then the former but flesh and hairs ancient Hear quoth he also this parable When any one hath now become older he despairs of himself because of his infirmity and poverty and he expecteth nothing else but the last day of his life after that suddenly to him there is left an inheritance and hearing he riseth up and being become chearful he indueth strength and now he sits not down but standeth and is freed from his former sorrows and now he sits not but does manfully 56 So also ye hear ye the revelation which God hath revealed to you because the Lord hath had pitie on you and hath renewed your Spirit and ye have put off your infirmities strength hath come unto you and ye have grown strong in Faith and God having seen your valour hath rejoyced for this cause he hath demonstrated to you the structure of the Tower and he will shew you other things if from your whole heart ye shall have peace among your selves 57 But in the third vision thou sawest her more youthful honest and chearful and her countenance serene for even as if any good messenger should come upon any one sad immediately he forgets his sorrow and expecteth nothing else but the message which he hath heard he is comforted concerning the rest and his Spirit is renovated because of the joy which he hath taken So also ye have gotten the renovation of your spirits seeing these good things 58 And because upon a seat ye saw her sitting it is a strong position because a stool hath four feet and stands strongly For also the world is contained by the four Elements therefore they that shall do Repentance compleatly shall be younger and they that from their whole heart shall act Repentance shall be grounded Thou hast in full the revelation seek nothing more of things to be revealed but if any thing must it shall be revealed to thee VISION IV. 1 BRethren I saw a vision after twenty daies of the former vision the figure of tribulation about to come upon us for I was going on in that way to Campana but from the publick way unto the village are nigh ten furlongs but seldom is any journey made by that place 2 And I walking alone entreated the Lord that these revelations which he shewed to me by his holy Church he would confirm and would grant Repentance unto all his Servants that are scandalized that his Great and Honourable Name may be honoured and because he esteemed me worthy that he should shew unto me his wonders and I should honour him and give him thanks as it were a voice answered unto me DOVBT NOT HERMAS 3 I began therefore to think within me and to say What have I to doubt so grounded by the Lord and who have seen honourable things 4 I went forward a little Brethren and behold I see the dust up to Heaven I began to say within me What do the Cattel come and stir up the dust but it was distant from me as it were a furlong and behold I see the dust more and more arising so that I suspected it to be something from above 5 But the Sun shone a little and behold I see a great beast like unto a Whale and out of his mouth proceeded fiery Locusts but the stature of that beast was almost an hundred foot but he had an head like a round urnal vessel I began to weep and invoke the Lord that he might deliver me from it then I remembred the word which I had heard DOUBT NOT HERMAS 6 Therefore brethren having put on the faith of God and remembred him that taught me great things I delivered my self boldly upon the Beast but so did that beast come so that it could in one stroke crush a City I came near it and the beast so huge extended it self upon the Earth and did shew forth nothing but it's tongue and at all did not move it self until I had past over it all 7 But that beast had upon its head four colours black then red and bloudy then golden then white but after I had gone over it I went forward nigh thirty foot and behold there met me a certain virgin well adorned as if coming out of her bed all in white and shod with white shoes and down to her face having a Mitre but for a covering she had her neat hairs 8 I knew therefore by my former visions because she is the CHURCH and I became more chearful but she saluted me saying Hail thou Man And I saluted her saying Hail Lady But she answering said to me Hath nothing met thee Man I say to her Lady there hath met me such a beast as could consume a people but by the power of God and his singular loving kindnesse I have escaped it 9 Thou hast well escaped it saith she because thou hast thrown down thy solitude and solicitude before the Lord and hast opened thy heart unto him believing that by no other thou couldst be safe except by his Great and Honourable Name for this cause the Lord hath sent his Angel who is over the BEASTS whose name is HEGRIN and he hath stopt it's mouth least it should slaughter thee Great tribulation hast thou escaped because of thy faith and who hast not stood in doubt of such a beast 10 Go therefore and declare to the elected of God his great things and thou shalt say unto them that this beast is the figure of pressure about to come upon them if therefore ye shall prepare you ye shall be able to escape it if your heart shall be pure and without spot and if the rest of your dayes ye shall serve God without complaint cast your solicitudes upon the Lord and he shall direct them Believe God ye who are DOUBTFUL because he can do all things both avert his wrath from you and send you safeguards 11 Wo to these doubtful ones who shall hear these words and shall despise them it had been better for them not to have been born 12 I asked her of these four colours which the Beast had in his head but she answered unto me saying Again thou art curious asking concerning things of this sort And I said Lady demonstrate unto me what these are Hear saith she That BLACK is the World in which ye stay but the FIERY and BLOUDY because this World must perish by bloud and fire 13 But the GOLDEN part are ye who have escaped this World for as by fire Gold is tried and becomes profitable so also are ye tryed who dwell in them Therefore they that shall continue and shall be tried by them shall be purged and as Gold is made better and puts off its drosse so also ye shall cast off all sadnesse and anguish and ye shall be made clean for the structure of the Tower but the WHITE part is of the age about to come on in which the elected Ones of God shall dwell because the elect of God shall be immaculate and pure into
