are come upon us Let us therefore be very Reverent and fear the Long-suffering of God that it be not to us unto Condemnation For let Us either fear the Wrath that is to come or let us love the Grace that we at present enjoy That by the one or other of these we may be found in Christ Jesus unto true Life Besides him let nothing be worthy of you for whom also I bear about these Bonds those Spiritual Jewels in which I would to God that through your Prayers I might arise Of which I intreat you to make me always partaker that I may be found in the Lot of the Christians of Ephesus who have always agreed with the Apostles through the Power of Jesus Christ. XII I KNOW both who I am and to whom I write I a Person condemn'd Ye such as have obtain'd Mercy I exposed to danger Ye confirm'd against Danger Ye are the Passage of those that are kill'd for God The Companions of Paul in the Mysteries of the Gospel the Holy the Martyr the deservedly most Happy Paul at whose Feet may I be found when I shall have attain'd unto God who throughout all his Epistle makes mention of you in Christ Jesus XIII LET it be your care therefore to come oftner together to the Praise and Glory of God For when ye meet often together in the same place the Powers of the Devil are destroy'd and his Mischief is dissolved by the Unity of your Faith And indeed nothing is better than Peace by which all War both Spiritual and Earthly is abolish'd XIV OF All which nothing is hid from you if ye have perfect Faith and Charity in Christ Jesus which are the Beginning and End of Life For the Beginning is Faith the End Charity And these two joyned together are of God But all other things are the Followers of Piety No Man professing a true Faith sinneth Neither does he who has Charity hate any The Tree is made manifest by its Fruit So they who profess themselves to be Christians are known by what they do For Christianity is not the Work of an outward Profession but shews it self in the Power of Faith if a Man be found Faithful unto the End XV. IT is better for a Man to hold his Peace and be than to say He is a Christian and not to be It is good to teach if what he says He does likewise There is therefore one Master who spake and it was done And even those things which he did without speaking are worthy of the Father He that possesses the Word of Jesus is truly able to hear his very Silence that he may be Perfect and both do according to what he speaks and be known by those things of which he is silent There is nothing hid from God but even our Secrets are nigh unto Him Let us therefore do all things as becomes those who have God dwelling in them that we may be his Temples and He may be our God As also He is and will manifest himself before our Faces by those things for which we justly love Him XVI BE not deceived Brethren Those that corrupt and defile themselves with others shall not inherit the Kingdom of God If therefore they who do this according to the Flesh have suffered Death How much more shall He dye who by his wicked Doctrine corrupts the Faith of God for which Christ was Crucified He that is thus defiled shall depart into unquenchable Fire and so also shall He that hearkens to him XVII FOR this cause did the LORD suffer the Oyntment to be poured on his Head that he might breath the Breath of Immortality unto his Church Be not ye therefore anointed with the evil Savour of the Doctrine of the Prince of this World Let him not take you Captive from the Life that is set before you And why are we not all Wise seeing we have received the Knowledge of God which is Jesus Christ Why do we suffer our selves foolishly to Perish not considering the Gift which the LORD has truly sent to Us XVIII MY Soul be the Surety of all such as trust in the Cross which is indeed a Scandal to the Unbelievers but to us is Salvation and Life Eternal Where is the Wise Man Where is the Disputer Where is the Boasting of those who are called Wise For our God Jesus Christ was according to the Dispensation of God conceived in the Womb of Mary of the Seed of David by the Holy Ghost Was born and baptized that through his Passion he might purifie Water to the washing away of Sin XIX NOW the Virginity of Mary and her Delivery was kept in secret from the Prince of this World as was also the Death of our Lord Three of the most notable Mysteries of the Gospel yet done in secret by God How then was our Saviour manifested to the World A Star shone in Heaven beyond all the other Stars and its Light was Inexpressible and its Novelty struck Terror into Mens Minds All the rest of the Stars together with the Sun and Moon were the Chorus to this Star But that sent out its Light exceedingly above them All. And Men began to be troubled to think whence this new Star came so unlike to all the Others Hence all the Power of Magick became dissolved and every Bond of Wickedness was destroy'd Mens Ignorance was taken away and the old Kingdom abolished God himself appearing in the Form of a Man for the Renewal of Eternal Life But the Authority which he received was what God had allotted to Him From thenceforth things were disturbed forasmuch as he design'd to abolish Death XX. BUT if Jesus Christ shall give me Grace through your Prayers and it be his Will I purpose in a second Epistle which I will suddenly write unto you to manifest to you more fully the Dispensation of which I have now begun to speak unto the new Man which is Jesus Christ Both in his Faith and Charity in his Suffering and in his Resurrection Especially if the Lord shall make known unto Me that ye all by Name come together in common in one Faith and in one Jesus Christ who was of the Race of David according to the Flesh the Son of Man and Son of God Obeying your Bishop and the Presbytery with an intire Affection breaking one and the same Bread which is the Medicine of Immortality our Antidote that we should not die but live for ever in Christ Jesus XXI MY Soul be for Yours and Theirs whom ye have sent to the Glory of God even unto Smyrna from whence also I write to you Giving Thanks unto the Lord and loving Polycarp even as I do you Remember me as Jesus Christ does remember you Pray for the Church which is in Syria
