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43. And for this reason it is easier now to introduce truth to a soul, like wax not yet engraved, than to write over letters, I mean of evil teachings and doctrines, a pious word, so that the second things are confused and disordered by the first. For it is better to walk a smooth and well-trodden road than one untrodden and rough, and to plow land that a plow has often cut and tamed; but to write on a soul which no wicked word has yet engraved, nor have the letters of evil been stamped deep within; for thus there would be two tasks for the pious calligrapher, both to erase the former impressions, and to inscribe others more approved and more worthy of remaining. So many indeed, both in respect to other passions and to reason itself, are the evil and wicked types and characters; and so great is the task for him who has been entrusted with this training and guidance of souls; and my discourse has omitted most of them, lest it be more redundant than necessary.

44. Just as, then, if someone should attempt to lead and tame a beast composed of many beasts, of various kinds and forms, greater and smaller, tamer and wilder, it would certainly be a task for him, and no small contest, to rule over such an irregular and strange nature, since each of the beasts delights neither in the same sounds, nor foods, nor touches of the hand, nor whistlings, nor in other methods of training, but some are pleased by some things, and others are annoyed by others, according to the nature and habit of each; and what would the keeper of such a beast have to do? What else, indeed, than for his skill to be multifaceted and varied? And to apply to each the appropriate treatment, so that the beast might be well led by him and preserved? So, since this common body of the Church is composed of many and different characters and discourses, like one composite and dissimilar animal, it is altogether necessary for the leader to be both simple 35.453 in himself regarding correctness in all things; and as far as possible, all-various and diverse in his dealings with each one, and that his conversation with all be suitable and fitting.

45. For some need to be fed with milk, with the simpler and more elementary teachings, all who are infants in their state and newly formed, so to speak, not bearing the manly food of the word; which if one were to offer beyond their capacity, they would perhaps be overwhelmed and weighed down, their intellect not being sufficient, just as in that case the matter is not sufficient to draw in and assimilate what has entered, they would be harmed even in their original strength; but those who need the wisdom spoken among the perfect and the higher and more solid food, having their senses sufficiently trained for the discernment of true and false, if they were given milk to drink and were fed with vegetables, the food of the weak, would be displeased; and very reasonably, not being strengthened according to Christ, nor growing with the praiseworthy growth, which the word works, perfecting a man, and bringing to the measure of spiritual stature, him who is well nourished.

46. And for these things, who is sufficient? For we are not as the many, able to corrupt the word of truth, and to mix the wine with water; the word that makes glad the heart of man with what is abundant and cheap and crawling on the ground and insipid and flowing at random, so that we ourselves may gain some profit from the corruption, speaking in different ways to those who approach us and to all for the sake of favor; being some sort of ventriloquists and empty talkers, serving our own pleasures with words that speak from the earth and go down 35.456 into the earth; so that we might be held in highest esteem by the many, while doing them the greatest harm, or destroying them, and pouring out the innocent blood of simpler souls, which will be required from our hands.

47. But knowing it is better to give one’s own reins to others more skillful, than to be an unskilled charioteer of others, and to submit one's hearing

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ΜΓʹ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ῥᾷον ἄρτι καινοτομεῖν ἀλήθειαν ψυχῇ, ὥσπερ κηρὸν οὔπω κεχαραγμένον, ἢ γράφειν κατὰ γραμμάτων, πονηρῶν λέγω διδαγμάτων τε καὶ δογμάτων, εὐσεβῆ λόγον, ὡς συγχεῖσθαι καὶ ἀτακτεῖν τοῖς προτέροις τὰ δεύτερα. Ὁδὸν μὲν γὰρ πατεῖν ἄμεινον τὴν λείαν καὶ τετριμμένην ἢ τὴν ἀτριβῆ καὶ τραχεῖαν, καὶ γῆν ἀροῦν ἣν πολ λάκις ἄροτρον ἔτεμεν καὶ ἡμέρωσεν· ψυχὴν δὲ γρά φειν, ἣν οὔπω λόγος ἐχάραξε μοχθηρὸς, οὐδὲ εἰς βάθος τὰ τῆς κακίας ἐνεσημάνθη γράμματα· δύο γὰρ ἂν οὕτω τὰ ἔργα γίνοιντο τῷ θεοσεβεῖ καλ λιγράφῳ, ἐξαλείφειν τε τοὺς προτέρους τύπους, καὶ μετεγγράφειν τοὺς δοκιμωτέρους τε καὶ τοῦ μένειν ἀξιωτέρους. Τοσοῦτοι μὲν δὴ καὶ κατὰ τὰ λοιπὰ πάθη, καὶ κατὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτὸν, οἱ πονηροὶ καὶ τοῦ πονη ροῦ τύποι καὶ χαρακτῆρες· τοσοῦτον δὲ τὸ ἔργον τῷ ταύτην πεπιστευμένῳ τὴν τῶν ψυχῶν παιδα γωγίαν καὶ προστασίαν· καὶ τὰ πλείω παρῆκεν ὁ λό γος, ἵνα μὴ περιττότερος ᾖ τοῦ δέοντος.

