Temple of the LORD shall be gloriously built in the Name of the LORD I find therefore that there is a Temple But how shall it be built in the Name of the LORD I will shew you Before that we belived in God the Habitation of our Heart was corruptible and feeble as a Temple truly built with Hands For it was a House full of Idolatry a House of Devils inasmuch as there was done in it whatsoever was contrary unto God But it shall be built in the Name of the LORD Consider how that the Temple of the LORD shall be very gloriously built And by what means that shall be learn Having received Remission of our Sins and trusting in the Name of the LORD we are become Renew'd being again created from the Beginning Wherefore God truly dwells in our House that is in us But how do's he dwell in us The Word of his Faith the Calling of his Promise the Wisdom of his Righteous Judgments the Commands of his Doctrine He himself prophecies within us he himself dwelleth in us and openeth to us who were in Bondage the Gate of Our Temple that is the Mouth of Wisdom having given Repentance to us and by this means has brought us into his incorruptible Temple He therefore that desires to be saved looketh not unto the Man but unto him that dwelleth in him and speaketh by him being struck with Wonder forasmuch as he never either heard him speaking such Words out of his Mouth nor ever desired to hear them This is that Spiritual Temple that is built unto the LORD XVII AND thus I trust I have declared to you as much and with as great Simplicity as I could those things which make for your Salvation so as not to have omitted any thing that might be requisite thereunto For should I speak farther of the Things that now are and of those that are to come you would not yet understand them seeing they lie in Parables This therefore shall suffice as to these things XVIII LET us now go on to the other kind of Knowledge and Doctrine There are two ways of Doctrine and Power The one of Light the other of Darkness But there is a great deal of difference between these two ways For over one are appointed the Angels of God the Leaders of the way of Light Over the others the Angels of Satan And the one is the LORD from Everlasting to Everlasting the other is the Prince of the Time of Unrighteousness XIX NOW the way of Light is this if any one desires to attain to the Place that is appointed for him and will hasten thither by his Works And the Knowledge that has been given to us of walking in it to this Effect * Thou shalt love him that made thee * Thou shalt glorifie him that hath redeemed thee from Death * Thou shalt be simple in Heart and * Rich in the Spirit * Thou shalt not cleave to those that walk in the Way of Death * Thou shalt hate to do any thing that is not pleasing unto God * Thou shalt abhor all Dissimulation * Thou shalt not neglect any of the Commands of the LORD * Thou shalt not exalt thy self but shalt be humble * Thou shalt not take Honour to thy self * Thou shalt not enter into any Wicked Counsel against thy Neighbour * Thou shalt not be confident in thy Heart * Thou shalt not commit * Fornication nor * Adultery Neither shalt thou * corrupt thy self with Mankind * Thou shalt not make use of the Speech which God has given thee to any Impurity * Thou shalt not accept any Mans Person when thou reprovest any ones Faults * Thou shalt be Gentle * Thou shalt be Quiet * Thou shalt tremble at the Words which thou hast heard * Thou shalt not keep any Hatred in thy Heart against thy Brother * Thou shalt not entertain any doubt whether it shall be or not * Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD in vain * Thou shalt love thy Neighbour above thy own Soul * Thou shalt not destroy thy Conceptions before they are brought forth nor kill them after they are born * Thou shalt not take off thy Hand from thy Son or from thy Daughter but shalt teach them from their youth the Fear of the LORD * Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Goods neither shalt thou be an Extortioner * Neither shall thy Heart be joined to proud Men but thou shalt be numbred among the Righteous and the Lowly * Whatever Troubles shall happen unto thee thou shalt receive them as good * Thou shalt not be double-minded or double-tongu'd for a double Tongue is the Snare of Death * Thou shalt be subject unto the LORD and to inferior Masters as to the Images of God in Fear and Reverence * Thou shalt not be bitter in thy Commands towards any of thy Servants that trust in God least thou chance not to fear him who is over both because he came not to call any with respect of Persons but whomsoever his Spirit had prepared * Thou shalt communicate to thy Neighbour of all thou hast Thou shalt not call any thing thine own For if ye partake in such things as are incorruptible how much more should ye do it in those that are Corruptible * Thou shalt not be forward to speak for the Mouth is the Snare of Death * As far as thou art able keep thy self Pure * Reach not out thine Hand to receive and with-hold it not when thou shouldst give * Thou shalt love as the Apple of thine Eye every one that speaketh unto thee the Word of the LORD * Call to thy Remembrance Day and Night the future Judgment * Thou shalt seek out every Day the Persons of the Righteous * And both seek by thy Speech and go forth to exhort and meditate how thou maiest save thine own Soul * Thou shalt also labour with thy Hands that thy Sins may be forgiven thee * Thou shalt not deliberate whether thou shouldst give * Nor having given murmur at it * Give to every one that asks so shalt thou know who is the good Rewarder of thy Gifts * Keep what thou hast received thou shalt neither add to it or take from it * Let the Wicked be always thy Aversion * Thou shalt judge righteous Judgment * Thou shalt never cause Divisions but shalt make Peace between those that are at variance and bring them together * Thou shalt confess thy Sins * And not come to thy Prayer with an Evil-Conscience This is the Way of Light XX. BUT the Way of Darkness is crooked and full of Cursing For it is the Way of Eternal Death with Punishment in which they that walk meet those things that destroy their own Souls Such are Idolatry Confidence Pride of Power Hypocrisie Double-Mindedness Adultery Murder Rapine Pride Transgression Deceit Malice Arrogance Witchcraft Covetousness and the Want of the Fear of God In this walk those who
and of the present Edition of it 1. THE next Piece that follows in the present Collection is the Epistle of St. Polycarp to the Philippians In placing of which I have follow'd the Example not so much of our most Reverend Archbishop Vsher as of St. Polycarp himself Though in the Order of Time the Epistles of Ignatius ought to have had the precedence St. Polycarp not writing this Letter to the Philippians till about the time that that glorious Martyr suffer'd for the Faith of Christ as from several Passages in the Epistle it self may plainly be made appear 2. FOR first Having in his ix th Chapter exhorted the Philippians to obey the Word of Righteousness and to exercise all Patience after the Examples of those Holy Men whom they had seen among them he particularly instances in Ignatius as one of them Now the Acts of the Martyrdom of that Holy Martyr tell us that the time when they beheld his Patience set forth before their Eyes was when he passed by them in Chains to Rome in order to his being cast to the wild Beasts according to the Sentence pronounced upon him by the Emperour Trajan By consequence that this Epistle must have been written some time after his Condemnation 3. BUT St. Polycarp goes yet farther and in the next Words supposes that Ignatius might have been dead at the time that he wrote to them For enforcing his Exhortation to them to follow the Examples of Ignatius and the rest of those excellent Men whom he there names he subjoyns Being confident of this that all these have not run in vain but in Faith and Righteousness and are gone to the place that was due to them from the LORD with whom also they suffered For they loved not this present World but him who died and was raised again by God for us In which words he evidently implies that Ignatius too as well as the rest of those whom he there mentions was by this time gone to the Place that was due to him from the LORD upon the Account of his Sufferings and by consequence had finished his Martyrdom 4. IT was then about the time of Ignatius's Death that S. Polycarp wrote this Epistle to the Philippians And yet that if this Holy Man had suffer'd it was but a very little time that he had done so is clear from another Passage of the same Epistle Where he desires the Philippians to send him word what they had heard with any Certainty concerning Ignatius and those that went to Rome with him And from whence it appears that though he supposed that Ignatius by that time might have suffer'd yet he had not received any certain Account of it but was still to learn the Manner and Circumstances of his Passion 5. NOW this will lead us to a yet more exact Conjecture of the time of St. Polycarp's writing the following Epistle viz. that it must have been just about the time of St. Ignatius's Death It being no way probable that had Ignatius been any long time dead so great a Bishop and so dear a Friend of his as St. Polycarp was should have been still to learn the Certainty of it 6. AND this may serve by the way not only to fix the Time when this Epistle was written but also to shew how groundless the Exception of those Men is against the Authority of it who pretend to find out a Contradiction between the two Passages I have now mentioned And would from thence infer either the utter Falseness of this whole Epistle or at least conclude that this latter part of it is none of Polycarp's but added by some latter hand to give the greater Credit to the Epistles of St. Ignatius which they are resolved by all means to reject as none of his For indeed were not Men willing to be contentious where is the Contradiction they so much boast of between the two Places I have before alledged Is it that in the former of them he sets before them the Sufferings of St. Ignatius and exhorts them to follow the Example of his Patience But 't is evident the Sufferings he there speaks of were those which the Philippians had seen in him The Weight of his Chains the Hardships of his Journey the Rudeness of the Souldiers that guarded him and of which the blessed Martyr himself complains in one of his Epistles and to add no more the Expectation of that cruel Death he was suddainly to undergo 7. BUT I suppose the Contradiction lies in what follows that in one place he speaks of him as if he had already suffered and yet in the other desires the Philippians to send him word what they heard of him Now what is there in all this that does not very well agree together St. Polycarp either by the Computation of the Arrival of Ignatius at Rome or by the Consideration of the Solemn Festival that was wont at that time to be held there and at which it was usual to exhibit such kind of Spectacles to the People or it may be lastly from the Accounts which he had received of the Holy Martyr from some of those that were with him did suppose nay if you will did not doubt but that Ignatius was dead when he wrote his Epistle to the Philippians Yet having not hitherto received any certain Account of it and being not sure whether he had suffered or no or if he had how he had been treated by his Enemies and how he had behaved himself in his last Encounter with the Beasts desires the Philippians who were much nearer to Rome than he was and might therefore very probably have heard much later from thence than he had done to send him a certain Account of what they knew as to this matter What is there in this I do not say that looks like a Contradiction but that is not very Natural And particularly most becoming the Love and Friendship of the Blessed Polycarp towards him concerning whom he so diligently enquired I am sure Photius who not only had read this Epistle but transcribed this last Passage out of it tho' as severe a Critick as any that have ever perused it since saw no Contradiction in it to any thing that went before Since if he had he was not of a Humour to have let it pass without making some Reflection or other upon it 8. LET me add yet more that neither could those see the Contradiction here pretended who in our present times would have been as forward as any to have made use of it to the Disadvantage of this Epistle had they had but the least Grounds so to do I shall instance only in Two the first the late Learned Divine of Leyden Monsieur le Moyne Who tho' he judged the Passage relating to St. Ignatius's Epistles which was wanting in his Manuscript to be abrupt and would from thence argue against the Authority of it yet has made no Reflection on the Words immediately following and in which those Others
