13. Example of Our Lord.

When they see these things, or rather even hear of them, for see they do not, will they not desire, as it is written, to become ‘fuel of fire53    Is. ix. 5.,’ because their counsels and their words are contrary to what the Lord both did and taught? Also when John was martyred, and his disciples buried his body, ‘when Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by ship into a desert place apart54    Matt. xiv. 13..’ Thus the Lord acted, and thus He taught. Would that these men were even now ashamed of their conduct, and confined their rashness to man, nor proceeded to such extreme madness as even to charge our Saviour with cowardice! for it is against Him that they now utter their blasphemies. But no one will endure such madness; nay it will be seen that they do not understand the Gospels. The cause must be a reasonable and just one, which the Evangelists represent as weighing with our Saviour to withdraw and to flee; and we ought therefore to assign the same for the conduct of all the Saints. (For whatever is written concerning our Saviour in His human nature, ought to be considered as applying to the whole race of mankind55    Cf. Orat. i. 43.; because He took our body, and exhibited in Himself human infirmity.) Now of this cause John has written thus, ‘They sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come56    John vii. 30..’ And before it came, He Himself said to His Mother, ‘Mine hour is not yet come57    John ii. 4.:’ and to them who were called His brethren, ‘My time is not yet come58    John vii. 6..’ And again, when His time was come, He said to the disciples, ‘Sleep on now, and take your rest: for behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners59    Matt. xxvi. 45..’

13 Ἄρα ταῦτα βλέποντες, μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν ἀκούοντες ἐπεὶ μὴ βλέπουσι, πῶς κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον οὐ θελήσουσι γενέσθαι πυρίκαυστοι, ὅτι ἐναντία ὧν ὁ Κύριος ποιεῖ καὶ διδάσκει, βουλεύονται καὶ φθέγγονται; Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε Ἰωάννης μεμαρτύρηκε καὶ «οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔθαψαν, ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ' ἰδίαν». Ὁ μὲν οὖν Κύριος ἐποίει ταῦτα καὶ οὕτως ἐδίδασκεν. Εἴθε δὲ οὗτοι κἂν οὕτως αἰσχυνθῶσι, καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἀνθρώπων στήσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὴν προπέτειαν, καὶ μὴ πλέον μανέντες ἐγκαλέσωσι καὶ τῷ Σωτῆρι δειλίαν, ἅπαξ κατ' αὐτοῦ βλασφημεῖν μελετήσαντες. Ἀλλ' οὔτε μαινομένων αὐτῶν τις ἀνέξεται· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τὰ εὐαγγέλια μὴ νοοῦντες ἐλεγχθήσονται. Ἔστι γὰρ ἡ πρόφασις τῆς τοιαύτης ἀναχωρήσεως καὶ φυγῆς εὔλογος καὶ ἀληθής, ἣν ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Σωτῆρος κειμένην οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ ἀπεμνημόνευσαν. ∆εῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τούτου καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων τὴν αὐτὴν λογίζεσθαι (ἃ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀνθρωπίνως γέγραπται, ταῦτα τῷ κοινῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀναφέρεσθαι προσήκει· τὸ γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνος ἐφόρεσε σῶμα, καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν ἐνεδείκνυτο), ἣν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔγραψεν οὕτως· «Ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν πιάσαι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπέβαλεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὴν χεῖρα, ὅτι οὔπω ἐληλύθει ἡ ὥρα αὐτοῦ». Καὶ γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ταύτην ἐλθεῖν, ἔλεγεν αὐτὸς τῇ μὲν μητρί· «οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου»· τοῖς δὲ χρηματίσασιν ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ· «ὁ ἐμὸς καιρὸς οὔπω πάρεστι». Πάλιν τε ἐλθόντος τοῦ καιροῦ ἔλεγε τοῖς μαθηταῖς· «καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε· ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν».