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
Tongues be made manifest by their Silence Let their Charity be without respect of Persons alike towards all such as truly fear God Let your Children be bred up in the Instruction of the Lord And especially let them learn how great a Power Humility has with God How much a Pure and Holy Charity avails with Him How Excellent and Great his Fear is and how it will save all such as turn to Him with Holiness in a Pure Mind For He is the Searcher of the Thoughts and Desires of the Heart whose Breath is in Us and when He pleases he can take it from Us. XXII BUT all these things must be confirm'd by the Faith which is in Christ for so He himself bespeaks us by the Holy Ghost Come ye Children and harken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the LORD What man is there that desireth Life and loveth to see Good days Keep thy Tongue from Evil and thy Lips that they speak no Guile Depart from Evil and do Good seek Peace and ensue it The Eyes of the LORD are upon the Righteous and his Ears are open unto their Prayers But the face of the LORD is against them that do Evil to cut off the Remembrance of them from the Earth The Righteous cried and the LORD heard Him and deliver'd him out of all his Troubles Many are the Troubles of the Wicked But they that trust in the LORD Mercy shall encompass them About XXIII OUR All-Merciful and Beneficent Father hath Bowels of Compassion towards Them that fear Him And Kindly and Lovingly bestows his Graces upon all such as come to Him with a simple Mind Wherefore let us not waver neither let us have any doubt in our Hearts of his Excellent and Glorious Gifts Let that be far from us which is written Miserable are the double-minded and those who are doubtful in their Hearts Who say These things have we heard and our Fathers have told us these things But behold we are grown old and none of them has happened unto Vs. O ye Fools Consider the Trees take the Vine for an Example First it sheds its Leaves then it Buds after that it spreads its Leaves then it flowers then come the sower Grapes and after them follows the Ripe Fruit. Ye see how in a little time the Fruit of the Trees comes to Maturity Of a truth yet a little while and his Will shall suddainly be accomplish'd The Holy Scripture it self bearing witness That the LORD shall suddainly come to his Temple even the Holy one whom ye look for XXIV LET us consider Beloved how the LORD does continually shew Us that there shall be a future Resurrection of which he has made our Lord Jesus Christ the First-fruits raising him from the Dead Let us contemplate Beloved the Resurrection that is continually made before our Eyes Day and Night manifest a Resurrection to Us. The night lies down and the day arises Again the day departs and the night comes on Let us behold the Fruits of the Earth Every one sees how the Seed is sown The Sower goes forth and casts it upon the Earth and the Seed which when it was sown fell upon the Earth dry and naked in time dissolves And from the Dissolution the great Power of the Providence of the Lord raises it again and of one Seed many arise and bring forth Fruit. XXV LET us consider that wonderful Type of the Resurrection which is seen in the Eastern Countries that is to say in Arabia There is a certain Bird called a Phaenix Of this there is never but one at a time and that lives five hundred Years And when the time of its Dissolution draws near that it must Die it makes it self a Nest of Frankincense and Myrrhe and other Spices into which when its time is fulfilled it enters and dies But its Flesh putrifying breeds a certain Worm which being nourished with the Juice of the dead Bird brings â—orth Feathers and when it is grown to a perfect State it takes up the Nest in which the Bones of its Parent lie and carries it from Arabia into Egypt to a City called Heliopolis And flying in open day in the sight of all Men lays it upon the Altar of the Sun and so returns from whence it came The Priests then search into the Records of the Time and find that it return'd precisely at the end of five hundred Years XXVI AND shall we then think it to be any very great and strange thing for the Lord of all to raise up those that religiously serve him in the Assurance of a good Faith when even by a Bird he shews us the greatness of his power to fulfil his Promise For he says in a certain place Thou shalt raise me up and I shall confess unto Thee And again I laid me down and slept and awaked because thou art with me And again Job says Thou shalt raise up this flesh of mine that has suffered all these things XXVII HAVING therefore this Hope let us hold fast to him who is Faithful in all his Promises and Righteous in all his Judgments Who has commanded us not to Lye how much more shall he not Himself Lye For nothing is impossible with God but to Lye Let his Faith then be stirred up again in us and let us consider that all things are nigh unto Him By the Word of his Power He made all things and by the same Word he is able when ever he will to destroy them Who shall say unto Him what dost Thou Or who shall resist the Power of his Strength When and As he pleased he made All things and nothing shall pass away of all that has been appointed by Him All things are Open before him nor can any thing be hid from his Counsell The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Day unto Day uttereth Speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge There is no Speech nor Language where their Voice is not heard XXVIII SEEING then all things are seen and heard by God let us fear him and let us lay aside our Corrupt Desires of Wicked Works that through his Mercy we may be delivered from the Condemnation to come For whither can any of us flee from his mighty Hand Or what World shall receive any of those who run away from him For thus saith the Scripture in a certain place Whither shall I flee from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there If I shall go to the utmost parts of the Earth there is thy right hand If I shall make my Bed in the deep thy Spirit is there Whither then shall any one go or whither shall he run from him that comprehends all things XXIX LET us therefore come to him with Holiness of Heart
