as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on High Is it such a Fast that I have chosen A Day for a Man to afflict his Soul Is it to bow down his Head like a Bulrush and to spread Sackcloath and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the LORD But to us he saith on this wise Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppressed go Free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House When thou seest the Naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not not thy self from thine own Flesh Then shall thy Light break forth as the Morning and thy Health shall spring forth speedily and thy Righteousness shall go before thee the Glory of the LORD shall be thy Rere-ward Then shalt thou call and the LORD shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am If thou put away from the midst of thee the Yoke the putting forth of the Finger and speaking Vanity And if thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry and satisfie the afflicted Soul In this therefore Brethren God has manifested his Fore-knowledge and Mercy to us because the People which he has purchased to his Beloved Son were to believe in Sincerity and therefore he has shewn these things to All of us that we should not run as Proselytes to the Jewish Law IV. WHEREFORE it is necessary that searching diligently into these Matters we should write to you what may serve to keep you whole To which end let us flee from every Evil Work and hate the Errors of the present Time that we may be Happy in that which is to come Let us not give our selves the Liberty of disputing with the Wicked and Sinners least we should chance in time to become like unto them For the Consummation of Sin is come as the Prophet Daniel says And for this End saith the LORD are the Times and the Days shortned And the LORD will suddainly come to his Temple For so the Prophet speaks There shall Ten Kings reign in the Earth and there shall rise last of all another and he shall humble three Kings And again Daniel speaks in like manner concerning the Kingdoms And I saw the fourth Beast dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly and it had ten Horns I considered the Horns and behold there came up among them another little Horn before which were three of the first Horns pluckt up by the Roots We ought therefore to consider these things And I beseech you as one of your own Brethren loving you all beyond my own Life that you look well to your selves And be not like to those who add Sin to Sin and say That their Covenant is ours also Nay but it is ours only for they have for ever lost that which Moses received For thus saith the Scripture And Moses continued fasting forty Days and forty Nights in the Mount and he received the Covenant from the LORD even Two Tables of Stone written by the Hand of God But having turn'd themselves to Idols they lost it as the LORD also said to Moses Moses Go down quickly for thy People which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves and turn'd aside from the way which I commanded them And Moses cast the Two Tables of Stone out of his Hands and their Covenant was broken that the Love of Jesus might be sealed in your Hearts unto the Hope of his Faith Wherefore let us give heed unto the last Times For the time past of our Life and our Faith will profit us nothing unless we continue also to hate what is Evil and to withstand the future Temptations So the Son of God tells us Let us resist all Iniquity and hate it Wherefore consider the Works of the Evil Way Do not deceive your selves with your own private Thoughts as if you were already justified But coming All together into one place enquire what is agreeable to and profitable for the Beloved of God For the Scripture saith Wo unto them that are Wise in their own Eyes and Prudent in their own Sight Let us become Spiritual a perfect Temple to God As much as in us lies let us meditate upon the Fear of the LORD and strive to the utmost of our power to keep his Commandments that we may rejoyce in his Righteous Judgments For God will judge the World without respect of Persons and receive every one according to his Works If a Man shall be Good his Righteousness shall go before him If Wicked the Reward of his Wickedness shall follow him Take heed therefore least sitting still now that we are called we fall asleep in our Sins and the Wicked One getting the Dominion over us raise us up and shut us out of the Kingdom of the LORD But especially consider the great Signs and Wonders which ye have seen among the People of the Jews and how thus the LORD forsook them Beware therefore least it happen to us as it is written There be many Called but few Chosen V. FOR this cause did our LORD vouchsafe to give to up his Body to Destruction that through the Forgiveness of our Sins we might be sanctified that is by the sprinkling of his Bloud Now for what concerns the things that are written about him some belong to the People of the Jews and some to us For thus saith the Scripture He was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities and by his Bloud we are healed He was led as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before his Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth Wherefore we ought the more to give thanks unto God for that he hath both declared unto us what is passed and not suffer'd us to be without Understanding even of those things that are to come And therefore he saith The Nets are not unjustly spread for the Birds This he spake because a Man will justly perish if having the Knowledge of the Way of Truth he shall nevertheless not refrain himself from the Way of Darkness And for this Cause the LORD was content to suffer for our Souls although he be the LORD of the whole Earth to whom God said before the Beginning of the World Let us make Man after our own Image and Likeness Now how he suffered for us seeing it was by Men that he underwent it I will shew you The Prophets having received from him the Gift of Prophecy spake before concerning him But he that he might abolish Death and make known the Resurrection from the Dead was content as it was necessary to appear in the Flesh that he might
