflatis earum inauribus, conflata est imago sacrilegii; qui enim male audit, conflare sacrilegium solet. Cur autem caput vituli exierit, sequentia docent: quia significabatur futurum quod Hieroboam posteriore tempore hoc genus sacrilegii induceret; ut populus Hebraeorum adoraret vitulas aureas (III Reg. XII, 30): sive quod omnis perfidia similis immanitatis atque insipientiae bestialis sit.

5. Cujus rei indignitate percitus fregit tabulas Moyses, et comminuit vituli caput, atque in pulverem redegit; ut omnia impietatis aboleret vestigia.  1226B Fractae sunt enim primae tabulae; ut repararentur secundae, quibus per Evangelii praedicationem perfidia comminuta evanuit. Sic Moyses typhum illum dissipavit Aegyptium, et altitudinem extollentem se compressit aeternae legis auctoritate. Unde et David ait:  Et confringet Dominus cedros Libani, et comminuet eas tamquam vitulum Libani (Psal. XXVIII, 5, 6).

6. Itaque absorbuit populus omnem perfidiam ac superbiam, ne eum absorberet impietas et arrogantia. Melius est enim, ut unusquisque praevaleat carni et vitiis ejus, ne dicatur de eo quia devoravit eum mors praevalens (Esai. XXV, 8), sed dicatur magis:  Devorata est mors in victoria. Ubi est, mors, victoria tua? Ubi est, mors, aculeus tuus (I Cor. XV, 54, 55)? Et de Domino dictum:  De torrente in via bibet (Psal.  1226C CIX, 7); quia acetum accepit, ut absorberet universorum tentationes.

7. Quod autem occidi fecit a proximis proximos, filios a parentibus, a fratribus fratres, praeceptum evidens, quia praeferenda est religio necessitudini, pietas propinquitati: ea est enim vera pietas, quae praeponit divina humanis, perpetua temporalibus. Unde et ipse Moyses ad filios Levi dixit:  Qui paratus est a Domino, veniat ad me. Et dixit illis: Haec dixit Dominus Deus Israel: imponite unusquisque gladium suum in femore suo, et pertransite  (Num. XVIII, 6);  1227A ut contemplatione atque amore reverentiae divinae perimeretur omnis affectus necessitudinis. Et 1056 occisa quidem scribuntur tria millia hominum, nec numeri invidia movemur; quia melius est paucorum supplicio universos exui, quam in omnes vindicari. Neque vero aliquid durum videtur pro vindicta injuriae coelestis.

8. Denique sanctiora caeteris ad hoc munus eliguntur ministeria levitarum, quorum portio Deus: nesciunt enim suis parcere, qui nihil suum norunt; quoniam sanctis omnia Deus est. Est etiam ille levita verus ultor et vindex, qui carnem interimit, ut servet spiritum; qualis erat ille qui ait:  Castigo corpus meum, et servituti redigo (I Cor. IX, 27). Quid autem tam proximum, quam caro animae? Quid tam  1227B proximum, quam sunt passiones corporis? Eas in se levita bonus interimit spiritali gladio, qui est verbum Dei bis acutum et validum (Hebr. IV, 12).

9. Est et gladius spiritus, qui pertransit animam, sicut ad Mariam dictum est:  Tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius, ut revelentur multorum cordium cogitationes (Luc. II, 35). Nonne caro animae fraterno quodam copulatur consortio? Nonne etiam menti nostrae affinis et propinquus sermo est? Cum igitur comprimimus sermonem, ne multiloquio peccatum incidamus, jus germanitatis abrumpimus, et fraternae vinculum propinquitatis dissolvimus; irrationabile quoque suum anima tamquam cognatum rationabili vigore dissociat.

10. Sic ergo Moyses docuit populum insurgere in  1227C proximos suos, per quos fides revocaretur, et virtus impediretur; ut desecaretur in nobis quidquid a virtute devium foret, confusum erroribus, vitiis innexum. Hac institutione populi meruit, ut non solum deliniret indignationem divinam, atque offensam averteret, verum etiam conciliaret gratiam.

11. Pro captu itaque nostro quid sentiremus, quoniam consuluisti, expressimus. Ipse si quid melius habes, nobiscum participato; ut ex te et ex nobis discamus quid potius eligendum et sequendum sit. Vale, et ut filius nos dilige; quoniam et nos te diligimus.