Treating Man

Ταῦτά ἐστιν, οἷς ἐγὼ τὴν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἰατρικὴν τῆς περὶ τὰ σώματα ἐργωδεστέραν τίθεμαι μακρῷ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τιμιωτέραν· καὶ ὅτι ἐκείνῃ μὲν, ὀλίγα τῶν ἐν τῷ βάθει κατοπτευούσῃ, περὶ τὸ φαινόμενον ἡ πλείων τῆς πραγματείας· ἡμῖν δὲ περὶ τὸν κρυπτὸν τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπον ἡ πᾶσα θεραπεία τε καὶ σπουδὴ, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἔνδοθεν ἡμῖν ἀντιπολεμοῦντα καὶ ἀντιπαλαίοντα ἡ μάχη, ὃς ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ὅπλοις καθ᾿ ἡμῶν χρώμενος, τὸ δεινότατον, τῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας θανάτῳ δίδωσι. Πρὸς οὖν ταῦτα πολλῆς μὲν καὶ παντελοῦς τῆς πίστεως, μείζονος δὲ τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ συνεργίας, οὐκ ὀλίγης δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀντιτεχνήσεως, ὥς γε ἐμαυτὸν πείθω, χρεία, τῆς καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ θεωρουμένης, εἰ δεῖ καλῶς ἡμῖν θεραπεύεσθαι καὶ ἀποκαθαίρεσθαι, καὶ ὡς πλείστου ἀξίας εἶναι, τὸ τιμιώτατον ὧν ἔχομεν, τὰς ψυχάς. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Λόγος Β´ Source: Migne PG 35.429c-432a

It is for these reasons I propose that our office as physicians far exceeds in toil, and by that in worth, things concerning the body; for that looks only slightly into things which are in the depths, being mainly concerned with exterior appearances. But the whole of our treatment and zeal is concerned with the hidden man of the heart, 1 and our warfare is directed against him who wars and wrestles against us within, who uses us as weapons against ourselves, and, more fearfully, hands over to the death of sin. Against this, then, great and perfect faith is needed, and the greater co-operation of God, and, I am persuaded, no small counter-manoeuvring by us, being made manifest in word and in deed, if our souls, the most precious possession we have, are to be well cared for and cleansed and made as worthy as can be. Saint Gregory Nazianzus, from Oration 2 1 Peter 3.4