book in thine hands and write what the Lord saith Because the Son of God in the last days will cut up all the house of Amalek by the roots Behold again Jesus not the son of man but the Son of God but manifested by a type in the flesh And because they would say that Christ is the son of David he fearing and understanding the errour of sinners saith The Lord said to my Lord Sit on my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool And again Esaias saith in this manner The Lord said to Christ my Lord I have holden his right hand that the nations may hear him and I will break in pieces the power of kings See how David calls him Lord and the Son of God But let us see whether this people be the heir or first people and whether the Testament be ours or theirs Hear now what the Scripture saith concerning this people Isaac prayed for Rebekah his wife because she was barren and she conceived afterwards Rebekah came to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her Two nations are in thy womb and two people in thy bowels and one people shall prevail over the other people and the Elder shall serve the Younger Ye ought to be sensible who is Isaac and who is Rebekah and which of the two he hath demonstrated to be the Elder people this people or that And in another Prophesy he saith Jacob spake more plainly to Joseph his son saying Behold the Lord hath not deprived me of thy presence bring thy sons unto me that I may bless them And he brought forth Ephraim and Manasses desiring that the blessing might be given to Manasses because he was the elder and he set him on the right hand of his father Jacob. But Jacob saw in the spirit a type of that people which should be And what follows And Jacob changed his hands and put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim the second and the younger and blessed him And Joseph said to Jacob Put thy right hand upon the head of Manasses because he is my first-born son And Jacob said to Joseph I know it my son I know it but the Elder shall serve the younger yet he also shall be blessed See which of these he hath appointed to be this first people and heir of the Covenant Yet further let it be remembred that through Abraham we have a greater perfection of our knowledge Therefore what saith he to Abraham That because he believed it was counted to him for righteousness Behold I have made thee a father of nations which should believe in the Lord through uncircumcisions But let us now enquire whether he hath performed the Covenant which he sware to the fathers to this people He gave it but they were not worthy to receive it by reason of their sins For the Prophet saith And Moses was fasting in the mount Sinai fourty days and fourty nights that he might receive the Covenant from the Lord for the people and he received of the Lord the two tables written with the finger of the Lord's hand through the spirit and when Moses had received them he brought them down to deliver them to the people And the Lord said to Moses Moses Moses go down quickly for thy people have transgressed which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt And Moses understood that they had made them molten idols and he cast the tables out of his hands and the tables of the Covenant of the Lord were broken Moses indeed received them but they were not worthy Learn now how we received them Moses received them as a servant but the Lord himself gave them to us who suffering patiently for us was made manifest that they might be consummate in their sins and we might be the people of the inheritance and receive the Covenant by the heir Jesus Christ The Prophet saith again Behold I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles that thou maist be for salvation to the ends of the earth saith the Lord God who redeemed thee who was prepared for this very thing that he making discoverie of our evils destructive to death and how wholly we were given up to the transgression of errour might deliver us from darkness and put his Covenant in us by the Word For it is written how that the Father commanded him to redeem us from darkness and to prepare for himself an holy people Therefore the Prophet saith I the Lord thy God have called thee in righteousness and I will hold thy hand and will strengthen thee and I have given thee for a Covenant to the nations and for a light to the Gentiles to open the eyes of the blind and to deliver those that are in bonds those that sit in darkness from the prison-house Know therefore how we were delivered and redeemed Again the Prophet saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me and sent me to preach the glad tidings of grace to the humble to heal the broken-hearted to preach liberty to the captives to open the eyes of the blind and to call an acceptable year of the Lord and a day of retribution and to comfort all that mourn It is also written concerning the Sabbath in the Ten words wherein he spake in the Mount Sinai face to face to Moses And ye shall sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands and with a pure heart And in another place he saith If their sons shall keep my Sabbaths then will I put my mercy upon them He calleth it a Sabbath in the beginning of the Creation And God made in six days the works of his hands and finished upon the seventh day and rested on it and sanctified it Sons observe what he saith when he saith He finished in six days This he saith That God the Lord will finish all things in six