that they who are overseers of Ministrings who have both protected the Poor and the Widdows and have perpetually had a chast conversation therefore these men are protected by the Lord these things whosoever shall do are honoured with the Lord and among the MESSENGERS is their place if they shall persevere even until the Consummation to obey the Lord. 113 Of the ELEVENTH Mountain in which were trees loaden with divers fruits are these who have believed and for the Name of the Lord have undergone Death and with a ready mind have suffered and with their whole heart have delivered up their souls 114 And I said why then Lord have all these trees certain fruits but of them some more fair Hear quoth he whosoever for the Name of the Lord have suffered are esteemed honoured with the Lord and the failings of them all are blotted our because for the Name of the Son of God they have undergone Death 115 But why the fruits of them are unlike and some among them excel Hear thou for whosoever being led to the POWERS being asked have not denied the Lord but with a ready mind have suffered are more honoured with God therefore the fruits that excel are theirs But they who have been timorous and doubtful and have deliberated in their heart whether they should confesse or deny and have suffered their fruits are smaller 116 Therefore beware ye who have such cogitations least this mind remain in you and YE DIE TO GOD ye therefore whosoever for this names sake do undergo death ought to honour the Lord that the Lord esteemes you worthy that ye may bear his Name and all your sins may be redeemed 117 Therefore do ye not rather esteem your selves happy Think ye rather if any of you suffereth him to accomplish a great work for to you the Lord giveth life nor do you understand for your failings did burthen you and unlesse ye should have suffered for the cause of this Name for your sins ye had surely been dead to God These things therefore I say to you whosoever do deliberate of confessing or of denying 118 Confesse ye therefore your selves TO HAVE THE LORD GOD least perhaps denying ye be delivered into bonds for if all the Nations punish their Servants whosoever have denied their Lord. What think ye the Lord about to do to you who hath power of all things Remove therefore from your hearts these disputations that for ever ye may LIVE TO GOD. 119 But of the TWELVTH white Mountain are such who have believed even as INFANTS sincere to whom no malice ascended over their sense nor have they known what is malice but alwayes have remain'd in sincerity Therefore this sort of men without any dubitation shall inhabit the Kingdom of God because in no businesse have they stained the commands of God but with sincerity have remained all the dayes of their life in the same tenour of sense 120 Whosoever therefore quoth he shall remain as Infants not having malice shall be more honourable then all those whom I have already spoken of FOR ALL INFANTS ARE HONOURED WITH THE LORD AND ARE ESTEEMED FIRST happy therefore ye whosoever shall remove from you malice and shall put on innocency because first ye shall see God 121 After he had finished the explanation of all the Mountains I say to him Lord now expound unto me concerning these stones who being brought out of the field into the place of the Reprobate ones were put unto the Structure of the Tower Likewise of these round stones which were added unto the Structure of the Tower and of these who as yet remained round 122 Hear quoth he of the stones these which being brought from off the field were placed into the Structure of the Tower in their place which had been reprobate are the ROOTS of that white Mountain when therefore they who of that Mountain have believed are become innocent the Lord of that Tower hath commanded these which were of the Roots of the Mountain to be put into the Structure 123 For he hath understood if they had gone to the building that they would remain shining nor would any whit of them grow black any more but if he had so added of the rest of the Mountains he had not needed again to visit that Tower and purge it But these are all white who have believed and who are about to believe for they are of the same kind happy this kind because it is innocent 124 Hear now also of these round and splendid stones all these are of this white Mountain but why they are found round the cause is because their riches have a little obscured them from the Truth and have darkned them But from God they have never departed nor hath any evil word proceeded out of their mouth but all Equity Vertue and Truth 125 The MINDE therefore of these when the Lord had seen and them to be able to favour the Truth he commanded them likewise to remain good and their riches to be circumcised for he would not have them to be for altogether taken away that they might do something of good of that which was left to them and LIVE TO GOD because also they are of the good kind Therefore for that cause are they hewn a little and put into the structure of this Tower 126 But the rest who have as yet continued round nor are found fit unto that structure because they have not yet got the SEAL are put again in their own place for they are found very round but this World must be hew'n from them and the vanities of their riches and then they shall be fit in the Kingdom of God 127 For it must needs be that they enter into the Kingdom of God for this harmlesse kind hath the Lord blessed Therefore out of this kind shall not any one perish yea even although any one of them tempted by the most wicked Devil should somewhat fail he will suddenly run back to the Lord his God 128 But happy do I the Messenger of Repentance judge you whosoever are innocent as Infants because your part is good and honoured with God but I say unto you all whosoever have got this SEAL have ye simplicity neither be ye mindful of offences nor remain ye in malice neither let bitternesses become in the Spirit of any one of you in the memory of offences but to these evil rents procure ye remedy and remove them from you that the Lord of the sheep may rejoyce concerning you 129 For he shall rejoyce if he shall find all things sound but if he shall find of such any sheep scattered wo shall be to the sheepherds but if the sheepherds themselves shall be scuttered what shall they answer to him for the sheep What will they say themselves to have been smitten by the sheep it will not be believed to them for IT IS AN INCREDIBLE THING THAT THE SHEEPHERD CAN SUFFER BY THE SHEEP and he is the rather punished for his lye