called by the Name of Polycarp Both the Country and Parentage of St. Polycarp uncertain What he was before his Conversion and by whom Converted He is made Bishop of Smyrna by the Apostles How he behaved himself in that Office The great Veneration which the Christians had for him Of his Journey to Rome and what he did there The Testimony of St. John concerning him Rev. ii 8 Of the Time of St. Polycarp's Martyrdom What Persecutions the Church then labour'd under Of the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna concerning his Sufferings and the Value which the Antients put upon it Of the Miracles that hapned at his Death What his Age was when he suffered What the Day of his Suffering In what Place he was put to Death Of the Authority of the present Epistle and its Translation into our own Language 1. THE Epistle of the Church of Smyrna the next Piece that follows in the present Collection however it makes mention of some Others that suffered at the same time with St. Polycarp for the Faith of Christ yet insisting chiefly upon the particulars of his Passion and being design'd by that Church to communicate to all the World the Glorious End of their beloved Bishop and most worthy and constant Martyr of Christ I shall observe the same Method in treating of this that I did in discoursing of the Acts of St. Ignatius before and speak somewhat of the Life of St. Polycarp first before I come to consider the Account that is here given us of his Death 2. THAT there were several of the Name of Polycarp heretofore and who must therefore carefully be distinguish'd from him of whom we are now to discourse has been evidently shewn by the late Learned Editor of his Epistle As for our Polycarp the Disciple of St. John and the great Subject of the present Martyrologie we have little account either what was his Country or who his Parents In general we are told that he was born somewhere in the East as le Moyne thinks not far from Antioch and perhaps in Smyrna its self says our Learned Dr. Cave Being sold in his Childhood he was bought by a certain Noble Matron whose Name was Calisto and bred up by her and at her Death made Heir to all her Estate which tho' very considerable he soon spent in Works of Charity and Mercy 3. HIS Christianity he received in his younger Years from Bucolus Bishop of Smyrna by whom being made Deacon and Catechist of that Church and discharging those Offices with great Approbation he was upon the Death of Bucolus made Bishop of Smyrna by the Apostles and particularly by St. John whose Disciple together with Ignatius he had before been 4. HOW considerable a Reputation he gain'd by his wise Administration of this great Office we may in some measure conclude from that Character which his very Enemies gave of him at his Death When crying out that he should be thrown to the Lyons they laid this to him as his Crime but which was indeed his chiefest Honour This say they is the Doctor of Asia the Father of the Christians and the Over-turner of our Gods And when he was burnt they persuaded the Governour not to suffer his Friends to carry away any of his Remains Least say they the Christians forsaking him that was crucified should begin to worship Polycarp 5. NOR was it any small Testimony of the Respect that was paid to him that as we are told in this Epistle the Christians would not suffer him to pull off his own Cloaths but strove who should be the most forward to do him Service thinking themselves happy if they could but come to touch his Flesh. For says the Epistle even before he had grey Hairs he was adorn'd with such a good Conversation as made all Men pay a more than ordinary Respect to him 6. HENCE St. Hierome calls him the Prince of all Asia Sophronius the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Chief Ruler perhaps says a Learned Man in opposition to the Asiarchae of the Heathens spoken of in this Epistle Signifying thereby that as they were among the Gentiles the Heads of their sacred Rites and presided in the common Assemblies and Spectacles of Asia So was Polycarp among the Christians a kind of Universal Bishop the Prince and Head of the Churches in those Parts 7. NOR was his Care of the Church confined within the Bounds of the Lesser Asia but extended even unto Rome its self Whither we are told he went upon the Occasion of the Quarto-deciman Controversie then on foot between the Eastern and Western Churches and which he hoped to have put a stop to by his timely interposition with those of Rome But tho' Anicetus and he could not agree upon that Point each pretending Apostolical Tradition to warrant them in their Practice Yet that did not hinder but that he was received with all possible Respect there and officiated in their Churches in presence of the Bishop and communicated with him in the most sacred Mysteries of Religion 8. WHILE he was at Rome he remitted nothing of his Concern for the Interests of the Church but employed his time partly in confirming those who were sound in the Faith but especially in drawing over those who were not from their Errours In which Work how successful he was his own Scholar Irenaeus particularly recounts to us 9. WHAT he did after his return and how he discharged his pastoral Office to the time of his Martyrdom we have little farther Account Nor shall I trouble my self with the Stories which Pionius without any good Grounds has recorded of the Life of this Holy Man But that he still continued with all diligence to watch over the Flock of Christ we have all the reason in the World to believe And that not only from what has been already observed but from one particular more which ought not to be omitted namely that when Ignatius was hurried away from his Church of Antioch to his Martyrdom he knew none so proper to commend the Care of it to as to this Excellent Man or to supply by his own Letters what the Other had not time to write to all the Other Churches round about 10. BUT I shall close up this part of the Life of this Holy Saint with the Testimony which St. John has given to him Revel ii 8 And which as it affords us a sufficient Evidence of the Excellency of his Life so do's it open the way to what we are next to consider viz. his Death and Passion Unto the Angel of the Church in Smyrna write These things saith the First and the Last which was dead and is alive I know thy Works and Tribulation and Poverty but thou art Rich and I know the Blasphemy of Them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tried and
founded by St. Paul and as it was the Seat of the Beloved Disciple St. John who continued there to the very time of Trajan above 100 Years after Christ. Hence Tertullian directing those who were desirous to know what the true Faith of Christ was to enquire among the Chiefest Churches in every part what had been deliver'd to them and was the Faith received and taught amongst them bids them if they were in Italy go to Rome if in Achaja to Corinth if in Macedonia to Philippi if in Asia to Ephesus Insomuch that as Evagrius tells us the Bishop of Ephesus had a Patriarchal Power within the Diocese of Asia till the Time of the Fourth General Council And long after that Theodorus Bishop of this See subscribing to the Acts of the Sixth General Council calls himself Bishop of Ephesus the Metroplis of the Province of Asia And even in the Times of which we are now discoursing St. John writing to the Seven Churches of Asia of which Laodicea was One places Ephesus at the head of them as that which had the Precedence of all the rest in those Parts 15. SEEING then such was the Prerogative which the Church of Ephesus had from the beginning over all the other Churches of the Asian Diocese and that St. Paul himself had first planted Christianity there And seeing it appears from the Command which he gave to the Colossians Chap. iv 16 to cause the Epistle which he had written to them to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans that he was wont to order the Epistles which he wrote to One Church to be sent to and be read in the Others that we renear unto it Seeing lastly we are told both by Tertullian and Epiphanius that the Epistle to the Ephesians was anciently