The Demonstrations

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Letter of an Inquirer.

I. Beloved, I send thee inquiries and questions, for I am compelled to seek further instruction of

thee on many points. Do not thou refuse to hear me. My spirit urges me to warn thee about many

topics

that thou mayest unfold for me the

spiritual perceptions of thy mind, and mayest show me of all that thou hast apprehended from the holy

books, that so my deficiency may be supplied by thee and my hunger satisfied by thy doctrine, and

that thou mayest assuage my thirst from the fountain of thine instruction. Yet though many things are

set in my thought to ask thee, they all are notwithstanding reserved with me, that when I come to

thee, thou mayest instruct me on all subjects.

2. But before all things I desire that thou wouldst write and instruct me concerning this that

straitens me, namely, concerning our faith; how it is, and what its foundation is, and on what

structure it rises, on what it rests, and in what way is its fulfilment and consummation, and what

are the works required for it. For I of myself firmly believe that God is one, Who made the heavens

and the earth from the beginning; that He adorned the world by His handiwork; that He made man in His

image; He it is that accepted the offering of Abel. He translated Enoch because of his excellence. He

preserved Noah because of his righteousness. He chose Abraham because of his faith. He spake with

Moses on account of his meekness. He it is that spake in all the prophets, and furthermore He sent

His Christ into the world. Since then, my brother, I thus believe in these things that so they are, I

therefore, brother, request of thee that thou wouldest write and show me what are the works required

for this our faith, that so thou mayest set me at rest.

The "Demonstrations" OF Aphrahat.

Demonstration I.

-Of Faith.

§1. I have received thy letter, my beloved, and when I read it, it greatly gladdened me that

thou hast turned thy thoughts to these investigations. For this thing that thou hast asked of me

shall be freely granted,

for freely it was

received. And whosoever has, and desires to withhold from him that seeks, whatsoever he withholds

shall be taken away from him. Whoever of free grace receives, of free grace also does it behove him

to give. And so, my beloved, as to that which thouhast asked of me, so far as my insignificance has

apprehended, I will write to thee. And also whatsoever thou hast not sought of me, invoking God, I

will explain to thee. Hear then, my beloved, and open the inward ears of thy heart unto me, and the

spiritual perceptions of thy mind to that which I say unto thee.

§2. Faith is compounded of many things, and by many kinds is it brought to perfection. For it

is like a building that is built up of many pieces of workmanship and so its edifice rises to the

top. And know, my beloved, that in the foundations of the building stones are laid, and so resting

upon stones the whole edifice rises until it is perfected. Thus also the true Stone, our Lord Jesus

Christ, is the foundation of all our faith. And on Him, on [this] Stone faith is based. And resting

on faith all the structure rises until it is completed. For it is the foundation that is the

beginning of all the building. For when any one is brought nigh unto faith, it is laid for him upon

the Stone, that is our Lord Jesus Christ. And his building cannot be shaken by the waves, nor can it

be injured by the winds. By the stormy blasts it does not fall, because its. structure is reared upon

the rock of the true Stone. And in this that I have called Christ the Stone, I have not spoken, of my

own thought, but the Prophets beforehand called Him the Stone. And this I shall make clear to

thee.

§3. And now hear concerning faith that is based upon the Stone, and concerning the structure

that is reared up upon the Stone. For first a man believes, and when he believes, he loves. When he

loves, he hopes. When he hopes, he is justified. When he is justified, he is perfected. When he is

perfected, he is consummated. And when his whole structure is raised up, consummated, and perfected,

then he becomes a house and a temple for a dwelling-place of Christ, as Jeremiah the Prophet

said:-

The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are ye, if ye amend

your ways and your works.

And again He

said through the Prophet:-

I will dwell in them and walk in them.

And also the Blessed Apostle thus said:-

Ye are

the temple of God and the spirit of Christ dwelleth in you.

And also our Lord again thus said to His

disciples:-

Ye are in Me and I am in you

§4. And when the house has become a dwelling-place, then the man begins to be anxious as to

that which is required for Him Who dwells in the building. Just as if a king or an honourable man, to

whom a royal name is given, should lodge in the house, there would be required for the King all the

appurtenances of royalty and all the service that is needed for the King's honour. For in a house

that is void of all good things, the King will not lodge, nor will he dwell in the midst of it; but

all that is choicest in the house is required for the King and that nothing in it be deficient. And

if anything be deficient there in the house in which the King lodges, the keeper of the house is

delivered over to death, because he did not make ready the service for the King. So also let the man,

who becomes a house, yea a dwelling-place, for Christ, take heed to what is needed for the service of

Christ, Who lodges in him, and with what things he may please Him. For first he builds his building

on the Stone, which is Christ. On Him, on the Stone, is faith based, and on faith is reared up all

the structure. For the habitation of the house is required pure fasting, and it is made firm by

faith. There is also needed for it pure prayer, and through faith is it accepted. Necessary for it

too is love, and with faith is it compounded. Furthermore alms are needed, and through faith are they

given. He demands also meekness, and by faith is it adorned. He chooses too virginity, and by faith

is it loved. He joins with himself holiness, and in faith is it planted. He cares also for wisdom,

and through faith is it acquired. He desires also hospitality, and by faith does it abound. Requisite

for Him also is simplicity, and with faith is it commingled. He demands patience also, and by faith

is it perfected. He has respect also to long-suffering, and through faith is it acquired. He loves

mourning also, and through faith is it manifested. He seeks also for purity, and by faith is it

preserved. All these things does the faith demand that is based on the rock of the true Stone, that

is Christ. These works are required for Christ the King, Who dwells in men that are built up in these

works.

§5. And if perchance thou shouldest say:-If Christ is set for the foundation, how does Christ

also dwell in the building when it is completed? For both these things did the blessed Apostle say.

For he said:-

as a wise architect have laid the foundation

And there he defined the foundation and made it

clear, for he said as follows:-

No man can lay other foundation than that which is laid, which is

Jesus Christ

And that Christ

furthermore dwells in that building is the word that was written above-that of Jeremiah who called

men temples and said of God that He dwelt in them. And the Apostle said:-

The Spirit of Christ

dwelleth in you

And our Lord

said:-

I and My Father are one

And

therefore that word is accomplished, that Christ dwells in men, namely, in those who believe on Him,

and He is the foundation on which is reared up the whole building.

6. But I must proceed to my former statement that Christ is called the Stone in the Prophets. For

in ancient times David said concerning Him:-

The stone which the builders rejected has become the

head of the building

And how did the

builders reject this Stone which is Christ?

How else than that they so rejected Him before

Pilate and said-

This man shall not be King over us

And again in that parable that our Lord spake

that a certain nobleman went to receive kingly power and to return and rule over them; and they sent

after Him envoys saying:-

This man shall not be King over us

By these things they rejected the Stone which is

Christ. And how did it become the head of the building? How else than that it was set up over the

building of the Gentiles and upon it is reared up all their building. And who are the builders? Who

but the priests and Pharisees who did not build a sure building, but were overthrowing everything

that he was building, as is written in Ezekiel the Prophet:-

He was building a wall of partition,

but they were shaking it, that it might fall

And again it is written:-

I sought amongst them

a man who was closing the fence and standing in the breach over the face of the land, that I might

not destroy it and I did not find

And

furthermore Isaiah also prophesied beforehand with regard to this stone. For he said:-

Thus saith

the Lord, Behold I lay in Zion a chosen stone in the precious corner, the heart of the wall of the

foundation

And he said again

there:-

Every one that believeth on it shall not fear.

And

whosoever falleth on that stone shall be

broken, and every one on whom it shall fall, it will crush

For the people of the house of Israel fell upon

Him, and He became their destruction for ever. And again

it shall fall on the image and crush

And the Gentiles believed on it

and do not fear.

7. And He shows thus with regard to that stone that it was laid as head of the wall and as

foundation. But if that stone was laid as the foundation, how did it also become the head of the

wall? How but that when our Lord came, He laid His faith in the earth like a foundation, and it rose

above all the heavens like the head of the wall and all the building was finished with the stones,

from the bottom to the top. And with regard to the faith about which I said that He laid His faith in

the earth, this David proclaimed beforehand about Christ. For He said:-

Faith shall spring up from

the earth

And that again, it is

above, he said:-

Righteousness looked down from the heavens.

8. And again Daniel also spoke concerning this stone which is Christ. For he said:-

The stone

was cut out from the mountain, not by hands, and it smote the image, and the whole earth was filled

with it

This he showed beforehand

with regard to Christ that the whole earth shall be filled with Him. For lo! by the faith of Christ

are all the ends of the earth filled, as David said:-

The sound of the Gospel of Christ has gone

forth into all the earth

And again

when He sent forth His apostles He spake thus to them:-

Go forth, make disciples of all nations and

they will believe on Me.

And again the

Prophet Zechariah also prophesied about that stone which is Christ. For he said:-

I saw a chief

stone of equably and of love

And why

did he say "

chief

"? Surely because from the beginning

He was with His Father. And again that he spoke

of love, it was because when He came into the world, He said thus to His disciples:-

This is My

commandment, that ye love one another

And again He said:-

I have called you My friends

(lovers).

And the blessed Apostle said thus:-

God loved

as in the love of His Son.

Of a truth

Christ loved us and gave Himself for us

§9. And definitely did He show concerning this stone:-

Lo! on this stone will I open seven

eyes.

And what then are the seven eyes

that were opened on the stone? Clearly the Spirit of God that abode on Christ with seven operations,

as Isaiah the Prophet said:-

The Spirit of God shall rest and dwell upon Him,

(a spirit)

wisdom and understanding, of counsel and of courage, of knowledge and of the fear of the

Lord

These were the seven eyes that

were opened upon the Stone, and

these are the seven eyes of the Lord which look upon all the

earth

§10. And also with reference to Christ was this (which follows) said. For he said that He was

given as a light to all the Gentilesas the Prophet Isaiah said:-

I have given Thee as a light to

all the Gentiles, that Thou shouldest be My redemption to the ends of the earth

And furthermore David also said;-

Thy word is a

lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths.

And also the word and discourse of the Lord is

Christ, as is written in the beginning of the Gospel of our Saviour:-

In the beginning was the

Word

And withregard to the light

there again he bore witness:-

The light was shining in the darkness and the darkness comprehended

it not

What then is this:-

The

light was shining in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not?

Clearly Christ, Whose

light shone in the midst of the people of the house of Israel, and the people of the house of Israel

did not comprehend the light of Christ, in that they did not believe on Him, as it is written:-

came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

And also our Lord Jesus called them darkness, for

He said to His disciples;-

Whatsoever I say unto you in the darkness, that speak ye in the

light

namely,

let you light shine

among the Gentiles;

because they

received the light of Christ, Who is the Light of the Gentiles. And He said again to His

Apostles:-

Ye are the light of the world.

And again He said unto them;-

Let your light

shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in

heaven.

And again He showed with

regard to Himself that He is the light, for He said to His disciples:-

Walk while the light is with

you, ere the darkness overtake you

And again He said to them:-

Believe on the light that ye may be children of light

And again He said:-

I am the light of the

world

And again He said:-

No man

lighteth a lamp and putteth it under a bushel or under a bed, or putteth it in a hidden place, but

putteth it upon the lamp-stand that every one may see the light of the lamp

And the shining lamp is Christ, as David

said;-

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my paths

§11. And furthermore the Prophet Hosea also said:-

Light you a lamp and seek ye the

Lord

And our Lord Jesus Christ

said:-

What woman is there who has ten drachmos and shall lose one of them, and will not light a

lamp and sweep the house and seek her drachma that she lost?

What then does this woman signify? Clearly the

congregation of the house of Israel, to which the ten commandments were given. They lost the first

commandment-that in which He warned them saying:-

I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up from

the land of Egypt.

And when they had

lost this first commandment, also the nine which are after it they could not keep, because on the

first depend the nine. For it was an impossibility that while worshipping Baal, they should keep the

nine commandments. For they lost the first commandment, like that woman who lost one drachma from the

ten. So the Prophet cried unto them:-

Light you a lamp and seek ye the Lord

And furthermore the Prophet Isaiah also

said:-

Seek ye the Lord and when ye shall have found Him, call upon Him; and when He is near let

the sinner abandon his way and the wicked man his thought

For that lamp shone and they did not by it seek

the Lord their God. And its light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. And

the lamp was set up on the lamp-stand and those who were in the house did not see its light. And what

then means this, that the lamp was set up on the lamp-stand? Clearly His being raised up upon the

cross. And by this all the house was made dark over them. For when they crucified Him, the light was

darkened from them, and shone amongst the Gentiles, because that from the time of the sixth hour (of

the day) on which they crucified Him even unto the ninth hour there was darkness in all the land of

Israel. And the sun set in midday and the land was darkened in the shining daytime, as is written n

Zechariah the Prophet:-

It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will cause the sun to

set in midday, and will make dark the land in the shining daytime

§12. Now I must proceed to my former subject of faith, that on it are reared up all the good

works of the building. And again, in what I said with regard to the building, it was in no strange

fashion that I spoke, but the blessed Apostle wrote in the first Epistle to the Corinthians,

saying;-

I as a wise master-builder have laid the foundation, but every one buildeth on

One builds silver and gold and

goodly stones; another builds reed and straw and stubble. In the last day that building shall be

tried by fire; for the gold and silver and goodly stones shall be preserved in the midst of the fire,

because they are a firm building. But as for the straw and reed and stubble, the fire shall have

power upon them and they shall be burned. And what is the gold and silver and goodly stones by which

the building is raised up? Clearly the good deeds of faith, which shall be preserved in the midst of

the fire; because Christ dwells in that secure building, and He is its preserver from the fire. And

let us consider and understand (this) from the example that God has given us also in the former

dispensation, because the promises of that dispensation will abide sure for us. Let us then

understand from (the case of) those three righteous men who were cast into the midst of the fire and

were not burned, namely, Hananiah, Azariah and Misael, over whom the fire had no power, because they

built a secure building and rejected the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar the king and did not worship

the image that he made. And as for those who transgressed the commandment of God, the fire at once

prevailed over them and burned them, and they were burned without mercy. For the Sodomites were

burned like straw and reed and stubble. Furthermore, Nadab and Abihu were burned, who transgressed

the commandment of God. Again, two hundred and fifty men were burned, who were offering incense.

Again, two princes and a hundred who were with them were burned, because they approached the mountain

on which Elijah was sitting, who ascended in a chariot of fire to heaven. The calumniators also were

burned because they dug a pit for righteous men. Accordingly, beloved, the righteous shall be tried

by the fire, like gold and silver and goodly stones, and the wicked shall be burned in the fire like

straw and reed and stubble, and the fire shall have power upon them and they shall be burned; even as

the Prophet Isaiah said:-

By fire shall the Lord judge and by it shall He try all flesh

And again he said:-

Ye shall go out and see the

carcases of the men who offended against Me, whose worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be

quenched, and they shall be an astonishment to all flesh

§13. And again the Apostle has commented for us upon this building and upon this foundation;

for he said thus;-

No man can lay another foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus

Christ.

Again the Apostle said about

faith that it is conjoined with hope and love, for he said thus:-

These are three which shall

abide, faith and hope and love

And he

showed with regard to faith that first it is laid on a sure foundation.

§14. For Abel, because of his faith his offering was accepted. And Enoch, because he was

well-pleasing through his faith, was removed from death. Noah, because he believed, was preserved

from the deluge. Abraham, through his faith, obtained blessing, and it was accounted to him for

righteousness. Isaac, because he believed, was loved. Jacob, because of his faith, was preserved.

Joseph, because of his faith, was tried in the waters of contention, and was delivered from his

trial, and his Lord established a witness in him, as David said:-

Witness hath he established in

Joseph.

Moses also by his faith

performed many wonderful works of power. By his faith he destroyed the Egyptians with ten plagues.

Again, by faith he divided the sea, and caused his people to cross over and sank the Egyptians in the

midst of it. By faith he cast the wood into the bitter waters and they became sweet. By faith he

brought down manna and satisfied his people. By faith he spread out his hands and conquered Amalek,

as is written:-

His hands continued in faith till the selling of the sun.

Also by faith he went up to Mount Sinai, when he

twice fasted for the space of forty days. Again by faith he conquered Sihon and Og, the Kings of the

Amorites.

§15. This is wonderful, my beloved, and a great prodigy that Moses did in the Red Sea, when

the waters were divided by faith, and stood up on high like mountains or like mighty cliffs. They

were checked and stood still at the commandment; they were closed up as in vessels, and fast bound in

the height as in the depth. Their fluidity did not overflow the boundary, but rather they changed the

nature of their creation. Irrational creatures became obedient. The billows became rigid and were

awaiting the vengeance, when the people should have passed over. Wonderful was it how the waves stood

still and expected the commandment and the vengeance. The foundations (hidden) from the ages of the

world were revealed, and that which from the beginning had been liquid suddenly became dry.

The

gates lifted up their heads and the everlasting gates were lifted up.

The pillar of fire entered and illuminated the

entire camp. The people passed over by faith. And the judgment of righteousness was wrought upon

Pharaoh and upon his host and upon his chariots.

§16. Thus also Joshua the son of Nun divided Jordan by his faith, and the children of Israel

crossed over as in the days of Moses. But know, my beloved, that this passage of the Jordan was three

times laid open by its being divided. First through Joshua the Son of Nun, and secondly through

Elijah, and then through Elisha. For the word of the Book makes known that over against this passage

of Jericho, there Elijah was taken up to heaven; for when Elisha turned back from following him and

divided the Jordan and passed over, the children of the Prophets of Jericho came out to meet Elisha

and said:-

The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha

Furthermore when the people crossed over in the

days of Joshua the son of Nun (it was there), for thus it is written:-

The people passed over, over

against Jericho

Also Joshua the son

of Nun by faith cast down the walls of Jericho, and they fell without difficulty. Again by faith he

destroyed thirty-one kings and made the children of Israel to inherit the land. Furthermore by his

faith he spread out his hands towards heaven and stayed the sun in Gibeon and the moon in the valley

of Ajalon.

And they were stayed and stood

still from their courses. But enough! All the righteous, our fathers, in all that they did were

victorious through faith, as also the blessed Apostle testified with regard to all of them:-

faith they prevailed.

Again Solomon

said:-

Many men are called merciful, but a faithful man who can find?

Also Job thus said:-

My integrity, shall not

pass from me, and in my righteousness will persist.

§17. Also our Saviour used thus to say to every one who drew near to Him to be

healed:-

According to thy faith be unto thee.

And when the blind man approached Him, He said to

him:-

Dost thou believe that I am able to heal thee?

That blind man said to Him:-

Yea, Lord,

I believe.

And his faith opened his

eyes. And to him whose son was sick, He said:-

Believe and thy son shall live.

He said to

Him:-

I believe, Lord; help thou my feeble faith.

And by his faith his son was healed. And also

when the nobleman

came near to Him, by his

faith was his boy healed, when he said to our Lord:-

Speak the word and my servant will be

cured.

And our Lord was astonished at

his faith, and according to his faith it happened to him. And also when the chief of the Synagogue

requested Him concerning his daughter, He said thus to him:-

Only firmly believe and thy daughter

shall live.

So he believed and his

daughter lived and arose. And when Lazarus died, our Lord said to Martha:-

If thou believest, thy

brother shall rise.

Martha saith unto Him;-

Yea, Lord, I believe.

And He raised him after four days. And also Simon

who was called Cephas because of his faith was called the firm rock,

And again when our Lord gave the Sacrament of

Baptism to His apostles, He said thus to them:-

Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall live, and

whosoever believeth not shall be condemned.

Again He said to his Apostles:-

If ye believe

and doubt not, there is nothing ye shall not be able to do.

For when our Lord walked on the billows of the

sea, Simon also by his faith walked with Him; but when in respect of his faith he doubted, and began

to sink, our Lord called him,

thou of little faith.

And when the Apostles asked of our Lord, they

begged nothing at His hands but this, saying to Him:-

Increase our faith

. He said to

them:-

If there were in you faith, even a mountain would remove from before you

And He said to them:-

Doubt ye not, lest ye

sink down in the midst of the world, even as Simon when he doubled began to sink in the midst of the

sea

And again He said thus;-

This

shall be the sign for those that believe; they shall speak with new tongues and shall cast out

demons, and they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall be made whole.

§18. Let us draw near then, my beloved, to faith, since its powers are so many. For faith

raised up to the heavens (Enoch), and conquered the Deluge. It caused the barren to bring forth. It

delivered from the sword. It raised up from the pit. It enriched the poor. It released the captives.

It delivered the persecuted. It brought down the fire. It divided the sea. It cleft the rock, and

gave to the thirsty water to drink. It satisfied the hungry. It raised the dead, and brought them up

from Sheol. It stilled the billows. It healed the sick, It conquered hosts. It overthrew walls. It

stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the flame of fire. It humiliated the proud, and brought the

humble to honour. All these mighty works were wrought by faith.

§19. Now thus is faith; when a man believes in God the Lord of all, Who made the heavens and

the earth and the seas and all that is in them; and He made Adam in His image; and He gave the Law to

Moses; He sent of His Spirit upon the prophets; He sent moreover His Christ into the world.

Furthermore that a man should believe in the resurrection of the dead; and should furthermore also

believe in the sacrament of baptism. This is the faith of the Church of God. And (it is necessary)

that a man should separate himself from the observance of hours and Sabbaths and moons and seasons,

and divinations and sorceries and Chaldaean arts and magic, from fornication and from festive music,

from vain doctrines, which are instruments of the Evil One, from the blandishment of honeyed words,

from blasphemy and from adultery. And that a man should not bear false witness, and that a man should

not speak with double tongue. These then are the works of the faith which is based on the true Stone

which is Christ, on Whom the whole building is reared up.

§20. Furthermore, my beloved, there is much besides in the Holy Books about faith. But these

few things out of the much have I written to recall them to thy love that thou mayest know and make

known and believe" and also be believed. And when thou hast read and learned the works of faith, thou

mayest be made like unto that tilled land upon which the good seed fell, and produced fruit a

hundred-fold and sixty-fold and thirty-fold. And when thou comest to thy Lord, He may call thee a

good servant and prudent and faithful, who on account of His faith, that abounded, is to enter into

the Kingdom of his Lord.

Demonstration V.

-Of Wars.

§1. This reflection has befallen me at this time concerning the shaking that is to take place

at this time, and the host that has assembled itself for the sword. The times were disposed

beforehand by God. The times of peace are fulfilled in the days of the good and just; and the times

of many evils are fulfilled in the days of the evil and transgressors. For it is thus

written:-

Good must happen and blessed is he through whom it shall come to pass; and evil must

happen, but woe to him through whom it shall come to pass.

Good has come to the people of God, and

blessedness awaits that man through whom the good came. And evil is stirred up as regards the host

that is gathered together by means of the evil and arrogant one who glories; and woe also is there

reserved for him through whom the evil is stirred up. But do not, my beloved, reproach the evil

person who has inflicted evil upon many; because the times were beforehand disposed and the time of

their accomplishment has arrived.

§2. Therefore because it is the time of the Evil One, hear in mystery that which I am writing

for thee. For thus it is written:-

Whatsoever is exalted amongst men is despicable before

God.

And again it is

written:-

Everyone who exalteth himself shall be abased, and everyone who humbleth himself shall be

exalted

Also Jeremiah said:-

Let not

the mighty glory in his might, nor the rich in his riches.

And again the blessed Apostle said:-

Whosoever

glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

And David said:-

I saw the wicked exalted and lifted up as the cedar of Lebanon; and when I passed

by he was not, and I sought him and found him not.

§3. For every one that glories shall be humbled. Cain gloried over Abel his brother and slew

him. And he was cursed and became a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. Again the Sodomites gloried

over Lot, and there fell upon them fire from heaven and burned them up and their city was overthrown

upon them. And Esau gloried over Jacob and persecuted him, and Jacob received the birthright and

blessings of Esau. And the children of Jacob gloried over Joseph, and (afterwards) fell down and

worshipped him in Egypt. And Pharaoh gloried over Moses and over his people; and Pharaoh and his host

were drowned in the sea. And Dathan and Abiram gloried over Moses, and they went down alive to Sheol.

And Goliath threatened David, and he fell before him and was crushed. And again Saul persecuted

David, and he fell by the sword of the Philistines. And Absalom exalted himself against him, and Joab

slew him in the battle. Again Benhadad gloried over Ahab, and he was delivered into the hand of

Israel. And Sennacherib blasphemed against Hezekiah and his God, and his host became dead carcases

when one of the Watchers went forth and slew in the camp one hundred and eighty-five thousand at the

prayer of Hezekiah and at the prayer of Prophet Isaiah, most glorious of the Prophets. Ahab exalted

himself over Micah, and he went up and fell in Ramoth Gilead. Jezebel gloried over Elijah, and the

dogs devoured her in the portion of Jezreel. Haman gloried over Mordecai, and his iniquity turned

back upon his own head. The Babylonians gloried over Daniel and cast him into the den of lions, and

Daniel came up victorious, and they were cast instead of him into the den. Again the Babylonians

gloried and accused Hananiah and his companions, and they were cast into the furnace of fire; and

they came up victorious and the flame devoured the accusers.

§4. Now Nebuchadnezzar said:-

I will ascend to heaven and exalt my throne above the stars

of God and sit in the lofty mountains that are in the borders of the North

Isaiah said concerning him:-

Because thy heart

has thus exalted thee, therefore thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, and all that look upon thee

shall be astonished at thee.

And

Sennacherib also said thus:-

I will go up to the summit of the mountains and to the shoulders of

Lebanon.

I will dig and drink water

and will dry up with my horses' hoofs all the deep rivers.

And because he thus exalted himself,

Isaiah again said concerning him:-

Why does the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it,

or the saw exalt itself against him that saweth with it, or the rod lift itself up against him that

wieldeth it?

For thou, Sennacherib,

art the axe in the hands of Him that cuts, and thou art the saw in the hands of Him that saws, and

the rod in the hand of Him that wields thee for chastisement, and thou art the staff for smiting.

Thou art sent against the fickle people, and again thou art ordained against the stubborn people,

that thou mayest carry away the captivity and take the spoil; and thou hast made them as the mire of

the streets for all men and for all the Gentiles. And when thou hast done all these things, why art

thou exalted against Him Who holds thee, and why dost thou boast against Him Who saws with thee, and

why hast thou reviled the holy city? and hast said to the children of Jerusalem:-

Can your God

deliver you from my hand?

And thou

hast dared to say:-

Who is the Lord that He shall deliver you from my hands?

Because of this,

hear the word of the Lord, saying:-

I will crush the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains will

I tread him down.

And when he shall

have been crushed and trodden down,

the Virgin, the daughter of Zion, will despise him, and the

daughter of Jerusalem will shake her head and say

Whom hast thou reviled and blasphemed, and

against whom hast thou lifted up thy voice? Thou hast lifted up thine eyes towards heaven against the

Holy One of Israel, and by the hands of thy messengers thou hast reviled the lord. Now see that the

hook has been forced into thy nostrils, and the bridle into thy lips, and thou hast turned back with

thine heart crushed, who camest with thine heart uplifted.

And his slaying was by the hands of his loved

ones; and in the house of his confidence,

there was he over- thrown, and fell before his god. And truly it was fight, my beloved, that his body

should thus become a sacrifice and offering before that god on whom he relied, and in his temple, as

a memorial for his idol.

§5. Again the ram was lifted up and exalted, and pushed with its horns towards the west, and

towards the north, and towards the south, and humbled many beasts. And they could not stand before

him, until the he-goat came from the west and smote the ram and broke his horns and humbled the ram

completely. But the ram was the King of Media and Persia, that is, Darius; and the he-goat was

Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian. For Daniel saw the ram when he was

in the East

before the gate of Shushan the fortress that is in the province of Elam, upon the river Ulai. And he

was pushing towards the West and towards the North and towards the South. And none of the beasts

could stand before him.

And the

he-goat of the goats came up from the region of the Greeks, and exalted himself against the ram, And

he smote him and broke both his horns, the greater and the lesser. And why did he say that he broke

both his horns? Clearly because he humbled both the kingdoms which he ruled; the lesser, that of the

Medes, and the greater, that of the Persians. But when Alexander the Greek came, he slew Darius, King

of Media and Persia. For thus the angel said to Daniel, when he was explaining the vision to

him:-

The ram that thou sawest was the King of Media and Persia, and the he-goat the King of the

Greeks

Now, from the time that the

two horns of the ram were broken, until this time, there have been six hundred and forty-eight

years.

§6. Therefore, as for the ram, its horns are broken. And though its horns are broken, lo! it

exalts and uplifts itself against the fourth beast, that is

strong and mighty and its teeth of

iron and its hoofs of brass, and it shall devour and grind down, and trample with its feet whatsoever

remaineth

O Ram, whose horns are

broken, rest thou from the beast, and provoke it not lest it devour thee and grind thee to powder.

The ram could not stand before the he-goat; how shall it stand before that terrible beast,

whose

mouth speaketh great things

and

whatsoever it finds it couches over as a lion over his prey? Whoever provokes the lion becomes its

portion; and whoever stirs up that beast, it shall devour him. And who is there that shall escape out

from under the feet of that beast when it is trampling on him? For the beast shall not be slain until

the Ancient of Days shall sit upon the throne, and the Son of Man shall come near before Him, and

authority shall be given to Him.

Then

shall that beast be slain and its carcase shall perish. And the Kingdom of the Son of Man shall be

established, an eternal Kingdom, and His authority from generation to generation.

§7. Be quiet, O thou that dost exalt thyself; vaunt not thyself! For if thy wealth has lifted

up thy heart, it is not more abundant than that of Hezekiah, who went in and boasted of it before the

Babylonians, (yet) it was all of it carried away and went to Babylon. And if thou gloriest in thy

children, they shall be led away from thee to the Beast, as the children of King Hezekiah were led

away, and became eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon.

And if thou dost glory in thy wisdom, thou dost

not in it excel the Prince of Tyre, whom Ezekiel reproached, saying unto him:-

Art thou wiser than

Daniel, or hast thou seen by thy wisdom the things that are hid?

And if thy mind is puffed up by thy years, that

they are many; they are not more in number than those of the Prince of Tyre who ruled the Kingdom

during the days of twenty-two Kings of the house of Judah, that is, for four hundred and forty years.

And since the years of that King of Tyre were many, all the time he thus said in his heart,

I am

God and sit in the seat of God in the heart of the seas

But Ezekiel said to him:

Thou art a man and

thou art not God

. For while the Prince of Tyre was

walking without fault in the midst of the

stones of fire

, there was mercy upon him. But when his heart was lifted up,

the cherub who

overshadoweth, destroyed him

§8. Now, what are the

stones of fire

, but the children of Zion and the children of

Jerusalem? For in the ancient time, in the days of David and of Solomon his son, Hiram was a friend

to those of the house of Israel. But when they were carried away captive from their place, he

rejoiced over them and spurned them with his feet, and did not remember the friendship of the house

of David. And as to that which I said that the children of Judah were called the

stones of

fire

, it was not of my own thought that I said it, but Jeremiah the Prophet spake concerning

them; for when he was calling forth tears for them in the Lamentations, he said:-

The children of

Zion were more excellent than precious stones

And again he said:-

How are the stones of the

Sanctuary cast down at the head of all the streets?

And again He said by the Prophet:-

The stones

were holy that were cast down in his land.

And as to these very stones, the fire was burning

in them, as Jeremiah said:-

The word of the Lord became in my heart like burning fire and it was

hot in my bones.

And again He said to

Jeremiah:-

Lo! I give My word in thy mouth as fire, and this people shall be as wood.

And again He said words shall go forth as fire,

and as iron that cutteth the stone.

this account the Prophets, amongst whom Hiram the Prince of Tyre was walking, were called

stones

of fire.

§9. And again (God) said to him:-

Thou wast with the Cherub who was anointed and

overshadowing.

For the king, who was

anointed with the holy oil, was called a Cherub. And he was overshadowing all his people, as Jeremiah

said:-

The anointed of the Lord is the breath of our nostrils, he of whom we said that in his

shadow shall we live amongst the Gentiles.

For they were sitting in the shadow of the king,

while he was standing at their head. And when the crown of their head fell, they were without shade,

And if any one should say that this word is spoken concerning Christ, let him receive that which I

write for him without disputation, and thus he will be persuaded that it was said with reference to

the king. For Jeremiah said in behalf of the people:-

Woe unto us, for the crown of our head has

fallen!

But Christ has not fallen,

because He rose again the third day. For the king fell from the house of Judah, and never again was

their kingdom set up. And as for that He said again:-

I will destroy the overshadowing

Cherub

For the Cherub that He will

destroy is Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written:-

He performed a work in Tyre, and there was given him

by Tyre no hire for his host, and in return for the work of Tyre there was given him the land of

Egypt.

And why was hire not given by

Tyre to Nebuchadnezzar? Clearly because its wealth went away in the sea, so that Nebuchadnezzar did

not receive it. And at that time He destroyed

the overshadowing Cherub

, which is

Nebuchadnezzar. For there are two Cherubs, one anointed and overshadowing, and one overshadowing but

not anointed. For He said above:-

Thou wast with the Cherub anointed and overshadowing.

And lower down He said:-

I will destroy thee

the overshadowing Cherub;

and did not

say "anointed." For Nebuchadnezzar was not anointed; but David and Solomon were, and the other kings

who arose after them. And how was Nebuchadnezzar called

overshadowing?

Clearly on account of

the vision of the tree, when he saw a tree in the midst of the earth, beneath which dwelt all the

beasts of the wilderness and on its branches dwelt all the birds of heaven, and from it all flesh was

fed. When Daniel interpreted his dream to him, Daniel said to him:-

Thou art the tree, that tree

which thou sawest in the midst of the earth and beneath thee dwell all the nations.

On this account he was

the overshadowing

Cherub;

who destroyed the Prince of Tyre, because he rejoiced over the children of Israel, for

that they were carried away captive from their land, and because his heart was exalted. This Tyre

also lay waste seventy years like Jerusalem which sat in desolation seventy years. For Isaiah said

concerning it:-

Tyre shall wander seventy years, as the days of one king, and shall commit

fornication with all the kingdoms that are upon the face of the earth.

§10. O thou that art exalted and lifted up, let not the vaunting of thine heart mislead thee,

nor say thou, I will go up against the rich land and against the powerful beast For that beast will

not be slain by the ram seeing that its horns are broken. For the he-goat broke the horns of the

ram.

