LETTER LVIII. [A.D.393.]

IN this letter S. Ambrose informs Sabinus that Paulinus and Therasia had resolved to give up all their wealth to the poor, and retire to Nola, and complains of the objections raised against such self-denial, ending with a mystical interpretation of David dancing before the ark.

AMBROSE TO SABINUS, BISHOP.

1. CREDIBLE information has reached me that Paulinus, the lustre of whose birth was inferior to none in the region of Aquitania, has sold both his own possessions and those of his wife, and entered upon a course of life which enables him to bestow upon the poor the property which has been converted into money; while he himself having become poor instead of rich, as one relieved of a heavy burden, has bid farewell to his home his country and his kindred, in order to serve God more diligently; and he is reported to have chosen a retreat in the city of Nola, to pass the rest of his days in avoiding the turmoil of life.

2. The lady Therasia too approaches closely to his zeal and virtue, and objects not to the resolve he has taken. Having transferred her own property to other owners, she follows her husband, and contented with his little plat of ground will console herself with the riches of religion and charity. Offspring they have none, and therefore desire to leave behind them good deeds.

3. When the great of the world hear this, what will they say? That a man of his family, his ancestry, his genius, gifted with such eloquence, should have seceded from the senate, that the succession of a noble family should become extinct, such things, they will say, are not to be borne. And though they, when they perform the rites of Isis, shave their heads and eyebrows, they nevertheless call it an unworthy deed should a Christian man out of zeal for holy religion change his habit.

4. Truly I grieve that, while falsehood is so respected, there should be such negligence as regards the Truth, that many are ashamed of seeming too devoted to our holy religion, not considering His words Who says,  Whosoever shall be ashamed of  ^{06-9 9. 1 confusus fuerit.}  Me before men, of him will I also be ashamed  ^{06-10 10. 2 confundar}  before My Father Which is in heaven. But Moses was not thus ashamed, for though invited into the royal palace he  esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. David was not thus ashamed when he danced before the Ark of the testimony in the sight of all the people. Isaiah was not thus ashamed, when he walked naked and bare-foot through the people, proclaiming the heavenly oracles.

5. Viewed by the outward eye what can be a more unseemly spectacle than an imitation of the gestures of players, and a wreathing of the limbs after the manner of women? Lascivious dances are the companions of luxury and the pastime of wantonness. What did David himself mean by singing,  O clap your hands together, all ye people? If we regard the bodily action we must suppose that he clapped his hands as if mingling with female dancers, and shouted with unseemly noise. Of Ezekiel too it is said,  Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot. 

6. But the things which viewed corporeally are unseemly, when viewed in regard to holy religion become venerable, so that they who blame such things will involve their own souls in the net of blame. Thus Michal reproves David for his dancing and says to him,  How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of  his handmaids! And David answered her,  It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord, and I will be yet more vile thus, and will be base in mine own sight, and of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour. 

 7. David therefore did not shrink from female censure, nor was he ashamed to hear their reproaches for his religious service. For he played before the Lord as being his servant, and was the more pleasing to Him in that he so humbled himself before God, as to lay aside his royal dignity and to offer to God the very lowest ministry, as though he were a servant. She also who censured such dancing was condemned to barrenness and had no children by the king, that she might not bring forth a proud offspring; and so, as it turned out, she obtained no continuance of descendants or of good deeds.

8. If any one is still doubtful, let him hear the testimony of the Gospel, for the Son of God said,  We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced. Therefore were the Jews abandoned, because they danced not, nor clapped their hands, and the Gentiles were called in, who gave to God spiritual applause.  The fool foldeth his hands together and devoureth his own flesh, that is, he entangles himself in corporeal matters, and devours his own flesh, like prevailing death,  ^{06-11 11. a See Letter xliv. 9, and note e there.} and so he shall not find eternal life. But the wise man, who so holds up his works that they may shine before his Father Which is in heaven, has not consumed his flesh but has raised it to the grace of the resurrection. This is that glorious dance of the wise man which David danced, and thus by the loftiness of his spiritual dancing he ascended even to the throne of Christ, that he might see and hear  the Lord saying to his Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand! 

9. Now if you are of opinion that this interpretation of the dancing has not been made unreasonably, do not spare yourself the trouble of reading a little further, in order that we may consider together the case of Isaiah, how, as is well known to you, he was uncovered, not in mockery but gloriously, in the sight of the assembled people, as one who reported with his own mouth the oracles of God.

10. But perhaps it may be said, Was it not then disgraceful for a man to walk wholly uncovered through the people, seeing that he must be met both by men and women? Must not the sight itself have shocked the eyes of all, especially of women? Do not we ourselves generally shrink from looking upon naked men? And are not men's persons concealed by garments that they may not offend the eyes of beholders by an unseemly spectacle?