thousand years for a day with him is a thousand years He himself witnesseth it saying Behold this day A day shall be as a thousand years Therefore Children in six days in six thousand years all things shall be finished And he rested on the seventh day This he saith When his Son coming shall finish the works of his time and shall judge the ungodly and shall change the Sun and the Moon and the Stars then he shall rest honourably upon the seventh day In fine this he saith Thou shalt sanctifie it with pure hands and a pure heart Therefore how can any one now sanctifie the day which God hath sanctified unless he be of a pure heart in all things Let us not be deceived For if he resting gloriously doth sanctifie it we being just and doing just things shall be able to sanctifie it when we have received the Promise of iniquitie ceasing all things being made new by the Lord. Then we shall be able to sanctifie it when we our selves are first sanctified Afterwards he saith to them Your new Moons and your Sabbaths I cannot away
than entertain the least thoughts that this writing is supposititious Nor let any persons therefore like the worse of this Epistle of Barnabas because Eusebius and other Greek Writers of a later date have placed it amongst the Apocryphal writings For they did not question the Author only they approved not of those mystical Interpretations of his made upon many places of Scripture And for the same reason many works of Clement of Alexandria and of Origen were accounted Apocryphal whereas it was never yet doubted of whether those very works so accounted of were their genuine works And certainly if we should reject all Writings which have at any time been accounted Apocryphal we should reject the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews and the Epistle of Jude the Apostle and that of Clement to the Corinthians which thing should we do how absurd would it seem to any man Others have given out that they have discerned this Epistle to be spurious both from the Style and manner of Writing and they have affirmed the very same things of the Epistles of Ignatius but they who boast of such things would seem more accute than becomes them For it is not so easie to distinguish spurious writings from genuine as it is to know true Pearls from counterfeit When true Stones are compared with counterfeit the fucus of the counterfeit soon appears as a true people will discover a false one which is a thing ordinary in other traffiqueable commodities But from what is it possible for these men to take the ground of their conjecture who deny these to be the very Epistles of Ignatius and Barnabas Have they seen other Writings of theirs Certainly not Therefore how come they to know what Style Barnabas and Ignatius used Yet they go on and say that what they think to be true they know to be true and if it be so with them I will not adde one word more about them The Catholique Epistle OF Saint BARNABAS the Apostle MY sons and daughters in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ who loved us I wish you much joy and peace Knowing that there is in you an abundance of the great and comely Graces of God I am rejoyced above measure by your blessed and excellent spirits for by this means ye have received a natural grace So that I am hereby very much comforted hoping to be set at liberty because I verily perceive that the spirit is infused into you from the honourable Fountain of God And seeing I am of this perswasion and know it the more fully so to be in regard that whilst I am conversing with you many things have succeeded well with me according to the equal way of the Lord therefore is it happily Brethren in my thoughts to love you more than my own soul because the greatness of faith and love dwelleth therein and the hope of that other life Thinking of this and because it was my care to impart something unto you of what I have received that it would be a sufficient reward to do service to persons of such a spirit I made it my proper business as allotted to me speedily to send unto you some few things that together with your faith ye may have also perfect knowledge There are also three Constitutions of the Lord The hope of life the beginning and the consummation For God hath made before-hand things plain to us by his Prophets who are passed and hath given unto us the beginnings of future things But as he hath said It is a more honourable and high thing to approach to his Altar Yet I shall not as a Teacher or Doctor but as one of you shew you a few things by which ye may be the more joyful in many Seeing therefore that the days are most wicked and that the adversary hath the power of this world we ought diligently to make enquiry into the equal ways of the Lord. Fear and Patience are the Coadjutors of your faith and the things which fight for us are Longanimitie and Continence Where these remain pure according to the Lord wisdom understanding science knowledge rejoyce together with them For he hath laid it open to us by all the Prophets that he will not use our sacrifices victims nor oblations saying in this wise To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of lambs I delight not in the bloud of goats and bulls Neither do I regard you when ye come to appear before me For who hath required these things at your hands neither shall ye tread my courts When ye bring your course bread it is vain your incense is an abomination to me Your new moons and sabbaths and great day