has multiplied them for his Holy Churches sake is angry with thee because thou hast sinned against me And I answering said unto her Lady If I have sinned against thee tell me where or in what Place or when did I ever speak an unseemly or dishonest Word unto thee Have I not always esteemed thee as a Lady Have I not always reverenced thee as a Sister Why then dost thou imagine these wicked things against me Then she smiling upon me said The desire of Naughtiness has risen up in thy heart Does it not seem to thee to be an ill thing for a Righteous Man to have an evil desire rise up in his heart It is indeed a Sin and that a very great one to such a Man for a righteous Man thinketh what is righteous And whilst he does so and walketh uprightly he shall have the LORD in Heaven favourable unto him in all his Works But as for those who think wickedly in their hearts they take to themselves Death and Captivity and especially those who love this present World and glory in their Riches and regard not the good things that are to come their Souls wander up and down and know not where to fix Now this is the Case of such as are Doubtful who trust not in the LORD and despise and neglect their own life But do thou pray unto the LORD and he will heal thy Sins and the Sins of thy whole House and of all his Saints II. AS soon as she had spoken these Words the Heavens were shut and I remained utterly swallowed up in Sadness and Fear and said within my self If this be laid against me for Sin how can I ever be saved or how shall I ever be able to intreat the LORD for my many and great Sins With what Words shall I beseech him to be merciful unto me As I was thinking over these things and meditating in my self upon them behold a Chair set over against me of the whitest Wool as bright as Snow And there came an old Woman in a bright Garment having a Book in her hand and sate alone and saluted me saying HERMAS hail And I being full of Sorrow and weeping answered Hail Lady and she said unto me Why art thou sad Hermas who wert wont to be patient and modest and always cheerful I answered and said to her Lady a Reproach has been objected to me by an excellent Woman who tells me that I have sinned against her She replied Far be any such thing from the Servant of God But it may be the desire of her has risen up in thy Heart For indeed there is such a Thought even in the Servants of God leading unto Sin Nor ought such a detestable Thought to be in the Servant of God nor should a Spirit that is approved desire that which is evil nor especially HERMAS who contains himself from all wicked Appetites and is full of all Simplicity and of great Innocence III. NEVERTHELESS the LORD is not angry with thee for thine own sake but upon the account of thy House which has committed Wickedness against the LORD and against their Parents And that Act of thy Fondness towards thy Sons in that thou hast not admonished them but hast permitted them to live wickedly and for this Cause the LORD is angry with thee But he will heal all the Evils that are done before thee in thy House For through their Sins and Iniquities thou art wholly consumed in secular Affairs But now the Mercy of God hath taken Compassion upon thee and upon thine House and hath greatly comforted thee only as for thee do not wander but be of an even Mind and comfort thy House As the Workman bringing forth his Work offers it to whomsoever he pleases so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just cut off a great sin Wherefore cease not to admonish thy Sons for the LORD knows that they will repent with all their heart and he will write thee in the Book of Life And when she had said this she added unto me Wilt thou hear me Read I answer'd her Lady I will Hear then said she And opening the Book she read gloriously greatly and wonderfully such things as I could not keep in my Memory For they were terrible Words such as no Man could bear Howbeit I committed her last Words to my Remembrance for they were but few and of great use Behold the mighty LORD who by his invincible Power and with his excellent Wisdom made the World and by his glorious Counsel encompassed the Beauty of his Creature and with the Word of his strength fix'd the Heaven and founded the Earth upon the Waters and by his powerful Vertue establish'd his Holy Church which he hath blessed Behold he will remove the Heavens and the Mountains the Hills and the Seas and all things shall be made Plain for his Elect that he may render unto them the Promise which he has promised with much Honor and Joy if so be that they shall keep the Commandments of God which they have received with great Faith IV. AND when she had made an end of Reading she rose out of the Chair and behold four Young-men came and carried the Chair