The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete

by Archbishop illiam ake

This eBook is for the use of anyone any!here at no cost and !ith
almost no restrictions !hatsoe"er# $ou may copy it, gi"e it a!ay or
re%use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg &icense included
!ith this eBook or online at !!!#gutenberg#net
Title' The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Complete
Author' Archbishop ake
(elease )ate' )ecember *+, ,--. /EBook 012*13
&anguage' English
Character set encoding' A4C55
666 4TA(T 7F T854 P(79ECT G:TE;BE(G EB77< T8E F7(B5))E; G74PE&4 666
Produced by )a"id idger !ith additional proofing by Curtis A# eyant
T8E
4:PP(E44E)
G74PE&4 A;) EP54T&E4
7F T8E 7(5G5;A&
;E TE4TA=E;T
7F
9E4:4 T8E C8(54T
A;) 7T8E( P7(T57;4 7F T8E A;C5E;T 87&$ 4C(5PT:(E4#
;7 E>TA;T, ATT(5B:TE) T7
854 AP74T&E4, A;) T8E5( )54C5P&E4,
A;) ?E;E(ATE) B$ T8E P(5=5T5?E C8(54T5A; C8:(C8E4 ):(5;G
T8E F5(4T F7:( CE;T:(5E4,
B:T 45;CE, AFTE( ?57&E;T )54P:TAT57;4
F7(B5))E; B$ T8E
B5487P4 7F T8E ;5CE;E C7:;C5&,
5; T8E (E5G; 7F T8E E=PE(7( C7;4TA;T5;E
A;) 7=5TTE) F(7= T8E CAT87&5C4 A;) P(7TE4TA;T
E)5T57;4 7F T8E ;E TE4TA=E;T, B$ 5T4 C7=P5&E(4
T(A;4&ATE) F(7= T8E 7(5G5;A& T7;G:E4, 5T8 854T7(5CA&
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E5( A:T8E;T5C5T$,
B$
A(C8B5487P A<E
A;) 7T8E(
&EA(;E) )5?5;E4
T8E 7()E( 7F A&& T8E
F7(B5))E; B77<4 7F T8E ;E TE4TA=E;T
5T8 T8E5( P(7PE( ;A=E4, A;) ;:=BE( 7F C8APTE(4
C7;TE;T4'
=ary
Prote"angelion
5# 5nfancy
55# 5nfancy
;icodemus
Christ and Abgarus
&aodiceans
Paul and 4eneca
Acts of Paul and Thecla
5# Clement
55# Clement
Barnabas
Ephesians
=agnesians
Trallians
(omans
Philadelphians
4myrnaeans
Polycarp
Philippians
5# 8ermas%%?isions
55# 8ermas%%Commands
555# 8ermas%%4imilitudes
P(EFACE#
To uphold the @right of pri"ate judgment,@ and our @Christian liberty !here!ith Christ
hath made us freeA@ to add fuel to the fire of in"estigation, and in the crucible of
deep inBuiry, melt from the gold of pure religion, the dross of manCs in"entionA to
appeal from the erring tribunals of a fallible Priesthood, and restore to its original
state the mutilated Testament of the 4a"iourA also to induce all earnest thinkers to
search not a part, but the !hole of the 4criptures, if therein they think they !ill
find eternal lifeA 5, as an ad"ocate of free thought and untrammelled opinion, dispute
the authority of those uncharitable, bickering, and ignorant Ecclesiastics !ho first
suppressed these gospels and epistlesA and 5 join issue !ith their Catholic and
Protestant successors !ho ha"e since eDcluded them from the ;e! Testament, of !hich
they formed a partA and !ere "enerated by the Primiti"e Churches, during the first four
hundred years of the Christian Era#
=y opposition is based on t!o groundsA first, the right of e"ery rational being to
become a @Priest unto himself,@ and by the test of enlightened reason, to form his o!n
unbiased judgment of all things natural and spiritual' second, that the reputation of
the Bishops !ho eDtracted these books from the original ;e! Testament, under the
pretence of being Apocryphal, and forbade them to be read by the people, is pro"ed by
authentic impartial history too odious to entitle them to any deference#
4ince the ;icene Council, by a pious fraud, !hich 5 shall further allude to, suppressed
these books, se"eral of them ha"e been reissued from time to time by "arious
translators, !ho differed considerably in their "ersions, as the historical references
attached to them in the follo!ing pages !ill demonstrate# But to the late =r# illiam
8one !e are indebted for their complete publication for the first time in one "olume,
about the year *+,-A !hich edition, diligently re"ised, and purified of many errors
both in the teDt and the notes attached thereto, 5 ha"e re%published in numbers to
enable all classes of the nation to purchase and peruse them# As, ho!e"er, instead of
being called by their o!n designation @Apocryphal,@ E!hich yet remains to be pro"edF,
they !ere re%entitled T8E F7(B5))E; B77<4, and, from communications recei"ed, appear to
ha"e agitated a portion of the great mass of ignorant bigotry !hich mars the fair form
of (eligion in these sect%ridden dominions, 5 ha"e modified the title to its present
shape !ith the hope that in spite of illiberal clerical influence, my fello! Christians
!ill read and in!ardly digest the sublime precepts they inculcateA%%as pure, as holy,
and as charitable as those principles of Christianity taught in the 4criptures theyA
no! read by permissionA although their minds may, after mature reflection, doubt the
truth of the miraculous records therein gi"en#
To ensure these Gospels and Epistles an unprejudiced and serious attention, !hich they
are entitled to, eBually !ith those no! patroniGed by Church authority, 5 !ill briefly
refer to that disgraceful epoch in (oman Ecclesiastical Annals, !hen the ;e! Testament
!as mutilated, and priestly craft !as employed for eDcluding these books from its
pages#
87;E, in the preface to his first edition of the Apocryphal ;e! Testament, so called,
!ithout satisfactory grounds, by the Council of ;ice, in the reign of the Emperor
Constantine, thus opens the subject'%%
@After the !ritings contained in the ;e! Testament !ere selected from the numerous
Gospels and Epistles then in eDistence, !hat became of the Books that !ere rejected by
the compilersH@
This Buestion naturally occurs on e"ery in"estigation as to the period !hen and the
persons by !hom the ;e! Testament !as formed# 5t has been supposed by many that the
"olume !as compiled by the first Council of ;ice, !hich, according to 9ortin E(em# on
Eccl# "ol# ii# p# *IIF, originated thus' AleDander, Bishop of AleDandria, and Arius,
!ho !as a presbyter in his diocese, disputed together about the nature of ChristA and
the bishop being displeased at the notions of Arius, and finding that they !ere adopted
by other persons, @!as "ery angry#@ 8e commanded Arius to come o"er to his sentiments,
and to Buit his o!nA as if a man could change his opinions as easily as he can change
his coatJ 8e then called a Council of ar, consisting of nearly, a hundred bishops, and
deposed, eDcommunicated, and anathematiGed Arius, and !ith him se"eral ecclesiastics,
t!o of !hom !ere bishops# Constantine sent a letter, in !hich he reprimanded the
bishops for disturbing the church !ith their insignificant disputes# But the affair !as
gone too far to be thus composed# To settle this and other points, the ;icene Council
!as summoned, consisting of about K*+ bishops# The first thing they did !as to Buarrel,
and to eDpress their resentments, and to present accusations to the Emperor against one
another# @The Emperor burnt all their libels, and eDhorted them to peace and unity#@
E4ee =osheimCs Eccle# 8ist#F These !ere the kind of spiritual shepherds of !hom
4abinus, the Bishop 8eraclea affirms, that eDcepting Constantine himself, and Eusebius
Pamphilus, they @!ere a set of illiterate creatures, that understood nothing#@ And no!
intelligent Catholics, especially Protestants !ho are content to read only the books of
the Testament authoriGed by the Council of ;ice, and agreed to e"er since by your o!n
bishops, although they and you profess to dissent from the Papacy, hear !hat Pappus in
his 4ynodican to that Council says of their crafty contri"ance !hen they separated the
books of the original ;e! Testament'%%8e tells us, that ha"ing @promiscuously put all
the books that !ere referred to the Council for deliberation under the communion%table
in a church, they besought the &ord that the inspired !ritings might get on the table,
!hile the spurious ones remained underneathA and that it happened accordinglyJ@
E4ee Com# =aceCs ;# T# p# +I2#F
Therefore, good reader, e"ery Christian sect from the fourth century to the present
period, ha"e been blessed !ith the books that climbed upon the communion%table, and in
conseBuence !ere deemed inspired and canonicalA at the same time ha"e been forbidden to
read the Gospels and Epistles herein published, because they could not perform the same
feat, but remained under the table, and !ere condemned accordingly, as uninspired and
apocryphal !ritings# 5f you belie"e this popish legend, you !ill not read the good
books 5 lay before you, but still continue to possess only 8A&F T8E TE4TA=E;T, instead
of the PE(FECT 7;E, !hich !ill enable you to burst the trammels of priestcraft, and by
the light of GodCs !hole truth become free# 5n conclusion, 5 implore you to eDamine for
yoursel"es, and obser"e the testimony of Archbishop ake and other learned di"ines and
historians appended theretoA and subscribe myself,
$our !ell%!isher,
E)A() 8A;C7C<#
F7(B5))E; B77<4
7F T8E
;E TE4TA=E;T#
T8E G74PE& 7F T8E B5(T8 7F =A($#
C8APTE( 5#
* The Parentage of =ary#
I 9oachim her father, and Anna her mother,
go to 9erusalem to the feast of the dedication#
L 5ssachar, the high priest, reproaches 9oachim
for being childless#
T8E blessed and e"er glorious
?irgin =ary, sprung from
the royal race and family of )a"id,
!as born in the city of ;aGareth,
and educated at 9erusalem, in the
temple of the &ord#
, 8er fatherCs name !as 9oachim,
and her motherCs Anna#
The family of her father !as of
Galilee and the city of ;aGareth#
The family of her mother !as of
Bethlehem#
K Their li"es !ere plain and
right in the sight of the &ord,
pious and faultless before menA
for they di"ided all their substance
into three partsA
. 7ne of !hich they de"oted to
the temple and officers of the
templeA another they distributed
among strangers, and persons in
poor circumstancesA and the third
they reser"ed for themsel"es and
the uses of their o!n family#
2 5n this manner they li"ed for
about t!enty years chastely, in the
fa"our of God, and the esteem of
men, !ithout any children#
1 But they "o!ed, if God should
fa"our them !ith any issue, they
!ould de"ote it to the ser"ice of
the &ordA on !hich account they
!ent at e"ery feast in the year to
the temple of the &ord#
I And it came to pass, that
!hen the feast of the dedication
dre! near, 9oachim, !ith some
others of his tribe, !ent up to
9erusalem, and at that time,
5sachar !as high%priestA
+ ho, !hen he sa! 9oachim
along !ith the rest of his
neighbours, bringing his offerings,
despised both him and his offerings,
and asked him,
L hy he, !ho had no children,
!ould presume to appear among
those !ho hadH Adding, that his
offerings could ne"er be acceptable
to God, !ho !as judged by him
un!orthy to ha"e childrenA the
4cripture ha"ing said, Cursed is
e"ery one !ho shall not beget a
male in 5srael#
*- 8e further said, that he ought
first to be free from that curse by
begetting some issue, and then
come !ith his offerings into the
presence of God#
** But 9oachim being much
confounded !ith the shame of such
reproach, retired to the shepherds
!ho !ere !ith the cattle in their
pasturesA
*, For he !as not inclined to
return home, lest his neighbours,
!ho !ere present and heard all
this from the high%priest, should
publicly reproach him in the same
manner#
C8APTE( 55#
* An angel appears to 9oachim,
L and informs him that Anna shall concei"e and
bring forth a daughter, !ho shall be called =ary,
** be brought up in the temple,
*, and !hile yet a "irgin, in a !ay unparalleled,
bring forth the 4on of God'
*K Gi"es him a sign,
*. and departs#
B:T !hen he had been there for
some time, on a certain day
!hen he !as alone, the angel
of the &ord stood by him !ith
a prodigious light#
, To !hom, being troubled at
the appearance, the angel !ho had
appeared to him, endea"ouring to
compose him, said'
K Be not afraid, 9oachim, nor
troubled at the sight of me, for
5 am an angel of the &ord sent by
him to you, that 5 might inform
you that your prayers are heard,
and your alms ascended in the
sight of God#
. For he hath surely seen your
shame, and heard you unjustly
reproached for not ha"ing children'
for God is the a"enger of sin,
and not of natureA
2 And so !hen he shuts the
!omb of any person, he does it for
this reason, that he may in a more
!onderful manner again open it,
and that !hich is born appear to
be not the product of lust, but the
gift of God#
1 For the first mother of your
nation, 4arah, !as she not barren
e"en till her eightieth year' and
yet e"en in the end of her old age
brought forth 5saac, in !hom the
promise !as made of a blessing to
all nations#
I (achel, also, so much in
fa"our !ith God, and belo"ed so
much by holy 9acob, continued
barren for a long time, yet
after!ards !as the mother of 9oseph,
!ho !as not only go"ernor of
Egypt, but deli"ered many nations
from perishing !ith hunger#
+ ho among the judges !as
more "aliant than 4ampson, or more
holy than 4amuelH And yet both
their mothers !ere barren#
L But if reason !ill not con"ince
you of the truth of my !ords, that
there are freBuent conceptions in
ad"anced years, and that those
!ho !ere barren ha"e brought forth
to their great surpriseA therefore
Anna your !ife shall bring you a
daughter, and you shall call her
name =aryA
*- 4he shall, according to your
"o!, be de"oted to the &ord from
her infancy, and be filled !ith the
8oly Ghost from her motherCs
!ombA
** 4he shall neither eat nor
drink any thing !hich is unclean,
nor shall her con"ersation be
!ithout among the common people,
but in the temple of the &ordA
that so she may not fall under any
slander or suspicion of !hat is bad#
*, 4o in the process of her
years, as she shall be in a
miraculous manner born of one that
!as barren, so she shall, !hile yet
a "irgin, in a !ay unparalleled,
bring forth the 4on of the most
8igh God, !ho shall, be called
9esus, and, according to the
signification of his name, be the
4a"iour of all nations#
*K And this shall be a sign to
you of the things !hich 5 declare,
namely, !hen you come to the
golden gate of 9erusalem, you
shall there meet your !ife Anna,
!ho being "ery much troubled
that you returned no sooner, shall
then rejoice to see you#
*. hen the angel had said this,
he departed from him#
C8APTE( 555#
* The angel appears to AnnaA
, tells her a daughter shall be born unto her,
K de"oted to the ser"ice of the &ord in the temple,
2, !ho, being a "irgin, and not kno!ing man,
shall bring forth the &ord,
1 and gi"es her a sign therefore#
+ 9oachim and Anna meet, and rejoice,
*- and praise the &ord#
** Anna concei"es, and brings forth a daughter called =ary#
AFTE(A()4 the angel appeared
to Anna his !ife, sayingA
Fear not, neither think that
!hich you see is a spiritA
, For 5 am that angel !ho hath
offered up your prayers and alms
before God, and am no! sent to
you, that 5 may inform you, that
a daughter !ill be born unto you,
!ho shall be called =ary, and
shall be blessed abo"e all !omen#
K 4he shall be, immediately
upon her birth, full of the grace of
the &ord, and shall continue during
the three years of her !eaning
in her fatherCs house, and after!ards,
being de"oted to the ser"ice of the &ord,
shall not depart from the temple,
till she arri"e to years of discretion#
. 5n a !ord, she shall there
ser"e the &ord night and day in
fasting and prayer, shall abstain
from e"ery unclean thing, and
ne"er kno! any manA
2 But, being an unparalleled instance
!ithout any pollution or defilement,
and a "irgin not kno!ing any man,
shall ring forth a son, and a maid
shall bring forth the &ord, !ho
both by his grace and name and !orks,
shall be the 4a"iour of the !orld#
1 Arise therefore, and go up to
9erusalem, and !hen you shall
come to that !hich is called the
golden gate Ebecause it is gilt !ith
goldF, as a sign of !hat 5 ha"e told
you, you shall meet your husband,
for !hose safety you ha"e been so
much concerned#
I hen therefore you find these
things thus accomplished, belie"e
that all the rest !hich 5 ha"e told
you, shall also undoubtedly be
accomplished#
+ According therefore to the
command of the angel, both of
them left the places !here they
!ere, and !hen they came to the
place specified in the angels
prediction, they met each other#
L Then, rejoicing at each otherCs
"ision, and being fully satisfied in
the promise of a child, they ga"e
due thanks to the &ord, !ho eDalts
the humble#
*- After ha"ing praised the
&ord, they returned home, and
li"ed in a cheerful and assured
eDpectation of the promise of God#
** 4o Anna concei"ed, and
brought forth a daughter, and,
according to the angelCs command,
the parents did call her name =ary#
C8APTE( 5?#
* =ary brought to the temple at three years old#
1 Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle#
+ 8er parents sacrifice and return home#
A;) !hen three years !ere
eDpired, and the time of her
!eaning complete, they brought
the ?irgin to the temple of the
&ord !ith offerings#
, And there !ere about the
temple, according to the fifteen
Psalms of degrees, fifteen stairs
to ascend#
K For the temple being built in
a mountain, the altar of burnt%
offering, !hich !as !ithout, could
not be come near but by stairsA
. The parents of the blessed
?irgin and infant =ary put her
upon one of these stairsA
2 But !hile they !ere putting
off their clothes, in !hich they had
tra"elled, and according to custom
putting on some that !ere more
neat and clean,
1 5n the mean time the ?irgin
of the &ord in such a manner !ent
up all the stairs one after another,
!ithout the help of any to lead her
or lift her, that any one !ould ha"e
judged from hence, that she !as of
perfect age#
I Thus the &ord did, in the
infancy of his ?irgin, !ork this
eDtraordinary !ork, and e"idence by
this miracle ho! great she !as like
to be hereafter#
+ But the parents ha"ing offered
up their sacrifice, according to the
custom of the la!, and perfected
their "o!, left the ?irgin !ith
other "irgins in the apartments of
the temple, !ho !ere to be brought
up there, and they returned home#
C8APTE( ?#
, =ary ministered unto by angels#
. The high priest orders all "irgins of fourteen
years old to Buit the temple and endea"our to be married#
2 =ary refuses,
1 ha"ing "o!ed her "irginity to the &ord#
I The high%priest commands a meeting of the chief persons of 9erusalem,
** !ho seek the &ord for counsel in the matter#
*K A "oice from the mercy%seat#
*2 The high%priest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried
men of the house of )a"id to bring their rods to the altar,
*I that his rod !hich should flo!er, and on !hich the
4pirit of God should sit, should betroth the ?irgin#
B:T the ?irgin of the &ord, as
she ad"anced in years, increased
also in perfections, and according
to the saying of the Psalmist,
her father and mother forsook her,
but the &ord took care of her#
, For she e"ery day had the
con"ersation of angels, and e"ery
day recei"ed "isitors from God,
!hich preser"ed her from all sorts
of e"il, and caused her to abound
!ith all good thingsA
K 4o that !hen at length she
arri"ed to her fourteenth year, as
the !icked could not lay any thing
to her charge !orthy of reproof,
so all good persons, !ho !ere
acBuainted !ith her, admired her
life and con"ersation#
. At that time the high%priest
made a public order, That all the
"irgins !ho had public settlements
in the temple, and !ere come to
this age, should return home, and,
as they !ere no! of a proper
maturity, should, according to the
custom of their country, endea"our
to be married#
2 To !hich command, though
all the other "irgins readily yielded
obedience, =ary the ?irgin of the
&ord alone ans!ered, that she
could not comply !ith it,
1 Assigning these reasons, that
both she and her parents had
de"oted her to the ser"ice of the
&ordA and besides, that she had
"o!ed "irginity to the &ord,
!hich "o! she !as resol"ed ne"er
to break through by lying !ith a
man#
I The high%priest being hereby
brought into a difficulty,
+ 4eeing he durst neither on the
one hand dissol"e the "o!, and
disobey the 4cripture, !hich says,
?o! and pay,
L ;or on the other hand
introduce a custom, to !hich
the people !ere strangers, commanded,
*- That at the approaching feast
all the principal persons both of
9erusalem and the neighbouring
places should meet together, that
he might ha"e their ad"ice, ho!
he had best proceed in so difficult
a case#
** hen they !ere accordingly
met, they unanimously agreed to
seek the &ord, and ask counsel
from him on this matter#
*, And !hen they !ere all
engaged in prayer, the high%priest
according to the usual !ay, !ent
to consult God#
*K And immediately there !as
a "oice from the ark, and the mercy
seat, !hich all present heard, that
it must be enBuired or sought out
by a prophecy of 5saiah, to !hom
the ?irgin should be gi"en and be
betrothedA
*. For 5saiah saith, there shall
come forth a rod out of the stem of
9esse, and a flo!er shall spring
out of its root,
*2 And the 4pirit of the &ord
shall rest upon him, the 4pirit of
isdom and :nderstanding, the
4pirit of Counsel and =ight, the
4pirit of <no!ledge and Piety,
and the 4pirit of the fear of the
&ord shall fill him#
*1 Then, according to this
prophecy, he appointed, that all
the men of the house and family
of )a"id, !ho !ere marriageable,
and not married, should bring their
se"eral rods to the altar,
*I And out of !hatsoe"er
personCs rod after it !as brought,
a flo!er should bud forth, and on
the top of it the 4pirit of the &ord
should sit in the appearance of a
do"e, he should be the man to
!hom the ?irgin should be gi"en
and be betrothed#
C8APTE( ?5#
* 9oseph dra!s back his rod#
2 The do"e pitches on it# 8e betroths =ary and
returns to Bethlehem#
I =ary returns to her parentsC house at Galilee#
A=7;G the rest there !as a
man named 9oseph of the
house and family of )a"id, and a
person "ery far ad"anced in years,
!ho kept back his rod, !hen e"ery
one besides presented his#
, 4o that !hen nothing appeared
agreeable to the hea"enly "oice,
the high%priest judged it proper to
consult God again#
K ho ans!ered that he to
!hom the ?irgin !as to be
betrothed !as the only person of
those !ho !ere brought together,
!ho had not brought his rod#
. 9oseph therefore !as betrayed#
2 For, !hen he did bring his
rod, and a do"e coming from
8ea"en pitched upon the top of
it, e"ery one plainly sa!, that the
?irgin !as to be betrothed to him#
1 Accordingly, the usual
ceremonies of betrothing being o"er,
he returned to his o!n city of
Bethlehem, to set his house in
order, and make the needful
pro"isions for the marriage#
I But the ?irgin of the &ord,
=ary, !ith se"en other "irgins of
the same age, !ho had been !eaned
at the same time, and !ho had
been appointed to attend her by
the priest, returned to her parentsC
house in Galilee#
C8APTE( ?55#
I The salutation of the ?irgin by Gabriel, !ho eDplains to her
that she shall concei"e, !ithout lying !ith a man, !hile a ?irgin,
*L by the 8oly Ghost coming upon her !ithout the heats of lust#
,* 4he submits#
;7 at this time of her first
coming into Galilee, the
angel Gabriel !as sent to her
from God, to declare to her the
conception of our 4a"iour, and
the manner and !ay of her
concei"ing him#
, Accordingly going into her,
he filled the chamber !here she
!as !ith a prodigious light, and
in a most courteous manner saluting
her, he said,
K 8ail, =aryJ ?irgin of the
&ord most acceptableJ 7 ?irgin
full of graceJ The &ord is !ith
you# $ou are blessed abo"e all
!omen, and you are blessed abo"e
all men, that ha"e been hitherto
born#
. But the ?irgin, !ho had
before been !ell acBuainted !ith
the countenances of angels, and
to !hom such light from hea"en
!as no uncommon thing,
2 as neither terrified !ith the
"ision of the angel, nor astonished
at the greatness of the light, but
only troubled about the angelCs
!ords,
1 And began to consider !hat
so eDtraordinary a salutation should
mean, !hat it did portend, or !hat
sort of end it !ould ha"e#
I To this thought the angel,
di"inely inspired, repliesA
+ Fear not, =ary, as though
5 intended anything inconsistent
!ith your chastity in this salutation'
L For you ha"e found fa"our
!ith the &ord, because you made
"irginity your choice#
*- Therefore !hile you are a
?irgin, you shall concei"e !ithout
sin, and bring forth a son#
** 8e shall be great, because
he shall reign from sea to sea, and
from the ri"ers e"en to the ends of
the earthH
*, And he shall be called the
4on of the 8ighestA for he !ho is
born in a mean state on earth,
reigns in an eDalted one in hea"en#
*K And the &ord shall gi"e him
the throne of his father )a"id, and
he shall reign o"er the house of
9acob for e"er, and of his kingdom
there shall be no end#
*. For he is the <ing of <ings,
and &ord of &ords, and his throne
is fore"er and e"er#
*2 To this discourse of the
angel the ?irgin replied, not, as
though she !ere unbelie"ing, but
!illing to kno! the manner of it#
*1 4he said, 8o! can that beH
For seeing, according to my "o!,
5 ha"e ne"er kno!n any man, ho!
can 5 bear a child !ithout the
addition of a manCs seed#
*I To this the angel replied
and said, Think not, =ary, that
you shall concei"e in the ordinary
!ay#
*+ For, !ithout lying !ith a
man, !hile a ?irgin, you shall
concei"eA !hile a ?irgin, you
shall bring forthA and !hile a
?irgin shall gi"e suck#
*L For the 8oly Ghost shall
come upon you, and the po!er of
the =ost 8igh shall o"ershado!
you, !ithout any of the heats of
lust#
,- 4o that !hich shall be born
of you shall be only holy, because
it only is concei"ed !ithout sin,
and being born, shall be called the
4on of God#
,* Then =ary stretching forth
her hands, and lifting her eyes to
hea"en, said, Behold the handmaid
of the &ordJ &et it be unto me
according to thy !ord#
C8APTE( ?555#
* 9oseph returns to Galilee, to marry the ?irgin
he had betrothedA
. percei"es she is !ith child,
2 is uneasy,
I purposes to put her a!ay pri"ily,
+ is told by the angel of the &ord it is not the
!ork of man but the 8oly GhostA
*, =arries her, but keeps chaste,
*K remo"es !ith her to Bethlehem,
*2 !here she brings forth Christ#
974EP8 therefore !ent from
9udaea to Galilee, !ith intention
to marry the ?irgin !ho !as
betrothed to him'
, For it !as no! near three
months since she !as betrothed
to him#
K At length it plainly appeared
she !as !ith child, and it could
not be hid from 9oseph'
. For going to the ?irgin in a
free manner, as one espoused, and
talking familiarly !ith her, he
percei"ed her to be !ith child,
2 And thereupon began to be
uneasy and doubtful, not kno!ing
!hat course it !ould be best to takeA
1 For being a just man, he !as
not !illing to eDpose her, nor
defame her by the suspicion of
being a harlot, since he !as a
pious man'
I 8e purposed therefore pri"ately
to put an end to their agreement,
and as pri"ately to send her a!ay#
+ But !hile he !as meditating
these things, behold the angel of
the &ord appeared to him in his
sleep, and said, 9oseph, son of
)a"id, fear notA
L Be not !illing to entertain
any suspicion of the ?irginCs
being guilty of fornication, or to
think any thing amiss of her,
neither be afraid to take her to !ife'
*- For that !hich is begotten
in her and no! distresses your
mind, is not the !ork of man, but
the 8oly Ghost#
** For she of all !omen is that
only ?irgin !ho shall bring forth
the 4on of God, and you shall call
his name 9esus, that is, 4a"iour'
for he !ill sa"e his people from
their sins#
*, 9oseph thereupon, according
to the command of the angel,
married the ?irgin, and did not
kno! her, but kept her in chastity#
*K And no! the ninth month
from her conception dre! near,
!hen 9oseph took his !ife and
!hat other things !ere necessary
to Bethlehem, the city from !hence
he came#
*. And it came to pass, !hile
they !ere there, the days !ere
fulfilled for her bringing forth#
*2 And she brought forth her
first%born son, as the holy
E"angelists ha"e taught, e"en our
&ord 9esus Christ, !ho !ith the
Father, 4on, and 8oly Ghost,
li"es and reigns to e"erlasting ages#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 =A($C4 G74PE&
/5n the primiti"e ages there !as a Gospel eDtant bearing this name,
attributed to 4t# =atthe!, and recei"ed as genuine and authentic by
se"eral of the ancient Christian sects# 5t is to be found in the !orks
of 9erome, a Father of the Church, !ho flourished in the fourth century,
from !hence the present translation is made# 8is contemporaries,
Epiphanius, Bishop of 4alamis, and Austin also mention a gospel under
this title# The ancient copies differed from 9eromeCs, for from one of
them the learned Faustus, a nati"e of Britain, !ho became Bishop of (ieG,
in Pro"ence, endea"oured to pro"e that Christ !as not the 4on of God till
after his baptismA and that he !as not of the house of )a"id and tribe of
9udah, because, according to the Gospel he cited, the ?irgin herself !as
not of this tribe, but of the tribe of &e"iA her father being a priest of
the name of 9oachim# 5t !as like!ise from this Gospel that the sect of
the Collyridians established the !orship and offering of manchet bread
and cracknels, or fine !afers, as sacrificed to =ary, !hom they imagined
to ha"e been born of a ?irgin, as Christ is related in the Canonical
Gospels to ha"e been born of her# Epiphanius like!ise cites a passage
concerning the death of Macharias, !hich is not in 9eromeCs copy, "iG#'
@That it !as the occasion of the death of Macharias in the temple, that
!hen he had seen a "ision, he, through surprise, !as !illing to disclose
it, and his mouth !as stopped# That !hich he sa! !as at the time of his
offering incense, and it !as a man standing in the form of an ass#
hen he !as gone out, and had a mind to speak thus to the people, oe
unto you, !hom do you !orshipH he !ho had appeared to him in the temple
took a!ay the use of his speech# After!ards !hen he reco"ered it, and !as
able to speak, he declared this to the 9e!sA and they sle! him# They add
E"iG# the Gnostics in this bookF, that on this "ery account the
high%priest !as appointed by their la!gi"er Eby God to =osesF to carry
little bells, that !hensoe"er he !ent into the temple to sacrifice he,
!hom they !orshipped, hearing the noise of the bells, might ha"e time
enough to hide himself, and not be caught in that ugly shape and figure#@
The principal part of this Gospel is contained in the Prote"angelion of
9ames !hich follo!s neDt in order#3
T8E G74PE& CA&&E)
T8E P(7TE?A;GE&57;A
7r, an 8istorical Account of the B5(T8 of C8(54T, and the perpetual ?5(G5; =A($, his
=other, by 9A=E4 T8E &E44E(, Cousin and Brother of the &ord 9esus, chief Apostle and
first Bishop of the Christians in 9erusalem#
C8APTE( 5#
* 9oachim, a rich man,
, offers to the &ord,
K is opposed by (euben the high priest, because he has not begotten issue in
5srael,
1 retires into the !ilderness and fasts forty days and forty nights#
5; the history of the t!el"e
tribes of 5srael !e read there
!as a certain person called
9oachim, !ho being "ery rich, made
double offerings to the &ord God,
ha"ing made this resolution'
=y substance shall be for the
benefit of the !hole people, that
5 may find mercy from the &ord
God for the forgi"eness of my sins#
, But at a certain great feast
of the &ord, !hen the children of
5srael offered their gifts, and
9oachim also offered his, (euben the
high%priest opposed him, saying,
it is not la!ful for thee to offer
thy gifts, seeing thou hast not
begot any issue in 5srael#
K At this, 9oachim being
concerned "ery much, !ent a!ay to
consult the registries of the t!el"e
tribes, to see !hether he !as the
only person !ho had begot no issue#
. But upon inBuiry he found
that all the righteous had raised
up seed in 5sraelA
2 Then he called to mind the
patriarch Abraham, 8o! that God
in the end of his life had gi"en him
his son 5saacA upon !hich he !as
eDceedingly distressed, and !ould
not be seen by his !ife'
1 But retired into the !ilderness,
and fiDed his tent there, and
fasted forty days and forty nights,
saying to himself,
I 5 !ill not go do!n either to
eat or drink, till the &ord my
God shall look do!n upon me, but
prayer shall be my meat and drink#
C8APTE(# 55#
* Anna, the !ife of 9oachim mourns her barrenness,
1 is reproached !ith it by 9udith her maid,
L sits under a laurel tree and prays to the &ord#
5; the mean time his !ife Anna
!as distressed and perpleDed
on a double account, and said,
5 !ill mourn both for my !ido!hood
and my barrenness#
, Then dre! near a great feast
of the &ord, and 9udith her maid,
said, 8o! long !ill you thus
afflict your soulH The feast of
the &ord is no! come, !hen it is
unla!ful for any one to mourn#
K Take therefore this hood
!hich !as gi"en by one !ho
makes such things, for it is not
fit that 5, !ho am a ser"ant should
!ear it, but it !ell suits a person
of your greater character#
. But Anna replied, )epart
from me, 5 am not used to such
thingsA besides, the &ord hath
greatly humbled me#
2 5 fear some ill%designing person
hath gi"en thee this, and thou
art come to reproach me !ith my sin#
1 Then 9udith her maid ans!ered,
!hat e"il shall 5 !ish you,
!hen you !ill not hearken to meH
I 5 cannot !ish you a greater
curse than you are under, in that
God hath shut up your !omb, that
you should not be a mother in
5srael#
+ At this Anna !as eDceedingly
troubled, and ha"ing on her !edding
garment, !ent about three oCclock
in the afternoon to !alk in her
garden#
L And she sa! a laurel%tree and
sat under it, and prayed unto the
&ord, saying,
*- 7 God of my fathers, bless
me and regard my prayer, as thou
didst bless the !omb of 4arahA
and ga"est her a son 5saac#
C8APTE( 555#
* Anna percei"ing a sparro!Cs nest in the
laurels bemoans her barrenness#
A;) as she !as looking to!ards
hea"en she percei"e a sparro!Cs
nest in the laurel,
, And mourning !ithin herself,
she said, o is me, !ho begat
meH and !hat !omb did bear
me, that 5 should be thus
accursed before the children of
5srael, and that they should
reproach and deride me in the
temple of my God' o is me,
to !hat can 5 be comparedH
K 5 am not comparable to the
"ery beasts of the earth, for e"en
the beasts of the earth are fruitful
before thee, 7 &ordJ o is me,
to !hat can 5 be comparedH
. 5 am not compared to the
brute animal, for e"en the brute
animals are fruitful before thee,
7 &ordJ o is me, to !hat am 5
comparableH
2 5 cannot be comparable to
these !aters, for e"en the !aters
are fruitful before thee, 7 &ordJ
o is me, to !hat can 5 be comparedH
1 5 am not comparable to the
!a"es of the seaA for these,
!hether they are calm, or in motion,
!ith the fishes !hich are in them,
praise thee, 7 &ordJ o is me to
!hat can 5 be comparedH
I 5 am not comparable to the
"ery earth, for the earth produces
its fruits, and praises thee, 7 &ordJ
C8APTE( 5?#
* An Angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall concei"eA
t!o angels appear on the same errand#
2 9oachim sacrifices#
+ Anna goes to meet him,
L rejoicing that she shall concei"e#
T8E; an angel of the &ord
stood by her and said, Anna,
Anna, the &ord hath heard thy
prayerA thou shalt concei"e and
bring forth, and thy progeny shall
be spoken of in all the !orld#
, And Anna ans!ered, As the
&ord my God li"eth, !hate"er 5
bring forth, !hether it be male or
female, 5 !ill de"ote it to the &ord
my God and it shall minister to
him in holy things, during its
!hole life#
K And behold there appeared
t!o angels, saying unto her,
Behold 9oachim thy husband is
coming !ith his shepherds#
. For an angel of the &ord
hath also come do!n to him, and
said, The &ord God hath heard
thy prayer, make haste and go
hence, for behold Anna thy !ife
shall concei"e#
2 And 9oachim !ent do!n and
called his shepherds, saying, Bring
me hither ten she%lambs !ithout
spot or blemish, and they shall
be for the &ord my God#
1 And bring me t!el"e cal"es
!ithout blemish, and the t!el"e
cal"es shall be for the priests and
the elders#
I Bring me also a hundred
goats, and the hundred goats shall
be for the !hole people#
+ And 9oachim !ent do!n !ith
the shepherds, and Anna stood
by the gate and sa! 9oachim
coming !ith the shepherds#
L And she ran, and hanging
about his neck, said, ;o! 5 kno!
that the &ord hath greatly blessed
me'
*- For behold, 5 !ho !as as a
!ido! am no longer as a !ido!, and
5 !ho !as barren shall concei"e#
C8APTE( ?#
* 9oachim abides the first day in his house but
sacrifices on the morro!#
, Consults the plate on the priests forehead,
K and is !ithout sin#
1 Anna brings forth a daughter,
L !hom she calls =ary#
A;) 9oachim abode the first
day in his house, but on the
morro! he brought his offerings,
and said,
, 5f the &ord be propitious to
me let the plate !hich is on the
priests forehead make it manifest#
K And he consulted the plate
!hich the priest !ore, and sa! it,
and behold sin !as not found in
him#
. And 9oachim said, ;o! 5 kno!
that the &ord is propitious
to me, and hath taken a!ay all
my sins#
2 And he !ent do!n from the
temple of the &ord justified,
and he !ent to his o!n house#
1 And !hen nine months !ere
fulfilled to Anna, she brought
forth, and said to the mid!ife,
hat ha"e 5 brought forthH
I And she told her, A girl#
+ Then Anna said, The &ord
hath this day magnified my soulA
and she laid her in bed#
L And !hen the days of her
purification !ere accomplished,
she ga"e suck to the childA and
called her name =ary#
C8APTE( ?5#
* =ary at nine months old, !alks nine steps#
K Anna keeps her holy#
. hen she is a year old, 9oachim makes a great feast#
I Anna gi"es her the breast, and sings a song to the &ord#
A;) the child increased in
strength e"ery day, so that
!hen she !as nine months old, her
mother put her upon the ground,
to try if she could standA and
!hen she had !alked nine steps,
she came again to her motherCs
lap#
, Then her mother caught her
up, and said, As the &ord my God
li"eth, thou shalt not !alk again
on this earth, till 5 bring thee
into the temple of the &ord#
K Accordingly she made her
chamber a holy place, and suffered
nothing uncommon or unclean to
come near her, but in"ited certain
undefiled daughters of 5srael, and
they dre! her aside#
. But !hen the child !as a year
old, 9oachim made a great feast,
and in"ited the priests, scribes,
elders, and all the people of
5sraelA
2 And 9oachim then made an
offering of the girl to the chief%
priests, and they blessed her,
saying, The God of our fathers bless
this girl, and gi"e her a name
famous and lasting through all
generations# And all the people
replied, 4o be it, Amen'
1 Then 9oachim a second time
offered her to the priests, and they
blessed her, saying, 7 most high
God, regard this girl, and bless
her !ith an e"erlasting blessing#
I :pon this her mother took
her up, and ga"e her the breast,
and sung the follo!ing song to the
&ord#
+ 5 !ill sing a song unto the
&ord my God, for he hath "isited
me, and taken a!ay from me the
reproach of mine enemies, and
hath gi"en me the fruit of his
righteousness, that it may no! be
told the sons of (euben, that Anna
gi"es suck#
L Then she put the child to rest
in the room !hich she had consecrated,
and she !ent out and ministered unto
them#
*- And !hen the feast !as
ended, they !ent a!ay rejoicing,
and praising the God of 5srael#
C8APTE( ?55#
K =ary being three years old, 9oachim causes certain "irgins to
light each a lamp, and goes !ith her to the temple#
2 The high%priest places her on the third step of the altar, and
sits dances !ith her feet#
B:T the girl gre!, and !hen
she !as t!o years old, 9oachim
said to Anna, &et us lead her
to the temple of the &ord,
that !e may perform our "o!,
!hich !e ha"e "o!ed unto the
&ord God, lest he should be angry
!ith us, and our offering be
unacceptable#
, But Anna said, &et us !ait
the third year, lest she should
be at a loss to kno! her father#
And 9oachim said, &et us then
!ait#
K And !hen the child !as
three years old, 9oachim said,
&et us in"ite the daughters of the
8ebre!s, !ho are undefiled, and let
them take each a lamp, and let
them be lighted, that the child
may not turn back again, and her
mind be set against the temple of
the &ord,
. And they did thus till they
ascended into the temple of the &ord#
And the high%priest recei"ed her,
and blessed her, and said, =ary,
the &ord God hath magnified thy
name to all generations, and to the
"ery end of time by thee !ill the
&ord she! his redemption to the
children of 5srael#
2 And he placed her upon the
third step of the altar, and the
&ord ga"e unto her grace, and she
dance !ith her feet, and all the
house of 5srael lo"ed her#
C8APTE( ?555#
, =ary fed in the temple by angels#
K hen t!el"e years old the priests consult !hat to do !ith her#
1 The angel of the &ord !arns Macharias to call together all the
!ido!ers, each bringing a rod#
I The people meet by sound of trumpet#
+ 9oseph thro!s a!ay his hatchet, and goes to the meeting#
** A do"e comes forth from his rod, and alights on his head#
*, 8e is chosen to betroth the ?irgin,
*K refuses because he is an old man,
*. is compelled,
*1 takes her home, and goes to mind his trade of building#
A;) her parents !ent a!ay
filled !ith !onder, and praising God,
because the girl did not return back
to them#
, But =ary continued in the
temple as a do"e educated there,
and recei"ed her food from the
hand of an angel#
K And !hen she !as t!el"e
years of age, the priests met in a
council, and said, Behold, =ary is
t!el"e years of age, !hat shall !e
do !ith her, for fear lest the holy
place of the &ord our God should
be defiledH
. Then replied the priests to
Macharias the high%priest, )o you
stand at the altar of the &ord, and
enter into the holy place, and make
petitions concerning her, and
!hatsoe"er the &ord shall manifest
unto you, that do#
2 Then the high%priest entered
into the 8oly of 8olies, and taking
a!ay !ith him the breast%plate of
judgment made prayers concerning herA
1 And behold the angel of the
&ord came to him, and said,
Macharias, Macharias, Go forth and
call together all the !ido!ers
among the people, and let e"ery
one of them bring his rod, and
he by !hom the &ord shall she!
a sign shall be the husband of
=ary#
I And the criers !ent out
through all 9udaea, and the trumpet
of the &ord sounded, and all
the people ran and met together#
+ 9oseph also thro!ing a!ay
his hatchet, !ent out to meet
themA and !hen they !ere met,
they !ent to the high%priestA
taking e"ery man his rod#
L After the high%priest had
recei"ed their rods, he !ent
into the temple to prayA
*- And !hen he had finished
his prayer, he took the rods, and
!ent forth and distributed them,
and there !as no miracle attended
them#
** The last rod !as taken by
9oseph, said behold a do"e
proceeded out of the rod, and
fle! upon the head of 9oseph#
*, And the high%priest said,
9oseph, Thou art the person
chosen to take the ?irgin of the
&ord, to keep her for him'
*K But 9oseph refused, saying,
5 am an old man, and ha"e children,
but she is young, and 5 fear
lest 5 should appear ridiculous
in 5srael#
*. Then the high%priest replied,
9oseph, Fear the &ord thy God,
and remember ho! God dealt !ith
)athan, <orah, and Abiram, ho!
the earth opened and s!allo!ed
them up, because of their
contradiction#
*2 ;o! therefore, 9oseph, fear
God lest the like things should
happen in your family#
*1 9oseph then being afraid,
took her unto his house, and
9oseph said unto =ary, Behold, 5
ha"e taken thee from the temple
of the &ord, and no! 5 !ill lea"e
thee in my houseA 5 must go to
mind my trade of building# The
&ord be !ith thee#
C8APTE( 5>#
* The priests desire a ne! "eil for the temple,
K se"en "irgins cast lots for making different parts of it,
. the lot to spin the true purple falls to =ary#
2 Macharias, the high priest, becomes dumb#
I =ary takes a pot to dra! !ater, and hears a "oice,
+ trembles and begins to !ork,
L an angel Appears and salutes her, and tells her she
shall concei"e by the 8oly Ghost,
*I she submits#
*L ?isits her cousin EliGabeth, !hose child in her !omb leaps#
A;) it came to pass, in a council
of the priests, it !as said,
&et us make a ne! "eil for the
temple of the &ord#
, And the high%priest said,
Call together to me se"en undefiled
"irgins of the tribe of )a"id#
K And the ser"ants !ent and
brought them into the temple of
the &ord, and the high%priest said
unto them, Cast lots before me
no!, !ho of you shall spin the
golden thread, !ho the blue, !ho
the scarlet, !ho the fine linen, and
!ho the true purple#
. Then the high%priest kne!
