XXIII. Suppose the matter to be a law-suit. Let your father be imagined to present himself to you and say, “I begot and reared thee. Follow me, and join with me in wickedness, and obey not the law of Christ;” and whatever a man who is a blasphemer and dead by nature would say.

But on the other side hear the Saviour: “I regenerated thee, who wert ill born by the world to death. I emancipated, healed, ransomed thee. I will show thee the face of the good Father God. Call no man thy father on earth. Let the dead bury the dead; but follow thou Me. For I will bring thee to a rest29    Segaar emends ἀνάπαυσιν to ἀπόλαυσιν “enjoyment.” of ineffable and unutterable blessings, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of men; into which angels desire to look, and see what good things God hath prepared for the saints and the children who love Him.”30    1 Cor. ii. 9; 1 Pet. i. 12. I am He who feeds thee, giving Myself as bread, of which he who has tasted experiences death no more, and supplying day by day the drink of immortality. I am teacher of supercelestial lessons. For thee I contended with Death, and paid thy death, which thou owedst for thy former sins and thy unbelief towards God.”

Having heard these considerations on both sides, decide for thyself and give thy vote for thine own salvation. Should a brother say the like, should a child, should a wife, should any one whosoever, in preference to all let Christ in thee be conqueror. For He contends in thy behalf.

23.1 Νόμισον εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα διαδικασίαν. ὁ μὲν πατήρ σοι δοκείτω παρεστὼς λέγειν "ἐγώ σε ἔσπειρα καὶ ἔθρεψα, ἀκολούθει μοι καὶ συνα δίκει καὶ μὴ πείθου τῷ Χριστοῦ νόμῳ" καὶ ὁπόσα ἂν εἴποι βλά 23.2 σφημος ἄνθρωπος καὶ νεκρὸς τῇ φύσει. ἑτέρωθεν δὲ ἄκουε τοῦ σωτῆ ρος· "ἐγώ σε ἀνεγέννησα, κακῶς ὑπὸ κόσμου πρὸς θάνατον γεγεν νημένον, ἠλευθέρωσα, ἰασάμην, ἐλυτρωσάμην· ἐγώ σοι παρέξω ζωὴν ἄπαυστον, αἰώνιον, ὑπερκόσμιον· ἐγώ σοι δείξω θεοῦ πατρὸς ἀγαθοῦ πρόσωπον· "μὴ κάλει σεαυτῷ πατέρα ἐπὶ γῆς·" "οἱ νεκροὶ τοὺς νε 23.3 κροὺς θαπτέτωσαν, σὺ δέ μοι ἀκολούθει·" ἀνάξω γάρ σε εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν ἀρρήτων καὶ ἀλέκτων ἀγαθῶν, "ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε μήτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπων ἀνέβη, εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυ μοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι καὶ ἰδεῖν ἅπερ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς 23.4 ἁγίοις ἀγαθὰ καὶ τοῖς φιλοῦσιν αὐτὸν τέκνοις," ἐγώ σου τροφεὺς ἄρτον ἐμαυτὸν διδούς, οὗ γευσάμενος οὐδεὶς ἔτι πεῖραν θανάτου λαμ βάνει, καὶ πόμα καθ' ἡμέραν ἐνδιδοὺς ἀθανασίας· ἐγὼ διδάσκαλος ὑπερουρανίων παιδευμάτων· ὑπὲρ σοῦ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον διηγωνι σάμην καὶ τὸν σὸν ἐξέτισα θάνατον, ὃν ὤφειλες ἐπὶ τοῖς προημαρ 23.5 τημένοις καὶ τῇ πρὸς θεὸν ἀπιστίᾳ." τούτων τῶν λόγων ἑκατέρωθεν διακούσας ὑπὲρ σεαυτοῦ δίκασον καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ἀνένεγκε τῇ σαυτοῦ σωτηρίᾳ· κἂν ἀδελφὸς ὅμοια λέγῃ κἂν τέκνον κἂν γυνὴ κἂν ὁστισοῦν, πρὸ πάντων ἐν σοὶ Χριστὸς ὁ νικῶν ἔστω· ὑπὲρ σοῦ γὰρ ἀγω νίζεται.