to the East And she called me unto her and touch'd my Breast and said unto me Did my Reading please thee I answered Lady These last things please me but what went before was severe and hard She said unto me These last things are for the Righteous but the foregoing for the Revolters and Heathen And as she was talking with me Two more appeared and took her up on their shoulders and went to the East where the Chair was And she went chearfully away and as she was going said unto me HERMAS be of good chear VISION II. Again of his Neglect in Correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his Own Manners I. AS I was on the Way to Cumae about the same time that I had been the last Year I began to call to mind the Vision I formerly had And again the Spirit carried me away and brought me into the same Place in which I had been the Year before And when I was come into the Place I fell down upon my Knees and began to Pray unto the LORD and to Honour his Name that he had esteemed me worthy and had manifested unto me my former Sins And when I arose from Prayer behold I saw over against me the Old Woman whom I had seen the last Year walking and reading in a certain Book And she said unto me Can'st thou tell these things to the Elect of God I answered and said unto her Lady I cannot retain such great things in my Memory but give me the Book and I will write them down Take it says she and see that thou restore it again to me As soon as I had receiv'd it I went aside into a certain Place of the Field and transcribed every Letter for I found no
Thought should arise in thy Heart thou wouldst be guilty of a great Sin and they who do such things follow the way of Death Look therefore to thy self and keep thy self from such a Thought For where Chastity remains in the Heart of a Righteous Man there an Evil Thought ought never to arise And I said unto him Sir Suffer me to speak a little with you He bad me Say on And I answer'd Sir If a Man shall have a Wife that is faithful in the LORD and shall catch her in Adultery shall a Man sin that continues to live still with her And he said unto me As long as he is ignorant of her Sin he commits no fault in living with her But if a Man shall know his Wife to have offended and she shall not repent of her Sin but go on still in her Fornication and a Man shall continue nevertheless to live with her he shall become guilty of her Sin and partake with her in her Adultery And I said unto him what therefore is to be done if the Woman continues on in her Sin He answered Let her Husband put her away and let him continue by himself But if he shall put away his Wife and marry another he also shall commit Adultery And I said What if the Woman that is so put away shall repent and be willing to return to her Husband shall she not be received by him He said unto me Yes and if her Husband shall not receive her he will sin and commit a great Offence against himself But he ought to receive her though an Offender if she repents only not often For to the Servants of God there is but one Repentance And for this Cause a Man that putteth away his Wife ought not to take another because she may repent This Act is alike both in the Man and in the Woman Now they commit Adultery not only who pollute their Flesh but who also make an Image If therefore a Woman perseveres in any thing of this kind and repents not depart from her and live not with her Otherwise thou also shalt be Partaker of her Sin But it is therefore commanded that both the Man and Woman should remain unmarried because such Persons may repent Nor do I in this administer any Occasion for the doing of these things so but rather that whoso has offended should not offend any more But for their former Sins God who has the Power of Healing will give a Remedy For it is he who can do all things II. I ASKED him again and said Seeing my LORD has thought me worthy with whom to dwell continually speak a few Words unto me because I understand nothing and my Heart is hardned through my former Conversation and open my Understanding because I am very dull and apprehend nothing at all And he answering said unto me I am the Minister of Repentance and give Understanding to all that repent Do's it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent Because he that do's so gets a great Feeling For he feels himself to have sinn'd and done wickedly in the sight of the LORD and he remembers within himself that he has offended and repents and do's no more wickedly but do's that which is good and humbles his Soul and afflicts it because he has offended You see therefore that Repentance is a deep Sense And I said unto him For this cause Sir I enquire diligently into all things because I am a Sinner that I may know what I must do that I may live and because my Sins are many And he said unto me Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And whosoever shall hear and do these Commands shall live unto God III. AND I said unto him I have even now heard from certain Teachers that there is no other Repentance besides that of Baptism when we go down into the Water and receive the Forgiveness of our Sins and that after that we must sin no more but live in Purity And he said unto me thou hast been rightly inform'd Nevertheless seeing now thou enquirest diligently into all things I will manifest this also unto thee yet not so as to give any Occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe or who have already believ'd in the LORD For neither