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
what Persons they are to be perform'd That so all things being piously done unto all Well-pleasing they may be acceptable unto him They therefore who make their Offerings at the appointed Seasons are Happy and Accepted Because that obeying the Commandments of the Lord they are free from Sin And the same care must be had of the Persons that Minister unto him For the Chief Priest has his proper Services and to the Priests their proper Place is appointed And to the Levites appertain their proper Ministries And the Lay-man is confined within the Bounds of what is commanded to Lay-men XLI LET every one of you therefore Brethren bless God in his proper Station with a Good Conscience and with all Gravity not exceeding the Rule of his Service that is appointed to him The daily Sacrifices were not offer'd every where nor the Peace-offerings nor the Sacrifices appointed for Sins and Transgressions but only at Jerusalem Nor might they be offer'd in any Place there neither but only at the Altar before the Temple being first diligently examin'd by the High-Priest and the other Ministers we before mentioned They therefore who did any thing besides what was agreeable to his Will were punished with Death Consider Brethren by how much the better Knowledge God has vouchsafed unto us by so much the greater Danger are we exposed to XLII THE Apostles have Preached to us from our Lord JESUS CHRIST Jesus Christ from God Christ therefore was sent by God the Apostles by Christ So both their Offices were orderly fulfill'd according to the Will of God For having received their Command and being fully assured by the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and convinced by the Word of God and the Evidence of the Holy Spirit they went abroad publishing That the Kingdom of God was at Hand And thus Preaching through Countries and Cities and proving by the Spirit the first Fruits of their Conversions they appointed out of them Bishops and Ministers over such as should afterwards believe Nor was this any new Thing Seeing that long before it was written concerning Bishops and Deacons For thus saith the Scripture in a certain place I will appoint their Overseers in Righteousness and their Ministers in Faith XLIII AND what wonder if they to whom such a work was committed by God in Christ establish'd such Officers as we before mentioned When even that Blessed and Faithful Servant in all his House Moses set down in the Holy Scriptures all things that were commanded Him Whom also all the rest of the Prophets follow'd bearing witness with one consent to those things that were appointed by him For He perceiving an Emulation to arise among the Tribes concerning the Priesthood and that there was a Strife about it which of them should be Adorned with that Glorious Title commanded their twelve Captains to bring to him twelve Rods every Tribe being noted upon its Rod according to its Name And he took them and bound them together and sealed them with the Seals of the Twelve Princes of the Tribes and laid them up in the Tabernacle of Witness upon the Table of God And when he had shut the door of the Tabernacle he sealed up the Keys of it in like manner as he had done the Rods And said unto them Men and Brethren Which soever Tribe shall have its Rod Blossom that Tribe has God chosen to Himself to Minister unto Him in Holy Things And when Morning was come He called together All Israel six Hundred Thousand Men and shew'd to their Princes the Seals and opened the Tabernacle of Witness and brought forth the Rods. And the Rod of Aaron was found not only to have Blossom'd but also to have Fruit upon it What think you Beloved Did not Moses before know what should happen Yes verily But to the End there might be no Division nor Tumult in Israel He did in this manner that the Name of the True and Only God might be Glorified To Him be Honour for Ever and Ever Amen XLIV SO likewise our Apostles knew by our Lord Jesus Christ that there should Contentions arise upon the Account of the Ministry And therefore having a perfect fore-knowledge of this they appointed Persons as we have before said and then gave Direction How when they should die other chosen and approved Men should succeed in their Ministry Wherefore we cannot think that those may justly be thrown out of their Ministry who were either Appointed by Them or afterwards Chosen by Eminent Men with the Consent of the whole Church and have with all Lowliness and Innocency ministred to the Flock of Christ in Peace and without Self-interest and for a long time commended by all For it would be no small Sin in us should we cast off those from their Ministry who Holily and without Blame fulfil the Duties of it Blessed are those Priests who having finish'd their Course before these times have obtain'd a fruitful and perfect Dissolution For they have no fear lest any one should turn them out of the place in which they are now establish'd But we see how you have put out some who lived excellently among you from the Ministry with which they were rightly and innocently adorn'd XLV YE are Contentious Brethren and Zealous for things that pertain not unto Salvation Look into the Holy Scriptures which are the true words of the Holy Ghost Ye know that there is nothing unjust or Spurious in them There you shall not find that Just Men were ever cast off by such as were good themselves They were persecuted 't is true but it was by the Wicked and Ungodly They were cast into Prison but they were cast in by those that were Unholy They were stoned but it was by Sinners and Transgressors They were killed but by Accursed Men and such as had taken up an Unjust Envy against them And all these things they underwent Gloriously For what shall we say Brethren Was Daniel cast into the Den of Lyons by Men fearing God Ananias Azarias and Misael were they cast into the Fiery Furnace by Men professing the Excellent and Glorious Worship of the most High God forbid What kind of Persons then were they that did these things They were Men Abominable full of all Wickedness who were incensed to so great a Degree as to bring those into Sufferings who with a Holy and Unblamable Purpose of mind worshipped God Not knowing that the Most High is the Protector and Defender of all such as in a Pure Conscience serve his Holy Name To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen But they who with a full Perswasion have endured to the end are now made Partakers of Glory and Honour And are Exalted and lifted up by God in their Memorial throughout all Ages Amen XLVI WHEREFORE it will behove us also
will be able to Edifie your selves in the Faith that has been delivered unto you which is the Mother of us All being followed with Hope and led on by a general Love both towards God and towards Christ and towards our Neighbour For if any Man has these things he has fulfilled the Law of Righteousness For he that has Charity is faâ— from all Sin IV. BUT the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil. Knowing therefore that as we brought nothing into this World so neither may we carry any thing out Let us arm our selves with the Armour of Righteousness And teach our selves first to walk according to the Commandments of the Lord and then your Wives to walk likewise according to the Faith that is given to them in Charity and in Purity loving their own Husbands with all Sincerity and all others alike with all Temperance and to bring up their Children in the Instruction and Fear of the Lord. The Widows likewise teach that they be Sober and Discreet as to what concerns the Faith of the Lord Praying always for All Men being far from all Detraction Evil speaking false Witness from Covetousness and from all Evil Knowing that they are the Altars of God who sees all things and from whom nothing is hid Who searches out the very Reasonings and Thoughts and Secrets of our Hearts V. KNOWING therefore that God is not mocked we ought to walk worthy both of his Command and of his Glory Also the Deacons must be Blameless before Him as the Ministers of God in Christ and not of Men. Not false Accusers not Double-tongued not Lovers of Money but Moderate in all things Compassionate Careful walking according to the Truth of the Lord who was the Servant of all Whom if we please in this present World we shall also be made Partakers of that which is to come according as he has promised to us that he will raise us from the Dead And that if we shall walk worthy of him we shall also reign together with him if we believe In like manner the younger Men must be unblamable in all things Above all taking care of their Purity and to restrain themselves from all Evil. For it is good to be cut off from the Lusts that are in the World because every such Lust warreth against the Spirit And neither Fornicators nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with Mankind shall inherit the Kingdom of God nor they who do such things as are Foolish and Unreasonable Wherefore ye must abstain from all these things being subject to the Priests and Deacons as unto God and Christ. The Virgins admonish to walk in a spotless and pure Conscience VI. AND let the Elders be Compassionate and Merciful towards all turning them from their Errors seeking out those that are Weak not forgetting the Widows the Fatherless and the Poor but always providing what is Good both in the sight of God and Man Abstaining from all Wrath respect of Persons and unrighteous Judgment And especially being free from all Covetousness Not easie to believe any thing against any not severe in Judgment Knowing that we are all Debtors in point of Sin If therefore we pray to the Lord that he would forgive us we ought also to forgive others For we are all in the sight of our Lord and God and must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and every one give an account of Himself Let us therefore serve him in fear and with all Reverence as both Himself commanded and as the Apostles and Prophets have preach'd to us who have foretold the Coming of our Lord Being Zealous of what is Good abstaining from all Offence and from all false Brethren and from all that bear the Name of Christ in Hypocrisie who deceive vain Men. VII FOR whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh he is Antichrist And whoever does not confess his Suffering upon the Cross is from the Devil And whosoever perverts the Oracles of the Lord to his own Lusts and says that there shall neither be any Resurrection nor Judgment he is the first Born of Satan Wherefore leaving the Vanity of many and their false Doctrines let us hold fast to the Word that was delivered to us from the Beginning Watching unto Prayer and persevering in Fasting Beseeching with all Supplication the All-seeing God not to lead us into Temptation as the Lord hath said The Spirit truly is willing but the Flesh is weak VIII LET us therefore without ceasing keep stedfastly to Him who is our Hope and the Earnest of our Righteousness even Jesus Christ Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth But suffered all for us that we might live through Him Let us therefore imitate his Patience And if we suffer for his Name let us Glorifie him for this Example he has given us by Himself and so have we believed IX WHEREFORE I exhort all of you that ye obey the Word of Righteousness and exercise all Patience which ye have seen set forth before your Eyes not only in the Blessed Ignatius and Zozimus and Rufus but in others that have been among you and in Paul himself and the rest of the Apostles Being confident of this that all these have not run in vain but in Faith and Righteousness and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord with whom also they suffered For they loved not this present World but Him who died and was raised again by God for us X. STAND therefore in these things and follow the Example of the LORD being firm and immutable in the Faith Lovers of the Brotherhood Lovers of one another Companions together in the Truth being kind and gentle towards each other despising none When it is in your power to do good defer it not for Charity delivereth from death Be all of you subject one to another having your Conversation Honest among the Gentiles That by your good Works both ye your selves may receive Praise and the LORD may not be Blasphemed through you But Woe be to him by whom the Name of the LORD is Blasphemed Therefore teach all Men Sobriety in which do ye also exercise your selves XI I AM greatly afflicted for Valens who was once a Presbyter among you that he should so little understand the place that was given to Him in the Church Wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain from Covetousness and that ye be Chast and true of Speech Keep your selves from All Evil. For He that in these things cannot govern Himself How shall he be able to prescribe them to another If a Man does not keep himself from Covetousness He shall be polluted with Idolatry and be judged as if he were a