=aryA that she !as of the tribe of
)a"idA and he called her, and the
true purple fell to her lot to spin,
and she !ent a!ay to her o!n
house#
2 But from that time Macharias
the high%priest became dumb, and
4amuel !as placed in his room till
Macharias spoke again#
1 But =ary took the true purpleA
and did spin it#
I And she took a pot, and
!ent out to dra! !ater, and heard
a "oice saying unto her, 8ail thou
!ho art full of grace, the &ord
is !ith theeA thou art blessed
among !omen#
+ And she looked round to the
right and to the left Eto seeF !hence
that "oice came, and then trembling
!ent into her house, and laying
do!n the !ater%pot, she took
the purple, and sat do!n in her
seat to !ork it#
L And behold the angel of the
&ord stood by her, and said, Fear
not, =ary, for thou hast found
fa"our in the sight of God#
*- hich !hen she heard, she
reasoned !ith herself !hat that
sort of salutation meant#
** And the angel said unto her,
The &ord is !ith thee, and thou
shalt concei"e'
*, To !hich she replied, hatJ
shall 5 concei"e by the li"ing God
and bring forth as all other
!omen doH
*K But the angel returned
ans!er, ;ot so, 7 =ary, but the
8oly Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the po!er of the =ost 8igh
shall o"ershado! theeA
*. herefore that !hich shall
be born of thee shall be holy,
and shall be called the 4on of the
&i"ing God, and thou shalt call his
name 9esusA for he shall sa"e his
people from their sins#
*2 And behold thy cousin EliGabeth,
she also hath concei"ed a son in her
old age#
*1 And this no! is the siDth
month !ith her, !ho !as called
barren' for nothing is impossible
!ith God#
*I And =ary said, Behold the
handmaid of the &ordA let it be
unto me according to thy !ord#
*+ And !hen she had !rought
her purple, she carried it to the
high%priest, and the high%priest
blessed her, saying, =ary, the
&ord God hath magnified thy name,
and thou shalt be blessed in all the
ages of the !orld#
*L Then =ary, filled !ith joy,
!ent a!ay to her cousin EliGabeth,
and knocked at the door#
,- hich !hen EliGabeth heard,
she ran and opened to her, and
blessed her, and said, hence is
this to me, that the mother of my
&ord should come unto meH
,* For loJ as soon as the "oice
of thy salutation reached my ears,
that !hich is in me leaped and
blessed thee#
,, But =ary, being ignorant of
all those mysterious things !hich
the archangel Gabriel had spoken
to her, lifted up her eyes to hea"en,
and said, &ordJ hat am 5, that
all the generations of the earth
should call me blessedH
,K But percei"ing herself daily
to gro! big, and being afraid, she
!ent home, and hid herself from
the children of 5sraelA and !as
fourteen years old !hen all these
things happened#
C8APTE( >#
* 9oseph returns from building houses, finds the ?irgin
gro!n big, being siD months gone !ith child,
, is jealous and troubled,
+ reproaches her,
*- she affirms her innocence,
*K he lea"es her,
*1 determines to dismiss her pri"ately,
*I is !arned in a dream that =ary is !ith child by the 8oly Ghost,
,- and glorifies God !ho had she!n him such fa"our#
A;) !hen her siDth month !as
come, 9oseph returned from
his building houses abroad, !hich
!as his trade, and entering into the
house, found the ?irgin gro!n big'
, Then smiting upon his face,
he said, ith !hat face can 5 look
up to the &ord my GodH or, !hat
shall 5 say concerning this young
!omanH
K For 5 recei"ed her a ?irgin
out of the temple of the &ord my
God, and ha"e not preser"ed her
suchJ
. ho has thus decei"ed meH
ho has committed this e"il in
my house, and seducing the ?irgin
from me, hath defiled herH
2 5s not the history of Adam eDactly
accomplished in meH
1 For in the "ery instant of his
glory, the serpent came and found
E"e alone, and seduced her#
I 9ust after the same manner it
has happened to me#
+ Then 9oseph arising from the
ground, called her, and said, 7
thou !ho hast been so much
fa"oured by God, !hy hast thou
done thisH
L hy hast thou thus debased
thy soul, !ho !ast educated in the
8oly of 8olies, and recei"ed thy
food from the hand of angelsH
*- But she, !ith a flood of tears,
replied, 5 am innocent, and ha"e
kno!n no man#
** Then said 9oseph, 8o!
comes it to pass you are !ith
childH
*, =ary ans!ered, As the &ord
my God li"eth, 5 kno! not by !hat
means#
*K Then 9oseph !as eDceedingly afraid,
and !ent ay from her, considering
!hat he should do !ith herA
and he thus reasoned !ith himself'
*. 5f 5 conceal her crime, 5 shall
be found guilty by the la! of the
&ordA
*2 And if 5 disco"er her to the
children of 5srael, 5 fear, lest
she being !ith child by an angel,
5 shall be found to betray the life
of an innocent person#
*1 hat therefore shall 5 doH
5 !ill pri"ately dismiss her#
*I Then the night !as come
upon him, !hen behold an angel
of the &ord appeared to him in a
dream, and said,
*+ Be not afraid to take that
young !oman, for that !hich is
!ithin her is of the 8oly Ghost,
*L And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name
9esus, for he shall sa"e his people
from their sins#
,- Then 9oseph arose from his
sleep, and glorified the God of
5srael, !ho had she!n him such
fa"our, and preser"ed the ?irgin#
C8APTE( >5#
K Annas "isits 9oseph, percei"es the ?irgin big !ith child,
. informs the high priest that 9oseph had pri"ately married her#
+ 9oseph and =ary brought to trial on the charge#
*I 9oseph drinks the !ater of the &ord as an ordeal,
and recei"ing no harm, returns home#
T8E; came Annas the scribe,
and said to 9oseph, herefore
ha"e !e not seen you since
your returnH
, And 9oseph replied, Because
5 !as !eary after my journey, and
rested the first day#
K But Annas turning about
percei"ed the ?irgin big !ith child#
. And !ent a!ay to the priest,
and told him, 9oseph in !hom you
placed so much confidence, is
guilty of a notorious crime, in
that he hath defiled the ?irgin
!hom he recei"ed out of the temple
of the &ord, and hath pri"ately
married her, not disco"ering it to
the children of 5srael#
2 Then said the priest, 8ath
9oseph done thisH
1 Annas replied, 5f you send
any of your ser"ants you !ill find
that she is !ith child#
I And the ser"ants !ent, and
found it as he said#
+ :pon this both she and 9oseph
!ere brought to their trial, and
the priest said unto her, =ary,
!hat hast thou doneH
L hy hast thou debased thy
soul, and forgot thy God, seeing
thou !ast brought up in the 8oly
of 8olies, and didst recei"e thy
food from the hands of angels, and
heardest their songsH
*- hy hast thou done thisH
** To !hich !ith a flood of
tears she ans!ered, As the &ord
my God li"eth, 5 am innocent in
his sight, seeing 5 kno! no man#
*, Then the priest said to 9oseph,
hy hast thou done thisH
*K And 9oseph ans!ered, As
the &ord my God li"eth, 5 ha"e
not been concerned !ith her#
*. But the priest said, &ie not,
but declare the truthA thou hast
pri"ately married her, and not
disco"ered it to the children of
5srael, and humbled thyself under
the mighty hand Eof GodF, that thy
seed might be blessed'
*2 And 9oseph !as silent#
*1 Then said the priest
Eto 9osephF, $ou must restore to
the temple of the &ord the ?irgin
!hich you took thence#
*I But he !ept bitterly, and the
priest added, 5 !ill cause you both
to drink the !ater of the &ord,
!hich is for trial, and so your
iniBuity shall be laid open before
you#%%/bitter !ater that causeth the curse3
*+ Then the priest took the !ater,
and made 9oseph drink, and sent him
to a mountainous place,
*L And he returned perfectly
!ell, and all the people !ondered
that his guilt !as not disco"ered#
,- 4o the priest said, 4ince the
&ord hath not made your sins
e"ident, neither do 5 condemn
you#
,* 4o he sent them a!ay#
,, Then 9oseph took =ary, and
!ent to his house, rejoicing and
praising the God of 5srael#
C8AP# >55#
* A decree from Augustus for taDing the 9e!s#
2 9oseph puts =ary on an ass, to return to Bethlehem,
1 she looks sorro!ful,
I she laughs,
+ 9oseph inBuires the cause of each,
L she tells him she sees t!o persons,
one mourning and the other rejoicing#
*- The deli"ery being near, he takes her
from the ass, and places her in a ca"e#
A;) it came to pass, that there
!ent forth a decree from
the Emperor Augustus, that all
the 9e!s should be taDed, !ho
!ere of Bethlehem in 9udaea#
, And 9oseph said, 5 !ill take
care that my children be taDedA
but !hat shall 5 do !ith this young
!omanH
K To ha"e her taDed as my !ife
5 am ashamedA and if 5 taD her as
my daughter, all 5srael kno!s she
is not my daughter#
. hen the time of the &ordCs
appointment shall come, let him do
as seems good to him#
2 And he saddled the ass, and
put her upon it, and 9oseph and
4imon follo!ed after her, and
arri"ed at Bethlehem !ithin three
miles#
1 Then 9oseph turning about
sa! =ary sorro!ful, and said
!ithin himself, Perhaps she is in
pain through that !hich is !ithin
her#
I But !hen he turned about
again, he sa! her laughing, and
said to her,
+ =ary, ho! happens it, that 5
sometimes see sorro!, and sometimes
laughter and joy in thy countenanceH
L And =ary replied to him,
5 see t!o people !ith mine eyes,
the one !eeping and mourning,
the other laughing and rejoicing#
*- And he !ent again across
the !ay, and =ary said to 9oseph,
Take me do!n from the ass, for
that !hich is in me presses to come
forth#
** But 9oseph replied, hither
shall 5 take theeH for the place is
a desert#
*, Then said =ary again to 9oseph,
take me do!n, for that !hich is
!ithin me mightily presses me#
*K And 9oseph took her do!n#
*. And he found there a ca"e,
and let her into it#
C8APTE( >555#
* 9oseph seeks a 8ebre! mid!ife,
, percei"es the o!ls stopping in their flight,
K the !orking people at their food not mo"ing,
+ the sheep standing still,
L the shepherd fiDed and immo"eable,
*- and kids !ith their mouths touching
the !ater but not drinking#
A;) lea"ing her and his sons
in the ca"e, 9oseph !ent
forth to seek a 8ebre! mid!ife in
the "illage of Bethlehem#
, But as 5 !as going Esaid 9osephF,
5 looked up into the air,
and 5 sa! the clouds astonished,
and the fo!ls of the air stopping in
the midst of their flight#
K And 5 looked do!n to!ards
the earth, and sa! a table spread,
and !orking people sitting around
it, but their hands !ere upon the
table and they did not mo"e to
eat#
. They !ho had meat in their
mouths did not eat#
2 They !ho lifted their hands
up to their heads did not dra!
them back,
1 And they !ho lifted them up
to their mouths did not put any
thing inA
I But all their faces !ere fiDed
up!ards#
+ And 5 beheld the sheep dispersed,
and yet the sheep stood still#
L And the shepherd lifted up
his hand to smite them, and his
hand continued up#
*- And 5 looked unto a ri"er,
and sa! the kids !ith their mouths
close to the !ater, and touching it,
but they did not drink#
C8APTE( >5?#
* 9oseph finds a mid!ife#
*- A bright cloud o"ershado!s the ca"e#
** A great light in the ca"e, gradually
increases until the infant is born#
*K The mid%!ife goes out, and tells 4alome
that she has seen a "irgin bring forth#
*I 4alome doubts it#
,- her hand !ithers,
,, she supplicates the &ord,
,+ is cured,
K- but !arned not to declare !hat she had seen#
T8E; 5 beheld a !oman coming
do!n from the mountains,
and she said to me, here art thou
going, 7 manH
, And 5 said to her, 5 go to
enBuire for a 8ebre! mid!ife#
K 4he replied to me, here is
the !oman that is to be deli"eredH
. And 5 ans!ered, 5n the ca"e,
and she is betrothed to me#
2 Then said the mid!ife, 5s she
not thy !ifeH
1 9oseph ans!ered, 5t is =ary,
!ho !as educated in the 8oly of
8olies, in the house of the &ord,
and she fell to me by lot, and is
not my !ife, but has concei"ed by
the 8oly Ghost#
I The mid!ife said, 5s this trueH
+ 8e ans!ered, Come and see#
L And the mid!ife !ent along
!ith him, and stood in the ca"e#
*- Then a bright cloud o"er%
shado!ed the ca"e, and the mid%
!ife said, This day my soul is
magnified, for mine eyes ha"e seen
surprising things, and sal"ation is
brought forth to 5srael#
** But on a sudden the cloud
became a great light in the ca"e,
so that their eyes could not bear it#
*, But the light gradually
decreased, until the infant appeared,
and sucked the breast of his mother,
=ary#
*K Then the mid!ife cried out,
and said, 8o! glorious a day is
this, !herein mine eyes ha"e seen
this eDtraordinary sightJ
*. And the mid!ife !ent out
from the ca"e, and 4alome met
her#
*2 And the mid!ife said to her,
4alome, 4alome, 5 !ill tell you a
most surprising thing !hich 5 sa!,
*1 A "irgin hath brought forth,
!hich is a thing contrary to
nature#
*I To !hich 4alome replied, As
the &ord my God li"eth unless 5
recei"e particular proof of this
matter, 5 !ill not belie"e that a
"irgin hath brought forth#
*+ 5f Then 4alome !ent in, and
the mid!ife said, =ary, she! thyself,
for a contro"ersy is risen
concerning thee#
*L And 4alome recei"ed satisfaction#
,- But her hand !as !ithered,
and she groaned bitterlyA
,* And said, oe to me, because
of mine iniBuityA for 5 ha"e
tempted the li"ing God, and my
hand is ready to drop off#
,, Then 4alome made her
supplication to the &ord, and said,
7 God of my Fathers, remember me,
for 5 am of the seed of Abraham,
and 5saac, and 9acob#
,K =ake me not a reproach
among the children of 5srael, but
restore me sound to my parents#
,. For thou !ell kno!est,
7 &ord, that 5 ha"e performed many
offices of charity in thy name,
and ha"e recei"ed my re!ard from
thee#
,2 :pon this an angel of the
&ord stood by 4alome, and said,
The &ord God hath heard thy
prayer, reach forth thy hand to
the child, and carry him, and by
that means thou shalt be restored#
,1 4alome filled !ith eDceeding
joy, !ent to the child, and said,
5 !ill touch him#
,I And she purposed to !orship
him, for she said, This is a great
king, !hich is born in 5srael#
,+ And straight!ay 4alome !as
cured#
,L Then the mid!ife !ent out
of the ca"e, being appro"ed by God#
K- And loJ a "oice came to 4alome#
)eclare not the strange things
!hich thou hast seen, till
the child shall come to 9erusalem#
K* 4o 4alome also departed,
appro"ed by God#
C8APTE( >?#
* ise men come from the east#
K 8erod alarmedA
+ desires them if they find the child to bring him !ord#
*- They "isit the ca"e and offer the child their treasure,
** and being !arned in a dream, do not return to 8erod,
but go home another !ay#
T8E; 9oseph !as preparing to
go a!ay, because there arose
a great disorder in Bethlehem by
the coming of some !ise men
from the east,
, ho said, here is the <ing
of the 9e!s bornH For !e ha"e
seen his star in the east, and are
come to !orship him#
K hen 8erod heard this, he
!as eDceedingly troubled, and sent
messengers to the !ise men, and
to the priests, and enBuired of
them in the to!n%hall,
. And said unto them, here
ha"e you it !ritten concerning
Christ the king, or !here should
he be bornH
2 Then they say unto him, 5n
Bethlehem of 9udaeaA for thus it
is !ritten' And thou Bethlehem in
the land of 9udah, art not the least
among the princes of 9udah, for
out of thee shall come a ruler,
!ho shall rule my people 5srael#
1 And ha"ing sent a!ay the
chief priests, he enBuired of the
!ise men in the to!n%hall, and
said unto them, hat sign !as it
ye sa! concerning the king that is
bornH
I They ans!ered him, e sa!
an eDtraordinary large star shining
among the stars of hea"en, and so
out%shined all the other stars, as
that they became not "isible, and
!e kne! thereby that a great king
!as born in 5srael, and therefore
!e are come to !orship him#
+ Then said 8erod to them, Go
and make diligent inBuiryA and if
ye find the child, bring me !ord
again, that 5 may come and !orship
him also#
L 4o the !ise men !ent forth,
and behold, the star !hich they
sa! in the east !ent before them,
till it came and stood o"er the ca"e
!here the young child !as !ith
=ary his mother#
*- Then they brought forth out
of their treasures, and offered unto
him gold and frankincense, and
myrrh#
** And being !arned in a dream
by an angel, that they should not
return to 8erod through 9udaea,
they departed into their o!n country
by another !ay#
C8APTE( >?5#
* 8erod enraged, orders the infants in Bethlehem to be slain#
, =ary puts her infant in an oD%manger#
K EliGabeth flees !ith her son 9ohn to the mountains#
1 A mountain miraculously di"ides and recei"es them#
L 8erod incensed at the escape of 9ohn, causes Macharias
to be murdered at the altar#
,K The roofs of the temple rent, the body miraculously
con"eyed, and the blood petrified#
,2 5srael mourns for him#
,I 4imeon chosen his successor by lot#
T8E; 8erod percei"ing that
he !as mocked by the !ise
men, and being "ery angry,
commanded certain men to go and
to kill all the children that !ere
in Bethlehem, from t!o years old
and under#
, But =ary hearing that the
children !ere to be killed, being
under much fear, took the child,
and !rapped him up in s!addling
clothes, and laid him in an
oD%manger, because there !as no
room for them in the inn#
K EliGabeth also, hearing that
her son 9ohn !as about to be
searched for, took him and !ent
up unto the mountains, and looked
around for a place to hide himA
. And there !as no secret place
to be found#
2 Then she groaned !ithin herself,
and said, 7 mountain of the &ord,
recei"e the mother !ith the child#
1 For EliGabeth could not climb up,
I And instantly the mountain
!as di"ided and recei"ed them#
+ And there appeared to them
an angel of the &ord to preser"e
them#
L But 8erod made search after
9ohn, and sent ser"ants to Macharias,
!hen he !as EministeringF at the altar,
and said unto him, here hast thou hid
thy sonH
*- 8e replied, to them, 5 am a
minister of God, and a ser"ant at
the altar' ho! should 5 kno!
!here my son isH
** 4o the ser"ants !ent back,
and told 8erod the !holeA at
!hich he !as incensed, and said,
5s not this son of his like to be
king of 5sraelH
*, 8e sent therefore again his
ser"ants to Macharias, saying, Tell
us the truth, !here is thy son, for
you kno! that your life is in my
hand#
*K 4o the ser"ants !ent and told
him all this'
*. But Macharias replied to
them, 5 am a martyr for God, and
if ye shed my blood, the &ord !ill
recei"e my soul#
*2 Besides kno! that ye shed
innocent blood#
*1 8o!e"er Macharias !as murdered
in the entrance of the temple
said altar, and about the partitionA
*I But the children of 5srael
kne! not !hen he !ant killed#
*+ Then at the hour of salutation
the priests !ent into the temple
but Macharias did not according
to custom, meet them and bless them#
*L $et they still continued
!aiting for him to salute themA
,- And !hen they found he did
not in a long time come, one of
them "entured into the holy place
!here the altar !as, and he sa!
blood lying upon the ground
congealed'
,* hen, behold, a "oice from
hea"en said, Macharias is murdered,
and his blood shall not be
!iped a!ay, until the re"enger
of his blood come#
,, But !hen he heard this, he
!as afraidA and !ent forth and told
the priests !hat he had seen and
heardA and they all !ent in, and
sa! the fact#
,K Then the roofs of the temple
ho!led, and !ere rent from the
top to the bottom'
,. And they could not find the
body, but only blood made hard
like stone#
,2 And they !ent a!ay, and
told the people, that Macharias
!as murdered, and all the tribes
of 5srael heard thereof, and mourned
for him, and lamented three days'
,1 Then the priests took
council together concerning
a person to succeed him#
,I And 4imeon and the other
priests cast lots, and the lot fell
upon 4imeon#
,+ For he had been assured by
the 8oly 4pirit, that he should not
die, till he had seen Christ come in
the flesh#
E5 9ames !rote this 8istory in 9erusalem' and !hen the disturbance
!as 5 retired into a desert place, until the death of 8erod, and the
disturbances ceased at 9erusalem# That !hich remains is, that 5
glorify God that he hath gi"en me such !isdom to !rite unto you !ho
are spiritual, and !ho lo"e God' to !hom Ebe ascribedF glory and
dominion for e"er and e"er# Amen#F
T8E P(7TE?A;GE&57;#
;ote on the death of Macharias in Chap# *1#
There is a story both in the 9erusalem and Babylonish Talmud "ery similar
to this# 5t is cited by )r# &ightfoot, Talmud, 8ierosol, in Taanith, fol#
1LA and Talmud# Babyl# in 4anhedr#, fol# L1# @7 (abbi 9ochanan said,
Eighty thousand priests !ere slain for the blood of Macharias# (abbi
9udas asked (abbi Achan, here did they kill MachariasH as it in the
!omanCs court, or in the court of 5sraelH 8e ans!ered, ;either in the
court of 5srael, nor in the court of !omen, but in the court of the
priestsA and they did not treat his blood in the same manner as they !ere
!ont to treat the blood of a ram or young goat# For of these it is
!ritten, 8e shall pour out his blood, and co"er it !ith dust# But it is
!ritten here, The blood is in the midst of her' she set it upon the top
of a rockA she poured it not upon the ground# EEGek# DDi"# I#F But !hy
!as thisH That it might cause fury to come up to take "engeance' 5 ha"e
set his blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be co"ered#
They committed se"en e"ils that day' they murdered a priest, a prophet,
and a kingA they shed the blood of the innocentA they polluted the court'
that day !as the 4abbath' and the day of eDpiation# hen therefore
;ebuGaradan came there E"iG# to 9erusalem,F he sa! his blood bubbling,
and said to them, hat meaneth thisH They ans!ered, 5t is the blood of
cal"es, lambs, and rams, !hich !e ha"e offered upon the altar# 8e
commanded then, that they should bring cal"es, and lambs, and rams, and
said 5 !ill try !hether this be their blood' accordingly they brought
and sle! them, but the blood of Macharias still bubbled, but the blood of
these did not bubble# Then he said, )eclare to me the truth of this
matter, or else 5 !ill comb your flesh !ith iron combs# Then said they to
him, 8e !as a priest, prophet, and judge, !ho prophesied to 5srael all
these calamities !hich !e ha"e suffered from youA but !e arose against
him, and sle! him# Then, said he, 5 !ill appease himA then he took the
rabbis and sle! them upon his E"iG# MachariasCsF blood, and he !as not
yet appeased# ;eDt he took the young boys from the schools, and sle! them
upon his bloodA and yet it bubbled# Then he brought the young priests and
sle! them in the same place, and yet it still bubbled# 4o he sle! at
length ninety%four thousand persons upon his blood, and it did not as yet
cease bubblingA then he dre! near to it, and said, 7 Macharias,
Macharias, thou halt occasioned the death of the chief of thy
countrymen, shall 5 slay them allH then the blood ceased, and did bubble
no more#@
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E P(7TE?A;GE&57;#
/This Gospel is ascribed to 9ames# The allusions to it in the ancient
Fathers are freBuent, and their eDpressions indicate that it had
obtained a "ery general credit in the Christian !orld# The contro"ersies
founded upon it chiefly relate to the age of 9oseph at the birth of
Christ, and to his being a !ido!er !ith children, before his marriage
!ith the ?irgin# 5t seems material to remark, that the legends of the
latter ages affirm the "irginity of 9oseph, not!ithstanding Epiphanius,
8ilary, Chrysostom, Cyril, Euthymius, Thephylaet, 7ccumenius, and indeed
all the &atin Fathers till Ambrose, and the Greek Fathers after!ards,
maintain the opinions of 9osephCs age and family, founded upon their
belief in the authenticity of this book# 5t is supposed to ha"e been
originally composed in 8ebre!# Postellus brought the =4# of this Gospel
from the &e"ant, translated it into &atin, and sent it to 7porimus,
a printer at Basil, !here Bibliander, a Protestant )i"ine, and the
Professor of )i"inity at Murich, caused it to be printed in *22,#
Postellus asserts that it !as publicly read as canonical in the eastern
churches they making no doubt that 9ames !as the author, of it# 5t is,
ne"ertheless considered apocryphal by some of the most learned di"ines in
the Protestant and Catholic churches#3
T8E F5(4T G74PE& 7F
T8E 5;FA;C$ 7F 9E4:4 C8(54T#
C8APTE( 5#
* Caiphas relates that 9esus, !hen in his cradle,
informed his mother that he !as the 4on of God#
2 9oseph and =ary going to Bethlehem to be taDed, =aryCs
time of bringing forth arri"es, and she goes into a ca"e#
+ 9oseph fetches in a 8ebre! !oman# The ca"e filled !ith
great lights#
** The infant born,
*I and cures the !oman#
*L Arri"al of the shepherds#
T8E follo!ing accounts !e found
in the book of 9oseph the
high%priest, called by some
Caiphas'
, 8e relates, that 9esus spake
e"en !hen he !as in the cradle,
and said to his mother'
K =ary, 5 am 9esus the 4on of
God, that !ord, !hich thou didst
bring forth according to the
declaration of the angel Gabriel to
thee, and my father hath sent me
for the sal"ation of the !orld#
. 5n the three hundred and
ninth year of the era of AleDander,
Augustus published a decree that
all persons should go to be taDed
in their o!n country#
2 9oseph therefore arose, and
!ith =ary his spouse he !ent to
9erusalem, and then came to Bethlehem,
that he and his family might be taDed
in the city of his fathers#
1 And !hen they came by the ca"e,
=ary confessed to 9oseph that her
time of bringing forth !as come,
and she could not go on to the city,
and said, &et us go into this ca"e#
I At that time the sun !as "ery
near going do!n#
+ But 9oseph hastened a!ay,
that he might fetch her a mid!ifeA
and !hen he sa! an old 8ebre!
!oman !ho !as of 9erusalem, he
said to her, Pray come hither,
good !oman, and go into that ca"e,
and you !ill there see a !oman
just ready to bring forth#
L 5t !as after sunset, !hen the
old !oman and 9oseph !ith her
reached the ca"e, and they both
!ent into it#
*- And behold, it !as all filled
!ith lights, greater than the light
of lamps and candles, and greater
than the light of the sun itself#
** The infant !as then !rapped
up in s!addling clothes, and sucking
the breasts of his mother 4t#
=ary#
*, hen they both sa! this
light, they !ere surprisedA the
old !oman asked 4t# =ary, Art
thou the mother of this childH
*K 4t# =ary replied, 4he !as#
*. 7n !hich the old !oman
said, Thou art "ery different from
all other !omen#
*2 4t# =ary ans!ered, As there
is not any child like to my son,
so neither is there any !oman like
to his mother#
*1 The old !oman ans!ered,
and said, 7 my &ady, 5 am come
hither that 5 may obtain an
e"erlasting re!ard#
*I Then our &ady 4t# =ary
said to her, &ay thine hands upon
the infant, !hich, !hen she had
done, she became !hole#
*+ And as she !as going forth,
she said, From henceforth, all the
days of my life, 5 !ill attend upon
and be a ser"ant of this infant#
*L After this, !hen the shepherds
came, and had made a fire, and they
!ere eDceedingly rejoicing, the
hea"enly host appeared to them,
praising and adoring the supreme God#
,- And as the shepherds !ere
engaged in the same employment,
the ca"e at that time seemed like
a glorious temple, because both
the tongues of angels and men
united to adore and magnify God,
on account of the birth of the &ord
Christ#
,* But !hen the old 8ebre!
!oman sa! all these e"ident miracles,
she ga"e praises to God, and
said, 5 thank thee, 7 God, thou
God of 5srael, for that mine eyes
ha"e seen the birth of the 4a"iour
of the !orld#
C8AP# 55#
* The child circumcised in the ca"e,
, and the old !oman preser"ing his foreskin or na"el%string in a
boD of spikenard, =ary after!ards anoints Christ !ith it#
2 Christ brought to the templeA
1 8e shines,
I and angels stand around him adoring#
+ 4imeon praises Christ#
A;) !hen the time of his
circumcision !as come' namely,
the eighth day, on !hich the
la! commanded the child to be
circumcisedA they circumcised
him in the ca"e#
, And the old 8ebre! !oman
took the foreskin Eothers say she
took the na"el%stringF, and preser"ed
it in an alabaster%boD of old oil
of spikenard#
K And she had a son !ho !as a
druggist, to !hom she said, Take
heed thou sell not this alabaster%
boD of spikenard%ointment, although
thou shouldst be offered three
hundred pence for it#
. ;o! this is that alabaster%
boD !hich =ary the sinner procured,
and poured forth the ointment out
of it upon the head and the feet
of our &ord 9esus Christ, and !iped
them off !ith the hairs of her head#
2 Then after ten days they
brought him to 9erusalem, and on
the fortieth day from his birth
they presented him in the temple
before the &ord, making the proper
offerings for him, according
to the reBuirement of the la! of
=oses' namely, that e"ery male
!hich opens the !omb shall be
called holy unto God#
1 At that time old 4imeon sa!
him shining as a pillar of light,
!hen 4t# =ary the ?irgin, his
mother, carried him in her arms,
and !as filled !ith the greatest
pleasure at the sight#
I And the angels stood around
him, adoring him, as a kingCs
guards stand around him#
+ Then 4imeon going near to
4t# =ary, and stretching forth his
hands to!ards her, said to the
&ord Christ, ;o!, 7 =y &ord,
thy ser"ant shall depart in peace,
according to thy !ordA
L For mine eyes ha"e seen thy
mercy, !hich thou hast prepared
for the sal"ation of all nationsA
a light to all people, and the glory
of thy people 5srael#
*- 8annah the prophetess !as
also present, and dra!ing near,
she ga"e praises to God, and
celebrated the happiness of =ary#
C8APTE( 555#
* The !ise men "isit Christ# =ary gi"es them
one of his s!addling clothes#
K An angel appears to them in the form of a star#
. They return and make a fire, and !orship the
s!addling cloth, and put it in the fire !here it
remains unconsumed#
A;) it came to pass, !hen the
&ord 9esus !as born at Bethlehem,
a city of 9udaea, in the time of 8erod
the <ingA%%the !ise men came from the
East to 9erusalem, according to the
prophecy of Moradascht, /Moroaster3
and brought !ith them offerings'
namely, gold, frankincense, and myrrh,
and !orshipped him, and offered to him
their gifts#
, Then the &ady =ary took one
of his s!addling clothes in !hich
the infant !as !rapped, and ga"e
it to them instead of a blessing,
!hich they recei"ed from her as a
most noble present#
K And at the same time there
appeared to them an angel in the
form of that star !hich had before
been their guide in their journeyA
the light of !hich they follo!ed
till they returned into their o!n
country#
. 7n their return their kings
and princes came to them inBuiring,
!hom they had seen and doneH
hat sort of journey and return
they hadH hat Company
they had on the roadH
2 But they produced the s!addling
cloth !hich 4t# =ary had gi"en
them, on account !hereof they kept
a feast#
1 And ha"ing, according to the
custom of their country, made
a fire, they !orshipped it#
I And casting the s!addling
cloth into it, the fire took it
and kept it#
+ And !hen the fire !as put out,
they took forth the s!addling cloth
unhurt, as much as if the fire had
not touched it#
L Then they began to kiss it,
and put it upon their heads and
their eyes saying, This is certainly
an undoubted truth, and it is really
surprising that the fire could not
burn it, and consume it#
*- Then they took it, and !ith
the greatest respect laid it up
among their treasures#
C8APTE( 5?#
* 8erod intends to put Christ to death#
K An angel !arns 9oseph to take the child
and his mother into Egypt#
1 Consternation on their arri"al#
*K The idols fall do!n#
*2 =ary !ashes ChristCs s!addling clothes, hangs them to
dry on a post, and the son of a priest puts one on his headA
*1 And being possessed of de"ils they lea"e him#
;7 8erod percei"ing that the
!ise men did delay and not return
to him, called together the priest
and !ise men, and said, Tell me in
!hat place the Christ should be born#
, And !hen they replied, in
Bethlehem,%%a city of 9udaea, he
began to contri"e in his o!n mind
the death of the &ord 9esus Christ#
K But an angel of the &ord
appeared to 9oseph in his sleep,
and said, Arise, take the child and
his mother, and go into Egypt as soon
as the cock cro!s# 4o he arose,
and !ent#
. And as he !as considering
!ith himself about his journey,
the morning came upon him#
2 5n the length of the journey
the girts of the saddle broke#
1 And no! he dre! near to a great
city, in !hich there !as an idol,
to !hich the priests of the other
idols and gods of Egypt brought
their offerings and "o!s#
I And there !as by this idol a
priest ministering to it, !ho, as
often as 4atan spoke out of that
idol, related the things he said to
the inhabitants of Egypt, and those
countries#
+ This priest had a son three
years old, !ho !as possessed !ith
a great multitude of de"ils, !ho
uttered many strange things and
!hen the de"ils seiGed him, !alked
about naked !ith his clothes torn,
thro!ing stones at those !hom
he sa!#
L ;ear to that idol !as the inn
of the city, into !hich !hen 9oseph
and 4t# =ary !ere come, and had
turned into that inn, all the
inhabitants of the city !ere
astonished#
*- And all the magistrates and
priests of the idols assembled
before that idol, and made inBuiry
there, saying, hat means all this
consternation, and dread, !hich
has fallen upon all our countryH
** The idol ans!ered them,
The unkno!n God is come thither,
!ho is truly GodA nor is there any
one besides him, !ho is !orthy of
di"ine !orship for he is truly the
4on of God#
*, At the fame of him this
country trembled, and at his
coming it is under the present
commotion and consternation, and
!e oursel"es are afrighted by the
greatness of his po!er#
*K And at the same instant this
idol fell do!n, and at his fall all
the inhabitants of Egypt, besides
others ran together#
*. But the son of the priest,
!hen his usual disorder came upon
him going into the inn, found
there 9oseph and 4t# =ary, !hom
all the rest had left behind and
forsook#
*2 And !hen the &ady 4t# =ary
had !ashed the s!addling clothes
of the &ord Christ, and hanged
them out to dry upon a post, the
boy possessed !ith the de"il took
do!n one of them, and put it upon
his head#
*1 And presently the de"ils
began to come out of his mouth,
and fly a!ay in the shape of cro!s
and serpents#
*I From that time the boy !as
healed by the po!er of the &ord
Christ and he began to sing
praises, and gi"e thanks to the
&ord !ho had healed him#
*+ hen his father sa! him
restored to his former state of
health, he said, =y son, !hat has
happened to thee, and by !hat
means !ert thou curedH
*L The son ans!ered, hen the
de"ils seiGed me, 5 !ent into the
inn, and there found a "ery
handsome !oman !ith a boy, !hose
s!addling clothes she had just
before !ashed, and hanged out upon
a post#
,- 7ne of these 5 took, and put
it upon my head, and immediately
the de"ils left me, and fled a!ay#
,* At this the father eDceedingly
rejoiced, and said, =y son,
perhaps this boy is the son of the
li"ing God, !ho made the hea"ens
and the earth#
,, For as soon as he came
amongst us, the idol !as broken,
and all the gods fell do!n, and
!ere destroyed by a greater po!er#
,K Then !as fulfilled the prophecy
!hich saith, 7ut of Egypt 5 ha"e
called my son#
C8APTE( ?#
* 9oseph and =ary lea"e Egypt#
K Go to the 8aunts of robbers,
. ho hearing a mighty noise,
as of a great army flee a!ay#
;7 9oseph and =ary !hen
they heard that the idol !as
fallen do!n and destroyed, !ere
seiGed !ith fear and, trembling,
and said, hen !e ere in the
land of 5srael, 8erod, intending
to kill 9esus, sle! for that purpose
all the infants at Bethlehem, and
that neighbourhood#
, And there is no doubt but
the Egyptians if they come to
hear that this idol is broken and
fallen do!n, !ill burn us !ith fire#
K They !ent therefore hence to
the secret places of robbers, !ho
robbed tra"ellers as they pass by,
of their carriages and their clothes
and carried them a!ay bound#
. These thie"es upon their
coming heard a great noise such
as the noise of a king !ith a great
army, and many horse and the
trumpets sounding at his departure
from his o!n city, at !hich they
!ere so affrighted, as to lea"e
all their booty behind them and
fly a!ay in haste#
2 :pon this the prisoners arose,
and loosed each otherCs bonds,
and taking each man his bags,
they !ent !ay, and sa! 9oseph
and =ary coming to!ards them,
and inBuired, here is that king,
the noise of !hose approach the
robbers heard, and left us,
so that !e are no! come off safeH
1 9oseph ans!ered, 8e !ill come
after us#
C8APTE( ?5#
* =ary looks on a !oman in !hom 4atan had taken
up his abode, and she becomes dispossessed#
2 Christ kissed by a bride made dumb by sorcerers,
cures her#
** =iraculously cures a gentle!oman in !hom 4atan
had taken up his abode#
*1 A leprous girl cured by the !ater in !hich he !as
!ashed, and becomes the ser"ant of 9oseph and =ary#
,- The leprous son of a princeCs !ife cured in like manner#
KI 8as mother offers large gifts to =ary, and dismisses her#
T8E; they !ent into another
city !here there !as a !oman
possessed !ith a de"il, and in
!hom 4atan, that cursed rebel,
had taken up his abode#
, 7ne night, !hen she !ent to
fetch !ater, she could neither
endure her clothes on, nor to be
in any houseA but as often as they
tied her !ith chains or cords, she
brake them, and !ent out into desert
places, and sometimes standing
!here roads crossed, and in
church yards, !ould thro! stones
at men#
K hen 4t# =ary sa! this
!oman, she pitied herA !here
upon 4atan presently left her, and
fled a!ay in the form of a young
man, saying, o to me, because
of thee, =ary, and thy son#
. 4o the !oman !as deli"ered
from her tormentA but considering
herself naked, she blushed,
and a"oided seeing any man and
ha"ing put on her clothes, !ent
home, and ga"e an account of her
case to her father and relations
!ho, as they !ere the best of the
city, entertained 4t# =ary and
9oseph !ith the greatest respect#
2 The neDt morning ha"ing
recei"ed a sufficient supply of
pro"isions for the road, they !ent
from them, and about the e"ening of
the day arri"ed at another to!n,
!here a marriage !as then about
to be solemniGedA but by the arts
of 4atan and the practices of a
sorcerers, the bride !as become
so dumb, that she could not so
much as open her mouth#
1 But !hen this dumb bride
sa! the &ady 4t# =ary entering
into the to!n, and carrying
&ord Christ in her arms, she
stretched out her hands to the
&ord Christ, and%took him in her
arms, and closely hugging him,
"ery often kissed him, continually
mo"ing him and, pressing him to
her body#
I 4traight!ay the string of her
tongue !as loosed, and her ears
!ere opened, and she began to
sing praises unto God, !ho had
restored her#
+ 4o there !as great joy among
the inhabitants of the to!n that
night, !ho thought that God and
his angels !ere come do!n among
them#
L 5n this place they abode
three days, meeting !ith the greatest
respect and most splendid entertainment#
*- And being then furnished by
the people !ith pro"isions for the
road, they departed and !ent to
another city, in !hich they !ere
inclined to lodge, because it !as a
famous place#
** There !as in this city a
gentle!oman, !ho, as she !ent do!n
one day to the ri"er to bathe, behold
cursed 4atan leaped upon her in the
form of a serpent#
*, And folded himself about her
belly, and e"ery night lay upon
her#
*K This !oman seeing the &ady
4t# =ary, and the &ord Christ the
infant in her bosom, asked the
&ady 4t# =ary, that she !ould
gi"e her the child to kiss, and
carry in her arms#
*. hen she had consented,
and as soon as the !oman had
mo"ed the child, 4atan left her,
and fled a!ay, nor did the !oman
e"er after!ards see him#
*2 8ereupon all the neighbors
praised the 4upreme God, and the
!oman re!ard them !ith ample,
beneficence#
*1 7n the morro!, the same
!oman brought perfumed !ater to
!ash the &ord 9esusA and !hen
she had !ashed him, she preser"ed
the !ater#
*I And there !as a girl there,
!hose body !as !hite !ith a
leprosy, !ho being sprinkled !ith
this !ater, and !ashed, !as
instantly cleansed from her leprosy#
*+ The people therefore said
ithout doubt 9oseph and =ary,
and that boy are Gods, for they do
not look like mortals#
*L And !hen they !ere making
ready to go a!ay, the girl, !ho
had been troubled !ith the leprosy,
came and desired they !ould
permit her to go along !ith themA
so they consented and the girl !ent
!ith them till they came to a city
in !hich !as the palace of a great
king, and !hose house !as not far
from the inn#
,- 8ere they staid, and !hen
the girl !ent one day to the
princeCs !ife, and found her in a
sorro!ful and mournful condition,
she asked her the reason of her
tears#
,* 4he replied, !onder not at
my groans, for 5 am under a great
misfortune, of !hich 5 dare not
tell any one#
,, But, says the, girl, if you
!ill entrust me !ith your pri"ate
grie"ance, perhaps 5 may find you
a remedy for it#
,K Thou, therefore, says the
princeCs !ife, shall keep the
secret, and not disco"er it to
any one ali"e#
,. 5 ha"e been married to this
prince, !ho rules as king o"er
large dominions, and li"ed long
!ith him before he had any child
by me#
,2 At length 5 concei"ed by
him, but alasJ 5 brought forth a
leprous sonA !hich, !hen he sa!
