A Foreign Fire

Descendit itaque hodie Spiritus sanctus in igne et in sono. In igne, ut apostoli possent alios in Christi amore accendere; in sono ut in spiritu vehementi possent Dei magnali praedicare. Porro non est in nobis ignis hodie, non est sonus. Ignem altaris Domini convertistis in ignem alienum, id est amorem Dei in amorem terrenum. Hic est ignis malitiae. Hic est ignis a quo devorantur Nadab et Abiu, filii Aaron. Hic est ignis quo Abimelech succendebat oppidum Thebes. Hoc igne Amalecitae succendebant Siceleg. Inimicus enim humani generis apponit assidue nobis ignem et stipulas tentationis, ut in nobis accendat et subruat domum Dei. De hoc inge pessimo scriptum est: Supercecidit ignis et non viderunt solem. Supercecidit ignis malitiae, et non viderunt solem justitiae. Addicti eramus obsequio Christi; nunc autem lentescimus in via ejus: imo nguis oitoque vacamus. Certe otiositas inimica est animae teste Hieronymo. Peccatum Sodomorum fuit otiositas et abundantia panis. Quaeritur Aegisthus quare sit factus adulter. In promptu causa est: desidiosus erat. Cernis ut ignavum corrumpunt otia corpus, Et capiunt vitium, ni moveantur, aquae. De talibus legitur: In labore hominum non sunt, et cum hominibus non flagellabuntur: imo cum daemonibus. Electi eramus in sortem Domini, ut meditaremur in lege Domini, et delectaremur in ea, ut possemus dicere cum Propheta: Quomodo dilexi legem tuam, Domine, tota die meditatio mea est. In capite libri scriptum est de beatitudine viri qui meditatur in lege Domini die ac nocte. Scriptum est: Maledictus omnis qui facit opus Dei negligentur. Vereor ne maledictio haec illos respiciat, qui Deo serviunt negligenter et ficte. Ubi enim est fictio, non est Deus, non est Spiritus sanctus. Petrus Blenensis, Sermo XXIV, In Die Pentecostes Source: Migne PL 207.633b-d

Thus today the Holy Spirit comes down in fire and sound. In fire so that the Apostles are able to be enflamed for others with the love of Christ, and in sound that with the force of the Spirit they be able to preach the greatness of God. However that fire is not in us today, nor is the sound. You have changed the fire of the altar of God for a foreign fire, that is, the love of God for the love of the world. This is the fire of wickedness. This is the fire which devoured Nadab and Abiu the sons of Aaron. 1 This is the fire with which Abimelech burnt the town of Thebes. 2 With this fire the Amalekites burnt Siceleg. 3 The enemy of the human race assiduously sets down this fire among the stalks of temptation, that it might set fire to the house of God in us and overthrow it. Concerning this worst of fires it is written: 'Fire fell upon them and they did not see the sun.' 4 The fire of wickedness fell upon them and they did not see the sun of righteousness. We are bound to please Christ and now we tarry in His way. Indeed we loiter over trifles and at leisure. Certainly that leisure is an enemy of the soul Jerome bears witness: 'The sin of Sodom was leisure and an abundance of bread.' 5 It is asked why Aegisthus became an adulterer. The answer is clear: he was a man of leisure. 6 You see that leisure corrupts the body that is idle; Even water, unless it is stirred, becomes foul. 7 Concerning such things it is said: 'They are not amid the labours of men, and with men they are not whipped.' 8 Indeed they are with demons. We were chosen for the part of the Lord, that we might meditate on the law of the Lord, and that we might delight in it, that we might be able to say with the Prophet: 'How I loved your law, Lord, all day it is my meditation.' 9 At the beginning of a book it has been written about the blessedness of a man, he who 'meditates on the law of the Lord day and night.' 10 And again it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is negligent in the work of God.' 11 I fear lest this curse bear down on you, you who serve God so negligently and falsely. Where there is a lie, there is no God, there is no Holy Spirit. Peter of Blois, from Sermon 24, On Pentecost 1 Num 3.2-4 2 Judges 9.46-55 3 1 Kings 30.1-6 4 Ps 57.9 5 Ezech 16.49, Jerome PL 25 Com Ezek 155a 6 Ovid, De Rem Amor 161-2 7 Ovid, Ex Pont 1.5.5-6 8 Ps 72.5 9 Ps 118.97 10 Ps 1.2 11 Jerem 48.10