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Chapter 11ErudR.1.11

Septimum capitulum de expositione hujus : Ut discat timere Dominum Deum suum.

The Fear of the Lord as the Beginning of Wisdom

The king must learn to fear the Lord, for this fear is the foundation of wisdom and true rule, disciplining the soul against pride, vanity, and negligence in every sphere of life.

It follows: let him learn to fear the Lord his God.✦ If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom confirms princely rule and kingdoms, then a king or prince whom the degree of fear does not initiate aspires in vain to the summit of legitimate rule or of a kingdom, as it is written: 'They reigned, but not from me; princes arose, and I knew nothing of it.'✦✦12 Let him therefore learn to fear the Lord, and let him hear the reading about fear.3 Fear disciplines the soul with the blow of a friend, and by its authority it shapes the tender beginnings of powers, so that they do not grow proud of their family's nobility, nor become wanton in the health of their bodies, nor grow insolent through successes or pleasures.4 Let him learn, I say, to fear, so that fear may always and everywhere stir his soul through the continuous reading of wisdom, and that, when serious matters are interrupted, he may not turn aside to the idle pursuits of vanity.5 Fear reads about thriftiness at banquets, about chastity in bedchambers, about justice amid the clamor of lawsuits, about modesty in conversations, about innocence in manners, and about discipline in the houses of religious communities.6

The Sword of Damocles: A Mirror for Princes

The classical tale of Damocles illustrates that worldly power and luxury are overshadowed by constant peril, teaching the ruler to flee the seductions of ambition through the fear of God.

Sidonius and Valerius Maximus report that Damocles of Syracuse was an intimate and close friend of Dionysius the tyrant, and that when he was at a feast extolling Dionysius with many praises and calling him blessed, Dionysius said, "Do you wish, at least at this table, to enjoy my good things and my evils equally with me?" "I do," he said. And right away — by the ruler's command — his ordinary garment was removed, and he was clothed in purple and gold-dyed robes, crowned with gleaming gems and glistening with pearls, and placed on a golden couch with a silken cushion. And as he was about to dine, foaming wines were poured into gem-studded vessels, and dishes of ever more refined and exquisite fare were set before him, along with a spread of foreign delicacies and sauces. Flower garlands perfumed with nard were scattered over his hair, drying in the heat — when suddenly the sharpest sword, unsheathed and tied by a single horsehair thread, threatening in its weight and fearsome in its edge, began to be brandished over his head, and now, as it seemed, was about to fall upon the throat of the man in purple. Terrified, then, that the food he had swallowed through his mouth would come back out through his wounds, he at last — after prayers mingled with many tears — was released, and immediately leapt to his feet and fled with all speed from the riches and delights of King Dionysius, by which the most ambitious are driven to desire, and was brought back from the desires of great things to modest wants by the fear of what is highest.

Remembering the Last Things: Death, Judgment, and Hell

The ruler must meditate constantly on death, judgment, and hell—the three last things—for this remembrance instills holy fear, drives out sin, and strips away attachment to fleeting worldly goods.

From this example, then, we're given a constant supply of matter for fear, since we always and everywhere await the dissolution of soul and body. Hence it is written: 'Tribulation and distress will terrify him, like a king prepared for battle'; and that word of Ecclesiasticus: 'My son, remember your last things, and you will not sin forever.' For the remembrance of last things makes a person fearful. Indeed, fear drives out sin and admits no negligence. But what are these last things that are to be feared in this way? Death, judgment, and hell. In death, nothing is more horrible; in judgment, nothing more terrible; in hell, nothing more intolerable can be imagined. In death I will carry nothing with me of the goods of this fleeting, temporal life; at judgment I will neither flee nor resist.

The Weight of Sin and the Severity of Judgment

To learn the fear of the Lord, one must weigh the magnitude of one's sin against the severity of the divine Judge, considering the hopeless fate of those placed on the left hand at the final judgment.

