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And so he who builds the spiritual city of God and redeems the people says concerning himself: "But I was appointed king by him upon Zion the holy mountain, I declare the ordinance of the Lord."

4.86 In addition to the things contemplated concerning the three shepherds, it must be noted that there are three blameworthy pastors being removed, who are impious towards the Trinity. For some of them have a strong inclination to be impious towards the Father, others towards the Son and others towards the Holy Spirit.

4.87 And perhaps those who think the Son is the Father hold false opinions about the Father, depriving the Father, in so far as their impiety is concerned, of the Only-Begotten Son, who is God the Word, wisdom and truth, while those who think he is from non-being and a creature hold false opinions primarily about his own offspring. And there are also those who fight against the Spirit, opining that it is as one of the created things.

4.88 And the three orders of the deceived think godless things about the Trinity, except that each, as has already been said, has a different impious inclination.

4.89 And such impious shepherds will be taken away in one month; for until the present temporal life false teaching has its promise, to be abolished when the perfect illumination of the true light comes after the present evil age and the temporary life, in which alone those who hope are more pitiful than all men.

4.90 And the taking away of the three evil flock-leaders happens, when the soul of the king who threatens these things is weighed down upon them, since they do things hateful to him.

4.91 But his soul is spoken of in several ways.

4.92 According to one obvious way, which he has as a perfect man, which he lays down that he might take it up again. He has therefore laid it down, having given it as a ransom for many, so that John, the mystagogue of truth, writes about him thus: "Because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for one another"; and he took it up when he rose from the dead, "not being abandoned to Hades."

4.93 According to another contemplation, the soul of the Savior who says these things is every person made his own, so as to be called "a man in Christ," so that it makes no difference to say about this one that he is a man and a soul of God. For Elijah, being called a man of God, would also be called a soul of God; likewise also the hierophant Moses, and if anyone else partakes of the same holiness and virtue.

4.94 There is no need for many testimonies now, since proof has often already been given; for it is sufficient to take up the voice of Paul and Peter. For the one wrote: "Let every soul," that is, person, "be subject to the governing authorities," and the other: "that is, eight souls were saved," saying eight souls for those who were saved in the ark during the flood, Noah and his three sons, and his wife and the three wives of his sons.

4.95 The soul of God, so called, is weighed down upon the three shepherds being done away with in one month, being indignant along with the Savior who takes them away. And their removal happens because, out of ferocity, their souls howl like lions against the true shepherd.

4.96 The cruelty of the shepherds having been described, the good flock-leader to the sheep that have been lost by the evil pastors says by way of a threat, "I will not shepherd you," especially because they were still under the harmful ones; for they had not yet been done away with; for "I will take away the three shepherds" shows that they were still set over the flocks that had been led astray by them.

4.97 In what manner and for what reason one of the rods is called Beauty, and the other Cord, would be clarified in what is about to be set forth. But now it is necessary, with God, to say:

4.98 Zach. XΙ, 9: Let that which is dying die, and let that which is failing fail, and let the rest each devour the flesh of his neighbor.