Now the he-goat has become the mighty

beast. For when the children of Japhet held the kingdom, then they slew Darius, the king of Persia.

Now the fourth beast has swallowed up the third. And this third consists of the children of Japhet,

and the fourth consists of the children of Shem, for they are the children of Esau. Because, when

Daniel saw the vision of the four beasts, he saw first the children of Ham, the seed of Nimrod, which

the Babylonians are; and secondly, the Persians and Medes, who are the children of Japhet; and

thirdly, the Greeks, the brethren of the Medes; and fourthly, the children of Shem, which the

children of Esau are. For a confederacy was formed between the children of Japhet and the children of

Shem. Then the government was taken away from the children of Japhet, the younger, and was given to

Shem, the elder; and to this day it continues, and will continue for ever. But when the time of the

consummation of the dominion of the children of Shem shall have come, the Ruler, who came forth from

the children of Judah, shall receive the kingdom, when He shall come in His second Advent.

§11. For in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, when he saw it, which Daniel made known and showed

to Nebuchadnezzar, when he saw the image which stood over against him,

the head of the image was

of gold, and its breast and arms of silver, and its belly and thighs of brass, and its legs and feel

of iron and potter's clay.

And Daniel

said to Nebuchadnezzar:-

Thou art the head of gold.

And why was he called the head of gold? Was it

not because the word of Jeremiah was fulfilled in him? For Jeremiah said:-

Babylon is a golden cup

in the hand of the Lord, that makes all the earth to of its wine.

And also Babylon was called the head of all the

kingdoms, as it is written:-

Babylon was the head of the of Nimrod.

§12. And he said that

the breast and the arms of the image were of silver.

This

signified concerning a kingdom which was inferior to it; namely, Darius the Mede. For (God) put the

kingdom into the balance. For the kingdom of the house of Nimrod was weighed and was found wanting.

And since it was wanting, Darius received it. Because of this he said that

his kingdom was

inferior.

And because it was inferior,

the children of Media did not rule in all the earth. Now

the belly and thighs of the image were of

brass

, and he said:-

The third kingdom shall rule in all the earth.

It is the kingdom of the children of Javan, who

are children of Japhet. For the children of Javan came in against the kingdom of their brethren. For

Madai and Javan are sons of Japhet.

But

Madai was foolish and incapable of governing the kingdom, until Javan, his brother came, who was wise

and cunning, to destroy the kingdom, For Alexander, son of Philip, ruled in all the earth.

§13. And

the legs and feet of the image were of iron.

This is the kingdom of the

children of Shem, who are the children of Esau, which is strong as iron. And he said:-

As iron

breaks and subdueth everything, so also the fourth kingdom shall break and bruise

everything.

And he explained with

reference to the feet and toes, that part of them was of iron and part of them of potter's clay. For

he said:-

Thus they shall be mingled with the seed of man, and they shall not cleave one to

another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.

This referred to the fourth kingdom. Because in

the kingdom of the children of Esau

there

was not a king, the son of a king, established to govern the kingdom; but when the children of Esau

were gathered together into a powerful city, then they made a senate. And from thence they used to

set up as chief of the city a wise man to govern the kingdom, lest when the Governor of their kingdom

should weigh them, they might be found wanting, and the kingdom might be taken away from them as the

kingdom of the children of arrogant Nimrod was taken away and given to the children of foolish Madai.

And this king who was set up, the seed of that former king was destroying him; and they did not

cleave one to another. But as to the seed of man which is compared with the clay, the meaning is

this; that when the king was chosen for the kingdom, he mingled himself with the root of the kingdom

of iron.

§14. And he showed that

in the days of those kings, who shall arise in the kingdom, the

God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall not be destroyed and shall not pass away for

ever.

This is the Kingdom of King

Messiah, which is that which shall cause the fourth kingdom to pass away. And above he said:-

Thou

sawest a stone which was cut out, but not by hands; and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and

potter's clay and broke them to pieces.

Now he did not say that it smote upon the head of

the image, nor on its breast and arms, nor yet on its belly and thighs, but on its feet; because

that, of the whole image, that stone when it comes will find the feet alone. And in the next verse he

said:-

The iron and the brass and the silver and the gold were broken to pieces

together.

For after them, when King

Messiah shall reign, then He will humble the fourth kingdom, and will break the whole image; for by

the whole image the world is meant. Its head is Nebuchadnezzar; its breast and arms the King of Media

and Persia; its belly and thighs the King of the Greeks; its legs and feet the kingdom of the

children of Esau; the stone, which smote the image and brake it, and with which the whole earth was

filled, is the kingdom of King Messiah, Who will bring to nought the kingdom of this world, and He

will rule for ever and ever.

§15. Again hear concerning the vision of the four beasts which Daniel saw coming up out of

the sea and diverse one from another. This is the appearance of them:-

The first was like a lion,

and it had the wings of an eagle. And I saw that its wings were plucked away, and it stood up like a

man upon its feet, and the heart of a man was given to it.

And the second beast was like a bear, and

raised itself up upon one side and there were three ribs in its mouth between its teeth.

And the

third beast was

like a leopard, and it had four wings and four heads.

And the fourth beast was

exceedingly terrible and strong and powerful, and it had great teeth. It devoured and brake to

pieces, and whatsoever remained, it stamped with its feet.

Now the great sea that Daniel

saw

is the world: and these four beasts

are the four kingdoms signified above.

§16. Now as to the first beast, he said concerning it, that it was like a lion, and it had

the wings of an eagle. For the first beast was the kingdom of Babylon, which was like a lion. For

thus Jeremiah wrote saying:-

Israel is a wandering sheep. The lions caused them to wander. First

the king of Assyria devoured him. And this last was stronger than he, Nebuchadnezzar king of

Babylon.

So Jeremiah called him a

lion. And he said:-

He has the wings of an eagle

. For thus it is written that, when

Nebuchadnezzar went out to the wilderness with the beasts, he grew hair like (the plumage) of an

eagle. And he said:-

I saw that its wings were plucked away and it stood upright upon its feet as a

man, and a man's heart was given to it

For first, in the vision of the image, he was

compared to gold which is more precious thou anything which is used in the world. So in the vision of

the beasts he is compared to a lion which excels in its might all the beasts. And again he was

compared to an eagle which surpasses every bird. Whatsoever was written about him was fulfilled in

him. For the Lord said concerning him: -

I have placed a yoke of iron upon the neck of all the

nations, and they shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And also the beasts of the desert

and the birds of heaven have I given to him to serve him.

For since the king was like the head of gold, men

served him as a king. And when he went out to the wilderness, the beasts served him as a lion. And

when his hair was like (the plumage) of an eagle, the birds of heaven served him as an eagle. But

when his heart was lifted up, and he knew not that the power was given to him from heaven, the yoke

of iron was broken from the neck of men, and he went forth with the beasts, and instead of the heart

of a king there was given him the heart of a lion. And when he was lifted up over the beasts, the

heart of a lion was taken away from him, and there was given him the heart of a bird. And when wings

grew upon him like those of an eagle, he exalted himself over the birds. And then his wings also were

plucked away and there was given to him a humble heart. And when be knew that the Most High has

authority in the kingdom of man, to give it to whomsoever He will, then as a man he praised Him.

§17. And as for the second beast, he said concerning him that

it was like a bear and

raised itself up upon one side.

Because when the kingdom of Media and Persia arose, it arose in

the east.

And three ribs were in its mouth.

Because the ram was pushing towards the West and

towards the North and towards the South, towards three winds of heaven. These three winds it held,

and pushed against, like the three ribs that were in the mouth of the bear; until the he-goat came

forth from the west, and smote the ram and took out the ribs that were in his mouth.

§18. And concerning the third beast he said that it was like a leopard, and it had four

birds' wings on its back and that beast had four heads. Now this third beast was Alexander the

Macedonian. For he was strong as a leopard. And as for the four wings and the four heads that the

beast had, that was because he gave the kingdom to his four friends to govern after him, when he had

come and slain Darius and reigned in his stead.

§19. And of the fourth beast he said that it was exceedingly terrible and strong and mighty,

devouring and crushing and trampling with its feet anything that remained. It is the kingdom of the

children of Esau.

Because after that

Alexander the Macedonian became king, the kingdom of the Greeks was founded, since Alexander also was

one of them, even of the Greeks. But the vision of the third beast was fulfilled in him, since the

third and the fourth were one. Now Alexander reigned for twelve years. And the kings of the Greeks

arose after Alexander, being seventeen kings, and their years were two hundred and sixty-nine years

from Seleucus Nicanor to Ptolemy. And the Caesars were from Augustus to Philip Caesar, seventeen

kings. And their years are two hundred and ninety-three years;

and eighteen years of Severus.

§20. For Daniel said:-

I was considering the ten horns that were upon the head of the

beast. Far the ten horns were ten kings

who arose at that time until Antiochus. And

hesaid:-

A little horn arose from between those ten and three fell before it.

For when Antiochus arose in the kingdom, he

humbled three kings, and he exalted himself against the saints of the Most High and against

Jerusalem. And he defiled the sanctuary.

And he caused the sacrifice and the offerings to cease for a week and half a week, namely, for test

and a-half years. And he brought in fornicators into the house of the Lord, and he caused the

observances of the Law to cease.

And he

slew righteous men and gave them to the birds of heaven and to the beasts of the earth. For in his

days was fulfilled the word that David spoke:

O God, the Gentiles have come into thine

inheritance, and have defiled Thy holy temple. They have made Jerusalem desolate. They have given the

dead bodies of Thy servants as food to the birds of heaven, and the flesh of Thy righteous ones to

the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there

is none to bury them.

For this was accomplished at that time, when the venerable and aged Eleazar

was slain, and the sons of the blessed Samuna, seven in number,

and when Judas (Maccabeus) and his brethren were

struggling on behalf of their people, when they were dwelling in hiding-places.

At that time

the horn made war with the

saints

and their power prevailed. And

the wicked Antiochus

spake wards against the Most High, and change the times and the

seasons.

And he made to cease the

covenant of Abraham, and abolished the Sabbath of rest.

For he commanded the Jews that they should not

circumcise. Therefore, (the Prophet) said concerning him;-

He shall think to change the times and

the seasons and the laws, and they were given into his hand for a time, times, and half a

time.

Now the time and half a time is

the week and a half, which is ten years and a half. Again he said:-

The judgment was set and they

took away his authority from him, to injure and destroy him until the end of the kingdom.

For the judgment came upon Antiochus, a judgment

from heaven;

and he became sick with a

grievous and evil sickness, and on account of the smell of him as he rotted, no man could approach

him, for worms were crawling and falling from him and eating his flesh because he oppressed the

worm Jacob.

And his flesh rotted in

his lifetime, because he caused the dead bodies of the sons of Jerusalem to rot and they were not

buried. And he became defiled in his own eyes, because he had defiled the sanctuary of God. And he

prayed and was not heard,

because he did

not hearken to the groanings of the righteous whom he slew. For he wrote a letter and sent it to the

Jews and called them "my friends," but God had not mercy on him, but he died in his torment.

§21. He said again:-

The saints of the Most High shall receive the Kingdom.

What shall we say concerning this? Have the

children of Israel received the Kingdom of the Most High? God forbid. Or has that people come upon

the clouds of heaven? This has passed away from them. For Jeremiah said concerning them:-

Call them

rejected silver, for the Lord has rejected them.

Again he said:-

He will not again regard

them.

And Isaiah said concerning them:

Pass by; pass by; approach not the defiled.

And concerning the saints of the Most High

(Daniel) said thus:-

They shall inherit

the Kingdom for ever.

For these

rested a little from the burden of

kings and princes,

namely, from after

the death of Antiochus till the sixty-two weeks were fulfilled. And the Son of Man came to free them

and gather them together, but they did not receive Him. For He came to obtain fruit from them, and

they did not give it to Him. For their vines were

of the vine of Sodom and of the stock of

Gomorrha, a vineyard

in which thorns

grew, and which

bore wild grapes.

Their vine was bitter, and their fruit sour. The thorns could not be softened, nor could the

bitterness change to the nature of wine, nor could the sour fruit change to a sweet nature.

§22. For Isaiah first set men of Judah as judges over them,

and there was planted amongst them a new and

beloved planting. But these are those judges

who shall sit on twelve thrones and judge their

twelve tribes.

And thus He said to the

judges:

Judge between Me and My

vineyard, what further, O ye judges, should I have done to My vineyard, that I did not do? For lo! I

planted it with vine scions

, and they became strange vines.

I surrounded it with a fence

of heavenly Watchers

and I built its tower

, the holy Temple.

And I dug out its

winepress

, the baptism of the priests. And I brought down rain upon it, the words of My Prophets.

And I pruned it and trimmed it, from the works of the Amorites.

I looked that it should produce

grapes

of righteousness,

and it produced wild grapes

of iniquity and sin.

I looked for

judgment and behold oppression, and for righteousness and there was a cry. Hear, O ye judges, what I

will do to My vineyard. I will break open its fence, and it shall be for down-treading. And will tear

down its tower, and it shall be for pillage. And I will make it to become a desert because it

produced wild grapes. And shall not be dressed and it shall not be pruned. And thorns and weeds shall

grow up in it. And I will command the clouds that they send not down rain upon it.

For the

heavenly Watchers departed from the fence of the vineyard; and the mighty tower on which they relied

was torn down. The winepress, the cleansing away of their offences, was overthrown.

When the vine

was without blemish, it did not prove of service. Now that the fire has devoured it and that it is

laid waste, how shall it prove of service? The fire has devoured its two branches and its inward

parts are wasted.

For its two branches

are the two kingdoms, and its inward part which is laid waste is Jerusalem. Many servants were sent

to them by the Lord of the vineyard.

And

they slew them and did not send the fruit to the Lord of the vineyard. After the servants the beloved

Son was sent, to receive from them the fruit and to bring it back to Him that sent Him. And they

seized Him and cast Him out of the vineyard; and they cut spikes from the thorns of the vineyard and

fixed them in His hands. And He was hungry and asked food of them; and they took and gave Him gall

from the fruit of the vineyard. He was thirsty and asked of them drink; and they gave Him vinegar and

He would not drink it. And they platted a crown of thorns that had sprung up in the vineyard, and

placed it on the head of the Son of the Lord of the vineyard. For from the time that the vineyard was

made, it displayed these fruits. Therefore its Lord uprooted it and cast it in the fire; and planted

good fruit-bearing vines in the vineyard, and such as gladden the husbandman. For Christ is the

vineyard, and His Father is the husbandman; and they who drink of His cup are the vines. Therefore

vineyard was formed instead of vineyard. And furthermore at His coming He handed over the kingdom to

the Romans, as the children of Esau are called. And these children of Esau will keep the kingdom for

its giver.

§23. And the holy People inherited an eternal Kingdom; the holy people who were chosen

instead of the People. For

He provoked them to jealousy with a people that was not a people. And

with a foolish people He angered them.

And He set free the holy people. For lo! every covenant of God is

freed from the burden of kings

and princes.

For even if a man has

served the heathen, as soon as ever he draws nigh unto the covenant of God, he is set free. But the

Jews are toiling in bondage amongst the Gentiles. For thus he said about the Saints;-

They shall

inherit the Kingdom that is beneath the heaven.

But if he had said it about them (the Jews), why

are they toiling in service amongst the Gentiles? And if they say that it has not taken place as yet;

then (we ask) is the Kingdom that shall be given to the Son of man, to be heavenly or earthly? And

lo! the children of the Kingdom are sealed, and they have received their emancipation from this

world. For since it exists now, it will not be willing to be subjected to the power of the King, Who

shall come and take to Himself His Kingdom. But it will guard His pledges with honour, that when He

shall come to bring to nought the Kingdom, he may come upon them not in anger. For when He,

Whose

is the Kingdom

shall come in His

second coming, He will take to Himself whatever He has given. And He Himself will be King for ever

and ever. And His Kingdom shall not pass away, because it is an eternal Kingdom.

§24. For first, He gave the Kingdom to the sons of Jacob, and subdued to them the children of

Esau; as Isaac said to Esau :-

Thou shall serve Jacob thy brother.

And when again they did not prosper in the

Kingdom, He took it away from the children of Jacob and gave it to the children of Esau

until He

should wine Whose it is.

And they will

deliver up the deposit to its Giver, and will not deal fraudulently with it. And the Guardian of the

Kingdom is subject to Him to Whom all things are subject. Therefore this Kingdom of the children of

Esau shall not be delivered up into the hand of the hosts that are gathered together, that desire to

go up against it; because the Kingdom is being kept safe for its Giver, and He Himself will preserve

it. And as to this that I wrote to thee, beloved, that the Kingdom of the children of Esau is being

kept safe for its Giver, doubt not about it, that that Kingdom will not be conquered. For a mighty

champion Whose name is Jesus shall come with power, and bearing as His armour all the power of the

Kingdom. And search out and see that also by the poll-tax

He was enrolled amongst them. And as He was

enrolled by the poll-tax amongst them, He will also succour them. And His standard abounds in that

place, and they are clothed in His armour, and shall not be found wanting in war. And if thou

shouldest say unto me:-"In the years of the Kings that preceded these, why did they conquer and

subdue the beast?" It was because the chiefs and kings who stood up at that time in the Kingdom of

the children of Esau did not wish to lead with them to the war the Man who was enrolled with them in

the poll-tax. Therefore the beast was subdued a little, but was not slain.

§25. But concerning these things that I have written for thee, my beloved, namely, concerning

that which is written in Daniel, I have not brought them to an end, but (have stopped) short of the

end. And if any man dispute about them, say thus to him, that these words are not concluded, because

the words of God are infinite, nor will they be concluded. For the foolish man says, "Here unto

(these) words reach." And again, it is not possible to add to them or to diminish from them.

For the riches of God cannot be computed or

limited. For if thou take away water from the sea, the deficiency will be imperceptible. And if thou

remove sand from the sea-shore, its measure will not be diminished. And if thou count the stars of

heaven, thou wilt not arrive at the sum of them. And if thou kindle fire from a burning, it will not

a whit be lessened. And if thou receive of the Spirit of Christ, Christ will not a whir be

diminished. And if Christ dwell in thee, yet He will not be completed in thee. And if the sun enter

the windows of thy house, yet the sun in its entirety will not come to thee, And all these things

that I have enumerated for thee were created by the word of God. Therefore know thou, that, as

concerning the word of God no man has reached or will reach its end. Therefore, have thou no

disputation about these things, but say:-"These things are so. That is enough." But hear these things

from me, and also enquire about them of our brethren, children of our faith. But whosoever shall mock

at the words of his brother, even if he say, "mine are wise," yet hearken not to his words. And

concerning what I wrote to thee about these forces that are being stirred up to war, it is not as

though anything has been revealed to me that I have made known these things to thee, but attend to

the words at the head of the letter:-

Every one who exalteth himself shall be humbled.

For even

if the forces shall go up and conquer, yet know that it is a chastisement of God; and though they

conquer, they shall be condemned in a righteous judgment. But yet be thou assured of this. that the

beast shall be slain at its (appointed) time. But do thou, my brother, at this time be earnest in

imploring mercy, that there may be peace upon the people of God.

Demonstration VI.

-Of Monks.

§1. Expedient is the word that I speak and worthy of acceptance:-

Let us now awake from our

sleep

and lift up both our hearts and

hands to God towards heaven; lest suddenly the Lord of the house come, that

when He comes He may

find us in watchfulness.

Let us observe

the appointed time of the glorious bridegroom,

that we may enter with Him into His bride-chamber.

Let us prepare oil for our lamps that we may go forth to meet Him with joy. Let us make ready

provision for our abiding-place, for the way that is narrow and strait. And let us put away and cast

from us all uncleanness, and put on wedding garments. Let us trade with the silver that we have

received,

that we may be called diligent

servants. Let us be constant in prayer, that we may pass by the place where fear dwells. Let us

cleanse our heart from iniquity, that we may see the Lofty One in His honour. Let us be merciful, as

it is written, that God may have mercy upon us.

Let there be peace amongst us, that we may be

called the brethren of Christ. Let us hunger for righteousness, that we may be satisfied

from the table of His Kingdom. Let us be the salt

of truth, that we may not become food for the serpent. Let us purge our seed from thorns, that we may

produce fruit a hundred-fold. Let us found our building on the rock,

that it may not be shaken by the winds and waves.

Let us be vessels unto honour

that we may

be required by the Lord for His use. Let us sell all our possessions, and buy for ourselves the

pearl,

that we may be rich. Let us lay up

our treasures in heaven,

that when we come

we may open them and have pleasure in them. Let us visit our Lord in the persons of the sick,

that He may invite us to stand at His right hand.

Let us hate ourselves and love Christ, as He loved us and gave Himself up for our sakes.

Let us honour the spirit of Christ, that we may

receive grace from Him. Let us be strangers to the world,

even as Christ was not of it. Let us be humble

and mild, that we may inherit the land of life. Let us be unflagging in His service, that He may

cause us to serve in the abode of the saints. Let us pray His prayer in purity, that it may have

access to the Lord of Majesty. Let us be partakers in His suffering, that so we may also rise up in

His resurrection.

Let us bear His sign

upon our bodies, that we may be delivered from the wrath to come. For fearful is the day in which He

will come, and who is able to endure it?

Furious and hot is His wrath, and it will destroy all the wicked. Let us set upon our head the helmet

of redemption,

that we may not be wounded

and die in the battle. Let us gird our loins with truth, that we may not be found impotent in the

contest. Let us arise and awaken Christ, that He may still the stormy blasts from us Let us take as a

shield against the Evil One, the preparation of the Gospel of our Redeemer. Let us receive power from

our Lord to tread upon snakes and scorpions.

Let us lay aside from us wrath, with all fury and

malice. Let no reviling proceed out of our mouth, with which we pray unto God. Let us not be cursers,

that we may be delivered from the curse of the law. Let us be diligent workers, that we may obtain

our reward with those of old. Let us take up the burden of the day, that we may seek a more abundant

reward. Let us not be idle workers, for lo! our Lord has hired us for His vineyard.

Let us be planted as vines in the midst of His

vineyard, for it is the true vineyard. Let us be fruitful vines, that we may not be uprooted out of

His vineyard. Let us be a sweet odour, that our fragrance may breathe forth to all around. Let us be

poor in the world, and let us enrich many by the doctrine of our Lord. Let us not call anyone our

father in the earth,

that we may be the

children of the Father which is in heaven. Though we have nothing, yet We possess all things.

Though no man know us, yet they that have

knowledge of us are many. Let us rejoice in our hope at every time,

that He Who is our hope and our Redeemer may

rejoice in us. Let us judge ourselves righteously and condemn ourselves, that we may not hang down

our faces before the judges who shall sit upon thrones and judge the tribes.

Let us take to ourselves, as armour for the

contest,

the preparation of the Gospel.

Let us knock at the door of heaven,

that

it may be opened before us, and we may enter in through it.

Let us diligently ask for mercy, that we may receive whatsoever is necessary for us. Let us seek

His Kingdom and His righteousness,

that we

may receive increase in the land. Let us think upon the things which are above,

on the heavenly things, and meditate on them,

where Christ has been lifted up and exalted. But let us forsake the world which is not ours, that we

may arrive at the place to which we have been invited. Let us raise up our eyes on high, that we may

see the splendour which shall be revealed. Let us lift up our wings as eagles, that we may see the

body there where it is. Let us prepare as offerings for the King desirable fruits, fasting and

prayer. Let us guard His pledge in purity, that He may trust us over all His treasury. For whosoever

deals falsely with His pledge, they suffer him not to enter into the treasure-house. Let us be

careful of the body of Christ, that our bodies may rise at the sound of the trumpet. Let us hearken

to the voice of the bridegroom, that we may go in with Him into the bride-chamber. Let us prepare the

marriage-gift for His bridal day, and let us go forth to meet Him with joy. Let us put on holy

raiment, that we may recline in the chief place of the elect. Whosoever puts not on wedding

raiment,

they cast him out into outer

darkness. Whosoever excuses himself from the wedding shall not taste the feast.

Whosoever loves fields and merchandise, shall be

shut out of the city of Saints. Whosoever does not bear fruit in the vineyard, shall be uprooted and

cast out to torment. Whosoever has received money from his Lord, let him return it to its Giver with

its increase.

Whosoever desires to become

a merchant, let, him buy for himself the field and the treasure that is in it.

Whosoever receives the good seed, let him purge

his land from thorns.

Whosoever desires to

be a fisherman, let him cast forth his net at every time. Whosoever is training for the conflict, let

him keep himself from the world. Whosoever wishes to gain the crown, let him run as a winner in the

race. Whosoever wishes to go down into the course to contend, let him learn to (contend) against his

adversary. Whosoever wishes to go down to the battle, let him take unto him armour wherewith to

fight, and let him purify himself at every time. Whosoever adopts the likeness of angels, let him be

a stranger to men, Whosoever takes upon him the yoke of the saints, let him remove from him getting

and spending. Whosoever desires to gain himself, let him remove from him the gain of the world.

Whosoever loves the abode that is in heaven, let him not toil at the building of clay that will fall.

Whosoever is expectant of being caught up in the clouds, let him not make for himself adorned

chariots. Whosoever is expectant of the marriage-feast of the Bridegroom, let him not love the feast

of this present time. Whosoever wishes to have pleasure in the banquet reserved there, let him remove

drunkenness from himself. Whosoever prepares himself for the supper, let him not excuse

himself,

nor be a merchant. Whosoever he

be on whom the good seed falls, let him not allow the Evil One to sow tares in him. Whosoever has

begun to build a tower, let him count up all the cost thereof.

Whosoever builds ought to finish, that he be not

a laughing-stock to them that pass by the way. Whosoever sets his building on the rock, let him make

its foundations deep, that it may not be cast down by the billows. Whosoever wishes to fly from the

darkness, let him walk while he has light.

Whosoever tears to fly in winter,

let him

prepare himself from the summer-time. Whosoever looks forward to enter into rest,

let him make ready his provision for the Sabbath.

Whosoever begs forgiveness of his Lord, let him also forgive his debtor.<fl

t=s3.v13.a3.w1.b0.f215> Whosoever does not demand back a hundred dinars, his Lord forgives him ten

thousand talents. Whosoever casts down his Lord's money on the banker's table,

will not be called an unprofitable servant.

Whosoever loves humility, shall be heir in the land of life. Whosoever wishes to make peace, shall be

one of the sons of God.

Whosoever knows

the will of his Lord, let him do that will, that he may not be beaten much.

Whosoever cleanses his heart from deceits,

His

eyes shall behold the King in his beauty.

Whosoever receives the Spirit of Christ, let him

adorn his inner man. Whosoever is called the temple of God,

let him purify his body from all uncleanness.

Whosoever grieves the Spirit of Christ,

shall not raise up his head from griefs. Whosoever receives the body of Christ, let him keep his body

from all uncleanness. Whosoever casts off the

old man

let him not turn back to his former works.

Whosoever puts on the

new man,

let him keep himself from all filthiness. Whosoever has put on

armour from the water (of baptism), let him not put off his armour that he may not be condemned.

Whosoever takes up the shield

against the

Evil One, let him keep himself from the darts which he hurls at him. Whosoever shall

draw

back

, his Lord

has no pleasure in him.

Whosoever thinks upon the Law of his Lord, shall

not be troubled with the thoughts of this world. Whosoever meditates on the Law of his Lord, is like

a tree planted by the waters.

Whosoever

again has trust in his Lord, is like a tree that is set out by the river. Whosoever puts his trust in

man shall receive the curses of Jeremiah.

Whosoever is invited to the Bridegroom, let him prepare himself. Whosoever has lighted his lamp, let

him not suffer it to go out. Whosoever is expectant of the marriage-cry, let him take oil in his

vessel.

Whosoever is keeper of the door,

let him be on the watch for his Master. Whosoever loves virginity, let him become like Elijah.

Whosoever takes up the yoke of the Saints, let him sit and be silent. Whosoever loves peace, let him

look for his Master as the hope of life.

§2. For, my beloved, our adversary is skilful. He that contends against us is crafty. Against

the brave and the renowned does he prepare himself, that they may be weakened. For the feeble are his

own, nor does he fight with the captivity that are made captive to him. He that has wings flees from

him and the darts that he hurls at him do not reach him. They that are spiritual see him when he

assails, and his panoply has no power upon their bodies. All the children of light are without fear

of him, because the darkness flies from before the light. The children of the Good fear not the Evil,

for He hath given him to be trampled by their feet. When he makes himself like darkness unto them,

they become light. And when he creeps upon them like a serpent, they become salt, whereof he cannot

eat. If he makes himself like the asp unto them, then they become like babes. If he comes in upon

them in the lust of food, they, like our Redeemer, conquer him by fasting. And if he wishes to

contend with them by the lust of the eyes, they lift up their eyes to the height of heaven. If he

wishes by enticements to overcome them, they do not afford him a hearing. If he wishes openly to

strive with them, lo! they are clothed in panoply and stand up against him. If he wishes to come in

against them by sleep, they are wakeful and vigilant and sing psalms and pray. If he allures them by

possessions, they give them to the poor. If he comes in as sweetness against them, they taste it not,

knowing that he is bitter. If he inflames them with the desire of Eve, they dwell alone, and not with

the daughters of Eve.

§3. For it was through Eve that he came in upon Adam,

and Adam was enticed because of his inexperience.

And again he came in against Joseph through his master's wife,

but Joseph was acquainted with his craftiness and

would not afford him a hearing. Through a woman he fought with Samson,

until he took away his Nazariteship. Reuben was

the first-born of all his brethren, and through his father's wife,

(the adversary) cast a blemish upon him. Aaron

was the great high-priest of the house of Israel, and through Miriam

his sister he envied Moses. Moses was sent to

deliver the people from Egypt, and took with him the woman who advised him to shameful acts,

and the Lord met with Moses, and desired to slay

him, till he sent back his wife to Midian. David was victorious in all his battles, yet through means

of a daughter of Eve

there was found a

blemish in him. Amnon was beautiful and fair in countenance, yet (the adversary) took him captive by

desire for his sister,

and Absalom slew

him on account of the humbling of Tamar. Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth, yet in

the days of his old age his wives led his heart astray.

Through Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, the

wickedness of Ahab was increased,

and he

became altogether a heathen. Furthermore, the adversary tempted Job through his children and his

possessions,

and when he could not prevail

over him, he went and brought against him his armour, and he came, bringing with him a daughter of

Eve, who had caused Adam to sink, and through her mouth he said to Job, her righteous

husband:-

Curse God.

But Job

rejected her counsel. King Asa also conquered the Accursed-of-life, when he wished to come in against

him, through his mother.

For Asa knew his

craftiness and removed his mother from her high estate, and cut in pieces her idol and cast it down.

John was greater than all the prophets, yet Herod slew him because of the dancing of a daughter of

Eve.

Haman was wealthy and third in honour

from the King, yet his wife counselled him to destroy the Jews.

Zimri was head of the tribe of Simeon, yet Cozbi,

daughter of the chiefs of Midian, overthrew him, and because of one woman twenty-four thousand of

Israel fell in one day.

§4. Therefore, my brethren, if any man who is a monk or a saint, who loves the solitary life,

yet desires that a woman, bound by monastic vow like himself, should dwell with him, it would be

better for him in that case to take (to wife) a woman openly and not be made wanton by lust. So also

again the woman, if she be not separated from the solitary, it is better for her to marry openly.

Woman then ought to dwell with woman, and man to dwell with man. And also whatever man desires to

continue in holiness, let not his spouse dwell with him, lest he turn back to his former condition,

and so be esteemed an adulterer. Therefore this counsel is becoming and right and good, that I give

to myself and you, my beloved solitaries, who do not take wives, and to the virgins who do not marry,

and to those who have loved holiness. It is just and right and becoming, that even if a man should be

distressed, he should continue alone. And thus it becomes him to dwell, as it is written in the

Prophet Jeremiah:-

Blessed is the man who shall take up Thy yoke in his youth, and sit alone and be

silent, because he has taken upon him Thy yoke.

For thus, my beloved, it becomes him who takes up

the yoke of Christ, to preserve his yoke in purity.

§5. For thus it is written, my beloved, concerning Moses, that from the time the Holy One was

revealed to him, he also loved holiness. And from the time he was sanctified, his wife ministered not

to him. But it is thus written:-

Joshua, the son of Nun, was the minister of Moses from his

childhood.

And of Joshua again it is

thus written concerning him, that

he used not to depart from the tabernacle.

And the temporal tabernacle was not ministered to

by a woman, because the Law did not allow women to enter the temporal tabernacle, but even when they

came to pray, they used to pray at the door of the temporal tabernacle, and then turn back. Moreover,

he commanded the Priests, that at the time of their ministry they should continue in holiness, and

should not know their wives. And also concerning Elijah it is thus written, that at one time he dwelt

in Mount Carmel, and at another he dwelt at the brook Cherith, and was ministered to by his disciple;

and because his heart was in heaven, the bird of heaven used to bring sustenance to him; and because

he took upon him the likeness of the angels of heaven, those very angels brought him bread and water

when he was fleeing from before Jezebel.

And because he set nil his thought in heaven, he was caught up in the chariot of fire to

heaven,

and there his dwelling-place was

established for ever. Elisha also walked in the footsteps of his Master. He used to dwell in the

upper chamber of the Shunamite, and was ministered to by his disciple. For thus the Shunamite

said;-

He is a holy Prophet of God and passes by us continually, for thus it becomes his holiness

that we should make for hint an upper chamber and do for him the service that is (necessary) in

it.

Now what was the service necessary

in the upper chamber of Elisha? Clearly the bed and table and stool and lamp-stand only. But what

shall we say of John? He also used to dwell amongst men, and preserved his virginity honourably, and

received the Spirit of God. More- over, the blessed Apostle said concerning himself and concerning

Barnabas:-

Had we then not power to eat and to drink and to lead about wives with us? But it was no

becoming or right.