called by some the Epistle to the Laodiceans I think it may not be improbable but that by the Epistle from Laodicea he may have meant the Epistle which he wrote to the Ephesians at the same time and by the same Person that he wrote to the Colossians and which being from them communicated to the Laodiceans might be ordered by St. Paul to be sent on to the Colossians who were a Neighbour Church to Laodicea and afterwards subject to it as their Metropolitane 16. BUT whatever becomes of this Conjecture Whether by the Epistle from Laodicea we are to understand some Epistle written from that place and that either by St. Paul to some other Church or Person or by the Laodiceans to him Or whether we are to understand by it some Epistle that was to be communicated from thence to the Colossians which seems to me the more probable and particularly that which he wrote by Tychicus to the Ephesians at the same time that he wrote by him to the Colossians Certain it is that the Epistle now extant under that Title is none of St. Paul's nor do's his Expression in that place to the Colossians before mentioned any more prove there was ever any such than that Other in 1 Cor. v. 9 proves a Third Epistle to the Corinthians which some also have pretended as Sixtus Sinensis and Others observe 17. IT would be endless to insist upon all the other Spurious Pieces of the like kind that have been attributed to this great Apostle It is sufficient to observe that neither Eusebius nor St. Jerome knew any thing more of his Writing than what we have in those Epistles that are still extant in our Bibles under his Name except it were the Epistle to the Hebrews and which tho' doubted of by some in the Primitive Church is yet ascribed to him by Eusebius who expresly accounts XIV of his Epistles and speaks of that to the Hebrews as his tho' he adds that being not received by the Church of Rome it was by some suspected whether it were indeed the true Epistle of St. Paul 18. BUT much greater is the Authority of those Supposititious Pieces which the same Eusebius tells us were even in those days attributed to that other great Apostle St. Peter viz. The Acts the Gosple the Preaching and the Revelations of St. Peter Nevertheless seeing he at the same time declares that they were never look'd upon as Catholick but rather as set out by some Hereticks of those Times as many other Pieces of the like kind were under the venerable Name of that Apostle the better to gain thereby Credit to their Doctrine How ancient soever they may otherwise be yet they will not fall within the compass of the present Collection Nor indeed is there any thing of them remaining to us except the Names and perhaps a few Fragments scatter'd up and down in the Quotations that have been made by Ecclesiastical Writers out of them 19. TO these let me add in the third place the Discourses attributed to St. Matthew the first Writer of the New Testament Two Books there are still remaining under his Name A Liturgy pretended to have been composed be him and a Discourse concerning the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin But both rejected by Learned Men as the Works of some Impostor many Ages after the Death of that Holy Apostle 20. AND the same must be said of the Liturgies ascribed in like manner to St. Peter St. Mark St. James and Others and of the Falsity of which all the Learned World seems now to be universally agreed Which makes it the more to be admir'd that such Great Men as Cardinal Bona and Leo Allatius were should be so far prejudiced in their Favour as to think at least the Liturgy of St. James to have been truly composed by that Apostle and only corrupted and interpolated by some other hand in the following Ages 21. NOR may we judg any otherwise of the Gospels set out under the Names of several of the Apostles and Others who were contemporary with them And of which however some were very ancient yet is it generally agreed among the most judicious of all sides that they were not only not written by those whose Names they carry but were for the most part set out by suspected Persons and for ill Ends after their Deaths 22. AS for the Writings of the whole Colledge of Apostles Two Pieces there are besides the Synodical Letter spoken of by St. Luke Acts xv 23 which not only go under their Names but have been by some ascribed to them as the Authors of them And those are first the Creed and secondly the Canons of the Apostles 23. FOR the former of these the Apostles Creed it has been thought by many that it was so called not only as being a Summary of the Apostles Doctrine but because it was really composed by them And that either in their first Assembly after our LORD's Resurrection Acts i. or else immediately before their Dispersion upon the breaking out of Herod's Persecution Acts xii which Baronius and others esteem the more probable It is not my intention to enter on any particular Examination of this Matter which has been so
entreats them to follow that which is here given to them LVIII Recommends them to God LIX Desires speedily to hear that this Epistle had had a good Effect upon them LX. And so concludes THE EPISTLE OF St. CLEMENT TO THE Corinthians The Church of God which is at Rome to the Church of God which is at Corinth Elect Sanctified by the Will of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Grace be to you and Peace from the Almighty God by Jesus Christ be multiplied THE suddain and unexpected Dangers and Calamities that have fallen upon Us BELOVED BRETHREN have we fear made us the more slow in our Consideration of those things which you proposed to Us As also of that Wicked and Detestable Sedition so unbecoming the Elect of God which a few heady and self-will'd Men have fomented to such a Degree that your Venerable and Renowned Name so worthy of all Men to be beloved is greatly Blasphemed thereby For who that has ever been among you has not experimented the firmness of your Faith and its Fruitfulness in all Good Works And admired the Temper and Moderation of your Religion in Christ And publish'd abroad the Magnificence of your Hospitality And thought you Happy in your perfect and certain knowledge of the Gospel For ye did all things without respect of Persons and walked according to the Laws of God Being subject to those who had the Rule over you and giving the Honour that was fitting to such as were the Aged among you The young Men ye commanded to think those things that were Modest and Grave The Women ye exhorted to do all things with an unblameable and seemly and pure Conscience Loving their own Husbands as was fitting And that keeping themselves within the Limits of a due Obedience they should order their Houses gravely with all Discretion II. YE were All of you Humble minded not Boasting of any thing Desiring rather to be Subject than to Govern to Give than to Receive being content with the Portion God had dispensed to you And hearkning diligently to his Word ye received it into your Hearts having his Precepts always before your Eyes Thus a firm and blessed and profitable Peace was given unto you and an unsatiable desire of doing Good and a plentiful Effusion of the Holy Ghost was