The following quotes are taken from:
Gregory the Great, Commentary on Job
(Ancient Bible Commentary in English; trans. John Litteral; Ashland, Ky.:
Litteral’s Christian Library Publications, 2014)
Book 4:
[iii]
If he had died at once from the
womb, would he have got by this very destruction a title to a reward? Do
abortive children enjoy eternal rest? For every man that is not absolved by the
water of regeneration, is tied and bound by the guilt of the original bond. But
that which the water of Baptism avails for with us, this either faith alone did
of old in behalf of infants, or, for those of riper years, the virtue of
sacrifice, or, for all that came of the stock of Abraham, the mystery of
circumcision. For that every living being is conceived in the guilt of our
first parent the Prophet witnesses, saying, And in sin hath my mother
conceived me. [Ps.51, 5] And that he who is not washed in the water of
salvation, does not lose the punishment of original sin, Truth plainly declares
by Itself in these words, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [John 3, 5] How is it then, that
he wishes that he had ‘died in the womb,’ and that he believes that he might
have had rest by the boon of that death, whereas it is clear that the rest of
life could in no wise be for him, if the Sacraments of Divine knowledge had in
no wise set him free from the guilt of original sin? He yet further adds with
whom he might have rested, saying, With kings and counsellors of the earth
which built desolate [Vulg. solitudines] places for themselves.
Who does not know that the kings and counsellors of the earth are herein
far removed from ‘solitude,’ that they are close pressed with innumerable
throngs of followers? and with what difficulty do they advance to rest, who are
bound in with the tightened knots of such multifarious concerns! As Scripture
witnesses, where it says, But mighty men shall be mightily tormented.
[Wisd. 6, 6] Hence Truth utters these words in the Gospel; unto whomsoever
much is given, of him shall be much be required. [Luke 12, 48] He implies
besides, whom he would have had as fellows in that rest, in the words, Or
with princes that had gold, that filled their houses with silver. [Matt.
19, 23] It is a rare thing for them that have gold to advance to rest, seeing
that Truth saith by Itself, They that have riches shall hardly enter into
the kingdom of heaven. [Mark 10, 23] For what joys in the other life can
they look for, who here pant after increase of riches? Yet that our Redeemer
might further shew this event to be most rare, and only possible by the
supernatural agency of God, He saith, With men this is impossible; but with
God all things are possible. [Matt. 19, 26] Therefore because these words
are, on the surface, at variance with reason, the letter itself thereby points
out, that in those words the Saint delivers nothing after the letter. (p. 65)
Book 27:
7. For to state one thing out of
many, two little ones come to this light: but to one it is granted to return to
redemption by Baptism; the other is taken away before the regenerating water
bedews it. And the son of faithful parents is often taken off without faith,
while that of unbelievers is renewed by the grant of the Sacrament of faith.
But some one may perhaps say, that God knew that he would act wickedly even
after Baptism, and that He did not, on that account, bring him to the grace of
Baptism. But if this is the case, the sins of some persons are without doubt
punished even before they are committed. And who, that thinks rightly, would
say this, that Almighty God, Who releases some from the sins they have
committed, condemns, in others, these very sins, even when not committed? His
judgments are, therefore, hidden; and they ought to be reverenced with an
humility, as great as the obscurity by which they cannot be seen. Let him say
then, Remember that thou knowest not His work, of Whom men have sung. As
if he were to say plainly, The works of Him, of Whom mighty men have spoken,
are concealed from the eyes of thy mind; because they surpass the measure of
thy knowledge, inasmuch as thou art circumscribed by thy humanity. It follows,
Ver. 25. All men see
Him, every one beholdeth afar off. (p. 524)
