have sinned, but harshly and mercilessly hide repentance from them,
thou wilt even be a helper in their conversion to evil, and in scattering
the flocks to be food for the beasts of the field, that is to say, to the
wicked men of this world, but not to men in truth, but to the beasts,
to the heathen, to the heretics ; for him who goes out of the Church they
follow immediately, like evil beasts, to swallow him for food ; because
of thine own harshness, he then that goeth out of the Church, 'either goeth
and entereth in unto the heathen, or plunges into heresies ; he will be
entirely a stranger, and be removed from the Church, and from the hope
of God, and thou wilt be guilty of his ruin, because thou wert ready to
put out and to cast away those who sin ; and when they repented and
returned, thou didst not wish to receive them. Behold, thou art fallen
under the condemnation of this word which said, " Your feet hasten to