upon all of you And being full of Good Desires ye did with a great readiness and with a Religious Confidence stretch forth your hands to God Almighty beseeching him to be merciful unto you if in any thing ye had unwillingly sinn'd against Him Ye contended day and night for the whole Brotherhood that through the Mercy of God and a Good Conscience the number of his Elect might be saved Ye were sincere and without Offence towards each other not mindful of Injuries All Sedition and Schism was an Abomination unto you Ye bewailed every one his Neighbours Sins esteeming their Defects your Own Ye were kind one to another without grudging being ready to every Good Work And being thus adorn'd with a Conversation altogether Virtuous and Religious ye did All things in the fear of God whose Commandments were written upon the Tables of your Hearts III. ALL Honour and Enlargement was given unto you and so was fulfill'd that which is written My Beloved did Eat and Drink he was Enlarged and waxed Fat and he Kicked From hence came Envy and Strife and Sedition Persecution and Disorder War and Captivity So they who were of no Renown lifted up themselves against the Honourable Those of no Reputation against those that were in Respect The Foolish against the Wise The young Men against the Aged Therefore Righteousness and Peace are departed from you because Every one hath forsaken the Fear of the Lord and is grown blind in His Faith nor walketh by the Rule of Gods Commandments nor liveth as is fitting in Christ But every one follows his own wicked Lusts Having taken up an Ungodly and Unjust Envy by which Death first entred into the World IV. FOR so it is written And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an Offering unto the LORD And Abel He also brought of the Firstlings of his Flock and of the fat thereof And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his Offering But unto Cain and unto his Offering he had not respect And Cain was very Wroth and his Countenance fell And the LORD said unto Cain Why art thou Wroth And why is thy Countenance fallen If thou shalt offer aright but not divide aright hast thou not sinned Hold thy peace Vnto Thee shall be his desire and Thou shalt rule over Him And Cain said unto Abel his Brother let us go down into the Field And it came to pass as they were in the Field that Cain rose up against Abel his Brother and slew him Ye see Brethren how Envy and Emulation wrought the Death of a Brother For this our Father Jacob fled from the Face of his Brother Esau. It was this that caused Joseph to be persecuted even unto Death and Bondage It was this that forced Moses to flee from the Face of Pharaoh King of Egypt when he heard his own Country-man ask him Who made Thee a Prince and a Judge over us Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday For this Aaron and Miriam were shut out of the Camp from the rest of the Congregation seven days Emulation sent Dathan and Abiram quick into the Grave because they raised up a Sedition against Moses the Servant of God For this David was not only hated of Strangers but was persecuted even by Saul the King of Israel V. BUT not to insist upon antient Examples let us come to those Worthies that have been nearest to us and take the brave Examples of our own Age. Through Zeal and Envy the most Faithful and Righteous Pillars of the Church have been persecuted even to the most bitter Deaths Let us set before our Eyes the Holy Apostles Peter by unjust Envy underwent not One or Two but many Sufferings till at last being Martyr'd he went to the place of Glory that was due unto Him For the same cause did Paul in like manner receive the Reward of his Patience Seven times he was in Bonds He was Whipp'd was Stoned He preach'd both in the East and in the West leaving behind Him the Glorious Report of his Faith And so having taught the whole World Righteousness and for that end travell'd even to the utmost Bounds of the West He at last suffer'd Martyrdom by the Command of the Governours and departed out of the World and went unto his Holy place being become a most eminent Pattern of Patience unto All Ages VI. TO
these Holy Apostles we may add a very great number of others who having through Envy undergone in like manner many Pains and Torments have left a Glorious Example to us For this not only Men but even Women have been Persecuted And having suffer'd very grievous and cruel Punishments have finish'd the Course of their Faith with Firmness and though weak in Body yet received a Glorious Reward This has alienated the Minds even of Women from their Husbands and changed what was once said by our Father Adam This is now Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh. In a word Envy and Strife have overturn'd whole Cities and rooted out Great Nations from off the Earth VII THESE Things Beloved we write unto you not only for your Instruction but also for our own Remembrance For we are all in the same Field and the same Combat is prepared for us all Wherefore let Us lay aside all Vain and Empty Cares and let us come up to the Glorious and Venerable Rule of our Holy Calling Let us consider what is Good and Acceptable and Well-pleasing in the Sight of Him that made Us. Let us look stedfastly to the Bloud of Christ and see how Precious his Bloud is in the sight of God Which being shed for our Salvation has obtain'd the Grace of Repentance for all the World Let us search into the Ages that have gone before us and let us learn that our Lord has in every one of them still given place for Repentance to all such as would turn to him Noah preach'd Repentance and as many as hearkened to him were Saved Jonah denounced Destruction against the Ninivites Howbeit they repenting of their Sins appeased God by their Prayers and were saved tho' they were Strangers to the Covenant of God VIII HENCE we find how All the Ministers of the Grace of God have spoken by the Holy Spirit of Repentance And even the Lord of All has himself declared with an Oath concerning it As I live saith the LORD I desire not the death of a Sinner but that He should repent Adding this farther Assurance Turn from your Iniquity O House of Israel Say unto the Children of my People Tho' your sins should reach from Earth to Heaven and tho' they should be redder than Scarlet and blacker than Sackcloth Yet if ye shall turn to me with all your Heart and shall call me Father I will hearken to you as to a Holy People And in another place He saith on this wise Wash ye make you clean put away the Evil of your doings from before mine Eyes Cease to do Evil Learn to do well Seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD Tho' your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow tho' they be red as Crimson they shall be as Wooll If ye be willing and Obedient ye shall eat the Good of the Land But if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the Sword for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it These things has God establish'd by his Almighty Will desiring that all his Beloved should come to Repentance IX WHEREFORE let us obey his Excellent and Glorious Will and imploring his Mercy and Goodness let us fall down upon Our