Caput XXII
Gluttony and the Fall of the Great
The author traces the devastating spiritual consequences of gluttony through Scripture, showing how this vice led to Adam's exile, Israel's idolatry and adultery, Esau's loss of birthright, and Sodom's destruction.
On the five kinds of gluttony — which we pass over here for the sake of brevity — there is a discussion of great subtlety in book 29 of the Moralia. Here, however, something must be pointed out, so that each person may consider what sort of sin it was for which Adam was cast out of paradise with all his offspring — the sin on account of which the people in the wilderness went so far as idolatry, as the Apostle says: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play (1 Cor.✦ 10:7). And likewise concerning the meat they craved: The food was still in their mouths (Ps. 77:30), and what follows. On account of which they also committed adultery with the Midianites.✦ On account of which Esau lost his birthright.✦ On account of which Sodoma rushed headlong into the fall of fornication, with God bearing witness, who says: This was the iniquity of your sister Sodom — a surfeit of bread (Ezek.✦
Christ's Command Against Overindulgence
The Apostle condemns belly-worship as enmity against the cross, and Christ himself singles out overindulgence and drunkenness as the root vices that must be cut away for all others to be overcome.
(Romans 16:49). The Apostle likens the fault of this vice to treachery, saying that those who worship the belly are enemies of the holy cross, and their god is their belly. That is, he asserts that belly and foods are God the Destroyer, saying, 'Food for the belly, and the belly for foods: but God shall destroy both it and them' (1 Corinthians 6:13). (1 Corinthians 6:13). And why is there need for many words? Christ himself, the Creator and knower of human nature, in order to show where all vices sprout up and where they must be cut back, commands this alone as especially necessary. Take care that your hearts are not weighed down in overindulgence and drunkenness. If these two are cut back, the rest are easily overcome.
Frugality, Election, and the Absence of Wisdom
Paul disciplines his body lest he be rejected despite his election, Job declares wisdom cannot be found among the soft-living, and Wisdom herself testifies that God loves only those who dwell with her.
And surely, who presumes to be counted among the elect without frugality, when Paul himself — the very vessel of election — disciplines his body for that very reason, lest he become rejected?✦ For Job also says that wisdom will not be found in the land of those who live softly (Job 28:13).✦ And Wisdom herself bears witness that God loves no one except the person who dwells with her (Wis. 7:28). Therefore, those who live softly should not flatter themselves, lest perhaps — if wisdom is not found among them — they are not loved by God.
Read the original Latin
De quinque modis gulae quos ob prolixitatem omittimus, in libro Moralium XXIX magna subtilitate disputatur. Hic tamen suggerendum videtur, ut quisque cogitet quale peccatum sit pro quo Adam cum omni stirpe sua de paradiso ejectus est: pro quo populus in deserto usque ad idololatriam venit, dicente Apostolo: Sedit populus manducare et bibere, et surrexerunt ludere (I Cor. X, 7). Et item de concupitis carnibus: Adhuc escae eorum erant in ore ipsorum (Psal. LXXVII, 30), et quae sequuntur. Pro quo et cum Madianitis moechati sunt. Pro quo et Esau primogenita sua perdidit. Pro quo Sodoma ad fornicationis lapsum proruit, Deo testante, qui ait: Haec fuit iniquitas sororis tuae Sodomae, saturitas panis (Ezech.
XVI, 49). Cujus vitii culpam perfidiae comparat Apostolus dicens, quod cultores ventris et inimici sint sanctae crucis, et deus ipsorum sit venter eorum. Quem videlicet ventrem et escas Deum asserit destructorem dicens: Esca ventri, et venter escis, Deus autem et hunc et has destruet (I Cor. VI, 13). Et quid multis necesse est? Ipse Creator et cognitor humanae naturae Christus, ut ostenderet ubi cuncta vitia pullulant, vel ubi recidi debeant, hoc solum veluti praecipue necessarium jubet. Videte ne graventur corda vestra in crapula et ebrietate. Quae duo si reciduntur, caetera facile superantur.
Et certe quis absque parcimonia se praesumit inter electos haberi, cum ipse vas electionis Paulus ideo corpus suum castigat, ne reprobus fiat? Nam et Job dicit, quia sapientia non invenietur in terra suaviter viventium (Job XXVIII, 13). Et ipsa Sapientia testatur, quia neminem diligit Deus nisi eum qui cum ipsa habitat (Sap. VII, 28). Ergo non se palpent, qui suaviter vivunt, ne forte si apud eos non inveniatur sapientia, non diligantur a Deo.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.10.7 — Do not become idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play."
- ↩Num.25.1-Num.25.6 — Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. Num.25.2 — They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Num.25.3 — And Israel joined himself to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. Num.25.4 — The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and impale them before the LORD in the open sun, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." Num.25.5 — And Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." Num.25.6 — And behold, a man of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
- ↩Gen.25.29-Gen.25.34 — Jacob was cooking stew when Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. Gen.25.30 — And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down some of that red stuff—this red stuff—because I am exhausted." That is why his name was called Edom. Gen.25.31 — But Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright today." Gen.25.32 — And Esau said, 'Look, I am about to die, so what good is the birthright to me?' Gen.25.33 — And Jacob said, "Swear to me today," and he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob. Gen.25.34 — Then Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
- ↩Ezek.16.49 — Now this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: pride, abundance of bread, and careless ease were hers and her daughters, and she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy.
- ↩Acts.9.15;Acts.9.15 — But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. Acts.9.15 — But the Lord said to him, "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.
- ↩Job.28.13 — No mortal knows its worth, nor is it found in the land of the living.
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