that goes astray return?" ' Permit them, then, to be in- structed by you. Be ye therefore the ministers of God, , and the mouth of Christ. For thus saith the Lord, " If ye take forth the precious from the vile, ye shall be as my mouth." ^ Be ye humble in response to their wrath ; oppose to their blasphemies your earnest prayers ; while they go astray, stand ye stedfast in the faith. Conquer ye their harsh temper by gentleness, their passion by meek- ness. For " blessed are the meek ; " ^ and Moses was meek above all men ; 7 and David was exceeding meek.** Wherefore Paul exhorts as follows : " The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle towards all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that op- pose themselves." 9 Do not seek to avenge yourselves on those that injure you, for says [the Scripture], " If I have returned evil to those who returned evil to me." ^° Let us make them brethren by our kindness. For say ye to those that hate you. Ye are our brethren, that the name of the Lord may be glorified. And let us imitate the Lord, "who, when He was reviled, reviled not