He healed the leper, He said, “Go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.” (Matt. viii. 4.) And yet Thou sayest, “Ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.” (Matt. xxiii. 15.) For this reason I said, answers He, “Do not the things which they do.” Therefore he hath shut out all excuse from him that is under rule. In his Epistle to Timothy also this Apostle said, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor.” (1 Tim. v. 17.) And in his Epistle to the Hebrews also he said, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them.” (Heb. xiii. 17.) And here again, “But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord.” For since he had said, “build each other up,” lest they should think that he raised them to the rank of teachers, he has added, See, however, that I gave leave to you also to edify one another, for it is not possible for a teacher to say everything. “Them that labor among you,” he says, “and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.” And how, he says, is it not absurd? If a man stand up for thee before a man, thou doest anything, thou confessest thyself much indebted; but he stands up for thee before God, and thou dost not own the favor. And how does he stand up for me? thou sayest. Because he prays for thee, because he ministers to thee the spiritual gift that is by Baptism, he visits, he advises and admonishes thee, he comes at midnight if thou callest for him; he is nothing else than the constant subject of thy mouth, and he bears thy injurious speeches. What ne- cessity had he? Has he done well or ill? Thou indeed hast a wife, and livest luxuriously, and choosest a life of commerce. But from this the Priest has hindered himself by his occupation; his life is no other than to be employed about the Church. “And to esteem them,” he says, “exceeding highly in love for their work’s sake; be at peace with them.”1041 Seest thou how 367 well he is aware that unpleasant feelings arise? He does not merely say “love,” but “very highly,” as children love their fathers. For through them ye were begotten by that eternal generation: through them you have obtained the kingdom: through their hands all things are done, through them the gates of heaven are opened to you. Let no one raise divisions, let no one be contentious. He who loves Christ, whatever the Priest may be, will love him, because through him he has obtained the awful Mysteries. Tell me, if wishing to see a palace resplendent with much gold, and radiant with the brightness of precious stones, thou couldest find him who had the key, and he being called upon immediately opened it, and admitted thee within, wouldest thou not prefer him above all men? Wouldest thou not love him as dearly as thine eyes? Wouldest thou not kiss him? This man hath opened heaven to thee, and thou dost not kiss him, nor pay him court. If thou hast a wife, dost thou not love him above all, who procured her for thee? So if thou lovest Christ, if thou lovest the kingdom 1041 ἐν αὐτοῖς, and so several mss.; Rec. t. ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, “among yourselves,” and so L. [I. Cat.] here, but the comment hardly bears it. 647 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13