Salt And Teachers

Quod si sal evanuerit in quo salietur? Ac si aperte dicatur, si doctor erraverit, a quo doctore emendabitur? Vos estis, inquit, sal terrae. Quod si vos metu temporalium rerum aut concupiscentiarum affectu, emiseritis saporem sapientiae, qui erunt per quos vestrae fatuitatis insipientia et vitiorum error auferatur? Et notandum quod hujus sententiae propositio quasi solis apostolis dirigitur; sequens autem assumptio de cunctis qui magisterii censentur nomine, pronuntiatur, et in fine de universis concluditur. Nec dubium quin sal terrae vocentur per doctinae virtutem, qui saliendi officium susceperunt ad condiendas fidelium mentes, et corpora aeternae vitae verbo eruditionis servanda. Unde necesse est ut audiant temerarii, absque ullo falsitatis emolumento, hoc in loco quam terribilis evanescentibus in doctrina sacri officii sententia concluditur. Ad nihilum valet ultra, nisi ut mittatur foras, et conclucetur ab hominibus. Foras autem extra Ecclesiam, vel forte extra officium docendi, quia saporem non retinuit gratiae, mittendum significat. Quia, si vera comparatio salis secundum generis sui naturam pensatur, rigorem emolliendi, nulla manet argumentatio, eo quod, si evanuerit a sapore, nullis usibis ulterius aptus esse convincitur. Sed utrum de vita doctoris, an solum de doctrina, vel simul de utroque dicatur, non temere judicandum puto. Praesertim, cum alibi dictum sit: Super cathedram Moysi sederunt Scribae et Pharisaei. Omnia, inquit, quaecunque dixerint vobis servate et facite, secundum opera vero illorum nolite facere. Ecce hoc loco sanam eorum doctrinam commendat; agentibus ergo quis negat illa proficere, dum veritatis magister operibus quae praecipiuntur jubet servari? Verumtamen opera mandat non imitari, doctrinam vero eorum exsequi. Haud dubium quin deterrentis exemplo veritatis magistris Novi Testamenti, sicut et de justitia sensim Pharisaeorum ista conclusit: ne moribus impugnent quae verbis docuerint. Alioquin, licet habeat condimentum sanae doctrinae, et saporem verae sapientiae, tamen periculose ad docendum praesumit qui, sibi factus insulsus, alios vitiorum suorum fetore corrumpit; qui, etsi non ejiciatur foras, jam utique conculcatur ab omnibus, dum ejus vita contemnitur. Contemnitur autem recte, si talis est ut ad nihilum ultra valeat. Imo amisso saliendi sapore ne possit condire corrupta, proteritur pedibus subditorem. Caeterum sanctus et verus minister Christi, quamvis in terris multa sustineat et derideant eum mali, tamen conculcari non potest, quod mente fixus in coelo manet. Unde signanter apostolos Veritas praestruit, ne perceptam exinaniant in se sapientiam, ullius rei gratia aut timore aut concupiscentia aut torpore, sed maneant in soliditate salis semper reminiscentes hujus naturae sint, et quid ab opifice receperunt. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Liber III Cap V Source: Migne PL 120.232b-233b

'If the salt has lost its taste, how shall it be restored?' 1   As if it were openly said: if a teacher errs, by which teacher shall he be corrected? 'You are,' He said, 'the salt of the earth.' So if you lose the flavour of wisdom by care for transient things or by passion of desire, who are there by whom the unwisdom of your foolishness and the error of your faults shall be taken away? And let it be observed that the meaning of this passage, though given for the direction of the Apostles, may be taken as directed to all those who are referred to by the name of teacher and in the boundaries of that term enclosed. No doubt it is that they are called the salt of the earth on account of the virtue of their teaching, who take up the office of dispensing the salt for the flavouring of the souls of the faithful and the guarding of the body for eternal life by the learned word. Whence it is necessary that those who are reckless hear, apart from any deceitful advantage, in this place, how terrible it is to lose flavour in the teaching of the sacred office It has no use anymore, but to be cast out and crushed under the feet of men. 1 This casting out signifies outside the Church, or perhaps outside the office of teaching, and because a man has not held on to the flavour of grace. For if we consider this comparison with salt according to its nature, it adds nothing with its piquancy removed, and if it has lost its taste it has no other use. Now whether this is said concerning the life of the teacher, or only the teaching, or both of them together, I do not think I should be too bold to judge. Certainly, when it is said in another place: 'Upon the seat of Moses sit the Scribes and Pharisees. Everything which they say to you to keep and do, they do not do.' 2 Observe that in this passage the goodness of their teaching is commended, and therefore who will deny that the deeds of it are beneficial, when the teacher of truth commands that one keep the works which they bid? However, He commands that their works not be imitated, even if their teaching should be followed. By no means doubt that here is an example of a warning from the teacher of truth of the New Testament, when He speaks concerning the righteousness of the Pharisees, lest the disciples with their conduct impugn the words they teach. Indeed it is good to have the condiment of good teaching and the flavour of true wisdom, yet perilous it is that a man presumes to go to teaching who takes to foolish deeds, thus corrupting others with the fetor of his vices, he who even if he is not cast outside, is already trodden under foot by all, since his life is scorned. And rightly it is scorned, if he has no use anymore. For without the flavour of the salt he is not able to restore the corrupt and he is crushed under the feet of the inferior. On the other hand, the holy and true servant of Christ, although in the world he endures many things and he is mocked by the wicked, yet he is not able to be crushed, since his mind remains fixed in heaven. Whence as a matter of importance the Truth fortifies the Apostles beforehand, lest they invalidate the wise teaching in themselves by their pleasure for other things, or by fear, or by desire, or by indolence, but that they always maintain the unimpaired nature of the salt, mindful of their nature which they have received from their Maker. Saint Paschasius Radbertus, from the Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 3, Chap 5 1 Mt 5.13 2 Mt 23.2