him !ould not o!n to be his, but
said to me,
,1 Either do thou kill him, or
send him to some nurse in such a
place, that he may be ne"er heard
ofA and no! take care of yourselfA
5 !ill ne"er see you more#
,I 4o here 5 pine, lamenting
my !retched and miserable
circumstances# Alas, my sonJ alas,
my husbandA 8a"e 5 disclosed it
to youH
,+ The girl replied 5 ha"e found
a remedy for your disease, !hich
5 promise you, for 5 also !as
leprous, but God hath cleansed
me, e"en he !ho is called 9esus
the son of the &ady =ary#
,L The !oman inBuiring !here
that God !as, !hom she spake
ofA the girl ans!ered, 8e lodges
!ith you here, in the same house#
K- But ho! can this beH says
sheA !here is heH Behold, replied
the girl, 9oseph and =aryA and
the infant !ho is, !ith them is
called 9esusA and it is he !ho
deli"ered me from my disease and
torment#
K* But by !hat means, says she,
!ere you cleansed from your leprosyH
ill not you tell me thatH
K, hy notH says the girlA 5
took the !ater !ith !hich his
body had been !ashed, and poured
it upon me, and my leprosy
"anished#
KK The princeCs !ife then arose
and entertained them, pro"iding a
great feast for 9oseph among a
large company of men#
K. And the neDt day took
perfumed !ater to !ash the &ord
9esus, and after!ards poured the
same !ater upon her son, !hom
she had brought !ith her, and her
son !as instantly cleansed from
his leprosy,
K2 Then she sang thanks and
unto God, and said, Blessed
is the mother that bare thee,
7 9esusJ
K1 )ost thou thus cure men of
the same nature !ith thyself, !ith
the !ater !ith !hich thy body is
!ashedH
KI 4he then offered "ery large
gifts to the &ady =ary, and sent
her a!ay !ith all imaginable
respect#
C8APTE( ?55#
* A man !ho could not enjoy his !ife, freed from his disorder#
2 A young man !ho had been be!itched, and turned into a
mule miraculously cured by Christ being put on his back,
,+ and is married to the girl !ho had been cured of leprosy#
T8E$ came after!ards to another
city, and had a mind to lodge there#
, Accordingly they !ent to a manCs
house, !ho !as ne!ly married
but by the influence of sorcerers
could not enjoy his !ife#
K But they lodging at his house
that night, the man !as freed of
his disorder#
. And !hen they !ere preparing
early in the morning to go for!ard
on their journey, the ne!%married
person hindered them, and
pro"ided a noble entertainment
for them#
2 But going for!ard on the
morro!, they came to another
city, and sa! three !omen going
from a certain gra"e !ith great
!eeping#
1 hen 4t# =ary sa! them, she
spake to the girl !ho !as their
companion, saying, Go and inBuire
of them, !hat is the matter !ith
them, and !hat misfortune has
befallen themH
I hen the girl asked them,
they made her no ans!er, but
asked her again, ho are yeH and
!here are you goingH For the day
is far spent, and night is at hand#
+ e are tra"ellers, saith the
girl, and !e are seeking for an inn
to lodge at#
L They replied, Go along !ith
us, and lodge !ith us#
*- They then follo!ed them,
and !ere introduced into a ne!
house, !ell furnished !ith all
sorts of furniture#
** ;o! it !as !inter%time, and
the girl !ent into the parlour
!here these !omen !ere, and
found them !eeping and lamenting
as before#
*, By them stood a mule, co"ered
o"er !ith silk, and an ebony collar
hanging do!n from his neck, !hom
they kissed and !ere feeding#
*K But !hen the girl said, 8o!
handsome, ladies, that mule isJ
they replied !ith tears, and said,
This mule, !hich you see, !as our
brother, born of this same mother
as !eA
*. For !hen our father died,
and left us a "ery large estate, and
!e had only this brother, and !e
endea"oured to procure him a suitable
match, and thought he should
be married as other men, some
giddy and jealous !omen be!itched
him !ithout our kno!ledge#
*2 And !e one night, a little before
day, !hile the doors of the house
!ere all shut fast, sa! this our
brother !as changed into a mule,
such as you no! see him to be'
*1 And !e in the melancholy
condition in !hich you see us,
ha"ing no father to comfort us,
ha"e applied to all the !ise men,
magicians, and di"iners in the
!orld, but they ha"e been of no
ser"ice to us#
*I As often therefore as !e find
oursel"es oppressed !ith grief, !e
rise and go !ith this our mother
to our fatherCs tomb, !here, !hen
!e ha"e cried sufficiently, !e
return home#
*+ hen the girl had heard this
she said, Take courage, and cease
your fears, for you ha"e a remedy
for your afflictions near at hand
e"en amoung you and in the midst
of your house#
*L For 5 !as also leprousA but
!hen 5 sa! this !oman, and this
little infant !ith her, !hose name
is 9esus, 5 sprinkled my body !ith
the !ater !ith !hich his mother
had !ashed him and 5 !as
presently made !ell#
,- And 5 am certain that he is
also capable of relie"ing you under
your distress# herefore arise,
go to my mistress =ary, and !hen
you ha"e brought her into your
o!n parlour, disclose to her the
secret, at the same time earnestly
beseeching her to compassionate
your case#
,* As soon as the !omen had
heard the girlCs discourse, they
hastened a!ay to the &ady 4t#
=ary, introduced themsel"es to
her, and sitting do!n before her,
they !ept#
,, And said, 7 our &ady 4t#
=ary, pity your handmaids, for
!e ha"e no head of our family, no
one elder than usA no father or
brother to go in or out before us#
,K But this mule, !hich you
see, !as our brother, !hich some
!omen by !itchcraft ha"e brought
into this condition !hich you see'
!e therefore entreat you to
compassionate us#
,. 8ereupon 4t# =ary !as
grie"ed at their case, and taking
the &ord 9esus, put him upon the
back of the mule#
,2 And said to her son, 7 9esus
Christ, restore Eor healF according
to thy eDtraordinary po!er this
mule, and grant him to ha"e again
the shape of a man and a rational
creature, as he had formerly#
,1 This !as scarce said by the
&ady 4t# =ary, but the mule
immediately passed into a human
form, and became a young man
!ithout any deformity#
,I Then he and his mother and
the sisters !orshipped the &ady
4t# =ary, and lifting the child
upon their heads, they kissed him,
and said, Blessed is thy mother,
7 9esus, 7 4a"iour of the !orldJ
Blessed are the eyes !hich are
so happy to see thee#
,+ Then both the sisters told
their mother, saying, 7f a truth,
our brother is restored to his former
shape by the help of the &ord
9esus Christ, and the kindness
of that girl !ho told us of =ary
and her son#
,L And inasmuch as our brother
is unmarried, it is fit that !e
marry him to this girl their
ser"ant#
K- hen they had consulted
=ary in this matter, and she had
gi"en her consent, they made a
splendid !edding for this girl#
K* And so their sorro! being
turned into gladness, and their
mourning into mirth, they began
to rejoice, and to make merry,
and sing, being dressed in their
richest attire, !ith bracelets#
K, After!ards they glorified and
praised God, saying, 7 9esus, son
of )a"id, !ho changest sorro!
into gladness, and mourning into
mirthJ
KK After this 9oseph and =ary
tarried there ten days, then !ent
a!ay, ha"ing recei"ed great
respect from these people#
K. ho, !hen they took their
lea"e of them, and returned home,
cried,
K2 But especially the girl#
C8APTE( ?555#
* 9oseph and =ary pass through a country infested by robbers#
K Titus a humane thief, offers )umachus, his comrade,
forty groats to let 9oseph and =ary pass unmolested#
1 9esus prophecies that the thie"es )umachus and Titus shall be
crucified !ith him and that Titus shall go before him into paradise#
*- Christ causes a !ell to spring from a sycamore tree, and =ary
!ashes his coat in it#
** A balsam gro!s there from his s!eat# They go to =emphis, !here
Christ !orks more miracles# (eturn to 9udea#
*2 Being !arned, depart for ;aGareth#
5; their journey from hence they
came into a desert country and
!ere told it !as infested !ith
robbersA so 9oseph and 4t# =ary
prepared to pass through it in the
night#
, And as they !ere going along,
behold they sa! t!o robbers asleep
in the road, and !ith them a great
number of robbers, !ho !ere their
confederates, also asleep#
K The names of these t!o !ere
Titus and )umachusA and Titus
said to )umachus, 5 beseech thee
let these persons go along Buietly,
that our company may not percei"e
anything of them#
. But )amachus refusing, Titus
again said, 5 !ill gi"e thee forty
groats, and as a pledge take my
girdle, !hich he ga"e him before
he had done speaking, that he
might not open his mouth or make
a noise#
2 hen the &ady 4t# =ary sa!
the kindness !hich this robber did
she! them, she said to him, The
&ord God !ill recei"e thee to his
right hand and grant thee pardon
of thy sins#
1 Then the &ord 9esus ans!ered,
and said to his mother, hen
thirty years are eDpired, 7 mother,
the 9e!s !ill crucify me at
9erusalemA
I And these t!o thie"es shall
be !ith me at the same time upon
the cross, Titus on my right hand,
and )umachus on my left, and
from that time Titus shall go before
me into paradiseA
+ And !hen she had said, God
forbid this should be thy lot, 7
my son, they !ent on to a city in
!hich !ere se"eral idolsA !hich,
as soon as they came near to it,
!as turned into hills of sand#
L 8ence they !ent to that
sycamore tree, !hich is no! called
=atarea#
*- And in =aterea the &ord
9esus caused a !ell to spring
forth, in !hich 4t# =ary !ashed
his coatA
** And a balsam is produced,
or gro!s, in that country, from
the s!eat !hich ran do!n there
from the &ord 9esus#
*, Thence they proceeded to
=emphis, and sa! Pharoah, and
abode three years in Egypt#
*K And the &ord 9esus did "ery
many miracles, in Egypt, !hich
are neither to be found in
Gospel of the 5nfancy nor in the
Gospel of Perfection#
*. At the end of three years
he returned out of Egypt, and
!hen he came near to 9udea,
9oseph !as afraid to enterA
*2 For hearing that 8erod !as
dead, and that Archelaus his son
reigned in his stead, he !as afraid#
*1 And !hen he !ent to 9udea,
an, angel of God appeared to
him, and said, 7 9oseph go
into the city of ;aGareth, and
abide there#
*I 5t is strange indeed, that he,
!ho is the &ord of all countries,
should be thus carried back!ard and
for!ard, through so many countries#
C8APTE( 5>#
, T!o sick children cured by !ater
!herein Christ !as !ashed#
8E; they came after!ards
into the city of Bethlehem,
they found there se"eral "ery
desperate distempers, !hich became
so troublesome to children by seeing
them, that most of them died#
, There !as there a !oman !ho
had a sick son, !hom she brought,
!hen he !as at the point of death,
to the &ady 4t# =ary, !ho sa!
her !hen she !as !ashing 9esus
Christ#
K Then said the !oman, 7 my
&ady =ary, look do!n upon this
my son, !ho is afflicted !ith most
dreadful pains#
. 4t# =ary hearing her, said,
Take a little of that !ater !ith
!hich 5 ha"e !ashed my son, and
sprinkle it upon him#
2 Then she took a little of that
!ater, as 4t# =ary had commanded,
and sprinkled it upon her son,
!ho being !earied !ith his "iolent
pains, !as fallen asleepA and after
he had slept a little, a!aked
perfectly !ell and reco"ered#
1 The mother being abundantly
glad of this success, !ent again to
4t# =ary, and 4t# =ary said to
her, Gi"e praise to God, !ho hath
cured this thy son#
I There !as in the same place
another !oman, a neighbour of
her, !hose son !as no! cured#
+ This !omanCs son !as afflicted
!ith the same disease, and his eyes
!ere no! almost Buite shut, and
she !as lamenting for him day
and night#
L The mother of the child !hich
!as cured, said to her, hy do
you not bring your son to 4t# =ary,
as 5 brought my son to her, !hen
he !as in the agonies of deathA
and he !as cure by that !ater,
!ith !hich the body of her son
9esus !as !ashedH
*- hen the !oman heard her
say this, she also !ent, and ha"ing
procured the same !ater, !ashed
her son !ith it, !hereupon his
body and his eyes !ere instantly
restored to their former state#
** And !hen she brought her
son to 4t# =ary, and opened his
case to her, she commanded her to
gi"e thanks to God for the reco"ery
of her sonCs health, and tell
no one !hat had happened#
C8APTE( >#
* T!o !i"es of one man, each ha"e a son sick#
, 7ne of them named =ary, and !hose sonCs name !as Caleb,
presents the ?irgin !ith a handsome carpet, and Caleb is curedA
but the son of the other !ife dies,
. !hich occasions a difference bet!een the !omen#
2 The other !ife puts Caleb into a hot o"en, and he is
miraculously preser"ed,
L she after!ards thro!s him into a !ell,
and he is again preser"edA
** his mother appeals to the ?irgin against the other !ife,
*, !hose do!nfall the ?irgin prophecies,
*K and !ho accordingly falls into the !ell,
*. therein fulfilling a saying of old#
T8E(E !ere in the same city
t!o !i"es of one man, !ho
had each a son sick# 7ne of them
!as called =ary, and her sonCs
name !as Caleb#
, 4he arose, and taking her son,
!ent to the &ady 4t# =ary, the
mother of 9esus, and offered her a
"ery handsome carpet, saying, 7
my &ady =ary accept this carpet
of me, and instead of it gi"e me a
small s!addling cloth#
K To this =ary agreed, and
!hen the mother of Caleb !as
gone, she made a coat for her son
of the s!addling cloth, put it on
him, and his disease !as curedA
but the son of the other !ife died#
. 8ereupon there arose bet!een
them a difference in doing
the business of the family by turns,
each her !eekA
2 And !hen the turn of =ary
the mother of Caleb came, and she
!as heating the o"en to bake
bread, and !ent a!ay to fetch the
meal, she left her son Caleb by the
o"enA
1 hom the other !ife, her
ri"al, seeing to be by himself,
took and cast him into the o"en,
!hich !as "ery hot, and then !ent
a!ay#
I =ary on her return sa! her
son Caleb lying in the middle of
the o"en laughing, and the o"en
Buite as cold as though it had not
been before heated, and kne! that
her ri"al the other !ife had thro!n
him into the fire#
+ hen she took him out, she
brought him to the &ady 4t# =ary,
and told her the story, to !hom
she replied, Be Buiet, 5 am
concerned lest thou shouldest make
this matter kno!n#
L After this her ri"al, the other
!ife, as she !as dra!ing !ater at
the !ell, and sa! Caleb playing
by the !ell, and that no one !as
near, took him, and thre! him
into the !ell#
*- And !hen some men came to
fetch !ater from the !ell, they
sa! the boy sitting on the
superficies of the !ater, and
dre! him out !ith ropes, and !ere
eDceedingly surprised at the child,
and praised God#
** Then came the mother and
took him and carried him to the
&ady 4t# =ary, lamenting, and
saying, 7 my &ady, see !hat my
ri"al hath done to my son, and
ho! she hath cast him into the
!ell, and 5 do not Buestion but
one time or other she !ill be the
occasion of his death#
*, 4t# =ary replied to her, God
!ill "indicate your injured cause#
*K Accordingly a fe! days after,
!hen the other !ife came to the
!ell to dra! !ater, her foot !as
entangled in the rope, so that she
fell headlong into the !ell, and
they !ho ran to her assistance
found her skull broken, and bones
bruised#
*. 4o she came to a bad end,
and in her !as fulfilled that saying
of the author, They digged a !ell,
and made it deep, but fell themsel"es
into the pit !hich they prepared#
C8APTE( >5#
* Bartholome!, !hen a child and sick, miraculously
restored by being laid on ChristCs bed#
A;7T8E( !oman in that city
had like!ise t!o sonCs sick#
, And !hen one !as dead, the
other, !ho lay at the point of
death, she took in her arms to the
&ady 4t# =ary, and in a flood of
tears addressed herself to her,
saying,
K 7 my &ady, help and relie"e
meA for 5 had t!o sons, the one 5
ha"e just no! buried, the other 5
see is fast at the point of death
behold ho! 5 EearnestlyF seek for
your from God, and pray to him#
. Then she said, 7 &ord, thou
art gracious, and merciful, and
kindA thou, hast gi"en me t!o
sonsA one of them thou halt taken
to thyself, 7 spare me this other#
2 4t# =ary then percei"ing the
greatness of her sorro!, pitied her
and said, )o thou place thy son in
my sonCs bed, and co"er him !ith
his clothes#
1 And !hen she had placed him
in the bed !herein Christ lay,
at the moment !hen his eyes !ere
just closed by deathA as soon as
e"er the small of the garments of
the &ord 9esus Christ reached the
boy, his eyes !ere opened, and
calling !ith a loud "oice to his
mother, he asked for bread, and
!hen he had recei"ed it, he sucked
it#
I Than his mother said, 7 &ady
=ary, no! 5 am assured that the
po!ers of God do d!ell in you, so
that thy son can cure children !ho
are of the same sort as himself, as
soon as they touch his garments#
+ This boy, !ho !as thus cured,
is the same !ho in the Gospel is
called Bartholome!#
C8APTE( >55#
A leprous !oman healed by ChristCs !ashing !ater#
I A princess healed by it and restored to her husband#
AGA5;, there !as a leprous
!oman !ho !ent to the &ady
4t# =ary, the mother of 9esus,
and said, 7 my &ady, help me#
, 4t# =ary replied, hat help
does thou desireH 5s it gold or
sil"er, or that thy body be cured
of its leprosyH
K ho, says the !oman, can
grant me thisH
. 4t# =ary replied to her, ait
a little till 5 ha"e !ashed my son
9esus, and put him to bed#
2 The !oman !aited, as she
!as commandedA and =ary !hen
she had put 9esus in bed, gi"ing
her the !ater !ith !hich she had
!ashed his body, said, Take some
of the !ater, and pour it upon thy
bodyA
1 hich !hen she had done,
she instantly became clean, and
praised God, and ga"e thanks to
him#
I Then she !ent a!ay, after
she had abode !ith her three
daysA
+ And going into the city, she
sa! a certain prince, !ho had
married another princes daughterA
L But !hen he came to see her,
he percei"ed bet!een her eyes the
signs of leprosy like a star, and
thereupon declared the marriage
dissol"ed and "oid#
*- hen the !oman sa! these
persons in this condition, eDceeding
sorro!ful, and shedding abundance
of tears, she inBuired of them
the reason of their cryingA
** They replied, inBuire not
into our circumstancesA for !e
are not able to declare our
misfortunes to any, person,
!hatsoe"er#
*, But she still pressed and
desired them to communicate their
case to herA intimating, that she
might be able to direct them
to a remedy#
*K 4o !hen they sho!ed the young
!oman to her, and the signs
of the leprosy, !hich appeared
bet!een her eyesA
*. 4he said, 5 also !hom ye
see in this place, !as afflicted
!ith the same distemper, and going
on some business to Bethlehem, 5
!ent into a certain ca"e, and sa!
a !oman named =ary, !ho had a
son called 9esus#
*2 4he seeing me to be leprous,
!as concerned for me, and ga"e
me some !ater !ith !hich she
had !ashed her sonCs body, !ith
that 5 sprinkled my body, and
became clean#
*1 Then said these !omen, ill
you =istress, go along !ith us,
and sho! the &ady 4t# =ary to
usH
*I To !hich she consenting,
they arose and !ent to the &ady
4t# =ary, taking !ith them "ery
noble presents#
*+ And !hen they came in and
offered their presents to her,
they sho!ed the leprous young !oman
!hom they brought !ith them to
her#
*L Then said 4t# =ary, The
mercy of the &ord 9esus Christ
rest upon youA
,- And gi"ing them a little of
that !ater, !ith !hich she had
!ashed the body of 9esus Christ,
she bade them !ash the diseased
person !ith it, !hich !hen they
had done, she !as presently
curedA
,* 4o they, and all !ho !ere
present, praised GodA and being
filled !ith joy, they !ent back to
their o!n city, and ga"e praises to
God on that account#
,, Then the prince hearing that
his !ife !as cured, took her home
and made a second marriage, gi"ing
thanks unto God for the reco"ery
of his !ifeCs health#
C8APTE( >555#
* A girl, !hose blood 4atan sucked recei"es one
of ChristCs s!addling clothes from the ?irgin,
*. 4atan comes like a dragon, and she she!s it to himA
flames and burning coals proceed from it and fall upon himA
*L he is miraculously discomfited, and lea"es the girl#
T8E(E !as also a girl, !ho
!as afflicted by 4atan,
, For that cursed spirit did
freBuently appear to her in the shape
of a dragon, and !as inclined to
s!allo! her up, and had so sucked
out all her blood, that she looked
like a dead carcass#
K As often as she came to herself,
!ith her hands !ringed about
her head she !ould cry out, and
say, o, o is me, that there is
no one to be found, !ho can deli"er
me from that impious dragonJ
. 8er father and mother, and
all !ho !ere about her and sa!
her, mourned and !ept o"er herA
2 And all !ho !ere present
!ould especially be under sorro!
and in tears, !hen they heard her
be!ailing and saying, =y brethren
and friends, is here no one !ho can
deli"er me from this murdererH
1 Then the princeCs daughter,
!ho had been cured of her leprosy,
hearing the complaint of that girl,
!ent upon the top of her castle,
and sa! her !ith her hands t!isted
about her head, pouring out a flood
of tears, and all the people that
!ere about her in tears#
I Then she asked the husband
of the possessed person, hether
his !ifeCs mother !as ali"eH 8e
told her, That her father and
mother !ere both ali"e,
+ Then she ordered her mother
to be sent to herA to !hom, !hen
she sa! her coming, she said,
5s this possessed girl thy daughterH
4he moaning and be!ailing said,
$es madam 5 bore her#
L The princeCs daughter ans!ered,
)isclose the secret of her case to me,
for 5 confess to you that 5 !as leprous,
but the &ady =ary, the mother of
9esus Christ, healed me#
*- And if you desire your
daughter to be restored to her
former state, take her to Bethlehem,
and inBuire for =ary the mother
of 9esus, and doubt not but your
daughter !ill be curedA for 5 do
not Buestion but you !ill come
home !ith great joy at your
daughterCs reco"ery#
** As soon as e"er she had done
speaking, she arose and !ent !ith
her daughter to the place appointed,
and to =ary, and told her the case
of her daughter#
*, hen 4t# =ary had heard
her story, she ga"e her a little
of the !ater !ith !hich she had
!ashed the body of her son 9esus,
and bade her pour it upon the
body of her daughter#
*K &ike!ise she ga"e her one of
the s!addling cloths of the &ord
9esus, and said, Take this s!addling
cloth, and she! it to thine
enemy as often as thou seest him
and she sent them a!ay in
peace#
*. After they bad left that
city and returned home, and the
time !as come in !hich 4atan !as
!ont to seiGe her, in the same
moment this cursed spirit appeared
to her in the shape of a huge
dragon, and the girl seeing him
!as afraid,
*2 The mother said to her, Be
not afraid, daughterA let him alone
till he come nearer to theeJ then
she! him the s!addling cloth,
!hich the &ady =ary ga"e us, and
!e shall see the e"ent#
*1 4atan then coming like a
dreadful dragon, the body of the
girl trembled for fear#
*I But as soon as she had put
the s!addling cloth upon her
head, and about her eyes, and
che!ed it to him, presently there
issued forth from the s!addling
cloth flames and burning coals,
and fell upon the dragon#
*+ 7hJ ho! great a miracle !as
this, !hich !as done' as soon as
the dragon sa! the s!addling
cloth of the &ord 9esus, fire !ent
forth and !as scattered upon his
head and eyesA so that he cried
out !ith a loud "oice, hat ha"e
5 to do !ith thee, 9esus, thou son
of =aryH hither shall 5 flee
from theeH
*L 4o he dre! back much
affrighted, and left the girl#
,- And she !as deli"ered from
this trouble, and sang praises and
thanks to God, and !ith her all
!ho !ere present at the !orking
of the miracle#
C8APTE( >5?#
* 9udas !hen a boy possessed by 4atan, and brought up
by his parents to 9esus to be cured, !hom he tries to bite,
I but failing, strikes 9esus and makes him cry out#
hereupon 4atan goes from 9esus in the shape of a dog#
A;7T8E( !oman like!ise
li"ed there, !hose son !as
possessed by 4atan,
, This boy, named 9udas, as
often as 4atan seiGed him, !as
inclined to bite all that !ere
presentA and if he found no one else
near him, he !ould bite his o!n
hands and other parts#
K But the mother of this miserable
boy, hearing of 4t# =ary and her son
9esus, arose presently and taking
her son in her arms, brought him
to the &ady =ary#
. 5n the meantime, 9ames and
9oses had taken a!ay the infant,
the &ord 9esus, to play at a proper
season !ith other childrenA
and !hen they !ent forth, they
sat do!n and the &ord 9esus !ith
them#
2 Then 9udas, !ho !as possessed,
came and sat do!n at the right hand
of 9esus#
1 hen 4atan !as acting upon him
as usual, he !ent about to bite
the &ord 9esus#
I And because he could not do
it, he struck 9esus on the right
side, so that he cried out#
+ And in the same moment 4atan
!ent out of the boy, and ran
a!ay like a mad dog#
L This same boy !ho struck
9esus, and out of !hom 4atan !ent
in the form of a dog, !as 9udas
5scariot, !ho betrayed him to the
9e!s#
*- And that same side, on !hich
9udas' struck him, the 9e!s
pierced !ith a spear#
C8APTE( >?#
* 9esus and other boys play together,
and make clay figures of animals#
. 9esus causes them to !alk,
1 also makes clay birds, !hich he causes to fly,
and eat and drink#
I The childrenCs parents alarmed,
and take 9esus for a sorcerer#
+ 8e goes to a dyerCs shop, and thro!s all the
cloths into the furnace, and !orks a miracle there!ith#
*2 hereupon the 9e!s praise God#
A;) !hen the &ord 9esus !as
se"en years of age, he !as
on a certain day !ith other boys
his companions about the same
ageA
, ho, !hen they !ere at play,
made clay into se"eral shapes,
namely%%asses, oDen, birds, and
other figuresA
K Each boasting of his !ork,
and endea"ouring to eDceed the
rest#
. Then the &ord 9esus said to
the boys, 5 !ill command these
figures !hich 5 ha"e made to
!alk#
2 And immediately they mo"ed,
and !hen he commanded them to
return, they returned#
1 8e had also made the figures
of birds and sparro!s, !hich,
!hen he commanded to fly, did
fly, and !hen he commanded to
stand still, did stand stillA and if
he ga"e them meat and drink, they
did eat and drink#
I hen at length the boys !ent
a!ay, and related these things to
their parents, their fathers said to
them, Take heed, children, for the
future of his company, for he is a
sorcererA shun and a"oid him, and
from henceforth ne"er play !ith
him#
+ 7n a certain day also, !hen
the &ord 9esus !as playing !ith
the boys, and running about, he
passed by a dyerCs shop, !hose
name !as 4alem#
L And there !ere in his shop
many pieces of cloth belonging to
the people of that city, !hich they
designed to dye of se"eral colours#
*- Then the &ord 9esus going
into the dyerCs shop, took all the
cloths, and thre! them into the
furnace#
** hen 4alem came home, and
sa! the cloths spoiled, he began to
make a great noise, and to chide
the &ord 9esus, saying,
*, hat hast thou done to me,
7 thou son of =aryH Thou hast
injured both me and my neighboursA
they all desired their cloths
of a proper colourA but thou hast
come and spoiled them all#
*K The &ord 9esus replied, 5
!ill change the colour of e"ery
cloth to !hat colour thou desirest#
*. And then he presently began
to take the cloths out of the furnace,
and they !ere all dyed of those same
colours !hich the dyer desired#
*2 And !hen the 9e!s sa! this
surprising miracle, they praised
God#
C8AP# >?5#
* Christ miraculously !idens or contracts the gates,
milk pails, sie"es, or boDes, not properly made by 9oseph,
. he not being skilful at his carpenterCs trade#
2 The <ing of 9erusalem gi"es 9oseph an order for a throne#
1 9oseph !orks on it for t!o years in the kingCs palace,
and makes it t!o spans too short# The king being angry !ith him,
*- 9esus comforts him,
*K commands him to pull one side of the throne, !hile he
pulls the other, and brings it to its proper dimensions#
*. hereupon the bystanders praise God#
A;) 9oseph, !heresoe"er he
!ent in the city, took the
&ord 9esus !ith him, !here he
!as sent for to !ork to make
gates, or milk%pails, or sie"es, or
boDesA the &ord 9esus !as !ith
him, !heresoe"er he !ent#
, And as often as 9oseph had
anything in his !ork, to make
longer, or shorter, or !ider, or
narro!er, the &ord 9esus !ould
stretch his hand to!ards it#
K And presently it became as
9oseph !ould ha"e it'
. 4o that he had no need to
finish anything !ith his o!n hands,
for he !as not "ery skilful at his
carpenterCs trade#
2 7n a certain time the <ing
of 9erusalem sent for him, and
said, 5 !ould ha"e thee make me
a throne of the same dimensions
!ith that place in !hich 5
commonly sit#
1 9oseph obeyed, and forth!ith
began the !ork, and continued t!o
years in the kingCs palace before
he finished it#
I And !hen he came to fiD it
in its place, he found it !anted
t!o spans on each side of the
appointed measure#
+ hich !hen the king sa!,
he !as "ery angry !ith 9osephA
L And 9oseph afraid of the
kingCs anger, !ent to bed !ithout
his supper, taking not any thing
to eat#
*- Then the &ord 9esus asked
him, hat he !as afraid ofH
** 9oseph replied, Because 5
ha"e lost my labour in the !ork
!hich 5 ha"e been about these t!o
years#
*, 9esus said to him, Fear not,
neither be cast do!nA
*K )o thou lay hold on one side
of the throne, and 5 !ill the other,
and !e !ill bring it to its just
dimensions#
*. And !hen 9oseph had done
as the &ord 9esus said, and each
of them had !ith strength dra!n
his side, the throne obeyed, and
!as brought to the proper
dimensions of the place'
*2 hich miracle !hen they
!ho stood by sa!, they !ere
astonished, and praised God#
*1 The throne !as made of the
same !ood !hich !as in being
in 4olomonCs time, namely, !ood
adorned !ith "arious shapes, and
figures#
C8AP# >?55#
* 9esus plays !ith boys at hide and seek#
K 4ome !omen put his playfello!s in a furnace,
I !here they are transformed by 9esus into kids#
*- 9esus calls them to go and play, and they
are restored to their former shape#
7; another day the &ord 9esus
going out into the street,
and seeing some boys !ho !ere
met to play, joined himself to their
company#
, But !hen they sa! him, they
hid themsel"es, and left him to
seek for themA
K The &ord 9esus came to the
gate of a certain house, and asked
some !omen !ho !ere standing
there, here the boys !ere goneH
. And !hen they ans!ered,
That there !as no one thereA the
&ord 9esus said, ho are those
!hom ye see in the furnaceH
2 They ans!ered, They !ere
kids of three years old#
1 Then 9esus cried out aloud,
and said, Come out hither, 7 ye
kids, to your shepherdA
I And presently the boys came
forth like kids, and leaped about
himA !hich !hen the !omen sa!,
they !ere eDceedingly amaGed, and
trembled,
+ Then they immediately !orshipped,
the &ord 9esus, and beseeched him,
saying, 7 our &ord 9esus, son of
=ary, thou art truly that good
shepherd of 5sraelJ ha"e mercy
on thy handmaids, !ho stand before
thee, !ho do not doubt, but that
thou, 7 &ord, art come to sa"e,
and not to destroy#
L After that, !hen the &ord
9esus said, the children of 5srael
are like Ethiopians among the
peopleA the !omen said, Thou,
&ord, kno!est all things, nor is
any thing concealed from thee'
but no! !e entreat thee, and
beseech of thy mercy, that thou
!ouldest restore those boys to
their former state#
*- Then 9esus said, Come hither,
7 boys, that !e may go and
playA and immediately, in the
presence of these !omen, the kids
!ere changed, and returned into
the shape of boys#
C8APTE( >?555#
* 9esus becomes the king of his playfello!s,
and they cro!n him !ith flo!ersA
. miraculously causes a serpent !ho had
bitten 4imon the Canaanite, then a boy,
to suck out all the poison againA
*1 the serpent bursts, and Christ restores the boy to health#
5; the month Adar 9esus
gathered together the boys, and
ranked them as though he had
been a king#
, For they spread their garments
on the ground for him to sit
onA and ha"ing made a cro!n of
flo!ers, put it upon his head, and
stood on his right and left as the
guards of a king#
K And if any one happened to
pass by, they took him by force,
and said, Come hither, and !orship
the king, that you may ha"e a
prosperous journey#
. 5n the mean time, !hile
these things !ere doing, there
came certain men, carrying a boy
upon a couchA
2 For this boy ha"ing gone !ith
his companions to the mountain to
gather !ood, and ha"ing found
there a partridgeCs nest, and put
his hand in to take out the eggs,
!as stung by a poisonous serpent,
!hich leaped out of the nestA so
that he !as forced to cry out for
the help of his companionsA !ho,
!hen they came, found him lying
upon the earth like a dead person#
1 After !hich his neighbours
came and carried him back into
the city#
I But !hen they came to the
place !here the &ord 9esus, !as
sitting like a king, and the other
boys stood around him like his
ministers, the boys made haste to
meet him, !ho !as bitten by the
serpent, and said to his neighbours,
Come and pay your respects to the
kingA
+ But !hen, by reason of their
sorro!, they refused to come, the
boys dre! them, and forced them
against their !ills to come#
L And !hen they came to the
&ord 9esus, he inBuired, 7n !hat
account they carried that boyH
*- And !hen they ans!ered that
a serpent had bitten him, the &ord
9esus said to the boys, &et us go
and kill that serpent#
** But !hen the parents of the
boy desired to be eDcused, because
their son lay at the point of deathA
the boys made ans!er, and said,
)id not ye hear !hat the king
saidH &et us go and kill the serpentA
and !ill not ye obey himH
*, 4o they brought the couch
back again, !hether they !ould
or not#
*K And !hen they !ere come to
the nest, the &ord 9esus said to
the boys, 5s this the serpentCs
lurking placeH They said, 5t !as#
*. Then the &ord 9esus calling
the serpent, it presently came forth
and submitted to himA to !hom he
said, Go and suck out all the poison
!hich thou hast infused into that
boy'
*2 4o the serpent crept to the
boy, and took a!ay all its poison
again#
*1 Then the &ord 9esus cursed
the serpent, so that it immediately
burst asunder, and diedA
*I And he touched the boy !ith
his hand to restore him to his
former healthA
*+ And !hen he began to cry,
the &ord 9esus said, Cease crying
for hereafter thou shall be my
discipleA
*L And this is that 4imon the
Canaanite, !ho is mentioned in
the Gospel#
C8APTE( >5>#
* 9ames being bitten by a "iper,
9esus blo!s on the !ound and cures him#
. 9esus charged !ith thro!ing a boy from
the roof of a house,
*- miraculously raises the dead boy to acBuit himA
*, fetches !ater for his mother, breaks the pitcher
and miraculously gathers the !ater in his mantle
and brings it homeA
*1 makes fish pools on the 4abbath,
,- causes a boy to die !ho broke them do!n,
,, another boy runs against him,
!hom he also causes to die#
7; another day 9oseph sent his
son 9ames to gather !ood,
and the &ord 9esus !ent !ith
himA
, And !hen they came to the
place !here the !ood !as, and
9ames began to gather it, behold,
a "enomous "iper bit him, so that
he began to cry, and make a
noise#
K The &ord 9esus seeing him in
this condition, came to him, and
blo!ed upon the place !here the
"iper had bit him, and it !as
instantly !ell#
. 7n a certain day the &ord
9esus !as !ith some boys, !ho
!ere playing on the house%top,
and one of the boys fell do!n, and
presently died#
2 :pon !hich the other boys all
running a!ay, the &ord 9esus !as
left alone on the house%top#
1 And the boyCs relations came
to him and said to the &ord 9esus,
Thou didst thro! our son do!n
from the house%top#
I But he denying it, they cried
out, 7ur son is dead, and this is
he !ho killed him#
+ The &ord 9esus replied to
them, )o not charge me !ith a
crime of !hich you are not able to
con"ict me, but let us go and ask
the boy himself, !ho !ill bring
the truth to light#
L Then the &ord 9esus going
do!n stood o"er the head of the
dead boy, and said !ith a loud
"oice, Meinunus, Meinunus, !ho
thre! thee do!n from the housetopH
*- Then the dead boy ans!ered,
thou didst not thro! me do!n,
but such a one did#
** And !hen the &ord 9esus
bade those !ho stood by to take
present praised God on account
of that miracle#
*, 7n a certain time the
&ady 4t# =ary had commanded
the &ord 9esus to fetch her some
!ater out of the !ellA
*K And !hen he had gone to
fetch the !ater, the pitcher, !hen
it !as brought up full, brakeA
*. But 9esus spreading his mantle
gathered up the !ater again,
and brought it in that to his
motherA
*2 ho, being astonished at
this !onderful thing, laid up this,
and all the other things !hich she
had seen, in her memory#
*1 Again on another day the
&ord 9esus !as !ith some boys
by a ri"er, and they dre! !ater
out of the ri"er by little channels,
and made little fish%pools#
*I But the &ord 9esus had
made t!el"e sparro!s, and placed
them about his pool on each side,
three on a side#
*+ But it !as the 4abbath day,
and the son of 8anani a 9e! came
by, and sa! them making these
things, and said, )o ye thus make
figures of clay on the 4abbathH
And he ran to them, and broke
do!n their fish%pools#
*L But !hen the &ord 9esus
clapped his hands o"er the sparro!s
!hich he had made, they fled a!ay
chirping#
,- At length the son of 8anani
coming to the fish%pool of 9esus
to destroy it, the !ater "anished
a!ay, and the &ord 9esus said to
him,
,* 5n like manner as this !ater
had "anished, so shall thy life
"anishA and presently the boy
died#
,, Another time, !hen the
&ord 9esus !as coming home in
the e"ening !ith 9oseph, he met
a boy, !ho ran so hard against
him, that he thre! him do!nA
,K To !hom the &ord 9esus
said, As thou hast thro!n me
do!n, so shalt thou fall, nor e"er
rise#
,. And that moment the boy
fell do!n and died#
C8APTE( >>#
. Christ sent to school to Maccheus to learn
his letters, and teaches Maccheus#
*K 4ent to another schoolmaster,
*. refuses to tell his letters, and the schoolmaster
going to !hip him, his hand !ithers and he dies#
T8E(E !as also at 9erusalem
one named Maccheus, !ho
!as a schoolmaster'
, And he said to 9oseph, 9oseph,
!hy dost thou not send 9esus to me,
that he may learn his lettersH
K 9oseph agreed, and told 4t# =aryA
. 4o they brought him to that
masterA !ho, as soon as he sa!
