But how can he know this, namely that he offends or sins above all others, when he is ignorant of God, as has been said?
It must be said that he knows this or can know it by the habit of the natural law written in his heart. But actually he does not know this, namely because he does not wish to investigate this, although he could; or if he cannot do so fully or easily, this is because he has been blinded by the desert of his unbelief.
Fourth, God is commended from the foolishness of idolaters.
For all. Here it is shown that the true God is commendable from the foolishness of idolaters, and first, from the foolishness of idolaters who worship inanimate things, namely statues; second, of those who worship animate things: But also animals.
In the first part, he first shows and rebukes them as foolish, because idols are the cause of many evils to their worshippers; second, because they are also in themselves useless to man: For all idols; third, because they were made by man: For a man; fourth, because they are inferior to man: For better is.
(Vers. 14.). For all etc. I have rightly said that this one, who makes an idol from clay material, knows that he sins beyond all other craftsmen: for all are foolish: Gloss: "Who consider idols to be gods"; for this is great foolishness: Jeremiah 4: "The children are foolish and senseless." Foolish, I say, through a defect of wisdom or faith with respect to the intellect, and unhappy, with respect to the affections; and this on account of the defect of grace, which makes one happy; above, chapter thirteen: "Unhappy are those who called the works of their hands gods." Beyond the measure of their soul, that is, of their nature, they are proud, namely against God, and this by fashioning for themselves idols as gods: Isaiah 16: "We have heard of the pride of Moab, he is exceedingly proud: his pride and his arrogance are greater than his strength." Or: unhappy beyond measure, because with infinite unhappiness, because "their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched," Isaiah, last chapter. Enemies of your people, namely by persecuting those who believe in God; enemies, I say, with respect to affection, and persecuting in deeds: Esther 14: "It is not enough that they oppress us with the harshest servitude; but attributing the strength of their hands to the power of idols, they wish to change your promises"; and reproaching him, namely in words: in the Psalm: "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell upon me"; just as certain ones from Ephraim and Manasseh mocked the messengers of Hezekiah, who wished to call them back to the worship of God, as is clear from 2 Chronicles 30.
(Vers. 15.). Because all the idols etc., as if to say: this whole thing is evil, because all etc. Or thus: I have rightly said that foolish and unhappy, proud beyond the measure of their soul etc.: because all the idols of the nations, that is, of the gentiles not reborn through faith, but remaining in the vice of their birth, they esteemed as gods: thus did the Romans, namely by bringing all the idols of the subjugated gentiles to Rome and worshipping and guarding them: which, namely the idols, have neither sight of the eyes for seeing, according to that verse of the Psalm: "They have eyes, and they shall not see"; nor ears for hearing, according to that passage in the same place: "They have ears, and they shall not hear." Nor nostrils for perceiving breath: in the same place: "They have nostrils, and they shall not smell." Nor fingers of hands for handling, that is, for touching anything: whence in the same place: "They have hands, and they shall not feel." But also their feet are sluggish, that is, immovable, for walking, in the same place: "They have feet, and they shall not walk." Therefore it is said in Baruch 6: "The beasts are better than they, which can flee under a roof and be of use to themselves."
(Vers. 16.). For a man, whose it is not to give sense and motion, made them, he did not beget them from his own substance, but fashioned them from extrinsic matter; and he who has borrowed a spirit, namely one to be returned to God, whenever it shall please Him; Ecclesiastes, last chapter: "And the spirit shall return to God, who gave it." he fashioned them, that is, he made them from clay. For no one etc., as if to say: and truly they are thus without sense and motion; for no man will be able to fashion a god like himself, like, namely with a likeness of equality, by which a man is like another man, although like with a likeness of some exterior representation.
(Vers. 17.). For since he is mortal, having a mortal life, a dead thing, that is, one lacking life, he fashions with wicked hands: in the Psalm: "In whose hands are iniquities." But mortal is better than dead, according to that saying of Ecclesiastes 9: "A living dog is better than a dead lion." And I said well that no one can make something like himself etc.: for he himself is better, namely man, than those whom he worships. But God ought to be the highest good of man, according to Augustine, since He is his beatitude. Because he indeed lived, at some time, namely man, when he was mortal, for what does not live is not mortal: but they never, namely the false gods. But rightly living things are preferred to non-living things, sentient things to non-sentient things, according to Augustine.
But an objection is raised: Because above in the same book it is said: "His life is viler than clay."
It must be said that above he speaks of the moral life, here of the natural life.
But even animals etc. Here is shown the reproof of those who worship animate things: and first they are shown to be miserable in themselves: second, somewhat excusable in comparison to the preceding: Senseless etc.: third, simply inexcusable: But neither in appearance etc. And there they are shown to be inexcusable, first by the fact that they worship irrational creatures: second, because they have fled from the true God: They have fled etc.
(Vers. 18.). But even animals: The Gloss: "Not only the likeness of men," but also the image of animals, as the Egyptians worshipped Isis in the form of a cow, the Babylonians a dragon, as is clear from Daniel fourteen: most wretched, they worship; Proverbs fourteen: "Sin makes peoples miserable." They are indeed miserable
all the impious and sinners, but more wretched all the unbelievers, but most wretched of all those who worship idols. On account of this I rightly said: But they worship even the most wretched animals; in the Psalm: "They exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf that eats hay." For senseless things: for, in place of but: senseless things, that is, statues, compared to these, namely animals, are worse than them, because, according to Augustine, that which lives is better than that which does not live, and that which senses is better than that which does not sense; whence the Gloss: "In truth, living things are better than dead things, and sensible things than insensible things, and rational things than irrational things. But it was fitting that those who were ignorant of the Creator should not know the distinction among creatures."
(Vers. 19.). But not even by sight etc. Thus it has been said that idols neither hear nor see anything nor know anything: and not only do they see nothing, but not even by sight can any of these animals discern good things. But not even by sight, as if to say: not only in absence through imagination, but not even in presence through sense: any of these animals, which they worship, can discern good things, that is, know good things by beholding them: and this is to be understood of honorable goods, which are goods simply, such as virtues and the like: not of useful goods, or pleasurable goods, which are goods in a qualified sense. But they have fled etc., as if to say: thus the most wretched worship animals: but, in place of however, they have fled etc. Or: but, that is, certainly by worshipping animals, they have fled from the praise of God and his blessing, as if to say: they neither praised God himself nor blessed him: praise for his goodness in himself, and blessing for his beneficence toward us. Against which two things it is said in the Psalm: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good," namely in himself, "for his mercy endures forever," that is, because the beneficence of his mercy extends itself to all: and he says they have fled, not only not praising and not blessing inwardly in heart, but not even confessing with the mouth, against which it is said in Romans 10: "With the heart one believes unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."