XXX. t)e ificonsiantidi

XXX. t)e ificonsiantidi

What you see is like a wheel of a cart, caught in the aforementioned darkness, which, like a thing tossed by the winds, is carried around in motion; this is the course of instability, just like that bear which has no stability at the beginning or in its own nature, weighed down by many excesses and burdened by many vanities, it grows sluggish in unfaithfulness; yet it is so driven by earthly temptations that it remains in no state of honor, but, wandering here and there, overturns all the old institutions into a new concern. And with its four beams, the framework is fixed upright to the height of a man, because it is held together by the grips of instability, which itself is contained in instability, unwilling to abandon its various changes, as the diverse customs of people are openly imposed in four parts of the world according to their own preferences, when men neither begin these nor those customs, and when they transform the old into the new. Among them, there stands an image of man, as if on the same rays, which represents inconstancy, because it is situated in the midst of various human behaviors, resting on the supports of its own confidence. This flaw stands in the form of a human being, because. Humans are found to be more unstable in their actions than other creatures. And rejecting all these things that are honorable, he follows the oblivion of God, because when the unfaithful have set God aside and led Him into forgetfulness, they turn to inconstancy and are seized by the devil's persuasion of instability; for the Devil is not upright, nor does he show any wisdom, nor does he teach any peace, nor does he love moderation; but he always seduces people and drives them into various changes, because he himself is in instability, loves instability, and constantly disturbs those who are stable. The one who holds a single staff with both hands, while two others stand behind it, turns certain human behaviors into a habit of singular pleasure through both spiritual and worldly engagement, neglecting others both spiritually and worldly; for the ancient Serpent, preparing unrest in those who serve both God and the world, causes them to have these behaviors at one moment and those at another, and to do this now and let that go, all due to their inconstancy. But when the same wheel turns, it shows that the same fault remains in no stable condition, but always running in instability, blowing in every direction like the wind, now choosing this, now neglecting that, now seeking only the old ways in human behavior, and now grasping only the new ways in their customs. But he has curly, black hair because the same flaw leads people to this: they think they possess a multitude of knowledge in their minds, which they do not actually have, since they lack full integrity; rather, they love the twisted vanity of their own depravity. Inler uncos e$t so that cumque sujh codice scrics here ct infra laborat, nor yet in- plevimus. — and eas W. It is like true wisdom when it thinks it has the decorum of wisdom, while it walks entirely in folly; and its feet are like those of an eagle, because it shows sharpness in its own tracks, while it desires to follow only what pleases it, choosing what it wants for itself, not for any benefit, but only considering the vanity of others. But that garment, distinguished by lines of white and black, is what scandal and insults adorn, which it sometimes presents as a way of righteousness, while at other times it obscures through deception; it claims to act either to maintain holiness or to avoid wickedness, yet it achieves neither the glory nor the honor of the wise and learned, but rather a burdensome disgrace from those who do not love it, but who abhor it like a plague. For those who are steadfast in all honesty and integrity cannot perfectly revere or perfectly love those who are inconsistent in their words and actions. But sometimes a certain net is spread to catch animals, yet it catches nothing; this is because many times it stretches its efforts toward the deception of useful men, where it tries to draw them after itself, but it cannot accomplish this, since it has four wavering souls that do not have. Those who are fixed in good and honest conduct remain steadfast, nor do they think they have this, nor that they can do this, since they neither have it nor will they be able to do it. However, this vile thing hangs on a cause, holds it in its own estimation, and considers those who do not follow it as foolish people; it claims that those who are truly diligent are wiser, better, and happier than others, as it also demonstrates earlier in its speech. To whom constancy responds, showing that it is foolish and vain, and that it leads down into a place of misery with its followers.