give Thanks If therefore the Son of God who is the LORD of all and shall come to judge both the Quick and Dead hath suffer'd that by his Stripes we might live Let us believe that the Son of God could not have suffer'd but for us But being crucified they gave him Gall and Vinegar to drink Hear therefore how the Priests of the Temple did foreshew this also The LORD by his Command which was written declar'd that whosoever did not fast the Appointed Fast should die the Death Because he also was one day to offer his Body for our Sins and so the Type of what was done in Isaac be fulfill'd who was offer'd upon the Altar What therefore is it that he says by the Prophet And let them eat of the Goat which is offer'd in the day of the Fast for all their Sins Harken diligently my Brethren And all the Priests and they only shall eat the Inwards not washed with Vinegar And why so Because I know that when I shall hereafter offer my Flesh for the Sins of a New People ye will give me Vinegar to drink mixed with Gall therefore do ye only eat the People fasting the while and lamenting in Sackcloath and Ashes That by this he might fore-shew that he was to suffer by them But hear then how he appointed it Take says he two Goats fair and alike and offer them And let the High Priest take one of them for a Burnt Offering And what must be done with the other Let it be accursed Consider how exactly this appears to have been a Type of Jesus And let all the Congregation spit upon it and prick it and put the Scarlet Wool about its Head And thus let it be carried forth into the Wilderness And this being done he that was appointed to convey the Goat led it into the Wilderness and took away the Scarlet Wool and put it upon a Thorn-Bush whose young Sprouts when we find them in the Field we are wont to eat So the Fruit of that Thorn only is sweet And to what end was this Ceremony Consider One was offered upon the Altar the Other was accursed And why was that which was accursed crown'd Because they shall see Christ in that Day having a Scarlet Garment about his Body and shall say Is not this he whom heretofore we crucified having despised him pierced him mocked him Certainly this is he who then said that he was the Son of God As therefore he shall be then like to what he was on Earth so were the Jews heretotore commanded to take two Goats Fair and Equal That when they shall see our Saviour hereafter coming in the Clouds of Heaven they may be amazed at the Likeness of the Goats Wherefore ye here again see a Type of Jesus who was to suffer for us But what then signifies this That the Wool was to be put into the midst of the Thorns This also is a Figure of Jesus set out to the Church For as he who would take away the Scarlet Wool must undergo many difficulties because that Thorn was very sharp and with difficulty get it So they says Christ that will see me and come to my Kingdom must through many Afflictions and Troubles attain unto me VIII BUT what Type do ye suppose it to have been where it is commanded in the Law that certain Men who had been guilty of many Sins should offer a Heifer and kill it and burn it And the young Men should take up the Ashes and put them in Vessels and tie a piece of Scarlet Wool and Hyssop upon a Stick and so the young Men should sprinkle every one of the People and they should be clear from their Sins Consider how all these things are delivered in a Figure to us This Heifer is Jesus Christ the Wicked Men that were to offer it are those Sinners who brought him to Death Who now are no longer Men there is no more any Glory of those Sinners remaining The young Men that sprinkled them signifie to us those who preach the Forgiveness of Sins and the Purification of the Heart to whom our LORD gave Authority to Preach his Gospel Being at the Beginning Twelve for a witness of the Tribes because there were Twelve Tribes of Israel But why were there Three young Men that were appointed to sprinkle the Sinners In Testimony of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that they were Great before God And why was the Wool put upon a Stick Because the Kingdom of Jesus was founded upon the Cross And therefore they that put their Trust in him shall live for ever But why was the Wool and Hyssop put together To signifie that in the Kingdom of Christ there shall be evil and base Days in which we shall be saved And because he that has any Disease in the Flesh is by Hyssop purged from the Pollution of it Wherefore these things being thus done to us indeed are evident but to the Jews they are obscure because they hearkned not unto the Voice of the LORD IX AND therefore the Scripture again speaks concerning our Ears that God has circumcised them together with our Hearts For thus saith the LORD in the Holy Prophet By the hearing of the Ear they obeyed me And again They who are afar off shall hear what things I have done and shall understand And again Circumcise your Hearts saith the LORD And again he saith Hear O Israel Thus saith the LORD thy God And again the Spirit of God prophesieth saying Who is there that would live for ever let him hear the Voice of my Son And again Hear O Heaven and give Ear O Earth Because the LORD has spoken these things for a Witness And again he saith Hear the word of the LORD ye Princes of the People And again Hear O Children The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness Wherefore he has circumcised our Ears that we should hear his Word and believe But as for that Circumcision in which the Jews trust it is abolished For the Circumcision of which God spake was not of the Flesh But they have transgressed his Commands because the Evil One hath deceived them For thus God bespeaks them Thus saith the LORD your God Here you may find the New Command Sow not upon Thorns Be circumcised to the LORD your God And what do's he mean by this Hearken unto your LORD and circumcise the Hardness of your Heart and harden not your Neck And again Behold saith the LORD all the Nations are uncircumcised they have not lost their Fore-Skin but this People is not circumcised in Heart But you will say the Jews were circumcised for a Sign And so are all the Syrians and Arabians and all the Priests of their Idols But are they therefore of the Covenant of Israel And even the Egyptians themselves are circumcised Understand therefore Children these
things more fully that Abraham who was the first that gave Circumcision in the Spirit looking forward to JESUS circumcised taking the Mystery of Three Letters For the Scripture says that Abraham circumcised three hundred and eighteen Men of his House But what therefore was the Mystery that was made known unto him I will tell you It consists first in the EIGHTEEN and next in the Three Hundred For the Numeral Letters of Ten and Eight are I H. And these denote JESUS And because the Cross was that by which we were to find Grace therefore he adds Three hundred the note of which is T the Figure of his Cross. Wherefore by two Letters he signified Jesus and by One his Cross. He who has put the Natural Gift of his Doctrin within in us knows that I never shew'd to any one a more Genuine Truth But I trust that ye are worthy of it X. BUT why did Moses say Ye shall not eat of the Swine neither the Eagle nor the Hawk nor the Crow nor any Fish that has not a Scale upon him I answer that under this outside Figure he comprehended three Spiritual Doctrins that were to be gathered from thence Besides which he says to them in the Book of Deutronomy and I will give my Statutes unto this People Wherefore it is not the Command of God that they should not eat but Moses in the Spirit spake unto them Now the Sow he forbad them to eat meaning thus much Thou shalt not join thy self to such Persons as are like unto Swine Who whilst they live in Pleasure forget their God but when any Want pinches them then they know the LORD As the Sow when she is full knows not her Master but when she is hungry she makes a Noise and being again fed is silent Neither says he shalt thou eat the Eagle nor the Hawk nor the Kite nor the Crow that is Thou shalt not keep Company with such kind of Men as know not how by their Labour and Sweat to get themselves Food But injuriosly ravish away the things of others and watch how to lay Snares for them when at the same time they appear to live in perfect Innocence So these Birds alone seek not Food for themselves but sitting idle seek how they may eat of the Flesh which Others have provided being destructive through their Wickedness Neither says he shalt thou eat the Lampry nor the Polypus nor the Cuttle-Fish that is thou shalt not be like such Men by using to converse with them Who are altogether wicked and adjudged to Death For so those Fishes are alone accursed and wallow in the Mire nor swim as other Fishes but tumble in the Dirt at the Bottom of the Deep But he adds Neither shalt thou eat of the Hare To what end To signifie this to us Thou shalt not be an Adulterer nor liken thy self to such Persons For the Hare every year multiplies the places of its Conception and as many years as it lives so many it has Neither shalt thou eat of the Hyena That is again Be not an Adulterer nor a Corrupter of others neither be like to such And wherefore so Because that Creature every year changes its kind and is sometimes Male and sometimes Female For which cause also he justly hated the Weesel to the end that they should not be like such persons who with their Mouths commit Wickedness by reason of their Uncleanness nor joyn themselves with those impure Women who with their Mouths commit Wickedness Because that Animal conceives with its Mouth Moses therefore speaking as concerning Meats deliver'd indeed three great Precepts to them in the Spiritual Signification of those Commands But they according to the desires of the Flesh understood him as if he had only meant it of Meats And therefore David took aright the Knowledge of his threefold Command saying in like manner Blessed is the Man that hath not walked in the Counsel of the Vngodly As the Fishes before mentioned in the Bottom of the Deep in Darkness Nor stood in the Way of Sinners As they who seem to fear the LORD but yet sin as the Sow And hath not sat in the Seat of the Scorners as those Birds who sit and watch that they may devour Here ye have this Matter perfectly set forth and according to the true knowledge of it But says Moses Ye shall eat all that divideth the Hoof and cheweth the Cud. Signifying thereby such an one as having taken his Food knows him that nourisheth him and resting upon him rejoyceth in him And in this he spake well having respect to the Commandment What therefore is it that he says That we should hold fast to them that fear the LORD with those who meditate on the Portion of the Word which they have received in their Heart with those that declare the Righteousness of the LORD and keep his Commandments In short with those who know that to Meditate is a Work of Pleasure and therefore exercise themselves in the Word of the LORD But why might they eat those that clave the Hoof Because the Righteous liveth in this present World but his Expectation is fixed upon the other See Brethren how admirably Moses commanded these things But how should we thus know all this and understand it We therefore understanding aright the Commandments speak as the Lord would have us Wherefore he has circumcised our Ears and our Hearts that we might know these things XI LET us now enquire whether the Lord took care to manifest any thing beforehand concerning WATER and the CROSS Now for the former of these it is written to the People of Israel how they shall not receive that BAPTISM which brings to Forgiveness of Sins but shall institute another to themselves that cannot For thus saith the Prophet Be astonish'd O Heaven and let the Earth tremble at it because this People have done two Great and Wicked things They have left me the Fountain of living Water and have digged for themselves broken Cisterns that can hold no Water Is my holy Mountain Zion a desolate Wilderness For ye shall be as a young Bird when its Nest is taken away And again the Prophet saith I will go before thee and will make plain the Mountains and will break the Gates of Brass and will snap in sundâ—r the Bars of Iron And will give thee dark and hidden and invisible Treasures that they may know I am the LORD God And again He shall dwell in the high Den of the strong Rock And then what follows concerning the Son His Water is faithful Ye shall see the King with Glory and your Soul shall learn the Fear of the LORD And again he saith in another Prophet He that do's these things shall be like a Tree planted by the Currents of Water which shall give its Fruit in its Season It s Leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he