§6. Therefore, brethren, because we know and have seen that from the beginning it was through

woman that the adversary had access unto men, and to the end he will accomplish it by her-for she is

the weapon of Satan, and through her he fights against the champions. Through her he makes music at

every time, for she became as a harp for him from the first day. For because of her the curse of the

Law was established, and because of her the promise unto death was made. For with pangs she bears

children and delivers them to death. Because of her the earth was cursed, that it should bring forth

thorns and tares. Accordingly, by the coming of the offspring of the Blessed Mary the thorns are

uprooted, the sweat wiped away, the fig-tree cursed,

the dust made salt,

the curse nailed to the cross,

the edge of the sword removed from before the

tree of life and it given as food to the faithful, and Paradise promised to the blessed and to

virgins and to the saints. So the fruit of the tree of life is given as food to the faithful and to

virgins, and to those that do the will of God has the door been opened and the way made plain. And

the fountain flows and gives drink to the thirsty. The table is laid and the supper prepared. The

fatted ox is slain and the cup of redemption mixed. The feast is prepared and the Bridegroom at hand,

soon to take his place. The apostles have given the invitation and the called are very many. O ye

chosen, prepare yourselves. The light has shone forth both bright and fair, and garments not made

with hands are prepared. The marriage cry is at hand. The tombs will be opened and the treasures laid

bare. The dead shall rise and the living shall fly to meet the King. The banquet is laid, and the

cornet shall encourage and the trumpets shall hasten (them). The Watchers of heaven shall speed, and

the throne shall be set for the Judge. He that laboured shall rejoice, and he that was unprofitable

shall fear. He that did evil shall not draw nigh unto the Judge. Those on the right hand shall exult,

and those on the left shall weep and wail. Those that are in the light shall be glorified, and those

that are in the darkness shall groan that they may moisten their tongue. Grace has gone by, and

justice reigns. There is no repentance in that place. Winter is at hand; the summer has passed away.

The Sabbath of rest has come; toil has ceased. Night has passed away; the light reigns. As to death,

its sting is broken and it is swallowed up in life.

Those that return to Sheol shall weep and gnash

their teeth, and those that go to the Kingdom shall rejoice and exult and dance and sing praises. For

those that take not wives shall be ministered to by the Watchers of heaven. Those that preserve

chastity shall rest in the sanctuary of the Most High. The Only Begotten Who is from the bosom of His

Father shall cause all the solitaries to rejoice. There is there neither male nor female, neither

bond nor free,

but they all are the

children of tile Most High. And all the pure virgins who are betrothed to Christ shall light their

lamps

and with the Bridegroom shall they

go into the marriage chamber. All those that are betrothed to Christ are far removed from the curse

of the Law, and are redeemed from the condemnation of the daughters of Eve; for they are not wedded

to men so as to receive the curses and come into the pains. They take no thought of death, because

they do not deliver children to him. And in place of a mortal husband, they are betrothed to Christ.

And

because they do not bear children, there is Given to them the name that is better than sons

and daughters.

And instead of the

groans of the daughters of Eve, they utter the songs of the Bridegroom. The wedding-feast of the

daughters of Eve continues for but seven days; but for these (virgins) is the Bridegroom who departs

not for ever. The adornment of the daughters of Eve is wool that wears out and perishes, but the

garments of these wear not out. Old age withers the beauty of the daughters of Eve, but the beauty of

these shall be renewed in the time of the Resurrection.

§7. O ye virgins who have betrothed yourselves to Christ, when one of the monks shall say to

one of you, "I will live with thee and minister thou to me," thus shalt thou say unto him:-"To a

royal husband am I betrothed, and Him do I serve; and if I leave His service and serve thee, my

betrothed will be wroth with me, and will write me a letter of divorce, and will send me away from

His house; and while thou seekest to be honoured by me, and I to be honoured by thee, take heed lest

hurt come upon me and thee. Take not fire into thy bosom,

lest it burn thy garments; but be thou in honour

alone, and I also alone will abide in my honour. And as concerning these things which the Bridegroom

has prepared for the eternity of his marriage feast, do thou make thee a wedding-gift and prepare

thyself to meet Him. And as for me, I will make me ready oil, that I may enter in with the wise

virgins and may not be kept outside the door with the foolish virgins."

§8. Hearken then, my beloved, unto that which I write unto thee, namely, whatsoever things

become solitaries, monks, virgins, saints. Before all things it beseems the man on whom the yoke is

laid, that his faith should be firm; as I wrote to thee in the first epistle; that he should be

zealous in fasting and prayer; that he should be fervent in the love of Christ; and should be humble

and mild and wise. And let his speech be peaceful and pleasant, and his thought be sincere with all.

Let him speak his words duly weighing them, and set a barrier to his mouth from harmful words, and

let him put far from him hasty laughter. Let him not love the adornment of garments, nor again does

it become him to let his hair grow long and adorn it, or to anoint it with sweet-scented unguents.

Let him not recline at feastings, nor does it become him to wear gorgeous apparel. Let him not dare

to exceed at wine. Let him put far from him proud thoughts. It does not become him to look upon

gorgeous apparel. or to wear fine raiment. Let him put away from him a crafty tongue; let him drive

from him envy and wrath, and cast away from him crafty lips. The words that are spoken about a man,

when he about whom they are spoken is not near, let him not hear nor receive, that he sin not, until

he search them out. Mockery is a hateful fault, and to bring it up upon the heart is not right. Let

him not lend and take interest, and let him not love avarice. Let him suffer wrong and not do wrong.

Furthermore, let him put away from him turmoil, and words of jesting let him not utter. Let him not

scorn any man who is repenting of his sins, and let him not mock his brother who is fasting, and him

that cannot fast let him not put to shame. Where he is received, let him reprove, and where they

receive him not, let him understand his own honour. In an acceptable time let him speak his word;

otherwise, let him be silent. Let him not for his belly's sake make himself despised by his begging,

and to such an one as fears God let him reveal his secret; but let him keep himself from the evil

(man). Let him not speak in complaisance with a wicked man, nor with his enemy. And so let him

contend as to have no enemy at all. When men envy him in that which is good, let him add to his

goodness, and let him not be harmed because of envy. When he has, and gives to the poor, let him

rejoice; and when he has not, let it not grieve him. With a wicked man let him have no converse and

with a contemptuous man let him not speak, lest he give himself to contempt. With a blasphemer let

him not dispute, lest his Lord be blasphemed on his account. Let him depart from a slanderer, and let

no man please another man with speciousness of words. These things beseem solitaries who take up the

heavenly yoke, and become disciples of Christ. For thus it befits the disciples of Christ to be like

unto Christ their Master.

§9. Let us take pattern, my beloved, from our Saviour. Who though He was rich, made Himself

poor;

and though He was lofty, humbled His

Majesty; and though His dwelling place was in heaven, He had no place to lay His head;

and though He is to come upon the clouds,

yet rode on a colt and so entered

Jerusalem;

and though He is God and Son of

God, He took upon Him the likeness of a servant;

and though He was (for others) rest from all

weariness, yet was Himself tired with the weariness of the journey; though He was the fountain that

quenches thirst, yet Himself thirsted and asked for water;

though He was abundance and satisfied our hunger,

yet He Himself hungered when He went forth to the wilderness to be tempted;

though He was a Watcher that slumbers not, He yet

slumbered and slept in the ship in the midst of the sea;

and though He was ministered to in the Tabernacle

of His Father, yet let Himself be served by the hands of men; though He was the healer of all sick

men, yet nails were fastened into His hands; though His mouth brought forth things that were good,

yet they gave Him gall to eat;

though He

injured no man and harmed none, yet He was beaten with stripes and endured shame; and though he was

Saviour of all mortals, He delivered Himself to the death of the cross.

§10. All this humility did our Saviour show us in Himself. Let us then also humble ourselves,

my beloved. When our Lord went outside of His nature,

He walked in our nature. Let us abide in our

nature, that in the day of judgment He may cause us to partake of His nature. Our Lord took from us a

pledge when He went, and He left us a pledge of His own when he ascended. He that was without need,

because of our need devised this expedient. What was ours was His even from the beginning, but that

which was His, who would have given us? But true is that which our Lord promised us:-

Where I am

there ye also shall be.

For whatsoever

He took of ours, is in honour with Him, and (as) a diadem is bound upon His Head. So also that, which

of His we have received, we ought to honour. That which is ours is held in honour with Him who was

not in our nature: let us honour that which is His in His own nature, If we honour Him, we shall go

to Him, Who took upon Him of our nature and so ascended. But if we despise Him, He will take away

from us that which He has given us. If we deal fraudulently with His pledge, He will there take away

that which is His, and will deprive us of all that He has promised us. Let us magnify gloriously the

King's Son Who is with us, because a hostage for Him has been taken from us. Whoso holds the King's

Son in honour, shall obtain many gifts from the King. That of ours, that is with Him, has sat down in

honour and a diadem is bound upon His head, and He has sat down with the King. And we who are poor,

what shall we do to the King's Son Who is with us? He needs nothing from us, but that we should adorn

our temples for Him; that when the time is accomplished and He goes to His Father, He may give thanks

to Him because of us, because we have honoured Him. When He came to us, He had nothing of ours, and

also we had nothing of His, though the two natures were His and His Father's. For when Gabriel made

announcement to the Blessed Mary who bore Him, the word from on high set out and came, and

the

word became flesh and dwell in us.

And

when He returned to Him that sent Him, He took away, when He went, that which He had not brought, as

the Apostle said:-

He has taken us up and seated us with Himself in the heavens.

And when He went to His Father, He sent to us His

Spirit and said to us

I am with you till the world shall end.

For Christ

sitteth at the

right hand of His Father,

and Christ

dwelleth among men.

He is sufficient above and beneath, by the wisdom

of His Father. And He dwells in many, though He is one, and all the faithful each by each He

overshadows from Himself, and fails not, as it is written:-

I will divide Him among

many.

And though He is divided among

many, yet He sits at the right hand of His Father. And He is in us and we are in Him, as He said:-

Ye are in Me and I am in you.

And

in another place He said:-

I and Father are one.

§11. And if anyone, whose conscience lacks knowledge, should dispute about this and

say:-"Since Christ is one and His Father is one, how does Christ dwell, and His Father dwell, in

faithful men? And how do righteous men become temples for God that He should dwell in them? If then

it is thus, that to each several faithful man there comes a several Christ, and God Who is in

Christ,-if it is so, there are for them Gods many and Christs without number." But hear, my beloved,

the defence that is suited to this argument. From that which is visible let him that has thus said

receive instruction. For every man knows that the sun is fixed in the heavens, yet its rays are

spread out in the earth, and (light) from it enters by many doors and windows of houses; and wherever

the sunshine falls, though it be but as (the measure of) the palm of the hand, it is called the sun.

And though it fall in many places, it is thus called, but the real sun itself is in heaven.

Therefore, if it is so,

have they

many suns? Also the water of the sea is vast, and when thou

takest one cup from it, that is called water. And though thou shouldest divide it into a thousand

vessels, yet it is called water by its name. Also when thou kindlest fire from fire in many places,

the place from whence thou takest it, when thou kindlest it, lacks not, and the fire is called by one

name. And because thou dividest it into many places, it does not on that account become possessed of

many names. And when thou takest dust from the earth, and castest it into many places, it is not a

whit diminished, and also thou canst not call it by many names. Thus also God and His Christ, though

they are One, yet dwell in men who are many. And they are in heaven in person, and are diminished in

nothing when they dwell in many; as the sun is not a whir diminished in heaven, when its power is

poured out in the earth. How much greater then is the power of God, since by the power of God the

very sun itself subsists.

§12. Again I will remind thee, my beloved, also of that which is written. For thus it is

written, that when it was a grievous burden to Moses to lead the camp alone, the Lord said to

him:-

Lo! will take away of the Spirit that is upon thee, and will put it upon seventy men, elders

of Israel.

But when He took away some

of the Spirit of Moses, and the seventy men were filled with it, Moses nothing lacked, nor could it

be known that anything was taken away from his Spirit. Moreover the blessed apostle also said:-

God

divided of the of Christ and sent it into the Prophets.

And Christ was in nothing injured, for

it was

not by measure that His Father gave unto Him the Spirit.

By this reflection thou canst comprehend that

Christ dwells in faithful men; yet Christ suffers no loss though He is divided among many. For the

Prophets received of the Spirit of Christ, each one of them as he was able to bear. And of the Spirit

of Christ again there is poured forth to-day upon all flesh,

100

and the sons and the daughters prophesy, the old

men and the youths, the men-servants and the hand-maids. Something of Christ is in us, yet Christ is

in heaven at the right hand of His Father. And Christ received the Spirit not by measure, but His

Father loved Him and delivered all into His hands, and gave Him authority over all His treasure. For

John said:-

Not by measure did the Father give the Spirit to His Son, but loved Him and gave all

into His hands.

101

And also our Lord

said:-

All things have been delivered unto Me by My Father.

102

Again he said:-

The Father will not judge any

man, but all judgment will He give unto His Son.

103

Again also the Apostle said:-

Everything shall

be made subject unto Christ except His Father Who hath subjected all unto Him. And when everything is

made subject unto Him by the Father, then He also shall be made subject to God His Father Who

subjected all to Him, and God shall be all in all, and in every man.

104

§13. Our Lord testifies concerning John, that he is the greatest of the Prophets. Yet he

received the Spirit by limit, because in that measure in which Elijah received the Spirit, (in the

same) John obtained it. And as Elijah used to dwell in the wilderness, so also the Spirit of God led

John into the wilderness, and he used to dwell in the mountains and caves. The birds sustained

Elijah, and John used to eat locusts that fly. Elijah had his loins girded with a girdle of leather;

so John had his loins girded with a cincture of leather. Jezebel persecuted Elijah, and Herodias

persecuted John. Elijah reproved Ahab, and John reproved Herod. Elijah divided the Jordan, and John

opened up baptism. The spirit of Elijah rested twofold upon Elisha, so John laid his hand on our

Redeemer, and He received the Spirit not by measure. Elijah opened the heavens and ascended; and John

saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God which descended and rested upon our Redeemer. Elisha

received twofold the Spirit of Elijah; and our Redeemer received that of John and that of heaven.

Elisha took the mantle of Elijah, and our Redeemer the imposition of the hand of the priests. Elisha

made oil from water, and our Redeemer made wine from water. Elisha satisfied with a little bread a

hundred men only; and our Redeemer satisfied with a little bread five thousand men besides children

and women. Elisha cleansed Naaman the leper, and our Redeemer cleansed the ten (lepers). Elisha

cursed the children and they were devoured by bears, but our Redeemer blessed the children. The

children reviled Elisha, but the children glorified our Redeemer with Hosannas. Elisha cursed Gehazi

his servant, and our Redeemer cursed Judas His disciple and blessed all His (other) disciples. Elisha

raised to life one dead man only, but our Redeemer raised up three to life. On the bones of Elisha

one dead man revived, but when our Saviour descended to the abode of the dead, He quickened many and

raised them up. And many are the signs that the Spirit of Christ wrought, which the Prophets received

from Him.

§14. Therefore, my beloved, we also have received of the Spirit of Christ, and Christ

dwelleth in us

, as it is written that the Spirit said this through the month of the Prophet:

I will dwell in them and will walk in them.

105

Therefore let us prepare our temples for the

Spirit of Christ, and let us not grieve it that it may not depart from us. Remember the warning that

the Apostle gives us:-

Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye have been sealed unto the day of

redemption.

For from baptism do we receive the Spirit of Christ. For in that hour in which the

priests invoke the Spirit, the heavens open and it descends and

moves upon the waters.

106

And those that are baptized are clothed in it;

for the Spirit stays aloof from all that are born of the flesh, until they come to the new birth by

water, and then they receive the Holy Spirit. For in the first birth they are born with an animal

souls which is created within man and is not thereafter subject to death, as he said: -

Adam became

a living soul.

107

But in the second

birth, that through baptism, they received the Holy Spirit from a particle of the Godhead, and it is

not again subject to death. For when men die, the animal spirit is buried with the body, and sense is

taken away from it, but the heavenly spirit that they receive goes according to its nature to Christ.

And both these the Apostle has made known, for he said:-

The body is buried in animal wise, and

rises again in spiritual wise.

108

The

Spirit goes back again to Christ according to its nature, for the Apostle said again:-

When we

shall depart from the body we shall be with our Lord.

109

For the Spirit of Christ, which the spiritual

receive, goes to our Lord. And the animal spirit is buried in its nature, and sense is taken away

from it. Whosoever guards the Spirit of Christ in purity, when it returns to Christ it thus addresses

him:-"The body into which I went, and which put me on from the water of the baptism, has kept me in

holiness." And the Holy Spirit will be earnest with Christ for the resurrection of that body which

kept Him with purity, and the Spirit will request to be again conjoined to it that that body may rise

up in glory. And whatever man there is that receives the Spirit from the water (of baptism) and

grieves it, it departs from him until he dies, and returns according to its nature to Christ, and

accuses that man of having grieved it. And when the time of the final consummation shall have come,

and the time of the Resurrection shall have approached, the Holy Spirit, that was kept in purity,

receives great power from its nature and comes before Christ and stands at the door of the tombs,

where the men are buried that kept it in purity, and awaits the (resurrection) shout. And when the

Watchers shall have opened the doors of heaven before the King,

110

then the cornet shall summon, and the trumpets

shall sound, and the Spirit that waits for the (resurrection) shout shall hear, and quickly shall

open the tombs, and raise up the bodies and whatsoever was buried in them, and shall put on the glory

that comes with it. And (the Spirit) shall be within for the resurrection of the body, and the glory

shall be without for the adornment of the body. And the animal spirit shall be swallowed up in the

heavenly Spirit, and the whole man shall become spiritual, since his body is possessed by it (the

Spirit). And death shall be swallowed up in life,

111

and body shall be swallowed up in Spirit. And by

the power of the Spirit, that man shall fly up to meet the King and He shall receive him with joy,

and Christ shall give thanks for the body that has kept His Spirit in purity.

§15. This is the Spirit, my beloved, that the Prophets received, and thus also have we

received. And it is not at every time found with those that receive it, but sometimes it returns to

Him that sent it, and sometimes it goes to him that receives it. Hearken to that which our Lord

said:-

Despise not one of these little ones that believe on Me, for their angels in heaven do

always behold the face of My Father.

112

This Spirit then goes frequently and stands before God and beholds His face, and whosoever injures

the temple in which it dwells, it will accuse him before God.

§16. I will instruct thee of that which is written, that the Spirit is not at every time

found with those that receive it. For tires it is written about Saul, that the Holy Spirit, which he

received when he was anointed,

departed from him

113

' because he grieved it, and God sent to him

instead of it a vexing spirit. And whenever he was afflicted by the evil spirit, David used to play

upon the harp, and the Holy Spirit, which David received when he was anointed, would come, and the

evil spirit that was vexing Saul, would flee from before it. So the Holy Spirit that David received

was not found with him at every time. As long as he was playing the harp, then it used to come. For

had it been with him always, it would not have allowed him to sin with the wife of Uriah. For when he

was praying about his sins, and was confessing his offences before God, he said thus:-

Take not Thy

holy spirit from me.

114

Also concerning

Elisha it is thus written, that,

while he played upon his harp, then the spirit came to him and he

prophesied and said

Thus saith the Lord, ye shall not see wind nor rain, yet this valley

shall be made many pits.

115

And also

when the Shunamite came to him because of her son that was dead, he said thus to her:-

The Lord hid

it from me and did cause me not to know it.

116

Yet, when the King of Israel sent against him to

slay him, the Spirit informed him before the messenger came upon him, and he said:-

Lo! this son of

iniquity has sent to take away my head.

117

And again he made known about the abundance that

came about in Samaria the day after. And again the Spirit informed him when Gehazi stole the silver

and concealed it.

§17. Therefore, my beloved, when the Holy Spirit departs from a man who has received it,

until it returns and comes to him, then Satan draws near unto that man, to cause him to sin, and that

the Holy Spirit may leave him altogether. For as long as the Spirit is with a man, Satan fears to

come near him. And observe, my beloved, that our Lord also, Who was born from the Spirit, was not

tempted by Satan until in baptism He received the Spirit from on high. And then the Spirit led him

forth to be tempted by Satan. This, then, is the way with man; that in the hour in which he perceives

in himself that he is not fervent in the Spirit, and that his heart is inclining to the thought of

this world, he may know that the Spirit is not with him, and may arise and pray and keep vigil that

the Spirit of God may come to him, that he be not overcome by the adversary. A thief does not dig

into a house, until he sees that its master is departing from it. Thus also Satan cannot draw near to

that house which is our body, until the Spirit of Christ departs from it. And be sure, my beloved,

that the thief does not certainly know whether the master of the house is within or not, but first

he applies his ear

, and looks. If he hears the voice of the master of the house within it

saying:-"I have a journey to go," and when he has searched out and seen that the master of the house

has set out to perform his business, then the thief comes and digs into the house and steals. But if

he hears the voice of the master of the house admonishing and commanding his household to watch and

guard his house, and saying to them, "I also am within the house," then the thief will fear and flee,

that he may not be taken and captured. Thus also Satan, he has not the knowledge beforehand to know

or see when the Spirit will depart, that so he may come to rob the man; but he too listens and

watches, and so assails. But if he hears a man in whom Christ dwells speaking shameful words, or

enraged, or quarrelling, or contending, then Satan knows that Christ is not with him, and he comes

and accomplishes his will in him. For Christ dwells in the peaceful and the meek, and lodges in those

that fear His word, as He says through the prophet:-

On whom shall I look, and in whom shall I

dwell, but in the peaceful and the meek who fear My word?

118

And our Lord said:-

Whoever walks in My

commandments and keeps My love, We will come to him and make Our abode him.

119

But if he hears from a man that he is on his

guard and is praying anti meditating in the Law of his Lord by day and by night, then he turns back

from him, for he knows that Christ is with him. And if thou shouldest say, "How manifold is Satan!

for lo! he fights with many;" then hear and learn from that which I proved to thee above concerning

Christ, that no matter to what extent He is divided amongst many, yet He is not a whit diminished.

For, as the house, through the window of which a little sunlight enters, is altogether illumined, so

the man into whom a little of Satan enters, is altogether darkened. Hear that which the Apostle

said:-

If Satan is transfigured to an angel of light, it is no wonder if his ministers also are

transfigured to ministers of righteousness.

120

And again our Lord said to His disciples:-

Lo,

I have given you authority to tread upon the power of the adversary.

121

And the Scriptures have made known that he has

power and also ministers. Moreover Job said concerning him:-

God made him to wage his

war.

122

These ministers then that he

has, he causes to run in the world, to wage war. But be sure that he will not fight openly; because

from the time of the coming of our Saviour, (God) has given authority over him. But he will surely

plunder and steal.

§18. But I will explain to thee, my beloved, concerning that word which the Apostle said, by

which can be weighed the doctrines that are instruments of the Evil One and doctrines of deceit. For

the Apostle said:-

There is an animal body and there is a spiritual body, seeing that it is thus

written

The first Adam became a living soul and the second Adam a quickening

spirit.

123

So they

124

say that there will be two Adams. But he

said:-

As we have put on the image of that Adam who was from the earth, so we shall put on the

image of that Adam who is from heaven.

125

For Adam who was from the earth was he that

sinned, and the Adam who is from heaven is our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. They then that receive

the Spirit of Christ, come into the likeness of the heavenly Adam, Who is our Saviour, our Lord Jesus

Christ. For the animal shall be swallowed up in the spiritual, as I wrote unto thee above. And the

man that grieves the spirit of Christ, will be animal in his resurrection; because the heavenly

spirit is not with him, that the animal might be swallowed up in it. But when he shall arise he shall

continue in his natural state, naked of the Spirit. Because he stripped off from him the Spirit of

Christ, he shall be given over to utter nakedness. And whosoever honours the Spirit, and it is

guarded in him in purity, in that day the Holy Spirit shall protect him, and he shall become

altogether spiritual, and shall not be found naked; as the Apostle said:-

And when we shall have

clothed ourselves, may we not be found naked.

126

And again he said:-

We shall all sleep, but in

the resurrection we shall not all be changed.

127

And again he said:-

This which dies shall put

on that which dies not, and this which is corruptible that which is incorruptible, and when this

which dies shall have put on that which dies not, and this corruptible that which is incorruptible,

then shall be accomplished that word which is written that death is swallowed up by

victory.

128

Again he said:-

Suddenly

as the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall rise incorruptible and we shall be changed.

129

And they who shall be changed shall put on the

form of that heavenly Adam and shall become spiritual. And those who shall not be changed, shall

continue animal in the created nature of Adam, namely, of dust; and shall continue in their nature in

the earth below. And then the heavenly shall be caught up to heaven and the Spirit that they have put

on shall cause them to fly, and they shall inherit the kingdom that was prepared for them from the

beginning. And they that are animal shall remain on the earth by the weight of their bodies, and

shall turn back to Sheol, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

§19. In writing this I have reminded myself, and also thee, my beloved; therefore love

virginity, the heavenly portion, the fellowship of the Watchers of heaven. For there is nothing

comparable with it. And in those that are thus, in them Christ dwells.

The time of summer is at

hand, and the fig-tree has budded and its leaves have come out

130

-the signs that our Redeemer gave have begun to

be fulfilled. For he said:-

People shall rise against people and kingdom against kingdom. And there

shall be famines and pestilences and terrors from heaven.

131

And lo! all these things are being accomplished

in our days.

§20. Therefore read in this whatever I have written unto thee, thou and the brethren, the

monks that love virginity. And be on thy guard against scorners. For whosoever scorns and mocks his

brother, the word that is written in the Gospel fitly applies to him; namely, when our Lord wished to

take account with the avaricious and with the Pharisees. For it is written:-

Because they loved

money, they mocked Him.

132

So also now

those that do not agree with these things mock in the same way. Read then and learn. Be zealous for

reading and for doing. And let the Law of God be thy meditation at every time. And when thou hast

read this epistle, on thy life (I adjure thee), my beloved, arise and pray, and remember my

sinfulness in thy prayer.

Demonstration VIII

.-Of the Resurrection of the

Dead.

§1. At all times controversies arise on this matter,

how the dead shall rise and with what

body they shall come?

For lo! the body

wears out and is corrupted; and the bones also, no doubt, as time lengthens out over them, waste away

and are not to be recognised. And when thou enterest a tomb in which a hundred dead men are buried,

thou findest not there an handful of dust. And thus say those that reflect on these things:-" We know

of course that the dead shall rise; but they will be clothed in a heavenly body and spiritual forms.

And if it is not so, these hundred dead that were buried in one tomb, of whom after a long time

elapses there remains nothing at all there, when the dead shall be quickened, and shall be clothed in

a body and rise, unless they shall be clothed in a heavenly body, from whence shall their body come?

For lo! there is nothing in the tomb."

§2. Whosoever reflects thus is foolish, and without knowledge. When the dead were brought in,

they were something; and when they were there for a long time, they became nothing. And, when the

time shall have come that the dead shall rise, that nothing shall become something according to its

former nature, and a change shall be added to its nature. O thou unwise who reflectest thus, hear

that which the blessed Apostle said when he was instructing a foolish man like thee; for he

said:-

Thou fool, the seed which thou sowest unless it die is not quickened; and that which thou

sowest is not like that which grows up into blade, but one bare grain of wheat or barley or some

other seedling. And to each one the seeds is given its own body. But God clothes thy seed with its

body as He wills.

§3. Therefore, O fool, be instructed by this, that each of the seeds is clothed in its own

body. Never dost thou sow wheat and yet reap barley, and never dost thou plant a vine and yet it

produced figs; but everything grows according to its nature. Thus also the body that was laid in the

earth is that which shall rise again. And as to this, that the body is corrupted and wastes away,

thou oughtest to be instructed by the parable of the seed; that as the seed, when it is cast into the

earth, decays and is corrupted, and from its decay it produces and buds and bears fruit. For the land

that is ploughed, into which seed is not cast, produces not fruit, even if that land drinks in all

the rain. So the grave in which the dead are not buried, from it men shall not issue forth in the

quickening of the dead, though the full voice of the trumpet should sound within it. And if, as they

say, the spirit of the just shall ascend into heaven and put on a heavenly body, they are in heaven.

And He Who raises the dead dwells in heaven. Then when our Saviour shall come, whom shall He raise up

from the earth? And why did He write for us:-

The hour shall come, and now is, that the dead also

shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and they shall live and come forth from their

tombs?

For the heavenly body will not

come and enter into the tomb, and again go forth from it.

§4. For thus say those who are stubborn in folly:-Why did the Apostle say,-

Different is

the body which is in heaven from that which is on earth?

But he that hears this, let him hear also the

other thing that the Apostle said:-

There is an animal body, and there is a spiritual

body.

And again he said:-

We shall

all sleep, but we shall not all be changed.

And again he said:-

This that shall die must

clothe itself with that that shall not die, and this which is corruptible must clothe itself with

that which is incorruptible.

Again he

said:-

We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every man may be rewarded in his

body for everything that before time was done by him, whether good or evil.

Again he said:-

What shall those do that are

baptized for the dead? For if the dead rise not, why are they baptized for them?

Again he said:-

If there is no resurrection of

the dead, then is Christ not risen, and if Christ is not risen then your faith is vain, and our

preaching. And if so we are found false witnesses in that we testified of God, that He raised up

Christ, Whom He raised not up.

Therefore, if the dead rise not, there is no judgment. And if there is no judgment, then

let us

eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die. Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good

purposes.

Now as to this that the

Apostle said:-

The body that is in heaven is different from that which is on the earth

, let

this word be thus understood by thee. When the body of the just shall arise and be changed, it is

called heavenly. And that which is not changed is called earthly, according to its earthly

nature.

§5. But hear, my beloved, another word like this, which the Apostle has spoken. For he

said:-

The spiritual man judgeth everything, and he is judged by no one.

And again he said:-

They that are spiritual are

spiritually minded, and they that are carnal are carnally minded.

And again he said:-

When we were in the flesh,

the weaknesses of sins were working in our members that we might become fruit for death.

Again he said:-

If the Spirit of Christ is in

you, ye are spiritual.

All these

things the Apostle said, while he was clothed in the flesh but was doing the works of the Spirit.

Thus also in the Resurrection of the dead, the righteous shall be changed, and the earthly form shall

be swallowed up in the heavenly, and it shall be called a heavenly body. And that which shall not be

changed, shall be called earthly.

§6. Concerning then this Resurrection of the dead, my beloved, according to my power I will

instruct thee. For from the beginning God created Adam; moulded him from the dust of the earth, and

raised him up. For if, while Adam was not, He made him from nothing, how much easier now is it for

Him to raise him up; for lo! as a seed he is sown in the earth. For if God should do those things

that are easy for us, His works would not appear mighty to us. For lo! there are amongst men

artificers who make wonderful things, and those who are not artificers of the works stand and wonder

how they were done; and the work of their fellows is difficult in their eyes. How much more should

not the works of God be as a marvel! But for God this was no great thing, that the dead should be

quickened. Before seed was sown in the earth, the earth produced that which had not been cast into

it. Before it had conceived, it bore in its virginity. How then is this difficult, that the earth

should cause to spring up again what had been cast into it, and after conception should bear? And lo!

her travail-pains are near; as Isaiah said,

Who hath seen anything like this and who hath heard

such things as these? that the earth should travail in one day, and a people should be born in one

hour?

For Adam unsown sprang up

conceived he was born. But lo! now his offspring are sown, and wait for the rain, and shall spring

up. And lo! the earth teems with many, and the time of her bringing forth is at hand.

§7. For all our fathers, in hope of the Resurrection and the quickening of the dead, were

looking forward and hastening; as the blessed Apostle said,

If the righteous had been looking

forward to that city from which Abraham went forth, they would have had an opportunity of again

turning back and to it; but they showed that they were looking forward to one better than it, namely

that which is in heaven.

They were

looking forward to be released and to go speedily thither. And from that which I am writing unto

thee, understand and observe that they were looking forward to the Resurrection. For Jacob our

father, when he was dying, bound Joseph his son with an oath, and said to him,

Bury me in the tomb

of my fathers, with Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca.

And why, my beloved, did Jacob not wish to be

buried in Egypt, but with his fathers? He showed beforehand, that he was looking forward to the

quickening of the dead; that, when the Resurrection shout should be raised and the sound of the

trumpet (heard), he might rise up near to his fathers, and might not at the time of the Resurrection

be mingled with the wicked who shall return to Sheol and to punishment.

§8. Thus also Joseph bound his brethren by an oath,

and said to them:-

When God shall remember you,

take up my bones from hence with you.

And according to the word of Joseph his brethren did, and

kept the oath a hundred and twenty-five years. At that time when the hosts of the Lord went out from

the land of Egypt, then Moses took up the bones of Joseph when he went forth.

And the bones of the righteous man were more

precious and better in his estimation than the gold and the silver that the children of Israel took

from Egypt when they spoiled them. And the bones of Joseph were forty years in the wilderness; and at

that time when Moses fell asleep, he gave them in inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun. The bones of

Joseph his father were better in his estimation than all the spoil of that land which he subdued. And

why did Moses give the bones of Joseph to Joshua? Clearly, because he was of the tribe of Ephraim the

son of Joseph. And he buried them in the land of promise, that there might be in that land a

treasure, (even) that of the bones of Joseph (that were) buried therein. And also at the time that

Jacob was dying, he blessed his tribes, and showed them what would happen to them

in the latter

days

, and said to Reuben:-

Reuben, thou art my firstborn, might and the beginning of my

strength. Thou hast gone astray; as water, thou shalt not abide, because thou wentest up father's

bed. Truly thou defilest my couch and wentest up.

From the time that Jacob fell asleep until the

time that Moses fell asleep two hundred and thirty-three years elapsed. Then Moses wished by his

priestly power to absolve Reuben from his transgression and sin, in that he had lain with Bilhah, his

father's concubine; that when his brethren should rise, he might not be cut off from their number. So

he said in the beginning of his blessing:-

Reuben shall live and not die, and shall be in the

number.

§9. And also when the time came that Moses should sleep with his fathers, he was grieved and

distressed, and he sought of his Lord and entreated that he might pass over to the land of promise.

And why, my beloved, was the righteous Moses grieved because he did not enter into the land of

promise? Clearly, because he wished to go and be buried with his fathers, and not be buried in the

land of his adversaries, in the land of Moab. For the Moabites hired Balaam the son of Beor to curse

Israel. Therefore Moses wished not to be buried in that land, test the Moabites should come and take

vengeance on him by taking up and casting forth the bones of that righteous man. And the Lord

performed an act of grace towards Moses. For He brought him forth to Mount Nebo, and showed him all

the land, making it pass before him. And as Moses gazed upon all the land, and gazed upon the

mountain of the Jebusites where the Tabernacle was to dwell, he was grieved and wept when he saw the

tomb in Hebron where his fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried, that he should not be buried

with them, nor his bones cast upon their bones, that he might rise along with them in the

Resurrection. But when he had seen all the land, his Lord encouraged him and said to him, "I myself

will bury thee and hide thee, and none shall know thy tomb."

