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For instance, the Lord Jesus says: "My sheep hear my voice and follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish for eternity," so that each of those who make up the divine flock cries out concerning the chief shepherd: "The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want. He has made me to dwell in a place of green pasture, He has nourished me by the water of rest, He has restored my soul. He has led me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." 4.100 Thus, when the rational flock are supervised, but on account of their own indolence are abandoned by the one who says, "I will not shepherd you," the very opposite has resulted for the flocks, so that henceforth that which is dying dies, being far from the shepherd who says concerning his own sheep, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly," as I lay down my soul for the sheep. 4.101 In addition to that which is dying dying, that which is failing will fail, being bereft of protection, so that each of those who have strayed from the proper pasture devour the flesh of their neighbor, having turned to savagery. Since the Church of the Galatians fell into this cruelty, it is fittingly written to it by the apostle Paul: "But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." Concerning those thus made beast-like against him, the psalmist sings: "When evildoers drew near to me to eat my flesh." 4.102 But although they were so disposed, remaining unharmed he says: "My oppressors and my enemies, they themselves have grown weak and have fallen." And the prophet Jeremiah, concerning those who, like wild beasts, attempt to harm the righteous, says: "Israel is holy to the Lord, the first-fruits of His produce; all who devour him will be held guilty, evil will come upon them, says the Lord." 4.103 And it is well said that each devours the flesh and not the soul or the mind of their neighbors. 4.104 He who was delivered from this cruelty cries out with thanksgiving for himself and those like him: "Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth." 4.105 Zach. XI, 10-11: And I will take my good staff, and I will cast it away to scatter my covenant, which I made with all the peoples; and it will be scattered on that day, and the Canaanites, the sheep that are kept, will know that it is the word of the Lord. 4.106 When the people of the circumcision were abandoned by the shepherd because they had acted impiously toward him, the afore-mentioned grievous things occurred, so that that which is dying dies, and that which is failing fails, and the rest were turned, so that each one eats the flesh of his neighbor. 4.107 A calling is made of the Church from the nations who believed in Christ, which he also named a praiseworthy staff, that is, a kingdom, saying: "And I will take the good staff." This came to be when the Father said to the Son: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance." 4.108 When the royal scepter was cast away by him who received all the nations as an inheritance, the covenant with all the peoples was scattered, concerning which it is said in Deuteronomy in the great song in this way: "When the Most High divided the nations, when he scattered the sons of Adam, he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God." When this covenant was scattered by Christ, with the angels of the nations no longer presiding, all the nations became the inheritance and portion of the one who cast away the good staff for the dissolution of the covenant with all the peoples. 4.109 And this excellent deed was accomplished on the day prepared by the sun of righteousness, which Abraham, the father of all the nations who believed, rejoiced to see, being glad, when all the people who make up the nations were blessed in his seed, having his faith reckoned as righteousness. 4.110 Concerning

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Αὐτίκα γοῦν ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς λέγει· «Τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἀκούουσιν καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσίν μοι, κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα», ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν συμπληρούντων τὴν θείαν ἀγέλην βοᾶν περὶ τοῦ ἀγελάρχου· «Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με οὐ μὴ ὑστερήσει. Εἰς τόπον χλόης, ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν, ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεως ἐξέθρεψέν με, τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐπέστρεψεν. Ὡδήγησέν με ἐπὶ τρίβους δικαιοσύνης ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.» 4.100 Οὕτως ἐπιστατουμένων τῶν λογικῶν θρεμμάτων παρ' ἰδίαν ῥᾳθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἐγκαταλειφθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ λέγοντος· «Οὐ ποιμανῶ ὑμᾶς», πᾶν τοὐναντίον ὑπῆρκται τοῖς ποιμνίοις, ὡς λοιπὸν τὸ ἀποθνῇσκον ἀποθνῄσκειν, μακρυνθὲν τοῦ λέγοντος ποιμένος περὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ προβάτων· «Ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἵνα ζωὴν ἔχωσιν καὶ περισσὸν ἔχωσιν, τιθέντος μου τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων.» 4.101 Πρὸς τῷ ἀποθνῇσκον ἀποθνῄσκειν, καὶ τὸ ἐκλιμπάνον ἐκλείψει ἐρημωθὲν προστασίας, ὡς ἕκαστον τῶν ἀποσφαλέντων τῆς καταλλήλου νομῆς τοῦ πλησίον τὰς σάρκας κατεσθίειν, εἰς ἀγριότητα μεταβαλόντων. Ταύτῃ τῇ ὠμότητι ὑποπεσούσης τῆς Γαλατῶν Ἐκκλησίας, πρὸς αὐτὴν εἰκότως γράφεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου· «Εἰ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε, βλέπετε μὴ ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων ἀναλωθῆτε.» Περὶ οὕτως ἐκθηριωθέντων κατ' αὐτοῦ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς ψάλλει· «Ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου.» 4.102 Πλὴν εἰ κἀκεῖνοι οὕτω διετέθησαν, ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνας λέγει· «Οἱ θλίβοντές με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν.» Καὶ ὁ προφήτης δὲ Ἰερεμίας περὶ τῶν θηρῶν δίκην κατὰ τῶν σπουδαίων βλάβην ἐπιχειρούντων λέγει· «Ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀρχὴ γενημάτων αὐτοῦ· πάντες οἱ κατεσθίοντες αὐτὸν πλημμελήσουσιν, κακὰ ἥξει ἐπ' αὐτούς, φησὶν Κύριος.» 4.103 Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰρῆσθαι κατεσθίειν ἕκαστον τὰς σάρκας καὶ οὐ τὴν ψυχὴν ἢ τὸν νοῦν τῶν πλησίον. 4.104 Ὁ ταύτης τῆς ὠμότητος ῥυσθεὶς εὐχαριστητικῶς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων βοᾷ· «Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὃς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν.» 4.105 Zach. XΙ, 10-11: Καὶ λήμψομαι τὴν ῥάβδον μου τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἀπορρίψω αὐτὴν διασκεδάσαι τὴν διαθήκην μου, ἣν διεθέμην πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαούς· καὶ διασκεδασθήσεται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ γνώσονται οἱ Χαναναῖοι, τὰ πρόβατα τὰ φυλασσόμενα, διότι λόγος Κυρίου ἐστίν. 4.106 Τοῦ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοῦ ἐγκαταλειφθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιμένος διὰ τὸ ἠσεβηκέναι εἰς αὐτόν, ἀπήντησε τὰ ἐκκείμενα ἀνιαρά, ὡς ἀποθνῄσκειν τὸ ἀποθνῇσκον καὶ ἐκλιμπάνειν τὸ ἐκλιμπάνον καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα ἐστρᾶφθαι, ὡς ἕκαστον ἐσθίειν τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον. 4.107 Κλῆσις γίνεται τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν πιστευσάντων τῷ Χριστῷ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἣν καὶ ῥάβδον ἐπαινετὴν ὠνόμασεν, τοῦτ' ἔστι βασιλείαν, εἰπών· «Καὶ λήμψομαι τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν καλήν.» Ὑπῆρκται δὲ τοῦτο τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰρηκότος τῷ Υἱῷ· «Αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.» 4.108 Τοῦ βασιλικοῦ σκήπτρου ἀπορριφέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ λαβόντος κληρονομίαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἡ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαοὺς διεσκεδάσθη διαθήκη περὶ ἧς εἴρηται ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ ἐν ᾠδῇ μεγάλῃ τῷδε τῷ τρόπῳ· «Ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ ὕψιστος ἔθνη, ὡς διέσπειρεν υἱοὺς Ἀδάμ, ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων Θεοῦ.» Ταύτης τῆς διαθήκης διασκεδασθείσης ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, οὐκέτι ἐπιστατούντων τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐθνῶν, κληρονομία καὶ μερὶς γεγένηνται τὰ ἔθνη πάντα τοῦ ἀπορρίψαντος τὴν καλὴν ῥάβδον ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαοὺς διαθήκης. 4.109 Κατώρθωται δὲ ἡ ἀριστεία αὕτη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης κατασκευασθείσῃ, ἣν ἀγαλλιασάμενος ἰδεῖν ὁ πατὴρ τῶν πιστευσάντων πάντων ἐθνῶν Ἀβραὰμ ἐχάρη, εὐλογηθέντων ἐν τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ πάντων τῶν συμπληρούντων τὰ ἔθνη ἀνθρώπων σχόντων τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην λελογισμένην. 4.110 Περὶ