Oration XLII. The Last Farewell in the Presence of the One Hundred and Fifty Bishops.
2. What then is my defence? If it be false, you must convict me, but if true, you on behalf of whom
25. What say you? Are you persuaded, have you been overcome by my words? Or must I use stronger terms in order to persuade you? Yea by the Trinity Itself, Whom you and I alike worship, by our common hope, and for the sake of the unity of this people, grant me this favour; dismiss me with your prayers; let this be the proclamation of my contest; give me my certificate of retirement, as sovereigns do to their soldiers; and, if you will, with a favourable testimony, that I may enjoy the honour of it; if not, just as you please; this will make no difference to me, until God sees what my case really is. What successor then shall we elect? God will provide Himself108 Gen. xxii. 8. a shepherd for the office, as He once provided a lamb for a burnt-offering. I only make this further request,—let him be one who is the object of envy, not the object of pity; not one who yields everything to all, but one who can on some points offer resistance for the sake of what is best: for though the one is most pleasant, the other is most profitable. So do you prepare for me your addresses of dismissal: I will now bid you farewell.
ΚΕʹ. Τί φατε; Πείθομεν ὑμᾶς τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις, καὶ νενικήκαμεν; Ἢ δεῖ καὶ στεῤῥοτέρων λόγων ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ πείθειν; Ναὶ, πρὸς τῆς Τριάδος αὐτῆς, ἣν πρεσβεύομεν καὶ πρεσβεύετε, πρὸς τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν ἐλπίδος, καὶ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦδε συμπήξεως, δότε μοι τὴν χάριν ταύτην: μετὰ εὐχῶν ἡμᾶς ἀποπέμψατε: αὕτη γενέσθω μοι τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἡ ἀνάῤῥησις: δότε μοι τὸ γράμμα τῆς ἀφέσεως, ὥσπερ τοῖς στρατιωτικοῖς οἱ βασιλεῖς: καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, μετὰ δεξιᾶς τῆς μαρτυρίας, ἵν' ἔχω τὸ ἐπιτίμιον: εἰ δὲ μὴ, ὅπως βούλεσθε: οὐδὲν περὶ τούτου διοίσομαι, ἕως ἂν Θεὸς ἴδῃ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὅπως ἂν ἔχῃ. Τίνα οὖν ἀντεισάξομεν; Ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ Κύριος ποιμένα εἰς προστασίαν, ὡς πρόβατον εἶδεν εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν. Ἓν τοῦτο ἐπιζητῶ μόνον, τῶν φθονουμένων ἔστω τις, μὴ τῶν ἐλεουμένων: μὴ τῶν πάντα πᾶσι χαριζομένων, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἃ καὶ προσκρούειν εἰδότων ὑπὲρ τοῦ βελτίονος: τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἥδιστον, τὸ δὲ ἐκεῖθεν λυσιτελέστατον. Ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν τοὺς προπεμπτηρίους ἡμῖν μελετήσατε λόγους: ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῖν ἀποδώσω τὸν συντακτήριον.