him, !rote out an alphabet for him,
2 And he bade him say AlephA
and !hen he had said Aleph, the
master bade him pronounce Beth#
1 Then the &ord 9esus said to
him, Tell me first the meaning of
the letter Aleph, and then 5 !ill
pronounce Beth#
I And !hen the master threatened
to !hip him, the &ord 9esus
eDplained to him the meaning of
the letters Aleph and BethA
+ Also !hich !ere the straight
figures of the letters, !hich the
obliBue, and !hat letters had
double figuresA !hich had points,
and !hich had noneA !hy one
letter !ent before anotherA and
many other things he began to tell
him, and eDplain, of !hich the
master himself had ne"er heard,
nor read in any book#
L The &ord 9esus farther said
to the master, Take notice ho! 5
say to theeA then he began clearly
and distinctly to say Aleph, Beth,
Gimel, )aleth, and so on to the
end of the alphabet#
*- At this the master !as so
surprised, that he said, 5 belie"e
this boy !as born before ;oahA
** And turning to 9oseph, he
said, Thou hast brought a boy to
me to be taught, !ho is more
learned than any master#
*, 8e said also to 4t# =ary,
This your son has no need of any
learning#
*K They brought him then
to a more learned master, !ho,
!hen he sa! him, said, say AlephA
*. And !hen he had said Aleph,
the master bade him pronounce
BethA to !hich the &ord 9esus
replied, Tell me first the meaning
of the letter Aleph, and then 5
!ill pronounce Beth#
*2 But this master, !hen he did
lift up his hand to !hip him, had
his hand presently !ithered, and
he died#
*1 Then said 9oseph to 4t# =ary,
8enceforth !e !ill not allo! him
to go out of the houseA for e"ery
one !ho displeases him is killed#
C8APTE( >>5#
/Compare &uke ii# .,, !hose meagre account is deficient
of the sublime details here gi"en of the subjects disputed upon#3
* )isputes learnedly !ith the doctors in the temple,
I on la!,
L on astronomy,
*, on physics and metaphysics#
,* 5s !orshipped by a philosopher,
,+ and fetched home by his mother#
A;) !hen he !as t!el"e years
old, they brought him to
9erusalem to the feastA and !hen
the feast !as o"er, they returned#
, But the &ord 9esus continued
behind in the temple among the
doctors and elders, and learned
men of 5sraelA to !hom he proposed
se"eral Buestions of learning,
and also ga"e them ans!ers'
K For he said to them, hose
son is the =essiahH They ans!ered,
the son of )a"id#
. hy then, said he, does he in
the spirit call him &ordH hen he
saith, The &ord said to my &ord,
sit thou at my right hand, till 5
ha"e made thine enemies thy foot%
stool#
2 Then a certain principal (abbi
asked him, 8ast thou read booksH
1 9esus ans!ered, he had read
both books, and the things !hich
!ere contained in books#
I And he eDplained to them the
books of the la!, and precepts,
and statutes' and the mysteries
!hich are contained in the books
of the prophetsA things !hich
the mind of no creature could
reach#
+ Then said that (abbi, 5 ne"er
yet ha"e seen or heard of such
kno!ledgeJ hat do you think
that boy !ill beH
L hen a certain astronomer,
!ho !as present, asked the &ord
9esus, hether he had studied
astronomyH
*- The &ord 9esus replied, and
told him the number of the spheres
and hea"enly bodies, as also their
triangular, sBuare, and seDtile
aspectA their progressi"e and
retrograde motionA their siGe and
se"eral prognosticationsA and other
things !hich the reason of man
had ne"er disco"ered#
** There !as also among them
a philosopher !ell skilled in
physic and natural philosophy,
!ho asked the &ord 9esus, hether
he had studied physicH
*, 8e replied, and eDplained to
him physics and metaphysics#
*K Also those things !hich !ere
abo"e and belo! the po!er of natureA
*. The po!ers also of the body,
its humours, and their effects#
*2 Also the number of its members,
and bones, "eins, arteries,
and ner"esA
*1 The se"eral constitutions of
body, hot and dry, cold and moist,
and the tendencies of themA
*I 8o! the soul operated upon
the bodyA
*+ hat its "arious sensations
and faculties, !ereA
*L The faculty of speaking, anger,
desireA
,- And lastly the manner of its
composition and dissolutionA and
other things, !hich the
understanding of no creature
had e"er reached#
,* Then that philosopher arose,
and !orshipped the &ord 9esus,
and said, 7 &ord 9esus, from
henceforth 5 !ill be thy disciple
and ser"ant#
,, hile they !ere discoursing
on these and such like things,
the &ady 4t# =ary came in, ha"ing
been three days !alking about
!ith 9oseph, seeking for him#
,K And !hen she sa! him sitting
among the doctors, and in his turn
proposing Buestions to them, and
gi"ing ans!ers, she said to him,
=y son, !hy hast thou done thus
by usH Behold 5 and thy father
ha"e been at much pains in
seeking thee#
,. 8e replied, hy did ye seek
meH )id ye not kno! that 5 ought
to be employed in my fatherCs
houseH
,2 But they understood not the
!ords !hich he said to them#
,1 Then the doctors asked =ary,
hether this !ere her sonH And
!hen she said, 8e !as, they said,
7 happy =ary, !ho hast borne
such a son#
,I Then he returned !ith them
to ;aGareth, and obeyed them in
all things#
,+ And his mother kept all these
things in her mindA
,L And the &ord 9esus gre! in
stature and !isdom, and fa"our
!ith God and man#
C8APTE( >>55#
* 9esus conceals his miracles,
, studies the la!,
K and is baptiGed#
;7 from this time 9esus began
to conceal his miracles and
secret !orks,
, And ga"e himself to the study
of the la!, till he arri"ed to the
end of his thirtieth yearA
K At !hich time the Father publicly
o!ned him at 9ordan, sending
do!n this "oice from hea"en, This
is my belo"ed son, in !hom 5 am
!ell pleasedA
. The 8oly Ghost being also
present in the form of a do"e#
2 This is he !hom !e !orship
!ith all re"erence, because he ga"e
us our life and being, and brought
us from our motherCs !omb,
Glory to God,
1 ho, for our sakes, took a
human body, and hath redeemed
us, that so he might embrace
us !ith e"erlasting mercy, and
she! his free, large, bountiful
grace and goodness to us#
I To him be glory and praise,
and po!er, and dominion, from
henceforth said for e"ermore#
Amen#
EThe end of the !hole Gospel of
the 5nfancy, by the assistance of
the 4upreme God, according to
!hat !e found in the original#F
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E F5(4T G74PE& 7F
T8E 5;FA;C$ 7F 9E4:4 C8(54T
/=r# 8enry 4ike, Professor of 7riental &anguages at Cambridge, first
translated and published this Gospel in *1LI# 5t !as recei"ed by the
Gnostics, a sect of Christians in the second centuryA and se"eral of its
relations !ere credited in the follo!ing ages by other Christians, "iG#,
Eusebius, Athanasius, EpiphaniusA Chrysostom# Nc# 4oGomen says, he !as
told by many, and he credits the relations, of the idols in Egypt falling
do!n on 9oseph, and =aryCs flight thither !ith ChristA and of Christ
making a !ell to !ash his clothes in a sycamore%tree, from !hence balsam
after!ards proceededA !hich stories are from this Gospel# Chemnitius, out
of 4tipulensis, !ho had it from Peter =artyr, Bishop of AleDandria, in
the third century, says, that the place in Egypt !here Christ !as
banished is no! called =atarea, about ten miles beyond CairoA that the
inhabitants constantly burn a lamp in remembrance of itA and that there
is a garden of trees yielding a balsam, !hich !ere planted by Christ !hen
a boy# =# &a Crosse cites a synod at Angamala, in the =ountain of
=alabar, A# )# *2LL, !hich sho!s this Gospel !as commonly read by the
;estorians in the country# Ahmed 5bu 5dris, a =ahometan di"ine, says, it
!as used by some Christians in common !ith the other four GospelsA and
7cobius de Castro mentions a Gospel of Thomas, !hich he says, he sa! and
had translated to him by an Armenian Archbishop at Amsterdam, that !as
read in "ery many churches of Asia and Africa, as the only rule of their
faith# Fabricius takes it to be this Gospel# 5t has been supposed, that
=ahomet and his coadjutors used it in compiling the <oran# There are
se"eral stories belie"ed of Christ, proceeding from this GospelA as that
!hich =r# 4ike relates out of &a BrosseCs Persic &eDicon, that Christ
practised the trade of a dyer, and his !orking a miracle !ith the
coloursA from !hence the Persian dyers honour him as their patron, and
call a dye%house the shop of Christ# 4ir 9ohn Chardin mentions Persian
legends concerning ChristCs dispute !ith his schoolmaster about his ABCA
and his lengthening the cedar%board !hich 9oseph sa!ed too short#3
;ote on the =iracles of Christ in the preceding Gospels#
A great "oid in the early life of the 4a"iour is filled up by these
Gospels# 5n none of the Canonical E"angelists is any mention made of the
childhood of 9esus# The Gospels of =atthe!, =ark, &uke, and 9ohn, more
rapidly than satisfactorily, pass o"er the period inter"ening bet!een 8is
birth and ministry# 5t is natural to suppose that the 5nfant (edeemerCs
earliest days !ere spent in the society of other young children, and it
is Buite consistent !ith e"ery sincere Christians faith to belie"e that
8e had the po!er to perform the miracles here ascribed to him other!ise,
a limit !ill be set to 8is di"ine attributes, doubts raised against 8is
performance of the miracles related by the four E"angelists, in the
authorised "ersion of the Testament, and a denial gi"en of the
declaration therein, @ith G7) nothing is impossibleJ@
T8E 4EC7;), 7( 4T# T87=A4C4 G74PE& 7F
T8E 5;FA;C$ 7F 9E4:4 C8(54T#
An Account of the ACT57;4 and =5(AC&E4 of our &ord and 4a"iour
9E4:4 C8(54T in his 5;FA;C$#
C8APTE( 5#
, 9esus miraculously clears the !ater after rain#
. Plays !ith clay sparro!s, !hich he animates
on the 4abbath day#
5 T87=A4, an 5sraelite, judged
it necessary to make kno!n to
our brethren among the Gentiles,
the actions and miracles of Christ
in his childhood, !hich our &ord
and God 9esus Christ !rought
after his birth in Bethlehem in our
country, at !hich 5 myself, !as
astonishedA the beginning of !hich
!as as follo!eth#
, hen the child 9esus !as
fi"e years of age, and there had
been a sho!er of rain, !hich !as
no! o"er, 9esus !as playing !ith
other 8ebre! boys by a running
streamA and the !ater running
o"er the banks, stood in little
lakesA
K But the !ater instantly became
clear and useful againA he
ha"ing smote them only by his
!ord, they readily obeyed him#
. Then he took from the bank
of the stream some soft clay, and
formed out of it t!el"e sparro!sA
and there !ere other boys playing
!ith him#
2 But a certain 9e! seeing the
things !hich he !as doing, namely,
his forming clay into the figures
of sparro!s on the 4abbath day,
!ent presently a!ay, and told
his father 9oseph, and said,
1 Behold, thy boy is playing by
the ri"er side, and has taken clay,
and formed it into t!el"e sparro!s,
and profaneth the 4abbath#
I Then 9oseph came to the
place !here he !as, and !hen he
sa! him, called to him, and said,
hy doest thou that !hich it is
not la!ful to do on the 4abbath
dayH
+ Then 9esus clapping together
the palms of his hands, called to
the sparro!s, and said to them
Go, fly a!ayA and !hile ye li"e
remember me#
L 4o the sparro!s fled a!ay
making a noise#
*- The 9e!s seeing this, !ere
astonished, and !ent a!ay, and
told their chief persons !hat a
strange miracle they had seen
!rought by 9esus#
C8APTE( 55#
, Causes a boy to !ither !ho broke do!n his fish%poolsA
1 Partly restores him#
I <ills another boy#
*1 causes blindness to fall on his accusers,
*+ for !hich, 9oseph pulls him by the ear#
BE45)E4 this, the son of Annas
the scribe, !as standing there
!ith 9oseph, and took a bough
of a !illo! tree, and scattered
the !aters !hich 9esus had
gathered into lakes#
, But the boy 9esus seeing !hat
he had done, became angry, and
said to him, Thou fool, !hat harm
did the lake do thee, that thou
shouldest scatter the !aterH
K Behold, no! thou shalt !ither
as a tree, and shalt not bring forth
either lea"es, or branches, or fruit#
. And immediately he became
!ithered all o"er#
2 Then 9esus !ent a!ay home#
But the parents of the boy !ho
!as !ithered, lamenting the
misfortune of his youth, took and
carried him to 9oseph, accusing him,
and said, hy dost thou keep a
son !ho is guilty of such actionsH
1 Then 9esus at the reBuest of
all !ho !ere present did heal him,
lea"ing only some small member
to continue !ithered, that they
might take !arning#
I Another time 9esus !ent
forth into the street, and a boy
running by, rushed upon his
shoulderA
+ At !hich 9esus being angry,
said to him, Thou shalt go no
fartherA
L And he instantly fell do!n
dead'
*- hich !hen some persons
sa!, they said, here !as this
boy born, that e"ery thing !hich
he says presently cometh to passH
** Then the parents of the dead
boy going to 9oseph, complained,
saying, $ou are not fit to li"e !ith
us, in our city, ha"ing such a boy
as that'
*, Either teach him that he
bless and not curse, or else depart
hence !ith him, for he kills our
children#
*K Then 9oseph calling the
boy 9esus by himself, instructed
him, saying, hy doest thou such
things to injure the people so, that
they hate us and prosecute usH
*. But 9esus replied, 5 kno!
that !hat thou sayest is not of
thyself, but for thy sake 5 !ill
say nothingA
*2 But they !ho ha"e said these
things to thee, shall suffer
e"erlasting punishment#
*1 And immediately they !ho
had accused him became blind,
*I And all they !ho sa! it !ere
eDceedingly afraid and confounded,
and said concerning him, hatsoe"er
he saith, !hether good or bad,
immediately cometh to pass and
they !ere amaGed#
*+ And !hen they sa! this action
of Christ, 9oseph arose, and
plucked him by the ear, at !hich
the boy !as angry, and said to
him, Be easyA
*L For if they seek for us, they
shall not find us' thou hast done
"ery imprudently#
,- )ost thou not kno! that 5
am thineH Trouble me no more#
C8APTE( 555#
* Astonishes his schoolmaster by his learning#
A CE(TA5; schoolmaster
named Maccheaus, standing
in a certain place, heard 9esus
speaking these things to his father#
, And he !as much surprised,
that being a child he should speak
such thingsA and after a fe! days
he came to 9oseph, and said,
K Thou hast a !ise and sensible
child, send him to me, that he may
learn to read#
. hen he sat do!n to teach
the letters to 9esus, he began !ith
the first letter AlephA
2 But 9esus pronounced the
second letter =peth EBethF Cghimel
EGimelF, and said o"er all the
letters to him to the end#
1 Then opening a book, he
taught his master the prophets
but he !as ashamed, and !as at a
loss to concei"e ho! he came to
kno! the letters#
I And he arose and !ent home,
!onderfully surprised at so strange
a thing#
C8APTE( 5?#
* Fragment of an ad"enture at a dyerCs#
A4 9esus !as passing by a certain
shop, he sa! a young man dipping
Eor dyeingF some cloths and stockings
in a furnace, of a sad colour, doing
them according to e"ery personCs
particular orderA
, The boy 9esus going to the
young man !ho !as doing this,
took also some of the cloths ######
E8ere endeth the fragment of
ThomasCs Gospel of the 5nfancy
of 9esus Christ#F
(EFE(E;CE T7 4T# T87=A4C4 G74PE& 7F T8E
5;FA;C$ 7F 9E4:4 C8(54T#
/The original in Greek, from !hich this translation is made, !ill be
found printed by Cotelerius, in his notes on the constitutions of the
Apostles, from a =4# in the French <ingCs &ibrary, ;o# ,,IL#%%5t is
attributed to 4t# Thomas, and conjectured to ha"e been originally
connected !ith the, Gospel of =ary# :nfortunately this ancient =4# !as
found torn at the second "erse of the fourth chapter#3
T8E G74PE& 7F ;5C7)E=:4,
F7(=E(&$ CA&&E) T8E ACT4 7F P7;T5:4 P5&ATE#
The Gospel of ;5C7)E=:4, the disciple,
concerning the 4ufferings and (esurrection
of our =aster and 4a"iour, 9E4:4 C8(54T#
C8APTE( 5#
* Christ accused to Pilate by the 9e!s
of healing on the 4abbath#
L 4ummoned before Pilate by a messenger
!ho does him honour#
,- orshipped by the standards bo!ing do!n to him#
A;;A4 and Caiphas, and
4ummas, and )atam, Gamaliel,
9udas, &e"i, ;epthalim, AleDander,
Cyrus, and other 9e!s, !ent
to Pilate about 9esus, accusing
him !ith many bad crimes#
, And said, e are assured that
9esus is the son of 9oseph, the
carpenter, and born of =ary, and
that he declares himself the 4on of
God, and a kingA and not only so,
but attempts the dissolution of the
4abbath, and the la!s of our
fathers#
K Pilate replied, hat is it
!hich he declaresH and !hat is it
!hich he attempts dissol"ingH
. The 9e!s told him, e ha"e
a la! !hich forbids doing cures
on the 4abbath dayA but he cures
both the lame and the deaf, those
afflicted !ith the palsy, the blind,
the lepers, and demoniacs, on that
day, by !icked methods#
2 Pilate replied, 8o! can he
do this by !icked methodsH They
ans!ered 8e is a conjurer, and
casts out de"ils by the prince of
the de"ilsA and so all things,
become subject to him#
1 Then said Pilate, Casting out
de"ils seems not to be the !ork of
an unclean spirit, but to proceed
from the po!er of God#
I The 9e!s replied to Pilate,
e entreat your highness to summon
him to appear before your tribunal,
and hear him yourself#
+ Then Pilate called a messenger,
and said to him, By !hat means
!ill Christ be brought hitherH
L Then !ent the messenger
forth, and kno!ing Christ,
!orshipped himA and ha"ing spread
the cloak !hich he had in his hand
upon the ground, he said, &ord,
!alk upon this, and go in, for the
go"ernor calls thee#
*- hen the 9e!s percei"ed
!hat the messenger had done,
they eDclaimed Eagainst himF to
Pilate, and said, hy did you not
gi"e him his summons by a beadle,
and not by a messengerH%%For the
messenger, !hen he sa! him,
!orshipped him, and spread the
cloak !hich he had in his hand
upon the ground before him, and
said to him, &ord, the go"ernor
calls thee#
** Then Pilate called the
messenger, and said, hy hast thou
done thusH
*, The messenger replied, hen
thou sentest me from 9erusalem to
AleDander, 5 sa! 9esus sitting in
a mean figure upon a she%ass, and
the children of the 8ebre!s cried
out, 8osannah, holding boughs of
trees in their hands#
*K 7thers spread their garments
in the !ay, and said, 4a"e us, thou
!ho art in hea"enA blessed is he
!ho cometh in the name of the
&ord#
*. Then the 9e!s cried out,
against the messenger, and said,
The children of the 8ebre!s made
their acclamations in the 8ebre!
languageA and ho! couldst thou,
!ho art a Greek, understand the
8ebre!H
*2 The messenger ans!ered
them and said, 5 asked one of the
9e!s and said, hat is this !hich
the children do cry out in the
8ebre! languageH
*1 And he eDplained it to me,
saying, they cry out, 8osannah,
!hich being interpreted, is, 7
&ord, sa"e meA or, 7 &ord, sa"e#
*I Pilate then said to them,
hy do you yoursel"es testify to
the !ords spoken by the children,
namely, by your silenceH 5n !hat
has the messenger done amissH
And they !ere silent#
*+ Then the go"ernor said unto
the messenger, Go forth and
endea"our by any means to bring
him in#
*L But the messenger !ent forth
and did as beforeA and said, &ord
come in, for the go"ernor calleth
thee#
,- And as 9esus !as going in
by the ensigns, !ho carried the
standards, the tops of them bo!ed
do!n and !orshipped 9esus#
,* hereupon the 9e!s eDclaimed
more "ehemently against the ensigns#
,, But Pilate said to the 9e!s,
5 kno! it is not pleasing to you
that the tops of the standards did
of themsel"es bo! and !orship
9esusA but !hy do ye eDclaim
against the ensigns, as if they had
bo!ed and !orshippedH
,K They replied to Pilate,
e sa! the ensigns themsel"es
bo!ing and !orshipping 9esus#
,. Then the go"ernor called the
ensigns, and said unto them, hy
did you do thusH
,2 The ensigns said to Pilate,
e are all Pagans and !orship
the gods in templesA and ho!
should !e think anything about
!orshipping himH e only held
the standards in our hands,
and they bo!ed themsel"es and
!orshipped him#
,1 Then said Pilate to the rulers
of the synagogue, )o ye yoursel"es
choose some strong men, and let
them hold the standards, and !e
shall see !hether they !ill then
bend of themsel"es#
,I 4o the elders of the 9e!s
sought out t!el"e of the most
strong and able old men, and made
them hold the standards, and they
stood in the presence of the go"ernor#
,+ Then Pilate said to the
messenger, Take 9esus out, and by
some means bring him in again#
And 9esus and the messenger !ent
out of the hall#
,L And Pilate called the ensigns
!ho before had borne the standards,
and s!ore to them, that if they
had not borne the standards in
that manner !hen 9esus before
entered in, he !ould cut off
their heads#
K- Then the go"ernor commanded
9esus to come in again#
K* And the messenger did as he
had done before, and "ery much
entreated 9esus that he !ould go
upon his cloak, and !alk on itA
and he did !alk upon it, and !ent
in#
K, And !hen 9esus !ent in,
the standards bo!ed themsel"es as
before, and !orshipped him#
C8APTE( 55#
, 5s compassionated by PilateCs !ife,
I charged !ith being born in fornication#
*, Testimony to the betrothing of his parents#
*2 8atred of the 9e!s to him#
;7 !hen Pilate sa! this, he
!as afraid, and !as about to
rise from his seat#
, But !hile he thought to rise,
his o!n !ife !ho stood at a
distance, sent to him, saying, 8a"e
thou nothing to do !ith that just
manA for 5 ha"e suffered much
concerning him in a "ision this
night#
K hen the 9e!s heard this
they said to Pilate, )id !e not say
unto thee, 8e is a conjurorH Behold,
he hath caused thy !ife to dream#
. Pilate then calling 9esus, said,
thou hast heard !hat they testify
against thee, and makest no ans!erH
2 9esus replied, 5f they had not
a po!er of speaking, they could
not ha"e spokeA but because e"ery
one has the command of his o!n
tongue, to speak both good and
bad, let him look to it#
1 But the elders of the 9e!s
ans!ered, and said to 9esus, hat
shall !e look toH
I 5n the first place, !e kno!
this concerning thee, that thou
!ast born through fornicationA
secondly, that upon the account of
thy birth the infants !ere slain in
BethlehemA thirdly, that thy father
and mother =ary fled into Egypt,
because they could not trust their
o!n people#
+ 4ome of the 9e!s !ho stood
by spake more fa"ourably, e
cannot say that he !as born
through fornicationA but !e kno!
that his mother =ary !as betrothed
to 9oseph, and so he !as not born
through fornication#
L Then said Pilate to the 9e!s
!ho affirmed him to be born
through fornication, This your
account is not true, seeing there !as
a betrothment, as they testify !ho
are of your o!n nation#
*- Annas and Caiphas spake to
Pilate, All this multitude of people
is to be regarded, !ho cry out,
that he !as born through fornication,
and is a conjurerA but they !ho deny
him to be born through fornication,
are his proselytes and disciples#
** Pilate ans!ered Annas and
Caiphas, ho are the proselytesH
They ans!ered, They are those
!ho are the children of Pagans,
and are not become 9e!s, but
follo!ers of him#
*, Then replied EleaGer, and
Asterius, and Antonius, and 9ames,
Caras and 4amuel, 5saac and Phinees,
Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and 9udas,
e are not proselytes, but children
of 9e!s, and speak the truth,
and !ere present !hen =ary !as
betrothed#
*K Then Pilate addressing
himself to the t!el"e men !ho
spake this, said to them, 5 conjure
you by the life of Caesar, that ye
faithfully declare !hether he !as
born through fornication, and those
things be true !hich ye ha"e related#
*. They ans!ered Pilate, e
ha"e a la! !hereby !e are forbid
to s!ear, it being a sin' &et them
s!ear by the life of Caesar that it
is not as !e ha"e said, and !e !ill
be contented to be put to death#
*2 Then said Annas and Caiphas
to Pilate, Those t!el"e men !ill
not belie"e that !e kno! him to be
basely born, and to be a conjurer,
although he pretends that he is
the 4on of God, and a king' !hich
!e are so far from belie"ing, that
!e tremble to hear#
*1 Then Pilate commanded
e"ery one to go out eDcept the
t!el"e men !ho said he !as not
born through fornication, and
9esus to !ithdra! to a distance,
and said to them, hy ha"e the 9e!s
a mind to kill 9esusH
*I They ans!ered him, They
are angry because he !rought
cures on the sabbath day# Pilate
said, ill they kill him for a
good !orkH They say unto him,
$es, 4ir#
C8APTE( 555#
* 5s eDonerated by Pilate#
** )isputes !ith Pilate concerning truth#
T8E; Pilate, filled !ith anger,
!ent out of the hall, and said
to the 9e!s, 5 call the !hole
!orld to !itness that 5 find no
fault in that man#
, The 9e!s replied to Pilate,
5f he had not been a !icked person,
!e had not brought him before thee#
K Pilate said to them, )o ye take
him and try him by your la!#
. Then the 9e!s said, 5t is not
la!ful for us to put any one to
death#
2 Pilate said to the 9e!s, The
command, therefore, thou shalt
not kill, belongs to you, but
not to me#
1 And he !ent again into the
hall, and called 9esus by himself,
and said to him, Art thou the king
of the 9e!sH
I And 9esus ans!ering, said
to Pilate, )ost thou speak this
of thyself, or did the 9e!s tell
it thee concerning meH
+ Pilate ans!ering, said to
9esus, Am 5 a 9e!H The !hole
nation and rulers of the 9e!s ha"e
deli"ered thee up to me# hat
hast thou doneH
L 9esus ans!ering, said, =y
kingdom is not of this !orld'
if my kingdom !ere of this !orld,
then !ould my ser"ants fight,
and 5 should not ha"e been
deli"ered to the 9e!s' but no!
my kingdom is not from hence#
*- Pilate said, Art thou a king
thenH 9esus ans!ered, Thou sayest
that 5 am a king' to this end
!as 5 born, and for this end came
5 into the !orldA and for this
purpose 5 came, that 5 should bear
!itness to the truthA and e"ery
one !ho is of the truth, heareth
my "oice#
** Pilate saith to him, hat is
truthH
*, 9esus said, Truth is from
hea"en#
*K Pilate said, Therefore truth
is not on earth#
*. 9esus saith to Pilate,
Belie"e that truth is on earth
among those, !ho !hen they ha"e
the po!er of judgment, are go"erned
by truth, and form right judgment#
C8APTE( 5?#
* Pilate finds no fault in 9esus#
*1 The 9e!s demand his crucifiDion#
T8E; Pilate left 9esus in the hall,
and !ent out to the 9e!s, and said,
5 find not any one fault in 9esus#
, The 9e!s say unto him, But
he said, 5 can destroy the temple
of God, and in three days build it
up again#
K Pilate saith to them, hat
sort of temple is that of !hich he
speakethH
. The 9e!s say unto him,
That !hich 4olomon !as forty%siD
years in building, he said he
!ould destroy, and in three days
build up#
2 Pilate said to them again, 5
am innocent from the blood of that
manJ do ye look to it#
1 The 9e!s say to him, 8is
blood be upon us and our children#
Then Pilate calling together the
elders and scribes, priests and
&e"ites, saith to them pri"ately,
)o not act thusA 5 ha"e found
nothing in your charge Eagainst
himF concerning his curing sick
persons, and breaking the sabbath,
!orthy of death#
I The priests and &e"ites replied
to Pilate, By the life of Caesar,
if any one be a blasphemer, he is
!orthy of deathA but this man hath
blasphemed against the &ord#
+ Then the go"ernor again
commanded the 9e!s to depart out
of the hallA and calling 9esus,
said to him, hat shall 5 do !ith
theeH
L 9esus ans!ered him, )o according
as it is !ritten#
*- Pilate said to him, 8o! is it
!rittenH
** 9esus saith to him, =oses
and the prophets ha"e prophesied
concerning my suffering and
resurrection#
*, The 9e!s hearing this, !ere
pro"oked, and said to Pilate,
hy !ilt thou any longer hear the
blasphemy of that manH
*K Pilate saith to them, 5f these
!ords seem to you blasphemy, do
ye take him, bring him to your
court, and try him according to
your la!#
*. The 9e!s reply to Pilate,
7ur la! saith, he shall be obliged
to recei"e nine and thirty stripes,
but if after this manner he shall
blaspheme against the &ord, he
shall be stoned#
*2 Pilate saith unto them, 5f
that speech of his !as blasphemy,
do ye try him according to your
la!#
*1 The 9e!s say to Pilate, 7ur
la! command us not to put any one
to death# e desire that he may be
crucified, because he deser"es the
death of the cross#
*I Pilate saith to them, 5t is not
fit he should be crucified' let him
be only !hipped and sent a!ay#
*+ But !hen the go"ernor looked
upon the people that !ere present
and the 9e!s, he sa! many of the
9e!s in tears, and said to the
chief priests of the 9e!s, All
the people do not desire his death#
*L The elders of the 9e!s ans!ered
to Pilate, e and all the people
came hither for this "ery purpose,
that he should die#
,- Pilate saith to them, hy should
he dieH
,* They said to him, Because
he declares himself to be the 4on
of God and a <ing#
C8AP# ?#
* ;icodemus speaks in defence of Christ,
and relates his miracles#
*, Another 9e!,
,1 !ith ?eronica,
K. Centurio, and others,
testify of other miracles#
B:T ;icodemus, a certain 9e!,
stood before the go"ernor,
and said, 5 entreat thee,
7 righteous judge, that thou
!ouldst fa"our me !ith the
liberty of speaking a fe! !ords#
, Pilate said to him, 4peak on#
K ;icodemus said, 5 spake to
the elders of the 9e!s, and the
scribes, and priests and &e"ites,
and all the multitude of the 9e!s,
in their assemblyA hat is it ye
!ould do !ith this manH
. 8e is a man !ho hath !rought
many useful and glorious miracles,
such as no man on earth e"er
!rought before, nor !ill e"er
!ork# &et him go, and do him
no harmA if he cometh from God,
his miracles, Ehis miraculous
curesF !ill continueA but if from
men, they !ill come to nought#
2 Thus =oses, !hen he !as
sent by God into Egypt, !rought
the miracles !hich God commanded
him, before Pharaoh king of EgyptA
and though the magicians of that
country, 9annes and 9ambres,
!rought by their magic the same
miracles !hich =oses did, yet they
could not !ork all !hich he didA
1 And the miracles !hich the
magicians !rought, !ere not of
God, as ye kno!, 7 4cribes and
PhariseesA but they !ho !rought
them perished, and all !ho
belie"ed them#
I And no! let this man goA
because the "ery miracles for
!hich ye accuse him, are from
GodA and he is not !orthy of
death#
+ The 9e!s then said to ;icodemus,
Art thou become his disciple,
and making speeches in his fa"ourH
L ;icodemus said to them, 5s
the go"ernor become his disciple
also, and does he make speeches
for himH )id not Caesar place
him in that high postH
*- hen the 9e!s heard this
they trembled, and gnashed their
teeth at ;icodemus, and said to
him, =ayest thou recei"e his
doctrine for truth, and ha"e
thy lot !ith ChristJ
** ;icodemus replied, AmenA
5 !ill recei"e his doctrine, and
my lot !ith him, as ye ha"e said#
*, Then another certain 9e!
rose up, and desired lea"e of the
go"ernor to hear him a fe! !ords#
*K And the go"ernor said,
4peak, !hat thou hast a mind#
*. And he said, 5 lay for thirty%
eight years by the sheep%pool at
9erusalem, labouring under a great
infirmity, and !aiting for a cure
!hich should be !rought by the
coming of an angel, !ho at a
certain time troubled the !ater' and
!hosoe"er first after the troubling
of the !ater stepped in, !as made
!hole of !hatsoe"er disease he had#
*2 And !hen 9esus sa! me languishing
there, he said to me, ilt thou be
made !holeH And 5 ans!ered, 4ir,
5 ha"e no man, !hen the !ater is
troubled, to put me into the pool#
*1 And he said unto me, (ise,
take up thy bed and !alk# And
5 !as immediately made !hole,
and took up my bed and !alked#
*I The 9e!s then said to Pilate,
7ur &ord Go"ernor, pray ask
him !hat day it !as on !hich he
!as cured of his infirmity#
*+ The infirm person replied,
5t !as on the sabbath#
*L The 9e!s said to Pilate, )id
!e not say that he !rought his
cures on the sabbath, and cast out
de"ils by the prince of de"ilsH
,- Then another certain 9e!
came forth, and said, 5 !as blind,
could hear sounds, but could not
see any oneA and as 9esus !as
going along, 5 heard the multitude
passing by, and 5 asked !hat
!as thereH
,* They told me that 9esus !as
passing by' then 5 cried out,
saying, 9esus, 4on of )a"id, ha"e
mercy on me# And he stood still,
and commanded that 5 should be
brought to him, and said to me,
hat !ilt thouH
,, 5 said, &ord, that 5 may
recei"e my sight#
,K 8e said to me, (ecei"e thy
sight' and presently 5 sa!, and
follo!ed him, rejoicing and gi"ing
thanks,
,. Another 9e! also came forth,
and said, 5 !as a leper, and he
cured me by his !ord only, saying,
5 !ill, be thou cleanA and presently
5 !as cleansed from my leprosy#
,2 And another 9e! came
forth, and said 5 !as crooked,
and he made me straight by his
!ord#
,1 And a certain !oman
named ?eronica, said, 5 !as
afflicted !ith an issue of blood
t!el"e years, and 5 touched the
hem of his garment, and presently
the issue of blood stopped#
,I The 9e!s then said, e
ha"e a la!, that a !oman shall
not be allo!ed as an e"idence#
,+ And, after other things,
another 9e! said, 5 sa! 9esus
in"ited to a !edding !ith his
disciples, and there !as a !ant
of !ine in Cana of GalileeA
,L And !hen the !ine !as all
drank, he commanded the ser"ants
that they should fill siD pots !hich
!ere there !ith !ater, and they
filled them up to the brim, and he
blessed them and turned the !ater
into !ine, and all the people drank,
being surprised at this miracle,
K- And another 9e! stood forth,
and said, 5 sa! 9esus teaching
in the synagogue at CapernaumA
and there !as in the synagogue
a certain man !ho had a de"ilA
and he cried out, saying,
let me aloneA !hat ha"e !e to
do !ith thee, 9esus of ;aGarethH
Art thou come to destroy usH
5 kno! that thou art the 8oly 7ne
of God#
K* And 9esus rebuked him, saying,
8old thy peace, unclean spirit,
and come out of the manA and
presently he came out of him, and
did not at all hurt him#
K, The follo!ing things !ere
also said by a Pharisee' 5 sa!
that a great company came to
9esus from Galilee and 9udea, and
the sea%cost, and many countries
about 9ordanA and many infirm
persons came to him, and he healed
them all#
KK And 5 heard the unclean
spirits crying out, and saying,
Thou art the 4on of God# And
9esus strictly charged them, that
they should not make him kno!n#
K. After this another person,
!hose name !as Centurio, said,
5 sa! 9esus in Capernaum, and 5
entreated him, saying, &ord, my
ser"ant lieth at home sick of the
palsy#
K2 And 9esus said to me, 5
!ill come and cure him#
K1 But 5 said, &ord, 5 am not
!orthy that thou shouldst come
under my roofA but only speak
the !ord, and my ser"ant shall be
healed#
KI And 9esus said unto me, Go
thy !ayA and as thou hast belie"ed
so be it done unto thee# And my
ser"ant !as healed from that same
hour#
K+ Then a certain nobleman
said, 5 had a son in Capernaum,
!ho lay at the point of deathA and
!hen 5 heard that 9esus !as come
into Galilee, 5 !ent and besought
him that he !ould come do!n to
my house, and heal my son, for he
!as at the point of death#
KL 8e said to me, Go thy !ay,
thy son li"eth#
.- And my son !as cured from
that hour#
.* Besides these, also many
others of the 9e!s, both men and
omen, cried out and said, 8e is
truly the 4on of God, !ho cures
all diseases only by his !ord, and
to !hom the de"ils are altogether
subject#
., 4ome of them farther said,
This po!er can proceed from none
but God#
.K Pilate said to the 9e!s, hy
are not the de"ils subject to your
doctorsH
.. 4ome of them said, The
po!er of subjecting de"ils cannot
proceed but from God#
.2 But others said to Pilate,
That he had raised &aGarus from
the dead, after he had been four
days in his gra"e#
.1 The go"ernor hearing this,
trembling, said to the multitude of
the 9e!s, hat !ill it profit you
to shed innocent bloodH
C8APTE( ?5#
* Pilate dismayed by the turbulence of the 9e!s,
2 !ho demand Barabbas to be released, and Christ
to be crucified#
L Pilate !armly eDpostulates !ith them,
,- !ashes his hands of ChristCs blood,
,K and sentences him to be !hipped and crucified#
T8E; Pilate ha"ing called
together ;icodemus, and the
fifteen men !ho said that 9esus
!as not born through fornication,
said to them, hat shall 5 do,
seeing there is like to be a tumult
among the people#
, They say unto him, e kno!
notA let them look to it !ho raise
the tumult#
K Pilate then called the
multitude again, and said to them,
$e kno! that ye ha"e a custom, that
5 should release to you one prisoner
at the feast of the passo"er'
. 5 ha"e a noted prisoner, a
murderer, !ho is called Barabbas,
and 9esus !ho is called Christ, in
!hom 5 find nothing that deser"es
deathA !hich of them, therefore,
ha"e you a mind that 5 should
release to youH
2 They all cry out, and say,
(elease to us Barabbas#
1 Pilate saith to them, hat
then shall 5 do !ith 9esus !ho is
called ChristH
I They all ans!er, &et him be
crucified#
+ Again they cry out and say to
Pilate, $ou are not the friend of
Caesar, if you release this manA
for he hath declared that he is the
4on of God, and a king# But are
you inclined that he should be
king, and not CaesarH
L Then Pilate filled !ith anger
said to them, $our nation hath
al!ays been seditious, and you are
al!ays against those !ho ha"e
been ser"iceable to you#
*- The 9e!s replied, ho are those
!ho ha"e been ser"iceable to usH
** Pilate ans!ered them, $our
God !ho deli"ered you from the
hard bondage of the Egyptians,
and brought you o"er the (ed 4ea
as though it had been dry land,
and fed you in the !ilderness !ith
manna and the flesh of Buails, and
brought !ater out of the rock, and
ga"e you a la! from hea"en#
*, $e pro"oked him all !ays,
and desired for yoursel"es a
molten calf, and !orshipped it,
and sacrificed to it, and said,
These are thy Gods, 7 5srael,
!hich brought thee out of the
land of Egypt'
*K 7n account of !hich your
God !as inclined to destroy youA
but =oses interceded for you, and
your God heard him, and forga"e
your iniBuity#
*. After!ards ye !ere enraged
against, and !ould ha"e killed
your prophets, =oses and Aaron,
!hen they fled to the tabernacle,
and ye !ere al!ays murmuring
against God and his prophets#
*2 And arising from his
judgment seat, he !ould ha"e gone
outA but the 9e!s all cried out,
e ackno!ledge Caesar to be king,
and not 9esusA
*1 hereas this person, as
soon as he !as born, the !ise
men came and offered gifts unto
himA !hich !hen 8erod heard,
he !as eDceedingly troubled,
and !ould ha"e killed him'
*I hen his father kne! this,
he fled !ith him and his mother
=ary into Egypt# 8erod, !hen
he heard he !as born, !ould ha"e
slain himA and accordingly sent
and sle! all the children !hich
!ere in Bethlehem, and in all the
coasts thereof, from t!o years old
and under#
*+ hen Pilate heard this
account, he !as afraidA and
commanding silence among the
people, !ho made a noise, he said
to 9esus, Art thou therefore a kingH
*L All the 9e!s replied to
Pilate, he is the "ery person
!hom 8erod sought to ha"e slain#
,- Then Pilate taking !ater,
!ashed his hands before the people
and said, 5 am innocent of the
blood of this just personA look ye
to it#
,* The 9e!s ans!ered and said,
8is blood be upon us and our
children#
,, Then Pilate commanded 9esus
to be brought before him, and
spake to him in the follo!ing
!ordsA
,K Thy o!n nation hath charged
thee as making thyself a kingA
!herefore 5, Pilate, sentence thee
to be !hipped according to the
la!s of former go"ernorsA and
that thou be first bound, then
hanged upon a cross in that place
!here thou art no! a prisonerA
and also t!o criminals !ith thee,
!hose names are )imas and Gestas#
C8AP# ?55#
* =anner of ChristCs crucifiDion
!ith the t!o thie"es#
T8E; 9esus !ent out of the
hall, and the t!o thie"es
!ith him#
, And !hen they came to the
place !hich is called Golgotha,
they stript him of his raiment, and
girt him about !ith a linen cloth,
and put a cro!n of thorns upon his
head, and put a reed in his hand#
K And in like manner did they
to the t!o thie"es !ho !ere
crucified !ith him, )imas on his
right hand and Gestas on his left#
. But 9esus said, =y Father,
forgi"e them, For they kno! not
!hat they do#
2 And they di"ided his garments,
and upon his "esture they cast lots#
1 The people in the mean time
stood by, and the chief priests
and elders of the 9e!s mocked him,
saying, 8e sa"ed others, let him
no! sa"e himself if he canA if he
be the son of God, let him no!