they who have already believed or who shall hereafter believe have any Repentance of Sins but Forgiveness of them But as to those who are already called the LORD before that time appointed Repentance Because God knoweth the Thoughts of all Mens Hearts and their Infirmities and the manifold Wickedness of the Devil who is always contriving something against the Servants of God and maliciously lays Snares for them Therefore our merciful LORD had Compassion towards his Creature and appointed that Repentance and gave unto me the Power of it And therefore I say unto thee If any one after that Great and Holy Calling shall be tempted by the Devil and Sin he has but one Repentance But if he shall often sin and repent it shall not profit such a one for he shall hardly live unto God And I said Sir I am restored again to Life since I have thus diligently hearken'd to these Commands For I perceive that if I shall not hereafter add any more to my Sins I shall be saved And he said Thou shalt be saved and so shall all others as many as shall observe these Commandments IV. AND again I said unto him Sir seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more Tell me saith he what it is And I said If a Husband or Wife die and the Party which survives marry again do's he sin in so doing He that marries says he sins not Howbeit if he shall remain single he shall thereby gain to himself great Honour with the LORD Keep therefore thy Chastity and Modesty and thou shalt live unto God Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee and command thee to observe from the time that I have been deliver'd unto thee and dwell in thy House So shall thy former Sins be forgiven if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And in like manner shall all others be forgiven who shall observe these my Commandments The Fifth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart And of Patience I. BE Patient says he and of an Even-Mind so shalt thou have Dominion over all Wicked Works and shalt fulfil all Righteousness For if thou shalt be Patient the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee shall be pure and not be darkned by any other Evil Spirit But being full of Joy shall be enlarged and feast in the Body in which it dwells and shall appear before the LORD with Joy and in great Peace But if any Anger shall over-take thee presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightned and seek to depart from thee For he is
and standing by the LORD with much Assurance and in unspeakable Glory XV. Which when we saw being filled with Joy and glorifying God the Giver of all good things and assured of the Blessedness of the Saint we thought fit to manifest unto you both the Day and the Time That being assembled together according to the time of his Martyrdom we may communicate with the Combatant and most valiant Martyr of Christ Who trod under foot the Devil and bare down his Snares even unto the end Glorifying our LORD Jesus Christ in his Venerable and Holy Memory To whom and with whom All Glory and Power be to the Father with the Blessed Spirit in the Holy Church for ever and ever Amen The Circular EPISTLE OF THE Church of SMYRNA Concerning the Martyrdom OF St. POLYCARP The Church of God which is at SMYRNA to the Church of God which is at PHILADELPHIA and to all the Other Assemblies of the Holy Catholick Church in every Place Peace and Love from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied I. WE have written to you Brethren both of what concerns the other Martyrs but especially the Blessed Polycarp who by his Sufferings put an end to the Persecution setting as it were his Seal to it For almost all things that went before were done that the LORD might shew us from Above a Martyrdom truly such as became the Gospel For he expected to be deliver'd to the Persecution Even as the LORD also do's that we should become the Followers of his Example Considering not only what is profitable for our selves but also for our Neighbours Advantage For it is the part of a true and perfect Charity to desire not only that a Mans self should be saved but also all the Brethren together with him II. THE Sufferings then of all the other Martyrs were Blessed and Generous which they underwent according to the Will of God For so it becomes us who are more Religious than others to refer the Power and Ordering of all things unto Him And indeed who can chuse but admire the greatness of their Mind and that admirable Patience and Love of their Master which then appeared in them Who when they were so flea'd with Whipping that the frame and structure of their Bodies were laid open to their very inward Veins and Arteries nevertheless endured it And when all that beheld them pitied and lamented them yet shew'd so great a Generosity of Mind that not one of them let so much as a Sigh or a Groan escape them Plainly shewing that those Holy Martyrs of Christ at the very same time that they were thus tormented were absent from the Body Or rather that the LORD stood by them and conversed with them Wherefore being supported by the Grace of Christ they despised all the torments of the World By the Sufferings of an hour redeeming themselves from Everlasting Punishment For this cause even the Fire of their Cruel and Barbarous Executioners seemed Cold to them whilst they hoped hereby to escape that Fire which is Eternal and shall never be extinguish'd And beheld with the Eyes of Faith those good things which are reserved for