I cannot endure Your fast idle time new moons and feasts my soul hateth God hath therefore made these void as the new Law of our Lord Jesus Christ which is without the yoke of necessity hath made void the humane oblation The Lord saith again unto them Have I commanded your fathers when they went out of the land of Egypt that they should offer unto me sacrifices and victims but this I commanded them saying Let every one among you bear no malice towards his neighbour and let no man swear falsly Seeing therefore that we are not without understanding we ought to understand the counsel of the goodness of our Father For he being willing to seek us also going astray hath told us how we should come unto him saying The sacrifice of God is a contrite heart and one that is humbled God doth not despise Therefore Brethren we ought to enquire more certainly concerning our Salvation that nothing may have entrance into us which may turn us away from our life God speaks again unto them as concerning these things saying Wherefore do ye fast to me that your voice may be heard on high as this day I have not chosen such a fast nor a day for a man to afflict his soul neither shalt thou bow down thy neck like a bulrush nor spread sackcloth and ashes under thee nor shall ye call this an acceptable fast But to us he saith thus When ye shall fast Loose every bond of iniquitie dissolve the obligations of violent contracts set the oppressed at libertie make void every injurious obligation break thy bread to the hungry bring the poor that are without shelter into thine house when thou seest the naked clothe him and hide not thy self from thine own flesh then thy light shall break forth as the Morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee the glorie of the Lord shall be thy rereward Then shall thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shall cry and he shall say Here I am if thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke the putting forth of the finger and speaking Vanity and shall give thy bread to the hungry with all thy soul
Therefore in this brethren God is provident and merciful in regard the people whom he hath acquired to his beloved should believe in simplicity and he hath shewn to all us that we should not run as Proselytes over to their Law And it concerns us to write much of the things in hand which cannot heal Let us flie every work of iniquitie and hate the errour of this time and love things future Let us not give libertie to our soul nor suffer it to wander with most lewd men and sinners For the trail is consummate as it is written as Daniel saith it is at hand For this cause doth the Lord divide times and days that his beloved may hasten to his inheritance So saith the Prophet Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth and a little king shall arise who shall depose three into one Concerning the kingdoms and this very thing Daniel saith again I saw a fourth beast dreadful and terrible and exceeding strong having ten horns and another little horn grew up in the midst of them before whom there were three of the first horns plucks up by the roots Therefore we ought to understand and I intreat you again as one of you loving you above mine own life that ye would take heed unto your selves and that ye would not be like unto those who heap up their sins and say That their Testament is also ours But ours it is for they have for ever destroyed that which Moses received For the Scripture saith And Moses was in the mount fasting fourty days and fourty nights and he received the testament from the Lord the tables of stone written with the hand of God But they being turned unto idols destroyed that for the Lord saith to Moses Go down quickly for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt hath transgressed And Moses cast the tables of stone out of his hands and their Testament was broken that the love of Jesus might be signed upon your hearts unto the hope of the faith of him Therefore let us give heed unto the last days for all the time of our life and faith shall profit us nothing if we do not endure unjust things and future temptations as the Son of God saith Let us resist all iniquitie and hate it Consider therefore the works of an evil life Ye ought not to separate your selves as being justified but meeting together in one to enquire what may be in common profitable and convenient for the beloved For the Scripture saith Wo to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Let us being spiritual be made a perfect Temple to God as much as in us lies Let us meditate upon the fear of God and endeavour to keep his Commandements that we may rejoyce in his judgements The Lord accepting no mans person judgeth the world every man shall receive according to his deeds If he be good his goodness goes before him if wicked the ways of his wickedness follows after him Take heed lest at any time being called and at ease we do not fall asleep in our sins and the wicked one getting power over us do not awake us out of our sleep and exclude us from the Kingdom of the Lord. Understand a little more Having seen the great signs and wonders among the people of the Jews and that the Lord doth so leave them therefore let us take heed lest happily we be found as it is written Many called few chosen For this cause the Lord endured to deliver up his body to death that we might be sanctified by remission of sins that is through the sprinkling of his bloud For it is