11. In this I also acquiesce; but consider what it was this act represented, and what was set forth under this outward show; it was, that the young men and maidens of the Jews should be led away prisoners, and walk naked,  like as My servant Isaiah, it is said,  hath walked naked and barefoot. This might also have been impressed in words, but God chose to render it more expressive by example, that the sight itself might thus strike greater terror, and what they shrunk from in the person of the prophet, that they might dread for themselves. In which of the two then does the baseness most shock us; in the person of the prophet, or in the sins of those unbelievers which deserved to fall into this great misery of captivity?

12. But what if there was nothing worthy of reproach in the prophet's body? He indeed alluded not to corporeal but to spiritual things; for in his ecstasy of mind he says, not I  will hearken what I shall say, but,  what the Lord God shall say in me. Nor does he consider whether he is naked or clothed. Again, Adam before his sin was naked, but knew not he was naked, because he was endued with virtue; after he had committed sin he saw that he was naked, and covered himself. Noah was uncovered, but he blushed not, because he was full of gladness and spiritual joy, while he who derided him for being naked, himself remained subject to the disgrace of perpetual baseness. Joseph too, that he might not be basely uncovered, left his garment, and fled away naked; now which of the two was base in this instance, she who kept another's garment, or he who put off his own?

13. But that it may be more fully evident that the prophets regard not themselves nor what lies at their feet, but heavenly things, when Stephen was stoned he saw  the heavens opened, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; and therefore he felt not the blows of the stones, he regarded not his bodily wounds, but his eyes were fastened on Christ, he clung closely to him. So also Isaiah looked not on his own nakedness, but offered himself to be the organ of the Divine voice, that he might utter what God spake within him.

14. But be it supposed that he saw himself, could he not do that which he was commanded? Could he believe that to be base which God enjoined? Sarah, because she laughed, was convicted of unbelief; Abraham was praised, because he doubted not the word of God; yea, he received a very great reward, because he believed that at God's command, even parricide might be piously committed.

15. What cause for shame then had the prophet here, when one thing was enacted, but that of which it was a figure was quite different? The Jews, being deserted by God for their wickedness, began to be vanquished by their enemies, and were fain to betake themselves to the Egyptians, to be a protection to them against the Assyrians, whereas had they consulted for good, they ought rather to have returned to the faith. The Lord, being angry, shews that their hope was vain in thinking that the offence against Him could be removed by a greater sin, for that very people in whom the Jews were trusting, were them selves to be vanquished. This was the meaning as regards the actual history.

10. But this history itself is a figure, signifying that he trusts in the Egyptians who is given up to impurity, and enslaved to wantonness. For no man abandons himself to excess but he who departs from the precepts of the true God. But as soon as a man waxes wanton, he begins to fall off from the true faith. And then he commits two grievous crimes, lassitude as regards the flesh, and sacrilege as regards the mind. He then who follows not the Lord his God ingulfs himself in impurity and lust, those pestilential passions of the body. But he who has engulfed and plunged himself in such wallowing places, falls also into the snare of unbelief; for  the people sat down to eat and to drink, and required that gods should be made for them. Hereby the Lord teaches us that he who gives up his soul to these two kinds of vices, is stript of the garment, not of a woollen vest, but of living virtue; that clothing which is not temporal but eternal. Farewell, love me, for I also love you.

1013 EPISTOLA LVIII.

PAULINI  et THERASIAE  post distributas egenis suas facultates secessum narrat, nec non futuras ob eam causam paganorum criminationes, quorum superstitionem ac caecitatem luget. Tum nihil pro religione turpe ducendum exemplis probans, saltationem Davidis, Eliaeque nuditatem mystice explicat, et defendit. 

AMBROSIUS SABINO episcopo.

1. Paulinum splendore generis in partibus Aquitaniae nulli secundum, venditis facultatibus tam suis, quam etiam conjugalibus, in hos sese induisse cultus ad fidem comperi; ut ea in pauperes conferat, quae redegit in pecuniam: et ipse pauper ex divite factus, tamquam deoneratus gravi sarcina, domui,  1178C patriae, cognationi quoque valedicat, quo impensius Deo serviat. Elegisse autem secretum affirmatur Nolanae urbis, ubi tumultum fugitans aevum exigat.

2. Matrona quoque virtuti et studio ejus proxime accedit, neque a proposito viri discrepat. Denique transcriptis in aliorum jura suis praediis, virum sequitur, et exiguo illic conjugis contenta cespite solabitur se religionis et charitatis divitiis. Soboles eis nulla, et ideo meritorum posteritas desiderata.

