doth it shall prosper As for the Wicked it is not so with them but they are as the Dust which the Wind scattereth away from the face of the Earth Therefore the Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment neither the Sinners in the Council of the Righteous For the LORD knoweth the way of the Righteous and the Way of the Vngodly shall perish Consider how he has join'd both the Cross and the Water together For this he saith Blessed are they who putting their Trust in the Cross descend into the Water for they shall have their Reward in due time then saith he will I give it them But as concerning the present time he saith Their Leaves shall not fall Meaning thereby that every Word that shall go out of your Mouth shall through Faith and Charity be to the Conversion and Hope of many In like manner do's another Prophet speak And the Land of Jacob was the Praise of all the Earth that is the Vessel of his Spirit which he there magnifies And what follows And there was a River running on the Right hand and beautiful Trees grew up by it and he that shall eat of them shall live for ever The signification of which is this That we go down into the Water full of Sins and Pollutions but come up again bringing forth Fruit having in our Hearts the Fear and Hope which is in Jesus And whosoever shall eat of them shall live for ever That is whosoever shall hearken to those who call them and shall believe shall live for ever XII IN like manner he determins concerning the Cross in another Prophet saying And when shall these things be fulfilled The LORD answers When the Tree that is fallen shall rise and when Bloud shall drop down from the Tree Here you have again mention made both of the Cross and of him that was to be crucified upon it And yet farther he saith in one of the Books of Moses where when Israel was beaten by a strange People to the End that God might remember them how that for their Sins they were deliver'd unto Death the Holy Spirit put it into the Heart of Moses to represent both the Sign of the Cross and of him that was to suffer That so they might know that if they did not believe in him they should be overcome for ever Moses therefore piled up Armour upon Armour in the middle of a rising Ground and standing up high above all of them stretched forth his Arms and so Israel again Conquer'd But no sooner did he let down his Hands but they were again slain And why so To the end they might know that except they trust in him they cannot be saved And in another Prophet he saith I have stretched out my Hands all the Day long to a People disobedient and speaking against my righteous Way And again Moses makes a Type of Jesus to shew that he was to die and then that he whom they thought to be dead was to give Life to others in the Sign of those that fell in Israel For God caused all sorts of Serpents to bite them and they died forasmuch as by a Serpent Transgression began in Eve that so he might convince them that for their Transgressions they shall be delivered into the Pain of Death Moses then himself who had commanded them saying Ye shall not make to your selves any graven or molten Image to be your God yet now did so himself that he might represent to them the Figure of the LORD Jesus For he made a brazen Serpent and set it up on high and called the People together to an Assembly Where being come they intreated Moses that he would make an Attonement for them and pray that they might be healed Then Moses spake unto them saying when any one among you shall be bitten let him come unto the Serpent that is set upon the Pole and let him assuredly trust in him that though he be dead yet he is able to give Life and presently he shall be saved and so they did See therefore how here also you have in this the Glory of Jesus and that in him and to him are all things Again What says Moses to Jesus the Son of Nun when he gave that Name unto him as being a Prophet that all the People might understand that the Father did manifest all things concerning his Son Jesus in Jesus the Son of Nun Moses therefore gave him that Name when he sent him to spy out the Land of Canaan and said Take a Book in thine Hands and write what the LORD saith forasmuch as Jesus the Son of God shall in the last Days cut off by the Roots all the House of Amaleck See here again Jesus not the Son of Man but the Son of God made manifest in a Type and in the Flesh. But because it might hereafter be said that Christ was the Son of David therefore David fearing and well-knowing the Errors of the Wicked saith The LORD said unto my LORD sit thou on my Right Hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool And again Isaiah speaketh on this wise The LORD said unto Christ my LORD I have laid hold on his right Hand that the Nations should obey before him and I will break the strength of Kings Behold how both David and Isaiah call him LORD and the Son of God XIII BUT let us go yet farther and enquire whether this People be the Heir or the former and whether the Covenant be with us or with them And first as concerning the People hear what the Scripture saith Isaac prayed for his Wife Rebeckah because she was barren and she conceived Afterwards Rebeckah went forth to enquire of the LORD And the LORD said unto her There are two Nations in thy Womb and two People shall come from thee and the one shall have power over