faces before him and Cast our selves upon his Mercy Laying aside all Vanity and Contention and Envy which leads unto Death Let us look up to those who have the most perfectly ministred to his Excellent Glory Let us take Enoch for our Example who being found Righteous in Obedience was translated and his Death was not known Noah being proved to be Faithful did by his Ministry preach Regeneration to the World and the LORD saved by Him all the Living Creatures that went with one Accord together into the Ark. X. SO also Abraham who was called Gods Friend was in like manner found Faithful in as much as he obeyed the Commands of God By Obedience he went out of his own Country and from his own Kindred and from his Fathers House that so forsaking a small Country and a weak Affinity and a little House he might inherit the Promises of God For thus God said unto Him Get Thee out of thy Country and from thy Kindred and from thy Fathers House unto a Land that I will shew thee And I will make thee a Great Nation and I will bless Thee and make thy Name Great and thou shalt be blessed And I will bless them that bless Thee and Curse them that Curse Thee And in Thee shall all Families of the Earth be Blessed And again when he separated Himself from Lot God said unto him Lift up now thine Eyes and look from the place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward For all the Land which Thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy Seed for ever And I will make thy Seed as the dust of the Earth so that if a Man can number the Dust of the Earth then shall thy Seed also be numbred And again He saith And God brought forth Abraham and said unto Him look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them So shall thy Seed be And Abraham believed God and it was counted to Him for Righteousness Through Faith and Hospitality he had a Son given him in his Old Age and through Obedience he offer'd him up in Sacrifice to God upon One of the Mountains which God shew'd unto Him XI BY Hospitality and Godliness was Lot saved out of Sodom when all the Country round about was destroy'd by Fire and Brimstone The LORD thereby making it manifest that he will not forsake Those that trust in Him but will bring the Disobedient to Punishment and Correction For his Wife who went out with Him being of a different Mind and not continuing in the same Obedience was for that very reason set forth for an Example being turn'd into a Pillar of Salt unto this day That so all Men may know that those who are double minded and distrustful of the Power of God are prepared for Condemnation and to be a sign to all succeeding Ages XII BY Faith and Hospitality was Rahab the Harlot Saved For when the Spies were sent by Joshua the Son of Nun to search out Jericho and the King of Jericho knew that they were come to spy out his Country He order'd them to be taken that so they might be put to death Rahab therefore being Hospitable received them and hid them under the Stalks of Flax on the Top of her House And when the Messengers that were sent by the King came unto Her and asked Her saying There came
Men unto Thee to Spy out the Land bring them forth for so hath the King Commanded She answered The two Men whom ye seek came unto Me but presently they departed and are gone Shewing them withall a Contrary way Then she said to the Spies I know that the LORD your God has given this City into your hands for the fear of you is fallen upon All that dwell therein When therefore ye shall have taken it ye shall save Me and my Fathers House And they answered her saying It shall be as Thou hast spoken unto Vs. Therefore when Thou shalt know that we are near thou shalt Gather all thy Family together upon the House top and they shall be saved But all that shall be found without thy House shall be destroyed And they gave her moreover a Sign that she should Hang out of her House a Scarlet Rope Shewing thereby that by the Blood of our Lord there should be Redemption to all that Believe and Hope in God Ye see Beloved How there was not only Faith but Prophesie too in this Woman XIII LET us therefore Humble our selves Brethren laying aside all Pride and Boasting and Foolishness and Anger And let us do as it is written for thus saith the Holy Spirit Let not the Wise Man Glory in his Wisdom nor the Strong Man in his Strength nor the Rich Man in his Riches But let him that Glorieth Glory in the LORD to seek Him and to do Judgment and Justice Above All remembring the words of the Lord Jesus which he spake concerning Equity and Long-suffering saying Be ye Merciful and ye shall obtain Mercy Forgive and ye shall be Forgiven As ye do so shall it be done unto you As ye give so shall it be given unto you As ye judge so shall ye be judged As ye are kind to Others so shall God be kind to you With what Measure ye Meet with the same shall it be measured to you Again By this Command and by these Rules let us establish our selves that so we may always walk obediently to his Holy Words being humble minded For so says the Holy Scripture Vpon Whom shall I look even upon him that is poor and of a Contrite Spirit and that trembles at my Word XIV IT is therefore Just and Righteous Men and Brethren that we should become Obedient unto God rather than follow such as through Pride and Disorder have made themselves the Ring-leaders of a detestable Emulation For it is not an Ordinary Harm that we shall do our selves but rather a very great Danger that we shall run if we shall rashly give up our selves to the Wills of Men who promote Strife and Seditions to turn us aside from what is fitting But let us be kind to One Another according to the Compassion and Sweetness of him that made us For it is written The Merciful shall inherit the Earth and they that are without Evil shall be left upon it But the Transgressors shall perish from off the face of it And again He saith I have seen the Wicked in great Power and spreading himself like the Cedars of Libanus I passed by and Lo he was not I sought his place but it could not be found Keep Innocency and do the thing that is right for there shall be a Remnant to the Peaceable Man XV. LET us therefore hold fast to Those who religiously follow Peace and not to such as only pretend to desire it For He saith in a certain place This People honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me And again They Bless with their Mouth but Curse in their Heart And again He saith They loved him with their Mouth and with their Tongue they lied to Him For their heart was not right with Him neither were they faithful in his Covenant The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips And the tongue that speaketh proud things Who have said with our tongue will we prevail Our lips are our own who is LORD over us For the Oppression of the Poor for the Sighing of the Needy now will I arise saith the LORD I will set him in safety I will deal confidently with him XVI FOR Christ is theirs who are Humble and not who exalt themselves over his Flock The Scepter of the Majesty of God our Lord Jesus Christ came not in the shew of Pride and Arrogance tho' he could have done so But with Humility as the Holy Ghost had