written of him to the Jews and to us in this manner He was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities by his stripes we were healed He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before the shearer dumb so opened he not his mouth Therefore we ought exceedingly to rejoyce in the Lord because he hath shown unto us things past and hath made us wise neither are we without understanding of things to come But he saith The net surely is spread in vain in the sight of any bird This he saith in regard that that man shall justly perish who hath knowledge of the way of truth and yet will not refrain himself from the dark way Moreover the Lord endured to suffer for us and yet he is the Lord of the world to whom he said upon the day before the world was consummate Let us make man according to our image and similitude Learn therefore how much he endured who would suffer this from men The Prophets having the gift from him prophesied of him and he that he might abolish death and make manifest the Resurrection from the dead endured because it was necessary for him to appear in the flesh that he might make good the Promise to the Parents And preparing a new people by his being upon the earth he declared by making a Resurrection the judgement and in the end by teaching and doing great signs and wonders he preached to Israel and dearly loved him Then he chose proper Apostles who should preach his Gospel who were sinners above all sin that he might shew that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Then he manifested himself to be the Son of God For had he not come in the flesh how could men looking on him have been saved For the Sun which is the work of his hands men cannot look directly upon with their eyes intent upon the beams of it Therefore the Son of God came in the flesh that he might consummate the sins of those who persecuted his Prophets unto death And for this he endured For God saith By the stripe of his flesh all are healed And again When I shall smite the shepherd then shall the sheep of the flock be scattered He would thus suffer and it was necessarie that he should suffer upon the tree For he saith who prophesied of him Thou shalt deliver my soul from the sword And Fasten my flesh with nails for the congregations of wicked men are risen up against me And again he saith Behold I have given my back to scourges and my cheeks to strokes and set my face as a firm rock But when he had done the Command what saith he Who shall condemn me let him be set against me or who shall judge me let him come neer to the servant of the Lord Wo unto you for ye shall all wax old as a garment and the moth shall devour you Again the Prophet saith He was set a stone for contusion Behold I will lay in Sion for foundations a pretious stone elect a chief corner-stone honourable What saith he after And he who hopeth in it shall live for ever Is our faith therefore placed in a stone Far be it But because the Lord hath given strength unto his
flesh For he saith And he bath set me as a strong rock Again the Prophet saith The stone which the builders refused is made the head of the corner And again he saith This is the great and wonderful day which the Lond hath made I write the more simply to you that ye may understand I am the off-scouring of your love What saith the Prophet again The congregation of wicked men came about me they enclosed me as bees do the wax And They cast a lot upon my vesture Seeing he should be manifest in the flesh and should suffer his Passion was manifested long before For the Prophet saith to Israel Wo to the soul of profane men for they take evil counsel against themselves saying Let us seize upon the righteous for he is unpleasing to us Moses also saith unto them Behold these things saith the Lord God Enter into the good land which the Lord hath sworn to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and inherit the land flowing with milk and honey Learn what knowledge saith Hope in Jesus who will come in the flesh to be manifested unto you Man is a suffering land For from the face of the earth was the figment of Adam driven Why therefore saith he A good land flowing with milk and honey Blessed be our Lord who hath put wisdom and understanding in us of his secrets For the Prophet saith Who shall understand the parable of the Lord but onely the wise and the intelligent and he who is a lover of the Lord. Seeing therefore he renewing us by remission of sins hath made us to be another figure he hath made us to have souls like children and hath formed us anew For what he saith to the Son the Scripture saith concerning us We will make man according to our image and likeness and let them rule over the beasts of the earth and the fowls of heaven and the fishes of the sea And the Lord seeing man an excellent figure he said Increase and multiply and replenish the earth These things to the Son Again I will shew you how in the last days he made a second figure as concerning us The Lord saith Behold I will make the last things as the former and therefore did the Prophet preach thus saying Enter into the land flowing with milk and honey and have dominion over it Behold therefore we are formed anew as he also saith in another Prophet Behold saith the Lord I will take from them that is from those whom the spirit of the Lord hath foreseen their hearts of stone and will give them hearts of flesh For he was to be manifested in the flesh and to dwell in us For my brethren