The development of the embryonic fruit is further due to the fact that the seed is mixed with the remaining pure remnants of the month's purification. The power of the seed causes the blood to thicken, just as milk coagulates from leaven, and a (new) educational process begins. The more or less successful course of this educational process depends on a more or less complete mixture; but the contact of the seed with the blood, which is superficial for the production of the fruit, is unreliable. In the same way, if too much rain falls, the seed is carried away from the ground; as a result of the dryness of the soil, the seed also dries up; the moisture is fertilizing, somewhat sticky, the seed retains and promotes its growth. Some assert that animal seed is essentially nothing but foam of blood. As a result of the natural heat of the male sex during intercourse, the blood, having come into an excited state, agitated, foams and is deposited in the seminal passages. Hence, as Diogenes Apolloniatus says, love affairs are called in Greek a j r o d i s i a. From all this it now becomes clear that blood is the substance of the human body. And whatever is in the mother's womb, all this at first remains a mammalious moist mass, and then, being assimilated by the blood, it turns into flesh; but this is condensed in the womb by the natural heat maintained by the breath; under its influence, the embryo is formed, developing further and more completely. But even after birth, the infant feeds on the same blood, because the streams of blood become waves of milk, and milk becomes a nourishing spring for him. The same milk process also serves as a clear proof that the wife has really given birth and is the mother; He also encourages the mother to share with the child the magic drink of her mother's love. That is why the Holy Spirit in the person of the Apostle, using the imagery of the Lord's speech, says mysteriously: "I have nourished you with milk" (1 Corinthians 3:2). Because if we are regenerated in Christ, then the One who regenerated us means that He nourishes us with the Logos, with this milk of His. It is characteristic of every woman in labor to strive immediately after birth to provide nourishment to the newborn. But just as the rebirth of man is spiritual, so in the same way nutrition must be spiritual. Thus, as in all other respects we maintain communion with Christ, so we become partakers of His divine nature through the reception into ourselves of His blood, which He shed for our redemption; we participate in His sufferings by taking into ourselves the food offered to us by the Logos; we become partakers of immortality because of our way of life, which is in accordance with His commandments.

And among mortal people, feeding children often

Develops more love than their work into the world. Blood and milk, equal to each other in substance, are therefore a symbol of the sufferings and teachings of the Lord. We, His children, can therefore boast in the Lord and say:

I am proud of what I come from,

From a glorious father and of the same blood (14:113).

That milk is formed from the blood by transformation, is therefore now clear. But the same thing can be observed in herds of sheep and cows. At that time of the year which we call spring, when the air becomes damper, when the grass and the pastures are full of juice and moist, these animals are more quickly and easily filled with blood, as may be observed in their tense and overflowing blood veins; Milk is then excreted more abundantly from the blood. In summer, the process of turning blood into milk stops again, because it is absorbed by heat, evaporating under its influence; therefore, the animals then become less milky. Milk, therefore, has a certain affinity for water, based on their very nature, just as the spiritual cleansing bath has a resemblance to spiritual nourishment. Therefore, those Christians who, together with milk (the acceptance of faith in the Logos), of which we spoke above, also take into themselves a little refreshing water (of course, repentance), immediately find salvation for themselves. For mixing with water does not allow the milk to dry out, which is not due to any of their opposites, but to the fact that a complete mixture with water is formed. And just as there is a kinship between the Logos and baptism, the same relationship exists between milk and water. Because of all liquids it tolerates only mixing with water, as a result of which it becomes purer, just as baptism serves to cleanse from sins.

And milk easily tolerates the addition of honey; this contributes to its purification, and at the same time gives it sweetness, which is felt when it is eaten. Passions are healed by the Logos, since He is imbued with love for mankind, and at the same time He cleanses from sins. And this Homeric word about Nestor: "Sweeter than honey flowed his word (Id. I, 249),

it seems to me that it is said with an attitude towards the Logos, which is honey. In many places prophecy also makes Him sweeter than honey and drops of honeycomb (Psalm 18:11; 118, 103).

And with sweet wine, milk tolerates the mixture. And such mixing of wine with milk is useful for milk. Passion is as it were brought down by this addition for the purposes of incorruption. Milk from mixing wine with it turns into whey, it coagulates; and whatever additions there are in it, they are withdrawn from it as if through some channel. The same action in a person possessed by passions is produced by spiritual communion with the believer in the Logos; it cleanses him from carnal desires, eternally keeps him in the Divine, makes him immortal.

Fatty parts of milk, the so-called butter, are used by many for lighting. In this they have a very clear indication that in the Logos oil means much, for truly He gives nourishment only to children and contributes to their growth and enlightenment. Therefore the Scriptures speak of the Lord: He fed them with the produce of the fields; and he fed him with honey from the stone, and oil from the solid rock; butter of cows, and milk of sheep, and the fat of lambs, etc. (Deut. 32:13-14). And announcing the birth of the Divine Infant, the prophet says: He shall be nourished by milk and honey (N. 7:15).

I can only marvel at how some dare to call themselves perfect and Gnostic, in their arrogance and pride, placing themselves even above the apostle. Paul himself confesses: "I do not say this because I have already attained or been perfected; but I strive to see if I will not attain as Christ Jesus reached me. Brethren, I do not consider myself to have attained, but only, forgetting what is behind and stretching forward, I strive towards the goal, towards the honor of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12-14). He therefore considers himself perfect, because he has renounced his former life and has begun to strive for a better one, and not because he considers himself perfect in order to be truly perfect in gnosis, because he was still striving for the perfect. Wherefore he adds: Whosoever of us is perfect, so must he think. (Phil. 3:15). It is clear, therefore, that he understands by perfection the renunciation of sins, regeneration to faith and the one Perfect, as well as forgetfulness of the sins that remain behind us.

7. About the face of our Teacher and His educational method.

We have shown that the Scriptures call us all children; and it calls us followers of Christ not only children, but also inexperienced infants, because only the Father of the universe is perfect: in Him is the Son, and in the Son is the Father.

Now, observing the sequence in the course of thoughts, we will say who is our Teacher. His name is Jesus. But sometimes He also calls Himself a shepherd and says: "I am the good shepherd" (John X. 11). In this metaphorical expression, taken from shepherds, leaders of the flocks, the shepherd should be understood as a Teacher, i.e. a caring leader of children, a zealous shepherd of inexperienced beings. Children are simple in mind; therefore, figuratively, they are called sheep. And there shall be, it is said, one flock, and one Shepherd (John 10:16). The Logos, which leads us children to salvation, is therefore in all justice a Teacher. He Himself said very clearly about Himself through Hosea: I am your educator. (Hos. 5:2). His pedagogy consists in Divine religion, in instruction in how to serve God, in teaching that leads to the knowledge of the truth. This is the guide that is truly true, because it moves towards heaven.