3. Haec ubi audierint proceres viri, quae loquentur?  1179A Ex illa familia, illa prosapia, illa indole, tanta praeditum eloquentia migrasse a senatu, interceptam familiae nobilis successionem: ferri hoc non posse. Et cum ipsi capita et supercilia sua radant, si quando Isidis suscipiunt sacra; si forte christianus vir attentior sacrosanctae religioni, vestem mutaverit, indignum facinus appellant.

4. Equidem doleo tantam esse in mendacio observantiam, in veritate negligentiam; ut confundantur plerique attentiores ad sacrosanctam religionem videri, non considerantes vocem dicentis:  Qui me confusus fuerit coram hominibus, confundar et ego eum coram Patre meo, qui est in coelis (Marc. VIII, 38). Sed non confusus est Moyses, qui cum esset ascitus in domum regiam, thesauris Aegypti opprobrium Christi  1179B praeferendum putavit. Non confusus est David, qui ante Arcam testimonii coram omni populo saltavit (II Reg. VI, 20). Non confusus est Esaias, qui nudus et discalceatus ibat per populos, oracula clamans coelestia (Esai. XX, 2).

5. Quid utique tam deforme visibili spectaculo, 1014 quam histrionicos sinuare gestus, et femineo usu mollire membra? Deliciarum comes et luxuriae ludibrium est lasciva saltatio. Quid illud quod ipse cecinit dicens:  Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus (Psal. XLVI, 2)? Nempe si corporalia consideremus, tamquam muliebribus intermixtum choreis putamus eum concrepare manibus, et turpi sono plaudere. Nam et de Ezechiel dictum est:  Plaude manu, et percute pede (Ezech. VI, 11).

 1179C 6. Sed haec quae corporeo aspectu fiunt turpia, sacrosanctae religionis contemplatione reverenda sunt; ut qui ista reprehendunt, ipsi in laqueos reprehensionis animas suas inducant. Denique reprehendit Michol saltantem David, et ait ad eum:  Quid honorificatus est hodie rex Israel; quia denudatus est hodie ante oculos puellarum suarum? Et respondit ei David:  Coram Domino ludam, qui elegit me pro patre tuo, et pro universa domo ejus; ut constitueret me regem super populum suum Israel. Et ludam coram Domino, et denudabor adhuc sic, et ero nugax ante oculos tuos, et cum puellis, quibus dixisti me denudatum, honorificabor  (II Reg. VI, 20 et seq.).

7. Non erubuit igitur David femineas opiniones, nec opprobria apud mulieres subire pro religionis  1179D obsequio verecundatus est. Ludebat enim Domino puer suus; et ideo amplius placuit, quia ita se humiliavit  1180A Deo, ut regale posthaberet fastigium, et ultimum exhiberet Deo quasi servulus ministerium. Denique illa quae saltationem hujusmodi reprehendit, sterilitatis damnata, non dedit sobolem regiam, ne superbos crearet: et quod verum est, nullam est adepta posteritatis suae meritorumque successionem.

8. Quod si quis adhuc dubitat, accipiat Evangelicum testimonium; dixit enim Dei Filius:  Cantavimus vobis, et non saltastis (Matth. XI, 17). Derelicti sunt itaque Judaei, qui non saltaverunt, qui nescierunt manibus suis plaudere: adscitae sunt gentes, quae spiritalem Deo plausum dederunt.  Stultus enim complexus est manus suas, et devoravit viscera sua (Eccles. IV, 5), id est, corporalibus se implicavit negotiis, et  1180B devoravit viscera sua, sicut mors praevalens; et ideo non inveniet vitam aeternam: sapiens autem attollens opera sua, ut lucerent coram Patre suo, qui in coelis est (Matth. V, 16); non absumpsit, sed elevavit viscera sua usque ad resurrectionis gratiam. Haec gloriosa sapientis saltatio, quam saltavit David; et ideo usque ad 1015 sedem Christi sublimitate spiritalis saltationis ascendit, ut videret atque audiret dicentem Dominum Domino suo:  Sede a dextris meis (Psal. CII, 1).

9. Ergo si non absurde cecidisse nobis hanc de saltatione interpretationem judicas, non supersedeas adhuc lectionis labore (Esai. XX, 2); ut etiam de Esaia mecum recenseas, quod bene tibi cognitum est illum non ludibriose, sed gloriosissime denudatum  1180C esse in conspectu populorum occursantium, utpote qui oracula Domini ore proprio resultabat.