come do!n from the cross#
I The soldiers also mocked him,
and taking "inegar and gall, offered
it to him to drink, and said to him,
5f thou art king of the 9e!s,
deli"er thyself#
+ Then &onginus, a certain soldier,
taking a spear, pierced his side,
and presently there came forth blood
and !ater#
L And Pilate !rote the title
upon the cross in 8ebre!, &atin,
and Greek letters, "iG#, T854 54
T8E <5;G 7F T8E 9E4#
*- But one of the t!o thie"es
!ho !ere crucified !ith 9esus,
!hose name !as Gestas, said to
9esus, 5f thou art the Christ,
deli"er thyself and us#
** But the thief !ho !as
crucified on his right hand,
!hose name !as )imas, ans!ering,
rebuked him, and said, )ost not
thou fear God, !ho art condemned
to this punishmentH e indeed
recei"e rightly and justly the
demerit of our actionsA but this
9esus, !hat e"il hath he done#
*, After this, groaning, he said
to 9esus, &ord, remember me
!hen thou comest into thy kingdom#
*K 9esus ans!ering, said to
him, ?erily 5 say unto thee, that
this day thou shalt be !ith me in
Paradise#
C8APTE( ?555#
* =iraculous appearance at his death#
*- The 9e!s say the eclipse !as natural#
*, 9oseph of Arimathaea embalms ChristCs
body and buries it#
A;) it !as about the siDth
hour, and darkness !as upon
the face of the !hole earth until
the ninth hour#
, And !hile the sun !as eclipsed,
behold the "eil of the temple !as
rent from the top, to the bottomA
and the rocks also !ere rent, and
the gra"es opened, and many
bodies of saints, !hich slept,
arose#
K And about the ninth hour
9esus cried out !ith a loud "oice,
Eli, Eli, lama sabacthaniH !hich
being interpreted is, =y God, =y
God, !hy hast thou forsaken meH
. And after these things, 9esus
said, Father, into thy hands 5
commend my spiritA and ha"ing
said this, he ga"e up the ghost#
2 But !hen the centurion sa!
that 9esus thus crying out ga"e up
the ghost, he glorified God, and
said, 7f a truth this !as a just
man#
1 And all the people !ho stood
by, !ere eDceedingly troubled at
the sightA and reflecting upon
!hat had passed, smote upon their
breasts, and then returned to the
city of 9erusalem#
I The centurion !ent to the
go"ernor, and related to him all
that had passed'
+ And !hen he had heard all
these things, he !as eDceedingly
sorro!fulA
L And calling the 9e!s together,
said to them, 8a"e ye seen the
miracle of the sunCs eclipse, and
the other things !hich came to
pass, !hile 9esus !as dyingH
*- hich !hen the 9e!s heard,
they ans!ered to the go"ernor,
The eclipse of the sun happened
according to its usual custom#
** But all those !ho !ere the
acBuaintance of Christ, stood at
a distance, as did the !omen !ho
had follo!ed 9esus from Galilee,
obser"ing all these things#
*, And behold a certain man
of Arimathaea, named 9oseph, !ho
!as also a disciple of 9esus, but
not openly so, for fear of the 9e!s,
came to the go"ernor, and entreated
the go"ernor that he !ould gi"e him
lea"e to take a!ay the body of 9esus
from the cross#
*K And the go"ernor ga"e him lea"e#
*. And ;icodemus came, bringing
!ith him a miDture of myrrh and
aloes about a hundred pounds
!eightA and they took do!n 9esus
from the cross !ith tears, and
bound him in linen cloths !ith
spices, according to the custom of
burying among the 9e!sA
*2 And placed him in a ne!
tomb, !hich 9oseph had built,
and caused to be cut out of a rock,
in !hich ne"er any man had been
putA and they rolled a great stone
to the door of the sepulchre#
C8APTE( 5>#
* The 9e!s angry !ith ;icodemus'
2 and !ith, 9oseph of Arimathaea,
I !hom they imprison#
8E; the unjust 9e!s heard
that 9oseph had begged and buried
the body of 9esus, they sought
after ;icodemus, and those fifteen
men !ho had testified before the
go"ernor, that 9esus !as not born
through fornication, and other
good persons !ho had sho!n any
good actions to!ards him#
, But !hen they all concealed
themsel"es through fear of the
9e!s, ;icodemus alone sho!ed
himself to them, and said, 8o!
can such persons as these enter
into the synagogueH
K The 9e!s ans!ered him, But
ho! durst thou enter into the
synagogue, !ho !ast a confederate
!ith ChristH &et thy lot be along
!ith him in the other !orld#
. ;icodemus ans!ered, AmenA
so may it be, that 5 may ha"e
my lot !ith him in his kingdom#
2 5n like manner 9oseph, !hen
he came to the 9e!s, said to them,
hy are ye angry !ith me for
desiring the body of 9esus of
PilateH Behold, 5 ha"e put him in
my tomb, and !rapped him up in
clean linen, and put a stone at the
door of the sepulchre'
1 5 ha"e acted rightly to!ards
himA but ye ha"e acted unjustly
against that just person, in
crucifying him, gi"ing him "inegar
to drink, cro!ning him !ith thorns,
tearing his body !ith !hips, and
praying do!n the guilt of his blood
upon you#
I The 9e!s at the hearing of
this !ere disBuieted and troubledA
and they seiGed 9oseph, and
commanded him to be put in custody
before the 4abbath, and kept there
till the 4abbath !as o"er#
+ And they said to him, =ake
confessionA for at this time it is
not la!ful to do thee any harm,
till the first day of the !eek come#
But !e kno! that thou !ilt not be
thought !orthy of a burialA but
!e !ill gi"e thy flesh to the birds
of the air, and the beasts of the
earth#
L 9oseph ans!ered, That speech
is like the speech of proud Goliath,
!ho reproached the li"ing God in
speaking against )a"id# But ye
scribes and doctors kno! that God
saith by the prophet, ?engeance is
mine, and 5 !ill repay to you e"il
eBual to that !hich ye ha"e
threatened to me#
*- The God !hom you ha"e
hanged upon the cross, is able to
deli"er me out of your hands# All
your !ickedness !ill return upon
you#
** For the go"ernor, !hen he
!ashed his hands, said, 5 am clear
from the blood of this just person#
But ye ans!ered and cried out,
8is blood be upon us and our
children# According as ye ha"e
said, may ye perish for e"er#
*, The elders of the 9e!s hearing
these !ords, !ere eDceedingly
enragedA and seiGing 9oseph, they
put him into a chamber !here
there !as no !indo!A they fastened
the door, and put a seal upon
the lockA
*K And Annas and Caiaphas placed
a guard upon it, and took counsel
!ith the priests and &e"ites,
that they should all meet after
the 4abbath, and they contri"ed
to !hat death they should put 9oseph#
*. hen they had done this, the
rulers, Annas and Caiaphas,
ordered 9oseph to be brought
forth#
E5n this place there is a portion
of the Gospel lost or omitted#
!hich cannot be supplied# 5t
may, ne"ertheless, be surmised
from the occurrence related in
the neDt chapter, that the order
of Annas and Caiaphas !ere rendered
unnecessary by 9osephCs miraculous
escape, and !hich !as announced
to an assembly of people#F
C8APTE( >#
* 9osephCs escape#
, The soldiers relate ChristCs resurrection#
*+ Christ is seen preaching in Galilee#
,* The 9e!s repent of their cruelty to him#
8E; all the assembly heard
this Eabout 9osephCs escapeF,
they admired and !ere astonished,
because they found the same seal
upon the lock of the chamber, and
could not find 9oseph#
, Then Annas and Caiaphas !ent
forth, and !hile they !ere all
admiring at 9osephCs being gone,
behold one of the soldiers, !ho
kept the sepulchre of 9esus, spake
in the assembly,
K That !hile they !ere guarding
the sepulchre of 9esus, there !as
an earthBuakeA and !e sa! an angel
of God roll a!ay the stone of the
sepulchre and sit upon itA
. And his countenance !as like
lightning and his garment like
sno!A and !e became through fear
like persons dead#
2 And !e heard an angel saying
to the !omen at the sepulchre of
9esus, )o not fearA 5 kno! that
you seek 9esus !ho !as crucifiedA
he is risen as he foretoldA
1 Come and see the place !here
he !as laidA and go presently, and
tell his disciples that he is risen
from the deadA and he !ill go before
you into GalileeA there ye shall
see him as he told you#
I Then the 9e!s called together
all the soldiers !ho kept the sepulchre
of 9esus, and said to them, ho are
those !omen, to !hom the angel spokeH
hy did ye not seiGe them#
+ The soldiers ans!ered and said,
e kno! not !ho the !omen !ereA
besides !e became as dead persons
through fear, and ho! could !e
seiGe those !omenH
L The 9e!s said to them, As the
&ord li"eth, !e do not belie"e youA
*- The soldiers ans!ering said to
the 9e!s, !hen ye sa! and heard
9esus !orking so many miracles,
and did not belie"e him, ho! should
ye belie"e usH $e !ell said,
As the &ord li"eth, for the &ord
truly does li"e#
** e ha"e heard that ye shut
up 9oseph, !ho buried the body of
9esus, in a chamber, under a lock
!hich !as sealedA and !hen ye
opened it, found him not there#
*, )o ye then produce 9oseph
!hom ye put under guard in the
chamber, and !e !ill produce
9esus !hom !e guarded in the
sepulchre#
*K The 9e!s ans!ered and said,
e !ill produce 9oseph, do ye
produce 9esus# But 9oseph is in
his o!n city of Arimathaea#
*. The soldiers replied,
5f 9oseph be in Arimathaea,
and 9esus in Galilee, !e heard
the angel inform the !omen#
*2 The 9e!s hearing this, !ere
afraid, and said among themsel"es,
5f by any means these things
should become public, then
e"erybody !ill belie"e in 9esus#
*1 Then they gathered a large
sum of money, and ga"e it to the
soldiers, saying, )o ye tell the
people that the disciples of 9esus
came in the night !hen ye !ere
asleep, and stole a!ay the body of
9esusA and if Pilate the go"ernor
should hear of this, !e !ill satisfy
him and secure you#
*I The soldiers accordingly took
the money, and said as they !ere
instructed by the 9e!sA and their
report !as spread abroad among
all the people#
*+ But a certain priest Phinees,
Ada a schoolmaster, and a &e"ite,
named Ageus, they three came from
Galilee to 9erusalem, and told
the chief priests and all !ho
!ere in the synagogues, saying,
*L e ha"e seen 9esus, !hom
ye crucified, talking !ith his
ele"en disciples, and sitting in the
midst of them in =ount 7li"et,
and saying to them,
,- Go forth into the !hole !orld,
preach the Gospel to all nations,
baptiGing them in the name of the
Father, and the 4on, and the 8oly
GhostA and !hosoe"er shall belie"e
and be baptiGed, shall be sa"ed#
,* And !hen he had said these
things to his disciples, !e sa! him
ascending up to hea"en#
,, hen the chief priests and
elders, and &e"ites heard these
things, they said to these three
men, Gi"e glory to the God of
5srael, and make confession to
him, !hether those things are true,
!hich ye say ye ha"e seen and heard#
,K They ans!ering said, As the
&ord of our fathers li"eth, the
God of Abraham, and the God of
5saac, and the God of 9acob,
according as !e heard 9esus talking
!ith his disciples, and according
as !e sa! him ascending up to
hea"en, so !e ha"e related the
truth to you#
,. And the three men farther
ans!ered, and said, adding these
!ords, 5f !e should not o!n the
!ords !hich !e heard 9esus speak,
and that !e sa! him ascending
into hea"en, !e should be guilty
of sin#
,2 Then the chief priests
immediately rose up, and holding
the book of the la! in their hands,
conjured these men, saying, $e
shall no more hereafter declare
those things !hich ye ha"e spoken
concerning 9esus#
,1 And they ga"e them a large
sum of money, and sent other
persons along !ith them, !ho
should conduct them to their o!n
country, that they might not by any
means make any stay at 9erusalem#
,I Then the 9e!s did assemble
all together, and ha"ing eDpressed
the most lamentable concern said,
hat is this eDtraordinary thing
!hich is come to pass in 9erusalemH
,+ But Annas and Caiaphas comforted
them, saying, hy should !e belie"e
the soldiers !ho guarded the sepulchre
of 9esus, in telling us, that an angel
rolled a!ay the stone from the door
of the sepulchreH
,L Perhaps his o!n disciples told
them this, and ga"e them money
that they should say so, and they
themsel"es took a!ay the body of 9esus#
K- Besides, consider this, that
there is no credit to be gi"en to
foreigners, because they also took
a large sum of us, and they ha"e
declared to us according to the
instructions !hich !e ga"e them#
They must either be faithful to us
or to the disciples of 9esus#
C8APTE( >5#
* ;icodemus counsels the 9e!s#
1 9oseph found#
** 5n"ited by the 9e!s to return#
*L (elates the manner of his miraculous escape#
T8E; ;icodemus arose, and
said, $e say right, 7 sons of
5sraelA ye ha"e heard !hat those
three men ha"e s!orn by the &a!
of God, !ho said, e ha"e seen
9esus speaking !ith his disciples
upon mount 7li"et, and !e sa!
him ascending up to hea"en#
, And the scripture teacheth
us that the blessed prophet Elijah
!as taken up to hea"en, and Elisha
being asked by the sons of the
prophets, here is our father ElijahH
8e said to them, that he is taken up
to hea"en#
K And the sons of the prophets
said to him, Perhaps the spirit
hath carried him into one of the
mountains of 5srael, there perhaps
!e shall find him# And they besought
Elisha, and he !alked about !ith
them three days, and they could
not find him#
. And no! hear me, 7 sons of
5srael, and let us send men into
the mountains of 5srael, lest
perhaps the spirit hath carried
a!ay 9esus, and there perhaps !e
shall find him, and be satisfied#
2 And the counsel of ;icodemus
pleased all the peopleA and they
sent forth men !ho sought for 9esus,
but could not find himA and they
returning, said, e !ent all about,
but could not find 9esus, but !e
ha"e found 9oseph in his city of
Arimathaea#
1 The rulers hearing this, and
all the people, !ere glad, and
praised the God of 5srael, because
9oseph !as found, !hom they had
shut up in a chamber, and could
not find#
I And !hen they had formed a
large assembly, the chief priests
said, By !hat means shall !e bring
9oseph to us to speak !ith himH
+ And taking a piece of paper,
they !rote to him, and said, Peace
be !ith thee, and all thy family,
e kno! that !e ha"e offended
against God and thee# Be pleased
to gi"e a "isit to us, your fathers,
for !e !ere perfectly surprised at
your escape from prison#
L e kno! that it !as malicious
counsel !hich !e took against
thee, and that the &ord took care
of thee, and the &ord himself
deli"ered thee from our designs#
Peace be unto thee, 9oseph, !ho
art honourable among all the
people#
*- And they chose se"en of
9osephCs friends, and said to them,
hen ye come to 9oseph, salute
him in peace, and gi"e him this
letter#
** Accordingly, !hen the men
came to 9oseph, they did salute
him in peace, and ga"e him the
letter#
*, And !hen 9oseph had read it,
he said, Blessed be the &ord God,
!ho didst deli"er me from the
5sraelites, that they could not
shed my blood# Blessed be God,
!ho hast protected me under thy
!ings#
*K And 9oseph kissed them, and
took them into his house# And on
the morro!, 9oseph mounted his
ass, and !ent along !ith them to
9erusalem#
*. And !hen all the 9e!s heard
these things, they !ent out to
meet him, and cried out, saying,
Peace attend thy coming hither,
father 9oseph#
*2 To !hich he ans!ered,
Prosperity from the &ord attend
all the people#
*K And they all kissed himA and
;icodemus took him to his house,
ha"ing prepared a large
entertainment#
*I But on the morro!, being
a preparation%day, Annas, and
Caiaphas, and ;icodemus, said to
9oseph, =ake confession to the
God of 5srael, and ans!er to us
all those Buestions !hich !e shall
ask theeA
*+ For !e ha"e been "ery much
troubled, that thou didst bury the
body of 9esusA and that !hen !e
had locked thee in a chamber, !e
could not find theeA and !e ha"e
been afraid e"er since, till this
time of thy appearing among us#
Tell us therefore before God, all
that came to pass#
*L Then 9oseph ans!ering,
said $e did indeed put me under
confinement, on the day of
preparation, till the morning#
,- But !hile 5 !as standing at
prayer in the middle of the night,
the house !as surrounded !ith
four angelsA and 5 sa! 9esus as
the brightness of the sun, and fell
do!n upon the earth for fear#
,* But 9esus laying hold on my
hand, lifted me from the ground,
and the de! !as then sprinkled
upon meA but he, !iping my face,
kissed me, and said unto me, Fear
not, 9osephA look upon me for
it is 5#
,, Then 5 looked upon him, and
said, (abboni EliasJ 8e ans!ered
me, 5 am not Elias, but 9esus of
;aGareth, !hose body thou didst
bury#
,K 5 said to him, sho! me the
tomb in !hich 5 laid thee#
,. Then 9esus, taking me by the
hand, led me unto the place !here
5 laid him, and sho!ed me the
linen clothes, and napkin !hich 5
put round his head# Then 5 kne!
that it !as 9esus, and !orshipped
him, and saidA Blessed be he !ho
cometh in the name of the &ord#
,2 9esus again taking me by the
hand, led me to Arimathaea, to my
o!n house, and said to me, Peace
be to theeA but go not out of thy
house till the fortieth dayA but
5 must go to my disciples#
C8APTE( >55#
* The 9e!s astonished and confounded#
*1 4imeonCs t!o sons, Charinus and &enthius,
rise from the dead at ChristCs crucifiDion#
*L 9oseph proposes to get them to relate the
mysteries of their resurrection#
,* They are sought and found,
,, brought to the synagogue,
,K pri"ately s!orn to secrecy,
,2 and undertake to !rite !hat they had seen#
8E; the chief priests and
&e"ites heard all these
things, they !ere astonished, and
fell do!n !ith their faces on the
ground as dead men, and crying
out to one another, said, hat is
this eDtraordinary sign !hich is
come to pass in 9erusalemH e
kno! the father and mother of
9esus#
, And a certain &e"ite said,
5 kno! many of his relations,
religions persons, !ho are !ont to
offer sacrifices and burnt%offerings
to the God of 5srael, in the temple,
!ith prayers#
K And !hen the high%priest
4imeon took him up in his arms,
he said to him, &ord, no! lettest
thou thy ser"ant depart in peace,
according to thy !ordA for mine
eyes ha"e seen thy sal"ation,
!hich then halt prepared before
the face of all peopleA a light to
enlighten the Gentiles, and the
glory of thy people 5srael#
. 4imeon in like manner blessed
=ary the =other of 9esus, and
said to her, 5 declare to thee
concerning that childA 8e is
appointed for the fall and rising
again of many, and for a sign
!hich shall be spoken againstA
2 $ea, a s!ord shall pierce
through thine o!n soul also, and
the thoughts of many hearts shall
be re"ealed#
1 Then said all the 9e!s, &et
us send to those three men, !ho
said they sa! him talking !ith
his disciples in mount 7li"et#
I After this, they asked them
!hat they had seenA !ho ans!ered
!ith one accord, 5n the presence
of the God of 5srael !e affirm,
that !e plainly sa! 9esus talking
!ith his disciples in =ount 7li"et,
and ascending up to hea"en#
+ Then Annas and Caiaphas took
them into separate places, and
eDamined them separatelyA !ho
unanimously confessed the truth,
and said, they had seen 9esus#
L Then Annas and Caiaphas said
@7ur la! saith, By the mouth of
t!o or three !itnesses e"ery !ord
shall be established#@
*- But !hat ha"e !e saidH
The blessed Enoch pleased God,
and !as translated by the !ord of
GodA and the burying%place of the
blessed =oses is kno!n#
** But 9esus !as deli"ered to
Pilate, !hipped, cro!ned !ith
thorns, spit upon, pierced !ith a
spear, crucified, died upon the
cross, and !as buried, and his
body the honourable 9oseph buried
in a ne! sepulchre, and he testifies
that he sa! him ali"e#
*, And besides, these men ha"e
declared, that they sa! him talking
!ith his disciples in =ount 7li"et,
and ascending up to hea"en#
*K Then 9oseph rising up, said
to Annas and Caiaphas, $e may be
justly under a great surprise,
that you ha"e been told, that
9esus is ali"e, and gone up to
hea"en#
*. 5t is indeed a thing really
surprising, that he should not
only himself arise from the dead,
but also raise others from their
gra"es, !ho ha"e been seen by
many in 9erusalem#
*2 And no! hear me a little
e all kne! the blessed 4imeon,
the high%priest, !ho took 9esus
!hen an infant into his arms in
the temple#
*1 This same 4imeon had t!o sons
of his o!n, and !e !ere all present
at their death and funeral#
*I Go therefore and see their
tombs, for these are open, and
they are risen' and behold, they
are in the city of Arimathaea,
spending their time together in
offices of de"otion#
*+ 4ome, indeed, ha"e heard
the sound of their "oices in prayer,
but they !ill not discourse !ith
anyone, but they continue as mute
as dead men#
*L But come, let us go to them,
and beha"e oursel"es to!ards them
!ith all due respect and caution#
And if !e can bring them to s!ear,
perhaps they !ill tell us some of
the mysteries of their resurrection#
,- hen the 9e!s heard this
they !ere eDceedingly rejoiced#
,* Then Annas and Caiaphas,
;icodemus, 9oseph, and Gamaliel,
!ent to Arimathaea, but did not
find them in their gra"esA but
!alking about the city, they found
them on their bended knees at
their de"otions'
,, Then saluting them !ith all
respect and deference to God, they
brought them to the synagogue at
9erusalemA and ha"ing shut the
gates, they took the book of the
la! of the &ord,
,K And putting it in their hands,
s!ore them by God Adonai, and
the God of 5srael, !ho spake to
our fathers by the la! and the
prophets, saying, 5f ye belie"e
him !ho raised you from the dead,
to be 9esus, tell us !hat ye ha"e
seen, and ho! ye !ere raised from
the dead#
,. Charinus and &enthius, the
t!o sons of 4imeon, trembled
!hen they heard these things, and
!ere disturbed, and groanedA and
at the same time looking up to
hea"en, they made the sign of the
cross !ith their fingers on their
tongues,
,2 And immediately they spake,
and said, Gi"e each of us some
paper, and !e !ill !rite do!n for
you all those things !hich !e ha"e
seen# And they each sat do!n
and !rote, saying'%%
C8APTE( >555#
* The narrati"e of Charinus and &enthius commences#
K A great light in hell#
I 4imeon arri"es, and announces the coming of Christ#
7 &7() 9esus and Father, !ho
art God, also the resurrection
and life of the dead, gi"e us
lea"e to declare thy mysteries,
!hich !e sa! after death, belonging
to thy crossA for !e are s!orn by
thy name#
, For thou hast forbidden thy
ser"ants to declare the secret
things, !hich !ere !rought by
thy di"ine po!er in hell#
K hen !e !ere Placed !ith
our fathers in the dept of hell,
in the blackness of darkness,
on a sudden there appeared the
colour of the sun like gold,
and a substantial purple%coloured
light enlightening the place#
. Presently upon this, Adam,
the father of all mankind, !ith
all the patriarchs and prophets,
rejoiced and said, That light is the
author of e"erlasting light, !ho
hath promised to translate us to
e"erlasting light#
2 Then 5saiah the prophet cried
out and said, This is the light
of the Father, and the 4on of God,
according to my prophecy, !hen 5
!as ali"e upon earth#
1 The land of Mabulon, and the
land of ;ephthalim, beyond 9ordan,
a people !ho !alked in darkness,
sa! a great lightA and to them
!ho d!elled in the region of the
shado! of death, light is arisen#
And no! he is come, and hath
enlightened us !ho sat in death#
I And !hile !e !ere all rejoicing
in the light !hich shone upon us,
our father 4imeon came among us,
and congratulating all the company,
said, Glorify the &ord 9esus Christ
the 4on of God#
+ hom 5 took up in my arms !hen
an infant in the temple, and
being mo"ed by the 8oly Ghost,
said to him, and ackno!ledged,
That no! mine eyes ha"e seen thy
sal"ation, !hich thou hast prepared
before the face of all peopleA a
light to enlighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people 5srael#
L All the saints !ho !ere in
the depth of hell, hearing this,
rejoiced the more#
*- After!ards there came forth
one like a little hermit, and !as
asked by e"ery one, ho art thouH
** To !hich he replied, 5 am
the "oice of one crying in the
!ilderness, 9ohn the Baptist, and
the prophet of the =ost 8igh, !ho
!ent before his coming to prepare
his !ay, to gi"e the kno!ledge of
sal"ation to his people for the
forgi"eness of sins#
*, And 5, 9ohn, !hen 5 sa!
9esus coming to me, being mo"ed
by the 8oly Ghost, 5 said, Behold
the &amb of God, behold him !ho
takes a!ay the sins of the !orld#
*K And 5 baptiGed him in the
ri"er 9ordan, and sa! the 8oly
Ghost descending upon him in the
form of a do"e, and heard a "oice
from hea"en saying, This is my
belo"ed 4on, in !hom 5 am !ell
pleased#
*. And no! !hile 5 !as going
before him, 5 came do!n hither to
acBuaint you, that the 4on of God
!ill neDt "isit us, and, as the
day%spring from on high, !ill come to
us, !ho are in darkness and the
shado! of death#
C8APTE( >5?#
* Adam causes 4eth to relate !hat he heard
from =ichael the archangel, !hen he sent him
to Paradise to entreat God to anoint his
head in his sickness#
B:T !hen the first man our father
Adam heard these things, that
9esus !as baptiGed in 9ordan,
he called out to his son 4eth,
and said,
, )eclare to your sons, the
patriarchs and prophets, all those
things, !hich thou didst hear from
=ichael, the archangel, !hen 5
sent thee to the gates of Paradise,
to entreat God that he !ould
anoint my head !hen 5 !as sick#
K Then 4eth, coming near to the
patriarchs and prophets, said, 5,
4eth, !hen 5 !as praying to God
at the gates of Paradise, beheld
the angel of the &ord, =ichael,
appear unto me, saying, 5 am sent
unto thee from the &ordA 5 am
appointed to preside o"er human
bodies#
. 5 tell thee, 4eth, do not pray
to God in tears, and entreat him
for the oil of the tree of mercy
!here!ith to anoint thy father
Adam for his head%acheA
2 Because thou canst not by any
means obtain it till the last day
and times, namely, till fi"e thousand
and fi"e hundred years be past#
1 Then !ill Christ, the most
merciful 4on of God, come on
earth to raise again the human
body of Adam, and at the same
time to raise the bodies of the
dead, and !hen he cometh he !ill
be baptiGed in 9ordanA
I Then !ith the oil of his
mercy he !ill anoint all those
!ho belie"e in himA and the oil
of his mercy !ill continue to
future generations, for those
!ho shall be born of the !ater
and the 8oly Ghost unto eternal
life#
+ And !hen at that time the
most merciful 4on of God, Christ
9esus, shall come do!n on earth,
he !ill introduce our father Adam
into Paradise, to the tree of mercy#
L hen all the patriarchs and
prophets heard all these things
from 4eth, they rejoiced more#
C8APTE( >?#
* Ouarrel bet!een 4atan and the prince of hell,
concerning the eDpected arri"al of Christ in hell#
85&E all the saints !ere
rejoicing, behold 4atan, the
prince and captain of death, said
to the prince of hell,
, Prepare to recei"e 9esus of
;aGareth himself, !ho boasted
that he !as the 4on of God, and
yet !as a man afraid of death, and
said, =y soul is sorro!ful e"en to
death#
K Besides he did many injuries
to me and to many othersA for
those !hom 5 made blind and lame
and those also !hom 5 tormented
!ith se"eral de"ils, he cured by
his !ordA yea, and those !hom 5
brought dead to thee, he by force
takes a!ay from thee#
. To this the prince of hell
replied to 4atan, ho is that so
po!erful prince, and yet a man !ho
is afraid of deathH
2 For all the potentates of the
earth are subject to my po!er,
!hom thou broughtest to subjection
by thy po!er#
1 But if he be so po!erful in his
human nature, 5 affirm to thee for
truth, that he is almighty in his
di"ine nature, and no man can
resist his po!er'
I hen therefore he said he !as
afraid of death, he designed to
ensnare thee, and unhappy it !ill be
to thee for e"erlasting ages,
+ Then 4atan replying, said to
the prince of hell, hy didst thou
eDpress a doubt, and !ast afraid to
recei"e that 9esus of ;aGareth,
both thy ad"ersary and mineH
L As for me, 5 tempted him and
stirred up my old people the 9e!s
!ith Geal and anger against himA
*- 5 sharpened the spear for his
sufferingA 5 miDed the gall and
"inegar, and commanded that he
should drink itA 5 prepared the
cross to crucify him, and the nails
to pierce through his hands and
feetA and no! his death is near
at hand, 5 !ill bring him hither,
subject both to thee and me#
** Then the prince of hell
ans!ering, said, Thou saidst to me
just no!, that he took a!ay the
dead from me by force#
*, They !ho ha"e been kept here
till they should li"e again upon
earth, !ere taken a!ay hence,
not by their o!n po!er, but by
prayers made to God, and their
almighty God took them from me#
*K ho then is that 9esus of
;aGareth that by his !ord hath
taken a!ay the dead from me
!ithout prayer to GodH
*. Perhaps it is the same !ho
took a!ay from me &aGarus, after
he had been four days dead, and
did both stink and !as rotten, and
of !hom 5 had possession as a dead
person, yet he brought him to life
again by his po!er#
*2 4atan ans!ering, replied to
the prince of hell, 5t is the "ery
same person, 9esus of ;aGareth#
*1 hich !hen the prince of hell
heard, he said to him, 5 adjure
thee by the po!ers !hich belong
to thee and me, that thou bring
him not to me#
*I For !hen 5 heard of the po!er
of his !ord, 5 trembled for fear,
and all my impious company !ere
at the same disturbedA
*+ And !e !ere not able to detain
&aGarus, but he ga"e himself a
shake, and !ith all the signs of
malice he immediately !ent a!ay
from usA and the "ery earth, in
!hich the dead body of &aGarus
!as lodged, presently turned him
out ali"e#
*L And 5 kno! no! that he is
Almighty God !ho could perform
such things, !ho is mighty in his
dominion, and mighty in his human
nature, !ho is the 4a"iour of
mankind#
,- Bring not therefore this person
hither, for he !ill set at liberty
all those !hom 5 hold in prison
under unbelief, and bound !ith
the fetters of their sins, and !ill
conduct them to e"erlasting life#
C8APTE( >?5#
* ChristCs arri"al at hell%gatesA
the confusion thereupon#
*L 8e descends into hell#
A;) !hile 4atan and the Prince
of hell !ere discoursing thus
to each other, on a sudden there
!as a "oice as of thunder, and the
rushing of !inds, saying, &ift up
your gates, 7 ye princesA and be
ye lift up, 7 e"erlasting gates,
and the <ing of Glory shall come in#
, hen the prince of hell heard
this, he said to 4atan, )epart from
me, and begone out of my habitationsA
if thou art a po!erful !arrior,
fight !ith the <ing of Glory#
But !hat hast thou to do !ith
himH
K And he cast him forth from his
habitations#
. And the prince said to his
impious officers, 4hut the brass gates
of cruelty, and make them fast !ith
iron bars, and fight courageously,
lest !e be taken capti"es#
2 But !hen all the company of
the saints heard this they spake
!ith a loud "oice of anger to the
prince of hell,
1 7pen thy gates, that the <ing
of Glory may come in#
I And the di"ine prophet )a"id
cried out, saying, )id not 5, !hen
on earth, truly prophesy and say,
7 that men !ould praise the &ord
for his goodness, and for his
!onderful !orks to the children
of menJ
+ For he hath broken the gates
of brass, and cut the bars of iron
in sunder# 8e hath taken them
because of their iniBuity, and
because of their unrighteousness
they are afflicted#
L After this, another prophet,
namely, holy 5saiah, spake in like
manner to all the saints, )id not
5 rightly prophesy to you !hen 5
!as ali"e on earthH
*- The dead men shall li"e, and
they shall rise again !ho are in
their gra"es, and they shall rejoice
!ho are in the earthA for the de!
!hich is from the &ord, shall
bring deli"erance to them#
** And 5 said in another place,
7 gra"e, !here is thy "ictoryH
7 death, !here is thy stingH
*, hen all the saints heard
these things spoken by 5saiah,
they said to the prince of hell,
7pen no! thy gates, and take
a!ay thine iron barsA for thou
!ilt no! be bound, and ha"e no
po!er#
*K Then !as there a great "oice,
as of the sound of thunder, saying,
&ift up your gates, 7 princesA and
be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell,
and the <ing of Glory !ill enter
in#
*. The prince of hell percei"ing
the same "oice repeated, cried out,
as though he had been ignorant,
ho is that <ing of GloryH
*2 )a"id replied to the prince
of hell, and said, 5 understand the
!ords of that "oice, because 5
spake them in his spirit# And no!,
as 5 ha"e before said, 5 say unto
thee, the &ord strong and po!erful,
the &ord mighty in battle' he is
the <ing of Glory, and he is the
&ord in hea"en and in earth#
*1 8e hath looked do!n to hear
the groans of the prisoners, and to
set loose those that are appointed
to death#
*I And no!, thou filthy and
stinking prince of hell, open thy
gates, that the <ing of Glory may
enter inA for he is the &ord of
hea"en and earth#
*+ hile )a"id !as saying this,
the mighty &ord appeared in the
form of a man, and enlightened
those places !hich had e"er before
been in darkness#
*L And broke asunder the fetters
!hich before could not be brokenA
and !ith his in"incible po!er
"isited those !ho sate in the deep
darkness by iniBuity, and the shado!
of death by sin#
C8APTE( >?55#
* )eath and the de"ils in great horror
at ChristCs coming#
*K 8e tramples on death, seiGes the prince
of hell, and takes Adam !ith him to 8ea"en#
5=P57:4 death and her cruel
officers hearing these things,
!ere seiGed !ith fear in their
se"eral kingdoms, !hen they sa!
the clearness of the light,
, And Christ himself on a sudden
appearing in their habitations,
they cried out therefore, and said,
e are bound by theeA thou seemest
to intend our confusion before
the &ord#
K ho art thou, !ho has no signs
of corruption, but that bright
appearance !hich is a full proof of
thy greatness, of !hich yet thou
seemest to take no noticeH
. ho art thou, so po!erful,
and so !eak, so great and so littleA
mean, and yet a soldier of the first
rank, !ho can command in the form
of a ser"ant and a common soldierH
2 The king of Glory, dead and
ali"e, though once slain upon the
crossH
1 ho layest dead in the gra"e,
and art come do!n ali"e to us,
and in thy death all the creatures
trembled, and all the stars !ere
mo"edA and no! hast thy liberty
among the dead, and gi"est
disturbance to our legionsH
I ho art thou, !ho dost release
the capti"es that !ere held
in chains by original sin, and
bringest them into their former
libertyH
+ ho art thou, !ho dost spread
so glorious and di"ine a light o"er
those !ho !ere made blind by the
darkness of sinH
L 5n like manner all the legions
of de"ils !ere seiGed !ith the like
horror, and !ith the most submissi"e
fear cried out, and said,
*- hence comes it, 7 thou
9esus Christ, that thou art a man
so po!erful and glorious in majesty
so bright as to ha"e no spot, and
so pure as to ha"e no crimeH For
that lo!er !orld of earth, !hich
!as e"er till no! subject to us,
and from !hence !e recei"ed
tribute, ne"er sent us such a
dead man before, ne"er sent such
presents as these to the princes of
hell#
** ho therefore art thou, !ho
!ith such courage enterest among
our abodes, and art not only not
afraid to threaten us !ith the
greatest punishments, but also
endea"ourest to rescue all others
from the chains in !hich !e hold
themH
*, Perhaps thou art that 9esus,
of !hom 4atan just no! spoke to
our prince, that by the death of
the cross thou !ert about to
recei"e the po!er of death#
*K Then the <ing of Glory
trampling upon death, seiGed the
prince of hell, depri"ed him of all
his po!er, and took our earthly
father Adam !ith him to his glory#
C8APTE( >?555#
* BeelGebub, prince of hell, "ehemently upbraids 4atan for
persecuting Christ and bringing him to hell#
*. Christ gi"es BeelGebub dominion o"er 4atan fore"er,
as a recompence for taking a!ay Adam and his sons#
T8E; the prince of hell took
4atan, and !ith great indignation
said to him, 7 thou prince of
destruction, author of BeelGebubCs
defeat and banishment, the scorn
of GodCs angels and loathed by all
righteous personsJ hat inclined
thee to act thusH
, Thou !ouldst crucify the <ing
of Glory, and by his destruction,
hast made us promises of "ery
large ad"antages, but as a fool
!ert ignorant of !hat thou !ast
about#
K For behold no! that 9esus of
;aGareth, !ith the brightness of
his glorious di"inity, puts to flight
all the horrid po!ers of darkness
and deathA
. 8e has broke do!n our prisons
from top to bottom, dismissed
all the capti"es, released all
!ho !ere bound, and all !ho !ere
!ont formerly to groan under the
!eight of their torments, ha"e
no! insulted us, and !e are like
to be defeated by their prayers#
2 7ur impious dominions are
subdued, and no part of mankind
is no! left in our subjection, but
on the other hand, they all boldly
defy usA
1 Though, before, the dead ne"er
durst beha"e themsel"es insolently
to!ards us, nor being prisoners,
could e"er on any occasion be
merry#
I 7 4atan, thou prince of all
the !icked, father of the impious
and abandoned, !hy !ouldest thou
attempt this eDploit, seeing our
prisoners !ere hitherto al!ays
!ithout the least hope of
sal"ation and lifeH
+ But no! there is not one of
them does e"er groan, nor is there
the least appearance of a tear in
any of their faces#
L 7 prince 4atan, thou great
keeper of the infernal regions,
all thy ad"antages !hich thou didst
acBuire by the forbidden tree, and
the loss of Paradise, thou hast
no! lost by the !ood of the
crossA
*- And thy happiness all then
eDpired, !hen thou didst crucify
9esus Christ the <ing of Glory#
** Thou hast acted against thine
o!n interest and mine, as thou
!ilt presently percei"e by those
large torments and infinite
punishments !hich thou art
about to suffer#
*, 7 4atan, prince of all e"il,
author of death, and source of all
pride, thou shouldest first ha"e
inBuired into the e"il crimes of
9esus of ;aGareth, and then thou
!ouldest ha"e found that he !as
guilty of no fault !orthy of death#
*K hy didst thou "enture,
!ithout either reason or justice,
to crucify him, and hast brought
do!n to our regions a person
innocent and righteous, and thereby
hast lost all the sinners, impious
and unrighteous persons in the
!hole !orldH
*. hile the prince of hell !as
thus speaking to 4atan, the <ing
of Glory said to BeelGebub the
prince of hell, 4atan the prince
shall be subject to thy dominions
for e"er, in the room of Adam and
his righteous sons, !ho are mine,
C8APTE( >5>#
* Christ takes Adam by the hand,
the rest of the saints join hands,
and they all ascend !ith him to Paradise#
T8E; 9esus stretched forth his
hand, and said, Come to me,
all ye my saints, !ho !ere created
in my image, !ho !ere condemned
by the tree of the forbidden fruit,
and by the de"il and deathA
, &i"e no! by the !ood of my
crossA the de"il, the prince of this
!orld, is o"ercome, and death is
conBuered,
K Then presently all the saints
!ere joined together under the
hand of the most high GodA and
the &ord 9esus laid hold on AdamCs
hand, and said to him, Peace be
to thee, and all thy righteous
posterity, !hich is mine#
. Then Adam, casting himself
at the feet of 9esus, addressed
himself to him !ith tears, in
humble language, and a loud "oice,
saying,
2 @5 !ill eDtol thee, 7 &ord, for
thou halt lifted me up, and hast
not made my foes to rejoice o"er
me# 7 &ord my God, 5 cried
unto thee, and thou hast healed
me#@
1 @7 &ord thou hast brought up
my soul from the gra"eA thou
hast kept me ali"e, that 5 should
not go do!n to the pit#@
I @4ing unto the &ord, all ye
saints of his, and gi"e thanks at
the remembrance of his holiness,
for his anger endureth but for a
momentA in his fa"our is life#@
+ 5n like manner all the saints,
prostrate at the feet of 9esus,
said !ith one "oice, Thou art come,
7 (edeemer of the !orld, and hast
actually accomplished all things,
!hich thou didst foretell by the
la! and thy holy prophets#
L Thou hast redeemed the li"ing
by thy cross, and art come do!n
to us, that by the death of the
cross thou mightest deli"er us
from hell, and by thy po!er from
death#
*- 7 &ord, as thou hast put the
ensigns of thy glory in hea"en,
and hast set up the sign of thy
redemption, e"en thy cross on earthA
so, &ord, set the sign of the "ictory
of thy cross in hell, that death
may ha"e dominion no longer#
** Then the &ord stretching
forth his hand, made the sign of
the cross upon Adam, and upon
all his saints#
*, And taking hold of Adam by
his right hand, he ascended from
hell, and all the saints of God
follo!ed him#
*K Then the royal prophet, )a"id,
boldly cried, and said, 7 sing
unto the &ord a ne! song, for he
hath done mar"ellous thingsA his
right hand and his holy arm ha"e
gotten him the "ictory#
*. The &ord hath made kno!n
his sal"ation, his righteousness
hath he openly she!n in the sight
of the heathen#
*2 And the !hole multitude of
saints ans!ered, saying, This
honour ha"e all his saints, Amen,
Praise ye the &ord#
*1 After!ards, the prophet
8abbakuk cried out, and said,
Thou !entest forth for the sal"ation
of thy people, e"en for sal"ation
!ith thine anointed#
*I And all the saints said,
Blessed is he !ho cometh in the
name of the &ordA for the &ord
hath enlightened us# This is our
God for e"er and e"erA he shall
reign o"er us to e"erlasting ages#
Amen#
*+ 5n like manner all the prophets
spake the sacred things of his
praise, and follo!ed the &ord#
C8APTE( >>#
* Christ deli"ers Adam to =ichael the archangel#
K They meet Enoch and Elijah in hea"en,
2 and also the blessed thief, !ho relates
ho! he came to Paradise#
T8E; the &ord, holding Adam
by the hand, deli"ered him
to =ichael the archangelA and he
led them into Paradise, filled !ith
mercy and gloryA
, And t!o "ery ancient men
met them, and !ere asked by the
saints, ho are ye, !ho ha"e not
yet been !ith us in hell, and ha"e
had your bodies placed in ParadiseH
K 7ne of them ans!ering, said,
5 am Enoch, !ho !as translated
by the !ord of God' and this man
!ho is !ith me, is Elijah the
Tishbite, !ho !as translated in a
fiery chariot#
. 8ere !e ha"e hitherto been,
and ha"e not tasted death, but are
no! about to return at the coming
of Antichrist, being armed !ith
di"ine signs and miracles, to
engage !ith him in battle, and to be
slain by him at 9erusalem, and to
be taken up ali"e again into the
clouds, after three days and a
half#
2 And !hile the holy Enoch
and Elias !ere relating this,
behold there came another man in a
miserable figure, carrying the sign
of the cross upon his shoulders#
1 And !hen all the saints sa!
him, they said to him, ho art
thouH For thy countenance is like
a thiefCsA and !hy dost thou carry
a cross upon thy shouldersH
I To !hich he ans!ering, said,
$e say right, for 5 !as a thief,
!ho committed all sorts of !ickedness
upon earth#
+ And the 9e!s crucified me
!ith 9esusA and 5 obser"ed the
surprising things !hich happened
in the creation at the crucifiDion
of the &ord 9esus#
L And 5 belie"ed him to be the
Creator of all things, and the
Almighty <ingA and 5 prayed to
him, saying, &ord remember me,
!hen thou comest into thy kingdom#
*- 8e presently regarded my
supplication, and said to me,
?erily 5 say unto thee, this day
thou shalt be !ith me in Paradise#
** And he ga"e me this sign of
the cross, saying, Carry this, and
go to ParadiseA and if the angel
!ho is the guard of Paradise !ill
not admit thee, sho! him the sign
of the cross, and say unto him
9esus Christ !ho is no! crucified,
hath sent me hither to thee#
*, hen 5 did this and told the
angel !ho is the guard of Paradise
all these things, and he heard
them, he presently opened the
gates, introduced me, and placed
me on the right hand in Paradise,
*K 4aying, 4tay here a little
time, till Adam, the father of all
mankind, shall enter in, !ith all
his sons, !ho are the holy and
righteous ser"ants of 9esus Christ,
!ho !as crucified#
*. hen they heard all this
account from the thief, all the
patriarchs said !ith one "oice,
Blessed be thou, 7 Almighty God,
the Father of e"erlasting goodness,
and the Father of mercies, !ho hast
sho!n such fa"our to those !ho !ere
sinners against him, and hast
brought them to the mercy of
Paradise, and hast placed them
amidst thy large and spiritual
pro"isions, in a spiritual and
holy life# Amen#
C8APTE( >>5#
* Charinus and &enthius being only allo!ed
three days to remain on earth,
I deli"er in their narrati"es, !hich miraculously
correspondA they "anish,
*K and Pilate records these transactions#
T8E4E are the di"ine and
sacred mysteries !hich !e sa!