the other and the Greater shall serve the Lesser Understand here who was Isaac who Rebeckah and of whom it was foretold that this People should be Greater than that And in another Prophecy Jacob speaketh more clearly to his Son Joseph saying Behold the LORD hath not taken me from thy Face bring me thy Sons that I may bless them And he brought unto his Father Manasseh and Ephraim desiring that he should bless Manasseh because he was the Elder Therefore Joseph brought him to the Right Hand of his Father Jacob. But Jacob by the Spirit foresaw the Figure of the People that was to come And what saith the Scripture And Jacob crossed his Hands and put his Right Hand upon Ephraim his second and the Younger Son and Blessed him And Joseph said unto Jacob Put thy Right Hand upon the Head of Manasseh for he is my First-born Son And Jacob said unto Joseph I know it my Son I know it but the Greater shall serve the Lesser though he also shall be Blessed Ye see of whom he appointed
Gentile But who of you are Ignorant of the Judgment of God Do we not know that the Saints shall judge the World As Paul teaches But I have neither perceived nor heard any thing of this Kind in you among whom the Blessed Paul laboured and whom he mentions with so much Honour in the beginning of his Epistle For he Glories of you in All the Churches who then only knew God for we did not then know Him Wherefore my Brethren I am exceedingly sorry both for him and for his Wife to whom God grant a true Repentance And be ye also moderate on this occasion and look not upon such as Enemies but call them back as Suffering and Erring Members that ye may save your whole Body For by so doing ye shall edifie your own selves XII FOR I trust that ye are well exercised in the Holy Scriptures and that nothing is hid from you But at present this is not granted unto me As it is written Be angry and Sin not And again Let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath. Blessed is he that believeth and remembreth these things which also I trust you do Now the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ and He himself who is our Everlasting High Priest the Son of God even Jesus Christ build you up in Faith and in Truth and in all Meekness and Lenity in Patience and Long-suffering and Chastity And grant unto you that you may have your Lot and Portion among his Saints and that we also may be together with you and all that are under the Heavens who shall believe in our LORD Jesus Christ and in his Father who raised him from the Dead Pray for all the Saints Pray also for Kings and All that are in Authority and for those who persecute you and hate you and are the Enemies of the Cross That your Fruit may be manifest in all things and that ye may be perfect in Christ. XIII YE wrote to me both ye and also Ignatius that if any one went from hence into Syria he should bring your Letters with Him which also I will take care of as soon as I shall have a convenient opportunity either by my self or him whom I shall send upon your Account The Epistles of Ignatius which He wrote unto Us together with what others of his have come to our hands we have sent to you according to your order which are subjoyned to this Epistle By which ye may be greatly profited For they treat of Faith and Patience and of all things that pertain to Edification in the Lord Jesus XIV WHAT you know certainly of Ignatius and those that are with him signifie unto us THESE things have I written unto you by Crescens whom by this present Epistle I have recommended to you and do now again commend For he has had his Conversation without blame among us And I suppose also with you Ye will also have regard unto his Sister when she shall come unto you Be ye safe in the LORD Jesus Christ And in Favour with all yours Amen THE Genuine Epistles OF St. IGNATIVS I. TO THE Ephesians THE CONTENTS After the Salutation Chap. I. HE thanks them for sending Onesimus their Bishop to Him Whom he greatly Commends and expresses his Joy to receive from Him so good a Character of them II. He mentions the rest of their Members who were sent with Onesimus to Him And Exhorts them to Unity by a due Subjection to their Bishop and Presbyters III. He excuses the Liberty He takes of Admonishing them and so returns to his Advice to them IV. Which is still the same namely By a due Subjection to their Bishop to preserve Vnity among themselves V. The Benefit of which He particularly sets out to them VI. That they ought not to Respect their Bishop the less because he is not forward in exacting it from them But should rather Honour him the more which He also Commends them for doing VII He warns them against Hereticks bidding them stick to their Master Jesus Christ Whose Divine and Humane Nature he declares to Them VIII IX He Commends them for their Care to keep themselves from False Teachers and shews them the Way to God X. He exhorts them to Prayer and to behave themselves unblameably towards those that are without XI.XII. To be careful of their Salvation To Pray for Himself whose own worth he much lessens in Comparison of theirs Especially XIII XIV To be frequent in Publick Devotion To live in Unity in Faith and in Charity And XV. To shew forth the Truth of their Profession by their Works XVI XVII To have a Care that the Gospel of Christ be not Corrupted XVIII Vpon which occasion He treats