So Moses died according to the word

of the mouth of the Lord, and He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-Peor,

where Israel had sinned, and no man has known his sepulchre unto this day.

Two goodly benefits did his Lord accomplish for

Moses in not making known his tomb to the children of Israel. He rejoiced that his adversaries should

not know it, and cast forth his bones from his tomb; and in the second place, that the children of

his people should not know it, and make his tomb a place of worship, for he was accounted as God in

the eyes of the children of his people. And understand this, my beloved, from hence, that when he

left them and went up to the mountain, they said:

As for this Moses who brought us up from the

land of Egypt we know not what has become of him.

So they made them a calf and worshipped it, and

they remembered not God Who brought them up from Egypt by means of Moses

with a mighty hand and an

uplifted arm.

Because of this, God had

respect unto Moses, and did not make known his tomb; lest, if He should make known his tomb, the

children of his people might go astray, and make them an image, and worship it and sacrifice to it,

and so by their sins disquiet the bones of the righteous man.

§10. And Moses again proclaimed clearly the Resurrection of the dead, for he said as from the

mouth of his God:-

It is I that cause to die and it is I that make alive.

Again also Hannah said thus in her prayer:-

The

Lord causeth to die and quickeneth ; He bringeth down to Sheol and bringeth up

(therefrom).

The Prophet Isaiah also

said thus:-

Thy dead shall live, O Lord, and their bodies shall rise, and they that sleep in the

dust shall awake and praise thee.

David also proclaimed, saying:-

For lo! for the dead Thou workest wonderful things, and the mighty

ones shall rise and make confession unto Thee, and those that are in the tombs shall recount Thy

grace.

And how

in the tombs

shall they

recount the grace

of God? Clearly, when they shall hear the sound of trumpet

summoning them, and the cornet sounding forth from on high, and the earthquake that shall be, and the

tombs that shall be opened, then the mighty ones shall arise in glory, and recount one to another in

the tombs, saying, "Great is the grace that is performed towards us. For our hope was cut off; yet

(another) hope has arisen for us. We were imprisoned in darkness, and have come forth to the light.

We were sown in corruption, and have risen in glory. We were buried naturally, and we have risen

spiritually. Again we were sown in weakness, and have risen in power." This is the grace that they

shall tell of in the tombs.

§11. And it was not only in words, my beloved, that God said:-" I quicken the dead," but also

in deeds He showed it to us by many testimonies; that we might have no hesitation (concerning it). He

showed it beforehand plainly; for through Elijah a wonder was manifested, (in proof) that the dead

shall live and that they that sleep in the dust shall arise. For when the son of the widow died,

Elijah raised him up and gave him to his mother. And Elisha again, his disciple, raised up the son of

the Shunamite; that the testimony of two might be established and confirmed for us. And also again

when the children of Israel cast a dead man on the bones of Elisha, that dead man revived and arose.

And the witness of three is certain.

§12. And also through the Prophet Ezekiel, the Resurrection of the dead was manifestly shown,

when God brought him forth to the valley and showed him many bones, and made him pass by them round

about them, and said to him:-

Son of Man, will these bones live?

And Ezekiel said to

Him:

Thou knowest, O Lord of

lords.

And the Lord said to him:-

Prophesy, O Son Man, over these bones; prophesy and say to

the dry bones, Hear the word of the Lord of lords.

And when he had caused them to hear those

words, there was a shaking and a noise, and the bones were gathered together, even those that were

crushed into pieces and broken. And when the Prophet saw them, he was astonished, for they came

together from all sides, and each bone received its fellow, and each joint approached its

fellow-joint, and they ordered themselves, one on another. And their dryness was made moist, and the

joints were united by the ligatures, and the blood grew warm in the arteries, and skin was stretched

over the flesh, and hair grew up according to its nature. But they lay prostrate and there was no

breath in them Then again He commanded the Prophet, and said to him:-

Prophesy unto the spirit and

say to it, Come, O spirit, from the four winds, and breathe upon these slain men that they may

live.

And when he caused them to hear this second word,

the spirit entered into them, and they

revived and stood up upon their feet, a very great host.

§13. But why, my beloved, was it that those dead did not rise because of the one word

(spoken) through Ezekiel, and why was not their resurrection, both of bones and spirit, accomplished

(through that one word)? For lo! by one word the bones were fitted together, and by another the

spirit came. It was in order that full perfection might be left for our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with

one utterance and one word will raise up at the last day every body of man. For it was not the word

that was insufficient, but its bearer was inferior. And with regard to this, understand and observe

that when Elijah also, and Elisha his disciple, raised the dead, it was not with one word that they

raised them up, but after they had prayed and made intercession and delayed no little time, then they

arose.

§14. And our Lord Himself, in that His first Coming raised up three that were dead, that the

testimony of three might be made sure. And He raised up each one of them with two words each. For

when He raised up the widow's son, He called him twice, saying to him,

Young man, young man,

arise.

And he revived and arose. And

again, He twice called the daughter of the chief of the synagogue, saying to her,

Damsel, damsel,

arise.

And her spirit returned and she

arose. And after Lazarus died, when He came to the place of burial. He prayed earnestly and cried

with a loud voice and said,

Lazarus, come forth.

And he revived and came out of his tomb.

§15. And concerning all this that I have explained to thee, that those dead persons were

raised with two words each, it was because for them two resurrections take place; that former one,

and the second, that which is to come. For in that resurrection in which all men shall rise, none

shall fall again; and by one word of God, sent forth through Christ, all

the dead shall rise in

the twinkling of an eye, speedily

. For He Who brings it to pass is not feeble or insufficient.

For with one word of summons He will cause all the ends (of the world) to hear, and all that are laid

(in the grave) shall leap forth and rise up; and no word shall return void to Him that sent it forth,

but as it is written in the Prophet Isaiah,

who compares the word to rain and snow; for he

said:-

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and return not thither, but fertilize the

earth and cause it to bring forth and give seed to the sower and bread for food, so shall the word be

that goes forth from My mouth, and it shall not return to Me void, but shall accomplish whatsoever I

desire and shall accomplish that for which I shall have sent it.

For the rain and the snow do not

return to heaven, but accomplish in the earth the will of Him that sends them. So the word that He

shall send through His Christ, Who is Himself the Word and the Message, shall return to Him with

great power. For when He shall come and bring it, He shall come down like rain and snow, and through

Him all that is sown shall spring up and bear righteous fruit, and the word shall return to His

sender; but not in vain shall His going have been, but thus shall He say in the presence of His

sender:-

Behold, I and the children that the Lord has given Me.

And this is the voice through which the dead

shall live. Concerning it our Redeemer testifies, saying:-

The hour shall come when even the dead

shall hear the voice of the Son of Man and shall come forth from their tombs;

as it is written,

In the beginning was

the

voice, that is

the Word

Again He

said,

The Word became a body and dwelt amongst us.

And this is that voice of God which shall sound

from on high and raise up all the dead.

§16. Again, our Lord explained to the Sadducees with regard to the resurrection of the dead,

when they brought forth to Him the parable of the woman who was married to seven husbands, and said

to Him:-

Lo! the woman was wife of them all; in the Resurrection of the dead, to which of them

shall she be wife?

Then our Lord said

to them:-

Ye do greatly err, and ye know not the Scriptures nor the power of God. For they who are

worthy of that world and of that Resurrection front the dead, they that are men do not take wives,

nor are the women married to husbands, for they cannot die, for they are as the angels of God and

children of the Resurrection. But concerning the Resurrection, that the dead shall rise, have ye not

read in the Scripture that God said to Moses out of the bush, "I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and

of Jacob." And lo! He is not God of the dead, for they all are alive unto Him.

§17. And there are those who even while they live are dead unto God. For He laid a

commandment on Adam and said to him,

In the day that thou shalt eat of the tree, thou shall surely

die

And after he had transgressed the

commandment, and had eaten, he lived nine hundred and thirty years; but he was accounted dead unto

God because of his sins. But that it may be made certain for thee that a sinner is called dead even

when he lives, I will make it clear to thee. For thus it is written in Ezekiel the Prophet,

As I

live, saith the Lord of lords, I desire not the death of the dead sinner.

§18. Moreover our Lord said to that man who said to Him:-

Let me go and bury my father, and

I will come to Thee.

And our Lord said

to him,

Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou, preach the Kingdom of God.

But how is this

word understood by thee, my beloved? Didst thou ever see the dead burying their dead? Or how shall a

dead man arise to bury another dead man? But receive this explanation from me, that a sinner, while

he is living, is dead unto God; and a righteous man, though dead, is alive unto God. For such death

is a sleep, as David said,

I lay down and slept, and awoke.

Again Isaiah said,

They that sleep in the dust

shall awake.

And our Lord said

concerning the daughter of the chief of the synagogue,

The damsel is not dead, but sleeping a

slumber.

And concerning Lazarus, He

said to His disciples:-

Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go to waken him

And the Apostle said:-

We shall all sleep, but

we shall not all be changed

And again

he said:-

Concerning those that sleep, be ye not grieved.

§19. But it is right for us to be afraid of the second death,

that which is full of weeping and gnashing of

teeth, and of groanings and miseries, that which is situated in outer darkness. But blessed shall be

the faithful and the righteous in that Resurrection, in which they expect to be awakened and to

receive the good promises made them. But as for the wicked who are not faithful, in the Resurrection

woe to them, because of that which is laid up for them! It would be better for them according to the

faith which they possess, were they not to arise. For the servant, for whom his Lord is preparing

stripes and bonds, while he is sleeping desires not to awake, for he knows that when the dawn shall

have come and he shall awake, his Lord will scourge and bind him. But the good servant, to whom his

Lord has promised gifts, looks expectantly for the time when dawn shall come and he shall receive

presents from his Lord. And even though he is soundly sleeping, in his dream he sees something like

what his Lord is about to give him, whatsoever He has promised him, and he rejoices in his dream, and

exults, and is gladdened. As for the wicked, his sleep is not pleasant to him, for he imagines that

lo! the dawn has come for him, and his heart is broken in his dream. But the righteous sleep, and

their slumber is pleasant to them, in the day-time and the night-time, and they take no thought of

all that long night, and like one hour is it accounted in their eyes. Then in the watch of the dawn

they awake with joy. But as for the wicked, their sleep lies heavy upon them, and they are like a man

who is laid low by a great and deep fever, and tosses on his couch hither and thither, arid he is

terrified the whole night long, which lengthens itself out for him, and he fears the dawn when his

Lord will condemn him.

§20. But our faith thus teaches, that when men fall asleep, they sleep this slumber without

knowing good from evil. And the righteous look not forward to their promises, nor do the wicked look

forward to their sentence of punishment, until the Judge come and separate those whose place is at

His right hand from those whose place is at His left. And be thou instructed by that which is

written, that when the Judge shall sit, and the books be opened before Him and the good and evil

deeds recited, then they that have wrought good works shall receive good rewards from Him Who is

good; and they that have done evil deeds shall receive evil penalties from the just Judge. For

towards the good, He changes not His nature; and He proves Himself just because He justly condemns

many. But towards the evil He changes His nature, in that world where grace is lost in justice; and

He proves Himself just to all. And grace will not be joined with justice towards them. Like as grace

avails not (to remedy) detriment, so justice (avails not to assist) grace. For grace is far from the

judge, but justice urges the judge. If grace be nigh to any one, let him turn himself towards it, and

not deliver himself into the hands of justice, test it condemn him, exacting for his shortcomings the

penalty at his hands. And if grace be far from any one, justice will bring him to the trial, and by

it he will be condemned, and go away to the torment.

§21. But hear, my beloved, this proof that retribution shall take place at the end. For when

the Shepherd divides His flock and sets some on His right hand and some on His left.

until He shall have acknowledged the service of

the good, then He will cause them to inherit the kingdom; and until He shall have rebuked the evil

and they are condemned, then He will send them to the torment. And as to them that sent messengers

after the King, saying,

This man shall not be king over us

when He shall receive the kingdom and return,

then His adversaries shall be slain before Him. And the labourers who hastened and were wearied in

the vineyard, shall not receive the reward till the labour shall cease. And the traders who received

the money, when the Lord of the money shall come, then shall He exact the usury. And the virgins who,

while waiting for the bridegroom, slumbered and slept because He delayed to come, when they shall

hear the cry, then they shall awake and trim their lamps; and they that are wise shall enter in; and

the foolish shall be shut out. And they who were before us in entering the faith, without us

shall

not be made perfect

§22 From all these things, understand thou, my beloved, as it has been made certain for thee,

that as yet no one has received his reward. For the righteous have not inherited the kingdom, nor

have the wicked gone into torment. The Shepherd has not as yet divided His flock. And lo! the workmen

enter into the vineyard, and as yet have not received the reward. And lo! the merchants are trading

with the money. And as yet their Lord has not come to take the account. And the King has gone to

receive the Kingdom, but as yet He hats not returned the second time. And those virgins that are

waiting the bridegroom are sleeping up to the present time, and are awaiting the cry when they will

awake. And the former men who toiled in the faith until the last men shall come, shall not be made

perfect.

§23. But they who are babes in understanding say:-" If no one has received his reward, why

did the Apostle say,

When we shall depart from the body, we shall be present with the

Lord?

But recollect, my beloved, that

I instructed thee concerning this matter in the

Demonstration concerning Solitaries

that the spirit which the righteous receive,

according to its heavenly nature, goes to our Lord until the time of the Resurrection, when it shall

come to put on the body in which it dwelt. And at every time it has the memory of this in the

presence of God, and looks eagerly for the Resurrection of that body in which it dwelt, as the

Prophet Isaiah said about the Church of the Gentiles:-

They that make mention of thee shall be

faithful and stand before the Lord, and thou shalt not give them rest.

But as to the wicked, they have none to make

mention of them before the Lord, because the Holy Spirit is far removed from them, because they are

animal, and are buried after the manner of animals.

§24. And again, (the followers of) doctrines, which are instruments of the Evil One, are

offended by the word which our Lord spake,

No one has ascended up to heaven but He Who came down

from heaven, the Son of Man, Who was in heaven.

And they say, "Lo! our Lord testified that no

earthly body has ascended to heaven." In their ignorance they cannot apprehend the force of this. For

when our Lord instructed Nicodemus, he did not apprehend the force of the saying. Then our Lord said

to him:-"

No one has ascended into heaven, so as to come down and

relate to you whatsoever is

there. For

if I have spoken unto you of those things that are in the earth, and ye believe not,

how shall ye believe if I shall speak unto you of those things which are in heaven?

For lo! no other witness besides Me has come down

from thence, to bear witness concerning those things which are in heaven, so that ye should believe.

For Elijah went up thither, but he came not down along with Me to bear witness, that the testimony of

two might be sure."

§25. But as for thee, my beloved, have no doubt as to the Resurrection of the dead. For the

living mouth (of God) testifies :-

I cause to die and I make alive.

And both of them proceeded out of one mouth. And

as we are sure that He causes to die, and we see it; so also it is sure and worthy of belief, that He

makes alive. And from all that I have explained to thee, receive and believe that in the day of the

Resurrection thy body shall arise in its entirety, and thou shalt receive from our Lord the reward of

thy faith, and in all that thou hast believed, thou shalt rejoice and be made glad.

Demonstration X.

-Of Pastors.

§1. Pastors are set over the flock, and give the sheep the food of life. Whosoever is

watchful, and toils in behalf of his sheep, is careful for his flock, and is the disciple of our Good

Shepherd, who gave Himself in behalf of His sheep.

And whosoever brings not back his flock carefully,

is likened to the hireling who has no care for the sheep. Be ye like, O Pastors, to those righteous

Pastors of old. Jacob fed the sheep of Laban, and guarded them and toiled and was watchful, and so

received the reward. For Jacob said to Laban:-

Lo! twenty years am I with thee. Thy sheep and thy

flocks I have not robbed and the males of thy sheep I have not eaten. That which was broken I did not

bring unto thee, but thou required it at my hands! In the daytime the heat devoured me and the cold

by night.

My sleep departed from my

eyes.

Observe, ye Pastors, that Pastor, how he cared for his flock. He used to watch in the

night-time to guard it and was vigilant; and he used to toil in the daytime to feed it. As Jacob was

a pastor, so Joseph was a pastor and his brethren were pastors. Moses was a pastor, and David also

was a pastor. So Amos was a pastor. These all were pastors who fed the sheep and led them well.

§2. Now, why, my beloved, did these pastors first feed the sheep, and were then chosen to be

pastors of men? Clearly that they might learn how a pastor cares for his sheep, and is watchful and

toils in behalf of his sheep. And when they had learned the manners of pastors, they were chosen for

the pastoral office. Jacob fed the sheep of Laban and toiled and was vigilant and led them well; and

then he tended and guided well his sons, and taught them the pattern of pastoral work. And Joseph

used to tend the sheep along with his brethren; and in Egypt he became guide to a numerous people,

and led them back, as a good pastor does his flock. Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his father-in-law,

and he was chosen from (tending) the sheep to tend his people, and as a good pastor he guided them.

Moses bore his staff upon his shoulder, and went in front of his people that he was leading, and

tended them for forty years; and he was vigilant and toiled on behalf of his sheep, a diligent and

good pastor. When his Lord wished to destroy them because of their sins, in that they worshipped the

calf, Moses prayed and besought of his Lord and said:-

Either pardon the people for their sins, or

else blot me out from Thy book that Thou hast written.

That is a most diligent pastor, who delivered over

himself on behalf of his sheep. That is an excellent leader, who gave himself in behalf of his sheep.

And that is a merciful father who cherished his children and reared them up. Moses the great and wise

shepherd, who knew how to lead back the flock, taught Joshua the son of Nun, a man full of the

spirit, who (afterwards) led the flock, even all the host of Israel. He destroyed kings and subdued

the land, and gave them the land as a place of pasturage, and divided the resting-places and the

sheepfolds to his sheep. Furthermore, David fed his father's sheep, and was taken from the sheep to

tend his people.

So he tended them in the integrity of his heart and by the skill of his hands he

guided them.

And when David numbered

the flock of his sheep, wrath came upon them, and they began to be destroyed. Then David delivered

himself over on behalf of his sheep, when he prayed, saying:-

O Lord God, I have sinned in that I

have numbered Israel. Let Thy hand be on me ants on my father's house. These innocent sheep, in what

have they sinned?

So also all the

diligent pastors used thus to give themselves on behalf of their sheep.

§3. But those pastors who did not care for the sheep, those were hirelings who used to feed

themselves alone. On this account the Prophet

addresses them, saying to them:-

O ye pastors

who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord: Lo!

I will visit My sheep as the pastor visits his flock in the day of the whirlwind, and I will require

My sheep at your hands. O foolish pastors, with the wool of the sheep do ye clothe yourselves and the

flesh of the fatlings do eat, and the sheep ye do not feed. That which was sick ye did not heal, and

that which was broken ye did not bind The weak ye did not strengthen, and the lost and the scattered

ye did not gather together. The strong ones and the fatlings ye did guard, but with harshness ye

subdued them. The good pastures ye yourselves graze upon, and what remains ye trample with your feet.

The pleasant waters do ye drink, and whatever remains ye defile with your feet. And My sheep have

eaten the trampled (herbage) which your feet have trampled, and they have drunk the waters which your

feet have defiled.

These are the greedy and base pastors and hirelings, who did not feed the

sheep, or guide them well, or deliver them from the wolves. But when the Great Pastor, the chief of

pastors, shall come, He will call and visit His sheep and will take knowledge of His flock. And He

will bring forward those pastors, and will exact an account from them, and will condemn them for

their deeds. And those who fed the sheep well, them the Chief of Pastors will cause to rejoice and to

inherit life and rest.

O stupid and foolish pastor, to whose right hand and to whose right eye I

committed my sheep. Because thou didst say concerning the sheep, let that which dieth, die, and let

that which perisheth perish, and whatever is left, let them devour the flesh

of one another;

therefore, behold I will make blind thy right eye and I will wither up thy right arm. Thy eye which

regarded a bribe

shall be blinded, and thy hand

which did not rule in righteousness

shall

waste away.

And as for you, my

sheep, the sheep of my pasture, ye are men; but I am the Lord your God.

Behold henceforth will feed you in a good and

rich pasture.

§4.

The good shepherd giveth himself for the sake of his sheep.

And again He said:-

I have other sheep and I

must bring them also hither. And the whole flock shall be one, and one shepherd, and My Father

because of this loveth Me; that I give Myself for the sake of the sheep.

And again He said ;-

I am the door of the

sheep. Every one that entereth by Me shall live and shall go in and go out and find

pasture.

O ye pastors, be ye made like

unto that diligent pastor, the chief of the whole flock, who cared so greatly for his flock. He

brought nigh those that were afar off. He brought back the wanderers. He visited the sick. He

strengthened the weak. He bound up the broken. He guarded the fatlings. He gave himself up for the

sake of the sheep. He chose and instructed excellent leaders, and committed the sheep into their

hands, and gave them authority over all his flock. For He said to Simon Cephas:-

Feed My sheep and

My lambs and My ewes.

So Simon fed His

sheep; and he fulfilled his thee and handed over the flock to you, and departed. Do ye also feed and

guide them well. For the pastor who cares for his sheep engages in no other pursuit along with that.

He does not make a vineyard, nor plant gardens, nor does he fall into the troubles of this world.

Never have we seen a pastor who left his sheep in the wilderness and became a merchant, or one who

left his flock to wander and became a husbandman. But if he deserts his flock and does these things

he thereby hands over his flock to the wolves.

§5. And remember, my beloved, that I wrote to thee concerning our fathers of old that they

first learned the ways of tending sheep and in that received trial of carefulness, and then were

chosen for the office of guides, that they might learn and observe how much the pastor cares for his

flock, and as they used to guide the sheep carefully, so also might be perfected in this office of

guidance. Thus Joseph was chosen from the sheep, to guide the Egyptians in the thee of affliction.

And Moses was chosen from the sheep, to guide his people and tend them. And David was taken from

following the sheep, to become king over Israel. And the Lord took Amos from following the sheep, and

made him a prophet over his people. Elisha likewise was taken from behind the yoke, to become a

prophet in Israel. Moses did not return to his sheep, nor did he leave his flock that was committed

to him. David did not return to his father's sheep, but guided his people in the integrity of his

heart.

Amos did not turn back to feed his

sheep, or to gather (the fruit of) trees, but he guided them and performed his office of prophecy.

Elisha did not turn back to his yoke, but served Elijah and filled his place. And he

who was for him as a shepherd, because he loved

fields and merchandise and vineyards and oliveyards and tillage, did not wish to become his disciple;

and (therefore) he did not commit the flock into his hand.

§6. I beseech you, ye pastors, that ye set not over the flock, leaders who are foolish and

stupid, covetous also and lovers of possessions. Every one who feeds the flock shall eat of their

milk.

And every one who guides the yoke

shall be ministered to from his labour. The priests have a right to partake of the altar, and the

Levites shall receive their tithes. Whoever eats of the milk, let his heart be upon the flock; and

let him that is ministered to from the labour of his yoke, take heed to his tillage. And let the

priests who partake of the altar serve the altar with honour. And as for the Levites who receive the

tithes, they have no portion in Israel. O pastors, disciples of our great Pastor, be ye not like

hirelings; because the hireling cares not for the sheep. Be ye like our Sweet Pastor, Whose life was

not dearer to Him than His sheep. Rear up the youths and bring up the maidens; and love the lambs and

let them be reared in your bosoms; that when ye shall come to the Chief Pastor, ye may offer to Him

all your sheep in completeness, and so He may give you what He has promised:

Where I am, ye also

shall be.

These things, brief as they

are, will be sufficient for the good pastors and leaders.

§7. Above, my beloved, I have written to remind thee of the character that becomes the whole

flock. And in this discourse I have written to thee about the pastors, the guides of the flock. These

reminders I have written to thee, beloved, as thou didst ask of me in thy dear letter.

§8. The Steward brought me into the King's treasury and showed me there many precious things;

and when I saw them my mind was captivated with the great treasury. And as I looked upon it, it

dazzled my eyes, and took captive my thoughts, and caused my reflections to wander in many ways.

Whosoever receives thereof, is himself enriched, and enriches (others). It lies open and unguarded

before all that seek it; and though many take from it there is no deficiency; and when they give of

that which they have received, their own portion is greatly multiplied. They that receive freely let

them give freely

as they have received.

For (this treasure) cannot be sold for a price, because there is nothing equivalent to it. Moreover

the treasure fails not; and they that receive it are not satiated. They drink, and are still eager;

they eat, and are hungry. Whosoever is not thirsty, finds not ought to drink; whoever is not hungry,

finds nothing to eat. The hunger for it satisfies many, and from the thirst for it flow forth

water-springs. For the man who draws nigh to the fear of God is like the man who in his thirst draws

near to the water-spring and drinks and is satisfied, and the fountain is not a whit diminished. And

the land that needs to drink in water, drinks of the fountain, but its waters fail not. And when the

land drinks, it needs again to drink, and the spring is not lessened by its flowing. So is the

knowledge of God. Though all men should receive of it, yet there would come no lack in it, nor can it

he limited by the sons of flesh. He that takes from it, cannot take away all; and when he gives, he

lacks nothing. When thou takest fire with a candle from a flame, though thou kindle many candles at

it, yet the flame does not diminish when thou takest from it, nor does the candle fail, when it

kindles many. One man cannot receive all the King's treasure, nor when a thirsty man drinks of the

fountain, do its waters fill. When a man stands on a lofty mountain, his eye does not (equally)

comprehend the near and the distant; nor, when he stands and counts the stars of heaven, can he set

limits to the hosts of the heavens. So when he draws nigh unto the fear of God, he cannot attain to

the whole of it; and when he receives much that is precious, it does not seem to be diminished; and

when he gives of that which he has received, it is not exhausted, nor has it come to an end for him.

And remember, my beloved, what I wrote to thee, in the first discourse, about faith, that whoever has

freely received ought to give freely as he has received, as our Lord said:-

Freely ye have

received, freely give.

For whosoever

keeps back part of anything he has received,

even that which he has obtained shall be taken

away from him. Therefore, my beloved, as I have been able to obtain now from that treasure that fails

not, I have sent unto thee from it. Yet though I have sent it to thee, it is all with me. For the

treasure fails not, for it is the wisdom of God; and the steward is our Lord Jesus Christ, as He

testified when He said:-

All things have been committed to Me by My Father

And while He is the steward of the wisdom, again,

as the Apostle said:-

Christ is the power of God and His wisdom.

This wisdom is imparted to many, yet nothing is

lacking, as I explained to thee above; the Prophets received of the spirit of Christ, yet Christ was

not a whir diminished.

§9. Ten treatises have I written unto thee, my beloved. Whatsoever thou hast asked of me, I

have explained to thee without (receiving) ought from thee. And that which thou enquiredst not of me,

I have given unto thee. I have asked thy name and written unto thee. I have asked of myself thy

question, and I have answered thee as I was able, for thy persuasion. Whatsoever I have written unto

thee, meditate in these things at every thee; and labour to read those books which are read in the

church of God. These ten little books that I have written for thee, they borrow one from another, and

depend one upon another. Separate them not one from another. From

Olaph to Yud

I have written

for thee, each letter after its fellow. Read thou and learn thou and the brethren, the monks, and the

faithful, they from whom mocking is far removed; as I wrote unto thee above. And remember that which

I pointed out to thee, that I have not brought these matters to an end, but short of the end. Nor are

these things sufficient; but hear thou these things from me without wrangling, and enquire concerning

them with brethren who are apt for persuasion. Whatsoever thou hearest that assuredly edifies,

receive; and whatever builds up strange doctrines, overthrow and utterly demolish. For wrangling

cannot edify. But I, my beloved, as a stonecutter have brought stones for the building, and let wise

architects carve them out and lay them in the building; and all the labourers that toil in the

building shall receive reward from the Lord of the house.

Demonstration XVII.

-Of CHrist the Son of God.

§1.(This is) a reply against the Jews, who blaspheme the people gathered from among the

Gentiles; for they say thus, "Ye worship and serve a man who was begotten, a son of man who was

crucified, and ye call a son of men, God. And though God has no son, ye say concerning this crucified

Jesus, that He is the Son of God." And they bring forward as an argument, that God said:-"

I am God

and there is none else beside Me.

And

again he said:-"

Thou shalt not worship another God.

Therefore,(say they), ye are opposing God in that

ye call a man, God.

§2. Concerning these things, my beloved, so far as I, in my insignificance, can comprehend, I

will instruct thee about them, that while we grant to them that He is man, and(while) we at the same

time honour Him and call Him God and Lord, yet it is not in any novel fashion, that we have so called

Him, nor that we have applied to Him a novel name, which they themselves did not employ. Yet it is a

sure thing with us, that Jesus our Lord is God, the Son of God, and the King, the King's Son, Light

of light, Creator and Counsellor, and Guide, and the Way, and Redeemer, and Shepherd, Gatherer, and

the Door, and the Pearl, and the Lamp; and by many(such) names is He surnamed. But we shall leave

aside all(the rest) of them, and prove concerning Him, that He Who came from God is the Son of God,

and(is) God.

§3. For the venerated name of Godhead has been applied also to righteous men, and they have

been held worthy to be called by it. And the men with whom God was well pleased, them He called, My

sons, and My friends. When He chose Moses His friend and His beloved and made him chief and teacher

and priest unto his people he called him God. For He said to him :-

I have made thee a God unto

Pharaoh.

And He gave him His priest for

a prophet,

And Aaron thy brother shall speak for thee unto Pharaoh, and than shalt be unto him as

a God, and he shall be unto thee an interpreter.

Thus not alone to the evil Pharaoh did He make

Moses God, but also unto Aaron, the holy priest, He made Moses God.

§4. Again, hear concerning the title Son of God, by which we have called Him. They say that

"though God has no son, ye make that crucified Jesus, the firstborn son of God." Yet He called Israel

My first-born,

" when He sent to Pharaoh through Moses and said to him,

Israel is My

first-born; I have said unto thee, let My Son go to serve Me, and if thou art not willing to let(him)

go, lo! I will slay thy son, they firstborn.

And also through the Prophet

He testified concerning this, and reproved them

and said to the people,

Out of Egypt have I called My son. As I called them, so they went and

worshipped Baal and offered incense to the graven images.

And Isaiah said

concerning them,

Children have I reared and

brought up, and they have rebelled against Me.

And again it is written,

Ye are the children of

the Lord your God.

And about Solomon He

said,

He shall be to Me a son, and I will be to him a Father.

So also we call the Christ, the Son of God, for

through Him we have gained the knowledge of God; even as He called Israel

My firstborn son,

and as He said concerning Solomon,

He shall be to Me a son

. And we call Him God, even as He

surnamed Moses by His own Name. And also David said concerning them:-

Ye are Gods and children of

the Highest, all of you.

And when they

amended not themselves, therefore He said concerning them:-

As men shall ye die, and as one of the

princes shall ye fall.

§5. For the name of Divinity is given for the highest honour in the world, and with

whomsoever God is well pleased, He applies it to him. But however, the names of God are many and are

venerable, as He delivered His names to Moses, saying to him:-I

am the God of your fathers, the

God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. This is My Name for ever, and this is My

memorial unto generations.

And He

called His name

Ahiyah ashar Ahiyah, El Shaddai and Adonai Sabaoth.

By these names is God called. The great and

honourable name of

Godhead

He withheld not from His righteous ones; even as, though He is the

great King, without grudging He applied the great and honourable name of Kingship to men who are His

creatures.

§6. For by the mouth of His prophet God called the heathen King Nebuchadnezzar,

King of

Kings.

For Jeremiah said:-

Every people and kingdom that shall not put his neck into the yoke

of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Kings, My servant, with famine and with sword and with pestilence will I

visit that people.

Though He is the

great King, He grudges not the name of Kingship to men. And(so), though He is the great God, yet He

grudged not the name of Godhead to the sons of flesh. And though all fatherhood is His, He has called

men also fathers. For He said to the congregation:-

Instead of thy fathers, shall be thy

children.

And though authority is His,

He has given men authority one over another. And while worship is His unto honour, He has yet allowed

it in the world, that one man should honour another. For even though a man should do worship

before the wicked and the heathen and

them

that refuse grace

, yet is he not censured by God. And concerning worship He commanded His people,

Thou shall not worship the sun or the moon or all the hosts of heaven; and also ye shall not

desire to worship any creature that is upon the earth.

Behold the grace and the love of our good Maker,

that He did not grudge to men the name of Godhead and the name of worship, and the name of Kingship,

and the name of authority; because He is the Father of the created things that are over the face of

the world, and He has honoured and exalted and glorified men above all creatures. For with His holy

hands He fashioned them; and of His Spirit He breathed into them, and a dwelling-place did He become

unto them from of old.

In them doth He

abide and amongst them doth He walk. For He said through the prophet,

I will dwell in them, and

walk in them.

Furthermore also the

Prophet Jeremiah said:-

Ye are the temple of the Lord, if ye make fair your ways and your

deeds.

And of old David said:-

Thou,

Lord, hast been a dwelling-place unto us for generations; before the mountains were conceived and

before the earth travailed, and before the world was framed; from age to age Thou art God.

§7. How dost thou understand this? For one prophet says:-

Lord, Thou hast been our

dwelling-place.

And another said:-

I will dwell in them and walk in them.

First, He became

to us a dwelling-place, and afterwards He dwelt and walked in us. For the wise both things are true

and simple. For David says:-

Thou, Lord, hast been our dwelling-place for generations, before the

mountains were conceived and before the earth travailed, and before the world was framed.