and heard# e, Charinus and
&enthius are not allo!ed to declare
the other mysteries of God, as the
archangel =ichael ordered us,
, 4aying, ye shall go !ith my
brethren to 9erusalem, and shall
continue in prayers, declaring and
glorifying the resurrection of
9esus Christ, seeing he hath raised
you from the dead at the same
time !ith himself#
K And ye shall not talk !ith
any man, but sit as dumb persons
till the time come !hen the &ord
!ill allo! you to relate the
mysteries of his di"inity#
. The archangel =ichael farther
commanded us to go beyond 9ordan,
to an eDcellent and fat country,
!here there are many !ho rose
from the dead along !ith us
for the proof of the resurrection
of Christ#
2 For !e ha"e only three days
allo!ed us from the dead, !ho
arose to celebrate the passo"er of
our &ord !ith our parents, and to
bear our testimony for Christ the
&ord, and !e ha"e been baptiGed
in the holy ri"er of 9ordan# And
no! they are not seen by any one#
1 This is as much as God allo!ed
us to relate to youA gi"e ye
therefore praise and honour to
him, and repent, and he !ill ha"e
mercy upon you# Peace be to you
from the &ord God 9esus Christ,
and the 4a"iour of us all# Amen,
Amen, Amen#
I And after they had made an
end of !riting, and had !ritten
on t!o distinct pieces of paper,
Charinus ga"e !hat he !rote into the
hands of Annas, and Caiaphas, and
Gamaliel#
+ &enthius like!ise ga"e !hat
he !rote into the hands of ;icodemus
and 9osephA and immediately they
!ere changed into eDceeding !hite
forms and !ere seen no more#
L But !hat they had !ritten
!as found perfectly to agree, the
one not containing one letter more
or less than the other#
*- hen all the assembly of the
9e!s heard all these surprising
relations of Charinus and &enthius,
they said to each other, Truly all
these things !ere !rought by
God, and blessed be the &ord 9esus
for e"er and e"er, Amen#
** And they !ent all out !ith
great concern, and fear, and
trembling, and smote upon their
breasts and !ent a!ay e"ery one
to his home#
*, But immediately all these
things !hich !ere related by the
9e!s in their synagogues concerning
9esus, !ere presently told by 9oseph
and ;icodemus to the go"ernor#
*K And Pilate !rote do!n all
these transactions, and placed all
these accounts in the public records
of his hall#
C8APTE( >>55#
* Pilate goes to the templeA calls together
the rulers, and scribes, and doctors#
, Commands the gates to be shutA
orders the book of the 4cripturesA and
causes the 9e!s to relate !hat they really
kne! concerning Christ#
*. They declare that they crucified Christ
in ignorance, and that they no! kno! him
to be the 4on of God, according to the
testimony of the 4cripturesA !hich,
after they put him to death, !ere eDamined#
AFTE( these things Pilate !ent
to the temple of the 9e!s,
and called together all the rulers
and scribes, and doctors of the
la!, and !ent !ith them into a
chapel of the temple#
, And commanding that all the
gates should be shut, said to them,
5 ha"e heard that ye ha"e a certain
large book in this templeA 5 desire
you, therefore, that it may be
brought before me#
K And !hen the great book,
carried by four ministers of the
temple, and adorned !ith gold and
precious stones, !as brought,
Pilate said to them all, 5 adjure
you by the God of your Fathers,
!ho made and commanded this temple
to be built, that ye conceal not the
truth from me#
. $e kno! all the things !hich
are !ritten in that bookA tell me
therefore no!, if ye in the
4criptures ha"e found any thing of
that 9esus !hom ye crucified, and at
!hat time of the !orld he, ought
to ha"e come' sho! it me#
2 Then ha"ing s!orn Annas and
Caiaphas, they commanded all the
rest !ho !ere !ith them to go out
of the chapel#
1 And they shut the gates of the
temple and of the chapel, and said
to Pilate, Thou hast made us to
s!ear, 7 judge, by the building of
this temple, to declare to thee that
!hich is true and right#
I After !e had crucified 9esus,
not kno!ing that he !as the 4on
of God, but supposing he !rought
his miracles by some magical arts,
!e summoned a large assembly in
this temple#
+ And !hen !e !ere deliberating
among one another about the
miracles !hich 9esus had !rought,
!e found many !itnesses of our
o!n country, !ho declared that
they had seen him ali"e after his
death, and that they heard him
discoursing !ith his disciples, and
sa! him ascending into the height
of the hea"ens, and entering into
themA
L And !e sa! t!o !itnesses,
!hose bodies 9esus raised from the
dead, !ho told us of many strange
things !hich 9esus did among the
dead, of !hich !e ha"e a !ritten
account in our hands#
*- And it is our custom annually
to open this holy book before an
assembly, and to search there for
the counsel of God#
** And !e found in the first of
the se"enty books, !here =ichael
the archangel is speaking to the
third son of Adam the first man,
an account that after fi"e thousand
fi"e hundred years, Christ the
most belo"ed son of God !as to
come on earth,
*, And !e further considered,
that perhaps he !as the "ery God
of 5srael !ho spoke to =oses,
Thou shalt make the ark of the
testimonyA t!o cubits and a half
shall be the length thereof, and a
cubit and a half the breadth thereof,
and a cubit and a half the height
thereof#
*K By these fi"e cubits and a
half for the building of the ark
of the 7ld Testament, !e percei"ed
and kne! that in fi"e thousand
years and half Eone thousandF years,
9esus Christ !as to come in the
ark or tabernacle of a bodyA
*. And so our 4criptures testify
that he is the 4on of God, and the
&ord and <ing of 5srael#
*2 And because after his suffering,
our chief priests !ere surprised
at the signs !hich !ere !rought
by his means, !e opened that book
to search all the generations do!n
to the generation of 9oseph and
=ary the mother of 9esus,
supposing him to be of the
seed of )a"idA
*1 And !e found the account of
the creation, and at !hat time he
made the hea"en and the earth,
and the first man Adam, and that
from thence to the flood, !ere t!o
thousand se"en hundred and forty%
eight years#
*I And from the flood to Abraham,
nine hundred and t!el"e#
And from Abraham to =oses, four
hundred and thirty# And from
=oses to )a"id the <ing, fi"e
hundred and ten#
*+ And from )a"id to the Babylonish
capti"ity fi"e hundred years#
And from the Babylonish capti"ity
to the incarnation of Christ, four
hundred years#
*L The sum of all !hich amounts
to fi"e thousand and half Ea thousand#F
,- And so it appears, that 9esus
!hom !e crucified, is 9esus Christ
the 4on of God, and true Almighty
God# Amen#
E5n the name of the 8oly Trinity,
thus end the acts of our 4a"iour
9esus Christ, !hich the Emperor
Theodosius the Great found at
9erusalem, in the hall of Pontius
Pilate, among the public recordsA
the things !ere acted in the
nineteenth year of Tiberius Caesar,
Emperor of the (omans, and in
the se"enteenth year of the
go"ernment of 8erod, the son of
8erod and of Galilee, on the
eighth of the calends of April,
!hich is the t!enty%third day of
the month of =arch, in the CC55d
7lympiad, !hen 9oseph and Caiaphas
!ere rulers of the 9e!sA being a
8istory !ritten in 8ebre! by
;icodemus, of !hat happened after
our 4a"iourCs crucifiDion#F
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E G74PE& 7F ;5C7)E=:4, F7(=E(&$
CA&&E) T8E ACT4 7F P7;T5:4 P5&ATE#
/Although this Gospel is, by some among the learned, supposed to ha"e
been really !ritten by ;icodemus, !ho became a disciple of 9esus Christ,
and con"ersed !ith himA others conjecture that it !as a forgery to!ards
the close of the third century by some Gealous belie"er, !ho, obser"ing
that there had been appeals made by the Christians of the former age,
to the acts of Pilate, but that such acts could not be produced,
imagined it !ould be of ser"ice to Christianity to fabricate and publish
this GospelA as it !ould both confirm the Christians under persecution,
and con"ince the 8eathens of the truth of the Christian religion# The
(e"# 9eremiah 9ones says, that such pious frauds !ere "ery common among
Christians e"en in the first three centuriesA and that a forgery of this
nature, !ith the "ie! abo"e%mentioned, seems natural and probable# The
same author, in noticing that Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical 8istory,
charges the Pagans !ith ha"ing forged and published a book, called @The
Acts of Pilate,@ takes occasion to obser"e that the internal e"idence of
this Gospel sho!s it !as not the !ork of any 8eathen, but that if in the
latter end of the third century !e find it in use among Christians Eas
it !as then certainly in some churchesF, and about the same time find a
forgery of the 8eathens under the same title, it seems eDceedingly
probable that some Christians, at that time, should publish such a piece
as this, in order partly to confront the spurious one of the Pagans, and
partly to support those appeals !hich had been made by former Christians
to the Acts of PilateA and =r# 9ones says, he thinks so more particularly
as !e ha"e innumerable instances of forgeries by the faithful in the
primiti"e ages, grounded on less plausible reasons# hether it be
canonical or not, it is of "ery great antiBuity, and is appealed to by
se"eral of the ancient Christians# The present translation is made from
the Gospel, published by Grynaeus in the 7rthodoDographa, "ol# i, tom,
ii, p# 1*K#3
;ot!ithstanding the di"ersity of opinions here alluded to, the majority
of the learned belie"e that the internal e"idence of the authenticity of
this Gospel is manifested in the correct details of that period of
ChristCs life on !hich it treats, !hile it far eDcels the canonical
E"angelists narrati"e of the trial of our 4a"iour before Pilate, !ith
more minute particulars of persons, e"idence, circumstance, Nc#
T8E EP54T&E4 7F
9E4:4 C8(54T N ABGA(:4 <5;G 7F E)E44A#
C8APTE( 5#
A copy of a letter !ritten by <ing Abgarus to 9esusA
and sent to him by Ananius, his footman, to 9erusalem,
2 in"iting him to Edessa#
ABGA(:4, king of Edessa, to
9esus the good 4a"iour, !ho
appears at 9erusalem, greeting#
, 5 ha"e been informed concerning
you and your cures, !hich are
performed !ithout the use of
medicines and herbs#
K For it is reported, that you
cause the blind to see, the lame to
!alk, do both cleanse lepers, and
cast out unclean spirits and de"ils,
and restore them to health !ho ha"e
been long diseasedA and raiseth up
the deadA
. All !hich !hen 5 heard, 5 !as
persuaded of one of these t!o,
namely, either that you are God
himself descended from hea"enA
!ho do these things, or the 4on
of God#
2 7n this account therefore 5
ha"e !ritten to you, earnestly to
desire you !ould take the trouble
of a journey hither, and cure a
disease !hich 5 am under#
1 For 5 hear the 9e!s ridicule
you and, intend you mischief#
I =y city is indeed small, but
neat, and large enough for us
both#
C8APTE( 55#
The ans!er of 9esus by Ananias the footman
to Abgarus the king,
K declining to "isit Edessa#
ABGA(:4, you are happy,
forasmuch as you ha"e
belie"ed on me, !hom you
ha"e not seen#
, For it is !ritten concerning
me, that those !ho ha"e seen me
should not belie"e on me, that
they !ho ha"e not seen might
belie"e and li"e#
K As to that part of your letter,
!hich relates to my gi"ing you a
"isit, 5 must inform you, that 5
must fulfil all the ends of my
mission in this country, and after
that be recei"ed up again to him
!ho sent me#
. But after my ascension 5 !ill
send one of my disciples, !ho !ill
cure your disease, and gi"e life to
you, and all that are !ith you#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E EP54T&E4 7F 9E4:4 C8(54T A;)
ABGA(:4 <5;G 7F E)E44A#
/The first !riter !ho makes any mention of the Epistles that passed
bet!een 9esus Christ and Abgarus, is Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, in
Palestine, !ho flourished in the early part of the fourth century# For
their genuineness, he appeals to the public registers and records of the
City of Edessa in =esopotamia, !here Abgarus reigned, and !here he
affirms that he found them !ritten in the 4yriac language# 8e published a
Greek translation of them, in his Ecclesiastical 8istory# The learned
!orld has been much di"ided on this subjectA but, not!ithstanding the
erudite Grabe, !ith Archbishop Ca"e, )r, Parker, and other di"ines, ha"e
strenuously contended for their admission into the canon of 4cripture,
they are deemed apocryphal# The (e"# 9eremiah 9ones obser"es, that the
common people in England ha"e this Epistle in their houses in many
places, fiDed in a frame, !ith the picture of Christ before itA and that
they generally, !ith much honesty and de"otion, regard it as the !ord of
God, and the genuine Epistle of Christ#3
T8E EP54T&E 7F
4T# PA:& T8E AP74T&E T7 T8E &A7)5CEA;4#
* 8e salutes the brethrenA
K eDhorts them to perse"ere in good !orks,
. and not to be mo"ed by "ain speaking#
1 (ejoices in his bonds,
*- desires them to li"e in the fear of the &ord#
PA:& an Apostle, not of men,
neither by man, but by 9esus
Christ, to the brethren !hich are
at &aodicea#
, Grace be to you, and peace
from God the Father and our &ord
9esus Christ#
K 5 thank Christ in e"ery prayer
of mine, that ye may continue and
perse"ere in good !orks, looking
for that !hich is promised in the
day of judgment#
. &et not the "ain speeches of
any trouble you, !ho per"ert the
truth, that they may dra! you
aside from the truth of the Gospel
!hich 5 ha"e preached#
2 And no! may God grant, that
my con"erts may attain to a
perfect kno!ledge of the truth
of the Gospel, be beneficent,
and doing good !orks !hich
accompany sal"ation#
1 And no! my bonds, !hich 5
suffer in Christ, are manifest,
in !hich 5 rejoice and am glad#
For 5 kno! that this shall
turn to my sal"ation for e"er,
!hich shall be through your
prayer, and the supply of the
8oly 4pirit#
+ hether 5 li"e or die, to li"e
shall be a life to Christ, to die
!ill be joy#
L And our &ord !ill grant us
his mercy, that ye may ha"e the
same lo"e, and be like%minded#
*- herefore, my belo"ed, as
ye ha"e heard of the coming of
the &ord, so think and act in fear,
and it shall be to you life eternalA
** For it is God, !ho !orketh
in you'
*, And do all things !ithout
sin#
*K And !hat is best, my belo"ed
rejoice in the &ord 9esus Christ
and a"oid all filthy lucre#
*. &et all your reBuests be made
kno!n to God, and be steady in
the doctrine of Christ#
*2 And !hatsoe"er things are
sound and true, and of good report,
and chaste, and just, and lo"ely,
these things do#
*1 Those things !hich ye ha"e
heard, and recei"ed, think on these
things, and peace shall be !ith
you#
*I All the saints salute you#
*+ The grace of our &ord 9esus
Christ be !ith your spirit# Amen#
*L Cause this Epistle to be read
to the Colossians, and the Epistle
of the Colossians to be read among
you#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E EP54T&E 7F 4T# PA:& T8E AP74T&E
T7 T8E &A7)5CEA;4#
/This Epistle has been highly esteemed by se"eral learned men of the
church of (ome and others# The Ouakers ha"e printed a translation, and
plead for it, as the reader may see, by consulting PooleCs Annotation on
Col# "i# *1# 4iDtus 4enensis mentions t!o =44#, the one in the 4orbonne
&ibrary at Paris, !hich is a "ery ancient copy, and the other in the
&ibrary of 9oannes a ?iridario, at Padua, !hich he transcribed and
publishedA and !hich is the authority for the follo!ing translation#
There is a "ery old translation of this Epistle in the British =useum,
among the 8arleian =44#, Cod# *,*,#3
T8E EP54T&E4 7F
4T# PA:& T8E AP74T&E T7 4E;ECA, 5T8
4E;ECAC4 T7 PA:&#
C8APTE( 5#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
5 4:PP74E, Paul, you ha"e been
informed of that con"ersation,
!hich passed yesterday bet!een
me and my &ucilius, concerning
hypocrisy and other subjectsA for
there !ere some of your disciples
in company !ith usA
, For !hen !e !ere retired into
the 4allustian gardens, through
!hich they !ere also passing, and
!ould ha"e gone another !ay, by
our persuasion they joined
company !ith us#
K 5 desire you to belie"e, that
!e much !ish for your con"ersationA
. e !ere much delighted !ith
your book of many Epistles, !hich
you ha"e !ritten to some cities
and chief to!ns of pro"inces, and
contain !onderful instructions for
moral conduct'
2 4uch sentiments, as 5 suppose
you !ere not the author of, but
only the instrument of con"eying,
though sometimes both the author
and the instrument,
1 For such is the sublimity of
those, doctrines, and their grandeur,
that 5 suppose the age of a man
is scarce sufficient to be instructed
and perfected in the kno!ledge of
them# 5 !ish your !elfare, my brother#
Fare!ell#
C8APTE( 55#
PA:& to 4E;ECA Greeting#
5 (ECE5?E) your letter yesterday
!ith pleasure, to !hich 5 could
immediately ha"e !ritten an ans!er,
had the young man been at home,
!hom 5 intended to ha"e sent to you'
, For you kno! !hen, and by !hom,
at !hat seasons, and to !hom 5 must
deli"er e"erything !hich 5 send#
K 5 desire therefore you !ould
not charge me !ith negligence, if
5 !ait for a proper person#
. 5 reckon myself "ery happy in
ha"ing the judgment of so "aluable
a person, that you are delighted
!ith my Epistles'
2 For you !ould not be esteemed
a censor, a philosopher, or be the
tutor of so great a prince, and a
master of e"erything, if you !ere
not sincere# 5 !ish you a lasting
prosperity#
C8APTE( 555#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
5 8A?E completed some "olumes
and di"ided them into their
proper parts#
, 5 am determined to read them
to Caesar, and if any fa"ourable
opportunity happens, you also
shall be present, !hen they are
readA
K But if that cannot be, 5 !ill
appoint and gi"e you notice of a
day, !hen !e !ill together read
o"er the performance#
. 5 had determined, if 5 could
!ith safety, first to ha"e your
opinion of it, before 5 published
it to Caesar, that you might be
con"inced of my affection to you#
Fare!ell, dearest Paul#
C8AP# 5?#
PA:& to 4E;ECA Greeting#
A4 often as 5 read your letters,
5 imagine you present !ith
meA nor indeed do 5 think any
other, than that you are al!ays
!ith us#
, As soon therefore as you begin
to come, !e shall presently see
each other# 5 !ish you all
prosperity#
C8APTE( ?#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
E are "ery much concerned
at your too long absence
from us#
, hat is it, or !hat affairs are
they, !hich obstructs your comingH
K 5f you fear the anger of
Caesar because you ha"e abandoned
your former religion, and made
proselytes also of others, you
ha"e this to plead, that your
acting thus proceeded not from
inconstancy, but judgment#
Fare!ell#
C8APTE( ?5#
PA:& to 4E;ECA and &:C5&5:4
Greeting#
C7;CE(;5;G those things,
about !hich ye !rote to me,
it is not proper for me to mention
anything in !riting !ith pen and
ink' the one of !hich lea"es
marks, and the other e"idently
declares things#
, Especially since 5 kno! that
there are near you, as !ell as me,
those !ho !ill understand my
meaning#
K )eference is to be paid to
all men, and so much the more,
as they are more likely to take
occasions of Buarrelling#
. And if !e sho! a submissi"e
temper, !e shall o"ercome
effectually in all points, if so
be they are, !ho are capable of
seeing and ackno!ledging themsel"es
to ha"e been in the !rong# Fare!ell#
C8APTE( ?55#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
5 P(7FE44 myself eDtremely
pleased !ith the reading your
letters to the Galatians,
Corinthians, and people of Achaia#
, For the 8oly Ghost has in
them by you deli"ered those
sentiments !hich are "ery lofty,
sublime, deser"ing of all respect,
and beyond your o!n in"ention#
K 5 could !ish therefore, that
!hen you are !riting things so
eDtraordinary, there might not
be !anting an elegancy of speech
agreeable to their majesty#
. And 5 must o!n, my brother,
that 5 may not at once dishonestly
conceal anything from you, and be
unfaithful to my o!n conscience,
that the emperor is eDtremely
pleased !ith the sentiments of
your EpistlesA
2 For !hen he heard the beginning
of them read, he declared, that he
!as surprised to find such notions
in a person, !ho had not had a
regular education#
1 To !hich 5 replied, That the
Gods sometimes made use of mean
EinnocentF persons to speak by, and
ga"e him an instance of this in a
mean countryman named ?atienus,
!ho, !hen he !as in the country
of (eate, had t!o men appeared
to him, called Castor and PolluD,
and recei"ed a re"elation from the
gods# Fare!ell#
C8APTE( ?555#
PA:& to 4E;ECA Greeting#
A&T87:G8 5 kno! the emperor is
both an admirer and fa"ourer of
our religion, yet gi"e me lea"e
to ad"ise you against your suffering
any injury Eby sho!ing fa"our to usF#
, 5 think indeed you "entured
upon a "ery dangerous attempt,
!hen you !ould declare Eto the
emperorF that !hich is so "ery
contrary to his religion, and !ay
of !orshipA seeing he is a
!orshipper of the heathen gods#
K 5 kno! not !hat you particularly
had in "ie!, !hen you told him of
thisA but 5 suppose you did it out
of too great respect for me#
. But 5 desire that for the future
you !ould not do soA for you had
need be careful, lest by sho!ing
your affection for me, you should
offend your master'
2 8is anger indeed !ill do us no
harm, if he continue a heathenA
nor !ill his not being angry be
of any ser"ice to us'
1 And if the empress act !orthy
of her character, she !ill not be
angryA but if she act as a !oman,
she !ill be affronted# Fare!ell#
C8APTE( 5>#
A;;E:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
<;7 that my letter, !herein
5 acBuainted you, that 5 had
read to the Emperor your Epistles,
does not so much affect you as the
nature of the things Econtained
in them#F
, hich do so po!erfully di"ert
menCs minds from their former
manners and practices, that 5 ha"e
al!ays been surprised, and ha"e
been fully con"inced of it by many
arguments heretofore#
K &et us therefore begin afreshA
and if any thing heretofore has
been imprudently acted, do you
forgi"e#
. 5 ha"e sent you a book decopia
"erborum# Fare!ell, dearest Paul#
C8APTE( >#
PA:& to 4E;ECA Greeting#
A4 often as 5 !rite to you,
and place my name before yours,
5 do a thing both disagreeable
to myself, and contrary to our
religion'
, For 5 ought, as 5 ha"e often
declared, to become all things to
all men, and to ha"e that regard
to your Buality, !hich the (oman
la! has honoured all senators !ithA
namely, to put my name last in the
Einscription of theF Epistle, that
5 may not at length !ith uneasiness
and shame be obliged to do that
!hich it !as al!ays my inclination
to do# Fare!ell, most respected
master# )ated the fifth of the
calends of 9uly, in the fourth
Consulship of ;ero, and =essala#
C8APTE( >5#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
A&& happiness to you,
my dearest Paul#
, 5f a person so great, and
e"ery !ay agreeable as you are,
become not only a common, but
a most intimate friend to me,
ho! happy !ill be the case of
4enecaJ
K $ou therefore, !ho are so
eminent, and so far eDalted abo"e
all, e"en the greatest, do not think
yourself unfit to be first named in
the inscription of an EpistleA
. &est 5 should suspect you intend
not so much to try me, as to banter
meA for you kno! yourself to be a
(oman citiGen#
2 And 5 could !ish to be in that
circumstance or station !hich you
are, and that you !ere in the same
that 5 am# Fare!ell, dearest Paul#
)ated the tenth of the calends of
April, in the Consulship of Aprianus
and Capito#
C8APTE( >55#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
A&& happiness to you, my dearest
Paul# )o you not suppose 5 am
eDtremely concerned and grie"ed
that your innocence should bring
you into sufferingsH
, And that all the people should
suppose you EChristiansF so criminal,
and imagine all the misfortunes
that happen to the city, to be
caused by youH
K But let us bear the charge
!ith a patient temper, appealing
for our innocence to the court
abo"e, !hich is the only one our
hard fortune !ill allo! us to address
to, till at length our misfortunes
shall end in unalterable happiness#
. Former ages ha"e produced
EtyrantsF AleDander the son of
Philip, and )ionysiusA ours also
has produced Caius CaesarA !hose
inclinations !ere their only la!s#
2 As to the freBuent burnings
of the city of (ome, the cause is
manifestA and if a person in my
mean circumstances might be allo!ed
to speak, and one might declare
these dark things !ithout danger,
e"ery one should see the !hole of
the matter#
1 The Christians and 9e!s are
indeed commonly punished for the
crime of burning the cityA but that
impious miscreant, !ho delights
in murders and butcheries, and
disguises his "illainies !ith lies,
is appointed to, or reser"ed till,
his proper time#
I And as the life of e"ery
eDcellent person is no! sacrificed
instead of that one person E!ho is
the author of the mischiefF, so this
one shall be sacrificed for many,
and he shall be de"oted to be burnt
!ith fire instead of all#
+ 7ne hundred and thirty%t!o houses,
and four !hole sBuares Eor islandsF
!ere burnt do!n in siD days' the
se"enth put an end to the burning#
5 !ish you all happiness#
L )ated the fifth of the calends
of April, in the Consulship of
Frigius and Bassus#
C8APTE( >555#
A;;AE:4 4E;ECA to PA:& Greeting#
A&& happiness to you, my dearest
Paul#
, $ou ha"e !ritten many "olumes in
an allegorical and mystical style,
and therefore such mighty matters
and business being committed to you,
reBuire not to be set off !ith any
rhetorical flourishes of speech,
but only !ith some proper elegance#
K 5 remember you often said,
that many by affecting such a style
do injury to their subjects, and
lose the force of the matters they
treat of#
. But in this 5 desire you to
regard me, namely, to ha"e respect
to true &atin, and to choose just
!ords, that so you may the better
manage the noble trust !hich is
reposed in you#
2 Fare!ell# )ated the fifth of
the nones of 9uly, &eo and 4a"inus
Consuls#
C8APTE( >5?#
PA:& to 4E;ECA Greeting#
$7:( serious consideration is
reBuited !ith those disco"eries,
!hich the )i"ine Being has
granted but to fe!A
, 5 am thereby assured that
5 so! the most strong seed in a
fertile soil, not anything material,
!hich is subject to corruption, but
the durable !ord of God, !hich
shall increase and bring forth fruit
to eternity#
K That !hich by your !isdom you
ha"e attained to, shall abide
!ithout decay for e"er#
. Belie"e that you ought to
a"oid the superstitions of 9e!s
and Gentiles#
2 The things !hich you ha"e in
some measure arri"ed to, prudently
make kno!n to the emperor, his
family, and to faithful friendsA
1 And though your sentiments
!ill seem disagreeable, and not
be comprehended by them, seeing
most of them !ill not regard your
discourses, yet the ord of God
once infused into them, !ill at
length make them become ne! men,
aspiring to!ards God#
I Fare!ell 4eneca, !ho art
most dear to us# )ated on the
calends of August, in the
Consulship of &eo and 4a"inus#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E EP54T&E4 7F 4T# PA:& T8E AP74T&E
T7 4E;ECA, 5T8 4E;ECAC4 T7 PA:&#
/4e"eral "ery learned !riters ha"e entertained a fa"ourable opinion of
these Epistles# They are undoubtedly of high antiBuity# 4almeron cites
them to pro"e that 4eneca !as one of CaesarCs household, referred to by
Paul, Philip i"# ,,, as saluting the brethren at Philippi# 5n 9eromeCs
enumeration of illustrious men, he places 4eneca, on account of these
Epistles, amongst the ecclesiastical and holy !riters of the Christian
Church# 4iDtus 4enensis has published them in his BibliotheBue, p +L, L-A
and it is from thence that the present translation is made# Baronius,
Bellarmine, )r# Ca"e, 4panheim, and others, contend that they are not
genuine#3
T8E ACT4 7F 4T# PA:& A;) T8EC&A#
The martyrdom of the holy and glorious
first =artyr and Apostle Thecla#
C8APTE( 5#
* )emas and 8ermogenes become PaulCs companions#
. Paul "isits 7nesiphorus#
+ 5n"ited by )emos and 8ermogenes#
** Preaches to the household of 7nesiphorus#
*, 8is sermon#
8E; Paul !ent up to 5conium,
after his flight from Antioch,
)emas and 8ermogenes became
his companions, !ho !ere then
full of hypocrisy#
, But Paul looking only at the
goodness of God, did them no
harm, but lo"ed them greatly#
K Accordingly he endea"oured
to make agreeable to them all the
oracles and doctrines of Christ,
and the design of the Gospel of
GodCs !ell%belo"ed sonA instructing
them in the kno!ledge of Christ,
as it !as re"ealed to him#
. And a certain man named
7nesiphorus, hearing that Paul
!as come to 5conium, !ent out
speedily to meet him, together
!ith his !ife &ectra, and his sons
4immia and Meno, to in"ite him to
their house#
2 For Titus had gi"en them a
description of PaulCs personage,
they as yet not kno!ing him in
person, but only being acBuainted
!ith his character#
1 They !ent in the kingCs high!ay
to &ystra, and stood there !aiting
for him, comparing all !ho passed
by !ith that description !hich
Titus had gi"en them#
I At length they sa! a man coming
Enamely PaulF, of a lo! stature,
bald on the headA !ith crooked thighs,
handsome legs, hollo!%eyesA and a
crooked noseA full of grace, for
sometimes he appeared as a man,
sometimes he had the countenance
of an angel# And Paul sa! 7nesiphorus,
and !as glad#
+ And 7nesiphorus said'
8ail, thou ser"ant of the blessed
God# Paul replied, The grace of
God be !ith thee and thy family#
L But )enies and 8ermogenes
!ere mo"ed !ith en"y, and, under
a sho! of great religion, )emas
said, And are not !e also ser"ants
of the blessed GodH hy didst
thou not salute usH
*- 7nesiphorus replied, Because
5 ha"e not percei"ed in you the
fruits of righteousnessA ne"ertheless,
if ye are of that sort, ye shall be
!elcome to my house also#
** Then Paul !ent into the house
of 7nesiphorus, and there !as great
joy among the family on that account'
and they employed themsel"es in prayer,
breaking of bread, and hearing Paul
preach the !ord of God concerning
temperance and the resurrection,
in the follo!ing manner'
*, Blessed are the pure in
heartA for they shall see God#
*K Blessed are they !ho keep
their flesh undefiled Eor pureFA
for they shall be the temple of God#
*. Blessed are the temperate
Eor chasteFA for God !ill re"eal
himself to them#
*2 Blessed are they !ho abandon
their !orldly enjoymentsA for they
shall be accepted of God#
*1 Blessed are they !ho ha"e
!i"es, as though they had them
notA for they shall be made angels
of God#
*I Blessed are they !ho tremble
at the !ord of GodA for they
shall be comforted#
*+ Blessed are they !ho keep
their baptism pureA for they shall
find peace !ith the Father, 4on,
and 8oly Ghost#
*L Blessed are they !ho pursue
the !isdom or doctrine of 9esus
ChristA for they shall be called
the sons of the =ost 8igh#
,- Blessed are they !ho obser"e
the instructions of 9esus ChristA
for they shall d!ell in eternal
light#
,* Blessed are they, !ho for the
lo"e of Christ abandon the glories
of the !orld, for they shall judge
angels, and be placed at the right
hand of Christ, and shall not suffer
the bitterness of the last judgment#
,, Blessed are the bodies and souls
of "irginsA for they are acceptable
to God, and shall not lose the re!ard
of their "irginityA for the !ord of
their Ehea"enlyF Father shall pro"e
effectual to their sal"ation in the
day of his 4on, and they shall enjoy
rest for e"ermore#
C8APTE( 55#
* Thecla listens anDiously to PaulCs preaching#
2 Thamyris, her admirer, concerts !ith Theoclia
her mother to dissuade her,
*, in "ain#
*. )emas and 8ermogenes "ilify Paul to Thamyris#
85&E Paul !as preaching
this sermon in the church
!hich !as in the house of
7nesiphorus, a certain "irgin
named Thecla E!hose motherCs
name !as Theoclia, and !ho !as
betrothed to a man named ThamyrisF
sat at a certain !indo! in her house#
, From !hence, by the ad"antage
of a !indo! in the house !here
Paul !as, she both night and day
heard PaulCs sermons concerning
God, concerning charity, concerning
faith in Christ, and concerning
prayerA
K ;or !ould she depart from
the !indo!, till !ith eDceeding
joy she !as subdued to the
doctrines of faith#
. At length, !hen she sa! many
!omen and "irgins going into
Paul, she earnestly desired that
she might be thought !orthy to
appear in his presence, and hear
the !ord of ChristA for she had
not yet seen PaulCs person, but only
heard his sermons, and that alone#
2 But !hen she !ould not be
pre"ailed upon to depart from the
!indo!, her mother sent to Thamyris,
!ho came !ith the greatest pleasure,
as hoping no!, to marry her#
Accordingly he said to Theoclia,
here is my TheclaH
1 Theoclia replied, Thamyris,
5 ha"e something "ery strange to
tell youA for Thecla, for the space
of three days, !ill not mo"e from
the !indo!, not so much as to eat
or drink, but is so intent in
hearing the artful and delusi"e
discourses of a certain foreigner,
that 5 perfectly !onder Thamyris,
that a young !oman of her kno!n
modesty, !ill suffer herself to be
so pre"ailed upon#
I For that man has disturbed
the !hole city of 5conium, and
e"en your Thecla, among others#
All the !omen and young men
flock to him to recei"e his
doctrineA !ho, besides all the
rest, tells them that there is
but one God, !ho alone is to be
!orshipped, and that !e ought
to li"e in chastity#
+ ;ot!ithstanding this, my
daughter Thecla, like a spiderCs
!eb fastened to the !indo!, is
capti"ated, by the discourses of
Paul, and attendsC upon them !ith
prodigious eagerness, and "ast
delightA and thus, by attending
on !hat he says, the young !oman
is seduced# ;o! then do you go,
and speak to her, for she is
betrothed to you#
L Accordingly Thamyris !ent,
and ha"ing saluted her, and taking
care not to surprise her, he said,
Thecla, my spouse, !hy sittest
thou in this melancholy postureH
hat strange impressions are
made upon theeH Turn to Thamyris,
and blush#
*- 8er mother also spake to her
after the same manner, and said,
Child, !hy dost thou sit so
melancholy, and, like one
astonished, makest no replyH
** Then they !ept eDceedingly,
Thamyris, that he had lost his
spouseA Theoclia, that she had
lost her daughterA and the maids,
that they had lost their mistressA
and there !as an uni"ersal
mourning in the family#
*, But all these things made no
impression upon Thecla, so as to
incline her so much as to turn to
them, and take notice of themA
for she still regarded the
discourses of Paul#
*K Then Thamyris ran forth into
the street to obser"e !ho they
!ere that !ent in to Paul, and
came out from himA and he sa!