4.99 With the good pastor overseeing the flock, each of the sheep is cared for in the way it should be.

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Καὶ αὐτὸς οὖν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ὁ οἰκοδομῶν τὴν πνευματικὴν Θεοῦ πόλιν καὶ λυτρούμενος τὸν λαὸν λέγει· «Ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιὼν ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον, διαγγέλλω τὸ πρόσταγμα Κυρίου.» 4.86 Πρὸς τοῖς τεθεωρημένοις περὶ τῶν τρίων ποιμένων, ἐπιστατέον ψεκτοὺς τρεῖς εἶναι νομέας ἐξαιρομένους τοὺς εἰς τὴν Τριάδα ἀσεβοῦντας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν πολλὴν ἔχουσι ῥοπὴν εἰς τὸ ἀσεβεῖν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα, ἑτέρων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ ἄλλων εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. 4.87 Καὶ τάχα μὲν οἱ υἱοπάτορα φρονοῦντες ψευδοδοξοῦσιν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα, στερίσκοντες τὸν Πατέρα ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ αὐτῶν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ, ὄντος Θεοῦ Λόγου σοφίας τε καὶ ἀληθείας, τῶν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ κτίσμα φρονούντων προηγουμένως περὶ τὸ ἴδιον γένημα ψευδοδοξούντων. Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ πνευματομαχοῦντες, δοξάζοντες ὡσεὶ ᾖ ἓν τῶν κτισμάτων. 4.88 Καὶ τὰ τρία δὲ τάγματα τῶν ἀπατωμένων ἄθεα περὶ τῆς Τριάδος φρονοῦσιν, πλὴν ἕκαστον, ὡς ἤδη εἴρηται, διάφορον ἔχει τὴν ἀσεβῆ ῥοπήν. 4.89 Ἐξαρθήσονται δὲ ἐν μηνὶ ἑνὶ καὶ οἱ οὕτω ἀσεβεῖς ποιμένες· μέχρι γὰρ τῆς παρούσης χρονικῆς ζωῆς ἡ ψευδὴς διδασκαλία τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχει, καταλυθησομένην ὅταν ἐπίλαμψις τελεία γένηται τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς μετὰ τὸν ἐνεστηκότα πονηρὸν αἰῶνα καὶ τὴν πρόσκαιρον ζωήν, ἐφ' ᾗ μόνῃ οἱ ἐλπίζοντες ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰσίν. 4.90 Γίνεται δ' ἡ ἔξαρσις τῶν τρίων φαύλων ἀγελαρχῶν, βαρυνομένης ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ταῦτα ἀπειλοῦντος βασιλέως, ἐπείπερ μισητὰ αὐτῷ πράττουσιν. 4.91 Ψυχὴ δὲ αὐτοῦ κατὰ πλείονας τρόπους λέγεται. 4.92 Καθ' ἕνα μὲν καὶ πρόχειρον, ἣν ὡς ἄνθρωπος τέλειος ἔχει, ἣν τίθεται ἵνα πάλιν λάβῃ αὐτήν. Τέθειται μὲν οὖν αὐτὴν λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν αὐτὴν δεδωκώς, ὡς γράφειν περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν μυσταγωγὸν τῆς ἀληθείας Ἰωάννην οὕτως· «Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι»· ἔλαβεν δὲ αὐτὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς «οὐκ ἐγκαταλειφθεῖσαν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην». 4.93 Κατ' ἄλλην θεωρίαν, ψυχή ἐστιν τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος Σωτῆρος πᾶς ἄνθρωπος οἰκειωθεὶς αὐτῷ ὡς χρηματίζειν «ἐν Χριστῷ ἄνθρωπος», ὡς μὴ διαφέρειν περὶ τούτου φάναι ὅτι ἄνθρωπος καὶ ψυχὴ Θεοῦ τυγχάνει. Ἠλίας γὰρ ἄνθρωπος Θεοῦ χρηματίζων καὶ ψυχὴ Θεοῦ ῥηθείη· ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ ἱεροφάντης Μωϋσῆς, καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος τῆς αὐτῆς ἁγιότητος καὶ ἀρετῆς μετέχει. 4.94 Οὐ πολλῶν δὲ μαρτυρίων χρεία τὸ νῦν, πολλάκις ἤδη ἀποδείξεως γεναμένης· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τὴν Παύλου καὶ Πέτρου παραλαβεῖν φωνήν. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἔγραψεν· «Πᾶσα ψυχή», τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, «ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω», ὃ δέ· «Τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὀκτὼ ψυχαὶ διεσώθησαν», ὀκτὼ ψυχὰς λέγων τοὺς σωθέντας ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ ἐν τῷ κατακλυσμῷ, τὸν Νῶε καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, τήν τε γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς τρεῖς συμβιούσας τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ. 4.95 Ἡ οὕτω λεγομένη Θεοῦ ψυχὴ βαρύνεται ἐπὶ τοὺς τρεῖς ἀναιρουμένους ποιμένας ἐν ἑνὶ μηνί, συναγανακτοῦσα τῷ ἐξαίροντι αὐτοὺς Σωτῆρι. Γίνεται δὲ ἡ ἔξαρσις αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ ἀγριότητος τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἐπωρύεσθαι λεόντων δίκην ἐπὶ τὸν ποιμένα τὸν ἀληθινόν. 4.96 Τῆς τῶν ποιμένων ὠμότητος περιγραφείσης, ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀγελάρχης πρὸς τὰ ἀπολωλότα ὑπὸ τῶν φαύλων νομέων πρόβατα «Οὐ ποιμανῶ ὑμᾶς» ἀπειλῆς τρόπῳ λέγει, μάλιστα ὅτι ἔτι ἐτύγχανον ὑπὸ τοὺς βλαπτικούς· οὔπω γὰρ ἦσαν ἀναιρεθέντες· τὸ γὰρ «Ἐξαρῶ τοὺς τρεῖς ποιμένας» δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἀκμὴν ἐτύγχανον ἐπικείμενοι τοῖς πεπλανημένοις ὑπ' αὐτῶν ποιμνίοις. 4.97 Ποίῳ δὲ τρόπῳ καὶ τίνος ἕνεκα ἡ μία τῶν ῥάβδων κάλλος κέκληται, ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα σχοίνισμα, ἐν τοῖς ὅσον οὔπω ἐκτεθησομένοις σαφηνισθείη. Νῦν δὲ δεῖ σὺν Θεῷ φάναι· 4.98 Zach. XΙ, 9: Τὸ ἀποθνῇσκον ἀποθνῃσκέτω, καὶ τὸ ἐκλεῖπον ἐκλειπέτω, καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα κατεσθιέτωσαν ἕκαστος τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ. 4.99 Τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ νομέως ἐπιστατοῦντος τῆς ποίμνης, ἕκαστον τῶν προβάτων ὃν δεῖ τρόπον τημελεῖται.