it that they should be the first People and Heirs of the Covenant If therefore God shall have yet farther taken Notice of this by Abraham too Our Understanding of it will then be perfectly established What then saith the Scripture to Abraham when he believed and it was imputed unto him for Righteousness Behold I have made thee a Father of the Nations which without Circumcision believe in the LORD XIV LET us therefore now enquire whether God has fulfilled the Covenant which he sware to our Fathers that he would give this People Yes verily He gave it But they were not worthy to receive it by reason of their Sins For thus saith the Prophet And Moses continued fasting in Mount Sinai to receive the Covenant of the LORD with the People forty Days and forty Nights And he received of the LORD two Tables written with the Finger of the LORD'S Hand in the Spirit And Moses when he had received them brought them down that he might deliver them to the People And the LORD said unto Moses Moses Moses get thee down quickly for the People which thou broughtest out of the Land of Egypt have done Wickedly And Moses understeod that they had again set up a Molten Image and he cast the two Tables out of his Hands and the Tables of the Covenant of the LORD were broken Moses therefore received them but they were not worthy Now then learn how we have received them Moses being a Servant took them but the LORD himself has given them unto us that we might be the People of his Inheritance having suffered all things for us And it was therefore made manifest that they should fill up the Measure of their Sins and that we being made Heirs by him should receive the Covenant of the LORD Jesus And again the Prophet saith Behold I have set thee for a Light unto the Gentiles to be the Saviour of all the Ends of the Earth saith the LORD the God who hath redeemed thee Who for that very End was prepared that by his Own appearing he might redeem our Hearts already devoured by Death and delivered over to the Irregularity of Error from Darkness and establish a Covenant with us by his Word For so it is written that the Father commanded him by delivering of us from Darkness to prepare unto himself a Holy People Wherefore the Prophet saith I the LORD thy God have called thee in Righteousness and I will take thee by the Hand and will strenghthen thee And give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles To open the Eyes of the Blind to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison-House Consider therefore from whence we have been redeemed And again the Prophet saith The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he hath anointed me he hath sent me to preach glad Tidings to the Lowly to heal the broken in Heart to preach Remission to the Captives and sight unto the Blind To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the Day of Restitution to comfort all that mourn XV. FURTHERMORE it is written concerning the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments which God spake in the Mount Sinai to Moses Face to Face Sanctifie the Sabbath of the LORD with pure Hands and with a clean Heart And elsewhere he saith If thy Children shall keep my Sabbaths then will I put my Mercy upon them And even in the beginning of the Creation he makes mention of the Sabbath And God made in six Days the Works of his Hands and he finished them on the seventh Day and he rested the seventh day and sanctified it Consider my Children what that signifies he finish'd them in six Days The meaning of it is this that in six thousand years the LORD God will bring all things to an End For with him One Day is a Thousand Years as himself testifieth saying Behold this day shall be as a thousand years Therefore Children in six Days that is in six thousand years shall All things be accomplished And rested the Seventh Day He meaneth this that when his Son shall come and abolish the Season of the Wicked One and jugde the Ungodly and shall change the Sun and the Moon and the Stars then he shall gloriously rest in that seventh Day He adds lastly Thou shalt sanctifie it with clean Hands and a pure Heart Wherefore we are greatly deceived if we imagin that any one can now sanctifie that Day which God has made Holy without having a Heart pure in all things He will therefore then truly sanctifie it with blessed Rest when we having received the righteous Promise when Iniquity shall be no more all things being renewed by the LORD shall be able to sanctifie it being our selves first made Holy Lastly he saith unto them Your New Moons and your Sabbaths I cannot bear them Consider what he means by it The Sabbaths says he which ye now keep are not acceptable unto me but those which I have made when resting from all things I shall begin the Eighth Day that is the Beginning of the other World For which cause we observe the Eighth Day with Gladness in which Jesus both rose from the dead and manifested himself to his Disciples and so ascended into Heaven XVI IT remains yet that we speak to you concerning the Temple How those miserable Men being deceived have put their trust in the House and not in God himself who made them as if it were the Habitation of God Much after the same manner as the Gentiles have consecrated him in their Temples But learn therefore how the LORD speaketh rendring the Temple vain Who has measured the Heaven with a Span and the Earth with his Hand Is it not I Thus saith the LORD Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstool What is the House that ye will build me Or what is the place of my Rest Know therefore that all their Hope is vain And again he speaketh after this manner Behold they that destroy this Temple even they shall build another And so it came to pass For through their Wars it is now destroy'd by their Enemies and the Servants of their Enemies build it up Farthermore it has been made manifest how both the City and the Temple and the People of Israel should be given up For the Scripture saith And it shall come to pass in the last days that the LORD will deliver up the Sheep of his Pasture and their Fold and their Tower unto Destruction And it has come to pass as the LORD hath spoken Let us enquire therefore whether there be any Temple of God Yes there is And that there where himself declares that he would both make and establish it For it is written And it shall be that as soon as the Week shall be compleated the
are the Persecutors of them that are good Haters of Truth Lovers of Lies who know not the Reward of Righteousness nor cleave to any thing that is good Who administer not righteous Judgment to the Widdow and Orphan who watch for Wickedness and not for the Fear of the LORD From whom Gentleness and Patience are far off Who love Vanity and follow after Rewards Having no Compassion upon the Poor nor take any pains for such as are heavy laden and Opressed Ready to evil speaking not knowing him that made them Murderers of Children Corrupters of the Creature of God That turn away from the Needy Oppress the Afflicted The Adorers of the Rich but unjust Judges of the Poor being Altogether Sinners XXI IT is therefore fitting that learning the just Commands of the LORD which we have before mentioned we should walk in them For he that do's such things shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God But he that chuses the other part shall be destroyed together with his Works For this cause there shall be both a Resurrection and a Retribution I beseech those that are Excellent among you if so be you will take the Counsel which with a good intention I offer to you You have those with you towards whom you may do good Do not forsake them For the Day is at hand in which All things shall be destroyed together with the Wicked One. The LORD is near and his Reward is with him I beseech you therefore again and again be as good Law-givers to one another continue faithful Counsellors to each other Remove from among you all Hypocrisie And may God the LORD of all the World give you Wisdom Knowledge Understanding and a true apprehension of his Judgments in Patience Be ye taught of God Seeking what it is the LORD requires of you and doing it that ye may be saved in the Day of Judgment And if there be among you any remembrance of what is good think of me meditating upon these things that both your Desire and your Watching may turn to some good account I beseech you I ask it as a Favour of you Whilst you are in this beautiful Tabernacle of the Body be wanting in none of these things but without ceasing seek them and fulfill every Command For these things are fitting and worthy to be done Wherefore I have given the more diligence to write unto you according to my Ability that you might rejoice Farewel Children of Love and Peace The LORD of Glory and of all Grace be with your Spirit Amen The End of the Epistle of BARNABAS the Apostle and Companion of St. PAUL the Apostle THE SHEPHERD OF St. HERMAS THE CONTENTS The First BOOK Vision I. AGAINST Filthy and Proud Thoughts Also the Correction of HERMAS for his Neglect of his Sons II. Again of his Neglect in correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his own Manners III Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant And of the several Orders of Reprobates IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. The Second BOOK An Introduction to the following COMMANDS Command I. OF Believing in One God II. That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity III. Of Avoiding Lying And the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation IV. Of putting away Ones Wife for ADULTERY V. Of the Sadness of the Heart and of Patience VI. That every Man has two Angels and of the Suggestions of both VII That we must fear God but not the Devil VIII That we must flee from Evil and do Good IX That we must ask of God daily and without doubting X. Of the Sadness of the Heart and that we must take heed not to grieve the Spirit of God that is in us XI That the Spirits and Prophets are to be tried by their Works and of a Two-fold Spirit XII Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe The Third BOOK Similitude I. THAT seeing we have no abiding City in this World we ought to look after that which is to come II. As the Vine is supported by the Elm so is the Rich-Man help'd by the Prayers of the Poor III. As the Green Trees in the Winter cannot be distinguish'd from the Dry so neither can the Righteous from the Wicked in this present World IV. As in Summer the living Trees are distinguish'd from the Dry by their Fruit and Green Leaves so in the World to come the Righteous shall be distinguish'd from the Unrighteous by their Happiness V. Of a True Fast and the Reward of it Also of the Cleanness of the Body VI. Of two Sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains VII That they who Repent must bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance VIII That there are many kinds of Elect and of Repenting Sinners And how all of them shall receive a Reward proportionable to the Measure of their Repentance and Good Works IX The Greatest Mysteries of the Militant and Triumphant Church which is to be built X. Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds The First BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His VISIONS The First VISION Against filthy and proud Thoughts also the Correction of Hermas for his Neglect of his Sons I. HE who had bred me up Sold a certain young Maid at Rome whom when I saw many Years after I remembred her and began to love her as a Sister It happen'd some time afterwards that I saw her wash'd in the River Tyber and I reach'd out my hand unto her and help'd her out of the River And when I saw her I thought with my self saying That I should be happy had I fortun'd to have met with a Wife like unto her both for her Beauty and Manners This I thought with my self nor did I think any thing more But not long after as I was walking and musing on these Thoughts I began to honor the Creature of God thinking with my self how noble and beautiful it is And when I had walk'd a little I fell asleep And the Spirit caught me away and carried me through a certain Place towards the Right-hand through which no Man could pass It was a Place among Rocks very steep and unpassable for Water When I was past this Place I came into a Plain and there falling down upon my Knees I began to pray unto the LORD and to confess my Sins And as I was praying the Heaven was opened and I saw the Woman which I had coveted saluting me from Heaven and saying HERMAS hail And I looking upon her answered Lady What dost thou do here She answered me I am taken up hither to convince thee of Sin unto the LORD Lady said I Wilt thou convince me No said she but hear the Words which I am about to speak unto thee God who dwelleth in Heaven and hath made All things out of Nothing and