And

thou knowest, my beloved, that all created things that are above and that are beneath were created

first, and after them all, man. For when God determined to create the world with all its goodly

things, first He conceived and fashioned man in His mind; and after that Adam was conceived in His

thought, then He conceived the created things; as he said :-

Before the mountains were conceived

and the earth travailed;

because man is older and more ancient in conception than the creatures,

but in birth the creatures are older and more ancient than Adam. Adam was conceived and dwelt in the

thought of God; and while in conception he(man) was held in His(God's) mind, He(God) by the word of

His mouth created all the creatures. And when He had finished and adorned the world, when nothing was

lacking in it, then He brought forth Adam from His thoughts, and fashioned man by His hands; and Adam

saw the world completed. And He(God) gave him authority over all that He had made, just as a man who

has a son and desires to make for him a marriage feast, betroths to him a wife and builds for him a

house, and prepares and adorns all that is needed for his son; then he makes the marriage feast and

gives his son authority over his house. So after the conception of Adam, He brought him forth and

gave him authority over all his creation. Concerning this the Prophet said :-

Thou, Lord, hast been

our habitation for generations, before the mountains were conceived, and before the earth travailed

and before the world was framed. From age unto age Thou art the Lord.

That no one should suppose

that there is another God, either before or afterwards, he said:-

From age and unto age,

just

as Isaiah said:-

I am the first and I am the last.

And after that God brought forth Adam from within

His thought, He fashioned him, and breathed into him of His Spirit, and gave him the knowledge of

discernment, that he might discern good from evil, and might know that God made him. And inasmuch as

man knew his Maker, God was formed and conceived within his thought, and he became a temple for God

his Maker, as it is written,

Ye are the temple of God.

And(so) He Himself said:-

I will

dwell in them and walk in them.

But as for the sons of Adam, who do not recognise their Maker, He

is not formed within them, and does not dwell in them, and is not conceived in their thought; but

they are accounted before Him as the beasts, and as the rest of the creatures.

§8. Now by these things the stubborn will be convinced, that it is nothing strange that we

call Christ the Son of God. For behold, He(God) conceived all men and brought them forth from His

thoughts. And they will be forced to own that the name of Godhead also belongs to Him(Christ), for

He(God) associated the righteous also in the name of God. And as to this, that we worship Jesus

through Whom we have known God, let them be ashamed, inasmuch as they fill down and worship and

honour even the heathen of the unclean Gentiles, if they possess authority; and(for this) there is no

blame. And this honour of worship God has given to the sons of Adam, that by it they might honour one

another-especially those who excel and are worthy of honour amongst them. For if they worship, and

honour with the name of worship, the heathen-those who in their heathen wickedness deny even the name

of God-and yet do not worship them as their maker, as though they worshipped them alone, and so do

not sin; how much more does it become us to worship and honour Jesus, Who converted our stubborn

minds from all worship of vain error, and taught us to worship and serve and minister to the one God,

our Father and our Maker. And(taught us) to know that the kings of the world call themselves Gods by

the name of the great God, and are infidels and force men to infidelity, and men fall down and

worship before them and serve and honour them, like carven images and idols, yet the law never

censured these, and there is no sin. As Daniel also used to do worship to Nebuchadnezzar, King of

Babylon, the infidel and compeller to infidelity, and was not censured. Joseph also gave worship to

Pharaoh, and it is not written that it was a sin for him. But as for us, we are certain that Jesus is

God, the Son of God, and through Him we know His Father, an (have) all of us(turned away) from all

other worship. Therefore it is impossible for us to repay Him Who bore these things for us. But by

worship let us pay Him honour in return for His affliction that was on our behalf.

§9. Furthermore, we must prove that this Jesus was beforehand promised from ancient times in

the Prophets, and was called the Son of God. David said:-

Thou art My Son; today have I begotten

Thee.

Again he said:-

In the glories

of holiness, from the womb, from of old, have I begotten thee, a child.

And Isaiah said:-

Unto us a child is born, unto

us a Son is given, and His government was upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful,

and Counsellor, and mighty God of the ages, and Prince of peace. And to the increase of His

government and to His peace there is no end.

Therefore tell me, O wise doctor of Israel, who

is He that was born and whose name was called

Child

and

Son

and

Wonderful

and

Counsellor

, the

mighty God of the ages

, and

Prince of peace, to the increase of

whose government and to whose

peace

(he said),

there is no end?

For if we call Christ

the Son of God, David taught us(this); and that we call Him God, this we learned from Isaiah.

And

His government was laid upon His shoulder;

for He hare His cross, and went out from Jerusalem.

And that He was

born as a child

, Isaiah again said:-

Lo, the virgin shall conceive and bear;

and His name shall be called Immanuel, which is, our God with us.

§10. And if thou shouldest say that Christ has not yet come, I will grant this also to thy

contentiousness. For it is written that when He shall come,

the Gentiles shall expect

Him.

Lo! I, one of the Gentiles, have

heard that Christ is to come. And when as yet He had not come, I beforehand have believed on Him; and

through Him I worship the God of Israel. When He comes, will He then blame me because before His

coming I beforehand believed on Him? But, thou fool, the prophets suffer thee not to say that Christ

has not yet come; for Daniel confutes thee,

saying:-

After sixty-two weeks shall Messiah

come and shall be slain. And in His coming shall the Holy City be laid waste, and her end shall be

with a flood. And until the accomplishment of the things that are determined, shall she continue in

desolation.

Thou expectest and hopest that, at the coming of Christ, Israel shall be gathered

together from all regions, and Jerusalem shall be built up and inhabited. But Daniel testifies that,

when Christ comes and is slain, Jerusalem shall be destroyed, and shall continue in desolation until

the accomplishment of the things which are determined, forever. And concerning the suffering of

Christ, David said:-

They pierced my hands and my feet, and all my bones cried out. They gazed and

looked upon me, and divided my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture did they cast the

lot.

And Isaiah said:-

Lo! My

servant shall be known and shall be revealed and shall be lifted up, so that many shall be astonished

at Him. As for this man, His visage shall be marred more than that of man, and His aspect more than

that of the sons of men.

And he

said:-

He will purify many nations, and kings shall be amazed at Him

And he said in that passage:-

He came up as a

little child before Him, and as a root from the dry ground

And in the end of the passage he said:-

shall be slain for our sins; He shall be humiliated for our iniquity; the chastisement of our peace

is upon Him, and by His bruises shall we be healed.

By what wounds were men healed? David was not

slain; for he died in a good old age, and was buried in Bethlehem. And if they should say that it is

spoken of Saul, for Saul was killed in the mountains of Gilboa in the battle with the Philistines,

and if they should say that they

pierced his hands and his feet

, when they fastened up his

body on the wall of Bethshan; yet it does not fitly apply to Saul. When the limbs of Saul were

pierced, his bones were not conscious of suffering, because he was dead. It was after Saul died, that

they hanged his body and those of his sons on the wall of Bethshan. But when David said,

They

pierced my hands and my feet, and all my bones cried out

, he said in the next verse:-

O God,

abide for my help, and deliver my soul from the sword.

Now Christ was delivered from the sword, and

ascended from out of Sheol, and revived and rose the third day, and so

God abode for His help.

But Saul called upon the Lord and He did not answer him; and he asked through the Prophets, but no

answer was given to him. And he disguised himself and inquired by soothsayers, and learned from

thence. He was worsted before the Philistines, and he slew himself with his own sword, when he saw

that the battle had overcome him. Moreover in this passage David said:-

I will declare Thy name

unto my brethren, and in the midst of the congregation will I glorify Thee.

How can these things apply to Saul? And again

David said:-

Thou didst not give Thy holy one to see corruption.

But all these things fitly apply to Christ. When

He came to them, they did not receive Him; but wickedly judged Him by false witness. And He was hung

upon the tree by His hands, and they pierced His hands and His feet with the nails which they

fastened in him; and all His bones cried out. And on that day a great prodigy happened. namely, that

the light became dark in the middle of the day, as Zechariah prophesied, saying:-

The day shall be

known unto the Lord. It shall not be daytime, and it shall not be night; and at the evening time

there shall be light.

Now what is the

day that was distinguished by the prodigy, that it was neither daytime nor night, and that at the

evening time there was light? Evidently the day on which they crucified Him, for in the midst of that

day there came darkness, and at the evening time there was light. And again he said:-

That day

there shall be cold and frost.

-As

thou knowest, on that day on which they crucified Him, it was cold, and they had made them a fire to

warm themselves when Simon came and stood with them. And again he said:-

The spear shall arise

against the shepherd, and against the man, My friend;

and it shall smite the shepherd, and the sheep

of his flock shall be scattered; and I will turn back My hand upon the pastor.

And furthermore David said concerning His

Passion:-

For My meat they gave gall, and for My thirst did they give Me vinegar to

drink.

-Again he said in that

passage:-

They have persecuted Him Whom Thou hast smitten; and have added to the affliction of Him

that was slain.

For they added many(afflictions) to Him, much that was not written concerning

Him, cursings and revilings, such as the Scripture could not reveal, for their revilings were

hateful. But, however,

the Lord was pleased to humiliate Him and afflict Him.

And He was slain for our iniquity,

and was humiliated for our sins,

and

was made sin

in His own person.

§11. We worship those mercies, and bow the knee before the Majesty of His Father, Who

converted our worship to Him. We call Him God, just as Moses(was called God); and Firstborn. and Son,

just as Israel(was called); and Jesus(Joshua), just as Joshua the son of Nun was so called; and

Priest like Aaron, and King, like David; and great Prophet, like all the Prophets; and Shepherd, like

the shepherds who tended and guided Israel. And so did He call children as He said:-

Strange

children shall hearken unto Me.

And He

has made us brothers unto Himself, He said:-

I will declare Thy name unto My brethren.

And we have become friends unto Him, as He said

to His disciples:-

I have called you friends,

even as His Father called Abraham

friend.

And He said unto us:-

I am

the good Shepherd, the Door, the Way, the Vine, the Sower, the Bridegroom, the Pearl, the Lamp, the

Light, the King, God, Saviour, and Redeemer

. And by many names is He surnamed.

§12. This brief argument have I written unto thee, my beloved, that thou mayest make defence

against the Jews, concerning this that they say, that God has no son, and concerning this that we

call Him God, the Son of God, King, and Firstborn of all creatures.

Demonstration XXI.

-Of Persecution

§1. I have heard a reproach, which has greatly vexed me. The unclean(the heathen) say, that

this people, which is gathered together out of all nations, has no God. And thus say the impious:-"If

they have a God, why does He not avenge His people?" And darkness more exceedingly has thickened upon

me, because the Jews also reproach us, and magnify themselves over the children of our people. It

happened one day, that a man, who is called wise amongst the Jews, questioned me, saying:-Jesus, Who

is called your Teacher, wrote for you, that

If there shall be in you faith like one grain of

mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove, and it shall remove from before you; and (ye shall

say) even, Be lifted up and fall into the sea, and it shall obey you.

So apparently there is in all your people not one

wise man, whose prayer is heard, and who asks of God that your persecutors should cease from you. For

clearly it is written for you in that passage,

There is nothing which ye shall not be able to

do.

§2. And when I saw that he was blaspheming and speaking much against the Way(the Christian

religion), my mind was disturbed, and I understood that he would not admit the interpretation of the

words that he quoted to me. Then I also questioned him on sayings from the Law and from the Prophets,

and said to him:-Do ye trust that even when ye are dispersed God is with you? And he professed to me,

"God is with us, because that God said unto Israel:-

Even in the lands of their enemies, I yet did

not forsake them, nor did I make void My covenant with them.

In answer I said to him:-"Right good is this that

I have heard from thee, that God is with you. Against thy words will I also speak unto thee. For I

said the Prophet said unto Israel, as from the mouth of God:-

If thou shall pass through the sea, I

will be with thee, and the rivers shall not overflow thee; and if thou shall walk upon fire, thou

shall not be burned, and the flame shall not search thee; because the Lord thy God is with

thee.

Thus there is not one righteous

and good and wise man out of all your people, who could pass through the sea and live and not be

drowned; or(through) the river without its overflowing him; or who could walk over fire and see

whether he would not be scorched and whether the flame would not burn him. And if thou shall bring to

me an explanation, I will not be persuaded by thee, just as thou also dost not accept from me the

interpretation of the words as to which thou hast questioned me."

§3. Furthermore I questioned him about another saying that is written in Ezekiel; namely,

that he said to Jerusalem:-

Sodom

and her daughters shall be built up as of old, and thou

and thy daughters shall became as of old.

So he explained this saying to me, and began to

make a defence, and said to me "As to this that God said to Jerusalem by the Prophet,

Sodom and

her daughters shall be built up as of old, and thou and thy daughters shall become as of old;

this is the force of the passage, that Sodom and her daughters shall be in their place as of old, and

shall be made subject to Israel; and Jerusalem and her daughters shall be in the splendour of royalty

as of old." When I heard this defence from him, it was very contemptible in my eyes, and I said to

him:-"Inasmuch as the words of the Prophet were said in wrath, is the whole passage wrathful, or is

part of it wrathful and part of it gracious?" He answered:-" A wrathful passage is altogether wrath,

and there is no peace in it." And I said to him:-"Since thou hast instructed me that there is no

peace in that wrathful passage, hear without contention and blaspheme not, and I will instruct thee

about this saying. For from the top to the bottom the whole passage is said in wrath. For he said to

Jerusalem:-

As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom and her daughters did not do at all as thou and

they daughters have done.

And he said

to her (Jerusalem):-

Be abashed and accept thy shame, that thou hast overcome thy sisters in thy

sins, and they are justified rattler than thou.

Since he says that Sodom and her daughters were

justified rather than Jerusalem and her daughters, and that Jerusalem overcame Sodom in her sins, it

is right that when Israel shall be gathered together, its seat should be in Sodom and Gomorrha. For

their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the planting of Gomorrha. Their grapes are bitter and

their clusters gall unto them.

And

Isaiah also calls them

rulers of Sodom, and people of Gomorrha.

For if Israel is gathered together, in Sodom and

Gomorrha ought they to dwell with the rulers of Sodom and with the people of Gomorrha; and on the

vine of Sodom and planting of Gomorrha to eat bitter grapes and gather clusters of gall; and to eat

the eggs of the basilisk and to clothe` themselves with spiders' webs,

to be used with

wild grapes of the

vineyard,

and to be turned into

reprobate silver.

And Sodom and her

daughters, who were justified rather than Jerusalem, shall be built up as of old. And Jerusalem, that

surpassed Sodom in her sins, shall continue in her sins,

and shall remain in desolation until the

accomplishment of the things determined for ever.

§4. And Ezekiel said:-

This is the iniquity of Sodom and of her daughters, that they did

not take by the hand the poor and needy; and when I saw these things in them, I overthrew

them.

And consider and see that, from

the time that Sodom was overthrown until Jerusalem was built, there were eight hundred and ninety-six

years. From the time that Abraham was informed by God through the Angel that

at this time next

year I will return to thee, and Sarah thy wife shall have a son,

from that time till Jacob entered Egypt was a

hundred and ninety-one years: and the children of Jacob were in Egypt two hundred and twenty-five

years. So all the years from the time that Isaac was conceived and Sodom overthrown were four hundred

and sixteen years, and from the Exodus of Israel from Egypt till the great edifice of Jerusalem was

built up by Solomon, and the temple was built, there were four hundred and eighty years. Therefore

all the years from the conception of Isaac and the overthrow of Sodom till the great building of

Jerusalem, were eight hundred and ninety-six years. And from the great building of Jerusalem until

the destruction of Jerusalem there were four hundred and twenty-five years. The sum of all the years

from the time of the overthrow of Sodom until Jerusalem was laid waste, was one thousand three

hundred and twenty-one. These are all the years that Sodom and her daughters were laid waste before

Jerusalem. And she that was more just than Jerusalem is not yet inhabited. Therefore the whole sum of

the years from the overthrow of Sodom till the six hundred and fifty-fifth year of the Kingdom of

Alexander, the son of Philip of Macedon,

is two thousand two hundred and seventy-six years. And from the time that Jerusalem was laid waste by

the Babylonians until the present time is nine hundred and fifty-five years. And Jerusalem has been

inhabited, after the Babylonians laid it waste, during those seventy weeks about which Daniel

testified. Then it was laid waste in its last destruction by the Romans, and it shall not be

inhabited again for ever, for

it abideth in desolation until the accomplishment of the things

determined.

So then, all the years of

the former and latter desolation of Jerusalem have been four hundred and sixty-five years, and when

thou dost deduct from them the seventy years of Babylon, they have been three hundred and ninety-five

years.

§5. All this argument have I written to thee, because the Jews pride themselves, (saying),

"It has been covenanted to us, that we shall be gathered." For if Sodom, whose iniquity was not so

great as that of Jerusalem, is not as yet inhabited, and if we say thus, that it will not be restored

for ever, how shall Jerusalem be restored, whose iniquity is greater than that of Sodom and her

daughters? As for Sodom God has not had mercy on her for two thousand two hundred and seventy-six

years; and shall we say that He will have mercy on Jerusalem? For up to the present there are but

three hundred and ninety-five years from the day that she was laid waste, according to the

calculation that has been written above. But as to this that he said,

Sodom and her daughters

shall be possessed as of old,

and with

regard to Jerusalem he said,

Thou and thy daughters shall became as of old

, this is the force

of the passage; that they shall not be inhabited for ever; for the Lord also thus cursed the land

against which He was wroth:-

It shall not be sown, nor shall it produce, nor shall any herb spring

up in it, but it shall be like Sodom and Gomorrha, against which the Lord was wrath and towards which

He was not appeased.

Therefore be

sure, my hearer, that Sodom and her daughters shall not be inhabited for ever; but they shall be as

of old, namely, as in that time when they were not as yet inhabited, and as in the time when the Lord

was wroth with them and was not appeased towards them. And Jerusalem and her daughters shall be as of

old, (that is) as in the former time when the mountain of the Amorites lay in desolation, whereon

Abraham built the altar, when he bound upon it Isaac his son; and as it was desolate when David

bought the threshing-floor from Araunah the Jebusite, and built there the altar. For consider and see

that this mountain whereon Abraham offered his son is the mountain of Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And

this place of the threshing-floor that David bought of Araunah is that whereon the Temple was built.

Thus Jerusalem shall be in desolation as of old. And consider that when Ezekiel prophesied this

passage, Jerusalem still was sitting in her greatness, and those who were in her were rebelling

against the King of Babylon. And that which the Prophet spoke, he said in wrath and reproach against

Jerusalem.

§6. Consider and observe, my hearer, that if God had given a hope to Sodom and to her

fellows, He would not have overthrown them with fire and brimstone, the sign of the last day of the

world, but would have delivered them over to one of the kingdoms to be chastised. As it is written

that when Jeremiah caused the nations and kingdoms to drink the cup of wrath, he said concerning each

one of the cities, that after they shall

drink the cup, I will turn back the

captivity of

Elam, of Tyre, of Zidon, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab

, and

of Edom.

Concerning each one of these kingdoms he

said:-

In the last days I well turn back her captivity.

Now we see that Tyre was inhabited, and

was opulent after she had

wandered seventy years,

and after she had received the reward of her

harlotries and after she had

committed fornication with all kingdoms.

And

she took the

harp, and played it sweetly, and multiplied her music.

And also the region of Elam is inhabited

and opulent. And with regard to Babylon Jeremiah said:-

Babylon shall fall, and shall not

rise.

And lo! unto this day does it

continue in desolation, and will do so for ever. And also about Jerusalem he said:-

The virgin of

Israel shall fall, and shall not rise again. She is forsaken upon the ground and there is none to

raise her up.

For if the prophecy is

true which Jeremiah spoke about Babylon, also that about Jerusalem is true and worthy of faith. And

Isaiah said unto Jerusalem:-

I will not again be wroth with thee, nor will I reprove

thee.

Of a truth He will not again be

wrath with her, nor will He reprove her for ever; for that which is in desolation He will not

reprove, nor will she provoke him to wrath.

7. As to those that reproach us (saying):-"Ye are persecuted and are not delivered," let them be

ashamed themselves, that at every time they have been persecuted, even for many years before they

were delivered. They were made to serve in Egypt two hundred and twenty-five years. And the

Midianites

made Israel serve in the days

of Barak and Deborah.

The Moabites ruled

over them in the days of Ehud;

the

Ammonites in the days of Jephthah;

the

Philistines in the days of Samson,

and

also in the days of Eli and of Samuel the Prophet;

the Edomites in the days of Ahab; the Assyrians

in the days of Hezekiah.

The king of

Babylon uprooted them from their place and dispersed them;

and after he had tried and persecuted them much,

they did not amend, as He said to them:-

In vain have I smitten your sons, for they did not accept

chastisement.

And again He said:-

I

have cut off the Prophets, and slain them by the word of My mouth.

And to Jerusalem He said:-

By afflictions and

scourges be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest thy life depart from thee.

But they forsook Him, and worshipped idols, as

Jeremiah said concerning them:

Go to

the distant isles, and send to Kedar, and consider well and see, whether there has been (anything)

like this, whether the nations change their gods, those that are no gads. But My people has changed

My honour for that which is not profitable. Be astonished, ye heavens, at this; and quake and fear

greatly, saith the Lord; because My people have done two wickednesses; they have abandoned Me, the

fountain of the water of life, and they have gone and dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns

which cannot hold water.

For the broken cisterns are the fear of images and idols. And He calls

the heavens to astonishment, because they worshipped the hosts of the heavens. And the heavens shall

receive as a penalty, that

they shall be rolled up as a scroll, and all the host of them shall

fall down.

§8. All this discourse that I have written unto thee, my beloved, from the beginning, was

because the Jew reproached the children of our people; but now, as far as I can comprehend, I will

instruct thee about the persecuted, that they have received a great reward, while the persecutors

have come to scorn and contempt.

§9. Jacob was persecuted, and Esau was a persecutor. Jacob received the blessings and the

birthright, while Esau was cast out from both. Joseph was persecuted, and his brothers were

persecutors; Joseph was exalted and his persecutors bowed down before him, and so his dreams and his

visions were fulfilled. Joseph who was persecuted was a type of the persecuted Jesus. His father

clothed Joseph in a tunic of divers colours; and His Father clothed Jesus with a body (taken) from

the Virgin. His father loved Joseph more than his brethren, and Jesus is the dear and beloved one of

His Father. Joseph saw visions and dreamed dreams; Jesus fulfilled the visions and the Prophets.

Joseph was a shepherd with his brethren; and Jesus is the Chief of Shepherds. When his father sent

Joseph to visit his brethren, they saw him coming and plotted to kill him; and when His Father sent

Jesus to visit His brethren, they said:-

This is the heir; come, let us kill him.

His brethen cast Joseph lute the pit; and His

brethren brought down Jesus lute the abode of the dead. Joseph ascended from the pit and Jesus arose

from the abode of the dead. Joseph, after he arose from the pit, had authority over his brethen; and

after Jesus arose from the abode of the dead, His Father gave Him a great dud excellent name,

that His brethren should serve Him, and His

enemies be put beneath His feet. After that Joseph was made known to his brethren, they were abashed

and feared and were amazed at his greatness; and when Jesus shall come at the last time, when He

shall be revealed in His Majesty, His brethren will be abashed and fear and be dismayed before Him,

because they crucified Him. Moreover, Joseph, by the counsel of Judah, was sold into Egypt; and

Jesus, by the hands of Judas Iscariot, was delivered over to the Jews. When they sold Joseph, he

answered nothing to his brethren; Jesus also spake not and gave no answer to the judges who judged

Him. His master wrongfully delivered over Joseph to the prison; and His countrymen wrongfully

condemned Jesus. Joseph delivered over his two garments, one into the hand of his brethren, and the

other into the hand of his master's wife; and Jesus delivered over His garments and divided them

between the soldiers. Joseph, when thirty years old, stood before Pharaoh and became lord of Egypt;

and Jesus, when about thirty years old, came to the Jordan to be baptized, and received the spirit,

and went forth to preach. Joseph nourished Egypt with bread; and Jesus nourished the whole world with

the bread of life. Joseph took to wife the daughter of the wicked and unclean priest; and Jesus

espoused to Himself the Church (taken) from the unclean Gentiles. Joseph died and was buried in

Egypt; and Jesus died and was buried in Jerusalem. Joseph's bones his brethren brought up from Egypt;

and Jesus His Father raised from the abode of the dead, and took up His Body with Him to heaven

uncorrupted.

§10. Moses also was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. When Moses was born, they concealed

him that he might not be slain by his persecutors. When Jesus was born they carried Him off in flight

into Egypt that Herod, His persecutor, might not slay Him. In the days when Moses was born, children

used to be drowned in the river; and at the birth of Jesus the children of Bethlehem and in its

borders were slain. To Moses God said:-"

The men are dead who were seeking thy life;

and to Joseph the angel said in Egypt:-

Arise,

take up the child, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead who were seeking the life of the

child to take it away.

Moses brought

out his people from the service of Pharaoh; and Jesus delivered all nations from the service of

Satan. Moses grew up in Pharaoh's house; and Jesus grew up in Egypt when Joseph brought Him there in

flight. Miriam

stood on the edge of the

river when Moses was floating in the water; and Mary bare Jesus, after the Angel Gabriel had made the

annunciation to her. When Moses sacrificed the lamb, the firstborn of Egypt were slain; and when they

crucified Jesus the true Lamb, the people who slew Him perished through His slaying. Moses brought

down manna for his people; and Jesus gave His Body to the nations. Moses sweetened the bitter waters

by the wood; and Jesus sweetened our bitterness by His cross, by the wood of the tree of His

crucifixion. Moses brought down the Law to his people; and Jesus gave His covenants to the nations.

Moses conquered Amalek by the spreading out of his hands; and Jesus conquered Satan by the sign of

His cross. Moses brought out water from the rock for his people; and Jesus sent Simon Cephas (the

rock) to carry His doctrine among the nations. Moses lifted up the veil from his face and spake with

God; and Jesus lifted up the veil from the face of the nations, that they might hear and receive his

doctrine. Moses laid his hand upon his messengers (apostles), and they received priesthood; and Jesus

laid His hand upon His apostles, and they received the Holy Spirit. Moses ascended the mountain and

died there; and Jesus ascended into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of His Father.

§11. Also Joshua the son of Nun was persecuted as Jesus our Redeemer was persecuted. Joshua

the son of Nun was persecuted by the unclean nations; and Jesus our Redeemer was persecuted by the

foolish people. Joshua the son of Nun took away the inheritance from his persecutors and gave it to

his people; and Jesus our Redeemer took away the inheritance from His persecutors and gave it to

strange nations. Joshua the son of Nun caused the sun to stand still in the heavens, and took

vengeance on the nations his persecutors; and Jesus our Redeemer caused the sun to set in the midst

of the day, that the persecuting people which crucified Him might be ashamed. Joshua the son of Nun

divided the inheritance unto his people; and Jesus our Redeemer has promised to give to the nations

the land of life. Joshua the son of Nun caused Rahab the harlot to live; and Jesus our Redeemer

gathered together and gave life to the Church, though polluted by the harlotry (of idolatry). Joshua

the son of Nun on the seventh day overthrew and cast down the walls of Jericho; and Jesus our

Redeemer, on His seventh day, on the Sabbath of the rest of God, this world shall be dissolved and

fall. Joshua the son of Nun stoned Achor, because he stole of the accursed thing; and Jesus our

Redeemer separated Judas from the disciples, His friends, because he stole of the money of the poor.

Joshua the son of Nun, when he was dying, laid down a testimony among his people; and Jesus our

Redeemer, when He was taken up, laid down a testimony among His apostles.

§12. Also Jephthah was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. Jephthah, his brethren drove out

from the house of his father; and Jesus, His brethren drove out and lifted up and crucified. Jephthah

though persecuted arose as leader to his people; Jesus though persecuted arose and became King of the

Nations. Jephthah vowed a vow and offered up his firstborn daughter as a sacrifice; and Jesus was

lifted up as a sacrifice to his Father for all the Gentiles.

§13. Also David was persecuted, as Jesus was persecuted. David was anointed by Samuel to be

king instead of Saul who had sinned; and Jesus was anointed by John to be High Priest instead of the

priests, the ministers of the Law. David was persecuted after his anointing; and Jesus was persecuted

after His anointing. David reigned first over one tribe only, and afterwards over all Israel; and

Jesus reigned from the beginning over the few who believed on Him, and in the end He will reign over

all the world. Samuel anointed David when he was thirty years old; and Jesus when about thirty years

old received the imposition of the hand from John. David wedded two daughters of the king; and Jesus

wedded two daughters of kings, the congregation of the People and the congregation of the Gentiles.

David repaid good to Saul his enemy; and Jesus taught,

Pray for your enemies.

David was the heart of God;

and Jesus was the Son of God. David received the

kingdom of Saul his persecutor; and Jesus received the kingdom of Israel His persecutor. David wept

with dirges over Saul his enemy when he died; and Jesus wept over Jerusalem, His persecutor, which

was to be laid waste. David handed over the kingdom to Solomon, and was gathered to his people; and

Jesus handed over the keys to Simon, and ascended and returned to Him who sent Him. For David's sake,

sins were forgiven to his posterity; and for Jesus' sake sins are forgiven to the nations.

§14. Elijah also was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Jezebel the murderess persecuted

Elijah; and the persecuting and murderous congregation persecuted Jesus. Elijah restrained the

heavens from rain because of the sins of Israel; and Jesus by His coming restrained the Spirit from

the prophets, because of the sins of the people. Elijah destroyed the servants of Baal; and Jesus

trampled upon Satan and his hosts. Elijah raised to life the son of the widow; and Jesus raised to

life the son of the widow, as well as Lazarus and the daughter of the ruler of the Synagogue. Elijah

sustained the widow with a little bread; and Jesus satisfied thousands with a little bread. Elijah

was taken up in a chariot to heaven; and our Redeemer ascended and took His seat on the right hand of

His Father. Elisha received the spirit of Elijah; and Jesus breathed upon the faces of His

Apostles.

§15. Also Elisha was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Elisha was persecuted by the son of

Ahab, the son of the murderer; and Jesus was persecuted by the murderous people. Elisha prophesied,

and there came about abundance in Samaria; and Jesus said:-

Whosoever eateth of My body and

drinketh of My blood shall live for ever.

Elisha satisfied a hundred men with a little bread; and

Jesus satisfied four thousand men, besides women and children, with five loaves. Elisha made oil out

of water; and Jesus made wine out of water. Elisha delivered the widow from her creditor; and Jesus

delivered the indebted nations. Elisha made the iron to swim and the wood to sink; and Jesus raised

up that which was sunk in us, and sank that which was light. A dead man (laid) upon the bones of

Elisha recovered life; and all the nations, who were dead in their sins, were cast upon the bones of

Jesus and recovered life.

§16. Hezekiah also was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Hezekiah was persecuted, and was

reproached by Sennacherib his enemy; Jesus also was reproached by the foolish people. Hezekiah prayed

and overcame his adversary; and by the crucifixion of Jesus was our Adversary overcome. Hezekiah was

king of all Israel; and Jesus is King of all the nations. Because Hezekiah was sick, the sun turned

backwards; and because Jesus suffered, the sun was darkened from its light. The enemies of Hezekiah

became dead corpses; and Jesus, His enemies shall be cast down beneath His feet. Hezekiah was of the

family of the house of David; and Jesus was, in the flesh, the son of David. Hezekiah said:-

Peace

and truth shall be in my days;

and

Jesus said to His disciples:-

My peace I leave with you.

Hezekiah prayed, and was healed of his sickness;

Jesus prayed, and arose from the abode of the dead. Hezekiah after he arose from his sickness added

to his years; and Jesus after His Resurrection received great glory. Hezekiah, after the prolongation

of his life, death was given dominion over him; but Jesus, after that He rose, death shall not again

have dominion over Him for ever.

§17. Josiah also was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Josiah was persecuted, and Pharaoh

the Lame

slew Him;

and Jesus was persecuted, and the people that

were made lame by their sins slew Him. Josiah cleansed the land of Israel from uncleanness; and Jesus

cleansed and caused to pass away uncleanness from all the earth. Josiah hallowed and glorified the

name of his God; and Jesus said:-

I have glorified and will glorify (His Name).

Josiah because of the iniquity of Israel

rent

his clothes;

and Jesus because of the

iniquity of the people

rent the vail of the Holy Temple.

Josiah said:-

Great is the wrath that shall

come upon this people;

and Jesus said:-

There shall come wrath upon this people, and they shall

fall by the edge of the sword.

Josiah

cast out uncleanness from the Holy Temple; and Jesus cast out the unclean traders from His Father's

house. For Josiah the daughters of Israel mourned and wailed, as Jeremiah said:-

O daughters of

Israel, weep for Josiah;

and over

Jesus did the daughters of Israel weep and mourn, as Zechariah said:-

The land shall mourn,

families over families.

§18. Daniel also was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Daniel was persecuted by the

Chaldeans, the congregation of heathen men; Jesus also the Jews, the congregain of wicked men,

persecuted. Daniel the Chaldeans accused; and Jesus the Jews accused before the governor. Daniel they

cast into the pit of lions, and he was delivered and came up out of its midst uninjured; and Jesus

they sent down into the pit of the abode of the dead, and He ascended, and death had not dominion

over him. Concerning Daniel they expected that when he had fallen into the pit he would not come up

again; and concerning Jesus they said,

Since He has fallen, He shall not rise again

From (harming) Daniel the mouth of the ravenous

and destructive lions was closed; and from (harming) Jesus was closed the mouth of death, (though)

ravenous and destructive of (living) forms. They sealed the pit of Daniel, and guarded it with

diligence; and the grave of Jesus did they guard with diligence, as they said,

Set guards to watch

al the tomb.

When Daniel came up, his

accusers were ashamed; and when Jesus rose, all they who had crucified Him were ashamed. The King who

judged Daniel was greatly grieved

at the

wickedness of his accusers the Chaldeans; and Pilate who judged Jesus was greatly grieved because he

knew that

for malice the Jews were accusing Him.

At the prayer of Daniel, the captivity of his

people went up from Babylon; and Jesus by His prayer turned back the captivity of all the nations,

Daniel interpreted the visions and dreams of Nebuchadnezzar; and Jesus explained and interpreted the

visions of the Law and the Prophets. When Daniel explained the vision of Belteshazzar, he received

authority over the third part of the kingdom; and when Jesus fulfilled the visions and the Prophets,

His Father delivered unto Him all authority in heaven and in earth. Daniel saw wonders and uttered

secrets; and Jesus revealed secrets and fulfilled what is written. Daniel was led away among the

hostages in behalf of his people; and the body of Jesus was a hostage in behalf of all nations. For

Daniel's sake the wrath of the King was appeased from the Chaldeans, so that they were not slain; and

for Jesus' sake the wrath of His Father was appeased from all nations, so that they were not slain

and died not because of their sins. Daniel

besought of the king, and he gave his brethren

authority over the affairs of the province of Babylon;

and Jesus besought of God, and He gave His

brethren, His disciples, authority over Satan and his host.