them that endure to the End which neither Ear has heard nor Eye seen nor have they entred into the Heart of Man But to them they were now revealed by the LORD as who were no longer Men but already become Angels In like manner Those who were condemned to the Beasts being kept a long time in Prison underwent many cruel Torments Being forced to lie upon sharp Spikes laid under their Bodies and tormented with divers other sorts of punishments that so if it were possible the Tyrant by the length of their Sufferings might have brought them to Deny Christ. III. FOR indeed the Devil did invent many things against them But thanks be to God he was not able to prevail over All. For the Brave GERMANICUS strengthen'd those that fear'd by his Patience And fought Gloriously with the Beasts And when the Proconsul would have perswaded him telling him that he should consider his Age and spare himself He pull'd the Wild Beast to him and provoked him being desirous the more quickly to be deliver'd from a Wicked and Unjust World Upon this the whole multitude wondring at the Courage of the Holy and Pious Race of Christians cryed out Take away those wicked Wretches let POLYCARP be look'd out IV. THEN one named QUINTUS a Phrygian being newly come from thence seeing the Beasts was afraid This was he who forced himself and some others to present themselves of their own Accord to the Trial. Him therefore the Proconsul perswaded with many Promises to Swear and Sacrifice For which Cause Brethren we do not commend those who offer themselves to Persecution and especially seeing the Gospel teaches no such thing V. BUT the most Admirable POLYCARP when he first heard that he was called for was not at all concern'd at it but resolved to tarry in the City Nevertheless he was at the last perswaded at the desire of many to go out of it He departed therefore into a little Village not far distant from the City and there â—arried with a few about him doing nothing Night nor Day but praying for all Men and for the Churches which were in all the World according to his usual Custom And as he was praying he saw a Vision three days before he was taken and behold the Pillow under his Head seem'd to him on Fire Whereupon turning to those that were with him he said Prophetically That he should be Burnt alive VI. NOW when those who were to take him drew near he departed into another Village and immediately they who sought him came thither And when they found him not they seized upon two young Men that were there One of which being tormented confess'd For it was impossible the Holy Man should be concealed forasmuch as they who betray'd him were his own Domestic's So the Officer who is also called Cleronomus HEROD by name hastned to bring him into the Lists That so POLYCARP might receive his proper Portion being made partaker of Christ and they that betray'd him undergo the punishment of Judas VII THE Serjeants therefore and Horsemen taking the young Lad along with them departed about Supper-time being Friday with their Usual Arms as it were against a Thief or a Robber And being come to the place where he was about the Close of the Evening they found him lying down in a little upper Room from whence he could easily have escaped into another place but he would not saying The Will of the LORD be done Wherefore when he heard that they were come to the House he went down and deliver'd himself unto them And as they all wonder'd at his Age and Constancy some of them began to say Was there need of all this Care to take such an Old Man Then presently he
are the Persecutors of them that are good Haters of Truth Lovers of Lies who know not the Reward of Righteousness nor cleave to any thing that is good Who administer not righteous Judgment to the Widdow and Orphan who watch for Wickedness and not for the Fear of the LORD From whom Gentleness and Patience are far off Who love Vanity and follow after Rewards Having no Compassion upon the Poor nor take any pains for such as are heavy laden and Opressed Ready to evil speaking not knowing him that made them Murderers of Children Corrupters of the Creature of God That turn away from the Needy Oppress the Afflicted The Adorers of the Rich but unjust Judges of the Poor being Altogether Sinners XXI IT is therefore fitting that learning the just Commands of the LORD which we have before mentioned we should walk in them For he that do's such things shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God But he that chuses the other part shall be destroyed together with his Works For this cause there shall be both a Resurrection and a Retribution I beseech those that are Excellent among you if so be you will take the Counsel which with a good intention I offer to you You have those with you towards whom you may do good Do not forsake them For the Day is at hand in which All things shall be destroyed together with the Wicked One. The LORD is near and his Reward is with him I beseech you therefore again and again be as good Law-givers to one another continue faithful Counsellors to each other Remove from among you all Hypocrisie And may God the LORD of all the World give you Wisdom Knowledge Understanding and a true apprehension of his Judgments in Patience Be ye taught of God Seeking what it is the LORD requires of you and doing it that ye may be saved in the Day of Judgment And if there be among you any remembrance of what is good think of me meditating upon these things that both your Desire and your Watching