We receive the Son’s light from the Father’s light in the light of the Spirit: that is what we ourselves have seen and what we now proclaim—it is the plain and simple explanation of the Trinity. Let the treacherous deal treacherously, let the transgressor transgress—we shall preach what we know. We shall climb a lofty mountain and shout it out, if we are not given a hearing below. We shall extol the Spirit; we shall not be afraid. If we do have fear, it will be of silence, not of preaching.

And in testimony of the fact that Babylon was captured during a banquet, Isaiah clearly exhorts it to battle when he writes, Babylon, my beloved, has become a strange spectacle to me: set the table and behold in the mirrors those who eat and drink; rise up, you princes, and snatch up your shields!

[In the Gospels it is said,] And he began to send them forth two by two.^[1] He sent them two by two that no one of them, being abandoned and alone, might fall into a denial, like Peter,^[2] or flee, like John.^[3] Human frailty quickly falls if it proudly relies on itself, despises companions and is unwilling to have a colleague. As Scripture says, Woe to him that is alone, for when he falls, he has none to lift him up.^[4] The same Scripture testifies how much one is strengthened by another’s aid, when it states, A brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city.^[5]

. . . This was done also to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, who testified that he had seen a rider of a two-horse chariot, when he heard it said to him, What do you see? And he replied, I see a rider of a two-horse chariot. Because of this he cried out right away that Babylon had fallen, and all its graven gods.

Who doubts, brothers, that by this two-horse chariot Christ was riding upon his saving journeys, since he sees that through the apostles’ preaching temples have fallen, idols have perished, the bleating of herds has ceased and the victims, along with even the very altars with their perfume of incense, have already disappeared through all the centuries.

Notice how in this passage he does not call those of the circumcision to hear the un-speakable words, but only those whom he calls forsaken and tortured. These were those of the time of the apostles who regretted and lamented the evil of humanity.

Again he says, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, ‘The morning comes, and also the night.’ For the watchman came by night, in that the guardian of the human race even showed himself manifest in the flesh, and yet Judea, being close pressed by the darkness of its faithlessness, never knew him. Where it is well added in the voice of the watchman, The morning comes, and also the night. For by his presence has a new light shone out upon the world, and yet the former darkness remained in the hearts of unbelievers. And it is well said, They shall grope in the noonday as in the night, for we search out by groping that which we do not see with our eyes. Now the Jews had seen his undisguised miracles, and yet they still went on seeking him, as it were groping for him, when they said, How long do you make us to doubt? If you be the Christ, tell us plainly.^[1] See, the light of miracles was before their eyes, yet stumbling in the darkness of their own hearts, they continued to grope in seeking for him.

Again, by bread is set forth the instruction of heavenly doctrine, as is said by the prophet, You who dwell in the land of the south, meet with bread him that is flying away. For they dwell in the land of the south who, placed within [the] holy church, are breathed upon by the love of the Spirit from on high. But he is flying who is wishing to escape from the evils of this world. He then who dwells in the land of the south should meet with bread him that is flying; that is, he who is already full of the Holy Spirit within the church should console with words of instruction the one who is endeavoring to escape from his evil ways.