before spoken concerning him For thus he saith LORD who hath believed our Report and to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed For He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry Ground He hath no Form nor Comeliness and when we shall see Him there is no Beauty that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of Men A man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief And we hid as it were our faces from Him He was despised and we esteemed Him not Surely He hath borne our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did Esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him and with his Stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every One to his own way and the LORD hath laid on Him the Iniquity of Vs all He was Oppressed and he was Afflicted yet he Opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is Dumb so He openeth not his Mouth He was taken from Prison and from Judgment And who shall declare his Generation For he was cut off out of the Land of the Living For the Transgression of my People was he stricken And he made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his Death because he had done no Violence neither was any deceit in his Mouth Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him he hath put him to grief When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied by his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many For He shall bear their Iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the Great and he shall divide the Spoil with the Strong because He hath poured out his Soul unto death And he was numbred with the Transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made Intercession for the Transgressors And again he Himself saith I am a Worm and no Man a reproach of men and despised of the People All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shout out their lips they shake their head
Gentile But who of you are Ignorant of the Judgment of God Do we not know that the Saints shall judge the World As Paul teaches But I have neither perceived nor heard any thing of this Kind in you among whom the Blessed Paul laboured and whom he mentions with so much Honour in the beginning of his Epistle For he Glories of you in All the Churches who then only knew God for we did not then know Him Wherefore my Brethren I am exceedingly sorry both for him and for his Wife to whom God grant a true Repentance And be ye also moderate on this occasion and look not upon such as Enemies but call them back as Suffering and Erring Members that ye may save your whole Body For by so doing ye shall edifie your own selves XII FOR I trust that ye are well exercised in the Holy Scriptures and that nothing is hid from you But at present this is not granted unto me As it is written Be angry and Sin not And again Let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath. Blessed is he that believeth and remembreth these things which also I trust you do Now the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ and He himself who is our Everlasting High Priest the Son of God even Jesus Christ build you up in Faith and in Truth and in all Meekness and Lenity in Patience and Long-suffering and Chastity And grant unto you that you may have your Lot and Portion among his Saints and that we also may be together with you and all that are under the Heavens who shall believe in our LORD Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the Dead Pray for all the Saints Pray also for Kings and All that are in Authority and for those who persecute you and hate you and are the Enemies of the Cross That your Fruit may be manifest in all things and that ye may be perfect in Christ. XIII YE wrote to me both ye and also Ignatius that if any one went from hence into Syria he should bring your Letters with Him which also I will take care of as soon as I shall have a convenient opportunity either by my self or him whom I shall send upon your Account The Epistles of Ignatius which He wrote unto Us together with what others of his have come to our hands we have sent to you according to your order which are subjoyned to this Epistle By which ye may be greatly profited For they treat of Faith and Patience and of all things that pertain to Edification in the Lord Jesus XIV WHAT you know certainly of Ignatius and those that are with him signifie unto us THESE things have I written unto you by Crescens whom by this present Epistle I have recommended to you and do now again commend For he has had his Conversation without blame among us And I suppose also with you Ye will also have regard unto his Sister when she shall come unto you Be ye safe in the LORD Jesus Christ And in Favour with all yours Amen THE Genuine Epistles OF St. IGNATIVS I. TO THE Ephesians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation Chap. I. HE thanks them for sending Onesimus their Bishop to Him Whom he greatly Commends and expresses his Joy to receive from Him so good a Character of them II. He mentions the rest of their Members who were sent with Onesimus to Him And Exhorts them to Unity by a due Subjection to their Bishop and Presbyters III. He excuses the Liberty He takes of Admonishing them and so returns to his Advice to them IV. Which is still the same namely By a due Subjection to their Bishop to preserve Vnity among themselves V. The Benefit of which He particularly sets out to them VI. That they ought not to Respect their Bishop the less because he is not forward in exacting it from them But should rather Honour him the more which He also Commends them for doing VII He warns them against Hereticks bidding them stick to their Master Jesus Christ Whose Divine and Humane Nature he declares to Them VIII IX He Commends them for their Care to keep themselves from False Teachers and shews them the Way to God X. He exhorts them to Prayer and to behave themselves unblameably towards those that are without XI.XII. To be careful of their Salvation To Pray for Himself whose own worth he much lessens in Comparison of theirs Especially XIII XIV To be frequent in Publick Devotion To live in Unity in Faith and in Charity And XV. To shew forth the Truth of their Profession by their Works XVI XVII To have a Care that the Gospel of Christ be not Corrupted XVIII Vpon which occasion He treats particularly of the Three great Mysteries of Christianity viz. The Virginity of Mary And the Incarnation and Death of Christ Which he says were hid from the Devil XIX How the Birth of Christ was in a most extraordinary Manner reveal'd to the World XX. XXI Of all which he promises to Write more largely in a second Epistle And then finally Undertakes for their Salvation if they continued as he had exhorted them to pursue it by Unity among Themselves and Piety towards God THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Ephesians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Church which is at Ephesus in Asia most deservedly Happy being Blessed through the Greatness and Fullness of God the Father and Predestinated before the World began that it should be always unto an Enduring and Unchangeable Glory being United and