may turn to some good account I beseech you I ask it as a Favour of you Whilst you are in this beautiful Tabernacle of the Body be wanting in none of these things but without ceasing seek them and fulfill every Command For these things are fitting and worthy to be done Wherefore I have given the more diligence to write unto you according to my Ability that you might rejoice Farewel Children of Love and Peace The LORD of Glory and of all Grace be with your Spirit Amen The End of the Epistle of BARNABAS the Apostle and Companion of St. PAUL the Apostle THE SHEPHERD OF St. HERMAS THE CONTENTS The First BOOK Vision I. AGAINST Filthy and Proud Thoughts Also the Correction of HERMAS for his Neglect of his Sons II. Again of his Neglect in correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his own Manners III Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant And of the several Orders of Reprobates IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. The Second BOOK An Introduction to the following COMMANDS Command I. OF Believing in One God II. That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity III. Of Avoiding Lying And the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation IV. Of putting away Ones Wife for ADULTERY V. Of the Sadness of the Heart and of Patience VI. That every Man has two Angels and of the Suggestions of both VII That we must fear God but not the Devil VIII That we must flee from Evil and do Good IX That we must ask of God daily and without doubting X. Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us XI That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit XII Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe The Third BOOK Similitude I. THAT seeing we have no abiding City in this World we ought to look after that which is to come II. As the Vine is supported by the Elm so is the Rich-Man help'd by the Prayers of the Poor III. As the Green Trees in the Winter cannot be distinguish'd from the Dry so neither can the Righteous from the Wicked in this present World IV. As in Summer the living Trees are distinguish'd from the Dry by their Fruit and Green Leaves so in the World to come the Righteous shall be distinguish'd from the Unrighteous by their Happiness V. Of a True Fast and the Reward of it Also of the Cleanness of the Body VI. Of two Sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains VII That they who Repent must bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance VIII That there are many kinds of Elect and of Repenting Sinners And how all of them shall receive a Reward proportionable to the Measure of their Repentance and Good Works IX The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built X. Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds The First BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His VISIONS The First VISION Against filthy and proud Thoughts also the Correction of Hermas for his Neglect of his Sons I. HE who had bred me up Sold a certain young Maid at Rome whom when I saw many Years after I remembred her and began to love her as a Sister It happen'd some time afterwards that I saw her wash'd in the River Tyber and I reach'd out my hand unto her and help'd her out of the River And when I saw her I thought with my self saying That I should be happy had I fortun'd to have met with a Wife like unto her both for her Beauty and Manners This I thought with my self nor did I think any thing more But not long after as I was walking and musing on these Thoughts I began to honor the Creature of God thinking with my self how noble and beautiful it is And when I had walk'd a little I fell asleep And the Spirit caught me away and carried me through a certain Place towards the Right-hand through which no Man could pass It was a Place among Rocks very steep and unpassable for Water When I was past this Place I came into a Plain and there falling down upon my Knees I began to pray unto the LORD and to confess my Sins And as I was praying the Heaven was opened and I saw the Woman which I had coveted saluting me from Heaven and saying HERMAS hail And I looking upon her answered Lady What dost thou do here She answered me I am taken up hither to convince thee of Sin unto the LORD Lady said I Wilt thou convince me No said she but hear the Words which I am about to speak unto thee God who dwelleth in Heaven and hath made All things out of Nothing and
square and white Stones which agree exactly in their joynts are the Apostles and Bishops and Doctors and Ministers who through the Mercy of God have come in and govern'd and taught and ministred holily and modestly to the Elect of God both that are fallen asleep and which yet remain and have always agreed with them and have had peace within themselves and with each other For which cause their Joints exactly meet together in the Building of the Tower They which are drawn out of the Deep and put into the Building and whose Joynts agree with the other Stones which are already built are those which are already fallen asleep and have suffered for the sake of the LORD'S Name And what are the other Stones Lady that are brought from the Earth I would know what they are She answer'd They which lie upon the Ground and are not polished are those which God has approved because they have walked in the Law of the LORD and directed their ways in his Commandments They which are put in the Building of the Tower are the young in Faith and the Faithful And these