astonished and my hairs rose up and as it were a horrour ceized on me seeing I was alone But being returned to my self and having remembred the Glory of God and having taken courage having bowd my knees I confessed to God again the sins which before 4 Behold she cometh thither with six young men whom also I had seen before and she stood behind me and heard me praying and confessing unto the Lord my sins and touching me she said Leave off now to pray so much for thy sins pray also for Righteousnesse that thou mayst receive part of it in thine house 5 And she raised me up from the place and took hold of my hand and led me to the seat and she saith to these young men Go ye and build but after the youths had departed and we were alone she saith to me sit thou here I say to her Lady suffer the Elders before to sit down What I say to thee quoth she Sit thou down And when I would sit at the right side she suffered not but beckned to me with her hand that I should sit at the left side 6 But I bethinking and remaining sad that she had not suffered me to sit at the right side she saith to me Why art thou sad Hermas The place which is at the right side is theirs who already have deserved GOD and have suffered for the cause of his Name But to thee there remains much that thou mayest sit with them as thou remainest in thy simplicity remain thou and thou shalt sit with them and whosoever shall have wrought their works and shall sustain what they have sustained 7 I say unto her Lady I would know what they have sustained Hear quoth she wild Beasts Whips Prisons Crosses for the cause of his Name for this theirs are the right sides of Holinesse and whoso shall suffer for the Name of God but the rest 's are the left sides but to both of them both who at the right hand and who at the left do sit are the gifts and promises only that who sit at the right side have a certain glory but thou art desirous to sit at the right hand with them but thy infirmities are many but thou shalt be purged from thy failings but also all who shall not be doubtfull shall be made clean from all their sins unto this day 8 And when she had said these things she would go away and falling down before her at her feet I besought her by the Lord that to me she would demonstrate the fight which she had re-promised But she again took hold of my hand and lifted me up and made me to sit upon the seat at the left hand and having lifted up a certain splendent rod she saith to me Seest thou a mighty thing I say to her Lady I see nothing Behold Seest thou not over against thee a great Tower which is built upon the waters with four-corner'd stones shining 9 For in a Quadrangle was there a Tower builded by these six Youths who had come with her but others many thousands of men did bring stones but some drew forth stones from the DEEP others took them up from the EARTH and gave them to these six Youths moreover they took them and builded but those stones which were extracted out of the deep they did all place so into the structure for they were polished and convenient for commixture with other stones and so were they conjoyned one to another so that their commixtures could not appear and on this manner did the structure of the Tower appear as if builded of one stone 10 But the rest of the stones which were brought from off the earth some of them indeed they rejected but some they fitted for the structure others they hewed and did cast far from the Tower but many other stones were placed about the Tower and they did not use them for the structure for some of them were RUGGED but others had RENTS but others were WHITE and ROUND not agreeing for the structure of the Tower 11 But I saw other stones to be cast far from the Tower and tumbling into the WAY and not remaining in the way but to be rolled from the way into a desert place but others falling into the FIRE and burning others falling beside the WATER nor to be able to be rolled into the water they indeed being willing to enter into the Water 12 And when she had demonstrated unto me these things she would depart I say to her Lady what doth it profit me to have seen these things and not to know what these things are She answering said to me Thou art a cunning man willing to know these things that are about the Tower Therefore say I Lady that I may declare it to my Brethren and they may be made more chearful and hearing these things may honour the Lord with much glory 13 And she saith many indeed shall hear and when they shall hear some of them shall rejoyce but some shall weep but also they hearing if they shall act repentance they also shall rejoyce Hear now concerning the similitude of the Tower all these things and hitherto be thou not more troublesom to me concerning revelation for these revelations have an end for they are fulfilled but thou desistest not in asking revelations for thou art importunate 14 The Tower indeed which thou seest to be builded Am I the Church who have appeared to thee both now and before Whatsoever therefore thou wouldst ask thou concerning the Tower and I will reveal it to thee that thou mayest rejoyce with the Saints I say unto her Lady because thou hast once esteemed me worthy that thou mayest reveal all things to me reveal them She saith to me whatsoever must be revealed to thee so much shall be revealed that thy heart may be with the Lord and doubt thou not whatsoever thou seest 15 I asked her Why is the Tower built upon the waters Lady I had said unto thee also before thee to be subtle enquiring diligently about the structures therefore thou shalt find the Truth Why therefore the Tower is builded upon the WATERS hear thou because your life is saved by water and shall be for it is founded with the word of his omnipotent and honourable Name for it is contained by the invisible power of God I answering say to her highly do these things carry themselves 16 But these six young men that build who are they Lady These are the Angels of God who at first were constitute to whom the Lord hath delivered his universal Creature of the building edifying and ruling over his Creature for by them shall the structure of the Tower be consummate 17 But the rest that bring stones who are they They also the holy Angels of the Lord but they are more excellent then these therefore when the building of the Tower shall be accomplished they shall altogether feast beside the Tower and shall honour the Lord because the structure