Chosen through his true Passion according to the Will of the Father and Jesus Christ our God All Happiness by Jesus Christ and his Undefiled Grace I. I HAVE heard of your Name much Beloved in God which ye have very justly attain'd by a Habit of Righteousness according to the Faith and Love which is in Jesus Christ our Saviour How that being Followers of God and stirring up your selves by the Blood of Christ ye have perfectly accomplished the Work that was Natural to you For hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common Name and Hope trusting through your Prayers to sight with Beasts at Rome that so by Suffering I may become indeed the Disciple of Him who gave himself to God an Offering and Sacrifice for us ye Hastned to see me I understood therefore how great a Multitude there was among you in the Name of God by Onesimus who if we consider his Charity is beyond all Expression but who is according to the Flesh your Bishop Whom I beseech you by Jesus Christ to love and that you would all strive to be like unto Him And Blessed be God who has granted unto you who are so worthy of Him to enjoy such an Excellent Bishop II. FOR what concerns my Fellow-Servant Burrhus and your most Blessed Deacon in things pertaining to
from whence I am carried Bound to Rome being the least of all the Faithful which are there as I have been thought worthy to be found to the Glory of God Fare ye well in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our common Hope Amen To the EPHESIANS THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Magnesians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation He declares Chap. I. THE Occasion of his Writing to Them and to the other Churches that were about them And then mentions II. The Arrival of Damas their Bishop and of the rest whom They had sent unto Him III. He exhorts them to all due Reverence and Subjection to their Bishop notwithstanding He was but a Young Man and had not long been in that Great Office among them IV. Which also they must do if they will be Christians indeed V. That we must all ' ere long Die and then be for ever either Happy or Miserable VI. He exhorts them therefore to live Orderly and to maintain a Unity among each other VII And that especially by a due Subjection to their Bishop and Presbyters VIII IX.X He cautions them against false Opinions Especially those of Ebion and the Judaizing Christians XI He Apologizes for this Advice which he gave not to Reprove but to Fore-warn Them XII Whose Faith and Piety he here greatly commends And XIII Exhorts them to go on and increase in Both. XIV He desires their Prayers both for Himself and his Church at Antioch XV. And then concludes all with the Salutations of those who were present with Him at the Writing of this Epistle THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Magnesians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Blessed Church by the Grace of God the Father in Jesus Christ our Saviour In whom I salute the Church which is at MAGNESIA near the MAEANDER and wish it all Joy in God the Father and in Jesus Christ. I. WHEN I heard of your well-order'd Love and Charity in God being full of Joy I determined forthwith to speak unto you in the Faith of Jesus Christ. For having been thought worthy to obtain a most Excellent Name in the Bonds which I carry about I salute the Churches wishing in them a Union both of the Body and Spirit of Jesus Christ our Eternal Life As also of Faith and Charity to which nothing is preferred But especially of Jesus and the Father in whom if we undergo and escape all the Injuries of the Prince of this present World we shall enjoy God II. SEEING then I have been judged worthy to see you by DAMAS your most Excellent Bishop and by your very worthy Presbyters BASSUS and APOLLONIUS and by my Fellow Servant SOTIO your Deacon in whom I rejoyce forasmuch as He is subject unto his Bishop as to the Grace of God and to the Presbytery as to the Law of Jesus Christ I determined to Write unto you III. WHEREFORE it will become you also not to take advantage of the Youth of your Bishop but to yield all Reverence to Him according to the Power of God the Father As also I perceive that your Holy Presbyters do not considering his Age which indeed to appearance is Young but as becomes those who are Prudent in God submitting to Him or rather not to Him but to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Bishop of us All. It will therefore behove you with all Sincerity to obey your Bishop in Honour of Him whose pleasure it is that ye should do so Because he that does not do so deceives not the Bishop whom he sees but affronts him that is Invisible For whatsoever of this kind is done it reflects not upon Man but upon God who knows the Secrets of our Hearts IV. IT is therefore fitting that we should not only be called Christians but be so As some call indeed their Governour Bishop but yet do all things without Him But I can never think that such as these have a good Conscience seeing they are not gather'd together thoroughly according to Gods Commandment V. SEEING then all things have an End there are these two indifferently set before Us Death and Life And every one shall dedepart unto his proper place For as there are two sorts of Coins the one of God the other of the World and each of these has its proper Inscription engraven upon it So also is it Here The Unbelievers are of this World but the Faithful through Charity have the Character of God the Father by Jesus Christ By whom if we are not readily disposed to Die unto his Passion His Life is not in Us. VI. FORASMUCH therefore as I have in the Persons before mentioned seen all of you in Faith and Charity I exhort you that ye study to do all things in a Divine Concord Your Bishop presiding in the place of God your Presbyters in the place of the Council of the Apostles And your Deacons most dear to Me being intrusted with the Ministry of Jesus Christ who was with the Father before all Ages and appeared in the End to us Wherefore taking up the same Holy Course see that ye all Reverence one another And let no one look upon his Neighbour after the Flesh but do ye all mutually love each other in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing that may be able to make a Division among you But be ye united to your Bishop and those who Preside over you to be your Pattern and Direction in the way to Immortality VII AS therefore the LORD did nothing without the Father being united to Him neither by Himself nor yet by his Apostles So neither do ye do any thing without your Bishop and Presbyters Neither endeavour to let any thing appear rational to your selves apart but being come together into the same place have one Common Prayer One Supplication One Mind One Hope in Charity and in Joy undefiled There is One Lord Jesus Christ than whom nothing is Better Wherefore come ye all together as unto one Temple of God as to one Altar as to one Jesus Christ who proceeded from one Father and exists in One and is return'd to One. VIII BE not Deceived with Strange Doctrines nor with Old Fables which are unprofitable For if we still continue to live according to the Jewish Law we do confess our selves not to have received Grace For even the Most Holy Prophets lived according to Christ Jesus And for this cause were they persecuted being inspired by his Grace to convince the Unbelievers and Disobedient that there is one God who has manifested Himself by Jesus Christ his Son who is his Eternal Word not coming forth from Silence who in all things pleased Him that sent Him IX WHEREFORE if they who were conversant in those antient Things are nevertheless come to the Newness of Hope No