are admonish'd by the Angels to do well because that Iniquity is not found in them But who are those whom they rejected and laid besides the Tower They are such as have sinn'd and are willing to repent for which cause they are not cast far from the Tower because they will be useful in the Building if they shall repent They therefore that are yet to repent if they shall repent shall become strong in the Faith that is if they repent now whilst the Tower is building For if the Building shall be finish'd there will then be no place for them to be put in but they shall be rejected For he only has this Priviledge who shall now be put to the Tower VI. BUT would you know who they are that were cut out and cast afar off from the Tower Lady said I I desire it They are the Children of Iniquity who believed only in Hypocrisie and departed not from their Evil Ways For this cause they are not saved because they are not of any Use in the Building by reason of their Sins Wherefore they are cut out and cast afar off because of the Anger of the LORD and because they have provoked him to anger against them As for the great Number of other Stones which thou hast seen placed about the Tower but not put into the Building those which are rugged are they who have known the Truth but have not continued in it nor been joyn'd to the Saints and therefore are unprofitable Those that have Clefts in them are they who keep up Discord in their Hearts against each other and live not in Peace that are friendly when present with their Brethren but as soon as they are departed from one another their Wickedness still continues in their Hearts These are the Clefts which are seen in those Stones Those that are maim'd and short are they who have believed indeed but still are in great measure full of Wickedness for this cause are they maim'd and not whole But what are the white and round Stones Lady and which are not proper for the Building of the Tower She answering said unto me How long wilt thou continue Foolish and without Understanding asking every thing and discerning nothing They are such as have Faith indeed but have withal the Riches of this present World When therefore any Troubles arise for the sake of their Riches they deny the LORD I answering said unto her when therefore will they be Profitable to the LORD When their Riches shall be cut away says she in which they take delight then they will be profitable unto the LORD for his Building For as a round Stone unless he be cut away and cast somewhat oft of its Bulk cannot be made square so they who are rich in this World unless their Riches be pared off cannot be made profitable unto the LORD Learn this from thy own Experience When thou wert Rich thou wast unprofitable but now thou art profitable and fit for the Life which thou hast undertaken for thou also once wast one of those Stones VII AS for the rest of the Stones which thou sawest cast afar off from the Tower and running in the Way and tumbled out of the Way into Desert places they are such as have believed indeed but through their doubting have forsaken their true Way thinking that they could find a better But they wander and are miserable going into desolate Ways Then for those Stones which fell into the Fire and were burnt They are those who have for ever departed from the Living God nor has it ever come into their Hearts to repent by reason of the Affection which they bear to their Lusts and Wickednesses which they commit And what are the rest which fell by the Water and could not roll into the Water They are such as have heard the Word and were willing to be baptized in the Name of the LORD but considering the great Holiness which the Truth requires have withdrawn themselves and walk'd again after their wicked Lusts. Thus she finish'd the Explication of the Tower But I being still urgent ask'd her Is there Repentance allow'd to all those Stones which are thus cast away and were not suitable to the Building of the Tower and shall they find place in this Tower They may repent said she but they cannot come into this Tower but they shall be placed in a much lower Rank and this after that they shall have been afflicted and fulfill'd the Days of their Sins And for this cause they shall be removed because they have received the Word of Righteousness And then they shall be translated from their Afflictions if they shall have a true sense in their Hearts of what they have done amiss But if they shall not have this Sense in their Hearts they shall not be saved by reason of the Hardness of their Hearts VIII WHEN therefore I had done asking her concerning all these things she said unto me Wilt thou see somewhat else And I being desirous of seeing it I became very chearful of Countenance She therefore looing back upon me and smiling a little said unto me Seest thou seven Women about the Tower Lady said I I see them This Tower replied she is supported by them according to the Command of the LORD Hear therefore the Effects of them The first of them which holds her Hand fast is called Faith by her the Elect shall be saved The next which is girt up and looks Manly is named Abstinence She is the Daughter of Faith Whosoever therefore shall follow her shall be happy in all his Life because he shall abstain from all evil Works believing that if he shall contain himself from all Concupiscence he shall be the Heir of Eternal Life And what Lady said I are the other five They are reply'd she the Daughters of One another One of them