the inhabitation of our hearts is an holy temple to the Lord. Again the Lord saith How shall I appear before the Lord my God and how shall I glorifie him He saith I will confess unto thee in the Church in the midst of my brethren and will praise thee in the midst of the Church of Saints Therefore we are they whom he hath brought into the good land But why milk and honey because a little child is first quickned with milk and honey and nourished So we also being nourished and enlivened by the faith of the Promise and the Word shall live and have dominion over the earth For he said before Let them increase and rule over the fishes What can this be now that a man should have power to rule the beasts or fishes or fowls of the heaven For we ought to be sensible To govern is of power and authoritie and he shall bear rule who is thereto appointed And if this be not now he hath said that it shall be when when we our selves may be perfected to be made heirs of the Covenant of the Lord. Vnderstand therefore sons of joy that the good Lord hath before hand manifested all things to us that we might know whom we ought to praise with thanks-giving according to all Therefore if the Son of God being Lord who also shall judge the quick and dead hath suffered that his stripes may enliven us we ought to believe that his Son of God could not suffer unless it was for us And when he was crucified he had Vineger and gall given him to drink Hear how the priests of the people have manifested this there being a command written concerning it The Lord commanded that if a man would not fast the fast he should be destroyed Because he would offer up in sacrifice for our sins the vessel of the spirit that the type also which was made in Isaac offered upon the Altar might be completed What saith he further by the Prophet And let them eat of the goat offered on the fast for the sins of all Mark diligently and let all the Priests alone eat the entrails unwashed with vineger Why this because ye shall give me gall and vineger to drink when I shall offer up my flesh for the sins of the New people Eat ye alone the people fasting and bewailing in sackcloth and ashes that he might demonstrate that it behooved him to suffer by them Therefore what hath he given in command observe Take two goats fair and alike and offer them and let the Priest take one for an Holocaust but what shall he do with the other He saith Let one he made an execration Mark how the figure of Jesus is manifested And ye shall all spit upon it and pierce it and put crimson wooll about the head of it and so let it be sent into the wilderness and when this is done he who bears the goat into the wilderness shall take of the wooll and put it upon a dry brushie thorn called Rubus the berries of which we usually eat if finding them in the field For the fruits of this thorn onely are pleasant But what is the meaning of this Observe One goat was for the Altar the other for an execration and the goat for execration was crowned Why because they shall see him in that day having his flesh cloathed in scarlet and they shall say Is not this he whom we have crucified setting him at nought piercing and mocking him Truly this was he who then said That he was the Son of God and he was used in like manner as those fair goats which were alike So that when they saw him they mourned over him who was to come under the figure of a goat See therefore the Type of Jesus who was to suffer But why did they put the wooll into the midst of thorns This is a Type of Jesus appointed to the Church He who would take away the scarlet wooll must needs suffer many things for the thorn is terrible and he who would rule over it must endure affliction so saith he they who would see me and approach my king-dom ought to receive me through tribulations and sufferings But see what figure this was when it was given in command to Israel That man in whom sins were completed should offer
an Heifer and killing it should burn it and then servants should take up the ashes and put them into earthen vessels and then the servants should take scarlet wooll and hyssop and so sprinkle the people one by one that they might be purged from their sins Understand in what simplicity it speaks unto us This Heifer is Jesus Christ the men offering it are those sinners who brought him to the slaughter for they seemed partly men and partly sinners But the servants sprinkling were they who preached unto us remission of sins and puritie of heart To whom he gave the power of the Gospel they were Twelve in testimonie of the Tribes for they were the Twelve Tribes of Israel which they were to preach it to But why were there three servants sprinkling These were in testimonie of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob who were honourable with God But why was the wooll put upon wood Because the kingdom of Jesus was from the wood and they therefore who hope in him shall live for ever But why was there wooll and hyssop together Because in his kingdom shall be evil and gloomie days wherein we shall be saved For he who is wounded in the flesh is healed by hyssop cleansing away the filth And for this cause are these things which are made thus manifest to us obscure to them because they hearkned not unto the voyce of the Lord. Again the Lord saith by the Prophet something of the ears teaching us thereby how we should circumcise our heart saying By the hearing of the ear hath he heard me And again he saith They who are afar