Prudence And Association

Tamen societas malorum vitanda est. Proverbiorum xxii: Noli esse homini iracundo, neque ambules cum viro furioso ne forte discas semitas eius, et sumas scandalum anime tue. Unde Gregorius super Ezechielem libro i. omelia ox: Infirmi debent vitare societatem pravorum, ne mala que frequentur aspiciunt et corrigere non valent delectentur imitari. Et ponit exemplum, sicut aer malus assisduo afflactu tratus inficit corpus, ita perversa locutio assidua aduita inficit animum, corrumpunt enim bonos mores colloquia prava. ii Corinthios xiii. Unde Seneca epistola vii: Unum exemplum luxurie, unum exemplum avaricie, multum mali facit. Convictor delicatus enumerat et emollit, vicinus dives cupiditatem irritat, malignus comes rubigniem suam affricuit. Et sequitur: necesse est ut aut imiteris tales aut odieris, et utrumque duitandum, ne vel simils malis fias, qui multi sunt, ne vel inimicus multis, quia dissimiles sunt. Et epistola cvii: Herebit tibi avaricia quamdiu avaro sordido te coniunxeris, herebit tibi tumor quamdiu cum superbis convesraberis, incendunt libidines adulterorum sodalia. Cum sancto enim inquit Psalmos, sanctus eris, et cum perverso perverteris. Et i. Corinthios vii. et x. Nolo vos socios esse demoniorum id est grifonicorum. Et ii ad Cornithios vi: Que societas lucis ad tenebras et cetera. Nolite commisceri cum fornicariis, societas vero est cum bonis ineunda. Unde Seneca ubi supra: Ad meliores transi cum Socrate vive, cum Zenone, cum Crispo, vel Crisippo, cum Possidoni, o, qui tradent divinorum humanorumque noticiam, hi iuvebunt in opere esse ut non tantum scias eloqui et in oblectatione audientium verba iactare sed et animum indurare, et adversus minas te erigere, et ibi bene de hoc. Johannes Gallensis, Communiloquium sive Summa Collationum, Octavia Distinctio, Capitulum Secundum, Secunde Partis Source: here

The society of the wicked must be avoided. In the twenty second chapter of Proverbs: 'Do not be a friend of an irascible man, nor walk with him who gives himself over to wrath, lest perhaps you learn his ways, and you bring scandal upon your soul.' 1 Whence Gregory says in his ninth homily on the first book on Ezekiel: 'They who are weak should avoid depraved society, lest frequently looking on evils and unable to correct them, they take joy in imitating them.' And he gives an example of bad air which being drawn in by repeated breathing infects the body, for thus the continuous hearing perverse speech infects the soul. 'Wicked speech corrupts good manners.' 2 Whence Seneca says in his seventh letter: 'One example of luxury, one example of avarice, makes much evil. A friend lives luxuriously and enervates, a rich neighbour pricks with desires, a wicked associate rubs off his disease on you.' And it follows; 'It is necessary that you will either imitate such men or hate them, but neither should be trusted, you should neither becomes like the wicked, who are many, nor be an enemy of many because they are unlike you.' 3 And in his one hundred and seventh letter: 'Avarice will stick to you if you join yourself with a filthy miser, a tumour attach while you consort with the proud, lust is incited by association with adulterers.' 4 The Psalms say: 'With the holy man you shall be holy, and with the perverse you shall be perverted.' 5 And in the first letter to the Corinthians, chapters seven and ten, 'Do not associate with demons,' 6 that is, monsters. And in the second letter to the Corinthians, chapter six: 'What assocation does light have with darkness, etc...' 7 Do not mix with fornicators. One should enter into the society of the good. Whence Seneca says in the same letter: 'Pass on to better things, live with Socrates, with Zeno, with Crispus, or Chrysippus, with Possidonius, who shall give awareness of divine and human things. These shall aid in your work and not only shall you know how to be eloquent and cast forth words for the pleasure of listeners, but you shall strengthen the soul, and against threats that rise up against you, you will do well.' 8 John of Wales, The Communiloquium, Eighth Distinction, Second Chapter, of the Second Part 1 Prov 22.24-25 2 1 Cor 15.33 3 Seneca ad Luc Epis 7.7 4 Seneca ad Luc Epis 104.20 5 Ps 17.26 6 1 Cor 7,10.20 7 2 Cor 6.14 8 Seneca ad Luc Epis 104.21