is called Simplicity the next Innocence the third Modesty then Discipline and the last of all is Charity When therefore thou shalt have observed the Works of their Mother thou shalt be able to observe all things Lady said I I would know what particular Virtue every one of these has Hear then replied she They have equal Vertues and their Vertues are knit together and follow one another as they were born From Faith proceeds Abstinence from Abstinence Simplicity from Simplicity Innocence from Innocence Modesty from Modesty Discipline and Charity Therefore the Works of these are Holy and Chast and Right Whosoever therefore shall serve these and hold fast to their Works he shall have his Dwelling in the Tower with the Saints of God Then I ask'd her concerning the Times whether the End were now at Hand But she cry'd out with a loud Voice saying O foolish Man Dost thou not see the Tower that it is always building When therefore the Tower shall be finish'd and built it shall have an End and indeed it shall soon be accomplished But do not ask me any more Questions What has been said may suffice for thee and for all the Saints with the renewal of your Spirits For these things have not been revealed to thee only but that thou mayst make them manifest unto all For therefore O HERMAS after three Days thou must understand these Words which I begin to speak unto thee that thou mayst speak them in the Ears of the Saints that when they shall have heard and done them they may be cleansed from their Iniquities and thou together with them IX HEAR me therefore O my Sons I have bred you up in much Simplicity and Modesty and Innocency for the Mercy of God which has dropp'd down upon you in Righteousness that you should be sanctified and justified from all Sin and Wickedness But ye will not cease from your evil Doings Now therefore hearken unto me and have Peace one with another and visit one another and receive one another and do not enjoy the Creatures of God alone Give freely to them that are in need For some by too free feeding contract an Infirmity in their Flesh and do Injury to their Bodies whilst the Flesh of others who have not Food withers away because they want sufficient Nourishment and their Bodies are consum'd Wherefore this Intemperance is hurtful to you who have and do not communicate to them that want Prepare for the Judgment that is about to come upon you Ye that are the more Eminent search out them that are Hungry whilst the Tower is yet unfinish'd For when the Tower shall be finish'd ye shall be willing to do good and shall not find any place for it See therefore ye that glory in your Riches least perhaps they groan who are in want and their Sighing come up unto God and ye be shut out with your Goods without the Gate of the Tower Behold I now warn you who are set over the Church and love the highest Seats be not ye like unto those that work Mischief And they indeed carry about their Poison in Boxes but ye contain your Poison and Medicines in your Hearts and will not purge them and mix your Sense with a Pure Heart that ye may find Mercy with the Great King Take heed my Children that your Dissentions deprive you not of your Lives How will ye instruct the Elect of God when ye your selves want Correction Wherefore admonish one another and be at Peace among your selves that I standing before your Father may give an Account for you unto the LORD X. AND when she had made an end of talking with me the six young Men that built came and carried her to the Tower and four others took up the Seat on which she sate and went away again they also to the Tower I saw not the Faces of these for their Backs were towards me As she was going along I asked her that she would reveal to me what concern'd the three Forms in which she had appear'd unto me But she answering said unto me concerning these things thou must ask some other that they may be revealed unto thee Now Brethren in the First Vision the last Year she appeared unto me exceeding old and sitting in a Chair In another Vision she had indeed a youthful Face but her Flesh and Hair were old and she talked with me standing and was more chearful than the first time In the third Vision she was in all respects much younger and comely to the Eye only she had the Hair of an Aged Person Yet she looked chearful and sate upon a Seat I was therefore very sad concerning these things until I might understand the Vision Wherefore I saw the same Old Woman in a Vision of the Night saying unto me All Prayer needeth Humility Fast therefore and thou shalt learn from the LORD that which thou dost ask I fasted therefore one Day The same Night a young Man appear'd to me and said Why dost thou