off shall hear with the hearing what I have done and shall know me And ye shall circumcise your hearts saith the Lord. And again he saith Hear O Israel for the Lord thy God speaketh these things unto thee And again the Spirit of the Lord prophesieth Who is he that would live for ever let him hear with the ear the voice of my servant And again he saith Hear O heaven and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken these things for a Testimony And again he saith Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of this people And again he saith Hear O children the voice of one crying in the wilderness Therefore he circumcised our ears that hearing we may believe the word For the Circumcision of which they were perswaded is abolished For he said There should be a circumcision not made upon the flesh But they have transgressed because a wicked Angel hath taught them He saith again unto them These things saith the Lord your God Here I find a commandment Sow not among thorns but be circumcised to your Lord. And what saith he further And circumcise your hard heart and do not harden your neck And again Behold the Lord saith All nations are uncircumcised having on the foreskin but this people is uncircumcised in heart But thou wilt say The people hath received circumcision as a seal But so every Syrian and Arabs and all the idolatrous priests and the Egyptians have received circumcision therefore are they also within the Covenants Learn therefore Children abundantly concerning all nations That Abraham who first gave circumcision in the spirit did see so far as to the Son for receiving the definitions of three letters he gave circumcision For he saith That Abraham circumcised the males of his house which were ten and eight and three hundred Therefore what knowledge was given to him Learn there were first ten and eight then three hundred the Ten note 1. the Eight note n there ye have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Cross which should have the grace was noted in the three hundred for the numeral of that is T. Therefore it is manifest that Jesus was figured in two letters and the Cross in one Abraham knew the implanted gift of his doctrine and gave it for a sign to us No one hath learned a more genuine word from me onely I know that ye are worthy But whereâ—s Moses hath said Ye shall not eat swines flesh nor the eagle nor the hawk nor the crow nor any fish which hath not scales upon it undoubtedly he received in his understanding three Constitutions Afterwards he saith to them in Deuteronomie I will give to this people my judgements Undoubtedly therefore the command of God was not that they should not eat but Moses spake in the spirit When he spake of not eating swines flesh he spake it to this effect Thou shalt not saith he be joyned to such men who are like unto swine who when they are fed and wanton forget their Lord but when they are in wants acknowledge him For the swine when he hath eaten knows not his Lord but when he is hungry he cryes when he is filled again is still and holds his peace Neither shalt thou eat saith he the eagle nor the hawk nor the kite nor the crow In this he saith Thou shalt not associate thy self with such men who do not make provisions for themselves by labour and sweat but live by rapine and injurious taking from others and however they appear to walk in simplicity yet they observe what things may be offered to them without any labour these they diligently prie out and being idle themselves and very pernicious creatures by reason of their wickedness they devour and feed upon the flesh of others He saith Thou shalt not eat the Lampry nor the Polypus nor the Cuttle-fish That is he saith Thou shalt not be joyned to nor like unto those men who are ungodly to the end and condemned to death for these fishes alone being accursed swim onely in the deep not diving as other fishes but inhabiting in the mud of the deep He hath said again Thou shalt not eat the Conie Why said he it only to shew that thou shouldest not be alascivious lecherous person nor like unto such for the Hare or Conie doth every year breed abundantly and as many years as she liveth maketh her so many burrows Neither shalt thou eat the Hyaena This he saith Thou shalt not be an adulterer nor defiler of men or women nor like unto such Why so for this kind of animal every year changeth its nature and is one while a male and another while a female Again he well said Thou shalt hate the weasil this he saith Thou shalt not be like unto those of whom we hear by reason of their impurity that they do unlawful things at the mouth neither shalt thou associate thy self with impure persons who commit iniquitie with the mouth for this animal conceiveth at the mouth Therefore Moses by the spirit delivered three constitutions touching meats but they understood them to be meant of meats in a fleshly sense But David took the true knowledge of these three Constitutions and spake in this wise Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the Council of the ungodly as those fishes which walk in the dark down into the deep And