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
stands and is deliver'd from his former Sorrow and sits not but acts manfully So you having heard the Revelation which God revealed unto you because God had Compassion upon you and renew'd your Spirit both laid aside your Infirmities and Strength came to you and you grew strong in the Faith and God seeing your Strength rejoyced For this cause he shewed you the Building of the Tower and will shew other things unto you if you shall have Peace with all your Heart among each other XIII BUT in the third Vision you saw her yet younger fair and chearful and of a serene Countenance For as if some good News comes to one that is sad he straightway forgets his Sadness and regards nothing else but the good News which he has heard and for the rest he is comforted and his Spirit is renew'd through the Joy which he has received Even so you have been renew'd in your Spirit by seeing these good things And for that you saw her sitting upon a Bench it denotes a strong Position because a Bench has four Feet and stands strongly And even the World its self is kept up by the four Elements They therefore that repent perfectly shall be young and they that turn from their Sins with their whole Heart shall be establish'd And now you have the Revelation fully ask no more to have any thing farther revealed unto you But if any thing be to be revealed it shall be made manifest unto you VISION IV. Of the Tryal and Tribulation that is about to come upon Men. I. I Saw a Vision Brethren twenty Days after the former Vision a Figure of the Tribulation that is at hand I was walking in the Field Way Now from the publick Way to the Mannour whither I went is about ten Furlongs It is a Way very little frequented And as I was walking alone I entreated the LORD that he would confirm the Revelations which he had shew'd unto me by his Holy Church and would grant Repentance to all his Servants who had been offended that his great and honourable Name might be glorified and because he thought me Worthy to whom he might shew his Wonders and that I might honour him and give thanks unto him And behold somewhat like a Voice answer'd me Doubt not HERMAS Wherefore I began to think and say within my self why should I doubt seeing I am thus setled by the LORD and have seen such glorious things I had gone but a little farther Brethren when behold I saw a Dust rise up to Heaven I began to say within my self Is there a Drove of Cattle coming that raises such a Dust It was about a Furlong off from me And behold I saw the Dust rise more and more insomuch that I began to suspect that there was somewhat extraordinary in it And the Sun shone a little and behold I saw a great Beast as it were a Whale and fiery Locusts came out of his Mouth The Heigth of the Beast was about a hundred Feet and he had a Head like a large Earthen Vessel I began to weep and to pray unto the LORD that he would deliver me from it Then I call'd to mind the Word which I had heard Doubt not HERMAS Wherefore Brethren putting on the Faith of God and remembring who it was that had taught me great things I deliver'd my self boldly unto the Beast Now the Beast came on in such a manner as if it could with one Blast have devour'd a City I came near unto it and the Beast extended its whole Bulk upon the Ground and put forth nothing but its Tongue nor once moved its self till I had quite pass'd by it Now the Beast had upon its Head four Colours first Black then a Red and Bloudy Colour then a Golden and then a White II. AFTER that I had pass'd by it and was gon forward about thirty Foot behold there met me a certain Virgin well-adorn'd as if she had been just come out of her Bride-Chamber all in white having on white Shoes and a Vail down her Face and cover'd with shining Hair Now I know by my former Visions that it was the Church and thereupon grew the more chearful And she saluted me saying Hail O Man I return'd the Salutation saying Lady Hail She answering said unto me Did nothing meet you O Man I replyed Lady There met me such a Beast as seem'd able to devour a whole People But by the Power of God and through his singular Mercy I escap'd it Thou didst escape it well said she because thou didst cast thy whole Care upon God and open'dst thy Heart unto him believing that thou couldst be safe by no other than by his Great and Honourable Name For this cause the LORD sent his Angel who is over the Beasts whose Name is HEGRIN and stopp'd his Mouth that he should not devour thee Thou hast escap'd a great Tryal by means of thy Faith and because thou didst not doubt for such a terrible Beast Go therefore and relate to the Elect of God the great things that he hath done for thee And thou shalt say unto them that this Beast is the Figure of the Tryal that is about to come If therefore ye shall have prepared your selves ye may escape it if your Heart be pure and without Spot and if ye shall serve God all the rest of your Days without complaint Cast all your Cares upon the LORD and he will direct them Believe in God ye doubtful because he can do all things He can both turn away his Wrath from you and send you Help and Security Wo to the double-minded to those who shall hear these Words and shall despise them It had been better for them that they had not been born III. THEN I ask'd her concerning the four Colours which the Beast had upon its Head But she answer'd me saying Again art thou curious in that thou askest concerning these things And I said unto her Lady Shew me what they are Hear said she The Black which thou sawest denotes the World in which you dwell The Fiery and Bloudy Colour signifies that this Age must be destroyed by Fire and Bloud The Golden Part are ye who have escaped out of it For as Gold is try'd by the Fire and is made Profitable so are ye also in like manner try'd who dwell among the Men of this World They therefore that shall endure to the end and be proved by them shall be purged And as Gold by this Tryal is cleansed and loses it Dross so shall ye also cast away all Sorrow and Trouble and be made pure for the Building of the Tower But the White Colour denotes the time of the World which is to come in which the Elect of God shall inhabit Because the Elect of God shall be pure and without Spot unto Life Eternal Wherefore do not thou cease to speake these things in the Ears of the Saints Here ye have the Figure of the great Tribulation that is
about to come which if you please shall be nothing to you Keep therefore in mind the things which I have said unto you When she had spoken thus much she departed But I saw not whither she went But suddainly I heard a Noise and I turn'd back being afraid for I thought that the Beast was coming toward me The Second BOOK OF St. HERMAS Which is Called His COMMANDS The Introduction WHEN I had pray'd at home and was sate down upon the Bed a certain Man came in to me with a Reverend Look in the Habit of a SHEPHERD cloath'd with a white Cloak having his Bag upon his Back and his Staff in his Hand and saluted me I return'd his Salutation and immediately he sate down by me and said unto me I am sent by that Venerable Messenger that I should dwell with thee all the remaining Days of thy life But I thought that he was come to try me and said unto him Who are you For I know to whom I am delivered He said unto me Do you not know me I answer'd No. I am said he that SHEPHERD to whose Care you are delivered Whilst he was yet speaking his Shape was changed and when I knew that it was he to whom I was committed I was asham'd and a suddain Fear came upon me and I was utterly overcome with Sadness because I had spoken so foolishly unto him But he said unto me Be not asham'd but stir up Vertue in thy Mind through the Commands which I am about to deliver unto thee For said he I am sent to shew unto thee all those things again which thou hast seen before and especially such of them as may be of most use unto you And first of all write my COMMANDS and SIMILITUDES that by often reading of them you may the more easily keep them in Memory Whereupon I wrote his Commands and Similitudes as he bad me Which things if when you have heard ye shall observe to do them and shall exercise your selves in them and walk according to them with a pure Mind ye shall receive from the LORD those things which he has promised unto you But if having heard them ye shall not repent but shall still go on to add to your Sins ye shall be punish'd by him All these things that SHEPHERD the Angel of Repentance commanded me to write The First COMMAND Of Believing in ONE GOD. FIRST of all believe that there is One God who created and finished All things and made All things out of Nothing He comprehends all things and is only Immense not to be comprehended by Any Who can neither be defined by any Words nor conceived by the Mind Therefore believe in him and fear him and fearing him abstain from all Evil. Keep these things and cast all Iniquity far from thee and put on Righteousness and thou shalt live to God if thou shalt keep this Commandment The Second COMMAND That we must avoid Detraction and do our Alms-Deeds with Simplicity I. HE said unto me Be innocent and without disguise so shalt thou be like an Infant who knows no Malice which destroys the Life of Man And especially see that thou speak Evil of None nor willingly hear any one speak Evil of Any For if thou shalt hear them thou shalt be partaker of the Sin of him that speaketh Evil and by believing such a one thou also shalt have Sin because thou believedst him that spake Evil of thy Brother Detraction is a pernicious thing an inconstant Evil Spirit that never continues in Peace but is always in Discord Wherefore refrain thy self from it and keep Peace evermore with thy Brother Put on a Holy Constancy in which there are no Sins but all is full of Joy and do good of thy Labours Give without distinction to all that are in Want not doubting to whom thou givest But give to All for God will have us give to all of the Goods which he dispenses to us They therefore that receive shall give an Account to God both wherefore they received and for what End And they that receive without a real need shall give an account for it but he that gives shall be Innocent For he has fulfill'd his Duty as he received it from God not making any Choice to whom he should give and to whom not And this Service he did with Simplicity and to the Glory of God Keep therefore this Command according as I have deliver'd it unto thee that thy Repentance may be found to be sincere and that Good may come to thy House and have a pure Heart The Third COMMAND Of avoiding Lying and the Repentance of HERMAS for his Dissimulation MOREOVER he said unto me Love Truth and let all the Speech be true which proceeds out of thy Mouth that the Spirit which the LORD hath appointed in thy Flesh may be found true towards all Men and the LORD be magnified who hath given such a Spirit unto thee Because God is true in all his Words and there is no Lie found in him But they that lie deny the LORD not rendring to God what they received from him For they received the Spirit without a Lie if therefore they make that a Lyar they defile the Commandment of the LORD and become Deceivers And when I heard this I wept bitterly And when he saw me weeping he said unto me Why weepest thou And I said Because Sir I doubt whether I can be saved He ask'd me Wherefore I reply'd Because Sir I never spake a true Word in my Life but always lived in Dissimulation and affirm'd a Lie for Truth to all Men and no Man contradicted me but all gave Credit to my Words How then can I live seeing I have done in this manner And he said unto me Thou thinkest well and truly For thou oughtest as the Servant of God to have walked in the Truth and not have joyn'd an Evil Conscience with the Spirit of Truth nor have grieved the Holy and true Spirit of God And I reply'd unto him Sir I never before hearkned so diligently to these things He answer'd Now thou hearest them Take care from henceforth that even those things which thou hast formerly spoken falsly for the sake of thy Business may by thy present Truth receive Credit For even those things may be credited if for the time to come thou shalt speak the Truth and by so doing thou mayst attain unto Life And whosoever shall hearken unto this Command and do it and shall depart from all Lying he shall live unto God The Fourth COMMAND Of putting away ones Wife for Adultery I. FURTHERMORE said he I command thee that thou keep thy self Chast and that thou suffer not any thought of any other Marriage or of Fornification to enter into thy Heart For such a Thought produces a great Sin But be thou at all times mindful of the LORD and thou shalt never sin For if such an Evil