thus often desire Revelations in thy Prayers Take heed that by asking many things thou hurt not thy Body Let these Revelations suffice thee Canst thou see more notable Revelations than those which thou hast already received I answered and said unto him Sir I only ask this one thing upon the account of the three Figures of the Old Woman that appeared to me that the Revelation may be compleat He answer'd me You are not without Understanding but your Doubts make you so forasmuch as you have not your Heart with the LORD I replyed and said But I shall learn these things more carefully from you XI HEAR then says he concerning the Figures about which you enquire And first in the first Vision she appear'd to thee in the Shape of an Old Woman because your ancient Spirit was decay'd and without Strength by reason of your Infirmities and the Doubtfulness of your Heart For as they who are Old have no hope of renewing themselves nor expect any thing but their Departure So you being weakned through your worldly Affairs gave your self up to Sloath and cast not away your Sollicitude from your self upon the LORD and your Sense was confused and you grew Old in your Sadness But Sir I would know why she sate upon a Chair He answered Because every one that is weak sitteth upon a Chair by reason of his Infirmity that his Weakness may be upheld See therefore the Figure of the first Vision XII IN the second Vision you saw her standing and having a youthful Face and more chearful than her former but her Flesh and her Hair were ancient Hear said he this Parable also When any one grows Old He despairs of himself by reason of his Infirmity and Poverty and expects nothing but the last Day of his Life But on the suddain an Inheritance is left to him and he hears of it and rises and being become chearful he puts on new Strength And now he no longer lies along but
entreats them to follow that which is here given to them LVIII Recommends them to God LIX Desires speedily to hear that this Epistle had had a good Effect upon them LX. And so concludes THE EPISTLE OF St. CLEMENT TO THE Corinthians The Church of God which is at Rome to the Church of God which is at Corinth Elect Sanctified by the Will of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Grace be to you and Peace from the Almighty God by Jesus Christ be multiplied THE suddain and unexpected Dangers and Calamities that have fallen upon Us BELOVED BRETHREN have we fear made us the more slow in our Consideration of those things which you proposed to Us As also of that Wicked and Detestable Sedition so unbecoming the Elect of God which a few heady and self-will'd Men have fomented to such a Degree that your Venerable and Renowned Name so worthy of all Men to be beloved is greatly Blasphemed thereby For who that has ever been among you has not experimented the firmness of your Faith and its Fruitfulness in all Good Works And admired the Temper and Moderation of your Religion in Christ And publish'd abroad the Magnificence of your Hospitality And thought you Happy in your perfect and certain knowledge of the Gospel For ye did all things without respect of Persons and walked according to the Laws of God Being subject to those who had the Rule over you and giving the Honour that was fitting to such as were the Aged among you The young Men ye commanded to think those things that were Modest and Grave The Women ye exhorted to do all things with an unblameable and seemly and pure Conscience Loving their own Husbands as was fitting And that keeping themselves within the Limits of a due Obedience they should order their Houses gravely with all Discretion II. YE were All of you Humble minded not Boasting of any thing Desiring rather to be Subject than to Govern to Give than to Receive being content with the Portion God had dispensed to you And hearkning diligently to his Word ye received it into your Hearts having his Precepts always before your Eyes Thus a firm and blessed and profitable Peace was given unto you and an unsatiable desire of doing Good and a plentiful Effusion of the Holy Ghost was upon all of you And being full of Good Desires ye did with a great readiness and with a Religious Confidence stretch forth your hands to God Almighty beseeching him to be merciful unto you if in any thing ye had unwillingly sinn'd against Him Ye contended day and night for the whole Brotherhood that through the Mercy of God and a Good Conscience the number of his Elect might be saved Ye were sincere and without Offence towards each other not mindful of Injuries All Sedition and Schism was an Abomination unto you Ye bewailed every one his Neighbours Sins esteeming their Defects your Own Ye were kind one to another without grudging being ready to every Good Work And being thus adorn'd with a Conversation altogether Virtuous and Religious ye did All things in the fear of God whose Commandments were written upon the Tables of your Hearts III. ALL Honour and Enlargement was given unto you and so was fulfill'd that which is written My Beloved did Eat and Drink he was Enlarged and waxed Fat and he Kicked From hence came Envy and Strife and Sedition Persecution and Disorder War and Captivity So they who were of no Renown lifted up themselves against the Honourable Those of no Reputation against those that were in Respect The Foolish against the Wise The young Men against the Aged Therefore Righteousness and Peace are departed from you because Every one hath forsaken the Fear