with See how he saith That the Sabbaths which are now are not acceptable unto me But in that he rested he made all things which he had made the beginning of the eighth day that is the beginning of another world Therefore we observe the eighth day with alacrity of mind whereon Jesus rose from the dead and being manifested ascended up into the heavens I shall moreover speak unto you concerning the Temple How they being in miserie did erre in their hope upon the way for they did not hope in the God of the Temple who made them but in the Temple as being the House of God for almost like the very heathens they confined him within the Temple but learn what the Lord saith making void the Temple Who hath measured the heavens with his palm and the earth with his fist Is it not I saith the Lord. Heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool what house will ye build unto me and what is the place of my rest Know that theirs is a vain hope After this he saith again Behold they who destroy this Temple shall themselves build it It is done For when they warred it was destroyed by the enemies and the ministers themselves of those enemies shall build it Again he hath opened How the City and people Israel should be delivered up For the Scripture saith And it shall be in the last days That the Lord will deliver up the sheep of the pasture and their fence and their tower to destruction And it is come to pass as the Lord hath spoken Therefore we shall enquire whether there be a Temple of God There is where he saith he would make and finish it For it is written It shall be when a week is finished that the Temple of God shall be built glorious in the name of the Lord. Therefore I find that there is a Temple But how shall it be built in the name of the Lord Learn Before we believed God the dwelling of our heart was corrupt and weak as a Temple built truly by the hand for the house was full of Idolatry by Idolatry it was the house of devils so that we did whatever was contrary to God But it shall be built in the name of the Lord. Learn that a glorious Temple of the Lord shall be built But how Learn we receiving remission of sins and hoping in the name of the Lord were made anew and created again as from the beginning So that in our house that is in us God truly dwelleth How The word of his Faith the calling of his Promise the wisdom of his judgements the commands of his doctrine he himself prophesying in us he himself dwelling in us opening to us the gates of the Temple who were before the servants of death that is opening that mouth which gives repentance to us hath brought us into the incorruptible Temple And he who desires to be saved minds nothing but him dwelling in him admires nothing but him speaking in him desires to hear nothing but the words spoken from his mouth This is the spiritual Temple built unto the Lord so far as he would in power and simplicity manifest it unto us My Soul hopeth with desire that I have omitted nothing convenient for you and conducing to Salvation If I should write unto you of things future ye would not understand me because they are shut up in Parables but these things are so Let us now pass over to another kind of knowledge and doctrine There are two ways of doctrine and power either of Light or of Darkness and great is the difference of these two ways Over one are appointed the Angels of God the Ministers of light Over the other the angels of Satan over the one is the Lord from ages to ages over the other the prince of the time of iniquity The way of light is this If a man would walk to the place designed he will make haste by his works Therefore Knowledge is given to us that we may walk in it which is this Thou shalt love thy Maker Thou shalt glorifie him who redeemed thee from death Thou shalt be simple in heart and being rich in the spirit thou shalt not joyn thy self with those who walk in the way of death Thou shalt hate to do that which is not pleasing to God Thou shalt hate all hypocrisie Thou shalt not forsake the Commandments of the Lord. Thou shalt not exalt thy self but be of an humble mind Thou shalt not assume glorie to thy self Thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbour Thou shalt not give boldness to thy soul Thou shalt not commit adultery nor fornication nor buggerie Thou shalt not refrain to correct the impurity of some by that word which cometh from God and when thou reproovest transgressions thou shalt not respect persons Thou shalt be meek and quiet trembling at the words which thou hast heard Thou shalt not remember evil things against thy brother Thou shalt not be of a double and wavering soul doubting whether thus or thus Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain Thou shalt love thy neighbour above thy soul Thou shalt not destroy the child by abortion nor kill it when it is born Thou shalt not take away thy hand from thy son nor from thy daughter but from their youth shalt teach them the fear of the Lord. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours goods nor be a covetous person Thou shalt not adhere in thy soul to proud persons but be numbred amongst the just and humble Thou shalt embrace temptations when they happen as good things Thou shalt not be of a double mind nor a double tongue for a double tongue is the snare of death Thou shalt be subject to the Lord to Masters as to the type of God in reverence and fear Thou shalt not command thy maid or man-servant with bitterness especially those who hope in him left thou be found destitute of the fear of God who is over both For he came not to call men by their persons but those whom his spirit prepared Thou shalt communicate to thy neighbour in all things and shalt not call any thing thine own for if ye are communicative in incorruptible things how much more in corruptible Thou shalt not be hastie in tongue for the mouth is the snare of death Keep thy Soul as chaste as thou canst Do not stretch forth thy hands to receive and shut them when thou shouldst give Thou shalt love every man speaking to thee the Word of the Lord as the apple of thine eye Mind the day of judgement night and day Seek out every day the persons of holy men and searching by the Word go forth to exhort and meditate to save a soul by the Word And thou shalt labour by thy hands for the redemption of thy sins Thou shalt not doubt to give nor murmur when thou givest Give to every one that asketh of thee but know withal who is the good recompenser
