go up? They who of Donatus’ way4113 wish to make havoc of Christ’s sheep, they go up by
another way. They do not enter in by Christ, because they are not humble. Because they are
proud, they go up. What is, “they go up”? They are lifted up. Whereby do they go up? By
another way: whence they wish to be named from their way. They who are not in unity are
of another way, and by this way they go up, that is, are lifted up, and wish to spoil the sheep.
Now mark how they go up. “It is we,” they say, “who sanctify, we justify, we make righteous.”
See whither they have got up. “But he that exalteth himself, shall be abased.”4114 Our Lord
God is able to abase them. Now the wolf is the devil, he lieth in wait to deceive, and they
that follow him; for it is said that “they are clothed indeed with the skins of sheep, but in-
wardly they are ravening wolves.”4115 If the hireling observe anyone indulging in wicked
talking, or in sentiments to the deadly hurt of his soul, or doing ought that is abominable
and unclean, and notwithstanding that he seems to bear a character of some importance in
the Church (from which if he hopes for advantage he is an hireling); says nothing, and when
he sees the man perishing in his sin, sees the wolf following him, sees his throat dragged by
his teeth to punishment; says not to him, “Thou sinnest;” does not chide him, lest he lose
his own advantage. This I say is, “When he seeth the wolf, he fleeth;” he does not say to him,
“Thou art doing wickedly.” This is no flight of the body, but of the soul. He whom thou
seest standing still in body flies in heart, when he sees a sinner, and does not say to him,
“Thou sinnest;” yea when he even is in concert with him.
13. My Brethren, does ever either Presbyter or Bishop come up here, and say anything
from this higher place, but that the property of others must not be plundered, that there
must be no fraud committed, no wickedness done? They cannot say ought else who sit in
Moses’ seat,4116 and it is it that speaks by them, not they themselves. What then is, “Do men
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” and, “Every tree is known by his fruit”?4117 Can
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a Pharisee speak good things? A Pharisee is a thorn; how from a thorn do I gather grapes?
Because Thou, Lord, hast said, “What they say, do; but what they do, do not.”4118 Dost Thou
bid me gather grapes of thorns when Thou sayest, “Do men gather grapes of thorns”? The
Lord answereth thee, “I have not bidden thee gather grapes of thorns: but look, mark well,
if haply, as is often the case, the vine when it trails all along upon the ground, be not entangled
in thorns.” For we sometimes find this, my Brethren, a vine planted over sedge, how it has
there a thorny hedge, and throws out its branches, and entangles them in the thorny hedge,
4113 Parte.
4114 Luke xiv. 11.
4115 Matt. vii. 15.
4116 Matt. xxiii. 2.
4117 Matt. vii. 16, xii. 33.
4118 Matt. xxiii. 3.
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The tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. Of the shepherd, and the hireling,…