Thought should arise in thy Heart thou wouldst be guilty of a great Sin and they who do such things follow the way of Death Look therefore to thy self and keep thy self from such a Thought For where Chastity remains in the Heart of a Righteous Man there an Evil Thought ought never to arise And I said unto him Sir Suffer me to speak a little with you He bad me Say on And I answer'd Sir If a Man shall have a Wife that is faithful in the LORD and shall catch her in Adultery shall a Man sin that continues to live still with her And he said unto me As long as he is ignorant of her Sin he commits no fault in living with her But if a Man shall know his Wife to have offended and she shall not repent of her Sin but go on still in her Fornication and a Man shall continue nevertheless to live with her he shall become guilty of her Sin and partake with her in her Adultery And I said unto him what therefore is to be done if the Woman continues on in her Sin He answered Let her Husband put her away and let him continue by himself But if he shall put away his Wife and marry another he also shall commit Adultery And I said What if the Woman that is so put away shall repent and be willing to return to her Husband shall she not be received by him He said unto me Yes and if her Husband shall not receive her he will sin and commit a great Offence against himself But he ought to receive her though an Offender if she repents only not often For to the Servants of God there is but one Repentance And for this Cause a Man that putteth away his Wife ought not to take another because she may repent This Act is alike both in the Man and in the Woman Now they commit Adultery not only who pollute their Flesh but who also make an Image If therefore a Woman perseveres in any thing of this kind and repents not depart from her and live not with her Otherwise thou also shalt be Partaker of her Sin But it is therefore commanded that both the Man and Woman should remain unmarried because such Persons may repent Nor do I in this administer any Occasion for the doing of these things so but rather that whoso has offended should not offend any more But for their former Sins God who has the Power of Healing will give a Remedy For it is he who can do all things II. I ASKED him again and said Seeing my LORD has thought me worthy with whom to dwell continually speak a few Words unto me because I understand nothing and my Heart is hardned through my former Conversation and open my Understanding because I am very dull and apprehend nothing at all And he answering said unto me I am the Minister of Repentance and give Understanding to all that repent Do's it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent Because he that do's so gets a great Feeling For he feels himself to have sinn'd and done wickedly in the sight of the LORD and he remembers within himself that he has offended and repents and do's no more wickedly but do's that which is good and humbles his Soul and afflicts it because he has offended You see therefore that Repentance is a deep Sense And I said unto him For this cause Sir I enquire diligently into all things because I am a Sinner that I may know what I must do that I may live and because my Sins are many And he said unto me Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And whosoever shall hear and do these Commands shall live unto God III. AND I said unto him I have even now heard from certain Teachers that there is no other Repentance besides that of Baptism when we go down into the Water and receive the Forgiveness of our Sins and that after that we must sin no more but live in Purity And he said unto me thou hast been rightly inform'd Nevertheless seeing now thou enquirest diligently into all things I will manifest this also unto thee yet not so as to give any Occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe or who have already believ'd in the LORD For neither they who have already believed or who shall hereafter believe have any Repentance of Sins but Forgiveness of them But as to those who are already called the LORD before that time appointed Repentance Because God knoweth the Thoughts of all Mens Hearts and their Infirmities and the manifold Wickedness of the Devil who is always contriving something against the Servants of God and maliciously lays Snares for them Therefore our merciful LORD had Compassion towards his Creature and appointed that Repentance and gave unto me the Power of it And therefore I say unto thee If any one after that Great and Holy Calling shall be tempted by the Devil and Sin he has but one Repentance But if he shall often sin and repent it shall not profit such a one for he shall hardly live unto God And I said Sir I am restored again to Life since I have thus diligently hearken'd to these Commands For I perceive that if I shall not hereafter add any more to my Sins I shall be saved And he said Thou shalt be saved and so shall all others as many as shall observe these Commandments IV. AND again I said unto him Sir seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more Tell me saith he what it is And I said If a Husband or Wife die and the Party which survives marry again do's he sin in so doing He that marries says he sins not Howbeit if he shall remain single he shall thereby gain to himself great Honour with the LORD Keep therefore thy Chastity and Modesty and thou shalt live unto God Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee and command thee to observe from the time that I have been deliver'd unto thee and dwell in thy House So shall thy former Sins be forgiven if thou shalt keep these my Commandments And in like manner shall all others be forgiven who shall observe these my Commandments The Fifth COMMAND Of the Sadness of the Heart And of Patience I. BE Patient says he and of an Even-Mind so shalt thou have Dominion over all Wicked Works and shalt fulfil all Righteousness For if thou shalt be Patient the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee shall be pure and not be darkned by any other Evil Spirit But being full of Joy shall be enlarged and feast in the Body in which it dwells and shall appear before the LORD with Joy and in great Peace But if any Anger shall over-take thee presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightned and seek to depart from thee For he is
you shall find it empty as you stopp'd it up So those empty Prophets when they come among the Spirits of the Just are found to be such as they came Thus you see the Life of each of these kind of Prophets Wherefore prove that Man by his Life and Works who says that he hath the Holy Spirit And believe the Spirit which comes from God and has Power as such But believe not the Earthly Spirit in whom there is no Trust nor Vertue but he is empty because he is from the Devil Hear now the Similitude which I am about to speak unto thee Take a Stone and throw it up towards Heaven or take a Spout of Water and mount it up thither-ward and see if thou canst reach unto Heaven Sir said I How can this be done For neither of those things which you have mentioned are possible to be done And he answer'd Therefore as these things cannot be done so is the Earthly Spirit without Vertue and without Effect Understand yet farther the Power of the other in this Similitude The Grains of Hail that drop down are exceeding small and yet when they fall upon the Head of a Man how do they cause Pain to it And again consider the Droppings of a House how the little Drops falling upon the Earth work a Hollow in the Stones So in like manner the least things which come from above and fall upon the Earth have great force Wherefore join thy self to this Spirit which has Power and depart from the other which is empty The Twelfth COMMAND Of a two-fold Desire That the Commands of God are not impossible And that the Devil is not to be feared by them that Believe I. AGAIN he said unto me Remove from thee all Evil Desires and put on all Good and Holy Desires For having put on a good Desire thou shalt hate that which is Evil and bridle it as thou wilt But an Evil Desire is dreadful and hard to be appeas'd It is very horrible and wild and by its Wildness consumes Men. And especially if the Servant of God shall chance to fall into it except he be very Wise he shall be ruined by it For it destroys those who have not the Garment of a good Desire and engages them in the Affairs of this present World and delivers them unto Death Sir said I What are the Works of an evil Desire which shall bring Men unto Death Shew them to me that I may depart from them Hear said he in what Works an evil Desire shall bring the Servants of God unto Death The Spirit of all Men is Earthly and light and has no Vertue and speaks much I said How then shall a Man be able to discern them Consider what I am going to say concerning both kinds of Men and as I speak unto thee so shalt thou prove the Prophet of God and the False Prophet And first try the Man who hath the Spirit of God because the Spirit which is from above is humble and quiet and departs from all Wickedness and from the vain Desires of the present World and makes himself more humble than all Men and answers to none when he is ask'd nor to every one singly neither do's the Spirit of God speak to a Man when he will but speaks when God pleases When therefore a Man who has the Spirit of God shall come into the Church of the Righteous who have the Faith of God and they pray unto the LORD then the Holy Angel of God fills that Man with the Blessed Spirit and he speaks in the Congregation as he is moved by God Thus therefore is the Spirit of God known because whosoever speaks by the Spirit of God speaketh as the LORD will II. HEAR now concerning the Earthly Spirit which is empty and foolish and without Vertue And first of all the Man who may be supposed to have this Spirit exalteth himself and desires to have the first Seat and is wicked and full of Words and spends his time in Pleasure and in all manner of Voluptuousness and receives the Reward of his Divination Which if he receives not he do's not divine Although the Spirit of God may receive Reward and Divine But it becomes not the Prophet of God so to do But it is an evil Desire to covet another Mans Wife or for a Woman to covet anothers Husband as also to desire the Dainties of Riches and Multitude of superfluous Meats and Drunkenness and many Delights For in much Delicacy there is Folly and many Pleasures are needless to the Servants of God Such Lusting therefore is evil and pernicious which brings to Death the Servants of God For all such Lusting is from the Devil Whosoever therefore shall depart from all evil Desires shall live unto God But they that are subject unto them shall die for ever For this evil Lusting is deadly Do thou therefore put on the Desire of Righteousness and being armed with the Fear of the LORD resist all wicked Lusting For Fear dwelleth in good Desires and when evil Coveting shall see thee arm'd with the Fear of the LORD and resisting it it will flie far from thee and not appear before thee but be afraid of thy Armour and thou shalt have the Victory and be crown'd for it and shalt attain unto that Desire which is good and shalt give the Victory which thou hast obtain'd unto God and shalt serve him in doing what thou thy self wouldst do For if thou shalt be subject to good Desires and follow them thou shalt be able to get the Dominion over thy wicked Lustings and they shall be subject to thee as thou wilt III. AND I said Sir I would know how I ought to serve that Desire which is good Hearken said he Fear God and put thy Trust in him and love Truth and Righteousness and do that which is good If thou shalt do these things thou shalt be an approved Servant of God and shalt serve him And when he had fulfilled these Twelve Commands he said unto me Thou hast now these Commands walk in them and exhort those that hear them that they repent and that they keep their Repentance pure all the remaining Days of their Life And fulfil diligently this Service which I commit to thee and thou shalt receive great Advantage by it and shalt find Favour with all such as shall repent and shall believe thy Words For I am with thee and will force them to believe And I said unto him Sir These Commands are Great and Excellent and able to chear the Heart of that Man that shall be able to keep them But Sir I cannot tell whether they can be observed by any Man He answer'd Thou shalt easily keep these Commands and they shall not be hard Howbeit if thou shalt suffer it once to enter into thy Heart that they cannot be kept by any one thou shalt not fulfil them But now I say unto thee If thou shalt not observe these Commands but shalt