of the Lord and is grown blind in His Faith nor walketh by the Rule of Gods Commandments nor liveth as is fitting in Christ But every one follows his own wicked Lusts Having taken up an Ungodly and Unjust Envy by which Death first entred into the World IV. FOR so it is written And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an Offering unto the LORD And Abel He also brought of the Firstlings of his Flock and of the fat thereof And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his Offering But unto Cain and unto his Offering he had not respect And Cain was very Wroth and his Countenance fell And the LORD said unto Cain Why art thou Wroth And why is thy Countenance fallen If thou shalt offer aright but not divide aright hast thou not sinned Hold thy peace Vnto Thee shall be his desire and Thou shalt rule over Him And Cain said unto Abel his Brother let us go down into the Field And it came to pass as they were in the Field that Cain rose up against Abel his Brother and slew him Ye see Brethren how Envy and Emulation wrought the Death of a Brother For this our Father Jacob fled from the Face of his Brother Esau. It was this that caused Joseph to be persecuted even unto Death and Bondage It was this that forced Moses to flee from the Face of Pharaoh King of Egypt when he heard his own Country-man ask him Who made Thee a Prince and a Judge over us Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday For this Aaron and Miriam were shut out of the Camp from the rest of the Congregation seven days Emulation sent Dathan and Abiram quick into the Grave because they raised up a Sedition against Moses the Servant of God For this David was not only hated of Strangers but was persecuted even by Saul the King of Israel V. BUT not to insist upon antient Examples let us come to those Worthies that have been nearest to us and take the brave Examples of our own Age. Through Zeal and Envy the most Faithful and Righteous Pillars of the Church have been persecuted even to the most bitter Deaths Let us set before our Eyes the Holy Apostles Peter by unjust Envy underwent not One or Two but many Sufferings till at last being Martyr'd he went to the place of Glory that was due unto Him For the same cause did Paul in like manner receive the Reward of his Patience Seven times he was in Bonds He was Whipp'd was Stoned He preach'd both in the East and in the West leaving behind Him the Glorious Report of his Faith And so having taught the whole World Righteousness and for that end travell'd even to the utmost Bounds of the West He at last suffer'd Martyrdom by the Command of the Governours and departed out of the World and went unto his Holy place being become a most eminent Pattern of Patience unto All Ages VI. TO
saying He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver Him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in Him Ye see Beloved what the Pattern is that has been given to Us. For if the Lord thus humbled himself what should we do who are come under the Yoak of his Grace XVII LET us be Followers of those who went about in Goat-skins and Sheep-skins preaching the Coming of Christ. Such were Elias and Elisaeus and Ezekiel the Prophets And let us add to these such others as have received the like Testimony Abraham has been greatly witnessed of having been called the Friend of God And yet He stedfastly beholding the Glory of God says with all Humility I am Dust and Ashes Again of Job it is thus written That he was Just and without Blame True One that served God and abstained from all Evil. Yet he despising himself says No man is free from Pollution no not tho' He should live but one day Moses was called Faithful in all Gods House and by his Conduct God determined to deliver the Israelites from their Stripes and Pains And yet even this Man tho' thus Greatly Honoured spake not greatly of Himself but when the Oracle of God was delivered to him out of the Bush he said Who am I that thou dost send me I am of a slender Voice and a slow Tongue And again He saith I am as the smoak of the Pot. XVIII AND what shall we say of David so highly testified of in the Holy Scriptures To whom God said I have found a Man after my own heart David the Son of Jesse with my Holy Oil have I anointed Him But yet he Himself saith unto God Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness According unto the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin For I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before Me. Against Thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest and be clear when Thou judgest Behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother Conceive me Behold Thou desirest Truth in the Inward parts and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know Wisdom Purge me with Hysop and I shall be Clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the Bones which Thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face from my sins and blot out All mine Iniquities Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within Me. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from Me. Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit Then will I teach Transgressors thy ways and Sinners shall be converted unto Thee Deliver me from Blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my Tongue shall sing aloud of thy Righteousness O LORD open thou my Lips and my Mouth shall shew forth thy Praise For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in Burnt-offerings The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise XIX THUS has the Humility and Godly Fear of these great and excellent Men recorded in the Scriptures through Obedience made not only Us but also the Generations before us Better even as many as have received his Holy Oracles with Fear and Truth Having therefore so many and such Great and Glorious Examples let us return to that Peace which was the Mark that from the Beginning was set before Us Let us look up to the Father and Creator of the whole World and let us hold fast to his Glorious and Exceeding Gifts and Benefits which are of Peace Let us consider and behold with the Eyes of our Understandings his Long-suffering Will and think how Gentle and Patient he is towards his whole Creation XX. THE Heavens holding fast to his Appointment are subject to Him in Peace Day and Night accomplish the Courses that he has allotted unto them not disturbing one another The Sun and Moon and all the several Companies and Constellations of the Stars run the Courses that he has appointed to them in Concord without departing in the least from them The Fruitful Earth yields its Food plentifully in due Season both to Man and Beast and to all that is upon it according to His Will not disputing nor altering any thing of what was order'd by Him So also the untrodden and unsearchable Floods of the Deep are kept in by his Command And the Conflux of the vast Sea being brought together at the Creation into its several Collections passes not the Bounds that He has set to it but as he then appointed it so it remains For he said Hitherto shalt thou come and thy Flouds shall be broken within Thee The Ocean unpassable to Mankind and the Worlds that are beyond it are govern'd by the same Commands of their great Master Spring and Summer Autumn and Winter give place peaceably to Each other The several Quarters of the Winds fulfil their work in their Seasons without offending one Another The Ever-flowing Fountains made both for Pleasure and Health never fail to reach out their Breasts to support the Life of Men. Even the smallest Creatures live together in Peace and Concord with Each other All these has the Great Creator and Lord of all commanded to observe Peace and Concord being Good to all But especially to Us who flee to his Mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be Glory and Majesty for Ever and Ever Amen XXI TAKE heed Beloved that his many Blessings be not to us to Condemnation except we shall walk worthy of Him doing with One Consent what is Good and Pleasing in his Sight The Spirit of the LORD is a Candle searching all the inward parts of the Belly Let us therefore consider how near he is to us and how that none of our Thoughts are hid from him nor any of our Conversation which we have with one Another It is therefore Just that we should not forsake our Rank by doing contrary to his Will Let us chuse to offend a few foolish and inconsiderate Men lifted up and Glorying in their own Pride rather than God Let us Reverence our Lord Jesus Christ whose Bloud was Given for us Let us Honour Those who are set over us let us respect the Aged that are amongst us and let us instruct the younger Men in the Discipline and Fear of the LORD Our Wives let us direct in Doing that which is Good Let them shew forth a lovely Habit of Purity in all their Conversation with a sincere Affection of Meekness Let the government of their
I answered her Lady let those who are Elder sit first She reply'd sit down as I bid you And when I would have sate on the right side she suffered me not but made a sign to me with her Hand that I should sit on the left As I was therefore musing and full of Sorrow that she would not suffer me to sit on the right side she said unto me HERMAS why art thou sad The place which is on the right Hand is theirs who have already attain'd unto God and have suffered for his Name sake But there is yet a great deal remaining unto thee before thou canst sit with them But continue as thou dost in thy Sincerity and thou shalt sit with them as all others shall that do their Works and shall bear what they have born II. I said unto her Lady I would know what it is that they have suffered Hear then said she Wild Beasts Scourgings Imprisonments and Crosses for his Name sake For this cause the right Hand of Holiness belongs to them and to all others as many as shall suffer for the Name of God but the left belongs to the rest Howbeit the Gifts and the Promises belong to both to them and to those on the left Hand only that sitting on the right Hand they have some Glory above the others But thou art desirous to sit on the right Hand with them and thy Defects are many But thou shalt be purg'd from thy Defects As also all who doubt not shall be cleansed from all the Sins which they have committed unto this Day And when she had said this she would have departed Wherefore falling down before her Feet I began to intreat her for the LORD'S sake that she would shew me the Vision which she had promised Then she again took me by the Hand and lifted me up and made me sit upon the Seat on the left side and holding up a certain bright Wand said unto me seest thou that great thing I reply'd Lady I see nothing She answered Dost thou not see over against thee a great Tower which is built upon the Water with bright square Stones For the Tower was built upon a square by those six young Men that came with her And thousands of