If then I'll have been placed on the left, so that I may cross into Gehenna, there neither redemption nor consolation will be able to be found — and, to put it as one thought: if we will have wished to learn the fear of the Lord, let the magnitude of our sin be considered on this side, and on that, the severity of the one who judges.✦✦

Between Despair and Presumption: The Balance of Fear and Hope

Holy fear must be held in careful balance: excess leads to despair and the torments of a conscience that has forgotten mercy, while deficiency produces presumption and a lukewarm, heedless life.

But above all, guard against this: that from too much fear you don't slide into despair, or from too much confidence you don't run headlong into presumption. So let the sinner's hope spring up again, sustained by the mercy of God; and let the penitent's contrition tremble, mindful of the severity of judgment. The person who holds onto hope without fear — his prayer will be lukewarm, his action sluggish, his laughter too quick, his speech unrestrained, and the whole of his life more careless. But the person who, having given up hope, clings only to fear — he feels the sting of conscience, turns over in his mind the fires of hell, the lake of sulfur and everlasting torment; surrounded by darkness and locked in a dreadful prison, having forgotten divine mercy, he finds no sweetness anywhere, inside or out.✦

The Remedy of Repentance Against Despair

Despair is unthinkable for a Christian because repentance is always available, as shown by countless biblical examples; moreover, mere fear of man only drives sin deeper, while godly fear strikes at the root.

But how, I ask you, can a movement of despair overtake a Christian, for whom repentance is always at hand — repentance that snatched the thief on the cross suddenly into the kingdom, that restores the Holy Spirit to David after his crime, that calls back Manasseh after his bloody deeds, Peter after his denial, the prodigal son after he had consumed his inheritance and his lust, the city of Nineveh, the sinful woman of the Gospel, Matthew the tax collector, Paul the persecutor, and the tax collector too — the one praying in secret, the other making satisfaction openly?✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Let him learn, it says, to fear the Lord his God.✦ For whoever fears man, quickly falls.✦ For human fear outwardly represses sin for a time, but by that very fact presses it more deeply inward than it expels it, and, once an opportunity arises, it bursts forth more violently — what had been shut in and not extinguished — and sprouts more abundantly, because what had been cut back superficially, not at the root, had never truly been amputated.✦

Keeping the Fear of the Lord Before Our Eyes

The fear of the Lord must be kept continually before the heart's eyes, for even if it brought no reward, the alternative of not fearing God offers no security; we know we have sinned but cannot know how the Lord judges.

Let the fear of the Lord, then, be kept continually before the eyes of our heart. For even if there is no benefit in fearing God, where is our security in not fearing him?7 We know that we have sinned against the Lord in many ways and grievously, but whether we are worthy of his hatred or his love we do not know, and how the Lord regards these things, what value he sets on them, how he judges them — of all this we are ignorant.8

Read the original Latin

Sequîtur : Ut discat timere Dominum Deum suum. Si principium sapientiae timor Domini est, sapientia vero principatus et regna confirmât, rex et princeps, quem timoris gradus non initiât, inaniter ad legitimi principatus aut regni culmen aspirât, sicut scriptum est : Ipsi regnaverunt et non ex me, principes extiterunt et ego ignoravi. Discat ergo Dominum timere et lectionem audiat de timoré. Castigat amico verbere timor animum, format ejus magisterio tenera principia potestatum, ne aut de generis nobilitate superbiant, ne de corporis incolumitate lasciviant, ne de successibus aut lasciviis insolescant. Ut discat, inquam, timere, ut semper et ubique sollicitet timor animum continua sapientiae lectione, ne, interruptis seriis, divertat ad otia vanitatis. Legit timor in conviviis de parsimonia, in cubilibus de pudicitia, in causarum strepitu de justitia, in colloquiis de modestia et moribus de innocentia, in domibus claustralium de disciplina.

