512 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XIV.
A"R- oxen,and I go to prove them. AUG. The fiveVoke of oxen
Serin.112.
aretakentobe thefivesensesoftheflesh; intheeyessight,
in the earshearing,in the nostrilssmelling,in themouth
taste,inallthemembers touch. But theyoke ismore easily
apparentinthethreefirstsenses; twoeyes,two ears,twonos
trils.Here arethreeyoke. And inthemouth isthesenseof
tastewhichisfoundtobe a kindofdouble,inthatnothingis
sensibletothetaste,whichisnottouchedbothby thetongue
and palate.The pleasureof the fleshwhich belongstothe
touch issecretlydoubled. It isboth outwardand inward.
But they are calledyoke of oxen,becausethrough those
sensesofthefleshearthlythingsarepursued. For theoxen
tilltheground,but men ata distancefrom faith,givenup to
earthlythings,refuseto believein any thing,but what they
arriveat by means of thefive-foldsenseof the body. "I
believenothingbutwhat I see." Ifsuchwereourthoughts,
we shouldbe hinderedfrom the supperby thosefiveyokeof
oxen. But thatyou may understandthatitisnot thede
lightofthefivesenseswhich charms and conveyspleasure,
but thata certaincuriosityisdenoted,he saysnot,I have
boughtfiveyoke of oxen,and go to feedthem, but go to
provethem.
Greg.in GREG. By thebodilysensesalsobecausetheycannotcom-
?°™v'86-prehendthingswithin,but take cognizanceonlyof what is
without,curiosityisrightlyrepresented,whichwhileitseeks
toshakeoffa lifewhichisstrangetoit,notknowing itsown
secretlife,desiresto dwellupon thingswithout. But we
must observe,thatthe one who forhisfarm,and the other
who to provehisfiveyoke of oxen,excusethemselvesfrom
the Supper of theirInviter,mix up with theirexcusethe
words of humility.For when they say,I pray thee,and
then disdainto come, the word sounds of humility,hut
theactionispride. Itfollows,And thissaid,I havemarried
Aug. a wife,and thereforeI cannotcome. AUG. That is,the de.sup' lightofthefleshwhichhindersmany,I wishitwereoutward
and not inward. For he who said,I have marrieda wife,
takingpleasurein the delightsofthe flesh,excuseshimself
from the supper; letsucha one takeheed lesthe diefrom
inwardhunger.
BASIL. But he says,I cannotcome, becausethat the