Daniel said concerning Jerusalem, that until the

things determined, she should remain in desolation; and Jesus said concerning Jerusalem,

There

shall not be left in her stone upon stone, because she knew not the day of her greatness.

Daniel foresaw the weeks that should remain over

for his people; and Jesus came and fulfilled them.

§19. Hananiah also and his brethren were persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Hananiah and his

brethren were persecuted by Nebuchadnezzar; and Jesus, the people of the Jews persecuted. Hananiah

and his brethren were cast lute the furnace of fire, and it was cold as dew upon the righteous. Jesus

also descended to the place of darkness, and burst its gates and brought forth its prisoners.

Hananiah and his brethren came up from the furnace of fire, and the flame burned their accusers; and

Jesus revived and came up from the midst of darkness, and His accusers and they that crucified Him

shall be burned in flames at the end. When Hananiah and his brethren came up from the furnace,

Nebuchadnezzar the King trembled and was amazed; and when Jesus arose from the abode of the dead, the

people that crucified Him were terrified and trembled. Hananiah and his brethren worshipped not the

image of the King of Babylon; and Jesus restrained the nations from the worship of dead images.

Because of Hananiah and his brethren, the

nations and languages glorified God Who had delivered

them from the fire:

and because of

Jesus, the nations and oil languages shall glorify (God) Who delivered His Son, so that He saw no

corruption. On the garments of Hananiah and his brethren the fire had no power; and on the bodies of

the righteous, who have believed in Jesus, the fire shall have no power at the end.

§20. Mordecai also was persecuted as Jesus was persecuted. Mordecai was persecuted by the

wicked Haman; and Jesus was persecuted by the rebellious People. Mordecai by his prayer delivered his

people from the hands of Haman; and Jesus by His prayer delivered His people from the hands of Satan.

Mordecai was delivered from the hands of his persecutor; and Jesus was rescued from the hands of His

persecutors. Because Mordecai sat and clothed himself with sackcloth, he saved Esther and his people

from the sword; and because Jesus clothed Himself with a body and was illuminated, He saved the

Church and her children from death. Because of Mordecai, Esther was well pleasing to the king, and

went in and sat instead of Vashti, who did not do his will; and because of Jesus, the Church is well

pleasing to God, and has gone in to the king, instead of the congregation which did not His Will.

Mordecai admonished Esther that she should fast with her maidens, that she and her people might be

delivered from the hands of Haman; and Jesus admonished the Church and her children (to fast), that

she and her children might be delivered from the wrath. Mordecai received the honour of Haman, his

persecutor; and Jesus received great glory from His Father, instead of His persecutors who were of

the foolish People. Mordecai trod upon the neck of Haman, his persecutor; and as for Jesus, His

enemies shall be put under His feet. Before Mordecai, Haman proclaimed,

Thus shall it be done to

the man, in honouring whom the king is pleased;

and as for Jesus, His preachers came out of the

People that persecuted Him, and they said:-

This is Jesus the San of God.

The blood of Mordecai was required at the hand of

Haman and his sons;

and

the blood of

Jesus

, His persecutors took

upon themselves and upon their children.

§21. These memorials that I have written unto thee, my beloved, concerning Jesus Who was

persecuted, and the righteous who were persecuted, are in order that those who to-day are persecuted

for the sake of the persecuted Jesus, may be comforted, for He wrote for us and comforted us Himself;

for H e said:-

If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. And because of this they

will persecute you, that ye are not of the world, even as I was not of it.

For He wrote before for us:-

Your fathers and

your brothers and your family will deliver you up, and all men shall hate you for My name's

sake.

And again He taught us:-

When

they shall bring you before rulers and before magistrates, and before

kings that hold the

world, meditate not before the time what ye shall say, and how ye shall make defence; and I will give

you a mouth and wisdom, that your enemies may not be able to overcome you, because it is not ye that

speak, but the Holy Spirit of your Father; He shall speak in you.

This is the spirit which spoke by the mouth of

Jacob to Esau, his persecutor; and the spirit of wisdom which spoke before Pharaoh by the mouth of

the persecuted Joseph; and the spirit which spoke by the mouth of Moses in all the prodigies which he

did in the land of Egypt, and the spirit of knowledge which was given to Joshua, the son of Nun, when

Moses laid his hand upon him, so that the nations which persecuted him came to a complete end before

him; and the spirit that uttered psalms by the mouth of the persecuted David, by which he used to

sing psalms and soothe Saul his persecutor from the evil spirit; and the spirit which clothed Elijah,

and through him reproved Jezebel and Ahab his persecutor; and the spirit which spoke in Elisha, and

prophesied and made known to the king his persecutor about all that was to happen thereafter; and the

spirit which was fervent in the mouth of Micaiah when he reproved Ahab his persecutor saying:-

thou shalt at all return back, the Lord hath not spoken by me;

and the spirit which strengthened Jeremiah, so

that he stood boldly, and by it reproved Zedekiah; and the spirit that preserved Daniel and his

brethren in the land of Babylon; and the spirit that delivered Mordecai and Esther in the place of

their captivity.

§22. Hear, my beloved, these names of martyrs, of confessors, and of the persecuted. Abel was

murdered, and his blood cried out from the earth. Jacob was persecuted, and fled and became an exile.

Joseph was persecuted, and sold and cast into the pit. Moses was persecuted, and fled to Midian.

Joshua the son of Nun was persecuted, and made war. Jephthah and Samson and Gideon and Barak, these

also were persecuted. These are they of whom the blessed Apostle said:-

Time fails me to narrate

their victories.

David also was

persecuted at the hands of Saul, and he walked

in the mountains and in dens, and in

caves.

Samuel also was persecuted, and

mourned over Saul. Furthermore Hezekiah was persecuted, and bound up in affliction. Elijah was

persecuted, and walked in the desert. Elisha was persecuted and became an exile; and Micaiah was

persecuted, and cast into prison. Jeremiah was persecuted, and they cast him into the pit of mire.

Daniel was persecuted, and cast into the pit of lions. Hananiah also and his brethren were

persecuted, and cast into the furnace of fire. Mordecai and Esther and the children of their people

were persecuted, at the hands of Haman. Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren were persecuted, and they

also endured reproach. The seven brethren, sons of the blessed woman, endured torments by bitter

scourgings,

and were confessors and true

martyrs, and Eleazar, aged and advanced in years as he was, proved a noble example and made (his)

confession and became a true martyr.

§23. Great and excellent is the martyrdom of Jesus. He surpassed in affliction and in

confession all who were before or after. And after Him was the faithful martyr Stephen whom the Jews

stoned. Simon (Peter) also and Paul were perfect martyrs. And James and John walked in the footsteps

of their Master Christ. Also (others) of the apostles thereafter in divers places confessed and

proved true martyrs. And also concerning our brethren who are in the West, in the days of Diocletian

there came great affliction and persecution to the whole Church of God, which was in all their

region. The Churches were overthrown and uprooted, and many confessors and martyrs made confession.

And (the Lord) turned in mercy to them after they were persecuted. And also in our days these things

happened to us also on account of our sins; but also that what is written might be fulfilled, even as

our Redeemer said:-

These things are to be.

The Apostle also said:-

Also over us is set

this cloud of confession

;

which (is)

our honour, wherein many confess and are slain.

Demonstration XXII.

-Of Death and theLAtter Times.

§1. The upright and righteous and good and wise fear not nor tremble at death, because of the

great hope that is before them. And they at every time are mindful of death, their exodus, and of the

last day in which the children of Adam shall be judged. They know that by the sentence of judgment

death has held sway, because Adam transgressed the commandment; as the Apostle said:-

Death ruled

from Adam unto Moses even over those who sinned not, so that also upon all the children of Adam it

passed,

even as it passed upon Adam.

And how did death rule from Adam unto Moses? Clearly, when God laid down the commandment for Adam, He

warned him, and said:-

On the day that thou shalt eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and

evil, thou shalt die the death.

So when

he transgressed the commandment and ate of the tree, death ruled over him and over all his progeny.

Even over those who had not sinned, even over them did death rule through Adam's transgression of the

commandment.

§2. And why did he say:-

From Adam unto Moses did Death rule?

And who is so

ill-furnished with knowledge as to imagine that only from Adam to Moses has death had dominion? Yet

let him understand from this that he said:-

Upon all men it passed.

Thus, upon all men it

passed from Moses until the world shall end. Yet Moses preached that its kingdom is made void. For

when Adam transgressed the commandment whereby the sentence of death was passed upon his progeny,

Death hoped that he would bind fast all the sons of man and would be king over them for ever. But

when Moses came, he proclaimed the resurrection, and Death knew that his kingdom is to be made void.

For Moses said:-

Reuben shall live and not die, and shall be in number.

And when the Holy One called Moses from the bush

he said thus to him:-

I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob

When Death heard this utterance, he trembled and

feared and was terrified and was perturbed, and knew that he had not become king for ever over the

children of Adam. From the hour that he heard God saying to Moses:-

I am the God of Abraham, of

Isaac, and of Jacob

, Death smote his hands together, for he learned that God is King of the dead

and of the living, and that it is appointed to the children of Adam to come forth from his darkness,

and arise with their bodies. And observe that our Redeemer Jesus also, when He repeated this

utterance to the Sadducees, when they were disputing with Him about the Resurrection of the dead,

thus said:-

God is not(God) of the dead, for all are alive unto Him.

§3. And that God might make known to Death that his authority is not for ever over all the

progeny of the world, He translated Enoch to Himself, because he was well-pleasing, and made him

deathless. And again He took up Elijah to heaven, and Death had no dominion over him. And Hannah

said:-

The Lord maketh to die and causeth to live; He bringeth down to Sheol and raiseth

up.

Furthermore Moses said as from the

mouth of God:-

I make to die and I cause to live

Again the Prophet Isaiah also said:-

Thy dead

shall live, and their dead bodies shall rise again; and the sleepers of the dust shall be awakened,

and shall glorify Thee

When Death

heard all these things, amazement seized him, and he sat him down in mourning.

§4. And when Jesus, the slayer of Death, came, and clothed Himself in a Body from the seed of

Adam, and was crucified in His Body, and tasted death; and when (Death) perceived thereby that He had

come down unto him, he was shaken from his place and was agitated when he saw Jesus; and he closed

his gates and was not willing to receive Him. Then He burst his gates, and entered into him, and

began to despoil all his possessions. But when the dead saw light in the darkness, they lifted up

their heads from the bondage of death, and looked forth, and saw the splendour of the King Messiah.

Then the powers of the darkness of Death sat in mourning, for he was degraded from his authority.

Death tasted the medicine that was deadly to him, and his hands dropped down, and he learned that the

dead shall live and escape from his sway. And when He had afflicted Death by the despoiling of his

possessions, he wailed and cried aloud in bitterness and said, "Go forth from my realm and enter it

not. Who then is this that comes in alive into my realm?" And while Death was crying out in terror

(for he saw that his darkness was beginning to be done away, and some of the righteous who were

sleeping arose to ascend with Him), then He made known to him that when He shall come in the fulness

of time, He will bring forth all the prisoners from his power, and they shall go forth to see the

light. Then when Jesus had fulfilled His ministry amongst the dead, Death sent Him forth from his

realm, and suffered Him not to remain there. And to devour Him like all the dead, he counted it not

pleasure. He had no power over the Holy One, nor was He given over to corruption.

§5. And when he had eagerly sent Him forth and He had come forth from his realm, He left with

him, as a poison, the promise of life; that by little and little his power should be done away. Even

as when a man has taken a poison in the food which is given for (the support of) life, when he

perceives in himself that he has received poison in the food, then he casts up again from his belly

the food in which poison was mingled; but the drug leaves its power in his limbs, so that by little

and little the structure of his body is dissolved and corrupted. So Jesus dead was the bringer to

nought of Death; for through Him life is made to reign, and through Him Death is abolished, to whom

it is said:-

O Death, where is thy victory?

§6. Therefore, ye children of Adam, all ye over whom Death has ruled, be mindful of Death and

remember life; and transgress not the commandment as your first father did. O Kings, crowned with the

diadem, remember Death, which will take away the diadems that are set upon your heads, and he shall

be king over you till the time, when ye shall rise again for the judgment. O ye haughty and uplifted

and proud, remember Death, which shall destroy your haughtiness, and dissolve the limbs, and separate

the joints, and the body and its forms shall be given over to corruption. The lofty ones shall be

brought low by Death, and the fierce and stern ones shall be buried away in his darkness. He shall

take away all the pride, and they shall corrupt away and become dust, until the judgment. O ye rich,

remember Death; for when the time shall come and ye shall draw nigh to him there, ye shall not use

your wealth and possessions. He will not place dainty viands before you, nor will he prepare for you

a rich banquet. There the body of the gluttons who used to live delicately shall be corrupted. They

shall cease from their luxury and shall not remember it. There the worm shall consume their bodies,

and they shall clothe themselves in darkness over their fair apparel. They remember not the ending of

this world, that Death shall confound them when they descend to him. So they shall sit in oppression

and in the shadow of death, and shall not remember this world, until the end shall be and they shall

rise again for the judgment. O ye rapacious and extortioners and plunderers of your fellows, remember

Death, and multiply not your sins; for in that place sinners repent not; and he who has plundered his

fellows' goods shall not possess his own, but shall go to the place where man shall make no use of

wealth. And he shall come to nought and pass away from his honour, but his sins shall be laid up

against the day of judgment.

§7. O ye that trust in this world, let this world be despised in your eyes; for ye are

sojourners and aliens in the midst of it, and ye know not the day that ye shall be taken out of it.

For suddenly shall Death come, and separate and lead away the loved children from their parents, and

the parents from their darling children. He leads away for himself the precious only-begotten

children, and their parents shall be deprived of them and shall come into contempt. He separates

precious friends unto himself, and their beloved weep for them lamentably. He leads away and takes

prisoners unto himself them that are desired for their beauty, that he may put to shame their forms

and corrupt them. And those that are glorious in aspect he leads away to himself, and they become

dust until the judgment. He leads away betrothed maidens from their spouses, and binds them captive

in his bridal-chamber, in his place of gloom. He leads away and separates betrothed husbands from the

virgins who were designed for them and betrothed in their name; and these shall sit in bitter

mourning over them. He leads away and separates unto himself all the beautiful youths who supposed

that even unto old age they would not see death. He leads away and gathers unto himself the loved

infants of days, with whom their parents were not satiated. He leads away to himself the wealthy, the

sons of luxury; And

they leave their possessions as the waves of the sea

He leads away to himself the skilful artificers,

who were raising up the world by their wonderful works. He leads away to himself the subtle and the

wise, and they become simple, not distinguishing good from evil. He leads away to himself the richly

endowed of this world, and their endowments are destroyed and shall not be established for ever. He

leads away to himself the mighty and the great ones, and their might is brought low and weakened, and

comes to an end, Them that were confident that their might would not be brought lower, in the day of

death, men that are of lower degree than theirs gather together their bodies. They that trust that in

their death they shall be buried with honour, it befalls them that the dogs devour them. And they

that trust that they shall be buried in the place wherein they were born, know not but that in the

land of their captivity they shall even be gathered (to the grave) with insult. They that trusted in

their possessions, that they should give them in inheritance to their children, from them it is

hidden that they shall be plundered by their enemies. Death leads away to himself the brave and the

warriors. who thought to lay waste the great world. Death leads away them that adorn themselves with

all pleasant things, and the burial of an ass befalls them when they are buried. Death rules over the

unborn, and takes them captive to himself before they are born. Death leads away to himself them that

are honoured with pomps, and they come into contempt when they descend to him, to the realm of

darkness, where there is no light. He is not ashamed before Kings (that are) crowned with the diadem.

He is not abashed before the lofty and the fierce ones who lay waste the lands. Death respects not

the persons of the honourable, nor does he receive a bribe from the rich. Death despises not the

poor, nor does his soul scorn him that has nothing. Death honours not hem that live in magnificence,

nor with him are the good distinguished from the bad. He takes no account of the aged, rather than of

children in respect of honour. The lords of prudence he makes without understanding, and them that

used to make haste and vex themselves, in acquiring possessions there with him, these are stripped of

their gains. He leads away to himself slaves and their masters; and there the masters are not

honoured more than their servants.

Small and great are there, and they hear not the voice of the

oppressor. The slave who is freed from his master

there pays no regard to him who used to oppress

him. Death binds and makes captive to himself the keepers of prisoners, and the prisoners who were

shut up. By means of Death the prisoners are released, and fear not again because of their

oppressors.

§8. They that live daintily fear death; but the afflicted look forward with hope that they

shall be speedily taken away. All the rich tremble because of death; but the poor desire it, that

they may rest from their labour. Death terrifies the mighty when they remember him; but the sick look

forward with hope to him that through him they may forget their pains. Again the young children are

afraid of death, for when it comes upon them they shall leave their pleasures; but the old men

advanced in years pray for it, they that are in need of daily bread.

§9. The sons of peace remember death; and they forsake and remove from them wrath and enmity.

As sojourners they dwell in this world, and prepare for themselves a provision for the journey before

them. On that which is above they set their thoughts, on that which is above they meditate; and those

things which are beneath their eyes they despise. They send away their treasures to the place where

there is no peril, the place where there is no moth, nor are there thieves. They abide in the world

as aliens, sons of a far laud; and look forward to be sent out of this world and to come to the city,

the place of the righteous. They afflict themselves in the place of their sojourning; and they are

not entangled or occupied in the house of their exile. Ever day by day their faces are set upwards,

to go to the repose of their fathers. As prisoners are they in this world, and as hostages of the

King are they kept. To the end they have no rest in this world, nor is (their) hope in it, that it

will continue for ever. They that acquire possessions, rejoice not in them, and they that beget

children, death fills them with sorrow. They that build cities, shall not be left in them; and those

that hasten and toil for anything, are in no wise to be distinguished from fools. O man without

sense, whosoever he be whose trust is in this world!

§10. Remember, my beloved, and compare and consider in thy mind, who is there of former

generations who has been left in this world so as to continue for ever? Death has led away the former

generations, the great ones and the mighty and the subtle. Who is there that acquired great

possessions, and at the time when he departed took them with him? That which was gathered together

from the earth returns back into its bosom; and naked does a man depart from his possessions. The

wise, when they acquire goods, send some of them before them, as Job said:-

My witnesses are

heaven;

and again:-

My brethren and my lovers are with God.

And our Lord commanded them that acquire

possessions to

make for themselves friends

in heaven, and also to

lay up treasures

there.

§11. Do thou also remember death, O wise scribe, that thy heart be not lifted up, so that

thou shouldest forget the sentence of judgment. Death leaves not aside the wise, nor respects the

persons of the subtle. Death leads away to himself the wise scribes, so that they forget that which

they have learned, until the time comes in which all the righteous shall rise again.

§12. In that place they shall forget this world. There they have no want; and they shall love

one another with an abundant love. In their bodies there shall be no heaviness, and lightly shall

they fly

doves to their windows.

In their thoughts they shall not there remember

wickedness at all, nor shall anything of uncleanness arise in their heart. In that place there shall

be no natural desire, for there they shall be weaned from all appetites. There shall not arise in

their heart anger or lasciviousness; also they shall remove from them all things that gender sins.

Fervent in their heart will be the love of each other; and hatred will not be fixed within them at

all. They shall have no need there to build houses, for they shall abide in light, in the mansions of

the saints. They shall have no need of woven raiment, for they shall be clothed in eternal light.

They shall have no need of food, for they shall recline at His table and be nurtured for ever. The

air of that region is pleasant and glorious, and its light shines out, and is goodly and gladsome.

Planted there are beautiful trees, whose fruits fail not, and whose leaves fall not. Their boughs are

glorious, their perfume delightful, and of their taste no soul shall grow weary for ever. Spacious is

the region, nor is it limited; yet its inhabitants shall see its distance even as that which is near.

There the inheritance shall not be divided, and no man shall say to his fellow:-"This is mine and

that is thine." They shall not be bound there in the desire of covetousness, nor shall they go astray

there concerning remembrance. There a man shall not love his neighbour with especial reverence, but

abundantly shall they all love one another after one fashion. They shall not marry wives there, nor

shall they beget children; nor shall there the male be distinguished from the female; but all shall

be sons of their Father Who is in heaven; as the Prophet said:-

Is there not one Father of us all;

is there not one God Who created us?

§13. And as regards that which I said; that there they shall not take wives, nor is male

distinguished from female, our Lord and His Apostles have taught us. For our Lord said:-

They that

are worthy of that world, and of that resurrection from the abode of the dead, shall not take wives,

nor shall (women) become wives to men; for they cannot die; but they are as the angels in heaven, and

are the children of God.

And the

apostle said:-

There is neither male nor female, neither band nor free; but ye are all one in Jesus

Christ.

For, as for Eve, to spread

abroad generation, God took her out from Adam, that she might become the mother of all living; but

yet in that world there is no female; even as in heaven also there is no female, nor generation, nor

use of concupiscence. In that place there is no deficiency, but fulness and perfection. The aged

shall not die and the young shall not grow old. And it is in expectation of growing old and dying

that young men take wives and beget children, that when the fathers shall have died the children may

rise up in their stead. Now all these things have their use only in this world, for in that place

there is no want, nor any deficiency, nor concupiscence, nor generation, nor ending, nor failure, nor

death, nor termination, nor old age. There is neither hatred, nor wrath, nor envy, nor weariness, nor

toil, nor darkness, nor night, nor falsehood. There is not in that place any want at all; but it is

full of light, and life, and grace, and fulness, and satisfaction and renewal, and love, and all the

good promises that are written but not yet

sealed

. For there is there that

which eye hath

not seen and ear hath not heard, and which hath not come up into the heart of man,

that which is unspeakable and which a man cannot

utter. And the Apostle said:-

That which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

Though men shall say much, they shall not be able

to express it. That which eye hath not seen, they are unable to relate; and that which ear hath not

heard, it is not right to speak of in such wise as to compare it with anything that the ear has heard

and the eye has seen. And that which has not come up unto the heart, who is there dares to speak of

it, as though it was like anything that has come up into the heart? But this is right for a speaker,

to liken and call that place the abode of God, and the place of life, the perfect place, the place of

light, the place of glory, the Sabbath of God, the day of rest, the repose of the righteous, the joy

of the just, the abode and dwelling-place of the righteous and the holy, the place of our hope, the

sure abode of our trust, the place of our treasure, the place that shall assuage our weariness and

remove our afflictions, and soothe our sighs. To these things it is right for us to liken, and thus

to call, that place.

§14. Again, Death leads away to himself kings, the founders of cities, who strengthen

themselves in splendour. And he does not leave aside the Lords of the countries. Death leads away and

takes captive to himself the avaricious who are not satisfied nor say "Enough"; and he is greedy for

them with a greater greed than theirs. Death leads away to himself the despoilers who were not by

their grace restrained from despoiling their fellows. Death leads away to himself the oppressors, and

through death are they restrained from iniquity. Death leads away to himself the persecutors, and the

persecuted have rest till they go to him. Death leads away to himself them that swallow up their

fellows, and the down-trodden and oppressed have rest for a little until they themselves also are led

away and go thither. Death leads away them that abound in meditations, and all they have thought upon

is dissolved and brought to nought. Men meditate upon many matters, and death comes upon them

suddenly, and they are led away; and thereafter they remember nothing that they have thought upon.

There is one that makes plans for many years, and (the knowledge) is withheld from him that he shall

not survive to-morrow. Some son of Adam is uplifted and vaunts himself over his fellow; and death

comes upon him and brings to nought his vaunting. The rich man plans to add to his possessions, and

he knows not that he shall not continue to possess even that which he has acquired. Death leads away

to himself all the children of men, and binds them fast in his abode until the judgment. Also over

those that have not sinned is he king, because of the sentence of judgment that Adam received for his

sins.

§15. And the Life-giver shall come, the Destroyer of Death, and shall bring to nought his

power, from over the just and from over the wicked. And the dead shall arise with a mighty shout, and

Death shall be emptied and stripped of all the captivity. And for judgment shall all the children of

Adam be gathered together, and each shall go to the place prepared for him. The risen of the

righteous shall go unto life, and the risen of the sinners shall be delivered unto death. The

righteous who kept the commandment shall go, and shall not come nigh unto judgment in the day that

they shall rise; as David asked,

And bring not thy servant into judgment;

nor will their Lord terrify them in that day.

§16. Remember that the Apostle also said,

We shall judge angels.

And our Lord said to His disciples,

Ye shall

sit on twelve thrones, and judge twelve tribes of the house of Israel.

And Ezekiel said concerning righteous men,

that they shall judge Ahola and Aholibah. Since,

then, the righteous are to judge the wicked, He has made clear concerning them that they shall not

come into judgment. And as to what the apostles say, that

We shall judge angels,

hear, and I

will instruct thee. The angels who shall be judged by the apostles are the priests who have violated

the law; as the Prophet said,

The lips of the priest shall guard knowledge, and the law shall they

inquire of his mouth; because he is the angel of the Lord, the most mighty.

The angels

who are

the priests, of

whose mouth the law is inquired,

when they transgress the law, shall be judged at the last by the

apostles, and the priests who observe the law.

§17.

And the wicked shall not arise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of

the righteous.

And even as the

righteous who are perfected in good works shall not come into the judgment to be judged, so of the

wicked also whose sins are many, and the measure of whose offences is overflowing, it shall not be

required that they should draw nigh unto the judgment, but when they have risen again they shall turn

back to Sheol, as David said,

The wicked shall turn back to Sheol, and all the nations that forget

God.

And Isaiah said,

All the

nations are as a drop from the bucket, and as the turning of the balance. And the isles as a grain of

sand shall be cast away, and all the nations are esteemed as nothingness by Him. For destruction and

the sword are they esteemed by Him.

Therefore learn and be persuaded, that all the nations that know not God their Maker, are esteemed by

God as nothingness, and shall not come nigh to judgment, but as soon as they have risen shall turn

back to Sheol.

§18. But all the rest of the world who are called sinners shall stand in the judgment and be

rebuked. Those in whom there is a little shortcoming will the judge rebuke, and make known to them

that they have offended. And He will give them the inheritance of life after the judgment. And

understand that our Lord has made known to us in His Gospel, that every man according to his work

shall receive his reward. He that received money, showed the increase on it. He whose pound or talent

produced tenfold, received life, perfect, in nothing lacking. He whose pound or talent produced

fivefold, received the half of ten. One was given a tenfold authority and one a fivefold. Now

consider and see, that the increase of five is less than that of ten; and the labourers who demand

the reward excel them that received it in silence. They who toiled all the day, with bold face

receive the reward and demand it, in confidence that He will add more to them. While they who worked

one hour receive it in silence, and know that through grace they receive mercy and life. The sinners

whose sins are many shall be condemned by the place of judgment, and shall go into torments. And from

that time and onwards, judgment shall rule over them.

§19. Furthermore, hearken unto the Apostle who said,

Every man according his work shall

receive his reward.

He that toiled

little, shall receive according to his remissness; and he that made much speed, shall be rewarded

according to his speed. And Job also said,

Far be it from God to do iniquity; and far be it from

Him to do sin. For according to a man's works will He reward him, and a man shall receive according

his ways.

And also the Apostle said,

Star excels star in brightness. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

Therefore know that, even when men shall enter

into life, yet reward shall excel reward, and glory shall excel glory, and recompense shall excel

recompense. Degree is higher than degree; and light is more goodly than light in aspect. The sun

excels the moon, and the moon is greater than the stars that are with her. And observe that the moon

and the stars are also under the power of the sun, and their light is swallowed up in the splendour

of the sun. And the sun has power along with the moon and the stars, that he may not abolish the

night which has been separated from the day. And when the sun was created, he was called a luminary.

And observe that the sun and the moon and the stars are all called luminaries; but luminary excels

luminary. The sun obscures the light of the moon, and the moon likewise darkens the light of the

stars; and star excels star in its light.

§20. And understand (this) also, from that which is of this world, those who labour with

toil, and from the hired men who work with their fellows. There are some who hire their fellow-men by

day-wages, and (these) receive the wage of their toil; and there are some who are hired for the

month, and compute and receive the wage for the time, at the time agreed. And the day-wage is

distinguished from the monthly wage; and yearly exceeds monthly wage.

§21. And also again, understand it from the authority that is in this world. There are some

who please the king by their activity, and receive honour from those in authority. One receives a

crown from the king, to become governor in one of the countries. And under the authority of another,

the king places towns; and also he excels his inferiors in his attire. Some receive presents and

gifts, and one honour is distinguished from another. There is one to whom the king gives the honour

of being steward over all the treasury. Another, according to his lower condition, serves the king,

and his authority is only to provide the daily food.

§22. Also in respect of penalty, I say that all men are not equal. He that has done great

wickedness is greatly tormented. And he that has offended not so much is less tormented. Some

shall go into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Others shall be cast into the fire, according as

they deserve; for it is not written that they shall gnash their teeth, nor that there is darkness

there. Some shall be cast into another place, a place where

their worm shall not die, and their

fire shall not be quenched, and they shall became an astonishment to all flesh.

In the faces of others the door shall be closed

and the Judge will say to them:-

I know you not.

And consider that, as the reward for good deeds

is not equal for all men, so it is also for evil deeds. Not in one fashion shall men be judged, but

every man according to his works shall receive his requital, because the Judge is clothed in

righteousness and regards not the persons of men.

§23. And even as I have showed thee concerning the world, how one honour excels another, of

those that kings and rulers of this world give to those beneath them; also concerning this I have

showed thee, that even as kings have good gifts to give to those honoured by them, so also they have

prisons and chains and fetters, which are various kinds of bonds. One man offends the king with a

grievous offence, and without inquiry he is delivered over to death. Another offends, yet is not

deserving of death; he is put in bonds until he is judged; and is chastised, and the king remits his

offence. There is another whom the king has held in regard; and outside the prison house he is kept

in freedom, without chains and without bonds. He that is put to death is distinguished from him that

is bound; and the punishment of one exceeds that of another, according to the desert of his offence.

But come thou to our Redeemer, Who said:-

Many are the mansions in My Father's house.

§24. My beloved, men who are inferior in understanding, dispute about this that I write to

thee, and say:-"What is the place in which the righteous shall receive a good reward; and what is the

place in which are torments, in which the wicked shall receive the punishments of their works?" O man

that thinkest thus, I will ask thee, and tell thou me, why is death called death, and why is Sheol

called Sheol? For it is written that when Korah and his companions made a schism against Moses,

the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and they went down alive into Sheol.

Therefore that was the mouth of Sheol that was

opened in the wilderness. David also said, The wicked shall turn back to Sheol.

We say that to Sheol, in which Korah and his

companions were swallowed up, thither shall the wicked be turned back. For God has power, if He

chooses, to give inheritance of life in heaven, and if it please Him, in the earth. Jesus our Lord

said,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And to one of those who were crucified with Him,

who believed on him He swore:-

Thou shalt be with Me to-day in the garden Eden.

And the Apostle said,

When the righteous shall

rise again, they shall fly upwards to meet our Redeemer.

But, however, we say thus: That which our

Redeemer said to us is true:-

Heaven and earth shall pass away.

And the Apostle said,

Hope which is seen is

not hope.

And the Prophet said,

The

heavens shall pass away as smoke, and the earth as a garment shall wear away; and its inhabitants

shall become like it.

And Job said

concerning those that sleep,

Till the heavens wear out, they shall not be aroused, nor shall they

wake out of their sleep

From these

things be thou persuaded that this earth, in which the children of Adam are sown, and the firmament

that is over men, (even) that firmament which is set to divide the upper heavens from the earth and

this life, shall pass away, and wear out, and be destroyed. And God will make a new thing for the

children of Adam, and they shall inherit inheritances in the Kingdom of Heaven. If He shall give them

inheritance in the earth, it shall be called the kingdom of heaven. And if in Heaven, it is easy for

Him to do. For with the kings of the earth also, although each one of them abides in his own place,

yet every place to which their authority extends, is called their kingdom. So the sun is a luminary

set in the heaven, yet for every place to which its rays extend, its authority suffices, whether on

sea or on land. And observe that the princes of the world also have banquetings and delights, and in

every place or state into which they go, their banquetings are with them; and in whatever place

pleases them, they make a prison-house. For the sun in twelve hours circles round, from the east unto

the west; and when he has accomplished his course, his light is hidden in the night-time, and the

night is not disturbed by his power. And in the hours of the night the sun turns round in his rapid

course, and turning round begins to run in his accustomed path. As for the sun that is with thee,

thou wise man, from thy childhood till the completion of thy old age, thou knowest not where he runs

in the night-time, so as to circle round to the place of its course. Is it necessary for thee to

inquire into those things that are hidden from thee?

§25. These memorials I have written for our brethren and beloved, the children of the Church

of God, that when these come into their hands in various places, and when they read in them, they may

also remember my insignificance in their prayers, and may know that I am a sinner also, and fail

short; but that this is my faith, that I have set forth from the beginning and written, in these

chapters written (by me).