Referunt Sydonius et Valerius Maximus Damoclem Siracusanum Dyonisio tyranno familiarem admodum et amicum, qui cum Dyonisium conviV*> vantem multis laudibus exaltaret IO et beatum assereret, vis, inquit Dyonisius, saltem in hac mensa bonis meis et malis mecum " pariter uti ? Volo, inquit. Et ecce confestim, jussu principis, plebeia veste sublata, purpureis induitur vestibus et auratis ; redimitus gemmis, renitens margaritis, imponitur lecto aureo et substratorio sericato, cumque pransuro vina spumantia in gemmeis vasis, ferculis cultioribus et exquisitioribus adderentur, et electuariorum et jurium peregrinorum ambitio panderetur, et in ardescentes nardo capillos circumfusa florum serta siccarent, cœpit acutissimus gladius absque vagina filo setae ligatus equinae, pondère minax et acumine formidandus super caput ejus repente vibrari, jamjamque ruiturus, ut videbatur, in jugulum purpurati. Timens igitur ille ne cibi ingressi T per ora egrederentur per vulnera, post mixtas multipliées lacrimis preces tandem absolutus, statim prosiliens illa refugit celeritate divitias deliciasque regis Dyonisii qua soient ab ambitiosissimis concupisci, reductusque a ad desideria mediocrium timoré summorum.

Jugis igitur timoris nobis ex hoc exemplo materia ministratur, qui semper et ubique dissolutionem animae et corporis praestolamur. Unde scriptum est : Terrebit eum tribulatio et augustia, sicut regem qui praeparatur ad praelium ; et illud Ecclesiastici : Fili, memorare novissima tua, et in aeternum non peccabis. Novissimorum enim recordatio timoratum facit. Timor vero peccatum expellit, et negligentiam non admittit. Sed quae sunt novissima sic timenda ? Mors, judicium et gehenna. Morte nihil horribilius, judicio nihil terribilius, gehenna nihil potest intolerabilius cogitari. In morte nihil de bonis hujus vitae transitoriae et temporalibus mecum feram ; in judicio, nec fugiam, nec resistam.

Si vero positus fuero ad sinistram ut transeam in gehennam, ibi nec redemptio nec consolatio poterit inveniri, et ut sit ad unum dicere : si timorem Domini voluerimus discere, hinc consideretur quantitas nostri criminis, illinc severitas judicantis.

Sed hoc est summopere praecavendum ne ex timoris nimietate degeneretur s in desperationem, aut ex nimia securitate luxurietur in praesumptionem. Pensata igitur pietate Dei, spes peccatoris alacriter reviviscat, et pensata severitate judicii poenitentis contritio contremiscat. Qui enim spem sine timoré tenuerit, ejus oratio tepidior, actio pigrior, risus promptior, sermo effusior et omnis utriusque hominis status incautior apparebit. Qui vero, spe relicta, timorem amplectitur, conscientiae sentit aculeum, ignem revolvit tartareum, stagnum sulphureum et cruciatum perpetuum, tenebris circumfusus et horrido carcere circumclusus, divinae miserationis oblitus, nullam dulcedinem vel IO intrinsecam vel extrinsecam " experitur.

Sed unde, obsecro, motus desperationis accidit christiano, cui poenitentia presto est quae latronem in cruce subito rapit ad regnum, Spiritum Sanctum David ipsi restituât post flagitium, Manassem revocat post facinora tam cruenta, Petrum post negationem, filium prodigum consumpta substantia et libidine consumpnata, Ninivem civitatem, et evangelicam peccatricem, Mattheum thelonearium, Paulum persecutorem, publicanum utrumque, illum occulte orantem, illum manifeste satisfacientem ? Ut discat, inquit, timere dominum Deum suum. Nam quicumque hominem metuit *, cito cadit. Timor enim humanus peccktum ad tempus exterius reprimit, sed eo ipso interius inagis inprimit quam expellit, et, occasione sumpta, vehementius mox ebullit quod inclusum fuerat nec extinctum, et uberius pullulât quod praecisum superficietenus, non radicitus fuerat amputatum.