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
these there is no more place for Repentance For by reason of their present Interests they have blasphemed and denied God And for this Wickedness have lost Life And of these many are still in doubt these may yet return and if they shall quickly repent they shall have a place in the Tower but if they shall be more slow they shall dwell within the Walls but if they shall not repent they shall die As for those who had two parts of their Rods Green and the third Dry they have deny'd the LORD by their manifold sins Of these many have repented and found a place in the Tower and many have altogether departed from God These have utterly lost their Lives And some being in a doubtful state have raised up Dissentions These may yet return if they shall suddainly repent and not be with-held by their pleasures but if they shall continue in their Evil-doings they shall Die IX THEY who gave in their Rods two parts Dry and the other Green are those who have indeed been faithful but withall Rich and full of good things and thereupon have desired to be famous among those without and have thereby fallen into great Pride and began to aim at high matters and to forsake the Truth Nor did they hold fast to the Righteous but lived with Strangers and this Life seem'd the more Pleasant to them Howbeit they departed not from God but continued in the Faith only they did not exercise the Works of Faith Many therefore of these repented and began to dwell in the Tower Yet others still living among strange People and being lifted up with their Vanities have utterly fallen away from God and follow'd the Works and Wickednesses of the Heathen These kind of Men therefore are reckon'd among Strangers to the Gospel Others of these became Doubtful minded despairing by reason of their wicked doings ever to attain unto Salvation Others being Dubious stirr'd up Dissentions To these therefore and to those who by reason of their Doings are become doubtful there is still hopes of return but they must repent quickly that their Place may be in the Tower But they that repent not but continue still in their Pleasures are nigh unto Death X. As for those who gave in their Rods Green excepting their Tops which only were Dry and had Clefts These were always Good and Faithful and Approved towards â—od Nevertheless they sinn'd a little by reason of their empty Pleasures and little Disputes which they had among themselves Wherefore many of them when they heard my words repented forthwith and began to dwell in the Tower Nevertheless some grew doubtful and others to their doubtful Minds added Dissentions To these therefore there is still hope of return because they were always Good but they shall hardly be moved As for those lastly who gave in their Rods dry their Tops only excepted which alone were Green They are such as have believed indeed in God but have lived in Wickedness yet without departing from God Having always willingly Born the Name of the LORD and readily received into their Houses the Servants of God Wherefore hearing these things they return'd and without delay repented and lived in all Righteousness And some of them suffered Death others readily underwent many trials being mindful of their Evil-doings XI AND when he had ended his Explications of all the Rods he said unto me Go and say unto all Men that they Repent and they shall live unto God Because the LORD being moved with great Clemency hath sent me to preach Repentance unto all even to those who by reason of their Evil-doings deserve not to attain unto Salvation But the LORD will be Patient and keep the Invitation that was made by his Son I said unto him Sir I hope that All when they shall hear these things will repent For I trust that every one acknowledging his Crimes and taking up the fear of the LORD will return unto Repentance He said unto me Whosoever shall repent with all their Hearts and cleanse themselves from all the Evils that I have before mentioned and not add any thing more to their sins shall receive from the LORD the Cure of their former Iniquities if they shall not make any Doubt of my Commands and shall live unto God But they that shall continue to add to their Transgressions and shall still converse with the Lusts of this present World shall Condemn themselves unto Death But do thou walk in these Commands and thou shalt live unto God And whosoever shall walk in these and exercise them rightly shall live unto God And having shew'd me all these things he said I will shew thee the rest in a few days The Ninth SIMILITUDE The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built I. AFTER I had written the Commands and Similitudes of the Shepherd the Angel of Repentance he came unto me and said to me I will shew thee all those things which the Spirit spake with thee under the Figure of the Church For that Spirit is the Son of God And because thou wert weak in Body it was not declared unto thee by the Angel until thou wert strengthened by the Spirit and encreased in force that thou mightest also see the Angel For then indeed the Building of the Tower was gloriously shewn unto thee by the Church nevertheless thou sawest all things shewn unto thee as it were by a Virgin But now thou art enlightned by the Angel but indeed by the same Spirit But thou must consider all things diligently for therefore am I sent into thine House by that Venerable Messenger that when thou shalt have seen all things powerfully thou mayst not be afraid as before And he led me to the Top of a Mountain of Arcadia and we sate upon its Top. And he shew'd me a great Plain and about it Twelve Mountains in different Figures The First was black as Soot The Second was smooth without Grass The Third was full of Thorns and Thistles The Fourth had Grass half dryed of which the upper part was green but that next the Root was dry and some of the Herbs when the Sun grew hot were dry The Fifth Mountain was very rugged but yet had green Grass The Sixth Mountain was full of Clefts some lesser and some greater and in those Clefts grew Grass not flourishing but which seem'd to be withering The Seventh Mountain had delightful Pasture and was wholly fruitful and all kinds of Cattle and of the Birds of Heaven fed upon it and the more they fed of it the more and better did the Grass grow The Eighth Mountain was full of Fountains and from those Fountains were water'd all kinds of the Creatures of God The Ninth Mountain had no Water at all but was wholly destitute of it and nourish'd deadly Serpents and destructive to Men. The Tenth Mountain was full of tall Trees and altogether shady and under the Shade of them lay Cattle