Caesarius of Arles

For this reason, beloved, I am inserting certain headings and notes as to how you ought to understand and receive these matters, so through the goodness of God you can accept and observe them better. In order that the things that I have said may be kept more closely in your hearts, I am briefly repeating what I mentioned. Therefore, in these matters, as I already said above, we judge others dangerously when it is doubtful whether they are acting with a good or bad intention in fasting, keeping vigils, bestowing alms, abstaining or not abstaining from wine and meat, and other similar matters. These things can be done for the sake of God or for human praise, and because we do not know with what motive they are done, we should not judge at all. In matters of this kind the Lord said, “Do not judge, that you may not be judged,” but in a matter of open sin it is said, “Reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and teaching.” Moreover, there is what we already mentioned: “Render just judgment.” Now if we are willing to consider these words carefully, as we believe, brothers, and with God’s help to observe them with great solicitude, we are freed from not a little sin. For by the indiscreet judgment, the majority of the human race is proven to be prompt and ready to criticize, although they are not so willing to be judged by others as they are to judge them. Because of this fact sacred Scripture admonishes us, saying, “Before investigating, find fault; examine first, then criticize.” Every person first wants to be questioned, and then, if he is guilty, he patiently endures reproof. Now since we all want this to happen to us from others, it is just that we strive to fulfill the same thing toward them. Let us first inquire with patience and solicitude. Then, when we have learned something quite certainly, we should be willing to give reproof if it is evil and to defend it if it is good, because of what is written, “All that you wish men to do to you, even so do you also to them in like manner; for this is the law and the prophets.” And so let us turn to the Lord and implore his help, so that he himself may deign in his goodness to grant us true discretion and perfect charity: to whom is glory and might together with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Now since many historical facts have already been mentioned, let us briefly relate some of the allegorical ones at the end. If you see opposing power attacking God’s people, you will realize who it is that is sitting upon the ass. If you further consider how people are destroyed by demons, you will understand what the ass is. Indeed, in the Gospel you will recognize Jesus sending his disciples to an ass which was tied and its colt, so that the disciples might loose and bring her for the Lord himself to sit upon her. Perhaps this ass, that is, the church, first carried Balaam and now Christ. She had been loosed by the disciples and released from the bonds that tied for this very purpose, that the Son of God might sit upon her and with her enter the holy and heavenly city of Jerusalem. Then was fulfilled the Scripture which says, “Rejoice, O daughter of Zion, exclaim, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, meek and riding on a beast of burden,” that is, an ass (doubtless he is speaking of believers among the Jews) “or young colt” (these apparently are those of the Gentiles who believe in Christ our Lord).