10. Sed forte aliquis dicat: Non igitur erat turpe, ut vir nudus per omnia iret per populos; cum ei et virilis sexus et muliebris occurreret? Non ipsa species offendebat oculos omnium, et maxime mulierum? Nonne ipsi nos inspicere nudos plerumque reveremur? Denique idcirco indumentis operiuntur genitalia hominum, ne deformi visu obtutum, aciemque perstringant oculorum intuentium.

11. Acquiesco et ego: sed considera quae figura sit facti hujus, quidve praetendat species hujusmodi; eo quod ita nudi ambulabunt pueri Judaeorum et virgines in captivitatem deducti:  Sicut puer, inquit,  meus Esaias, vadit nudus et excalciatus (Ibid., 3). Potuit  1180D quidem hoc et sermone exprimere, sed exemplo acerbare maluit; ut species ipsa plus incuteret  1181A horroris, et quod in prophetae corpore aversabantur, in se pertimescerent. In quo igitur horror gravior turpitudinis, in corpore prophetae, an in perfidorum peccato, quod tantam meritis suis aerumnam incidit captivitatis?

12. Quid si in prophetico corpore nihil opprobrii? Ille enim corporalibus non intendebat, sed spiritalibus. Namque in excessu mentis non dicit:  Audiam quid loquar; sed,  quid loquatur in me Deus (Psal. LXXXIV, 9). Neque attendit utrum nudus, an vestitus sit. Denique Adam ante peccatum nudus erat (Gen. II, 25), sed nudum se nesciebat, quia erat indutus virtutibus: posteaquam vero peccatum commisit, nudum se esse vidit, et texit. Noe nudatus erat (Gen. IX, 21), sed non erubescebat, quia erat plenus jucunditatis,  1181B et spiritalis laetitiae. Denique qui eum risit ut nudum, ipse mansit perpetuae obnoxius opprobrio turpitudinis. At vero Joseph ne turpiter nudaretur, vestem reliquit, et nudus aufugit (Gen. XXXIX, 12). Quis igitur turpis, illa quae vestem alienam tenuit, an is qui suam exuit?

13. Sed ut plenius liqueat quia non se, neque ea quae juxta pedes sunt, prophetae aspiciunt, sed coelestia; lapidabatur Stephanus, et videbat coelos apertos, et Jesum ad dexteram Dei stantem (Act. VII, 55): et ideo lapidum ictus non sentiebat, corporis non considerabat vulnera; sed oculis erat Christo affixus, illi adhaerebat. Ergo et Esaias nudum se non conspicabatur, sed divinae vocis organum se praebebat (Esa. XX, 2); ut promeret quod in eo loquebatur Deus.

 1181C 1016 14. Sed esto ut se videret, poterat non facere quod jubebatur? Poterat turpe arbitrari, quod imperabat Deus? Sara quia risit, incredulitatis coarguta est (Gen. XVIII, 2): Abraham laudatus; quia in verbo Dei non haesitavit: et donatus remuneratione maxima, quia jubente Deo pie posse fieri credidit etiam parricidium (Gen. XV).

15. Hic igitur quid verecundiae esset prophetae, ubi aliud gerebatur, et aliud figurabatur? Judaei propter flagitia sua destituti a Domino Deo, coeperant vinci ab adversariis suis, conferre se volebant ad Aegyptios; ut sibi essent praesidio adversum Assyrios, qui redire magis ad fidem, si boni consulerent, debuissent. Iratus Dominus significat vanam illos spem gerere, qui offensam Domini putarunt majore  1181D peccato levandam; cum illi ipsi vincendi forent, in quorum auxiliis populus Judaeorum confideret: hoc secundum historiam.

 1182A 16. Figura autem illa, quia in Aegyptiis confidit qui luxuriis deditus est, mancipatus lasciviae. Nemo autem se luxui committit, nisi qui recedit a praeceptis Dei veri. Ubi autem coeperit quis luxuriari, incipit deviare a fide vera. Ita duo committit maxima crimina, opprobria carnis, et mentis sacrilegia. Ergo qui non sequitur Dominum Deum suum, ingurgitat se luxuriae ac libidini, pestiferis corporis passionibus. Qui autem se ingurgitaverit atque immerserit hujusmodi volutabris, perfidiae laqueos incurrit:  Sedit enim  populus manducare et bibere (Exod. XXXII, 6), et fieri sibi deos poposcit. Unde docet Dominus quoniam qui duobus istis flagitiorum generibus dederit animam suam, exuitur indumento, non vestis laneae, sed vividae virtutis; cujus amictus non temporalis,  1182B sed aeternus est. Vale, et nos dilige; quia nos te diligimus.