Also of the Cleanness of the Body I. AS I was fasting and sitting down in a certain Mountain and giving Thanks unto God for all the things that he had done unto me behold I saw the Shepherd who was wont to converse with me sitting by me and saying unto me What has brought thee hither thus early in the Morning I answer'd Sir To Day I keep a Station He answer'd What is a Station I reply'd It is a Fast. He said What is that Fast I answer'd I fast as I have been wont to do Ye know not said he what it is to fast unto God nor is this a Fast which ye fast profiting nothing with God Sir said I what makes you speak thus He reply'd I speak it because this is not the true Fast which you think that you fast but I will shew you what that is which is a compleat Fast and acceptable unto God Hearken said he The LORD do's not desire such a needless Fast For by Fasting in this manner thou advancest nothing in Righteousness But the true Fast is this Do nothing wickedly in thy Life but serve God with a pure Mind and keep his Commandments and walk according to his Precepts nor suffer any wicked Desire to dwell in thy Mind And trust in the LORD that if thou dost these things and fearest him and abstainest from every evil Work thou shalt live unto God If thou shalt do this thou shalt perfect a great Fast and an acceptable one unto the LORD II. HEARKEN unto the Similitude which I am about to propose unto thee as to this matter A certain Man having a Farm and many Servants planted a Vineyard in a certain part of his Estate for his Posterity And taking a Journey into a far Country chose one of his Servants which he thought the most faithful and approved and deliver'd the Vineyard into his care commanding him that he should stake up his Vines Which if he did and fulfilled his Command he promised to give him his Liberty Nor did he command him to do any thing more and so went into a far Country After then that that Servant had taken that Charge upon him he did whatsoever his LORD commanded him And when he had staked the Vineyard and found it to be full of Weeds he began to think with himself saying I have done what my Lord commanded me I will now dig this Vineyard and when it is digg'd it will be more beautiful and the Weeds being pull'd up it will bring forth more Fruit and not be choak'd by the Weeds So setting about his Work he digg'd it and pluck'd up all the Weeds that were in it And by that means the Vineyard became very beautiful and prosperous and not over-run and choak'd with Weeds After some time the LORD of the Vineyard comes and goes into the Vineyard and when he saw that it was handsomely stak'd and digg'd and the Weeds pluck'd up that were in it and the Vines flourishing he rejoyced greatly at the Care of his Servant And calling his Son whom he loved and who was to be his Heir and his Friends with whom he was wont to consult he tells them what he had commanded his Servant to do and what his Servant had done more And they immediately congratulated that Servant that he had received so full a Testimony from his Lord. Then he said unto them I indeed promised this Servant his Liberty if he observed the Command which I gave him and he observed it and besides has done a good Work to my Vineyard which has exceedingly pleased me Wherefore for this Work which he hath done I will make him my Heir together with my Son because that when he saw what was good he dissembled it not but did it This Design of the LORD both his Son and his Friends approved namely that this Servant should be Heir together with his Son Not long after this the Master of the Family calling together his Friends sent from his Supper several kinds of Food to that Servant Which when he had received he took so much of them as was sufficient for himself and divided the rest among his Fellow Servants Which when they had received they rejoyced and wish'd that he might find yet greater favour with his Lord for what he had done to them When his Lord heard all these things he was again fill'd with great Joy and calling again his Friends and his Son together he related to them what his Servant had done with the Meats which he had sent unto him They therefore so much the more assented to the Master of the Houshold that he ought to make that Servant his Heir together with his Son III. I SAID unto him Sir I know not these Similitudes neither can I understand them unless you expound them unto me I will says he expound all things unto thee whatsoever I have talk'd with thee or shewn unto thee Keep the Commandments of the LORD and thou shalt be approved and shalt be written in the Number of those that keep his Commandments But if besides those things which the LORD hath commanded thou shalt add some good thing thou shalt purchase to thy self a greater Dignity and be in more favour with the LORD than thou shouldst otherwise have been If therefore thou shalt keep the Commandments of the LORD and shalt add to them these Stations thou shalt rejoyce but especially if thou shalt keep them according to my Commands I said unto him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt command me I will observe for I know that thou wilt be with me I will said he be with thee who hast taken up such a Resolution and I will be with all those who purpose in like manner This Fast saith he whilst thou dost also observe the Commandments of the LORD is exceeding good Thus therefore shalt thou keep it First of all take heed to thy self and keep thy self from every wicked Act and from every filthy Word and from every hurtful Desire and purifie thy Sense from all the Vanity of this present World If thou shalt observe these things this Fast shall be such as it ought to be Thus therefore do Having perform'd what is before written that day on which thou fastest thou shalt taste nothing at all but Bread and Water and computing the Quantity of Food which thou art wont to eat upon other Days thou shalt lay aside the Expence which thou shouldst have made that Day and give it unto the Widow the Fatherless and the Poor And thus thou shalt perfect the Humility of thy Soul that he who receives of it may satisfie his Soul and his Prayer come up to the LORD God for thee If therefore thou shalt thus accomplish thy Fast as I command thee thy Sacrifice shall be acceptable uto the LORD and thy Fast shall be written in his Book This Station thus perform'd is good and pleasing and acceptable unto the LORD These things if thou shalt observe with
thy Children and with all thy House thou shalt be happy And whosoever when they hear these things shall do them they also shall be happy and whatsoever they shall ask of the LORD they shall receive it IV. AND I pray'd him that he would expound unto me the Similitude of the Farm and the Lord and of the Vineyard and of the Servant that had staked the Vine-yard and of the Weeds that were pluck'd out of the Vineyard and of his Son and his Friends which he took into Counsel with him For I understood that that was the Similitude He said unto me Thou art very ready in asking Howbeit thou oughst not to ask any thing for if it be fitting to shew it unto thee it shall be shewed I answer'd him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt shew without explaining it unto me I shall in vain see it And what Similitudes thou shalt propose and not expound them I shall in vain hear them He answered me again saying Whosoever is the Servant of God and has the LORD in his Heart desires Understanding of him and receives it and he explains every Similitude and understands the Words of the LORD which need an Enquiry But they that are lazy and slow to pray doubt to seek from the LORD although the LORD be of such an extraordinary Goodness that without ceasing he giveth all things to them that ask of him Thou therefore who art strengthened by that Venerable Messenger and hast received such a powerful Gift of Prayer seeing thou art not sloathful why dost thou not now ask Understanding of the LORD and receive it I said unto him seeing I have thee present it is necessary that I should seek it of thee and ask thee for thou shewest all things unto me and speakest to me when thou art present But if I should see or hear these things when thou wert not present I would then ask the LORD that he would shew them unto me V. AND he reply'd I said a little before that thou wert subtle and bold and that thou askest the meaning of these Similitudes But because thou still persistest I will unfold to thee the Parable which thou desirest that thou mayst make it known unto all Men. Hear therefore said he and understand The Farm before mention'd denotes the whole Earth The Lord of the Farm is he who created and finished all things and gave Vertue unto them His Son is the Holy Spirit The Servant is the Son of God The Vineyard is the People whom he saves The Stakes are the Messengers which are set over them by the LORD to support his People The Weeds that are pluckt up out of the Vineyard are the Sins which the Servants of God had committed The Food which he sent him from his Supper are the Commands which he gave to his People by his Son The Friends whom he call'd to Counsel with him are the Holy Angels whom he first created The Absence of the Master of the Houshold is the Time that remains unto his Coming I said unto him Sir All these things are very excellent and wonderful and good But continued I could I or any other Man besides though never so wise have understood these things Wherefore now Sir tell me what I ask He replied ask me what thou wilt Why said I is the Son of God in this Parable put in the place of a Servant VI. Hearken said he The Son of God is not put in the condition of a Servant but in great Power and Authority And I answer'd How Sir I understood it not Because said he The Son set his Messengers over those whom the Father deliver'd unto him to keep every one of them but he himself labour'd very much and suffer'd much that he might blot out their Offences For no Vineyard can be digg'd without much Labour and Pains Wherefore having blotted out the Sins of his People he shew'd to them the Paths of Life giving them the Law which he had received of the Father You see said he that he is the LORD of his People having received all Power from his Father But why did the LORD take into Counsel his Son concerning dividing the Inheritance and the Good Angels Hear Because that Messenger hearkned to the Holy Ghost which was first of all infused into the Body in which God should dwell For his Understanding placed him in the Body as it seem'd Good to him This Body therefore into which the Holy Spirit was brought served that Spirit walking rightly and purely in Modesty nor ever defiled that Spirit Seeing therefore the Body at all times obeyed the Holy Spirit and labour'd rightly and chastly with him nor falter'd at any time that Body being wearied conversed indeed Servily but being stoutly approved with the Holy Spirit was accepted by God For such a powerful Course pleased God because he was not defiled in the Earth keeping the Holy Spirit in Council with him He called therefore his Son and the Good Angels that there might be some place of standing given to this Body which had served the Holy Spirit without Complaint least it should seem to have lost the reward of its Service For every pure Body shall receive its reward that is found without Spot in which the Holy Spirit has been appointed to dwell And thus you have now the Exposition of this Parable also VII SIR said I I now understand your Meaning since I have heard this Exposition Hearken farther said he Keep this thy Body Clean and Pure that the Spirit which shall dwell in it may bear Witness unto it and be judged to have been with thee Also take heed that it be not instill'd into thy Mind that this Body perishes and thou abuse it to any Lust. For if thou shalt defile thy Body thou shalt also at the same time defile the Holy Spirit and if thou shalt defile the Holy Spirit thou shalt not live And I said What if through Ignorance this should have been already committed before a Man heard these Words How can he attain unto Salvation who has thus defiled his Body He reply'd As for Mens former Actions which through Ignorance they have committed God only can afford a remedy unto them For all power belongeth unto him But now Guard thy self and seeing God is Almighty and Merciful he will grant a remedy to what thou hast formerly done amiss if for the time to come thou shalt not defile thy Body and Spirit For they are Companions together and the One cannot be defiled but the other will be so too Keep therefore both of them Pure and thou shalt live unto God The Sixth SIMILITUDE Of two sorts of Voluptuous Men and of their Death Defection and of the Continuance of their Pains I. AS I was sitting at home and praising God for all the things which I had seen and was thinking concerning the Commands that they were exceeding Good and Great and Honest and Pleasant and such as would certainly bring a Man to Salvation