other Men brought Stones Some drew them out of the Deep Others carried them from the Ground and gave them to the six young Men. And they took them and built As for those Stones which were drawn out of the Deep they put them all into the Building for they were polish'd and their Squares exactly answered one another and so one was joyn'd in such wise to the other that there was no space to be seen where they joyn'd Insomuch that the whole Tower appear'd to be built as it were of one Stone But as for the other Stones that were taken off from the Ground some of them they rejected others they fitted into the Building Others they cut out and cast at a distance from the Tower Moreover there were many other Stones which lay round about the Tower which they made no use of in the Building Some of these were rough others had Clefts in them others were white and round not proper for the building of the Tower Besides these I saw other Stones cast afar off from the Tower and falling into the High-Way but not continuing in the Way but were rolled from the Way into a desert Place Others I saw falling into the Fire and burning Others were glowing hot just by the Water yet could not roll themselves into it though very desirous to fall into the Water III. AND when she had shew'd me these things she would have departed But I said unto her Lady What do's it profit me to see these things and not understand what they mean She answer'd and said unto me you are very cunning in that you are desirous to know those things which relate to the Tower Yea said I Lady that I may declare them unto the Brethren and they may rejoyce and hearing these things may glorifie God with great Honour Then she said Many indeed shall hear them and when they shall have heard them some shall rejoyce and others weep And yet even these if they shall repent shall rejoyce too Hear therefore what I shall say concerning the Parable of the Tower and after this be no longer importunate with me about the Revelation For these Revelations have an end seeing they are fulfilled But thou dost not leave off to desire Revelations for thou art very urgent As for the Tower which thou seest built it is I my self namely the Church which have appeared to thee both now and heretofore Wherefore ask what thou wilt concerning the Tower and I will reveal it unto thee that thou mayst rejoyce with the Saints I said unto her Lady Because thou hast thought me once worthy to receive from thee the Revelation of all these things declare them unto me She answer'd me whatsoever is fit to be revealed unto thee shall be revealed Only let thy Heart be with the LORD and doubt not whatsoever thou shalt see I ask'd her Lady why is the Tower built upon the Water She replied I said before to thee that thou wert very Wise to enquire diligently concerning the Building therefore thou shalt find the Truth Hear therefore why the Tower is built upon the Water Because your Life is and shall be saved by Water For it is founded by the Word of the Almighty and Honourable Name and is supported by the Invisible Power and Virtue of God IV. AND I answering said unto her These things are very admirable But Lady who are those six young Men that build They are said she the Angels of God which were first appointed and to whom the LORD has deliver'd all his Creatures to build them up and to rule over For by these the Building of the Tower shall be finish'd And who are the rest who bring them Stones They also are the Holy Angels of the LORD but the other are more excellent than these Wherefore when the whole Building of the Tower shall be finished they shall all feast together besides the Tower and shall glorifie God because the Structure of the Tower is finish'd I ask'd her saying I would know the Condition of the Stones and the meaning of them what it is She answering said unto me Art thou better than all others that this should be revealed unto thee For others are both before thee and better than thou art to whom these Visions should be made manifest Nevertheless that the Name of God may be honour'd it has been and shall be reveal'd unto thee for the sake of those who are doubtful and think in their Hearts whether these things are so or not Tell them that all these things are true and that there is nothing in them that is not true but all are firm and truly established V. HEAR now then concerning the Stones that are in the Building The
square and white Stones which agree exactly in their joynts are the Apostles and Bishops and Doctors and Ministers who through the Mercy of God have come in and govern'd and taught and ministred holily and modestly to the Elect of God both that are fallen asleep and which yet remain and have always agreed with them and have had peace within themselves and with each other For which cause their Joints exactly meet together in the Building of the Tower They which are drawn out of the Deep and put into the Building and whose Joynts agree with the other Stones which are already built are those which are already fallen asleep and have suffered for the sake of the LORD'S Name And what are the other Stones Lady that are brought from the Earth I would know what they are She answer'd They which lie upon the Ground and are not polished are those which God has approved because they have walked in the Law of the LORD and directed their ways in his Commandments They which are put in the Building of the Tower are the young in Faith and the Faithful And these are admonish'd