t!o men engaged in a "ery !arm
dispute, and said to themA
*. 4irs, !hat business ha"e
you hereH and !ho is that man
!ithin, belonging to you, !ho
deludes the minds of men, both
young men and "irgins, persuading
them, that they ought not to marry,
but continue as they areH
*2 5 promise to gi"e you a
considerable sum, if ye !ill gi"e
me a just account of himA for 5 am
the chief person of this city#
*1 )emas and 8ermogenes replied,
e cannot so eDactly tell !ho he
isA but this !e kno!, that he
depri"es young men of their
EintendedF !i"es, and "irgins of
their EintendedF husbands, by
teaching, There can be no future
resurrection, unless ye continue
in chastity, and do not defile your
flesh#
C8APTE( 555#
* They betray Paul#
I Thamyris arrests him !ith officers#
T8E; said Thamyris, Come along
!ith me to my house, and refresh
yoursel"es# 4o they !ent to a "ery
splendid entertainment, !here
there !as !ine in abundance,
and "ery rich pro"ision#
, They !ere brought to a table
richly spread, and made to drink
plentifully by Thamyris, on account
of the lo"e he had for Thecla
and his desire to marry her#
K Then Thamyris said, 5 desire
ye !ould inform me !hat the
doctrines of this Paul are, that
5 may understand themA for 5 am
under no small concern about Thecla,
seeing she so delights in that
strangerCs discourses, that 5 am in
danger of losing my intended !ife#
. Then )emas and 8ermogenes
ans!ered both together, and said,
&et him be brought before the
go"ernor Castellius, as one !ho
endea"ours to persuade the people
into the ne! religion of the
Christians, and he, according to
the order of Caesar, !ill put him
to death, by !hich means you !ill
obtain your !ifeA
2 hile !e at the same time !ill
teach her, that the resurrection
!hich he speaks of is already come,
and consists in our ha"ing childrenA
and that !e then arose again,
!hen !e came to the kno!ledge of God#
1 Thamyris ha"ing this account
from them, !as filled !ith hot
resentment'
I And rising early in the morning
he !ent to the house of 7nesiphorus,
attended by the magistrates, the
9ailor, and a great multitude of
people !ith sta"es, and said to PaulA
+ Thou hast per"erted the city
of 5conium, and among the rest,
Thecla, !ho is betrothed to me,
so that no! she !ill not marry
me# Thou shalt therefore go !ith
us to the go"ernor Castellius#
L And all the multitude cried
out, A!ay !ith this imposter, for
he has per"erted the minds of our
!i"es, and all the people hearken
to him#
C8APTE( 5?#
* Paul accused before the go"ernor by Thamyris#
2 )efends himself#
L 5s committed to prison,
*- and "isited by Thecla#
T8E; Thamyris standing before
the go"ernorCs judgment%seat,
spake !ith a loud "oice in the
follo!ing manner#
, 7 go"ernor, 5 kno! not !hence
this man comethA but he is one
!ho teaches that matrimony is
unla!ful# Command him therefore
to declare before you for !hat
reason he publishes such doctrines#
K hile he !as saying thus,
)emas and 8ermogenes E!hispered to
Thamyris, andF saidA 4ay that he
is a Christian, and he !ill
presently be put to death#
. But the go"ernor !as more
deliberate, and calling to Paul,
he said, ho art thouH hat dost
thou teachH They seem to lay
gross crimes to thy charge#
2 Paul then spake !ith a loud
"oice, saying, As 5 am no! called
to gi"e an account, 7 go"ernor,
of my doctrines, 5 desire your
audience#
1 That God, !ho is a God of
"engeance, and !ho strands in need
of nothing but the sal"ation of his
creatures, has sent me to reclaim
them from their !ickedness, and
corruptionsA from all EsinfulF
pleasures, and from deathA and to
persuade them to sin no more#
I 7n this account, God sent his
4on 9esus Christ, !hom 5 preach,
and in !hom 5 instruct men to
place their hopes, as that person
!ho only had such compassion on
the deluded !orld, that it might
not, 7 go"ernor, be condemned,
but ha"e faith, the fear of God,
the kno!ledge of religion, and the
lo"e of truth#
+ 4o that if 5 only teach those
things !hich 5 ha"e recei"ed by
re"elation from God, !here is my
crimeH
L hen the go"ernor heard this,
he ordered Paul to be bound,
and to be put in prison, till he
should be more at leisure to hear
him more fully#
*- But in the night, Thecla
taking off her ear%rings, ga"e them
to the turnkey of the prison, !ho
then opened the door to her, and
let her inA
** And !hen she made a present
of a sil"er looking%glass to the
jailor, !as allo!ed to go into the
room !here Paul !asA then she set
do!n at his feet, and heard from
him the great things of God#
*, And as she percei"ed Paul
not to be afraid of suffering,
but that by di"ine assistance
he beha"ed himself !ith courage,
her faith so far increased that
she kissed his chains#
C8APTE( ?#
* Thecla sought and found by her relations#
. Brought !ith Paul before the go"ernor#
L 7rdered to be burnt, and Paul to be !hipt#
*2 Thecla miraculously sa"ed#
AT length Thecla !as missed
and sought for by the family
and by Thamyris in e"ery street,
as though she had been lostA till
one of the porterCs fello!%ser"ants
told them, that she had gone out
in the night%time#
, Then they eDamined the porter,
and he told them, that she !as
gone to the prison to the strange
man#
K They !ent therefore according
to his direction, and there found
herA and !hen they came out, they
got a mob together, and !ent and
told the go"ernor all that had
happened#
. :pon !hich he ordered Paul
to be brought before his judgment
seat#
2 Thecla in the mean time lay
!allo!ing on the ground in the
prison, in that same place !here
Paul had sat to teach herA upon
!hich the go"ernor also ordered
her to be brought before his
judgment%seatA !hich summons she
recei"ed !ith joy, and !ent#
1 hen Paul !as brought thither,
the mob !ith more "ehemence cried
out, 8e is a magician, let him die#
I ;e"ertheless the go"ernor
attended !ith pleasure upon PaulCs
discourses of the holy !orks of
ChristA and, after a council called,
he summoned Thecla, and said to
her, hy do you not, according
to the la! of the 5conians, marry
ThamyrisH
+ 4he stood still, !ith her eyes
fiDed upon PaulA and finding she
made no reply, Theoclia, her
mother cried out saying, &et the
unjust creature be burntA let her
be burnt in the midst of the theatre,
for refusing Thamyris, that all
!omen may learn from her to a"oid
such practices#
L Then the go"ernor !as eDceedingly
concerned, and ordered Paul to be
!hipt out of the city, and Thecla
to be burnt#
*- 4o the go"ernor arose, and !ent
immediately into the theatreA and
all the people !ent forth to see
the dismal sight#
** But Thecla, just as a lamb in
the !ilderness looks e"ery !ay to
see his shepherd, looked around
for PaulA
*, And as she !as looking upon
the multitude, she sa! the &ord
9esus in the likeness of Paul, and
said to herself, Paul is come to see
me in my distressed circumstances#
And she fiDed her eyes upon himA
but he instantly ascended up to
hea"en, !hile she looked on him#
*K Then the young men and !omen
brought !ood and stra! for the
burning of TheclaA !ho being brought
naked to the stake, eDtorted tears
from the go"ernor, !ith surprise
beholding the greatness of her beauty#
*. And !hen they had placed
the !ood in order, the people
commanded her to go upon itA !hich
she did, first making the sign of
the cross#
*2 Then the people set fire to
the pileA though the flame !as
eDceeding large, it did not touch
herA for God took compassion on
her, and caused a great eruption
from the earth beneath, and a
cloud from abo"e to pour do!n
great Buantities of rain and hailA
*1 5nsomuch that by the rupture
of the earth, "ery many !ere
in great danger, and some !ere
killed, the fire !as eDtinguished,
and Thecla preser"ed#
C8APTE( ?5#
* Paul !ith 7nesiphorus in a ca"e#
I Thecla disco"ers PaulA
*, proffers to follo! him'
*K he eDhorts her not for fear of fornication#
5; the mean time Paul, together
!ith 7nesiphorus, his !ife and
children, !as keeping a fast in a
certain ca"e, !hich !as in the
road from 5conium to )aphne#
, And !hen they had fasted for
se"eral days, the children said to
Paul, Father, !e are hungry, and
ha"e not !here!ithal to buy breadA
for 7nesiphorus had left all his
substance to follo! Paul !ith his
family#
K Then Paul, taking off his coat,
said to the boy, Go, child, and buy
bread, and bring it hither#
. But !hile the boy !as buying
the bread, he sa! his neighbour
Thecla, and !as surprised, and
said to her, Thecla, !here are you
goingH
2 4he replied, 5 am in pursuit
of Paul, ha"ing been deli"ered
from the flames#
1 The boy then said, 5 !ill bring
you to him, for he is under great
concern on your account, and has
been in prayer and fasting these
siD days#
I hen Thecla came to the ca"e,
she found Paul upon his knees
praying and saying, 7 holy Father,
7 &ord 9esus Christ, grant that
the fire may not touch TheclaA
but be her helper, for she is
thy ser"ant#
+ Thecla then standing behind
him, cried out in the follo!ing
!ords' 7 so"ereign &ord Creator
of hea"en and earth, the Father of
thy belo"ed and holy 4on, 5 praise
thee that thou hast preser"ed me
from the fire, to see Paul again#
L Paul then arose, and !hen he
sa! her, said, 7 God, !ho searchest
the heart, Father of my &ord 9esus
Christ, 5 praise thee that thou hast
ans!ered my prayer#
*- And there pre"ailed among them
in the ca"e an entire affection to
each otherA Paul, 7nesiphorus,
and all that !ere !ith them being
filled !ith joy#
** They had fi"e loa"es, some
herbs and !ater, and they solaced
each other in reflections upon the
holy !orks of Christ#
*, Then said Thecla to Paul,
5f you be pleased !ith it, 5 !ill
follo! you !hithersoe"er you go#
*K 8e replied to her, Persons
are no! much gi"en to fornication,
and you being handsome, 5 am
afraid lest you should meet !ith
greater temptation than the former,
and should ;ot !ithstand, but be
o"ercome by it#
*. Thecla replied, Grant me
only the seal of Christ, and no
temptation shall affect me#
*2 Paul ans!ered, Thecla, !ait
!ith patience, and you shall
recei"e the gift of Christ#
C8APTE( ?55#
* Paul and Thecla go to Antioch#
, AleDander, a magistrate, falls in lo"e !ith Thecla'
. kisses her by force'
2 she resists him'
1 is carried before the go"ernor, and condemned
to be thro!n to !ild beasts#
T8E; Paul sent back 7nesiphorus
and his family to their o!n home,
and taking Thecla along !ith him,
!ent for AntiochA
, And as soon as they came in#
to the city, a certain 4yrian,
named AleDander, a magistrate in
the city, !ho had done many
considerable ser"ices for the city
during his magistracy, sa! Thecla,
and fell in lo"e !ith her, and
endea"oured by many rich presents
to engage Paul in his interest#
K But Paul told him, 5 kno! not
the !oman of !hom you speak, nor
does she belong to me#
. But he being a person of great
po!er in, Antioch, seiGed her in
the street and kissed her' !hich
Thecla !ould not bear, but looking
about for Paul, cried out in a
distressed loud tone, Force me not,
!ho am a strangerA force me not,
!ho am a ser"ant of GodA 5 am
one of the principal persons of
5conium, and !as obliged to lea"e
that city because 5 !ould not be
married to Thamyris#
2 Then she laid hold on AleDander,
tore his coat, and took his cro!n
off his head, and made him appear
ridiculous before all the people#
1 But AleDander, partly as he
lo"ed her, and partly being ashamed
of !hat had been done, led her to
the go"ernor, and upon her confession
of !hat she had done, he condemned
her to be thro!n among the beasts#
C8APTE( ?555#
, Thecla entertained by TrifinaA
K brought out to the !ild beastsA
a she%lion licks her feet#
2 Trifina upon a "ision of her deceased
daughter, adopts Thecla,
** !ho is taken to the amphitheatre again#
85C8 !hen the people sa!, they
said' The judgments passed in this
city are unjust# But Thecla desired
the fa"our of the go"ernor, that
her chastity might not be attacked,
but preser"ed till she should be
cast to the beasts#
, The go"ernor then inBuired,
ho !ould entertain herA upon
!hich a certain "ery rich !ido!,
named Trifina, !hose daughter
!as lately dead, desired that she
might ha"e the keeping of herA
and she began to treat her in her
house as her o!n daughter#
K At length a day came, !hen
the beasts !ere to be brought forth
to be seenA and Thecla !as brought
to the amphitheatre, and put into
a den in !hich !as an eDceeding
fierce she%lion, in the presence of
a multitude of spectators#
. TrifinaA !ithout any surprise,
accompanied Thecla, and the
she%lion licked the feet of Thecla#
The title !ritten !hich denoted
her crime, !as 4acrilege# Then
the !omen cried out, 7 God, the
judgments of this city are
unrighteous#
2 After the beasts had been
sho!n, Trifina took Thecla home
!ith her, and they !ent to bedA
and behold, the daughter of Trifina,
!ho !as dead, appeared to her
mother, and saidA =other, let the
young !oman, Thecla, be reputed
by you as your daughter in my
steadA and desire her that she
should pray for me, that 5 may be
translated to a state of happiness#
1 :pon !hich Trifina, !ith a
mournful air, said, =y daughter
Falconilla has appeared to me, and
ordered me to recei"e you in her
roomA !herefore 5 desire, Thecla,
that you !ould pray for my daughter,
that she may be translated into
a state of happiness, and to life
eternal#
I hen Thecla heard this, she
immediately prayed to the &ord,
and said' 7 &ord God of hea"en and
earth, 9esus Christ, thou 4on of
the =ost 8igh, grant that her
daughter Falconilla may li"e fore"er#
Trifina hearing this, groaned again,
and said' 7 unrighteous judgmentsJ
7 unreasonable !ickednessJ that
such a creature should EagainF
be cast to the beastsJ
+ 7n the morro!, at break of day,
AleDander came to TrifinaCs house,
and said' The go"ernor and the
people are !aitingA bring the
criminal forth#
L But Trifina ran in so "iolently
upon him, that he !as affrighted,
and ran a!ay# Trifina !as one of
the royal familyA and she thus
eDpressed her sorro!, and saidA
AlasJ 5 ha"e trouble in my house
on t!o accounts, and there is no
one !ho !ill relie"e me, either
under the loss of my daughter, or
my being unable to sa"e Thecla#
But no!, 7 &ord God, be thou the
helper of Thecla thy ser"ant#
*- hile she !as thus engaged#
the go"ernor sent one of his o!n
officers to bring Thecla# Trifina
took her by the hand, and, going
!ith her, said' 5 !ent !ith
Falconilla to her gra"e, and no!
must go !ith Thecla to the beasts#
** hen Thecla heard this, she
!eeping prayed, and said' 7 &ord
God, !hom 5 ha"e made my confidence
and refuge, re!ard Trifina for her
compassion to me, and preser"ing
my chastity#
*, :pon this there !as a great
noise in the amphitheatreA the
beasts roared, and the people
cried out, Bring in the criminal#
*K But the !omen cried out,
and said' &et the !hole city
suffer for such crimesA and
order all of us, 7 go"ernor,
to the same punishment# 7 unjust
judgmentJ 7 cruel sightJ
*. 7thers said, &et the !hole
city be destroyed for this "ile
action# <ill us all, 7 go"ernor#
7 cruel sightJ 7 unrighteous
judgment#
C8APTE( 5>#
* Thecla thro!n naked to the !ild beastsA
, but they all refuse to attack her#
+ 4he baptiGes herself in a pit of !ater#
*- 7ther !ild beasts refuse to injure her#
** Tied to !ild bulls#
*K =iraculously sa"ed#
,*# (eleased#
,. Entertained by Trifina,
T8E; Thecla !as taken out of
the hand of Trifina, stripped
naked, had a girdle put on, and
thro!n into the place appointed
for fighting !ith the beasts' and
the lions and the bears !ere let
loose upon her#
, But a she%lion, !hich !as of
all the most fierce, ran to Thecla,
and fell do!n at her feet# :pon
!hich the multitude of !omen
shouted aloud#
K Then a she%bear ran fiercely
to!ards her, but the she lion met
the bear, and tore it in pieces#
. Again a he%lion, !ho had been
!ont to de"our men, and !hich
belonged to AleDander, ran to!ards
herA but the she%lion encountered
the he%lion, and they killed each
other#
2 Then the !omen !ere under
a greater concern, because the
she%lion, !hich had helped Thecla,
!as dead#
1 After!ards they brought out
many other !ild beastsA but Thecla
stood !ith her hands stretched
to!ards hea"en, and prayedA and
!hen she had done praying, she
turned about, and sa! a pit of
!ater, and said, ;o! it is a proper
time for me to be baptiGed#
I Accordingly she thre! herself
into the !ater, and said, 5n thy
name, 7 my &ord 9esus Christ, 5
am this last day baptiGed# The
!omen and the people seeing this,
cried out and said, )o not thro!
yourself into the !ater# And the
go"ernor himself cried out, to
think that the fish Esea%cal"esF
!ere like to de"our so much
beauty#
+ ;ot!ithstanding all this,
Thecla thre! herself into the !ater,
in the name of our &ord 9esus Christ#
L But the fish Esea%cal"esF !hen
they sa! the lightning and fire,
!ere killed, and s!am dead upon
the surface of the !ater, and a
cloud of fire surrounded TheclaA
so that as the beasts could not
come near her, so the people could
not see her nakedness#
*- $et they turned other !ild
beasts upon herA upon !hich they
made a "ery mournful outcryA and
some of them scattered spikenard,
others cassia, others amomus Ea
sort of spikenard, or the herb of
9erusalem, or ladies roseF, others
ointmentA so that the Buantity of
ointment !as large, in proportion
to the number of peopleA and upon
this all the beasts lay as though
they had been fast asleep, and did
not touch Thecla#
** hereupon AleDander said
to the go"ernor, 5 ha"e some "ery
terrible bullsA let us bind her to
them# To !hich the go"ernor, !ith
concern, replied, $ou may do !hat
you think fit#
*, Then they put a cord round
TheclaCs !aist, !hich bound also
her feet, and !ith it tied her to
the bulls, to !hose pri"y%parts they
applied red%hot irons, that so they
being the more tormented, might
more "iolently drag Thecla about,
till they had killed her#
*K The bulls accordingly tore
about, making a most hideous noiseA
but the flame !hich !as about Thecla,
burnt off the cords !hich !ere
fastened to the members of the
bulls, and she stood in the middle
of the stage, as unconcerned as
if she had not been bound#
*. But in the mean time Trifina,
!ho sat upon one of the benches,
fainted a!ay and diedA upon !hich
the !hole city !as under a "ery
great concern#
*2 And AleDander himself !as
afraid, and desired the go"ernor,
saying' 5 entreat you, take
compassion on me and the city,
and release this !oman, !ho has
fought !ith the beastsA lest both
you and 5, and the !hole city,
be destroyedA
*1 For if Caesar should ha"e any
account of !hat has passed no!,
he !ill certainly immediately
destroy the city, because Trifina,
a person of royal eDtract, and a
relation of his, is dead upon her
seat#
*I :pon this the go"ernor called
Thecla from among the beasts to him,
and said to her, ho art thouH and
!hat are thy circumstances, that not
one of the beasts !ill touch theeH
*+ Thecla replied to himA 5 am
a ser"ant of the li"ing GodA and
as to my state, 5 am a belie"er on
9esus Christ his 4on, in !hom
God is !ell pleasedA and for that
reason none of the beasts could
touch me#
*L 8e alone is the !ay to eternal
sal"ation, and the foundation of
eternal life# 8e is a refuge to
those !ho are in distressA a support
to the afflicted, hope and defence
to those !ho are hopelessA and in
a !ord, all those !ho do not
belie"e on him, shall not li"e,
but suffer eternal death#
,- hen the go"ernor heard these
things, he ordered her clothes
to be brought, and said to her,
Put on your clothes#
,* Thecla replied' =ay that God
!ho clothed me !hen 5 !as naked
among the beasts, in the day of
judgment clothe your soul !ith
the robe of sal"ation# Then she
took her clothes, and put them
onA and the go"ernor immediately
published an order in these !ords'
5 release to you Thecla the ser"ant
of God#
,, :pon !hich the !omen cried
out together !ith a loud "oice,
and !ith one accord ga"e praise
unto God, and saidA There is but
one God, !ho is the God of TheclaA
the one God !ho hath deli"ered
Thecla#
,K 4o loud !ere their "oices,
that the !hole city seemed to be
shakenA and Trifina herself heard
the glad tidings, and arose again,
and ran !ith the multitude to
meet TheclaA and embracing her,
said' ;o! 5 belie"e there shall
be a resurrection of the deadA
no! 5 am persuaded that my daughter
is ali"e# Come therefore home
!ith me, my daughter Thecla, and
5 !ill make all o"er that 5 ha"e
to you#
,. 4o Thecla !ent !ith Trifina,
and !as entertained there a fe!
days, teaching her the !ord of the
&ord, !hereby many young !omen
!ere con"ertedA and there !as
great joy in the family of Trifina#
,2 But Thecla longed to see Paul,
and inBuired and sent e"ery !here
to find himA and !hen at length
she !as informed that he !as at
=yra, in &ycia, she took !ith her
many young men and !omenA and
putting on a girdle, and dressing
herself in the habit of a man,
she !ent to him to =yra in &ycia,
and there found Paul preaching
the !ord of GodA and she stood
by him among the throng#
C8APTE( >#
* Thecla "isits PaulA
1 "isits 7nesiphorusA
+ and "isits her =other
L !ho repulses her#
*. 5s tempted by the de"il#
*1 orks miracles#
B:T it !as no small surprise
to Paul !hen he sa! her and the
people !ith herA for he imagined
some fresh trial !as coming upon themA
, hich !hen Thecla percei"ed,
she said to him' 5 ha"e been baptiGed,
7 PaulA for he !ho assists you in
preaching, has assisted me to baptiGe#
K Then Paul took her, and led her
to the house of 8ermesA and Thecla
related to Paul all that had
befallen her in Antioch, insomuch
that Paul eDceedingly !ondered,
and all !ho heard !ere confirmed
in the faith, and prayed for
TrifinaCs happiness#
. Then Thecla arose, and said
to Paul, 5 am going to 5conium#
Paul replied to her' Go and teach
the !ord of the &ord#
2 But Trifina had sent large sums
of money to Paul, and also clothing
by the hands of Thecla, for the
relief of the poor#
1 4o Thecla !ent to 5conium#
And !hen she came to the house
of 7nesiphorus, she fell do!n upon
the floor !here Paul had sat and
preached, and, miDing tears !ith
her prayers, she praised and
glorified God in the follo!ing
!ords'
I 7 &ord the God of this house,
in !hich 5 !as first enlightened by
theeA 7 9esus, son of the li"ing
God, !ho !ast my helper before
the go"ernor, my helper in the
fire, and my helper among the
beastsA thou alone art God for
e"er and e"er, Amen#
+ Thecla no! Eon her returnF
found Thamyris dead, but her
mother li"ing# 4o calling her
mother, she said to her' Theoclia,
my mother, is it possible for you
to be brought to a belief, that
there is but one &ord God, !ho
d!ells in the hea"ensH 5f you
desire great riches, God !ill
gi"e them to you by meA if you
!ant your daughter again, here
5 am#
L These and many other things
she represented to her mother,
Eendea"ouringF to persuade her
Eto her o!n opinionF# But her
mother Theoclia ga"e no credit to
the things !hich !ere said by the
martyr Thecla#
*- 4o that Thecla percei"ing,
she discoursed to no purpose,
signing her !hole body !ith the
sign Eof the crossF, left the house
and !ent to )aphneA and !hen
she came there, she !ent to the
ca"e, !here she had found Paul
!ith 7nesiphorus, and fell do!n
upon the groundA and !ept before
God#
** hen she departed thence,
she !ent to 4eleucia, and
enlightened many in the kno!ledge
of Christ#
*, And a bright cloud conducted
her in her journey#
*K And after she had arri"ed at
4eleucia she !ent%to a place out
of the city, about the distance
of a furlong, being afraid of the
inhabitants, because they !ere
!orshippers of idols#
*. And she !as lead Eby the
cloudF into a mountain called
Calamon, or (odeon# There she
abode many years, and under!ent
a great many grie"ous temptations
of the de"il, !hich she bore in a
becoming manner, by the assistance
!hich she had from Christ#
*2 At length certain gentle%!omen
hearing of the "irgin Thecla, !ent
to her, and !ere instructed by her
in the oracles of God, and many of
them abandoned this !orld, and led
a monastic life !ith her#
*1 8ereby a good report !as
spread e"ery!here of Thecla, and
she !rought se"eral EmiraculousF
cures, so that all the city and
adjacent countries brought their
sick to that mountain, and before
they came as far as the door of
the ca"e, they !ere instantly cured
of !hatsoe"er distemper they had#
*I The unclean spirits !ere cast
out, making a noiseA all recei"ed
their sick made !hole, and glorified
God, !ho had besto!ed such po!er
on the "irgin TheclaA
*+ 5nsomuch that the physicians
of 4eleucia !ere no! of no more
account, and lost all the profit
of their trade, because no one
regarded themA upon !hich they
!ere filled !ith en"y, and began
to contri"e !hat methods to take
!ith this ser"ant of Christ#
C8APTE( >5#
* Thecla is attempted to be ra"ished,
*, escapes by a rock opening,
*I and closing miraculously#
T8E de"il then suggested bad
ad"ice to their mindsA and
being on a certain day met together
to consult, they reasoned among
each other thus' The "irgin is a
priestess of the great goddess
)iana, and !hatsoe"er she reBuests
from her, is granted, because she
is a "irgin, and so is belo"ed
by all the gods#
, ;o! then let us procure some
rakish fello!s, and after !e ha"e
made them sufficiently drunk, and
gi"en them a good sum of money,
let us order them to go and debauch
this "irgin, promising them, if
they do it, a larger re!ard#
K EFor they thus concluded among
themsel"es, that if they be able
to debauch her, the gods !ill no
more regard her nor )iana cure
the sick for herF#
. They proceeded according to
this resolution, and the fello!s
!ent to the mountain, and as fierce
as lions to the ca"e, knocking at
the door#
2 The holy martyr Thecla relying
upon the God in !hom she belie"ed,
opened the door, although she !as
before apprised of their design,
and said to them, $oung men,
!hat is your businessH
1 They replied, 5s there any
one !ithin, !hose name is TheclaH
4he ans!ered, hat !ould you
ha"e !ith herH They said, e
ha"e a mind to lie !ith her#
I The blessed Thecla ans!ered,
Though 5 am a mean old !oman,
5 am the ser"ant of my &ord 9esus
ChristA and though you ha"e a
"ile design against me, ye shall
not be able to accomplish it# They
replied, 5s it impossibleH but !e
must be able to do !ith you !hat
!e ha"e a mind,
+ And !hile they !ere saying
this, they laid hold on her by main
force, and !ould ha"e ra"ished her#
Then she !ith the EgreatestF
mildness said to them' $oung men
ha"e patience, and see the glory
of the &ord#
L And !hile they held her, she
looked up to hea"en and said' 7
God most re"erend, to !hom none
can be likenedA !ho makest thyself
glorious o"er thine enemiesA !ho
didst deli"er me from the fire,
didst not gi"e me up to Thamyris,
and didst not gi"e me up to
AleDander' !ho deli"eredst me
from the !ild beastsA !ho didst
preser"e me in the deep !atersA
!ho hast e"ery!here been my
helper, and hast glorified thy
name in meA
*- ;o! also deli"er me from
the hands of these !icked and
unreasonable men nor suffer them
to debauch my chastity !hich 5
ha"e hitherto preser"ed for thy
honourA for 5 lo"e thee, and long
for thee, and !orship thee,
7 Father, 4on, and 8oly Ghost,
for e"ermore# Amen#
** Then came a "oice from
hea"en, saying, Fear not Thecla,
my faithful ser"ant, for 5 am !ith
thee# &ook and see the place
!hich is opened for theeA there thy
eternal abode shall beA there thou
shalt recei"e the EbeatificF "ision#
*, The blessed Thecla obser"ing,
sa! the rock opened to as large
a degree as that a man might enter
inA she did as she !as commanded,
bra"ely fled from the "ile cre!,
and !ent into the rock, !hich
instantly so closed, that there
!as not any crack "isible !here
it had opened#
*K The men stood perfectly
astonished at so prodigious a
miracle, and had no po!er to detain
the ser"ant of GodA but only
catching hold of her "eil Eor hoodF,
they tore off a piece of itA
*. And e"en that !as by the
permission of God, for the
confirmation of their faith,
!ho should come to see this
"enerable placeA and to con"ey
blessings to those in succeeding
ages, !ho should belie"e on our
&ord 9esus Christ from a pure heart#
*2 Thus suffered that first
martyr and apostle of God, and
"irgin, Thecla, !ho came from
5conium at eighteen years of ageA
after!ards, partly in journeys and
tra"els, and partly in a monastic
life in the ca"e, she li"ed se"enty%
t!o yearsA so that she !as ninety
years old !hen the &ord translated
her#
*1 Thus ends her life#
*I The day !hich is kept sacred
to her memory, is the t!enty%fourth
of 4eptember, to the glory of the
Father, and the 4on, and the 8oly
Ghost, no! and for e"ermore# Amen#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E ACT4 7F 4T# PA:& A;) T8EC&A#
/Tertullian says that this piece !as forged by a Presbyter of Asia, !ho
being con"icted, @confessed that he did it out of respect to Paul,@ and
Pope Gelasius, in his )ecree against apocryphal books, inserted it among
them# ;ot!ithstanding this, a large part of the history !as credited and
looked upon as genuine among the primiti"e Christians# Cyprian,
Eusebius, Epiphanius, Austin, Gregory, ;agianGen# Chrysostom, and 4e"erus
4ulpitius, !ho all li"ed !ithin the fourth century mention Thecla or
refer to her history# Basil of 4eleucia !rote her acts, sufferings and
"ictories, in "erseA and Euagrius 4cholasticus an ecclesiastical
historian, about 2L-, relates that @after the Emperor Meno, had
abdicated his empire, and Basilik had taken possession of it, he had a
"ision of the holy and eDcellent martyr Thecla, !ho promised him the
restoration of his empireA for !hich, !hen it !as brought about, he
erected and dedicated a most noble and sumptuous temple to this famous
martyr, Thecla, at 4eleucia, a city of 5sauria, and besto!ed upon it "ery
noble endo!ments, !hich Esays the authorF are preser"ed e"en till this
day#@ 8ist# Ecel# lib# K cap# +#%%Cardinal Barenius, &ocrinus, Archbishop
ake, and othersA and also the learned Grabe, !ho edited the 4eptuagint,
and re"i"ed the Acts of Paul and Thecla, consider them as ha"ing been
!ritten in the Apostolic ageA as containing nothing superstitious, or
disagreeing from the opinions and belief of those timesA and, in short,
as a genuine and authentic history# Again, it is said, that this is not
the original book of the early ChristiansA but ho!e"er that may be, it
is published from the Greek =4# in the Bodleian &ibrary at 7Dford, !hich
)r# =ills copied and transmitted to )r# Grabe#3
T8E F5(4T EP54T&E 7F
C&E=E;T T7 T8E C7(5;T85A;4#
C8APTE( 5#
Clement commends them for their eDcellent order
and piety in Christ, before their schism broke out#
T8E Church of God !hich is
at (ome, to the Church of God
!hich is at Corinth, elect,
sanctified by the !ill of God,
through 9esus Christ our &ord'
grace and peace from the Almighty
God, by 9esus Christ, be multiplied
unto you#
, Brethren, the sudden and
uneDpected dangers and calamities
that ha"e fallen upon us, ha"e, !e
fear, made us the more slo! in our
consideration of those things !hich
you inBuired of us'
K As also of that !icked and
detestable sedition, so unbecoming
the elect of God, !hich a fe!
headstrong and self%!illed men
ha"e fomented to such a degree of
madness, that your "enerable and
reno!ned name, so !orthy of all
men to be belo"ed, is greatly
blasphemed thereby#
. For !ho that has e"er been
among you has not eDperienced
the firmness of your faith, and
its fruitfulness in all good !orksA
and admired the temper and
moderation of your religion in
ChristA and published abroad the
magnificence of your hospitalityA
and thought you happy in your
perfect and certain kno!ledge of
the GospelH
2 For ye did all things !ithout
respect of persons, and !alked
according to the la!s of GodA
being subject to those !ho had
the rule o"er you, and gi"ing the
honour that !as fitting to the aged
among you#
1 $e commanded the young men
to think those things that !ere
modest and gra"e#
I The !omen ye eDhorted to do
all things !ith an unblameable,
and seemly, and pure conscienceA
lo"ing their o!n husbands, as !as
fitting' and that keeping themsel"es
!ithin the bounds of a due obedience,
they should order their houses
gra"ely, !ith all discretion#
+ $e !ere all of you humble%
minded, not boasting of anything
desiring rather to be subject than
to go"ernA to gi"e than to recei"eA
being a content !ith the portion
God hath dispensed to you'
L And hearkening diligently to
his !ord, ye !ere enlarged in
your bo!els, ha"ing his sufferings
al!ays before your eyes#
*- Thus a firm, and blessed,
and profitable peace !as gi"en
unto you' and an unsatiable desire
of doing goodA and a plentiful
effusion of the 8oly Ghost !as
upon all of you#
** And being full of good
designs, ye did !ith, great
readiness of mind, and !ith
a religious confidence stretch
forth your hands to God AlmightyA
beseeching him to be merciful
unto you, if in anything ye had
un!illingly sinned against him#
*, $e contended day and night
for the !hole brotherhoodA that
!ith compassion and a good
conscience, the number of his
elect might be sa"ed#
*K $e !ere sincere, and !ithout
offence to!ards each otherA not
mindful of injuriesA all sedition
and schism !as an abomination
unto you#
*. $e be!ailed e"ery one his
neighboursC sins, esteeming their
defects your o!n#
*2 $e !ere kind one to another
!ithout grudgingA being ready to
e"ery good !ork# And being
adorned !ith a con"ersation
altogether "irtuous and religious,
ye did all things in the fear of
GodA !hose 5 commandments !ere
!ritten upon the tables of your
heart#
C8APTE( 55#
8o! their di"isions began#
A&& honour and enlargement
!as gi"en unto youA and so
!as fulfilled that !hich is !ritten,
my belo"ed did eat and drink, he
!as enlarged and !aDed fat, and
he kicked#
, From hence came emulation,
and en"y, and strife, and seditionA
persecution and disorder, !ar and
capti"ity#
K 4o they !ho !ere of no reno!n,
lifted up themsel"es against
the honourableA those of no
reputation against those !ho !ere
in respectA the foolish against the
!iseA the young men against the
aged#
. Therefore righteousness and
peace are departed from you,
because e"ery one hath forsaken
the fear of GodA and is gro!n blind
in his faithA nor !alketh by the
rule of GodCs commandments nor
li"eth as is fitting in Christ'
2 But e"ery one follo!s his
o!n !icked lusts' ha"ing taken
up an unjust and !icked en"y, by
!hich death first entered into the
!orld#
C8APTE( 555#
En"y and emulation the original of all
strife and disorder# EDamples of the
mischiefs they ha"e occasioned#
F7( thus it is !ritten,
And in process of time it came to
pass, that Cain brought of the fruit
of the ground an offering unto the
&ord# And Abel, he also brought
of the firstlings of his flock,
and of the fat thereof'
, And the &ord had respect unto
Abel, and to his offering# But
unto Cain and unto his offering he
had not respect# And Cain !as
"ery sorro!ful, and his countenance
fell#
K And the &ord said unto Cain,
hy art thou sorro!fulH And
!hy is thy countenance fallenH
5f thou shalt offer aright, but not
di"ide aright, hast thou not sinnedH
8old thy peace' unto thee shall
be his desire, and thou shalt rule
o"er him#
. And Cain said unto Abel his
brother, &et us go do!n into the
field# And it came to pass, as
they !ere in the field, that Cain
rose up against Abel his brother,
and sle! him#
2 $e see, brethren, ho! en"y
and emulation !rought the death
of a brother# For this, our father
9acob fled from the face of his
brother Esau#
1 5t !as this that caused 9oseph
to be persecuted e"en unto death,
and to come into bondage# En"y
forced =oses to flee from the
face of Pharoah king of Egypt,
!hen he heard his o!n countryman
ask him, @ho made thee a 9udge,
and a ruler o"er usH ilt thou
kill me as thou didst the
Egyptian yesterdayH@
I Through en"y Aaron and =iriam
!ere shut out of the camp, from
the rest of the congregation
se"en days#
+ EmulationCs sent )athan and
Abiram Buick into the gra"e because
they raised up a sedition against
=oses the ser"ant of God#
L For this, )a"id !as not
only hated of strangers, but !as
persecuted e"en by 4aul the king
of 5srael#
*- But not to insist upon ancient
eDamples, let us come to those
!orthies that ha"e been nearest
to usA and take the bra"e
eDamples of our o!n age#
** Through Geal and en"y, the
most faithful and righteous pillars
of the church ha"e been persecuted
e"en to the most grie"ous deaths#
*, &et us set before our eyes,
the holy ApostlesA Peter by unjust
en"y under!ent not one or t!o,
but many sufferingsA till at last
being martyred, he !ent to the
place of glory that !as due unto
him#
*K For the same cause did
Paul in like manner recei"e the
re!ard of his patience# 4e"en
times he !as in bondsA he !as
!hipped, !as stonedA he preached
both in the East and in the estA
lea"ing behind him the glorious
report of his faith'
*. And so ha"ing taught the
!hole !orld righteousness, and
for that end tra"elled e"en to
the utmost bounds of the estA
he at last suffered martyrdom
by the command of the go"ernors,
*2 And departed out of the
!orld, and !ent unto his holy
placeA ha"ing become a most
eminent pattern of patience
unto all ages#
*1 To these 8oly Apostles
!ere joined a "ery great number
of others, !ho ha"ing through
en"y undergone in like manner
many pains and torments, ha"e
left a glorious eDample to us#
*I For this, not only men but
!omen ha"e been persecutedA
and ha"ing suffered "ery grie"ous
and cruel punishments, ha"e
finished the course of their faith
!ith firmnessA and though !eak
in body, yet recei"ed a glorious
re!ard#
*+ This has alienated the
minds e"en of !omen from their
husbandsA and changed !hat !as
once said by our father AdamA
This is no! bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh#
*L 5n a !ord, en"y and strife,
ha"e o"erturned !hole cities, and
rooted out great nations from off
the earth#
C8APTE( 5?#
. 8e eDhorts them to li"e by holy rules, and repent
of their di"isions, and they shall be forgi"en#
T8E4E things, belo"ed, !e
!rite unto you, not only for
your instruction, but also for our
o!n remembrance#
, For !e are all in the same
lists, and the same combat is
prepared for us all#
K herefore let us lay aside all
"ain and empty caresA and let us
come up to the glorious and
"enerable rule of our holy calling#
. &et us consider !hat is good,
and acceptable and !ell%pleasing
in the sight of him that made us#
2 &et us look steadfastly to the
blood of Christ, and see ho!
precious his blood is in the sight
of God' !hich being shed for our
sal"ation, has obtained the grace
of repentance for all the !orld#
1 &et us search into all the
ages that ha"e gone before usA
and learn that our &ord has in
e"ery one of them still gi"en place
for repentance to all such as !ould
turn to him#
I ;oah preached repentanceA
and as many as hearkened to him
!ere sa"ed# 9onah denounced
destruction against the ;ine"ites#
+ 8o!beit they repenting of
their sins, appeased God by their
prayers' and !ere sa"ed, though
they !ere strangers to the co"enant
of God#
L 8ence !e find ho! all the
ministers of the grace of God
ha"e spoken by the 8oly 4pirit of
repentance# And e"en the &ord of
all, has himself declared !ith an
oath concerning itA
*- As 5 li"e, saith the &ord,
5 desire not the death of a sinner,
but that he should repent# Adding
farther this good sentence, saying
Turn from your iniBuity, 7 house
of 5srael#
** 4ay unto the children of
my people, though your sins should
reach from earth to hea"enA and
though they shall be redder than
scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth
yet if ye shall turn to me !ith all
your heart, and shall call me
father, 5 !ill hearken to you, as
to a holy people#
*, And in another place he saith
on this !ise' !ash ye, make you
cleanA put a!ay the e"il of your
doings from before mine eyesA
cease to do e"il, learn to do !ellA
seek judgment, relie"e the
oppressed, judge the fatherless,
plead for the !ido!#
*K Come no! and let us reason
together, saith the &ord' though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall
be as !hite as sno!A though they
be as red as crimson, they shall
be as !ool#
*. 5f ye be !illing and obedient
ye shall eat the good of the land
but, if ye refuse and rebel, ye
shall be de"oured !ith the s!ordA
for the mouth of the &ord hath
spoken it#
*2 These things has God
established by his Almighty !ill,
desiring that all his belo"ed
should come to repentance#
C8APTE( ?#
* 8e sets before them the eDamples of holy men,
!hose piety is recorded in the 4cripture#
8E(EF7(E let us obey his
eDcellent and glorious !illA
and imploring his mercy and
goodness, let us fall do!n upon
our faces before him, and cast
oursel"es upon his mercyA laying
aside all "anity, and contention,
and en"y !hich leads unto death#
, &et us look up to those !ho
ha"e the most perfectly ministered
to his eDcellent glory# &et us
take Enoch for our eDampleA
!ho being found righteous in
obedience, !as translated, and
his death !as not kno!n#
K ;oah being pro"ed to be
faithful, did by his ministry,
preach regeneration to the !orldA
and the &ord sa"ed by him all the
li"ing creatures, that !ent !ith
one accord into the ark#
. Abraham, !ho !as called
GodCs friend, !as in like manner
found faithfulA inasmuch as he
obeyed the commands of God#
2 By obedience he !ent out of
his o!n country, and from his
o!n kindred, and from his fatherCs
houseA that so forsaking a small
country, and a !eak affinity, and
a little house, he might inherit
the promises of God#
1 For thus God said unto himA
@get thee out of thy country, and
from thy kindred, and from thy
fatherCs house, unto a land that
5 !ill sho! thee#@
I @And, 5 !ill make thee a great
nation, and !ill bless thee, and
make thy name great, and thou
shalt be blessed# And 5 !ill
bless them that bless thee, and
curse them that curse theeA and
in thee shall all families of the
earth be blessed,@
+ And again !hen he separated
himself from &ot, God said unto
himA 5 &ift up no! thine eyes, and
look from the place !here thou
art north!ard, and south!ard, and
east!ard, and !est!ard, for all
the land !hich thou seest, to thee
!ill 5 gi"e it, and to thy seed for
e"er#
L And 5 !ill make thy seed as
the dust of the earth, so that if a
man can number the dust of the
earth, then shall thy seed also be
numbered#
*- And again he saith' and
God brought forth Abraham, and
said unto himA look no! to!ard
hea"en, and tell the stars, if thou
be able to number them' so shall
thy seed be#
** And Abraham belie"ed God,
and it !as counted to him for
righteousness#
*, Through faith and hospitality
he had a son gi"en him in his
old ageA and through obedience
he offered him up in sacrifice to
God, upon one of the mountains
!hich God sho!ed into him#
C8APTE( ?5#
* (edemption for such as ha"e been eminent for their
faith, kindness, and charity to their neighbours#
B$ hospitality and goodliness
!as &ot sa"ed out of 4odom,
!hen all the country round about
!as destroyed by fire and brimstone#
, The &ord thereby making it
manifest, that he !ill not forsake
those that trust in himA but !ill
bring the disobedient to punishment
and correction#
K For his !ife !ho !ent out
!ith him, being of a different
mind, and not continuing in the
same obedience, !as for that reason
set forth for an eDample, being
turned into a pillar of salt
unto this day#
. That so all men may kno!,
that those !ho are double minded,
and distrustful of the po!er of
God, are prepared for condemnation,
and to be a sign to all succeeding
ages#
2 By faith and hospitality !as
(ahab the harlot sa"ed# For !hen
the spies !ere sent by 9oshua the
son of ;un to search out 9ericho,
and the king of 9ericho kne! that
they !ere come to spy out his
country, he sent men to take them,
so that they might be put to
death#
1 (ahab therefore, being hospitable,
recei"ed them, and hid them under
the stalks of flaD, on the top of
her house#
I And !hen the messengers that
!ere sent by the king came unto
her, and asked her, saying,
There came men unto thee to spy
out the land, bring them forth, for
so hath the king commanded' 4he
ans!ered, The t!o men !hom ye
seek came unto me, but presently
they departed, and are gone' ;ot
disco"ering them unto them#
+ Then she said to the spies,
5 kno! that the &ord your God has
gi"en this city into your handsA
for the fear of you is fallen upon
all that d!ell therein# hen,
therefore, ye shall ha"e taken it,
ye shall sa"e me and my fatherCs
house#
L And they ans!ered her, saying,
5t shall be as thou hast spoken
unto us, Therefore, !hen thou
shalt kno! that !e are near, thou
shalt gather all thy family together,
upon the house%top and they shall
be sa"ed' but all that shall be
found !ithout thy house shall
be destroyed#
*- And they ga"e her moreo"er
a sign, that she should hang
out of her house a scarlet rope,
sho!ing thereby, that by the
blood of our &ord, there should be
redemption to all that belie"e and
hope in God# $e see, belo"ed,
ho! there !as not only faith, but
prophesy too in this !oman#
C8APTE( ?55#
* hat rules are gi"en for leading a holy life#
&ET us, therefore, humble oursel"es,
brethren, laying aside all pride,
and boasting, and foolishness,
and anger' And let us do as it
is !ritten#
, For thus saith the 8oly 4piritA
&et not the !ise man glory in his
!isdom, nor the strong man in
his strength, nor the rich man
in his richesA but let him that
glorieth, glory in the &ord, to seek
him, and to do judgment and justice#
K Abo"e all, remembering the
!ords of the &ord 9esus, !hich he
spake concerning eBuity and long
suffering, saying,
. Be ye merciful, and ye shall
obtain mercyA forgi"e, and ye
shall be forgi"enA as ye do, so
shall it be done unto youA as ye
gi"e, so shall it be gi"en unto
youA as ye judge, so shall ye be
judgedA as ye are kind to others,
so shall God be kind to youA !ith
!hat measure ye mete, !ith the
same shall it be measured to you
again#
2 By this command, and by
these rules, let us establish
oursel"es, that so !e may al!ays
!alk obediently to his holy !ordsA
being humble minded'
1 For so says the 8oly 4criptureA
upon !hom shall 5 look, e"en upon
him that is poor and of a contrite
spirit, and that trembles at my !ord#
I 5t is, therefore, just and
righteous, men and brethren, that
!e should become obedient unto God,
rather than follo! such as through
pride and sedition, ha"e made
themsel"es the ring%leaders of
a detestable emulation#
+ For it is not an ordinary harm
that !e shall do oursel"es, but
rather a "ery great danger that !e
shall run, if !e shall rashly gi"e
up oursel"es to the !ills of men,
!ho promote strife and seditions,
to turn us aside from that !hich is
fitting#
L But let us be kind to one
another, according to the compassion
and s!eetness of him that made us#
*- For it is !ritten, The merciful
shall inherit the earthA and they
that are !ithout e"il shall be left
upon it' but the transgressors shall
perish from off the face of it#
** And again he saith, 5 ha"e
seen the !icked in great po!er
and spreading himself like the
cedar of &ibanus# 5 passed by,
and loJ he !as notA 5 sought his
place, but it could not be found#
*, <eep innocently, and do the
thing that is right, for there shall
be a remnant to the peaceable
man#
*K &et us, therefore, hold fast
to those !ho religiously follo!