therefore they are Black because their kind is wicked Of the second Mountain which was Smooth are the Hypocrites who have believed and the Teachers of Naughtiness And these are next to the foregoing which have not in them the Fruit of Righteousness For as their Mountain is barren and without Fruit so also such kind of Men have indeed the Name of Christians but are empty of Faith nor is there any Fruit of the Truth in them Nevertheless there is room left to them for Repentance if they shall suddainly pursue it But if they shall delay they also shall be Partakers of Death with the foregoing kind I said Sir Why is there room left to those for Repentance and not to the foregoing kind seeing their Sins are well nigh the same There is therefore said he to these a return unto Life because they have not blasphemed their LORD nor betray'd the Servants of God But by their desire of Gain have deceived Men leading them according to the desires of Sinners wherefore they shall suffer for this thing Howbeit there is still left them room for Repentance because they have not spoken any thing wickedly against their LORD XX. THEY who are of the third Mountain which had Thorns and Brambles are those who believed but were some of them Rich others taken up with many Affairs The Brambles are their Riches the Thorns those Affairs in which they were engaged Now they who are entangled in much Business and in Diversity of Affairs joyn not themselves to the Servants of God but wander being called away by those Affairs with which they are choaked And so they which are rich with difficulty yield themselves to the Conversation of the Servants of God fearing least any thing should be ask'd of them These therefore shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of God For as Men walk with difficulty bare-foot over Thorns even so these kind of Men shall scarcely enter into the Kingdom of God Nevertheless there is afforded to all these a return unto Repentance if so be they shall quickly return to it that because in their former days they have neglected to work in the time that is to come they may do some Good If therefore having repented they shall do the Works of Righteousness they shall live But if they shall continue in their Evil Courses they shall be deliver'd to those Women that will take away their Life XXI AS for the fourth Mountain which had much Grass the upper part of which is green but the rest dry and some of which being touch'd with the Heat of the Sun is wither'd it denotes the doubtful who have believed and some others who carry the LORD in their Tongues but have him not in their Heart Therefore their Grass is dry and without Root because they live only in Words but their Works are dead These therefore are neither dead nor living and withal are doubtful For the Doubtful are neither Green nor Dry that is neither Dead nor Alive For as their Grass dries away at the Sight of the Sun so the Doubtful as soon as they hear of Persecution and fear Inconveniences return to their Idols and again serve them and are ashamed to bear the Name of their LORD This kind of Men then is neither Dead nor Alive nevertheless these also may live if they shall presently repent But if not they shall be delivered to those Women who shall take away their Life XXII AS concerning the fifth Mountain that is craggy and yet has green Grass They are of this kind who have believed and are Faithful indeed but believe with Difficulty and are bold and self-conceited that would be thought to know all things but really know nothing Wherefore by reason of this Confidence Knowledge is departed from them and a rash Presumption is entred into them But they carry themselves high and as prudent Men and though they are Fools yet would seem to be Teachers Now by reason of this Folly many of them whilst they magnifie themselves are become vain and empty For Boldness and vain Confidence is a great Seducer Wherefore many of these are cast away But others acknowledging their Error have repented and submitted themselves to those who are knowing And to all the rest of this kind there is Repentance allow'd forasmuch as they were not so much wicked as foolish and void of Understanding If these therefore shall repent they shall live unto God but if not they shall dwell with those Women who shall exercise their Wickedness upon them XXIII FOR what concerns the sixth Mountain having greater and lesser Clefts they are such as have believed but those in which were the lesser Clefts are they who have had Controversies among themselves and by reason of their Quarrels languish in the Faith Nevertheless many of these have repented and so will the rest when they shall hear my Commands for their Controversies are but small and they will easily return unto Repentance But those who have the greater Clefts will be as stiff Stones mindful of Grudges and Offences and practising Anger among themselves These therefore are cast from the Tower and rejected to be put into its Building therefore this kind of Men shall hardly live Our God and LORD who ruleth over all things and has Power over all his Creatures will not remember our Offences but is easily appeased by those who confess their Sins But Man being Languid Mortal Infirm and full of Sins perseveres in his Anger against Man as if it were in his Power to save or to destroy him But I as the Angel who am set over your Repentance admonish you that whosoever among you has any such purpose he would lay it aside and return unto Repentance and the LORD will provide Remedies for your former Sins if you shall purge your selves from this Evil Spirit but if you shall not do it ye shall be delivered to him unto Death XXIV AS for the seventh Mountain in which the Grass was green and flourishing and the whole Mountain fruitful and all kind of Cattel fed upon the Grass of it and the more the Grass was eaten so much the more it flourished they are such as believed and were always good and upright and without any Differences among themselves but still rejoyced in all the Servants of God having put on the Spirit of these Virgins and been always ready to shew Mercy to all Men and easily giving to all Men of their Labours without upbraiding and without Deliberation Wherefore the LORD seeing their Simplicity and Innocence has encreased them in the Works of their Hands and given them Grace in all their Works But I who am appointed over your Repentance exhort you that as many as are of this kind would continue in the same purpose that your Seed may not be rooted out for ever For the LORD hath try'd you and written you into our Number and all your Seed shall dwell with the Son of God for ye are all
round XXX HEAR now says he concerning those Stones which were brought out of the Plain into the Building of the Tower and placed in the room of those that were rejected They are the Roots of that white Mountain Wherefore because those who have believed of that Mountain were very Innocent the LORD of this Tower commanded that they which were of the Roots of this Mountain should be placed into the Building For he knew that if they were put into this Building they would continue bright nor would any of them any more be made black But if he had added on this manner from the rest of the Mountains he would have needed again to visit this Tower and to cleanse it Now all these white Stones are the young Men who have and shall believe for they are all of the same kind Happy is this kind because it is Innocent Hear now also concerning those round and bright Stones All these are of this white Mountain But they are therefore found round because their Riches have a little darkned them from the Truth and dazzled their Eyes Howbeit they have never departed from the LORD nor has any wicked Word proceeded out of their Mouths but all Righteousness and Vertue and Truth When therefore the LORD saw their Mind and that they might adorn the Truth he commanded that they should continue good and that their Riches should be pared away For he would not have them taken wholly away to the End they might do some good with that which was left and live unto God because they also are of a good kind Therefore they were a little cut away and so put into the Building of this Tower XXXI AS for the rest which continu'd still round and were not found fit for the Building because they have not yet received the Seal they were carried back to their place because they were found very round But this present World must be cut away from them and the Vanities of their Riches and then they will be fit for the Kingdom of God For they must enter into the Kingdom of God because God has blessed this innocent kind Of this kind therefore none shall fall away for though any of them being tempted by the Devil should offend he shall soon return to his LORD God I the Angel of Repentance esteem you happy whosoever are Innocent as little Children because your part is good and honourable with the LORD And I say unto all you who have received this Seal keep Simplicity and remember not Affronts nor continue in Malice neither suffer Bitterness to grow in your Spirits through the Memory of any Offences that you have received but provide Remedies for these evil Rents and remove them from you that the LORD of the Sheep may rejoyce in you for he will rejoyce if he shall find all whole But if any of these Sheep shall be found scatter'd away Wo shall be to the Shepherds And if the Shepherds themselves shall be scattered how will they answer to God for the Sheep Will they say that they were troubled by the Sheep But they shall not be believed For it is not to be believed that the Shepherd should suffer by his Flock and he shall be the more punished for his Lie Now I am the Shepherd and I especially must give an Account of you XXXII WHEREFORE provide for your selves whilst the Tower is yet building The LORD dwells in those that love Peace for true Peace is dear but he is far off from the Contentious and those who are overtaken with Malice Wherefore restore unto him the Spirit intire as ye received it For if thou shalt give unto a Fuller a new Garment whole thou wilt expect to receive it whole again If therefore the Fuller shall restore it unto thee torn wouldst thou receive it Wouldst thou not presently be angry and reproach him saying I gave my Garment to thee whole why hast thou rent it and made it useless to me Now it is of no use to me by reason of the Rent which thou hast made in it Wouldst thou not say all this to a Fuller for the Rent which he made in thy Garment If therefore thou wouldst be concern'd for thy Garment and complain that thou hadst not received it whole what thinkest thou that the LORD will do who gave his Spirit to thee intire and thou hast render'd him altogether unprofitable So that he can be of no use unto his LORD For being corrupted by thee he is no longer profitable to him Will not therefore the LORD do the same concerning his Spirit by reason of thy Sin Undoubtedly said I he will do the same to all those whom he shall find to continue in the Remembrance of Injuries Tread not then under foot said he his Mercy but rather honour him because he is so patient with respect to your Offences and not like one of you but repent for that will be profitable for you XXXIII ALL these things which are above written I the Angel of Repentance have shewn and spoken to the Servants of God If therefore ye shall believe and hearken to these Words and shall walk in them and shall correct your Ways ye shall live But if ye shall continue in your Wickedness and in the Remembrance of Injuries no such Sinners shall live unto God All these things which were to be deliver'd by me I have thus spoken unto thee Then the Shepherd said unto me Hast thou ask'd all things of me I answered Sir I have Why then said he Hast thou not ask'd concerning the Form of these Stones that were put in the Building that I may explain that also unto thee I answer'd Sir I forgot it Hear then said he concerning those also They are those who have heard these Commands and have repented with all their Hearts And when the LORD saw that their Repentance was good and pure and that they could continue in it he commanded their former Sins to be blotted out For these Forms were their Sins and they are therefore made even that their Sins might not appear The Tenth SIMILITUDE Of Repentance and Alms-Deeds I. AFTER that I had written this Book the Angel which had deliver'd me to that Shepherd came into the House where I was and sate upon the Bed and that Shepherd stood at his Right Hand Then he called me and said unto me I deliver'd thee and thy House to this Shepherd that thou mightest be protected by him I said Yes LORD If therefore said he thou wilt be protected from all Vexation and from all Cruelty and have Success in every good Word and Work and all Vertue and Righteousness walk in those Commands which he has given thee and thou shalt have Dominion over all Sin For if thou keepest those Commands all the Desire and Pleasure of this present World shall be subject to thee and Success shall follow thee in every good Undertaking Take therefore his Gravity and Modesty upon thee and say unto