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← Collationes (Conferences / Collations)/Book 3 · Collationes — Liber III
Chapter 4OdoC.3.4

Caput III

The Devastation of Vices Over the World

The devastation of vices has subjugated the whole world, raging everywhere while people surrender to it without lament.

This devastation of vices — whose desert is the outward captivity that has now come upon it — has already subjugated the whole world to itself. It rages everywhere, it ranges everywhere; and yet the less all people lament it, the more completely they have surrendered their hands to its dominion.

Fleeing the Wrong Captivity

Everyone flees the outer captivity that could benefit their souls, while neglecting the inner captivity against which they should have labored.

But everyone flees the outer captivity, which, as has been said, has always been accustomed to benefit the salvation of souls. But it was against the inner captivity that one should have labored, and eagerly sought a place of refuge.

Those Who Willingly Wound Themselves

Who will heal those who willingly wound themselves by following Simon the magician and Ananias rather than the holy ones who fought against this perversity?

But who will heal those who willingly wound themselves — who follow Simon the magician more gladly than they follow Ananias, who were the heresiarchs of this malice, rather than all the holy ones who from the beginning of the faithful have always fought against this perversity?✦✦

The Malice of Seeking Earthly Profit in Spiritual Things

The evil enemy infects carnal minds so that they do God's things for earthly profit or human praise, imitating Simon who wanted to buy the Holy Spirit's gift or Ananias who reclaimed what he had offered to God.

We call it malice — that by which the evil enemy so infects the minds of the carnal that they do the things of God not for God but for earthly profit or for human praise. They imitate Simon the magician, who wanted to obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of selling it to others for gain; or, lured by the enticement of desire, they reclaim the things they ought to leave for God's sake — just like Ananias.✦✦

God's Defenses for His Church

God gave His Son as a wall for the Church, with patriarchs and prophets as a bulwark and apostles standing upon its walls as watchmen who never fall silent.

For in order that that devastation might not seize the faithful, God the Father gave his Son as a wall for his city, which is the Church — according to that word: 'A Savior will be placed in it as a wall' — and the patriarchs and prophets, as the passage there continues, as a bulwark (Isa.✦ 26:1), and the apostles, who stand upon its walls day and night and do not fall silent.✦✦

The Teachers' Bulwarks and the Overflowing of Iniquity

Teachers always raise bulwarks and fashion arrows of words to drive back the wickedness of loving human glory over God's glory, yet iniquity overflows nonetheless.

And what more? Always, by all teachers, bulwarks are raised and arrows of words are fashioned, by which that wickedness may be driven back from the hearts of the faithful — that wickedness by which they love the glory of men more than the glory of God.1 But wickedness overflows all the same.2

The Hour of Evils and the Call to Lament

Since this is the hour of evils and the power of darkness, if we cannot resist the devastation, let us at least grieve for those it captivates and return to the matter of exterior captivity.

Because indeed this is now the hour of evils and the power of darkness: if we cannot resist the aforementioned devastation, let us at least grieve for those whom it captivates, and let us return to the things that must be said about the exterior captivity.✦34

Read the original Latin

Haec vitiorum vastitas, ex cujus merito exterior accidit, jam sibi totum orbem subjugavit, ubique saevit, ubique grassatur: et tamen tanto minus omnes de hac se plangunt, quanto magis universi manus dominio ejus submiserint. Exteriorem vero cuncti fugiunt, quae, ut dictum est, animarum saluti prodesse consuevit. Sed contra interiorem fuerat laborandum, et suffugium certatim quaerendum. Sed quis medebitur his, qui sponte vulnerantur, qui libentius sequuntur Simonem magum, vel Ananiam, qui haeresiarchae hujus malitiae fuerunt, quam sanctos omnes qui ab exordio fidelium contra perversitatem istam semper pugnaverunt? Malitiam dicimus, qua malignus hostis ita mentes carnalium inficit, ut ea quae Dei sunt non pro Deo, sed pro lucro terreno, vel pro humanis laudibus gerant: imitantes Simonem magum, qui donum sancti Spiritus ad hoc comparare voluit, ut aliis ad lucrum venderet: vel ea quae pro Deo relinquere debent, cupidine lenocinante, sicut Ananias, repetant. Ne enim illa vastitas fideles occuparet, civitati suae, quae est Ecclesia, Deus Pater Filium pro muro dedit, juxta illud: Salvator ponetur in ea murus: et patriarchas et prophetas, sicut illic sequitur, pro antemurali (Isa. XXVI, 1), et apostolos, qui super muros ejus die ac nocte stantes non taceant. Et quid plura?

