A Present to His Royal Highness - The Prince of Wales — Page 12
12 of Jesus and strive not to comprehend what he has expounded in his parables and calling themselves his followers act like unbelievers. He himself has clearly said: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven. ” ∗ Then how do they conclude that he who was born in Nazareth ascended bodily unto heaven and will bodily descend again. Verily he ascended unto heaven as he had descended and his second advent will be like unto his first. He who stumbles is to be pitied but woe is to him who perceives another stumbling and does not take heed, for the former can plead ignorance and say that he fell for want of a guide who could have warned him of the danger, but the latter can plead neither excuse nor extenuation, for he saw another falling and yet trod on the same path. He, therefore, deserves a greater punishment, for he repented not of error, even after it was made manifest. Was not it written: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. ”† Then, did they not witness that Elijah did not descend from Heaven but appeared on earth in the person of John the Baptist, and yet those whose hearts were full of guile were misled by these words and laughed at Jesus and said: If thou art indeed the Messiah, then where is Elias who was to come before him? Even his disciples asked him, “Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come?”‡ God’s secrets are disclosed only at the time appointed ∗ St. John iii:13. † Malachi iv:5. ‡ Matthew xvii,10; Mark ix:11.