particularly of the Three great Mysteries of Christianity viz. The Virginity of Mary And the Incarnation and Death of Christ Which he says were hid from the Devil XIX How the Birth of Christ was in a most extraordinary Manner reveal'd to the World XX. XXI Of all which he promises to Write more largely in a second Epistle And then finally Undertakes for their Salvation if they continued as he had exhorted them to pursue it by Unity among Themselves and Piety towards God THE EPISTLE OF St. IGNATIVS TO THE Ephesians IGNATIUS who is also called THEOPHORUS to the Church which is at Ephesus in Asia most deservedly Happy being Blessed through the Greatness and Fullness of God the Father and Predestinated before the World began that it should be always unto an Enduring and Unchangeable Glory being United and Chosen through his true Passion according to the Will of the Father and Jesus Christ our God All Happiness by Jesus Christ and his Undefiled Grace I. I HAVE heard of your Name much Beloved in God which ye have very justly attain'd by a Habit of Righteousness according to the Faith and Love which is in Jesus Christ our Saviour How that being Followers of God and stirring up your selves by the Blood of Christ ye have perfectly accomplished the Work that was Natural to you For hearing that I came bound from Syria for the common Name and Hope trusting through your Prayers to sight with Beasts at Rome that so by Suffering I may become indeed the Disciple of Him who gave himself to God an Offering and Sacrifice for us ye Hastned to see me I understood therefore how great a Multitude there was among you in the Name of God by Onesimus who if we consider his Charity is beyond all Expression but who is according to the Flesh your Bishop Whom I beseech you by Jesus Christ to love and that you would all strive to be like unto Him And Blessed be God who has granted unto you who are so worthy of Him to enjoy such an Excellent Bishop II. FOR what concerns my Fellow-Servant Burrhus and your most Blessed Deacon in things pertaining to
him to it But he having put his Hands behind him and being bound as a Ram chosen out of a Great Flock for an Offering and prepared to be a Burnt Sacrifice acceptable unto God look'd up to Heaven and said O LORD God Almighty the Father of thy Well-beloved and Blessed Son Jesus Christ by whom we have recived the Knowledge of thee the God of Angels and Powers and of every Creature and especially of the whole Race of Just Men who live in thy presence I give thee hearty thanks that thou hast vouchafed to bring me to this Day and to this Hour that I should have a part in the Number of thy Martyrs and in the Cup of thy Son Christ to the Resurrection of Eternal Life both of Soul and Body in the Incorruption of the Holy Ghost Among which may I be accepted this Day before thee as a fat and acceptable Sacrifice as thou the true God with whom is no falshood hast both before ordained and manifested unto me and also hast now fulfilled it For this and for all things else I praise thee I bless thee I glorifie thee with the Eternal and Heavenly Jesus Christ thy Beloved Son with whom to Thee and the Holy Ghost be Glory both now and to all succeeding Ages Amen XV. HE had no sooner pronounced aloud AMEN and finish'd his Prayer but they who were appointed to be his Executioners lighted the Fire And when the Flame began to blaze to a very great heighth Behold a Wonderful Miracle appear'd to us who had the Happiness to see it And who were reserved by Heaven to report to others what had happen'd For the Flame making a kind of Arch like the Sail of a Ship against a full Wind encompassed as in a Circle the Body of the Holy Martyr Who stood in the Midst of it not as if his Flesh were burnt but as Bread that is baked or as Gold or Silver glowing in the Furnace Moreover so sweet a Smell came from it as if Frankinsense or some rich Spices had been smoaking there XVI AT length when those wicked Men saw that his Body could not be consumed by the Fire they commanded the Executioner to go near to him and stick his Dagger in him Which being accordingly done there came forth so great a Quantity of Blood as even extinguish'd the Fire and raised an Admiration in all the People to consider what a difference there was between the Infidels and the Elect. One of which this great Martyr POLYCARP most certainly was being in our Times a truly Apostolical and Prophetical Teacher and Bishop of the Catholick Church which is at Smyrna For every Word that went out of his Mouth either has been already fulfill'd or in its due time will be accomplished XVII BUT when the Emulous and Envious and Wicked Adversary of the Race of the Just saw the Greatness of his Martyrdom and consider'd how irreprehensible his Conversation had been from the beginning and how he was now crown'd with the Crown of Immortality having without all Controversy received his Reward He took all possible Care that not the least Remainder of his Body should be taken away by us although many desired to do it and to be made Partakers of his Holy Flesh. And to that end he suggested it to Nicetas the Father of Herod and Brother of Alcé to go to the Governour and hinder him from giving us his Body to be buried Least says he forsaking him that was Crucified they should begin to worship this POLYCARP And this he said at the Suggestion and Instance