Faith

is the foundation, and upon faith (rest) the works that become

it. And after Faith (I wrote) that there are two commandments of

Love

. And after Love, I have

written of

Fasting

, in its demonstration also along with its works. And after Fasting, I wrote

Prayer

in its fruit and in its works. And after Prayer, have written about

War

and

about whatever Daniel wrote concerning the kingdoms. And after War, I have written of the exhortation

for

Monks

. And after the Monks, I have written about

Repentance

. And after Repentance,

I have written about the

Resurrection of the dead

. And after the Resurrection of the dead, I

have written about

Humility

. And after Humility, I have written of the

Pastors

, the

teachers. And after the Pastors, I have written about the

Circumcision

in which the people of

the Jews pride themselves. And after the Circumcision, I have written about the

Passover

, and

about the fourteenth day. And after the Passover, I have written about the

Sabbath

, in which

the Jews are puffed up. And after the Sabbath, I have written an

Exhortation

, on account of

the dissension which happened in our days. And after the Exhortation, I have written about

Meats

, those that the Jews deem unclean. And after the Meats, I have written about the

Gentiles

, that they have entered in and become heirs instead of the original people. And after

the Gentiles, I have written and proved that

God has a Son

. And after the

Son of God

, I

have written against the Jews, who speak injuriously about

Virginity

. And after the apology

about Virginity, I have written again

Against the Jews

, who say:-"It is appointed for us to be

gathered together." And after that defence, I have written about

Almsgiving to the Poor

. And

after the Poor, I have written a demonstration about

The Persecuted

. And after the Persecuted,

I have written at the end about

Death and the Last Times

. These twenty-two discourses have I

written according to the twenty-two letters of the alphabet. The first ten I wrote in the six hundred

and forty-eighth year of the kingdom of Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, as is written in

the end of them. And these twelve last I wrote in the six hundred and fifty-fifth year of the kingdom

of the Greeks and of the Romans, which is the kingdom of Alexander, and in the thirty-fifth year of

the Persian King

§26. These things I have written according to what I have attained to. But if anyone shall

read these dicourses, and find words that do not agree with his thought, he ought not to scorn them;

because whatsoever is written in these chapters was not written according to the thought of one man,

nor for the persuasion of one reader; but according to the thought of all the Church, and for the

persuasion of all faith. If he shall read and hear with persuasion, it is well; and if not, it is

meet for me to say that I wrote for those open to persuasion and not for mockers. And if again any

reader should find words that are spoken by us in one fashion, and by another sage in another

fashion, let him not be disturbed at this; for every man speaks to his hearers according to what he

can attain to. So I, who have written these things, even if some of the words do not agree with what

other speakers have said, yet say this; that those sages have spoken well, yet it seemed good to me

to speak thus. And if any man shall speak and demonstrate to me about any matter, I will receive

instruction from him without contention. Everyone who reads the sacred scriptures, both former and

latter, in both covenants, and reads with persuasion, will learn and teach. But if he strives about

anything that he does not understand, his mind does not receive teaching. But if he finds words that

are too difficult for him, and he does not understand their force, let him say thus, "Whatsoever is

written is written well, but I have not attained to the understanding of it." And if he shall ask

about the matters that are too hard for him of wise and discerning men who inquire into doctrine,

then, when ten wise men shall speak to him in ten different ways about one matter, let him accept

that which pleases him; and if any please not him, let him not scorn the sages; for the word of God

is like a pearl, that has a beautiful appearance on whatever side you turn it. And remember, O

disciple, what David said,

From all my teachers have I learned

And the Apostle said:-

Thou readest every

Scripture that is in the Spirit of God. And prove everything; hold fast that which is good; and flee

from every evil thing.

For if the days

of a man should be many as all the days of the world from Adam to the end of the ages, and he should

sit and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, he would not comprehend all the force of the depth of the

words. And man cannot rise up to the wisdom of God; as I have written in the tenth discourse. But,

however, the words of all speakers who do not take from the great treasure, are accursed and to be

despised. For the image of the king (on his coin) is received wher- ever it goes; but (the coin) in

which there is base metal, is rejected and is not received. And if any one should say, "These

discourses were spoken by such an one;" let him carefully learn that to be careful to inquire about

the speaker is not commanded him. I also according to my insignificance have written these things, a

man sprung from Adam, and fashioned by the hands of God, a disciple of the Holy Scriptures. For our

Lord said:-

Every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and for him that knocketh

it shall be opened.

And the prophet

said:-

I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh in the last days, and they shall

prophesy.

Therefore whoever shall read

anything that I have written above, let him read with persuasion, and pray for the author as a

brother of the Body; that through the petition of all the Church of God; his sins may be forgiven.

And let whoever reads understand what is written:-

Let him that hears the word, communicate to him

that causes him to hear, in all good things.

And again it is written,

The sower and the

reaper shall rejoice together

And

Every man according to his labours shall receive his reward

.<fl t=s3.v13.a3.w1.b0.f569>

And

There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed to every man

. parparpar

: The beginning to this point is lost in the Syriac but has been preserved in the Armenian translation. We have borrowed it thence through the Latin translation of Graffin ( Patrologia Syriaca , Tom. I.).

: S. (Matt x. 8).

: (Jer. vii. 4), 5.

: (1 Cor. iii. 11).

: (1 Cor. iii.16).

: (John x. 30).

: (Ps. cxviii. 22).

: Ez. xxii. 30.

: Is. xxviii. 16.

: (Dan. ii. 34).

: (Ps. lxxxv. 12).

: Dan. ii 34, 35.

: (Ps. xix. 4).

: (Matt. xxviii. 19).

: Zach. iv. 2.

: (John xv. 12).

: Cf. (Eph. ii. 4). 5.

: (Zech. iii. 9).

: Is. xi. 1, 2.

: (Zech. iv. 10).

: (John i. 1).

: (John i.5).

: (Matt. x. 27).

: Cf. (Matt. v. 16).

: (Matt. v. 16).

: (John xii. 35).

: (John viii. 12).

: (Hos. x. 12).

: (Ex. xx. 2).

: 1 Cor. iii 10, 12, sqq.

: (1 Cor. iii. 11)

: (1 Cor. xiii. 13).

: (Ps. lxxxi. 5).

: Jos. iii. 17.

: Jos. x. 13.

: (Heb. xi. 33).

: (Matt. ix. 28).

: Lit. "king's servant," (John iv. 46), which is here confused with (Matt. viii. 8).

: (Matt. viii. 8), 10.

: (Mark v.23-36).

: (Apocryphal.)

: (Luke xvi.15)

: (Luke xiv. 11).

: 2. Cor. x. I7.

: Is. xiv. 15, 16.

: (2 Kings xix. 23), 24; Is. xxxvii. 24, 25.

: Is. x. 15.

: (2 Kings xviii. 35).

: Is. xiv. 25

: (2 Kings. xix. 37); Is. xxxvii. 38.

: (Dan. viii. 2), 4.

: (Dan. viii. 20), 21.

: This Demonstration was therefore written in the year 648 according to the "era of the Greeks,"- i.e. , reckoning from b.c. 311-312. This year accordingly corresponds with the year 336-7 a.d. ; and the "ram."

: (Dan. vii. 19).

: (Dan. vii. 8).

: (Dan. vii. 9), 13, 14, 22.

: (Ezek. xxviii. 14), 15.

: (Jer. xx. 9).

: (Jer. xxiii. 29).

: (Ezek. xxviii. 14).

: (Lam. v. 16).

: Ezek.xxviii. 16.

: (Ezek. xxix. 18), 19.

: (Ezek. xxviii. 16).

: (Dan. vii. 7).

: (Dan. ii. 31-33).

: (Dan. ii. 39).

: (Gen. x. 2).

: (Dan ii. 40).

: This passage describes the Roman Republic and empire.

: (Dan. ii.44).

: (Dan. ii. 35).

: (Dan. vii. 2).

: (Jer. 1. 17).

: The Rornans are here signified, according to Rabinical doctrine, as descendants of Esau.

: 2 Macc. vi. 2-4.

: 2 Macc. v.26.

: (Dan. vii. 21).

: (Dan. vii. 25).

: 2 Macc. ix. 5-12.

: Is. xli. 14.

: 2 Macc. ix. 13, 18, 19, 28.

: (Lam. iv. 16).

: (Hos. viii. 10).

: (Deut. xxxii. 32).

: Is. v.2.

: (Matt. xix. 28).

: Is. v. 1-6.

: (Ezek. xv. 4), 5.

: (Luke xx. 10) sqq.

: (Deut. xxxii. 21).

: (Hos. viii. 10).

: (Gen. xlix. 10).

: (Rom. xiii. 11).

: (Luke xii. 37).

: (Matt. xxv. 21).

: (2 Tim. ii. 21).

: (Matt. xiii. 46).

: (Matt. vi. 20).

: (2 Tim. ii. 11), 12.

: Joel, ii. 11.

: Eph.vi. 14-17.

: (Matt. xxiii. 9).

: (Eph. vi. 16).

: (Matt. vii. 7).

: (Matt. vi. 33).

: (Matt. xxii. 13).

: (Matt. xxv. 16).

: (Matt. xiii. 7).

: (Luke xiv. 18), 9.

: (John xii. 35).

: (Matt. xxiv. 20).

: (Matt. v. 9).

: (Eph. iv. 30).

: (Eph. vi. 16).

: (Ps. i. 2), 3.

: (Jer. xvii. 5), 7, 8.

: (Matt. xxv. 6).

: 2 Sam. xi. 2, ff .

: 2 Sam. xiii. 1, ff .

: I Kin. xvi. 31, xxi. 5, ff .

: (Job. i. 13), ff .

: (Job ii.9).

: (1 Kings. xv. 13).

: (Matt xi. 11), xiv. 6, sq..

: (Num. xxv. 6-15).

: (Ex. xxxiii. 11).

: (1 Kings xvii. 3-5); xix. 1-8.

: (2 Kings ii. 11).

: (2 Kings iv. 8-10).

: (1 Cor ix. 4), 5

: (Gal. iii. 28).

: (Matt. xxv. 10).

: Is. lvi. 5.

: (2 Cor. viii. 9).

: (Matt. xxi. 2-7).

: (Matt. xxvii. 26), 34.

: (John xiv. 3).

: (John i. 14)

: Is. liii. 12.

: (John xiv. 20).

: (Num. xi. 17).

101

: (John iii. 34), 35.

107

: Gen.ii.7.

108

: 1 Cor.xv. 44.

112

: (Matt. xviii. 10).

114

: (Ps. li. 13).

115

: (2 Kings iii. 15-17).

122

: (Job xl. 14).

123

: (1 Cor. xv. 44), 45.

128

: (1 Cor. xv. 53), 54.

132

: (Luke xvi. 14).

: (1 Cor. xv. 35).

: (1 Cor. xv. 36-38).

: (John v.25), 28, 29.

: (1 Cor. xv. 44).

: Ib. v.53.

: Ib . v. 13-15.

: Ib. v.32, 33.

: (Rom. viii. 9).

: Is. lxvi. 8.

: (Heb. ix. 15), 16.

: (Deut. xxxiii. 6).

: (Deut. v. 15).

: 1 Sam. ii. 6.

: Is. xxvi. 19.

: (Ps. lxxxviii. 10), 11, 12. (Pesh.)

: (Ex. xxxvii. 1-10).

: (Luke vii.14).

: (Mark v. 47).

: (John i. 1).

: (Matt. xxii. 28).

: . (Gen. ii. 17).

: Luke ix 59, 60.

: Is. xxvi. 19.

: (Matt. ix. 26).

: (1 Cor. xv. 51).

: Hebr. xi. 40.

: (2 Cor. v. 8).

: (Gen. xxxi. 38),40.

: (Ps. lxxviii. 72).

: 2 Sam. xxiv. 17.

: (Zech. xi. 9), 17.

: (Ezek. xxxiv. 14)

: (John x. 9)

: (John xxi. 15-17).

: (Ps. lxxviii. 72).

: (1 Cor. ix. 7). sq.

: (John xii. 26).

: (Matt. x. 8).

: (Deut xxxii. 39).

: (Ex. vi. 1)

: (Deut. xiv. 1).

: (Ps. lxxxii. 6)

: Ib. 7

: (Exod. iii. 6), 15.

: (Jer. xxvii. 8). The Hebrew has "King of Babylon," and so the Peshitto. But Nebuchadnezzar is addressed as "King of Kings," (Daniel ii. 37).

: (Ps. xlv. 17).

: (Gen. ii. 7) (Ps xc. 1).

: (Lev. xxvi. 12).

: (Jer. vii. 4), 5.

: (Ps. ii. 7).

: (Gen. xlix. 10). So in Peshitto; similarly in septuagint.

: (Ps xxii. 17-19).

: Is lii. 13, 14.

: (Zech. xiv. 7).

: (Zech. xiv. 6). So in Peshitto ; also in Septuagint. Cp. margin of Revised Version.

: (Ps. lxix. 22), 27.

: (2 Cor. v. 21).

: (Ps. xxiii. 45).

: Is. xli. 8.

: Is. xliii. 2, 3.

: (Ezek. xvi. 48).

: (Deut. xxxii.32).

: Is v. 2.

: (Jer. vi. 30).

: (Ezek. xvi. 49).

: I.e. , a.d. 344, in which year this was written. Cp. Dem . XXII. 25.

: (Dan. ix. 27).

: (Ezek. xvi. 55).

: Deut. xxix 23.

: Jer.li. 64.

: (Amos v. 1-2).

: Is. liv. 9.

: Rather, the Canaanites.

: (Judges iv. 2).

: (Judges iii. 12).

: (Judges xi. 5).

: (Judges xiii. 1-24).

: (1 Kings xx. 11).

: (Jer. ii. 30).

: (Jer. ii. 10-13).

: Is. xxxiv. 4.

: (Matt. ii. 20).

: Miriam, Mariam, Maria, Mary, are all of them forms of the same name.

: (2 Kings xx. 19).

: I.e. , Pharaoh Nechoh ,-a Rabbinical interpretation of the surname.

: (2 Kings xxii. 11), 13.

: (Luke xxi. 23), 24.

: 2 Chron. xxxv.25; (Lam. iv. 20).

: (Zech. xii. 12) (Luke xxiii. 27), 28.

: (Matt. xxvii. 64).

: Dan. vi 14.

: (Dan. iii. 28), 29.

: Esth. vii. 10; ix. 10.

: (Luke xxi. 16), 17.

: (Heb. xi. 32), sq.

: (Heb. xi. 38).

: 2 Macc. vii. 1, sq.

: 2 Macc. vi. 18, sq.

: (Heb. xi. 1).

: (Rom v.14), 12.

: (Gen. ii. 17).

: 1 Sam. ii. 6.

: Is. xxvi. 19

: (Matt. vi. 20) (Luke xvi. 9).

: (Mal. ii. 10).

: (Luke xx. 35), 36.

: (Gal. iii. 28).

: (Ps. i. 5).

: (Ps. ix. 17).

: Is. xl. 15, 17.

: (1 Cor. iii. 8).

: (Job xxxiv. 10), 11.

: (Rom. viii. 24).

: Is. li. 6.

: (Job. xiv. 12).

: Sc ., in the years 337 and 344, a.d.

: (1 Thess. v.21), 22; (2 Tim. iii. 16).

: (Matt. vii. 8).

: (Joel ii. 28).

: (John iv. 36).

Philoxenus, Ascetic Discourses (1894) pp.clxxv-clxxxvi.

Aphraates: On Faith

APHRAATES ON FAITH.

Hear then, my beloved, and open unto me the internal eyes of thy heart and

the spiritual perceptions of thy understanding to that which I will say unto

thee. Now faith is built up of many things, and is crowned with many colours; it

is like unto a building which is built up of many materials, and its fabric

mounteth to the top. But know, O my beloved, that stones must be laid in the

foundations thereof, and then the whole edifice goeth upwards until it is

finished. And thus also must it be with our whole building; its foundation must

be the true Rock, which is Jesus Christ

our Lord,

and upon [this] Rock is faith founded, and upon faith the whole building riseth

until it is finished. [This] foundation is the beginning of the whole building,

for when a man draweth nigh to faith, he is founded upon the Rock which is our

Lord Jesus Christ.

And his building will not be

washed away by the waves, and it will not be injured by the winds, and it will

not fall through storms, because his building riseth upon the rock of the true

Rock.

And in calling Christ the "Rock" I

have not spoken according to my opinion, but the Prophets of old called Him

"Rock", and [this] I will prove to thee.

But for the present listen concerning the faith which is founded upon the

Rock, and concerning the building which riseth upon the Rock. First of all a man

must believe, and when he hath believed he will love, and when he loveth he will

hope, and when he hopeth he will be justified, and when

|clxxvi

he is justified he will be perfect, and when he is perfect he will be completed;

and when his whole building hath risen up, and hath been finished and perfected

then will he become a temple for the dwelling-place of Christ, even as the

prophet Jeremiah said, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, ye

are the temple of the Lord if ye make fair your ways and your deeds."

And again it saith in the prophet, "I will dwell in you, and I will walk in

you".

And again the blessed Apostle spake

thus, "Ye are the temple of God, and the spirit of Christ dwelleth in

you".

And our Lord also thus spake to His

disciples, "Ye are in Me, and I am in you".

And when a man hath become a house and a dwelling-place then he beginneth

to take care for what is required by him that dwelleth in the building, just as

if a king, or some honourable man who was called by the name of king were to

tarry in a house; for then all the appurtenances of royalty would be required

for the king, and all the ministration which is necessary for the honour

thereof. For in a house which lacketh all good things a king will neither tarry

nor dwell, nay, a king requireth all the furniture in a house with nothing

whatsoever lacking; and if anything is lacking in the house in which the king

abideth, the keeper of the house is delivered over unto death, because he did

not make ready for the service of the king. Thus also let the man who becometh a

house and a dwelling-place for Christ see what appertaineth unto the service [of

the house] in which Christ dwelleth, and with these things let him make it fair.

First of all let him build his building upon the Rock which is Christ, and upon

the Rock let faith be founded, and upon faith all the building shall rise up.

And for making the house habitable pure fasting which is stablished by faith is

necessary; and he requireth the pure prayer which is accepted by faith ; and to

him is useful the love which is compounded with faith; and he needeth the alms

which are given in faith; and he must ask for the humility which is ornamented

with faith ; and virginity which is beloved of faith must be chosen

|clxxvii

by him; and he must bring nigh unto him the holiness which is planted by faith ;

and he must meditate upon the wisdom which is discovered by faith ; and he must

seek after the hospitality which is increased by faith; and the simplicity which

is mingled with faith is necessary for him; and he must seek after the patience

which is perfected in faith; and his mind must abide in the long-suffering

patience which is acquired by faith; and he must love the life of an anchorite

which appeareth by faith; and he must seek after the purity which is preserved

by faith; all these things the faith which is founded upon the true Rock, which

is Christ, asketh, and these things are required by the King Christ Who dwelleth

in the children of men who have been builded with these works.

And if thou sayest, "Since Christ hath been laid in the foundation, how

can Christ dwell in the building when it is finished?" [I answer], the

blessed Apostle said these two things: "I, like a wise architect, have laid

the foundation",

and he distinguished there

also concerning the foundation, and showed [what it was], and spake, saying,

"Other foundation besides this which is laid, which is Jesus Christ, can no

man lay".

And moreover, that Christ dwelleth

in the building is said in the words which have been written above, for Jeremiah

calleth the children of men "temples", [and saith] that God dwelleth

in them.

And the Apostle saith, "The spirit

of Christ dwelleth in you",

and our Lord

spake, "I and My Father are one";

therefore the words, "Christ dwelleth in the men who believe in Him",

and "He is the foundation upon which the whole building riseth" agree.

And now I come to the first words which I spake, that Christ was called

"Rock" in the Prophets. First of all David saith concerning Him,

"The rock which the builders rejected hath become the head of the

building".

And as the builders rejected this

Rock, which is Christ, even so also did they reject it before the face of

Pilate, saying, "This [man] shall not be king over us",

and again in that parable which our Lord

|clxxviii

spake of a certain great nobleman who went to receive a kingdom and to return to

rule over the people thereof, but they sent messengers after him, saying,

"This man shall not be king over us".

Thus did they reject the Rock, which is Christ. And how hath it become the head

of the building except that it hath risen up over the building of the nations?

and upon it hath risen up all their building. And who are the builders except

the priests and Pharisees who build not a true building, but who throw down what

He hath built, even as it is written in Ezekiel the Prophet, "He built a

wall, but they beat upon it that it might fall".

And again it is written, "I sought for a man among them, that should make

up the fence and stand in the gap for the earth, that I might not destroy it,

but I found [him] not".

And again Isaiah of

old prophesied concerning this Rock, for he said, "Thus said the Lord,

Behold I lay in Zion a chosen Rock, in the honourable corner, the head of the

wall of the foundation".

And again he said

there, "Whosoever believeth on it shall not fear, and whosoever falleth on

that Rock shall be broken, and on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him

to powder".

The people of the house of

Israel fell upon it, and their breaking was for ever; and it fell upon the image

and shattered it to pieces;

and the nations

believe therein and are not afraid.

And he proved concerning the Rock that it is laid as the head of the wall and

[as] the foundation; now if this Rock hath been laid as the foundation, how can

it also be the head of the wall? Only [in this wise]. When our Lord came He set

faith in the earth like a foundation, and He went up above all the heavens like

the head of a wall, and the whole building, above and below, was completed. And

as concerning what I spake of faith, He hath set this faith in the earth, this

did David proclaim of old concerning Christ, for he said, "Faith shall

spring up out of the earth";

and [showing]

that He is above, he saith, "Righteousness looked forth from heaven".

And again,

|clxxix

Daniel also spake

concerning this Rock which is Christ, for he said, "A Rock was hewn out of

the mountain, not with hands, and it smote the image, and the whole earth was

filled therewith";

this foreshewed

concerning Christ that the whole earth should be filled with Him, for with the

faith of Christ behold all the ends of the earth are filled, even as David spake,

"In all the earth hath gone forth the word of the Gospel of Christ".

And again when He sent forth His disciples, He spake to them thus, "Go

forth, and teach all nations to believe on Me".

And Zechariah the prophet also spake concerning this Rock, which is Christ, for

he said, "I have seen a choice stone of beauty and mercy".

That [this Rock is called] choice" [means] that He is with His Father, and

that he speaks of "mercy" is because when He came to the world He

spake to His disciples thus, "This is My commandment, that ye love one

another."

And again He said, "I have

called you friends".

And the blessed Apostle

speaks thus: "God hath mercy upon us in the love of His Son;

in very truth Christ hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us".

And he explained and made manifest concerning this Rock, [saying],

"Behold I will open upon this Rock seven eyes".

And what then are the seven eyes which have been opened upon [this] Rock

except the Spirit of God, which abideth on Christ in seven things, even as the

Prophet Isaiah saith, "The Spirit of God shall rest and dwell in Him, the

spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of strength, of knowledge, and

of the fear of the Lord".

These are the

seven eyes which have been opened upon the Rock, and these are the seven eyes of

the Lord which "look upon the whole earth". And this also is said

concerning Christ, for he spake, saying, "Light hath been given unto all

nations", even as saith Isaiah the prophet, I have set thee to be a light

unto all nations, that My redemption may be to the ends of the earth".

And David also

|clxxx

spake,

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my paths".

And moreover the word and speech of the Lord is Christ, as it is written in the

beginning of the Gospel of our Lifegiver, "In the beginning was the

Word";

and concerning the light there also

he testifieth, "The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness

comprehended it not".

And what have the

words, "The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it

not", reference to except Christ Who made His light to shine upon the

people of the house of Israel, but the people of the house of Israel

comprehended not the light of Christ because they believed not upon Him, even as

it is written, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not"?

And our Lord Himself also called them "darkness", for He said to His

disciples, "That which I say unto you in the darkness, say ye in the light;

among the nations shall your light shine",

because they have received the light of Christ Who is the light of the nations.

And He spake also to His disciples, "Ye are the light of the world".

And again He said unto them, "Let your light shine before the children of

men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in

heaven".

And again He shewed concerning

Himself that He was the light, for He said to His disciples, "Walk while

the light is yet with you, before the darkness overtaketh you".

And again He spake to them, "Believe in the light, that ye may become the

children of the light."

And again He said,

"I am the light of the world".

And

again He said, "No man lighteth a lamp and placeth it under a bushel or

under a bed, or placeth it in a hidden place, but he setteth it on a candlestick

that every man may see the light thereof".

And a shining lamp is Christ, even as saith David, "Thy word is a

lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path".

And moreover, Hosea the prophet also said, "Kindle ye a light and seek the

Lord";

and our Lord Jesus Christ said,

"What

|clxxxi

woman, having ten

zuze

and losing one of them, will not light a lamp and

search round the house looking for the

zûzà

which she hath lost"?

And who is this woman except the congregation of the house of Israel unto whom

the ten commandments have been given, and which hath lost the first of them with

which God admonished it, saying, "I am the Lord thy God Who brought thee up

out of the land of Egypt"?

And when the congregation had lost

the first commandment it was unable to keep the remaining nine, because the nine

depend upon the first, for it was an impossible thing when they were worshipping

Baal to keep the nine commandments; thus they lost the first commandment like

the woman who lost one

zûzà

out of ten. And the prophet cried to them,

"Light ye a lamp and seek the Lord".

And moreover, the prophet Isaiah

also said, "Seek ye the Lord, and when ye have found Him, call upon Him.

And when He hath drawn nigh, let the sinner forsake his way, and the man of

iniquity his evil thoughts".

For He lighted a lamp, but they

sought not thereby the Lord their God; and His light lightened the darkness, and

the darkness comprehended it not. And the lamp went up upon a candlestick, but

those who were in the house saw not the light thereof. Now what do the words

"the lamp went up upon a "candlestick" mean except His going up

upon the Cross? whereby all the house became dark upon [its inhabitants]. Now

when they crucified Him the light became dark to them, but it shone upon the

Gentiles. For from the sixth hour when they crucified Him until the ninth hour

darkness came upon all the land of Israel, and the sun set at noonday, and the

earth became dark during broad daylight, even as it is written in the prophet

Zachariah,

"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the

Lord, that I will make the sun to set at noon, and I will make the earth dark

during broad daylight".

And now I come to my first statement concerning faith upon which all the fair

deeds of the building ascend. And, moreover, that which I have spoken concerning

the building I

|clxxxii

have not spoken in a strange manner, but the blessed Apostle wrote in the

first Epistle to the Corinthians, and said,

"I have laid the

foundation like a wise architect, and every man buildeth thereupon. Some build

with silver, and gold, and precious stones, and some build with reeds, and hay,

and stubble, but at the last day the building will be tried by fire". The

gold, and silver, and precious stones will be preserved by the fire, because

they are the true building ; but over the hay, and the reeds, and the stubble

will the fire gain the mastery, and they will burn away. Now what are the gold,

and silver, and precious stones upon which the building riseth except the good

deeds of faith which are preserved in the fire ? In that true building Christ

dwelleth, and it is He that will preserve it from the fire. Now let us see and

understand from the similitude which God also gave us in this world in order

that the promises of that world might be sure unto us; and let us also

understand from those three righteous men who fell in the fire, and were not

consumed, ----Ananias, Azarias, and Misael----upon whom the fire gained not

dominion

, because they built a sure building, and rejected the

command of Nebuchadnezzar the king, and did not worship the image which he made.

But upon those who transgressed the commandment of God the fire gained dominion

straightway, and it set them on fire and they were burned mercilessly. And the

Sodomites were burned like hay, and reeds, and stubble; and Nadab and Abihu who

transgressed the commandment of God were also burnt; and two hundred and fifty

men who were offering [strange] incense were also burnt; and the two captains,

together with a hundred men who were with them, who had drawn nigh to the

mountain upon which sat Elijah, who went up to heaven in a chariot of fire, were

also burnt; and the calumniators also were burnt who dug pits for righteous men.

On this account, my beloved, the righteous are tried in the fire like gold, and

silver, and precious stones, and the wicked are consumed by fire like hay, and

reeds, and stubble, over which the fire gaineth dominion, even as saith the

prophet Isaiah, "The Lord judgeth by fire, and therewith He trieth all

flesh".

And

|clxxxiii

again he saith, "Ye shall go forth and see the dead bodies of the men

who have wrought iniquity against Me, whose worm dieth not and whose fire is not

quenched; and they shall be a wonder unto all flesh".

And,

moreover, the Apostle hath explained unto us concerning this building, and

concerning this foundation, for he saith thus: "Foundation other than this

which is laid can no man lay, which is Jesus Christ".

And again

the Apostle speaketh concerning the faith which is mingled with hope and love,

for he spake thus: "Now these three abide, faith, hope, and charity",

and he shewed concerning faith that it is founded as a sure foundation first of

all.

Now the sacrifice of Abel was accepted because of his faith. And because

Enoch pleased [God] by his faith he was removed from death. And because Noah

believed he was saved from the Flood. And because Abraham had faith he was

blessed, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. And because Isaac

believed he was loved. And Jacob was preserved because of his faith. And because

of his faith Joseph was tried in the waters of contention, and he was delivered

from temptation, and the Lord set a testimony upon him, even as David spake,

"He set a testimony on Joseph".

Moses too by faith wrought

many marvellous and mighty deeds, and by faith he made an end of the Egyptians

with ten plagues. And again by faith he divided the sea, and led his people

over, and drowned the Egyptians in it. By faith he cast a stick in the bitter

waters, and they became sweet; by faith he brought down the manna, and satisfied

his people; by faith he spread out his hands, and overcame Amalek, even as it is

written, "His hands were [stretched out] in faith until the sun set".

By faith also he went up to Mount Sinai, having twice fasted forty days; and by

faith he overcame Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites.

Now this is a wonderful and great marvel which Moses wrought in the Sea of

Reeds, for the waters were divided by faith, and they stood up like high

mountains, and mighty rocks, and they were restrained, and stood up by the

command, and

|clxxxiv

were confined as in leather bottles, and they were shut in above as well as

below; and their mobility did not pass over the boundary [set for them], and

they changed the nature in which they had been created, and though insensible

creatures they became obedient. And the waves stood upright awaiting the reward

when the people should have passed over, and the billows marvelled and waited,

and were looking towards the commandment and the reward. The foundations of

everlastingness were revealed, and that which had been wet from the beginning

suddenly became dry. And the doors lifted up their heads, and the everlasting

gates were lifted up.

And a pillar of light went in and illumined

all the camp, and the people passed over in faith, and a righteous judgment came

upon the Pharaoh, and his host, and his chariots. Thus also did Joshua the son

of Nun by his faith divide the Jordan, and the children of Israel passed over as

in the days of Moses.

Now know, O my beloved, that that passage of the Jordan was divided three

times : first of all by Joshua, the son of Nun, secondly by Elijah, and thirdly

by Elisha. Now the word of the Book maketh known that Elijah was taken up to

heaven opposite that place of crossing by Jericho. For when Elisha returned from

following him, and divided the Jordan and passed over, the sons of prophets of

Jericho went out to meet Elisha, and said, "The spirit of Elijah dwelleth

in Elisha".

And of the people when they crossed over in the

days of Joshua, the son of Nun, it is written, "The people passed over

opposite Jericho"

. And Joshua, the son of Nun, by faith

overthrew the walls of Jericho, and they fell without labour. And again by his

faith he destroyed thirty-one kings, and made the children of Israel to inherit

the land. And again by his faith he spread out his hands to heaven, and held

back the sun in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, and they were

restrained and stood still in their courses. Finally, all the righteous fathers

have by faith triumphed in everything which they have done, even as the blessed

Apostle testifieth concerning them all, saying, "By faith they became

prosperous".

And again Solomon saith,

|clxxxv

"Many men are called merciful, but who can find a faithful man"?

And again Job saith, "Remove not my integrity from me, and I will continue

in my righteousness".

And our Lifegiver spake unto every one that drew nigh unto Him to be healed

thus: "According to thy faith shall it be unto thee".

When

the blind man came to Him, he said to him, "Dost thou believe that I am

able to heal thee?" and he said unto Him, "Yea, Lord, I do

believe";

and his faith opened his eyes. And to him whose son

was sick He said, "Believe, and thy son shall live". He saith unto

Him, "Lord, I believe, help Thou my little faith";

and by

his faith his son was made whole. And by faith was healed the son of the royal

servant who came to Him, and said to our Lord, "Speak the word, and my

child shall be healed";

and our Lord wondered at his faith, and

according to his faith so was it unto him. And when the chief of the

congregation asked Him concerning his daughter, He spake thus to him,

"Believe only, and thy daughter shall live";

and he believed, and his

daughter lived and stood up. And when Lazarus died, our Lord said to Martha,

"If thou believest thy brother shall rise up". Martha saith to Him,

"Yea, Lord, I do believe";

and He raised him up after four

days. And Simon, who was surnamed 'Rock', because of his faith was called

"the true Rock". And when our Lord gave the mystery of baptism unto

His disciples, He spake unto them thus: "Whosoever believeth and is

baptized shall live; but whosoever believeth not shall be condemned".

And again He said unto His disciples, "If ye believe, and doubt not,

there is nothing which ye shall not be able to do".

For when

our Lord walked on the waves of the sea, Simon also, by his faith, walked with

Him, but when his faith wavered and he began to sink, our Lord called him

"little of faith".

And when His Apostles asked our Lord,

they begged for nothing from Him, but they said to Him, "Increase our

faith".

|clxxxvi

saith unto them, "If ye have in you faith, even a mountain shall depart

from before you".

And He said to them, "Be not doubtful,

and be not sunk in the world", like Simon who as soon as he doubted began

to sink in the sea. And again He spake thus: "This shall be a sign unto

those who believe: They shall speak with new tongues, and devils shall be driven

out, and [when] their hands shall be laid upon the sick they shall be

healed".

Let us then, my beloved one, draw nigh unto the faith whose mighty deeds are

so many. For faith lifted up to heaven; it overcame the Flood; it made

barrenness to give birth to children; it enriched the poor; it unloosed the

prisoners; it saved the persecuted; it extinguished the fire; it divided the sea

; it cleaved the rock and made the thirsty to drink ; it satisfied the hungry;

it vivified the dead; it brought up out of Sheol; it calmed the waves; it healed

the sick; it vanquished hosts; it swept away walls; it closed the mouths of

lions; it extinguished the flame of fire; it humbled the boastful; and brought

the humble to honour. All these mighty deeds were wrought by faith.

Now this is faith. A man must believe in God the Lord of all, Who created the

heaven and the earth, and the seas and all that therein is, Who made Adam in His

image, Who gave the Law to Moses, Who sent His Spirit into the Prophets, Who

also sent His Christ into the world; and a man should believe in the

vivification of the dead, and also in the mystery of baptism. This is the faith

of the Church of God. And a man must be free from the keeping of hours, and

weeks, and months, and seasons, and incantations, and enchantments, and the

magic of the Chaldeans, and sorcery, and from harlotry, and singing and dancing,

and vain doctrines, and the vessels of the Evil one, and the blandishments of

sweet words, and blasphemy, and adultery; and a man must not bear false witness,

neither must he speak with a double tongue. These are works of the faith which

is set upon the sure Rock, which is Christ, upon Whom riseth the whole building.

|clxxxvii

And, moreover, O my beloved, in the Holy Scriptures are many things

concerning the matter of faith, but these few out of many have I written to

remind thy love that thou mayest know, and make known, and mayest believe and

make thyself a believer. And when thou hast read and learned the works of faith

thou shalt be like unto that tilled land upon which the good seed fell, and

which brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some

thirtyfold;

and when thou shalt depart to thy Lord, He shall call

thee "good, and excellent, and faithful servant", who on account of

his exceedingly great faith shall enter into "the kingdom of his

Lord".

