A gold nugget from the forthcoming volume on “The Church,” by Johann Gerhard, part of the Gerhard LOCI project.

Nazianzen, Sermon de se ipso contra Arianos, at the beginning:

Where are those who define the church by multitude and despise the little flock? Who measure divinity and weigh the people? Who consider grains of sand valuable and insult the very lights of the world? Finally, who have gathered the shells but have held the pearls in contempt, etc.? They have houses; we have a dwelling. They have temples; we have God. And, in addition, because we are temples of the living God, we are living sacrifices, spiritual burnt offerings. They have the crowd; we have the angels. They have rash boldness; we have faith. They have threats; we have prayers and petitions. They have gold and silver; we have the cleansed doctrine of faith.

“On the Church,” § 181.