Verse 18: 'The wise confess, and do not hide their fathers.' 41. How insipidly the heretics boast of those masters of error whom they have had as wise men. — Into whose praise also they leap forth, and they glory that these alone presided over the Church. Whence it is further added — Verse 19: 'To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed through them.' They reckon that the earth was given to their own fathers alone, because they truly think that the masters of their errors alone governed the Church. But who is called a stranger, save the apostate angel? Whence also through the Psalmist it is said concerning all the malignant spirits together: 'For strangers have risen up against me, and the strong have sought my soul' (Ps. 54:5).
The heretics therefore, because they reckon that the hearts of their teachers were not subjected to the apostate angel, deny that a stranger passed through them. For this stranger, to pass through anyone is to send wicked thoughts into his heart. Whence also through the voice of the prophet it is said concerning the malignant spirits against the standing soul: 'And they said to your soul: Bow down, that we may pass over' (Isa. 51:23). But because Eliphaz the Temanite, being about to narrate certain things, wishes to be heard — although he knows many things which are to be said, yet because he is ignorant that they were not to be said to blessed Job — let us hear the opinions which he brought forth against blessed Job. For we ought not to weigh to whom, but only what he said. There follows: