IV.  And pardon me meanwhile that I again suffer a human affection.  I am filled with indignation and grief for my Christ (and would that you might sympathize with me) when I see my Christ dishonoured on this account on which He most merited honour.  Is He on this account to be dishonoured, tell me, that for you He was humble?  Is He therefore a Creature, because He careth for the creature?  Is He therefore subject to time, because He watches over those who are subject to time?  Nay, He beareth all things, He endureth all things.5    1 Cor. xiii. 7.  And what marvel?  He put up with blows, He bore spittings, He tasted gall for my taste.  And even now He bears to be stoned, not only by those who deal despitefully with Him, but also by ourselves who seem to reverence Him.  For to use corporeal names when discoursing of the incorporeal is perhaps the part of those who deal despitefully and stone Him; but pardon, I say again to our infirmity, for I do not willingly stone Him; but having no other words to use, we use what we have.  Thou art called the Word, and Thou art above Word; Thou art above Light, yet art named Light; Thou art called Fire not as perceptible to sense, but because Thou purgest light and worthless matter; a Sword, because Thou severest the worse from the better; a Fan, because Thou purgest the threshing-floor, and blowest away all that is light and windy, and layest up in the garner above all that is weighty and full; an Axe, because Thou cuttest down the worthless fig-tree, after long patience, because Thou cuttest away the roots of wickedness; the Door, because Thou bringest in; the Way, because we go straight; the Sheep, because Thou art the Sacrifice; the High Priest, because Thou offerest the Body the Son, because Thou art of the Father.  Again I stir men’s tongues; again some men rave against Christ, or rather against me, who have been deemed worthy to be a herald of the Word.  I am like John, The Voice of one crying in the wilderness6    Matt. iii. 3.—a wilderness that once was dry, but now is only too populous.

Δʹ. Δότε δέ μοι συγγνώμην μεταξὺ, καὶ πάθος τι ἀνθρώπινον πάλιν πάσχοντι. Θυμοῦ πληροῦμαι καὶ λύπης ἐπὶ τῷ ἐμῷ Χριστῷ, συμπάσχοιτε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅταν ἴδω διὰ τοῦτο ἀτιμαζόμενόν μου τὸν Χριστὸν, δι' ὃ μάλιστα τιμᾶσθαι δίκαιος ἦν. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἄτιμος, εἰπέ μοι, ὅτι διὰ σὲ ταπεινός; Διὰ τοῦτο κτίσμα, ὅτι τοῦ κτίσματος κήδεται; Διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὸ χρόνον, ὅτι τοὺς ὑπὸ χρόνον ἐπισκέπτεται; Πλὴν πάντα φέρει, πάντα δέχεται. Καὶ τί θαυμαστόν; Ῥαπίσματα ἤνεγκεν, ἐμπτυσμάτων ἠνέσχετο, χολῆς ἐγεύσατο διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν γεῦσιν. Φέρει καὶ νῦν λιθαζόμενος, οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐμπηρεαζόντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν εὐσεβεῖν δοκούντων. Τὸ γὰρ περὶ ἀσωμάτου διαλεγόμενον, σωματικοῖς κεχρῆσθαι ὀνόμασι, τυχὸν ἐπηρεαζόντων ἐστὶ καὶ λιθαζόντων: ἀλλὰ συγγνώμη, πάλιν λέγω, τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ. Λιθάζομεν γὰρ οὐχ ἑκόντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ φθέγγεσθαι ἄλλως οὐκ ἔχοντες, ᾧ δὲ ἔχομεν χρώμενοι. Λόγος ἀκούεις, καὶ ὑπὲρ λόγον εἶ: ὑπὲρ φῶς εἶ, καὶ φῶς ὀνομάζῃ: πῦρ ἀκούεις, οὐκ αἰσθητὸς ὢν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν κούφην καὶ μοχθηρὰν ἀνακαθαίρεις ὕλην: μάχαιρα, ὅτι τέμνεις τὸ χεῖρον ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος: πτύον, ὅτι ἀνακαθαίρεις τὴν ἅλω, καὶ ὅσον κοῦφόν τε καὶ ἀνεμιαῖον ἀποπεμπόμενος, ὅσον βαρὺ καὶ πλῆρες ἐπὶ τὰς ἀποθήκας τὰς ἄνω ἐναποτίθεσαι: ἀξίνη, ὅτι τὴν ἄκαρπον ἐκκόπτεις συκῆν ἐπὶ πολὺ μακροθυμήσας, ὅτι τὰς ῥίζας ἐκτέμνεις τῆς πονηρίας: θύρα, διὰ τὴν εἰσαγωγήν: ὁδὸς, ὅτι εὐθυποροῦμεν: πρόβατον, ὅτι θῦμα: ἀρχιερεὺς, ὅτι προσφέρεις τὸ σῶμα: Υἱὸς, ὅτι Πατρός. Πάλιν κινῶ τὰς γλώσσας: πάλιν κατὰ Χριστοῦ τινες μαίνονται, μᾶλλον δὲ, κατ' ἐμοῦ, ὃς ἠξιώθην τοῦ Λόγου γενέσθαι κῆρυξ. Ὡς Ἰωάννης γίνομαι: Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐρήμῳ ποτὲ καὶ ἀνύδρῳ, νῦν δὲ καὶ λίαν οἰκουμένῃ.