of the house of Israel;" and on the other hand, "But the children
of this kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth:" and again, "It is not
good to take the children's meat and to give it to dogs:" also,
"Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites!" I heard how
"many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:" and on
the contrary, "I will then say to them 'Depart from me, ye workers
of iniquity!'" I read, "Blessed are the barren and the teats
which have not given suck;" and on the contrary, "Those, who were
ready, entered with him to the wedding; afterwards came the other
virgins also, saying 'Lord, Lord, open to us:' to whom it was
answered, 'I do not know you.'" I heard, forsooth, "Whoever shall
believe and be baptized, shall be saved, but whoever shall not
believe shall be damned." I read in the words of the apostle that
the branch of the wild olive was grafted upon the good olive, but
should nevertheless be cut off from the communion of the root of
its fatness, if it did not hold itself in fear, but entertained
lofty thoughts. I knew the mercy of the Lord, but I also feared
his judgment: I praised his grace, but I feared the rendering to
every man according to his works: perceiving the sheep of the
same fold to be different, I deservedly commended Peter for his
entire confession of Christ, but called Judas most wretched, for
his love of covetousness: I thought Stephen most glorious on
account of the palm of martyrdom, but Nicholas wretched for his
mark of unclean heresy: I read assuredly, "They had all things
common:" but likewise also, as it is written, "Why have ye
conspired to tempt the Spirit of God?" I saw, on the other hand,
how much security had grown upon the men of our time, as if there
were nothing to cause them fear. These things, therefore, and