Μ∆ʹ. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἴ τις θηρίον ἐκ πολλῶν θηρίων συγκείμενον πολυειδὲς καὶ πολύμορφον, μειζό νων τε καὶ μικροτέρων, ἡμερωτέρων τε καὶ ἀγρι ωτέρων, ἄγειν ἐπιχειροίη καὶ τιθασσεύειν, πάντως ἂν ἦν ἔργον αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐ μικρὸν τὸ ἀγώνισμα, οὕτως ἀνωμάλου καὶ ἀλλοκότου προστατεῖν φύσεως, οὔτε φωναῖς ταῖς αὐταῖς, οὔτε τροφαῖς, οὔτε χειρὸς ἐπαφαῖς, οὔτε συρίγμασιν, οὔτε τοῖς τῆς ἄλλης ἀγωγῆς τρόποις ἑκάστου τῶν θηρίων χαίρον τος, ἄλλων δὲ ἄλλοις ἡδομένων, ἢ ἀχθομένων, ὡς ἡ φύσις ἑκάστου καὶ ἡ συνήθεια· καὶ τί ἂν ἔδει ποιεῖν τὸν τοιούτου θηρὸς ἐπιστάτην; τί δ' ἄλλο γε ἢ πολυειδῆ τε εἶναι καὶ ποικίλον τὴν ἐπιστήμην; καὶ κατάλληλον ἑκάστῳ προσάγειν τὴν θεραπείαν, ὡς ἂν ἄγοιτο καλῶς αὐτῷ τὸ θηρίον καὶ διασώζοιτο; οὕτως ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων καὶ ἠθῶν καὶ λό γων, καθάπερ ἑνὸς ζώου συνθέτου καὶ ἀνομοίου, τοῦ κοινοῦ τούτου τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συγκειμένου σώματος, πᾶσα ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν προστάτην ἁπλοῦν τε εἶναι 35.453 τὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἐν πᾶσιν ὀρθότητα· καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα παντοδαπὸν καὶ ποικίλον κατὰ τὴν πρὸς ἕκαστον οἰκείωσιν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁμιλίας πρὸς πάντας ἐπιτήδειόν τε καὶ πρόσφορον.

ΜΕʹ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δέονται γάλακτι τρέφεσθαι, τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις καὶ στοιχειωδεστέροις τῶν διδαγμά των, ὅσοι τὴν ἕξιν νήπιοι καὶ ἀρτιπαγεῖς, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, τὴν ἀνδρείαν τοῦ λόγου τροφὴν οὐ φέροντες· ἣν εἰ προσάγοι τις παρὰ δύναμιν, τάχα ἂν καταπιεσθέντες καὶ βαρηθέντες, οὐκ ἐξαρκούσης τῆς διανοίας, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖ τῆς ὕλης τὸ ἐπεισελθὸν ἑλκῦσαι καὶ οἰκειώσασθαι, ζημιωθεῖεν ἂν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν δύναμιν· οἱ δὲ τῆς ἐν τοῖς τελείοις λαλουμένης σοφίας χρῄζοντες καὶ τροφῆς τῆς ὑψηλοτέρας καὶ στεῤῥοτέρας, τῷ πρὸς διά κρισιν ἀληθοῦς τε καὶ ψευδοῦς ἱκανῶς γεγυμνάσθαι τὰ αἰσθητήρια, εἰ γάλα ποτίζοιντο καὶ τρέ φοιντο λαχάνοις, ἀσθενῶν βρώματι, δυσχεραίνοιεν ἄν· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως, οὐ δυναμούμενοι κατὰ Χριστὸν, οὐδὲ αὔξοντες τὴν ἐπαινετὴν αὔξησιν, ἣν ἐργάζεται λόγος τελειῶν εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας ἄγων πνευματικῆς, τὸν καλῶς τρεφόμενον.

Μςʹ. Καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός; Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύειν δυνάμενοι τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἀναμιγνύναι τὸν οἶνον ὕδατι· τὸν εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου λόγον τῷ πολλῷ καὶ εὐώνῳ καὶ χαμαὶ συρομένῳ καὶ ἐξιτήλῳ καὶ εἰκῆ ῥέοντι, ὥστε αὐτοί τι παρακερδαίνειν ἐκ τῆς καπηλείας, ἄλλο τε ἄλλως ὁμιλοῦντες τοῖς πλησιά ζουσι καὶ πᾶσι πρὸς χάριν· ἐγγαστρίμυθοί τι νες ὄντες καὶ κενολόγοι, τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἡδονὰς θερα πεύοντες λόγοις ἐκ γῆς φωνουμένοις καὶ δυομέ 35.456 νοις εἰς γῆν· ὡς ἂν μάλιστα εὐδοκιμοῖμεν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὅτι μάλιστα ζημιοῦντες αὐτοὺς, ἢ ἀπολλύντες, καὶ αἷμα ἀθῶον ἁπλουστέρων ψυχῶν ἐκχέοντες ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν ἐκζητηθησόμενον.

ΜΖʹ. Ἀλλ' εἰδότες ἑτέροις βέλτιον εἶναι τὰς ἑαυ τῶν ἡνίας ἐνδιδόναι τεχνικωτέροις, ἢ ἄλλων ἡνιό χους εἶναι ἀνεπιστήμονας, καὶ ἀκοὴν ὑποτιθέναι