of the reward Keep the things which thou hast received neither adding to nor taking from them Hate a wicked person to the end Judge justly Make no Schism Make peace betwixt those who are at variance Confess thy sins Come not to Prayer with an evil Conscience This is the way of light But the dark way is crooked full of that which is execrable For it is the way of eternal death with torment wherein are things destructive to the Soul Idolatrie Boldness Sublimitie of power Hypocrisie Doubleness of heart Adulterie Murder Rapine Pride Transgression Deceit Malice Arrogance Witchcraft Magick Covetousness Want of the fear of God Persecutors of the good Haters of the truth Men who love but know not the wages of Righteousness Persons not adhering to that which is good nor to just judgement Men who regard not the widow nor fatherless being not watchful to the fear of God but to do evil from whom Meekness and Patience are far removed Lovers of vain things seekers of revenge such as have no pity for the poor nor endeavours to relieve the oppressed ready to detract nor knowing their Maker murderers of children corrupters of the figment of God such as turn away themselves from the needie oppress the oppressed advocates for the rich unjust judges of the poor and sinners every way It is therefore an excellent thing for him who learns the righteous commands of the Lord which are before written to walk in them for he who does them shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God but he who chooseth the other things shall perish with his works Therefore there is a Resurrection and a Retribution I intreat those who are eminent to take the counsel of my good will If ye have any amongst you upon whom ye may work forsake them not For the day is at hand in which all things shall perish together with him who is evil The Lord is at hand and his reward I intreat you again and again that ye be good Law-givers to your selves and that ye remain faithful counsellours to your selves Take away from amongst you all hypocrisie And may God who governs the whole world give to you wisdom science understanding and knowledge of his righteous judgements in patience Be ye taught of God seeking out what the Lord requireth from you and do that ye may be saved in the day of judgement And if there be any remembrance of good remember me meditating on these things that my desire and watchfulness for you may come to some good Begging grace I beseech you that as the good vessel is yet with you ye may fail in none of these things but search them out diligently that ye may fulfil every command For they are worthy things I therefore endeavoured the rather to write unto you of such things as I was able that I might cheer you up Be safe the sons 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 Companion of Saint Paul the Apostle A Postscript to the Reader THe Scope and designed end of this most excellent Epistle of Barnabas was to keep Christians from Judaizing and to fix them upon the substantial duties of Christ's Oeconomie whereof Moses Politie was but a shadow He sets down the types and the things typified the figures and the things prefigured shews in the former part what of Moses is done away and in the latter part what of Christ is come in place of it The Style is obscure because the subject is so If it please not Reader now it is translated thou maist it is to be hoped for that very reason pity the pains and pardon the mishaps and miscarriages in it of the Translatour Farewel FINIS Iren. epist ad Florin Iren. lib. 3. advers haeres c. 3. Tertul. in lib. de praescript advers haeres Euseb Eccles hist lib 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jerom. in Script eccles catalog Gildas in castig cler Britan. Euseb l. 4. c. 12. Euseb eccles hist lib. 4. Vid. Halloix vit Polycarp c. 16. Suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iren. epist ad Florin Photius in Bibliothec num 126. Jerom. in Scrip. Eccles catal Iren. advers haeres lib. 3. c. 3. Euseb Eccles hist. lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suid. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homil. 6. in Luc. In lib. de Synod Arimin Seleue. Iren lib. 5. advers haer s c. 28. Chrysostâ—in Ignat encom â—om 5. edit â—avil p. 499. Theod r. Dialog 1. Jerom. Scriptor eccles catalog Socrat. eccles hist l. 6. c. 8. Evagr. eccles hist lib. 1. c. 16. Gild as in cactigâ—â— Cler. Britan Jerom. in Script eccles catal Calvin Instit lib. 1. c. 13. Sect. 29. Vid. D. Rivet Critic Sacr. c. 1. Euseb Eccles hist. lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rivet Crit. Sacr. c. 1. Vid. D. Blund praef in animad contr D. Ham. p. 40. Euseb li. 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 1. Isai 58. Dan. 7. Isai 5. Matt. 22. Isai 53. Gen. 1. Isai 53. Zech. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