[Footnotes renumbered and moved to the end]

The Syriac text is printed in Wright,

Homilies

of Aphraates,

London, 1869, pp. 6-23. For a German translation of this

Homily see Bert,

Aphrahat's des Persischen Weisen Homilien,

Leipzig,

l8S8, p. 3 ff.

Cf. (1 Corinthians iii. 11).

Cf. (1 Corinthians x. 4).

Cf. St. (Matthew vii. 24), 25.

(Jeremiah vii, 4). 5.

(2 Corinthians vi. 16).

(1 Corinthians iii. 16).

St. (John xiv. 20).

(1 Corinthians iii. 10).

10.

(1 Corinthians iii. 11).

11.

(Jeremiah vii. 4).

12.

(1 Corinthians iii. 16).

13.

St. (John x. 30).

14.

(Psalm cxviii. 22).

15.

St. (John xix. 15).

16.

St. (Luke xix. 14).

17.

(Ezekiel xiii. 10), 11.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

(Daniel ii. 34). 35.

25.

(Psalm xix. 4).

26.

St. (Matthew xxviii. 19).

27.

(Zechariah iv. 7).

28.

St. (John xv. 12).

29.

St. (John xv. 15).

30.

(Romans v. 8), 10.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

St. (John i. 1).

37.

St. (John i. 5).

38.

St. (John i. 11).

39.

St. (Matthew x. 27).

40.

St. (Matthew v. 14).

41.

St. (Matthew v. 16).

42.

St. (John xii. 35).

43.

St. (John xii. 36).

44.

St. (John viii. 12).

45.

St. (Matthew v. 15); St (Mark iv. 21) ;

St. (Luke viii. 16); xi. 33.

46.

(Psalm cxix. 105).

47.

(Hosea x. 12).

48.

St. (Luke xv. 8).

49.

(Exodus xx. 2).

50.

(Hosea x. 12).

51.

(Isaiah lv. 6), 7.

52.

Not Zechariah, but Amos, chap. viii. 9.

53.

(1 Corinthians iii. 10-12).

54.

(Daniel iii. 23), 27.

55.

(Isaiah lxvi. 16).

56.

(Isaiah lxvi. 24).

57.

(1 Corinthians iii. 11).

58.

(1 Corinthians xiii. 13).

59.

(Psalm lxxxi. 5).

60.

(Exodus xvii. 12).

61.

Psalm xxiv 7. 9.

62.

(2 Kings ii. 15).

63.

(Joshua iii. 16).

64.

Hebrews xi.

65.

(Proverbs xx. 6).

66.

(Job xxvii. 5). 6.

67.

St. (Matthew ix. 29).

68.

St. (Matthew ix. 28).

69.

St. (Mark ix. 23), 24.

70.

St. (Matthew viii. 8); St. Luke.vii. 7.

71.

St. (Mark v. 36); St. (Luke viii. 50).

72.

St. (John xi. 23), 27.

73.

St. (Mark xvi. 16).

74.

St. (Matthew xxi. 22); St. (Mark xi. 23).

75.

St. (Matthew xiv. 31).

76.

St. (Luke xvii. 5).

77.

St. (Matthew xvii. 20).

78.

St. (Mark xvi. 17). 18.

79.

St. (Matthew xiii. 8).

80.

St. (Matthew xxv. 21). 23.

This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse, 2003. All material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely.

Greek text is rendered using the Scholars Press SPIonic font, free from

here

Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts

Aphrahat, Demonstration II: On Love. Journal of the Society

of Oriental Research 14 (1930) pp.18-31

DE CARITATE

TRANSLATED FROM THE SYRIAC OF APHRAATES

By Frank Hudson Hallock

Surely, beloved, all the law and the prophets depend upon the two commandments, as our Saviour said: "The law and the prophets are too little to convince him who will not be persuaded." Therefore our Saviour said: "On these two commandments hang the law and the prophets," that is: "A man shall love the Lord His God with all his soul, and with all his might, and with all his substance"; and that a man also "shall love his neighbor as himself."

And when thou proceedest to the examination of these two commandments, upon the power of which depends all the law and the prophets, thou mayest perceive if these two commandments, on which depends all the power of the law and the prophets, are received in the hearts and in the minds of men, or if the law and the prophets which have been written, have not been sought, as it is written that "for the just the law is not appointed, but for the evil doers." On account of the wicked, therefore, the law has been appointed. And if righteousness had remained among men law would not have been needed. Again, if a law had not been appointed, the power of God would not have been known in all our generations, and in all the miracles which He showed. By the transgression of the commandment of the house of Adam death was decreed against the world, and the power of God manifested when all men arise at the end which removes the rule of death. On account of the sinners which were in the days of Noah the power of God was manifested in the waters of the flood. And Abraham, because he observed the righteousness which is in the law before the law was appointed, had manifested in him the power of God by means of righteousness, when he brought back the spoil of Sodom by the power of his God and did not put forth his hand upon the booty; and

|19

God said to him after that day: "Thy reward is multiplied by thy righteousness." And he upon whom the law had not been imposed manifested the works of the law, which the law of his righteousness did not require. Thus also in the case of Isaac and Jacob his sons, there was no necessity for them (to obey the law), because the law had not yet been imposed for their righteousness, for their father commanded them to act worthily and justly; as it is written that the Lord said concerning Abraham: "I know him, that he will command all his sons after him that they keep all My commandments." Also Joseph kept the righteousness which is in the law when he was not obedient to his mistress. For he said: "How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" And Moses also, for he observed the righteousness which is in the law when he denied that he should be called a son to the daughter of Pharoah; on account of this the Lord made him worthy that through him He gave the law to His people. For all these manifested the works of the law, also for their righteousness the law had not been imposed and they were a law unto themselves.

When the time of the law was at hand it was added on account of transgression. And He showed that it was an addition. And wherefore, then, was this addition? except on account of the calling of the Gentiles which was foretold before the law was promised. And that law was the keeper and teacher until that Seed should come in whom the Gentiles were blessed. For the word of the oath which was promised to Abraham is also a covenant of the promise; God said unto him, "In thy seed shall all the Gentiles be blessed." And this word, which is a covenant, placed four hundred and thirty years before the law, was a promise to Abraham that the Gentiles in his seed, which is Christ, should be blessed. And the law was four hundred and thirty years after these things. For when Abraham received this promise he was eighty-five years old, and from that time until Jacob went to Egypt was two hundred and five years, and from the time that Jacob went to Egypt and until the people came forth by the hand of Moses was two hundred and twenty-five years.

And the cause of their sojourning is designated, for the children of Israel abode four hundred and thirty years in the land of Egypt. And wherefore, beloved, when they dwelt there two hundred and twenty-five years was four hundred and thirty years written for

|20

them? if not on account of that hour of which God said to Abraham: "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a sojourner in a land which is not theirs, and they shall serve among them, and they shall bring them into bondage four hundred years. For at that time in which this word was spoken to Abraham, there shall be unto thee an offspring, by faith it was formed in the heart of Abraham, as it is written: "Abraham believed in God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness." And also the word concerning the servitude which his sons should serve in Egypt was conceived in the heart of Abraham, and he began to be anxious as to how his seed should be in servitude, and his heart was serving in Egypt. Likewise also Isaac and Jacob were taking thought about the servitude, and they were in thought serving in the midst of Egypt. And the bondage was promised concerning the seed of Abraham before they were born; for the word was fifteen years before the birth of Isaac, and the promise of the bondage was two hundred and five years before their entering Egypt, and the promise that in the seed of Abraham all peoples should be blessed was four hundred and thirty years before the law. And the law was not able to make void the promise, henceforth the law was an addition with regard to this word of promise until the time should come.

And that word was preserved one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four years from the time it was promised to Abraham until the Advent, and that word was in observation one thousand three hundred and sixty-four years after the imposition of the law. And the word was four hundred and thirty years older than the law, and when it came it made ineffectual observances of the law. And the law and the prophets are included in these two commandments or which our Lord spoke, for the word is written: "All the law and the prophets prophesied until John the Baptist." And our Lord said: "I have not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfil them." Again it is written: "The truth of the law is through Jesus."

And how, then, were the law and the prophets lacking, when it was necessary that they should be fulfilled? if not because the testament was hidden in them which is itself the word of promise. For that testament which was given to Moses was not sealed until this last testament should come, which is also the first, because it was promised, it was signed by the death of Him who was to come of the testament, and the two testaments were confirmed (N.B. this

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whole passage is obscure and the translation, following the Latin rather closely, little more than a guess): "And He made them both one, and the law of the commandments He abolished by His precepts." For the uses of the law are abolished by the advent of our Life-giver, and He offered up Himself in the place of the sacrifices which are in the law, and He was led as a lamb to the slaughter in the place of the lambs of propitiation, and He was killed for us (as) a fattened bull, that there might be no necessity for us to offer the offspring of cattle. He came and He was lifted up upon the cross; oblations and sacrifices are not required from us; He gave His blood in place of all men, that the blood of animals might not be required of us; He entered the sanctuary which was not made by hands, and He became the priest and minister of the holy place. For from the time in which He came He abolished the observances which are of the law, and from the time that they bound Him the festivals were bound for them by chains; and because they wished to judge the innocent One He took the judges away from them; and because they rejected His kingdom He took away the kingdom from them, for He came whose the kingdom is; and He ascended a living sacrifice in our stead and abolished their sacrifices, and the children of Israel remained without sacrifices and without altar, and without putting on the ephod and placing of incense; and He took away from them seers and prophets because they had not heard the great Prophet; and the former covenant was fulfilled by the latter, and the works which are in the law have grown old and become antiquated and fit for destruction, for from the time the new was given the old was abolished. And it was not only from the time of the advent of our Saviour that sacrifices were rejected, but even before (that) time their sacrifices did not give pleasure to Him, as it is written: "I will not eat the flesh of calves, and the blood of goats I will not drink"; but "sacrifice to God thanksgiving and accomplish thy vows to the Highest." And again He said: "A broken heart God does not reject." And again He said: "I have not desired sacrifices and by holocausts of peace (offerings) I have not been reconciled." "The sacrifices of God are an afflicted spirit." And also Isaiah the prophet said: "A multitude of your sacrifices I have not required, said the Lord." And again He said to them: "I hate and reject your feast days, and I will not smell in your sacrifices."

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And this again is the word on which our Saviour says the law and the prophets depend, beautiful and good and seemly. For our Lord spake thus: "A single letter

yudh

shall not pass from the law or the prophets until all is done." For He took the law and the prophets and made them depend upon two commandments, and did not abolish anything from them. And when thou shalt look well at this word, so it truly is. The observation of that which is in the law and of everything which is written in it is an example of that word, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and with all thy heart"; and of everything which was done by the law, for it lead them to love the Lord their God; and a man shall love his neighbor as his own flesh. And these two commandments above are from the whole law. And when thou shalt set thy heart and look intently unto the law, in the beginning of all the law (thou shalt find) it is written thus: "I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee up from the land of Egypt. Thou shalt not make to thyself, My people, any image or any similitude." And the man who does not make another god has under him the word on which hangs the law and the prophets. Remember, beloved, that I have written for thee that the law is not imposed for the righteous, for he who observes righteousness is above the commandments and the law and the prophets; and the word which our Lord speaks is true: "The letter

yudh

shall not pass from the law and from the prophets," for by the two commandments He seals (them) and makes them depend.

Hear now, beloved, the persuasiveness of this word. If a man should say: "Why was this word written, that the seat of the children of Israel should remain in the land of Egypt four hundred and thirty years, when in the promise which had been made to Abraham it was said to him that there should be four hundred years? And thirty were received in addition?" Now I will show thee, beloved, even as it was. For when the time of fulfillment of the four hundred years was come, Moses was sent that he might deliver them. "When he killed the Egyptian, and they rejected him as their saviour, and Moses fled to Midian, wrath was upon them so that they remained thirty years in Egypt. For they said to Moses: "Who has appointed thee ruler and judge over us?" And when they rejected their salvation the wrath of God withheld them for thirty years in the midst of Egypt, and Moses was thirty years

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in Midian. Then, when affliction increased upon them, He lead them out of Egypt. God manifested this patience of His spirit; first He chastised them because they had rejected Moses, and secondly because they had completed the sins of the Amorites. He exceeded that which had been promised to Abraham and added thirty years to the people, and He had patience with the Amorites seventy years, thirty in Egypt and forty in the desert. And when the four hundred and thirty was completed, and the forty years for the consummation of the iniquities of the Amorites, He brought them into the land of promise.

Know moreover, beloved, that there is no law for God. For sometimes He increases and diminishes, and sometimes He adds to because it is little. For in the days of Noah on account of the sins of men He promised that the days of men should be one hundred and twenty years, and in the six hundredth year of the years of the life of Noah He destroyed them. For He said: "A hundred and twenty years they shall be upon the earth." And in the six hundredth year of the years of the life of Noah they were destroyed, and he took away these twenty years. And again it is written that when iniquity increased the sins of the house of Ephraim, when Jeroboam ruled over them, the son of Nebat, that he sinned and caused Israel to sin, and when they sinned He promised in their behalf by the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet, who said to them that after sixty-five years He will cut off Ephraim from the people. This word was in the first year of Ahaz, and in the fourth year of Hezekiah Shalmanasar, King of Assyria ('Ôtûr), came up against them, and after him Taglathphalasar, and he carried them into exile from their land. For Ahaz reigned over them sixteen years, and in the fourth year of Hezekiah the kings of Assyria ruled over them; so there were only twenty years and He cut off Ephraim from the people of Israel, and He took away from them forty-five years, and this time which at first He had appointed He did not complete according to that which He had decreed.

10.

It was not as though it were unknown that He had promised in their behalf that things should be thus, and then the years were diminished and also were increased, but as known; for He knew the measure of that which was to come, and on account of His mercies He gave a time for repentance that men might be without excuse; and men despised the longsuffering of God, and when they

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heard that there was much time until the wrath which was promised should come, becoming bold they sinned before Him and said: "That which the prophets say is prophesied for a remote time." On account of this when there arose a disputing concerning these things in the days of Ezekiel the prophet and they said: "That which hath been prophesied is for a remote time," He said to Ezekiel: "As I live," saith the Lord of dominions, "there shall not again be a delay to My words, for the word which I shall speak I shall shortly accomplish." And He cut off that which He had foretold, to give to men a time for repentance, that perhaps they might repent; but they despised the longsuffering of God and did not repent, and He also changed the time which He had appointed and decreed to them. And it was not done as if it were not known, but as it is written: "Woe to him that destroyeth! Ye were not destroyed; and who hath spoken falsely, and He did not speak falsely against you. For when ye have wished to destroy ye have been destroyed, and when ye have wished to speak falsely it hath been spoken falsely against you." Again it is written in Jeremiah: "If I shall speak against a people and against a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy them and to cause them to perish, and that nation shall turn from its wickedness, I also will make false My word, and I will turn away from them everything which I have spoken against them." Again Jeremiah said: "If I shall speak concerning a people and concerning a kingdom to build and to plant, and that people shall do iniquity before Me, I also will make false My word, and I will turn from it the good thing which I have spoken to benefit it."

11.

Now, beloved, all these things have I written to thee because in what was said before, that is in the former discourse concerning faith, I have shown thee that in faith may be placed the foundation of this covenant in which we are established; and in this second discourse which I have written to thee I have reminded thee that all the law and the prophets depend upon two commandments, those which our Saviour spoke, and in these two commandments are included all the law and the prophets. And in the law faith is included, and by faith true love is established, which is from those two commandments, that after a man loves the Lord his God he shall cherish his neighbor as himself.

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12.

Now hear, beloved, concerning the love which is produced from those two commandments. For when our Life-giver came He showed the eagerness of love, for He said to His disciples: "This is My commandment that ye love one another." And again He said to them: "A new commandment I give you, that ye love one another." And again, when making clear concerning love, thus He warned them: "Love your enemies, and bless him who curses you; pray for those who deal hardly with you and persecute you." And this again He said to them: "If ye love him who loves you what is your reward? For if thou lovest him who loves thee thus also do the Gentiles, who loves them they love him." Again our Life-giver said: "If ye do good to him who does good unto you what is your reward? thus also do the publicans and sinners. But ye, because ye are called sons of God who is in heaven, be ye like Him who showeth mercy also upon those who renounce goodness." Again our Saviour said: "Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you; loose, and ye shall loosed; give, and it shall be given you." Again He spoke and put fear in us: "Unless ye forgive men who sin against you their sins, neither will the Father forgive you." For thus He warned and said: "If thy brother shall sin against thee, forgive him; and even if he shall sin against thee seven times in one day, forgive him."

13.

And when Simon Peter (Kipho) heard this word he said to our Lord: "How many times, if my brother sin against me, shall I forgive him? Seven times?" Our Lord said to him: "Not only seven, but until seventy times seven (and) seven." Even if he shall sin against thee four hundred and ninety times, forgive him in one day" (this sentence has the particle indicating a quotation). And He is likened to His good Father who multiplied His forgiveness upon Jerusalem when He caused the children of Israel to go into captivity to Babylon, He scattered them seventy years, and when His mercies were revealed He brought them together to their land by means of Ezra the scribe, and He increased forgiveness unto them by the division of His day (which is) seventy weeks of years (cf. Ps. 90:4), four hundred and ninety years. And when they shed innocent blood He did not again exempt them on account of Jerusalem, but He delivered it over into the hands of its enemies, and they rooted it up, and they did not leave in it stone upon stone, and they did not leave its foundations for the

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Lord. And He did not say to the children of Edom that vengeance should be recompensed them because they did not cry out against Jerusalem, "reveal it, reveal it, even to its foundations." But God by the division of His day forgave four hundred and ninety years, and He bore their iniquities; and then He rooted it up, and also He delivered Jerusalem into the hands of strangers. So our Life-giver commanded them that in one day a man should forgive his brother four hundred and ninety times.

14.

But be not offended, beloved, by the word which is written unto thee, that by the division of His day God spared Jerusalem; for thus it is written by David in the ninetieth Psalms: "A thousand years in the eyes of the Lord are as a day which was completed and has passed away." And also our learned teachers say thus, that in the similitude of six days God made the world, and for the consummation of the world six thousand years were appointed, and there was to be a Sabbath of God in the similitude of the Sabbath which was after the six days, as our Saviour revealed and showed us concerning the Sabbath, for He spake thus: "Pray that your flight may not be in the Winter or on the Sabbath." And also the Apostle said: "There remaineth still a Sabbath of God. Let us give diligence also that we may enter into its rest."

15.

Again when our Lord taught a prayer to His disciples, He said to them: "Thus shall ye pray, Forgive us our debts, and also we shall forgive our debtors." And again He said: "When thou desirest to offer an oblation, and thou rememberest that thou hast anger against thy brother, go away and be reconciled with thy brother, and then come (and) offer thy oblation." Lest when a man prayeth: "Forgive us our debts, and also we will forgive our debtors," he should be ensnared out of his own mouth, and it should be said to him by Him who receiveth prayers, thou thyself has not forgiven thy debtor, how shall it be forgiven to thee? And thy prayer shall remain upon the earth. And again our Lord shows us an example of that man who began to take a reckoning from his servants, and when his servant came into his presence who owed him ten thousand talents, and when his lord urged him that he give him what he owed him, and when he was unable to pay his debt to his lord, his lord commanded to release him and forgave him all that he owed. When that servant in his wickedness did not remember the forgiveness of his lord, how much he had

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multiplied forgiveness towards him, and when he went forth he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred pence, and he held him, and choked him, and said to him, give me what thou owest me; and he did not receive the prayer which his fellow-servant asked from him, but going away he bound him in prison. And because he to whom much had been forgiven did not forgive his fellow-servant a little, he was given up to the officers who beat him until he gave what he owed. And He said to them: "Thus will My Father who is in heaven do to you if ye do not forgive each one his brother."

16.

See again, beloved, how greatly the blessed Apostle magnified love when he said: "If ye are zealous of great gifts I will show you what is a more excellent gift." And he said: "If I have prophecy, and know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and all faith, so that I might remove a mountain, and love is not in me, I have gained nothing. And if I give all that I have to the poor to eat, and also deliver my body that it may be burnt, and love is not in me, again I have gained nothing." For he spake thus: "Love, its spirit is long-suffering and kind, and not envious, and also it is not boastful, and it is not puffed up, and does not seek anything which is pleasant for itself alone, but what is expedient for many. Love hopeth all things, suffereth all things, love is never cast down." Again he said: "Love is greater than all things." And the Apostle shows and demonstrates that after faith love excels, and on it a firm building has been established. And he shows prophecy to be built upon love, and mysteries to be made known by love, and knowledge to be fulfilled by love, and faith to be confirmed by love; and he who having faith moves a mountain, but has not love, profits nothing; and if a man give all that he has to the poor and his alms are not given in love, there is no advantage to him; and even if for the name of his Lord his body has been burnt in the fire, he has been in no wise profited. And again he shows that long-suffering, and patience, and kindness, and for a man not to envy his brother, these things are found in the fulness of love; and also patience, and humility and sweetness have been established in him by love. For faith has been erected upon the rock of a structure, and love is the bonds of the structure, and by it the walls of the house have been held together. And if a defect is found in the bonds of the house the whole structure

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will fall; so also when dissention is found in love all faith falls. And faith was not able to drive away jealousy and contention until the love of Christ came, just as a structure cannot be well built until the walls have been fastened by bonds.

17.

Again I will show thee, beloved, that love is more excellent than anything else, and by it the righteous ones of the old times were perfected. For it (i. e. the Scripture) shows concerning Moses that he gave himself in behalf of the sons of his people, and he wished that he might be blotted out of the book of life (if) only the people might not be blotted out. And also when they rose up against him to stone him, he offered up prayer before God in their behalf that they might be saved. And David also showed an example of love when he was persecuted by Saul, and a trap was continually set for his life so that they might kill him, and David by love was generously performing acts of mercies in behalf of Saul his enemy, who was seeking his life; and he was twice delivered into the hands of David, and he did not kill him and repaid good in place of evil. Because of this good did not depart from his house, and he who forsook him was forsaken. And Saul who repaid evil in place of good, evil did not depart from his house, and He called to God and He did not answer him, and he fell by the sword of the Philistines, and David wept over him bitterly. And David fulfilled beforehand the precept of our Saviour, who said: "Love your enemies," and "forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you." Thus David loved and was loved, and forgave and it was forgiven unto him.

18.

And Elisha also showed love in respect to this, when his enemies came against him to take him so that they might do evil to him, and he, doing good to them, set forth bread and water before them and sent them away from him in peace; and he fulfilled the word which is written: "If thine enemy is hungry feed him, and if he thirsts give him to drink." And also Jeremiah the prophet in behalf of those who made him a captive in a pit and were continually putting him to torture, but he also prayed ardently for them before God. And it was (by) this example of those who went before (that) our Saviour taught us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who hate us. And if He commanded us to love our enemies and to pray for those who hate us, what shall be our excuse to Him in the day of judgment, who have hated our brothers and

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our own members? Because we are of the Body of Christ and members of His members. For he who hates one of the members of Christ will be separated from the whole body, and he who hates his brother will be separated from the sons of God.

19.

And it was thus that our Saviour taught us diligently to manifest love. For first He perfected it in Himself, and then He taught those who heard Him. And He reconciled our enmity with His Father because He loved us, and He yielded up His innocence in the stead of the debtors, and the Good in place of the evil ones was put to shame, and the Rich in our behalf was made poor, and the Living died in behalf of the dead, and by His death made alive our death. And the Son of the Lord of all took for our sake the form of a servant, and He to whom all things were subject subjected Himself that He might release us from the subjection of sin. And by His great love He gave a blessing to the poor in spirit, and He promised the peace makers they should be called His brothers and sons of God; and He promised the humble that they should inherit the land of life; and He promised the mourners that by their supplications they would be comforted; and He promised to the hungry fulness in His kingdom; and to those who weep that they should rejoice in His promise; and He promised to the merciful that they should be shown mercy; and to these who are pure in heart He said that they should see God; and again He promised to those who are persecuted on account of righteousness that they should go into the kingdom of heaven; and to those who are persecuted on account of His Name He promised a blessing and rest in His kingdom. And He changed our nature of dust and made us the salt of truth, and He delivered us from being the prey of the serpent, and He called us the light of the world; and He delivered us from the power of death; and He made us good instead of evil, and pleasing instead of hateful; and He appointed for us mercy instead of hatred; and He imparted to us the perfect man; and He brought forth good things from His treasures, and delivered us from him who brought forth evil things from the superfluities of his heart.

20.

And because of His overflowing love He healed the plagues of the sick; He healed also the son of the centurion because of his faith; and He silenced the waves of the sea by His power; and because of His favor He drove from us the evil spirits who were legion; and by His mercy He restored to life the daughter of the ruler of the

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synagogue; and again He cleansed the woman from the pollution of blood; and He opened the eyes of two blind men who had come to Him; and also He gave to the Twelve power and authority over all disease and infirmity, and also to us by their hands. And He prohibited us from the way of the Gentiles and of the Samaritans. And He gave power to us by His mercy that we might not fear when they brought us before the rulers of the world. And He set a division in the earth because of His great peace. And He forgave the many sins to the woman who was a sinner because of His mercies. And He made us worthy because of His grace that we might build a tower at His expense (S. Lk. XIV: 28; here there appears to be a certain play upon words; tower, magdol, being suggested by the reference to S. Mary Magdalene in the preceding sentence). And He cast out from us unclean spirits, and He made us a lodging place of His divinity, and sowed in us a good seed which should give fruit a hundredfold, and sixtyfold and thirtyfold. And He was placed in the midst of the world in the likeness of a treasure which is put in a field. And He manifested the power of His greatness when He was cast down from on high to the depth and was not harmed. And He satisfied the hungry who had grown faint with five loaves and two fishes, five thousand men besides woman and children, and manifested the greatness of His glory. And on account of His abundant love He heard the Canaanitish woman and raised up her daughter from her infirmity. And by the power of Him who sent Him He loosed the tongue of the man who was dumb, and who was also deaf; and the blind saw His light, and by means of Him they glorified Him who had sent Him. And when He went up into the mountain to pray the rays of the sun were overcome by His light. And He made His power known in the case of that boy upon whom a spirit had come, and at His word the demon went away. And He gave us an example and a pattern that we should become as children and enter the kingdom of heaven. And He spoke and made clear concerning the little ones that a man should not despise them, that their angels always see the Father who is in heaven. And again He showed His healing perfectly in the case of that man who was infirm thirty-eight years, and He magnified His mercy towards him and healed him. And again He gave us a command, that weshould forsake the world and be turned to Him; and He revealed to us that he who is a lover of the world is not able

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to be pleasing to God, by the example of the rich man who trusted in his goods; and by the case of that man who was made merry by his riches, and his destruction was in sheol, and he asked for water on the tip of his little finger, and no man gave to him. And He hired us as laborers that we should work in His vineyard, which is the vineyard of truth. All these things our Saviour did unto us because of His great love. And we also, beloved, should be partakers of the love of Christ, while we love one another and fulfil these two commandments, on which hang all the law and the prophets.

The Demonstration Concerning Love Is Completed.

This text was transcribed by Roger Pearse,

2006. All material on this page is in the public domain - copy freely.

Early Church Fathers - Additional Texts

Aphrahat, Demonstration VII: On Penitents. Journal of the

Society of Oriental Research 16 (1932) pp.43-56

APHRAATES ON PENITENTS

Translated by Frank H. Hallock.

Nashotah House, Nashotah, Wisconsin.

(The following Homily, issued in 336-337 A.D., is especially valuable for

its advanced teaching on the administration of penance and on pastoral care;

there is nothing in either Greek or Latin Patristic literature of an equally

early date which is quite so precise on either of these subjects).

Of all those who are

begotten, who have put on a body, there is only One innocent, that is our Lord

Jesus Christ; just as He bore witness concerning Himself, for He said: "I

have overcome the world" (S. John 16: 33). And the prophet also bore

witness con-cerning Him: "He did not iniquity, neither was guile found in

His mouth" (Mal. 2: 6). And the blessed Apostle said: "He who had not

known sin made Himself sin in our behalf" (2 Cor. 5; 21). And how did He

make Himself sin? if not because of His taking sin, when He Himself had not

committed it, and His nailing it on His cross. Again the Apostle said:

"There are many who run in the race course, but one received the crown (1

Cor. 9: 24). Furthermore, there is no other of the sons of Adam who, descending

into the contest, has not been smitten and beaten; for sin has reigned from (the

time) that Adam transgressed against the commandment; and from the many it (sin)

had beaten, and the many it had smitten, and the many it had killed, there was

not a man from the many (that) it had not destroyed, until our Saviour came, and

took it, and nailed it on His cross. And even when it was nailed on the cross

there was (still) its sting, and it will sting many until the end, and (then)

its sting will be broken.

For all diseases

there are medicines, and there will be healing when a skilled physician shall

have found them. And for those who have been smitten in our conflict there is

the medicine of penitence, and those who apply it to their wounds are healed. O

physicians! disciples of our wise Physician, take to yourselves this remedy,

that

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by it ye may heal the wounds of

the sick. For warriors who are smitten in battle at the hands of one who is

fighting with them, when they have found for themselves a skillful physician,

give themselves over to him for their healing, that he may make whole the parts

where they have been wounded. And when a physician heals him who has been

smitten in battle, he receives gifts and honor from the king. So, beloved, he

who is laboring in our conflict, and his enemy comes against him and smites him,

it is fitting to give to him the medicine of penitence, when the repentance of

him who has been smitten has become great. For God does not reject the penitent,

for Ezekiel the prophet said: "I take no delight in the death which the

sinner dieth, but that he may turn from his evil way and live" (33:11).

For he who is wounded

in battle is not ashamed to give himself into the hands of a skillful physician

in order that he may overcome that which befell him (in) battle; and the king

does not reject him who has been healed, but numbers and considers him with his

army. So the man whom Satan has smitten ought not to be ashamed to confess his

sin, and depart from it, and entreat for himself the medicine of penitence. For

gangrene comes to the wound of him who is ashamed to show it, and harm comes to

his whole body; and he who is not ashamed has his wound healed, and again

returns to go down into the conflict. And he who becomes gangrenous is not able

to be healed, and may not put on again the arms which he laid aside. So for him

who has been conquered in our conflict there is this way that he may be healed,

when he shall say "I have sinned", and shall entreat penitence. And he

who is ashamed is not able to be healed, because he does not wish to make known

to the physician who receives two pennies (perhaps an allusion to S. Luke 10:35)

his wounds, that by his means all the places where he has been smitten may be

healed.

And to you physicians

also, disciples of our illustrious Physician, it is fitting that you should not

withhold healing from him who needs healing. Whosoever shows his wound to you,

give to him the medicine of penitence; and whosoever is ashamed to show his

disease, ye shall exhort him not to conceal from you, and when he has revealed

to you do not publish it, lest by means of it the innocent also should be

considered as debtors by enemies and those who hate (them). The line of battle

where the slain are falling is considered by their enemies the weakest of them

all. And when those who are

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smitten

are found among them, those who have not been smitten bind up their wounds, and

there is no revealing of their condition to the enemy. But if it is made known

to everyone about them the whole army bears a bad name; and also the king, the

leader of the army, is angry with those who exposed his army, and they are

smitten with wounds which are worse than those of the ones who were smitten in

battle.

But if those who have

been smitten are not willing to show their wounds the physicians are not liable

to any blame, because they did not heal the infirm who have been smitten. And if

those who have been smitten are desiring to hide their wounds, they will not

again be able to wear arms on account of the gangrene contracted in their

bodies. And while there is gangrene in them, and they attempt to wear arms, when

they are going down to engage in conflict, their arms will become hot upon them,

and their wounds will become corrupt and putrified, and they will be killed. And

when the corpses of those who have hidden from them their wounds are found, then

all the shame of those who have concealed the wounds of their smiting is laughed

at; and their corpses also will not be committed to a grave, and they will be

regarded as fools, and evil, and ignorant.

And also the one who

showing his wound has been healed is careful of the place which has been healed

that he may not be struck in it a second time. For the healing of him who has

been smitten a second time will be difficult for a skilled physician, for the

wound which is in the scar will not have been healed completely; and also,

although it may be healed again, he will not be able to wear arms, and when he

shall venture to wear arms he will be taking to himself a kind of condemnation.

O you who have put on

the arms of Christ! learn the arts of war, lest ye be conquered and thrown down

in the battle. Our enemy is cunning and skillful, but his arms are weaker than

ours. Therefore it is right for us to engage (in battle) with him, and to take

away his arms, being vigilant in sleep; for he is not visible to us when he is

fighting with us. We turn unto Him who sees him, that He may take him away from

us.

Also I counsel you

who have been smitten that ye be not ashamed to say : "We have fallen in

the battle." Receive the medicine which is without price, and repent, and

live, before ye are slain. Also I remind you physicians of that which is written

in the

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Scriptures of our wise

Physician, that He does not forbid repentance. For when Adam had sinned He

called him to repentance when He said to him: "Adam, where art thou?"

(Gen. 3: 8). And he, hiding his sin from Him who beholds the heart, laid the

blame upon Eve who had deceived him. And because he did not confess his sin

death was decreed against him and against all his offspring. And Cain also was

full of guile, and sacrifice was not accepted from him; and He gave to him (a

place) of repentance, and he did not accept. For He said to him: "if thou

hadst done well I would have accepted thy sacrifice; but thou hast not done well

and thy sin will accompany thee" (Gen. 4: 7). And in the guile of his heart

he slew his brother and was accursed, "and he was trembling and wandering

on the earth" (Gen. 4: 12). And also to the generation in the days of Noah

he gave one hundred and twenty years for repentance; and they were not willing

to repent and, one hundred years being completed, He destroyed them.

¡Pregunta al fraile!

I

, I

APHRAATES ON FAITH.

the first commandment it was unable to keep the remaining nine, because the nine

DE CARITATE

TRANSLATED FROM THE SYRIAC OF APHRAATES

APHRAATES ON PENITENTS

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