Weakness

Whatever is feeble and tender, as needing help on account of its feebleness, is kindly looked on, and is sweet and pleasant, anger changing into help in the case of such; for thus horses’ colts, and the little calves of cows, and the lion’s whelp, and the stag’s fawn, and the human child, are looked upon with pleasure by their fathers and mothers. Thus also the Father of the universe cherishes affection toward those who have fled to Him; and having begotten them again by His Spirit to the adoption of children, knows them as gentle, and loves those alone, and aids and fights for them; and therefore He bestows on them the name of child.

Look … into yourself as well when you have to correct another, and acknowledge that you also are a sinner and subject to frailty, lest you also be grievously tempted, if your admonition proceeds more from irritation than from compassion. Let the correction be prompted by love for the persons and hatred of all vices. And let this love of the neighbor and hatred of all that is wrong always be maintained, so that we may be severe with error but at the same time have a tender compassion for the weakness of human nature.

Human reason is very deficient in things concerning God. A sign of this is that philosophers in their researches, by natural investigation, into human affairs have fallen into many errors, and have disagreed among themselves. And consequently, in order that men might have knowledge of God, free of doubt and uncertainty, it was necessary for divine matters to be delivered to them by way of faith, being told to them, as it were, by God Himself who cannot lie.