semper ab omnibus doctoribus propugnacula, et verborum spicula conficiuntur, quibus a cordibus fidelium ista malitia repellatur, qua gloriam hominum diligunt magis quam Dei. Sed tamen superabundat iniquitas. Quia vero nunc hora malorum est, et potestas tenebrarum, si praedictae vastitati resistere nequimus, pro his saltem, quos captivat, doleamus, et ad ea quae de exteriori captivitate dicenda sunt redeamus.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Acts.8.9-Acts.8.24 — Now there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced sorcery in the city, astonishing the nation of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. Acts.8.10 — They all paid close attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." Acts.8.11 — And they were paying close attention to him, for a considerable time his acts of sorcery had astonished them. Acts.8.12 — But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts.8.13 — And Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles taking place, he was amazed. Acts.8.14 — Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. Acts.8.15 — who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Acts.8.16 — for it had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts.8.17 — Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts.8.18 — Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, Acts.8.19 — saying, 'Give me also this authority, so that on whomever I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' Acts.8.20 — But Peter said to him, "May your money go with you to destruction, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God by means of money." Acts.8.21 — You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Acts.8.22 — Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts.8.23 — For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of unrighteousness. Acts.8.24 — But Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.'
  2. ↩Acts.5.1-Acts.5.6 — But a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. Acts.5.2 — And he kept back some of the proceeds, with his wife also knowing it. And he brought a portion and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts.5.3 — But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?' Acts.5.4 — While it remained unsold, wasn't it yours? And after it was sold, wasn't it under your own control? Why did you set this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. Acts.5.5 — But when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard these things. Acts.5.6 — Then the younger men rose, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.
  3. ↩Acts.8.18-Acts.8.20 — Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, Acts.8.19 — saying, 'Give me also this authority, so that on whomever I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' Acts.8.20 — But Peter said to him, "May your money go with you to destruction, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God by means of money."
  4. ↩Acts.5.1-Acts.5.6 — But a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. Acts.5.2 — And he kept back some of the proceeds, with his wife also knowing it. And he brought a portion and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts.5.3 — But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?' Acts.5.4 — While it remained unsold, wasn't it yours? And after it was sold, wasn't it under your own control? Why did you set this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. Acts.5.5 — But when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard these things. Acts.5.6 — Then the younger men rose, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.
  5. ↩Isa.26.1 — In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 'A strong city is ours; God will appoint salvation as walls and ramparts.'
  6. ↩Isa.26.1 — In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 'A strong city is ours; God will appoint salvation as walls and ramparts.'
  7. ↩Isa.62.6 — Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have posted guards; all day and all night they will never be silent. You who remind the LORD, do not rest.
  8. ↩Luke.22.53 — When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Propugnacula (bulwarks/ramparts) and spicula (arrows/darts) form a sustained military metaphor: teachers arm the faithful against interior corruption. The double relative quibus…qua links the weapons to the specific vice — preferring human praise over God's glory.
  2. 2 ↩Superabundat carries the sense of superabounding — not merely present but overflowing. The adversative pair sed tamen concedes the previous point (teachers fight back) while insisting evil still prevails.
  3. 3 ↩Hora malorum…et potestas tenebrarum echoes Luke 22:53 ('this is your hour, and the power of darkness'), though the phrasing here is not a direct quotation. The speaker concedes defeat against the interior devastation and redirects attention to the more visible, exterior captivity already discussed.
  4. 4 ↩Possible allusion to Luke 22:53 or Eph 6:12. Candidate status — final resolution deferred to Moses stage.

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