of the Jews who also watch'd us that we should not take any part of him out of the Fire Not considering that neither is it possible for us ever to forsake Christ who suffer'd for the Salvation of all such as shall be saved throughout the whole World the Righteous for the Vngodly nor worship any other besides him For him indeed as being the Son of God we do adore But for the Martyrs we worthily love them as the Disciples and Followers of our LORD and upon the account of their exceeding great Affection towards their Master and their King Of whom may we also be made Companions and Fellow-disciples XVIII THE Centurion therefore seeing the Contention of the Jews put his Body into the Midst of the Fire and so consum'd it After which we taking up his Bones more precious than the richest Jewels and try'd above Gold disposed of them where it was fitting Where being gather'd together as we have Opportunity with Joy and Gladness the LORD shall grant unto us to celebrate the Anniversary of his Martyrdom both in Memory of what he suffer'd and for the Exercise and Preparation of those that may hereafter suffer XIX SUCH was the Passion of the Blessed POLYCARP who tho' he was the Twelfth of those who together with those of Philadelphia suffered Martyrdom is yet alone chiefly had in Memory of all Men Insomuch that he is spoken of by the very Gentiles themselves in every Place as having been not only an Eminent Teacher but also a Glorious Martyr Whose Death all desire to imitate as having been every way conformable to the Gospel of Christ. For having by Patience overcome the unjust Governour and so received the Crown of Immortality he now together with the Apostles and all other Righteous Men who have gone before with great Triumph glorifies God even the Father and blesses our LORD the Governor both of our Souls and Bodies and Shepherd of the Catholick Church which is over all the Earth XX. WHEREAS therefore ye desired that we would at large declare to you what was done we have by this present Epistle given you a summary account of it by our Brother Marcus Having therefore your selves read this Epistle you may do well to send it forward to the Brethren that are farther off that they also may glorifie God who makes such Choice of his own Servants And is able to bring all of us by his Grace and Help to his Eternal Kingdom through his only begotten Son Jesus Christ To whom be Glory and Honour and Power and Majesty for Ever and Ever Amen Salute all the Saints they that are with us salute you With Evaristus who wrote this Epistle and his whole House XXI NOW the Suffering of Polycarp was the second Day of the Month Xanthicus viz. before the vii th of the Calends of May being the Great Sabbath about viii a Clock He was taken by Herod Philip the Trallian being High-Priest Statius Quadratus Proconsul But our Saviour Christ reigning for evermore To him be Honour Glory Majesty and an Eternal Throne from Generation to Generation Amen XXII WE wish you Brethren all Happiness by living according to the Rule of the Gospel of Jesus Christ With whom Glory be to God the Father and the Holy Spirit for the Salvation of his Chosen Saints After whose Example the Blessed POLYCARP suffer'd
as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on High Is it such a Fast that I have chosen A Day for a Man to afflict his Soul Is it to bow down his Head like a Bulrush and to spread Sackcloath and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the LORD But to us he saith on this wise Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppressed go Free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House When thou seest the Naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not not thy self from thine own Flesh Then shall thy Light break forth as the Morning and thy Health shall spring forth speedily and thy Righteousness shall go before thee the Glory of the LORD shall be thy Rere-ward Then shalt thou call and the LORD shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am If thou put away from the midst of thee the Yoke the putting forth of the Finger and speaking Vanity And if thou draw out thy Soul to the Hungry and satisfie the afflicted Soul In this therefore Brethren God has manifested his Fore-knowledge and Mercy to us because the People which he has purchased to his Beloved Son were to believe in Sincerity and therefore he has shewn these things to All of us that we should not run as Proselytes to the Jewish Law IV. WHEREFORE it is necessary that searching diligently into these Matters we should write to you what may serve to keep you whole To which end let us flee from every Evil Work and hate the Errors of the present Time that we may be Happy in that which is to come Let us not give our selves the Liberty of disputing with the Wicked and Sinners least we should chance in time to become like unto them For the Consummation of Sin is come as the Prophet Daniel says And for this End saith the LORD are the Times and the Days shortned And the LORD will suddainly come to his Temple For so the Prophet speaks There shall Ten Kings reign in the Earth and there shall rise last of all another and he shall humble three Kings And again Daniel speaks in like manner concerning the Kingdoms And I saw the fourth Beast dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly and it had ten Horns I considered