Volvatur igitur jugiter ante oculos cordis nostri timor Domini. Nam etsi Deum timendi nulla utilitas, unde tamen nobis securitas non timendi ? Nos Domino peccasse multipliciter et graviter scimus, an digni simus odio vel amore nescimus, et qualiter ea Dominus reputet, quanti aestimet, qualiter judicet, ignoramus.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.111.10 — The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD; good understanding belongs to all who do his works. His praise endures forever.
  2. ↩Hos.8.4 — They have made kings, but not through me. They have made princes, and I did not know it. With their silver and their gold they have made idols for themselves, so that they may be cut off.
  3. ↩Prov.8.15-Prov.8.16 — By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just. Prov.8.16 — By me princes rule, and nobles—all who judge justly.
  4. ↩Matt.25.33 — And he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left.
  5. ↩Prov.1.7;Ps.111.10 — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Ps.111.10 — The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD; good understanding belongs to all who do his works. His praise endures forever.
  6. ↩Rev.19.20 — And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs in its presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
  7. ↩Luke.23.39-Luke.23.43 — One of the criminals who were hanged there kept heaping insults on him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Luke.23.40 — But the other one answered, rebuking him: 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment?' Luke.23.41 — And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we have earned; but this man has done nothing wrong. Luke.23.42 — And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke.23.43 — And he said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
  8. ↩2Chr.33.12-2Chr.33.13 — And when he was in distress, he entreated the face of the LORD his God, and he humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 2Chr.33.13 — He prayed to Him, and He was moved by his plea and heard his supplication, and He brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom, and Manasseh knew that the LORD—He is God.
  9. ↩Luke.22.54-Luke.22.62;John.21.15-John.21.17 — Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. Luke.22.55 — When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Luke.22.56 — But a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light of the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man also was with him." Luke.22.57 — But he denied it, saying, "I do not know him, woman." Luke.22.58 — After a little while, another person, seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." Luke.22.59 — And after about an hour had passed, another man began insisting, saying, 'Truly this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean too.' Luke.22.60 — But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are saying.' And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. Luke.22.61 — And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had told him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.' Luke.22.62 — And he went out and wept bitterly. John.21.15 — When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." John.21.16 — He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' John.21.17 — He said to him the third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'
  10. ↩Luke.15.11-Luke.15.32 — And he said, "A certain man had two sons." Luke.15.12 — And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' And he divided his livelihood between them. Luke.15.13 — And not many days later, the younger son, having gathered everything together, departed to a distant country, and there he squandered his property by living recklessly. Luke.15.14 — And after he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that region, and he began to be in want. Luke.15.15 — And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to his fields to feed pigs. Luke.15.16 — He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. Luke.15.17 — But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have bread enough to spare, and here I am perishing of hunger!' Luke.15.18 — I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.' Luke.15.19 — I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants. Luke.15.20 — And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke.15.21 — And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' Luke.15.22 — But the father said to his servants, 'Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.' Luke.15.23 — And bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. Luke.15.24 — because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and has been found. And they began to celebrate. Luke.15.25 — Now his older son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. Luke.15.26 — And he called one of the servants and asked him what these things might be. Luke.15.27 — But he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' Luke.15.28 — But he was angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. Luke.15.29 — But he answered his father, 'Look, all these years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends.' Luke.15.30 — but when this son of yours who has devoured your livelihood with prostitutes came, you killed the fattened calf for him Luke.15.31 — And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.' Luke.15.32 — But we had to celebrate and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.