by the Angels to do well because that Iniquity is not found in them But who are those whom they rejected and laid besides the Tower They are such as have sinn'd and are willing to repent for which cause they are not cast far from the Tower because they will be useful in the Building if they shall repent They therefore that are yet to repent if they shall repent shall become strong in the Faith that is if they repent now whilst the Tower is building For if the Building shall be finish'd there will then be no place for them to be put in but they shall be rejected For he only has this Priviledge who shall now be put to the Tower VI. BUT would you know who they are that were cut out and cast afar off from the Tower Lady said I I desire it They are the Children of Iniquity who believed only in Hypocrisie and departed not from their Evil Ways For this cause they are not saved because they are not of any Use in the Building by reason of their Sins Wherefore they are cut out and cast afar off because of the Anger of the LORD and because they have provoked him to anger against them As for the great Number of other Stones which thou hast seen placed about the Tower but not put into the Building those which are rugged are they who have known the Truth but have not continued in it nor been joyn'd to the Saints and therefore are unprofitable Those that have Clefts in them are they who keep up Discord in their Hearts against each other and live not in Peace that are friendly when present with their Brethren but as soon as they are departed from one another their Wickedness still continues in their Hearts These are the Clefts which are seen in those Stones Those that are maim'd and short are they who have believed indeed but still are in great measure full of Wickedness for this cause are they maim'd and not whole But what are the white and round Stones Lady and which are not proper for the Building of the Tower She answering said unto me How long wilt thou continue Foolish and without Understanding asking every thing and discerning nothing They are such as have Faith indeed but have withal the Riches of this present World When therefore any Troubles arise for the sake of their Riches they deny the LORD I answering said unto her when therefore will they be Profitable to the LORD When their Riches shall be cut away says she in which they take delight then they will be profitable unto the LORD for his Building For as a round Stone unless he be cut away and cast somewhat oft of its Bulk cannot be made square so they who are rich in this World unless their Riches be pared off cannot be made profitable unto the LORD Learn this from thy own Experience When thou wert Rich thou wast unprofitable but now thou art profitable and fit for the Life which thou hast undertaken for thou also once wast one of those Stones VII AS for the rest of the Stones which thou sawest cast afar off from the Tower and running in the Way and tumbled out of the Way into Desert places they are such as have believed indeed but through their doubting have forsaken their true Way thinking that they could find a better But they wander and are miserable going into desolate Ways Then for those Stones which fell into the Fire and were burnt They are those who have for ever departed from the Living God nor has it ever come into their Hearts to repent by reason of the Affection which they bear to their Lusts and Wickednesses which they commit And what are the rest which fell by the Water and could not roll into the Water They are such as have heard the Word and were willing to be baptized in the Name of the LORD but considering the great Holiness which the Truth requires have withdrawn themselves and walk'd again after their wicked Lusts. Thus she finish'd the Explication of the Tower But I being still urgent ask'd her Is there Repentance allow'd to all those Stones which are thus cast away and were not suitable to the Building of the Tower and shall they find place in this Tower They may repent said she but they cannot come into this Tower but they shall be placed in a much lower Rank and this after that they shall have been afflicted and fulfill'd the Days of their Sins And for this cause they shall be removed because they have received the Word of Righteousness And then they shall be translated from their Afflictions if they shall have a true sense in their Hearts of what they have done amiss But if they shall not have this Sense in their Hearts they shall not be saved by reason of the Hardness of their Hearts VIII WHEN therefore I had done asking her concerning all these things she said unto me Wilt thou see somewhat else And I being desirous of seeing it I became very chearful of Countenance She therefore looing back upon me and smiling a little said unto me Seest thou seven Women about the Tower Lady said I I see them This Tower replied she is supported by them according to the Command of the LORD Hear therefore the Effects of them The first of them which holds her Hand fast is called Faith by her the Elect shall be saved The next which is girt up and looks Manly is named Abstinence She is the Daughter of Faith Whosoever therefore shall follow her shall be happy in all his Life because he shall abstain from all evil Works believing that if he shall contain himself from all Concupiscence he shall be the Heir of Eternal Life And what Lady said I are the other five They are reply'd she the Daughters of One another One of them