the Horns and behold there came up among them another little Horn before which were three of the first Horns pluckt up by the Roots We ought therefore to consider these things And I beseech you as one of your own Brethren loving you all beyond my own Life that you look well to your selves And be not like to those who add Sin to Sin and say That their Covenant is ours also Nay but it is ours only for they have for ever lost that which Moses received For thus saith the Scripture And Moses continued fasting forty Days and forty Nights in the Mount and he received the Covenant from the LORD even Two Tables of Stone written by the Hand of God But having turn'd themselves to Idols they lost it as the LORD also said to Moses Moses Go down quickly for thy People which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves and turn'd aside from the way which I commanded them And Moses cast the Two Tables of Stone out of his Hands and their Covenant was broken that the Love of Jesus might be sealed in your Hearts unto the Hope of his Faith Wherefore let us give heed unto the last Times For the time past of our Life and our Faith will profit us nothing unless we continue also to hate what is Evil and to withstand the future Temptations So the Son of God tells us Let us resist all Iniquity and hate it Wherefore consider the Works of the Evil Way Do not deceive your selves with your own private Thoughts as if you were already justified But coming All together into one place enquire what is agreeable to and profitable for the Beloved of God For the Scripture saith Wo unto them that are Wise in their own Eyes and Prudent in their own Sight Let us become Spiritual a perfect Temple to God As much as in us lies let us meditate upon the Fear of the LORD and strive to the utmost of our power to keep his Commandments that we may rejoyce in his Righteous Judgments For God will judge the World without respect of Persons and receive every one according to his Works If a Man shall be Good his Righteousness shall go before him If Wicked the Reward of his Wickedness shall follow him Take heed therefore least sitting still now that we are called we fall asleep in our Sins and the Wicked One getting the Dominion over us raise us up and shut us out of the Kingdom of the LORD But especially consider the great Signs and Wonders which ye have seen among the People of the Jews and how thus the LORD forsook them Beware therefore least it happen to us as it is written There be many Called but few Chosen V. FOR this cause did our LORD vouchsafe to give to up his Body to Destruction that through the Forgiveness of our Sins we might be sanctified that is by the sprinkling of his Bloud Now for what concerns the things that are written about him some belong to the People of the Jews and some to us For thus saith the Scripture He was wounded for our Transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities and by his Bloud we are healed He was led as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before his Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth Wherefore we ought the more to give thanks unto God for that he hath both declared unto us what is passed and not suffer'd us to be without Understanding even of those things that are to come And therefore he saith The Nets are not unjustly spread for the Birds This he spake because a Man will justly perish if having the Knowledge of the Way of Truth he shall nevertheless not refrain himself from the Way of Darkness And for this Cause the LORD was content to suffer for our Souls although he be the LORD of the whole Earth to whom God said before the Beginning of the World Let us make Man after our own Image and Likeness Now how he suffered for us seeing it was by Men that he underwent it I will shew you The Prophets having received from him the Gift of Prophecy spake before concerning him But he that he might abolish Death and make known the Resurrection from the Dead was content as it was necessary to appear in the Flesh that he might
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
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
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
Syllables And as soon as I had finished what was written in the Book the Book was suddenly caught out of my hands but by whom I saw not II. AFTER fifteen days when I had fasted and intreated the LORD with all earnestness the Knowledge of the Writing was revealed unto me Now the Writing was this Thy Seed O HERMAS hath sinned against the LORD and have betrayed their Parents through their great Wickedness And they have been called the Betrayers of their Parents and have gone on in their Treachery And now have they added Lewdness to their other Sins and the Pollutions of Naughtiness Thus have they fill'd up the Measure of their Iniquities But do thou upbraid thy Sons with all these Words and thy Wife which shall be thy Sister And let her learn to refrain her Tongue with which she calumniates For when she shall hear these things she will refrain her self and shall obtain Mercy And they shall be instructed when thou shalt have reproach'd them with these Words which the LORD has commanded to be revealed unto thee Then shall their Sins be forgiven which they have heretofore committed and the Sins of all the Saints who have sinned even unto this day if