"O bless our God, ye Gentiles: and make the voice of His praise to be heard. Who hath set my soul to live: and hath not suffered my feet to be moved. For Thou, O God, hast proved us; Thou hast tried us by fire, as silver is tried. Thou hast brought us into a net, Thou hast laid afflictions on our back; Thou hast set men over our heads. We have passed through fire and water, and Thou hast brought us out into a refreshment."[437] FOOTNOTES: [407] _Of the Supreme Good_, III., xv. [408] _Qu._ CLXXIX. 1. [409] _Ethics_, II., iv. 3. [410] _Ibid._, X., viii. 1. [411] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_. [412] _Ethics_, V., i. 15. [413] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_. [414] Ecclus. xli. 1-6. [415] _Ethics._, X., viii. 2. [416] _Ibid._, V., ii. 4. [417] _Ethics_, VI., v. 4. [418] _Ibid._, X., viii. 2. [419] _De Officiis_, I., v. [420] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_. [421] _Conjuratio Catilinae_, li. [422] _Of the City of God_, xix. 2, 3, and 19. [423] Job xxxi. 14, 23. [424] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_. [425] _On the Words of the Lord, Sermon_ civ., _alias_ xxvii. 1. [426] _Hom._ V., _On Ezechiel_. [427] _Metaphysics_, I., i. 9. [428] _Hom._ XIV., _On Ezechiel_. [429] xxii. 30. [430] _On the Trinity_, xiv. 9. [431] _Of the Heavenly Hierarchy_, vii. [432] S. Matt. xviii. 10. [433] 1 John iii. 2. [434] xxxi. 34. [435] _Moralia in Job_, ii. 2. [436] _Hom._ V., _On Ezechiel_. [437] Ps. lxv. 8-12. QUESTION CLXXXII OF THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ACTIVE AND THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE I. Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? Cardinal Cajetan, On Preparation for the Contemplative Life S. Augustine, _Confessions_, X., xliii. 70 " _On Psalm_ xxvi. II. Is the Active Life more Meritorious than the Contemplative? III. Is the Active Life a Hindrance to the Contemplative Life? Cardinal Cajetan, On the True Interior Life S. Augustine, _Sermon_, CCLVI., v. 6 IV. Does the Active Life precede the Contemplative? I Is the Active Life preferable to the Contemplative? The Lord said: _Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her._[438] And by Mary is signified the contemplative life, which is consequently to be preferred to the active. There is no reason why one thing should not be in itself more excellent than another while yet this latter is, for certain reasons, preferable to it. Absolutely speaking, then, the contemplative life is better than the active. And the Philosopher[439] alleges eight proofs of this. Firstly, that the contemplative life pertains to that which is best in a man, namely his intellect and its proper objects, _i.e._ intelligible truths, whereas the active life is concerned with external things. Hence Rachel, who typifies the contemplative life, is interpreted as meaning "the Beginning seen"; while Lia, who was blear-eyed, typifies, according to S. Gregory, the active life.[440]