44. If anyone were to undertake to tame and train
an animal of many forms and shapes, compounded of many animals of
various sizes and degrees of tameness and wildness, his principal task,
involving a considerable struggle, would be the government of so
extraordinary and heterogeneous a nature, since each of the animals of
which it is compounded would, according to its nature or habit, be
differently affected with joy, pleasure or dislike, by the same words,
or food, or stroking with the hand, or whistling, or other modes of
treatment. And what must the master of such an animal do, but
show himself manifold and various in his knowledge, and apply to each a
treatment suitable for it, so as successfully to lead and preserve the
beast? And since the common body of the church is composed of
many different characters and minds, like a single animal compounded of
discordant parts, it is absolutely necessary that its ruler should be
at once simple in his uprightness in all respects, and as far as
possible manifold and varied in his treatment of individuals, and in
dealing with all in an appropriate and suitable manner.