  11. ↩Luke.7.37-Luke.7.50 — And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner, having learned that he was reclining in the house of the Pharisee, brought an alabaster flask of ointment Luke.7.38 — and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Luke.7.39 — Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is: that she is a sinner.' Luke.7.40 — And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he said, "Teacher, speak." Luke.7.41 — There were two debtors to a certain lender; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Luke.7.42 — Since neither of them had the means to repay him, he graciously canceled the debt for both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more? Luke.7.43 — Simon answered and said, 'I suppose the one to whom the more was forgiven.' And he said to him, 'You have judged correctly.' Luke.7.44 — Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Luke.7.45 — You gave me no kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I arrived. Luke.7.46 — You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Luke.7.47 — Therefore I tell you, her many sins are forgiven, as her great love shows. But the one who is forgiven little loves little. Luke.7.48 — And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Luke.7.49 — And those who were reclining with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?' Luke.7.50 — But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
  12. ↩Matt.9.9 — And as Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man sitting at the tax booth, called Matthew, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he rose and followed him.
  13. ↩Acts.9.1-Acts.9.19;1Tim.1.13-1Tim.1.16 — But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest Acts.9.2 — He asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts.9.3 — And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. Acts.9.4 — He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Acts.9.5 — He said, "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Acts.9.6 — But rise and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do. Acts.9.7 — The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Acts.9.8 — And Saul rose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; and they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. Acts.9.9 — And for three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank. Acts.9.10 — Now there was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' Acts.9.11 — And the Lord said to him, "Get up, go to the street called Straight, and in the house of Judas look for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. For behold, he is praying." Acts.9.12 — and he has seen a man—Ananias by name—in a vision entering and placing [his] hands on him, so that he might regain sight. Acts.9.13 — But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem." Acts.9.14 — And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. 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.9.16 — For I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake. Acts.9.17 — So Ananias went and entered the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, 'Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me — Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming — so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Acts.9.18 — And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and rising up he was baptized. Acts.9.19 — And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then he spent some days with the disciples in Damascus. 1Tim.1.13 — though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. 1Tim.1.14 — And the grace of our Lord overflowed, with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1Tim.1.15 — The saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1Tim.1.16 — But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, as a pattern for those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
  14. ↩Luke.18.10-Luke.18.14 — Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Luke.18.11 — The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed these things toward himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.' Luke.18.12 — I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get. Luke.18.13 — But the tax collector, standing far off, was not even willing to lift his eyes to heaven, but kept beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner.' Luke.18.14 — I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than that one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
  15. ↩Deut.6.13 — You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve him, and swear by his name.
  16. ↩Prov.29.25;Matt.10.28 — The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is secure. Matt.10.28 — And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
  17. ↩Matt.3.10;Luke.3.9 — So already the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Luke.3.9 — And even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Principatus here carries the sense of legitimate political authority or governance, not merely a first principle. The author plays on the double meaning of principium (beginning / principate) to tie wisdom's origin in fear of the Lord to the stability of rule.
  2. 2 ↩The closing quotation ('Ipsi regnaverunt et non ex me, principes extiterunt et ego ignoravi') echoes Hosea 8:4 or a related prophetic source. Final resolution deferred to tx-08 Moses check.
  3. 3 ↩De timoré ('about fear') is an unusual construction; the ablative of timor likely means 'on the subject of fear' or 'from the reading about fear,' i.e., let him hear lessons that treat of the fear of the Lord.
  4. 4 ↩Amico verbere is a striking image: fear is personified as a friend who strikes — a beneficial, corrective blow. Tenera principia potestatum ('the tender beginnings of powers') refers to the early, formative stages of authority or capacity.
  5. 5 ↩Otia vanitatis ('idle pursuits of vanity') carries the full biblical weight of vanity — empty, passing distractions that pull the soul away from what matters.
  6. 6 ↩The subject of legit is still timor — fear itself is personified as the one who 'reads' or takes instruction about each virtue in its proper setting. Domibus claustralium refers to monastic or cloistered communities.
  7. 7 ↩The sentence is concessive-rhetorical: the author concedes no advantage in fear only to argue that the absence of fear offers no safety. The double genitive 'Deum timendi' and 'non timendi' frames the contrast.
  8. 8 ↩The subjunctive verbs 'reputet', 'aestimet', 'judicet' after 'qualiter' introduce indirect questions expressing uncertainty about God's judgment. Rendered as indicative in English to preserve naturalness while retaining the force of ignorance.

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