they shall repent with all their Hearts and remove all Doubts out of their Hearts For the LORD hath sworn by his Glory concerning his Elect having determined the certain Day that if any one shall even now sin he shall not be saved For the Repentance of the Righteous has its End The Days of Repentance are fulfilled to all the Saints but to the Heathen there is Repentance even unto the Last Day Thou shalt therefore say to those who are over the Church that they order their Ways in Righteousness that they may fully receive the Promise with much Glory Stand fast therefore ye that work Righteousness and continue to do it that your Departure may be with the Holy Angels Happy are ye as many as shall endure the Great Tryal that is at hand and whosoever shall not deny his Life For the LORD hath sworn by his Son that who so denieth his Son and him being afraid of his Life he will also deny him in the World that is to come But those who shall never deny him he will of his exceeding great Mercy be favourable unto them III. BUT thou O Hermas remember not the Evils which thy Sons have done neither neglect thy Sister but take care that they amend of their former Sins For they will be instructed by this Doctrine if thou shalt not be mindful of what they have done wickedly For the Remembrance of Evils worketh Death but the Forgetting of them Life Eternal But thou O HERMAS hast undergone a great many Wordly Troubles for the Offences of thy House because thou hast neglected them as things that did not belong unto thee and thou art wholly taken up with thy great Business Nevertheless for this cause shalt thou be saved that thou hast not departed from the Living God And thy Simplicity and singular Continency shall preserve thee if thou shalt continue in them Yea they shall save All such as do such things and walk in Innocence and Simplicity They who are of this kind shall prevail against all Impiety and continue unto Life Eternal Happy are all they that do Righteousness they shall not be consumed for ever But thou wilt say Behold there is a great Tryal coming If it seems good to thee Deny him again The LORD is nigh to them that turn to him as it is written in the Books of Heldam and Modal who prophecy'd to the Israelites in the Wilderness IV. MOREOVER Brethren it was reavealed to me as I was sleeping by a very goodly young Man saying unto me What thinkest thou of that old Woman from whom thou receivedst the Book Who is she I answered a Sybil. Thou art mistaken said he she is not I reply'd who is she then Sir He answered me it is the Church of God And I said unto him Why then do's she appear Old She is therefore said he an Old Woman because she was the first of all the Creation and the World was made for her After this I saw a Vision at home in my own House and the Old Woman whom I had seen before came to me and ask'd me whether I had yet deliver'd the Book which she had given me to the Elders of the Church And I answered that I had not yet She reply'd Thou hast well done for I have certain Words more to tell thee But when I shall have finished all the Words they shall be clearly understood by the Elect. And thou shalt write two Books and send one to Clement and one to Grapté For Clement shall send it to the foreign Cities because it is permitted to him so to do But Grapté shall admonish the Widows and Orphans But thou shalt read it to the Elders that are over the Church VISION III. Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant and of the several Orders of Reprobates I. THE Vision which I saw Brethren was this When I had often fasted and pray'd unto the LORD that he would manifest unto me the Revelation which he had promised by the Old Woman to shew unto me The same Night she appear'd unto me and said unto me because thou dost thus afflict thy self and art so desirous to know All things come into the Field where thou wilt and about the sixth Hour I will appear unto thee and shew thee what thou must see I ask'd her saying Lady into what part of the Field She answered wherever thou wilt only chuse a good and a private place And before I could begin to speak and tell her the place she said unto me I will come where thou wilt I was therefore Brethren in the Field and I observed the Hours and came into the place where I had appointed to go And I beheld a Bench placed it was a linnen Pillow and over it spread a Covering of fine Linnen When I saw these things order'd in this Manner and that there was no Body in the place I began to be astonish'd and my Hair stood on end and a kind of Horror seiz'd me for I was alone But being come to my self and calling to mind the Glory of God and taking Courage I fell down upon my Knees and began again to confess my Sins as before And whilst I was doing this the Old Woman came thither with the six young Men whom I had seen before and stood behind me as I was praying and confessing my Sins unto the LORD And touching me she said leave off now to pray only for thy Sins pray also for Righteousness that thou maist receive a part from her in thy House And she lifted me up from the place and took me by the Hand and brought me to the Seat and said to the young Men Go and Build As soon as they were departed and we were alone she said unto me sit here
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
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