peaceA and not to such as only
pretend to desire#
*. For he saith in a certain
place, This people honoureth me
!ith their lips, but their heart
is far from me#
*2 And again, They bless !ith
their mouths, but curse in their
hearts#
*1 And again he saith, They
lo"ed him !ith their mouths, and
!ith their tongues they lied to
him# For their heart !as not right
!ith him, neither !ere they
faithful in his co"enant#
*I &et all deceitful lips become
dumb, and the tongue that speaketh
proud things# ho ha"e said, !ith
our tongue !ill !e pre"ailA our lips
are our o!n, !ho is &ord o"er usH
*+ For the oppression of the
poor, for the sighing of the needy,
no! !ill 5 arise saith the &ordA
5 !ill set him in safety, 5 !ill
deal confidently !ith him#
C8APTE( ?555#
8e ad"ises then, to be humble, and, follo! the
eDamples of 9esus, and of holy men in all ages#
F7( Christ is theirs !ho are
humble, and not !ho eDalt
themsel"es o"er his flock# The
sceptre of the majesty of God, our
&ord 9esus Christ, came not in
the sho! of pride and arrogance,
though he could ha"e done soA
but !ith humility as the 8oly
Ghost had before spoken
concerning him#
, For thus he saith, &ord, !ho
hath belie"ed our report, and to
!hom is the arm of the &ord
re"ealedA For he shall gro! up
before him as a tender plant, and
as a root out of a dry groundA
K 8e hath no form or comeliness,
and !hen !e shall see him, there
is no beauty that !e should desire
him#
. 8e is despised and rejected of
menA a man of sorro!s and acBuainted
!ith grief#
2 And !e hid, as it !ere, our
faces from himA he !as despised,
and !e esteemed him not#
1 4urely he hath borne our
griefs, and carried our sorro!s
yet !e did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted#
I But he !as !ounded for our
transgressionsA he !as bruised for
our iniBuitiesA the chastisement
of our peace !as upon himA and
!ith his stripes !e are healed#
+ All !e like sheep ha"e gone
astrayA !e ha"e turned e"ery one
to his o!n !ayA and the &ord hath
laid on him the iniBuity of us all#
L 8e !as oppressed, and he !as
afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth' he is brought as a lamb to
the slaughterA and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth#
*- 8e !as taken from prison
and from judgmentA and !ho shall
declare this generationH For he
!as cut off out of the land of the
li"ing' for the transgression of my
people !as he stricken#
** And he made his gra"e !ith
the !icked, and !ith the rich in
his deathA because he had done no
"iolence, neither !as any deceit
in his mouth#
*, $et it pleased the &ord to
bruise himA he hath put him to
grief' !hen thou shalt make his
soul an offering for sin, he shall
see his seed, he shall prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the &ord
shall prosper in his hand#
*K 8e shall see of the tra"ail
of his soul, and shall be satisfied'
by his kno!ledge shall my righteous
ser"ant justify manyA for he shall
bear their iniBuities#
*. Therefore !ill 5 di"ide him
a portion !ith the great, and he
shall di"ide the spoil !ith the
strongA because he hath poured
out his soul unto deathA and he
!as numbered !ith the transgressors,
and he bare the sin of many, and
made intercession for the
transgressors#
*2 And again he himself saith,
5 am a !orm and no man, a reproach
of men, and despised of the people#
All they that see me laugh me to
scornA they shoot out their lips,
they shake their heads, sayingA
8e trusted in the &ord that he
!ould deli"er him, let him
deli"er him seeing he delighted
in him#
*1 $e see, belo"ed, !hat the
pattern is that has been gi"en to
us# For if the &ord thus humbled
himself, !hat should !e do !ho
are brought by him under the
yoke of his graceH
*I &et us be follo!ers of those
!ho !ent about in goat%skins, and
sheep%skinsA preaching the coming
of Christ#
*+ 4uch !ere Elias, and EliaDus,
and EGekiel, the prophets,
And let us add to these, such
others as ha"e recei"ed the like
testimony#
*L Abraham has been greatly
!itnessed ofA ha"ing been called
the friend of God# And yet he
steadfastly beholding the glory of
God, says !ith all humility, 5 am
dust and ashes#
,- Again of 9ob, it is thus
!ritten, That he !as just, and
!ithout blame, trueA one that ser"ed
God, and abstained from all e"il#
$et he accusing himself, said, ;o
man is free from pollution, no,
not though he should li"e but one
day#
,* =oses !as called faithful in
all GodCs 8ouseA and by his conduct
the &ord punished 5srael by stripes
and plagues#
,, And e"en this man, though
thus greatly honoured, spake not
greatly of himselfA but !hen the
oracle of God !as deli"ered to him
out of the bush, he said, ho
am 5, that thou dost send meH 5
am of a slender "oice, and a slo!
tongue#
,K And again he saith, 5 am as
the smoke of the pot#
,. And !hat shall !e say of
)a"id, so highly testified of in the
8oly 4cripturesH To !hom God said,
5 ha"e found a man after my o!n
heart, )a"id the son of 9esse,
!ith my holy oil ha"e 5 anointed
him#
,2 But yet he himself saith unto
God, 8a"e mercy upon me, 7 God,
according to thy lo"ing kindnessA
according unto the multitude of
thy tender mercies, blot out my
transgressions#
,1 ash me thoroughly from
mine iniBuity, and cleanse me
from my sin# For 5 ackno!ledge
my transgressions, and my sin is
e"er before me#
,I Against Thee only ha"e 5
sinned, and done this e"il in
thy sightA that thou mightest
be justified !hen thou speakestA
and be clear !hen thou judgest#
,+ Behold 5 !as shapen in
iniBuity, and in sin did my mother
concei"e me#
,L Behold, thou desirest truth
in the in!ard partsA and in the
hidden part thou shalt make me to
kno! !isdom#
K- Purge me !ith hyssop, and
5 shall be clean' !ash me, and 5
shall be !hiter than sno!#
K* =ake me to hear joy and
gladness, that the bones !hich
thou hast broken may rejoice#
K, 8ide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniBuities#
Create in me a clean heart 7 GodA
and rene! a right spirit
!ithin me#
K. Cast me not a!ay from thy
presence, and take not thy holy
spirit from me#
K2 (estore unto me the joy of
thy sal"ation, and uphold me !ith
thy free spirit#
K1 Then !ill 5 teach transgressors
thy !ays, and sinners shall be
con"erted unto thee#
KI )eli"er me from blood%guiltiness,
7 God, thou God of my sal"ationA
and my tongue shall sing aloud
of thy righteousness#
K+ 7 &ord open thou my lips,
and my mouth shall sho! forth
thy praise#
KL For thou desirest not sacrifice,
else !ould 5 gi"e itA thou
delightest not in burnt%offerings#
.- The sacrifices of God are
a broken spiritA a broken and a
contrite heart, 7 God, thou !ilt
not despise#
C8APTE( 5>#
8e again persuades them to compose their di"isions#
T8:4 has the humility and
godly fear of these great
and eDcellent men recorded in
the 4criptures, through obedience,
made not only us, but also the
generations before us betterA
e"en as many as ha"e recei"ed his
holy oracles !ith fear and truth#
, 8a"ing therefore so many,
and such great and glorious
eDamples, let us return to that
peace !hich !as the mark that
from the beginning !as set before
usA
K &et us look up to the Father
and Creator of the !hole !orldA
and let us hold fast to his glorious
and eDceeding gifts and benefits
of peace#
. &et us consider and behold
!ith the eyes of our understanding
his long suffering !illA and think
ho! gentle and patient he is
to!ards his !hole creation#
2 The hea"ens mo"ing by his
appointment, are subject to him
in peace#
1 )ay and night accomplish the
courses that he has allotted unto
them, not disturbing one another#
I The sun and moon, and all the
se"eral companies and constellations
of the stars, run the courses that
he has appointed to them in concord,
!ithout departing in the least from
them#
+ The fruitful earth yields its
food plentifully in due season both
to man and beast, and to all animals
that are upon it, according to his
!illA not disputing, nor altering
any thing of !hat !as ordered by him#
L 4o also the unfathomable and
unsearchable floods of the deep,
are kept in by his commandA
*- And the confluD of the "ast
sea, being brought together by his
order into its se"eral collections,
passes not the bounds that he has
set to itA
** But as he appointed it, so it
remains# For he said, 8itherto
shalt then come, and thy floods
shall be broken !ithin thee#
*, The ocean impassable to
mankind, and the !orlds that are
beyond it are go"erned by the
same commands of their great
master#
*K 4pring and summer, autumn
and !inter, gi"e place peaceably
to each other#
*. The se"eral Buarters of the
!inds fulfil their !ork in their
seasons, !ithout offending one
another#
*2 The e"er%flo!ing fountains,
made both for pleasure and health,
ne"er fail to reach out their breasts
to support the life of men#
*1 E"en the smallest creatures
li"e together in peace and concord
!ith each other#
*I All these has the Great Creator
and &ord of all, commanded to
obser"e peace and concordA being
good to all#
*+ But especially to us !ho flee
to his mercy through our &ord
9esus ChristA to !hom be glory
and majesty for e"er and e"er#
Amen#
C8APTE( >#
8e eDhorts them to obedience, from the consideration
of the goodness of God, and of his presence in e"ery place#
TA<E heed, belo"ed, that his
many blessings be not to our
condemnationA eDcept !e shall
!alk !orthy of him, doing !ith
one consent !hat is good and
pleasing in his sight#
, The spirit of the &ord is a
candle, searching out the in!ard
parts of the belly#
K &et us therefore consider ho!
near he is to usA and ho! that
none of our thoughts, or reasonings
!hich !e frame !ithin oursel"es,
are hid from him,
. 5t is therefore just that !e
should not forsake our rank, by
doing contrary to his !ill#
2 &et us choose to offend a fe!
foolish and inconsiderate men,
lifted up and glorying in their
o!n pride, rather than God#
1 &et us re"erence our &ord
9esus Christ !hose blood !as
gi"en for us#
I &et us honour those !ho are
set o"er usA let us respect the
aged that are amongst usA and let
us instruct the younger men, in
the discipline and fear of the
&7()#
+ 7ur !i"es let us direct, to do
that !hich is good#
L &et them sho! forth a lo"ely
habit of purity, in all their
con"ersationA !ith a sincere
affection of meekness#
*- &et the go"ernment of their
tongues be made manifest by their
silence#
** &et their charity be !ithout
respect of persons, alike to!ards
all such as religiously fear
God#
*, &et your children be bred
up in the instruction of Christ'
*K And especially let them learn
ho! great a po!er humility has
!ith GodA ho! much a pure and
holy charity a"ails !ith himA ho!
eDcellent and great his fear isA
and ho! it !ill sa"e all such as
turn to him !ith holiness in a pure
mind#
*. For he is the searcher of the
thoughts and counsels of the heartA
!hose breath is in us, and !hen
he pleases he can take it from
us#
C8AP# >5#
7f faith' and particularly !hat !e are
to belie"e as to the (esurrection#
B:T all these things must be
confirmed by the faith !hich
is in ChristA for so 8e himself
bespeaks us by the 8oly GhostA
, Come ye children and hearken
unto me, and 5 !ill teach you the
fear of the &ord# hat man is
there that desireth life, and lo"eth
to see good daysH
K <eep thy tongue from e"il,
and thy lips that they speak no
guile#
. )epart from e"il and do goodA
seek peace and pursue it#
2 The eyes of the &ord are upon
the righteous, and his ears are
open unto their prayers#
1 But the face of the &ord is
against them that do e"il, to cut
off the remembrance of them from
the earth#
I The righteous cried, and the
&ord heard him, and deli"ered
him out of all his troubles#
+ =any are the troubles of the
!ickedA but they that trust in the
&ord mercy shall encompass them
about#
L 7ur all%merciful and beneficent
Father hath bo!els of compassion
to!ards them that fear him' and
kindly and lo"ingly besto!s his
graces upon all such as come to
him !ith a simple mind#
*- herefore let us not !a"er,
neither let us ha"e any doubt in
our hearts, of his eDcellent and
glorious gifts#
** &et that be far from us
!hich is !ritten, =iserable are
the double%minded, and those !ho
are doubtful in their heartsA
*, ho say these things ha"e
!e heard, and our fathers ha"e
told us these things# But behold
!e are gro!n old, and none of
them has happened unto us#
*K 7 ye fools consider the trees'
take the "ine for an eDample#
First it sheds its lea"esA then it
budsA after that it spreads its
lea"esA then it flo!ersA then come
the sour grapesA and after them
follo!s the ripe fruit# 4ee ho! in
a little time the fruit of the trees
comes to maturity#
*. 7f a truth yet a little !hile
and his !ill shall suddenly be
accomplished#
*2 The 8oly 4cripture itself
bearing !itness, that 8e shall
Buickly come and not tardy, and
that the &ord shall suddenly come
to his temple, e"en the K holy ones
!hom ye look for#
*1 &et us consider, belo"ed,
ho! the &ord does continually
sho! us, that there shall be a
future resurrectionA of !hich he
has made our &ord 9esus Christ
the first fruits, raising him from
the dead#
*I &et us contemplate, belo"ed,
the resurrection that is continually
made before our eyes#
*+ )ay and night manifest a
resurrection to us# The night lies
do!n, and the day arises' again
the day departs and the night
comes on#
*L &et us behold the fruits of
the earth# E"ery one sees ho! the
seed is so!n# The so!er goes
forth, and casts it upon the earthA
and the seed !hich !hen it !as
so!n fell upon the earth dry and
naked, in time dissol"es#
,- And from the dissolution,
the great po!er of the pro"idence
of the &ord rises it againA and of
one seed many arise, and bring
forth fruit#
C8APTE( >55#
The (esurrection further pro"ed#
&ET us consider that !onderful
type of the resurrection !hich
is seen in the Eastern countries'
that is to say, in Arabia#
, There is a certain bird called
a PhoeniDA of this there is ne"er
but one at a time' and that li"es
fi"e hundred years# And !hen
the time of its dissolution dra!s
near, that it must die, it makes
itself a nest of frankincense, and
myrrh, and other spices into !hich
!hen its time is fulfilled it enters
and dies#
K But its flesh putrefying, breeds
a certain !orm, !hich being nourished
!ith the juice of the dead bird
brings forth feathersA and !hen
it is gro!n to a perfect state,
it takes up the nest in !hich
the bones of its parent lie, and
carries it from Arabia into Egypt,
to a city called 8eliopolis'
. And flying in open day in the
sight of all men, lays it upon the
altar of the sun, and so returns
from !hence it came#
2 The priests then search into
the records of the time' and find
that it returned precisely at the
end of fi"e hundred years#
1 And shall !e then think it to
be any "ery great and strange
thing for the &ord of all to raise
up those that religiously ser"e him
in the assurance of a good faith,
!hen e"en by a bird he sho!s us
the greatness of his po!er to fulfil
his promiseH
I For he says in a certain place,
Thou shalt raise me up and 5 shall
confess unto thee#
+ And again, 5 laid me do!n
and slept, and a!aked, because
thou art !ith me#
L And again, 9ob says, Thou
shalt raise up this flesh of mine,
that has suffered all these
things#
*- 8a"ing therefore this hope,
let us hold fast to him !ho is
faithful in all his promises, and
righteous in all his judgmentsA
!ho has commanded us not to lie,
ho! much more !ill he not
himself lieH
** For nothing is impossible
!ith God but to lie#
*, &et his faith then be stirred
up again in usA and let us consider
that all things are nigh unto him#
*K By the !ord of his po!er he
made all things' and by the same
!ord he is able, E!hene"er he
!ill,F to destroy them#
*. ho shall say unto him,
!hat dost thouH or !ho shall
resist the po!er of his strengthH
*2 hen, and as he pleased,
he !ill do all thingsA and nothing
shall pass a!ay of all that has been
determined by him#
*1 All things are open before
himA nor can anything be hid
from his counsel#
*I The hea"ens declare the
glory of God, and the firmament
sho!eth his handy !ork# )ay
unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sho!eth
kno!ledge# There is no speech nor
language !here their "oice is not
heard#
C8APTE( >555#
5t is impossible to escape the "engeance of God,
if !e continue in sin#
4EE5;G then all things are seen
and heard by God, let us fear
him, and let us lay aside our
!icked !orks !hich proceed from
ill desiresA that through his mercy
!e may be deli"ered from the
condemnation to come#
, For !hither can any of us flee
from his mighty handH 7r !hat
!orld shall recei"e any of those
!ho run a!ay from himH
K For thus saith the 4cripture
in a certain place# hither shall
5 flee from thy spirit, or !here
shall 5 hide myself from thy
presenceH
. 5f 5 ascend up into hea"en,
thou art thereA if 5 shall go to the
uttermost parts of the earth, there
is thy right hand' if 5 shall make
my bed in the deep, thy 4pirit is
there#
2 hither then shall any one
goA or !hither shall he run from
him that comprehends all thingsH
1 &et us therefore come to him
!ith holiness of heart, lifting up
chaste and undefiled hands unto
himA lo"ing our gracious and
merciful Father, !ho has made us
to partake of his election#
I For so it is !ritten, hen
the =ost 8igh di"ided the nationsA
!hen he separated the sons of
Adam, he set the bounds of the
nations, according to the number
of his angelsA his people 9acob
became the portion of the &ord,
and 5srael the lot of his
inheritance#
+ And in another place he saith,
Behold the &ord taketh unto himself
a nation, out of the midst of the
nations, as a man taketh the first%
fruits of his flourA and the =ost
8oly shall come out of that nation#
C8APTE( >5?#
8o! !e must li"e that !e may please God#
8E(EF7(E !e being apart
of the 8oly 7ne' let us do
all those things that pertain unto
holiness'
, Fleeing all e"il%speaking
against one anotherA all filthy
and impure embraces, together !ith
all drunkenness, youthful lusts,
abominable concupiscences,
detestable adultery, and
eDecrable pride#
K For God saith, he resisteth
the proud, but gi"eth grace to the
humble#
. &et us therefore hold fast to
those to !hom God has gi"en his
grace#
2 And let us put on concord,
being humble, temperateA free
from all !hispering and detractionA
and justified by our actions,
not our !ords#
1 For he saith, )oth he that
speaketh and heareth many things,
and is of a ready tongue, suppose
that he is righteousH Blessed is
he that is born of a !oman, that
li"eth but a fe! days' use not
therefore much speech#
I &et our praise be of God, not
of oursel"esA for God hateth those
that commend themsel"es#
+ &et the !itness of our good
actions be gi"en to us by others,
as it !as gi"en to the holy men
that !ent before us#
L (ashness, and arrogance, and
confidence, belong to them !ho
are accursed of God' but eBuity,
and humility, and mildness, to
such as are blessed by him#
*- &et us then lay hold of his
blessing, and let as consider !hat
are the !ays by !hich !e may
attain unto it#
** &et us look back upon those
things that ha"e happened from
the beginning#
*, For !hat !as our Father
Abraham blessedH as it not
because that through faith he
!rought righteousness and truthH
*K 5saac being fully persuaded
of !hat he kne! !as to come,
cheerfully yielded himself up for
a sacrifice# 9acob !ith humility
departed out of his o!n country,
fleeing from his brother, and !ent
unto &aban and ser"ed himA and
so the sceptre of the t!el"e tribes
of 5srael !as gi"en unto him#
*. ;o! !hat the greatness of
this gift !as, !ill plainly appear,
if !e shall take the pains distinctly
to consider all the parts of it#
*2 For, from him came the
priests and &e"itesA !ho all
ministered at the altar of God#
*1 From him came our &ord
9esus Christ, according to the
flesh#
*I From him came the kings,
and princes, and rulers in 9udah#
*+ ;or !ere the rest of his
tribes in any little glory' God
ha"ing promised that their seed
shall be as the stars of hea"en#
*L They !ere all therefore
greatly glorified, not for their o!n
sake, or for their o!n !orks, or
for the righteousness that they
themsel"es !rought, but through
his !ill#
,- And !e also being called by
the same !ill in Christ 9esus, are
not justified by oursel"es, neither
by our o!n !isdom, or kno!ledge,
or piety, or the !orks !hich !e
ha"e done in the holiness of our
hearts#
,* But by that faith, by !hich
God Almighty has justified all
men from the beginningA to !hom
be glory for e"er and e"er, Amen#
C8APTE( >?#
e are justified by faithA yet this must not
lessen our care to li"e a "irtuous life,
nor our pleasure in it#
8AT shall !e do therefore,
brethrenH 4hall !e be slothful
in !ell%doing, and lay aside
our charityH God forbid that any
such thing should be done by us#
, But rather let us hasten !ith
all earnestness and readiness of
mind, to perfect e"ery good !ork#
For e"en the Creator and &ord of
all things himself rejoices in his
o!n !orks#
K By his Almighty po!er he
fiDed the hea"ens, and by his
incomprehensible !isdom he
adorned them#
. 8e also di"ided the earth
from the !ater, !ith !hich it is
encompassed' and fiDed it as a
secure to!er, upon the foundation
of his o!n !ill#
2 8e also by his appointment,
commanded all the li"ing creatures
that are upon it, to eDist#
1 4o like!ise the sea, and all
the creatures that are in itA
ha"ing first created them, he
enclosed them therein by his po!er#
I And abo"e all, he !ith his
holy and pure hands, formed man,
the most eDcellentA and, as to his
understanding, truly the greatest
of all other creaturesA the character
of his o!n image#
+ For thus God saysA &et us
make man in our image, after our
o!n likenessA so God created man,
male and female created he them#
L And ha"ing thus finished all
these things, he commended all
that he had made, and blessed
them, and said, increase and
multiply#
*- e see ho! all righteous men
ha"e been adorned !ith good !orks
herefore e"en the &ord himself,
ha"ing adorned himself !ith his
!orks, rejoiced#
** 8a"ing therefore such an
eDample, let us !ithout delay,
fulfil his !illA and !ith all
our strength, !ork the !ork of
righteousness#
C8APTE( >?5#
A "irtuous life enforced from the eDamples
of the holy angels, and from the eDceeding
greatness of that re!ard !hich God has prepared for us#
T8E good !orkman !ith
confidence recei"es the bread of
his labourA but the sluggish and
laGy cannot look him in the face
that set him on !ork#
, e must therefore be ready
and for!ard in !ell%doing' for
from him are all things#
K And thus he foretells us,
behold the &ord cometh, and his
re!ard is !ith him, e"en before his
face, to render to e"eryone according
to his !ork#
. 8e !arns us therefore beforehand,
!ith all his heart to this end,
that !e should not be slothful and
negligent in !ell%doing#
2 &et our boasting, therefore,
and our confidence be in God
let us submit oursel"es to his !ill,
&et us consider the !hole multitude
of his angels, ho! ready they
stand to minister unto his !ill#
1 As saith the 4cripture,
thousands of thousands stood
before him and ten thousand
times ten thousand ministered
unto him# And they cried, saying,
8oly, holy, holy is the &ord of
hostsA The !hole earth is full
of his glory#
I herefore let us also, being
conscientiously gathered together
in concord !ith one anotherA as
it !ere !ith one mouth, cry,
earnestly unto him, that he !ould
make us partakers of his great and
glorious promises#
+ For he saith, a Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither ha"e
entered into the heart of man, the
things !hich God has prepared for
them that !ait for him,
C8APTE( >?55#
* e must attain the gifts of God by faith and obedience,
!hich !e must carry on in an orderly pursuing of the
duties of our se"eral stations, !ithout en"y or contention#
,. The necessity of different orders among men#
KK e ha"e none of us anything but !hat !e recei"ed of God'
!hom therefore !e ought in e"ery condition thankfully to obey#
87 blessed and !onderful,
belo"ed, are the gifts of God#
, &ife in immortalityJ brightness
in righteousnessJ truth in full
assuranceJ faith in confidenceJ
temperance in holinessJ
K And all this has God subjected
to our understandings'
. hat therefore shall those
things be !hich he has prepared
for them that !ait for himH
2 The Creator and Father of
spirits, the =ost 8olyA he only
kno!s both the greatness and
beauty of them,
1 &et us therefore stri"e !ith
all earnestness, that !e may be
found in the number of those that
!ait for him, that so !e may
recei"e the re!ard !hich he has
promised#
I But ho!, belo"ed, shall !e do
thisH e must fiD our minds by
faith to!ards God, and seek those
things that are pleasing and
acceptable unto him#
+ e must act conformably to
his holy !illA and follo! the !ay
of truth, casting off from us all
unrighteousness and iniBuity,
together !ith all co"etousness,
strife, e"il manners, deceit,
!hispering, detractionsA all
hatred of God, pride and boastingA
"ain%glory and ambitionA
L For they that do these things
are odious to GodA and not only
they that do them, but also all
such as appro"e of those that do
them#
*- For thus saith the 4cripture,
But unto the !icked, God said,
hat hast thou to do to declare
my statute, or that thou shouldst
take my co"enant in thy mouthH
4eeing that thou hatest instruction,
and castest my !ords behind thee#
** hen thou sa!est a thief,
then thou consentedst !ith himA
thou hast been partaker !ith
adulterers, Thou gi"est thy mouth
to e"il, and thy tongue frameth
deceit# Thou sittest and speakest
against thy brotherA thou slanderest
thine o!n motherCs son#
*, These things hast thou done
and 5 kept silenceA thou thoughtest
that 5 !as altogether such a one
as thyself' but 5 !ill repro"e thee,
and set them in order before thine
eyes#
*K ;o! consider this ye that
forget God, lest 5 tear you in pieces,
and there be none to deli"er#
*. hose offereth praise,
glorifieth meA And to him that
disposeth his !ay aright, !ill
5 sho! the sal"ation of God#
*2 This is the !ay, belo"ed, in
!hich !e may find our 4a"iour,
e"en 9esus Christ, the high%priest
of all our offerings, the defender
and helper of our !eakness#
*1 By him !e look up to the
highest hea"ensA and behold, as
in a glass, his spotless and most
eDcellent "isage#
*I By him are the eyes of our
hearts openedA by him our foolish
and darkened understanding
rejoiceth to behold his !onderful
light#
*+ By him !ould God ha"e us
to taste the kno!ledge of
immortality' !ho being the
brightness of his glory, is by
so much greater than the angels,
as he has by inheritance obtained
a more eDcellent name than they#
*L For so it is !ritten, !ho
maketh his angels spirits, and his
ministers a flame of fire'
,- But to his son, thus saith the
&ord, Thou art my 4on, to%day
ha"e 5 begotten thee#
,* Ask of me and 5 !ill gi"e
thee the heathen for thy inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the earth
for thy possession#
,, And again he saith unto him,
4it thou on my right hand until
5 make thine enemies thy
foot%stool#
,K But !ho are his enemiesH
e"en the !icked, and such !ho
oppose their o!n !ills to the
!ill of God#
,. &et us therefore march%on,
men and brethren, !ith all
earnestness in his holy la!s#
,2 &et us consider those !ho
fight under our, earthly go"ernors
8o! orderly, ho! readily, and
!ith !hat eDact obedience they
perform those things that are
commanded them#
,1 All are not generals, nor
colonels, nor captains, nor
inferior officers'
,I But e"eryone in his respecti"e
rank does !hat is commanded him by
the king, and those !ho ha"e the
authority o"er him#
,+ They !ho are great, cannot
subsist !ithout those that are littleA
nor the little !ithout the greatA
,L But there must be a miDture
in all things, and then there !ill
be use and profit too#
K- &et us, for eDample, take
our body' the head !ithout the
feet is nothing, neither the feet
!ithout the head#
K* And e"en the smallest members
of our body are yet both necessary
and useful to the !hole body#
K, But all conspire together,
and are subject to one common
use, namely, the preser"ation of
the !hole body#
KK &et therefore our !hole body
by sa"ed in Christ 9esusA and let
e"eryone be subject to his neighbour,
according to the order in !hich
he is placed by the gift of God#
K. &et not the strong man despise
the !eakA and let the !eak see that
he re"erence the strong#
K2 &et the rich man distribute
to the necessity of the poorA and
let the poor bless God, that he has
gi"en one unto him, by !hom his
!ant may be supplied#
K1 &et the !ise man sho! forth
his !isdom, not in !ords, but in
good !orks#
KI &et him that is humble, not
bear !itness to himself, but let
him lea"e it to another to bear
!itness of him#
K+ &et him that is pure in the
flesh, not gro! proud of it, kno!ing
that it !as from another that he
recei"ed the gift of continence#
KL &et us consider therefore,
brethren, !hereof !e are madeA
!ho, and !hat kind of men !e
came into the !orld, as it !ere
out of a sepulchre, and from outer
darkness#
.- 8e hath made us, and formed
us, brought us into his o!n !orldA
ha"ing presented us !ith his
benefits, e"en before !e !ere born#
.* herefore, ha"ing recei"ed
all these things from him, !e
ought in e"erything to gi"e thanks
unto him, to !hom be glory for
e"er and e"er# Amen#
C8APTE( >?555#
Clement therefore eDhorts them to do e"erything
orderly in the Church, as the only !ay to please God#
F77&548 and un!ise men, !ho
ha"e neither prudence, nor
learning, may mock and deride
usA being !illing to set up
themsel"es in their o!n conceits#
, But !hat can a mortal man
doH 7r !hat strength is there in
him that is made out of the dustH
K For it is !ritten, there !as no
shape before mine eyesA only 5
heard a sound and a "oice#
. For !hatH 4hall man be pure
before the &ordH 4hall he be
blameless in his !orksH
2 Behold, he trusteth not in
his ser"antsA and his angels he
chargeth !ith folly#
1 $es, the hea"en is not clean
in his sight, ho! much less they
that d!ell in houses of clayA of
!hich also !e oursel"es !ere
madeH
I 8e smote them as a moth'
and from morning e"en unto the
e"ening they endure not# Because
they !ere not able to help
themsel"es, they perishedA
he breathed upon them and they
died, because they had no !isdom#
+ Call no! if there be any that
!ill ans!er theeA and to !hich of
the angels !ilt thou lookH
L For !rath killeth the foolish
man, and en"y slayeth him that is
in error#
*- 5 ha"e seen the foolish taking
root, but lo, their habitation !as
presently consumed#
** Their children !ere far from
safety, they perished at the gates
of those !ho !ere lesser than
themsel"es' and there !as no man
to help them#
*, For !hat !as prepared for
them, the righteous did eatA and
they shall not be deli"ered from
e"il#
*K 4eeing then these things are
manifest unto us, it !ill beho"e
us to take care that looking into
the depths of the di"ine kno!ledge,
!e do all things in order,
!hatsoe"er our &ord has commanded
us to do#
*. And particularly that !e
perform our offerings and ser"ice to
God, at their appointed seasons
for these he has commanded to be
done, not rashly and disorderly,
but at certain determinate times
and hours#
*2 And therefore he has ordained
by his supreme !ill and authority,
both !here, and by !hat persons,
they are to be performedA that
so all things being piously done
unto all !ell%pleasing, they
may be acceptable unto him#
*1 They therefore !ho make
their offerings at the appointed
seasons, are happy and acceptedA
because through obeying the
commandments of the &ord,
they are free from sin#
*I And the same care must be
had of the persons that minister
unto him#
*+ For the chief%priest has his
proper ser"icesA and to the priest
their proper place is appointedA
and to the &e"ites appertain their
proper ministriesA and the layman
is confined !ithin the bounds of
!hat is commanded to laymen#
*L &et e"ery one of you therefore,
brethren, bless God in his proper
station, !ith a good conscience,
and !ith all gra"ity, not eDceeding
the rule of his ser"ice that is
appointed to him#
,- The daily sacrifices are not
offered e"ery!hereA nor the peace%
offerings, nor the sacrifices
appointed for sins and transgressionsA
but only at 9erusalem' nor in any
place there, but only at the altar
before the templeA that !hich is
offered being first diligently
eDamined by the high%priest and
the other minister !e before
mentioned#
,* They therefore !ho do any
thing !hich is not agreeable to his
!ill, are punished !ith death#
,, Consider, brethren, that by
ho! much the better kno!ledge
God has "ouchsafed unto us, by so
much the greater danger are !e
eDposed to#
C8APTE( >5>#
The orders of =inisters in ChristCs Church established
by the Apostles, according to ChristCs command,
I after the eDample of =oses#
*1 Therefore they !ho ha"e been duly placed in the
ministry according to their order, cannot !ithout
great sin be put out of it#
T8E Apostles ha"e preached to
us from the &ord 9esus Christ
9esus Christ from God#
, Christ therefore !as sent by
God, the Apostles by ChristA so
both !ere orderly sent, according
to the !ill of God#
K For ha"ing recei"ed their
command, and being thoroughly
assured by the resurrection of our
&ord 9esus Christ, and con"inced
by the !ord of God, !ith the
fulness of the 8oly 4pirit, they
!ent abroad, publishing, That the
kingdom of God !as at hand#
. And thus preaching through
countries and cities, they appointed
the first fruits of their con"ersion
to be bishops and ministers o"er
such as should after!ards belie"e,
ha"ing first pro"ed them by the
4pirit#
2 ;or !as this any ne! thingA
seeing that long before it !as
!ritten concerning bishops and
deacons#
1 For thus saith the 4cripture,
in a certain placeA 5 !ill appoint
their o"erseers in righteousness,
and their ministers in faith#
I And !hat !onder if they, to
!hom such a !ork !as committed
by God in Christ, established such
officers as !e before mentionedA
!hen e"en that blessed and faithful
ser"ant in all his house, =oses,
set do!n in the 8oly 4criptures
all things that !ere commanded
him#
+ hom also all the rest of the
prophets follo!ed, bearing !itness
!ith one consent to those things
that !ere appointed by him#
L For he, percei"ing an emulation
to arise among the tribes concerning
the priesthood, and that there !as
a strife about it, !hich of them
should be adorned !ith that glorious
nameA commanded their t!el"e captains
to bring to him t!el"e rodsA e"ery
tribe being !ritten upon its rod,
according to its name,
*- And he took them and bound
them together, and sealed them
!ith the seals of the t!el"e princes
of the tribes' and laid them up in
the tabernacle of !itness, upon
the table of God#
** And !hen he had shut the
door of the tabernacle, he sealed
up the keys of it, in like manner
as he had done the rodsA and said
unto them, =en and brethren,
!hichsoe"er tribe shall ha"e its
rod blossom, that tribe has God
chosen to perform the office of a
priest, and to minister unto him
in holy things#
*, And !hen the morning !as
come, he called together all 5srael,
siD hundred thousand menA and
sho!ed to the princes their seals
and opened the tabernacle of
!itnessA and brought forth the
rods#
*K And the rod of Aaron !as
found not only to ha"e blossomed,
but also to ha"e fruit upon it#
*. hat think you, belo"edH
)id not =oses before kno! !hat
should happenH
*2 $es "erily' but to the end
there might be no di"ision, nor
tumult in 5srael, he did in this
manner, that the name of the true
and only God might be glorifiedA
to !hom be honour for e"er and
e"er, Amen#
*1 4o like!ise our Apostles
kne! by our &ord 9esus Christ,
that there should contentions arise,
upon account of the ministry#
*I And therefore ha"ing a perfect
fore%kno!ledge of this, they
appointed persons, as !e ha"e
before said, and then a ga"e
direction, ho!, !hen they should
die, other chosen and appro"ed men
should succeed in their ministry#
*+ herefore !e cannot think
that those may justly be thro!n
out of their ministry, !ho !ere
either appointed by them, or
after!ards chosen by other eminent
men, !ith the consent of the !hole
churchA and !ho ha"e !ith all
lo!liness and innocency ministered
to the flock of Church, in peace,
and !ithout self%interest, and
!ere for a long time commended
by all#
*L For it !ould be no small sin
in us, should !e cast off those
from their ministry, !ho holily
and !ithout blame fulfil the
duties of it#
,- Blessed are those priests,
!ho ha"ing finished their course
before these times, ha"e obtained
a fruitful and perfect dissolution
for they ha"e no fear, lest any one
should turn them out of the place
!hich is no! appointed for them#
,* But !e see ho! you ha"e
put out some, !ho li"ed reputably
among you, from the ministry,
!hich by their innocence they had
adorned#
C8APTE( >>#
8e eDerts them to peace from eDamples out of
the 8oly 4criptures,
,- particularly from 4t# PaulCs eDhortation to them#
$E are contentious, brethren,
and Gealous for things that
pertain not unto sal"ation#
, &ook into the 8oly 4criptures,
!hich are the true !ords of the
8oly Ghost# $e kno! that there
is nothing unjust or counterfeit
!ritten in them#
K There you shall not find that
righteous men !ere e"er cast off
by such as !ere good themsel"es#
. They !ere persecuted, but it
!as by the !icked and unjust#
2 They !ere cast into prison,
but they !ere cast in by those that
!ere unholy#
1 They !ere stoned, but it !as
by transgressors#
I They !ere killed, but by accursed
men, and such as had taken up an
unjust en"y against them#
+ And all these things they
under!ent gloriously#
L For !hat shall !e say,
brethrenH as )aniel cast into the
den of lions, by men fearing
GodH 4hadrach, =eshach, and
Abednego, !ere they cast into the
fiery furnace by men, professing
the eDcellent and glorious !orship
of the =ost 8ighH God forbid#
*- hat kind of persons then
!ere they that did these thingsH
They !ere men abominable, full
of all !ickednessA !ho !ere
incensedA to so great a degree,
as to bring those into sufferings,
!ho !ith a holy and unblameable
purpose of mind !orshipped God'
not kno!ing that the =ost 8igh is
the protector and defender of all
such as !ith a pure conscience
ser"e his holy name' to !hom be
glory for e"er and e"er, Amen#
** But they !ho !ith a full
persuasion ha"e endured these
things, are made partakers of glory
and honour' and are eDalted and
lifted up by God for a memorial
throughout all ages, Amen#
*, herefore it !ill beho"e
us also, brethren, to follo! such
eDamples as theseA for it is
!ritten, 8old fast to such as are
holyA for they that do so shall be
sanctified#
*K And again in another place
he saith, ith the pure, thou shalt
be pure Eand !ith the elect thou
shalt be elect,F but !ith, the
per"erse man thou shalt be per"erse#
*. &et us therefore join oursel"es
to the innocent and righteousA for
such are the elect of God#
*2 herefore are there strifes,
and anger, and di"isions, and
schisms, and !ars, among usH
*1 8a"e !e not all one God,
and one ChristH 5s not one spirit
of grace poured out upon us allH
8a"e !e not one calling in Christ#
*I hy then do !e rent and
tear in pieces the members of
ChristA and raise seditious against
our o!n bodyH And are come to such
a height of madness, as to forget
that !e !ere members one of anotherH
*+ (emember the !ords of our
&ord 9esus, Eho! he said, oe to
that man by !hom offences comeF#
5t, !ere better for him that he
had ne"er been born, than that he
should ha"e offended one of my
elect# 5t !ere better for him,
that a mill%stone should be tied
about his neck, and he should be
cast into the sea, than that he
should offend one of my
little ones#
*L $our schism has per"erted
many, has discouraged many' it
has caused diffidence in many, and
grief in us all# And yet your
sedition continues still#
,- Take the Epistle of the
blessed Paul the Apostle into your
handsA hat !as 5t that he !rote
to you at his first preaching the
Gospel among youH
,* ?erily he did by the spirit
admonish you concerning himself,
and Cephas, and Apollos, because
that e"en then ye had begun to
fall into parties and factions
among yoursel"es#
,, ;e"ertheless your partiality
then led you into a much less sin
forasmuch as ye placed your
affections upon Apostles, men
of eminent reputation in the
churchA and upon another, !ho
!as greatly tried and appro"ed
of by them#
,K But consider, !e pray you,
!ho are they that ha"e no! led
you astrayA and lessened the
reputation of that brotherly lo"e
that !as so eminent among youA
,. 5t is a shame, my belo"ed,
yea, a "ery great shame, and
un!orthy of your Christian
profession, to hear that the
most firm and ancient church
of the Corinthians should,
by one or t!o persons, be led
into a sedition against its
priests#
,2 And this report is come not
only to us, but to those also that
differ from us#
,1 5nsomuch that the name of
the &ord is blasphemed through
your follyA and e"en ye yoursel"es
are brought into danger by it#
,I &et us therefore !ith all
haste put an end to this seditionA
and let us fall do!n before the
&ord, and beseech him !ith tears
that he !ould be fa"ourably
reconciled to us, and restore us
again to a seemly and holy course
of brotherly lo"e#
,+ For this is the gate of
righteousness, opening unto life'
As it is !ritten, 5 7pen unto me
the gates of righteousnessA 5 !ill
go into them and !ill praise the
&ord# This is the gate of the &ord,
the righteous shall enter into it#
,L Although therefore many
gates are opened, yet this gate of
righteousness is that gate in Christ
at !hich blessed are they that
enter in, and direct their !ay in
holiness and righteousnessA doing
all things !ithout disorder#
K- &et a man be faithful, let
him be po!erful in the utterance
of kno!ledgeA let him be !ise in
making an eDact judgment of
!ordsA let him be pure in all
his actions#
K* But still by ho! much the
more he seems to be abo"e others,
by reason of these things, by so
much the more !ill it beho"e him
to be humble%mindedA and to seek
!hat is profitable to all men, and
not his o!n ad"antage#
C8APTE( >>5#
* The "alue !hich God, puts upon lo"e and
unity' the effects of a true charity,
+ !hich is the gift of God, and must be obtained by prayer#
8E that has the lo"e that is in
Christ, let him keep the
commandments of Christ#
, For !ho is able to eDpress the
obligation of the lo"e of GodH
hat man is sufficient to declare,
and is fitting, the eDcellency of its
beautyH
K The height to !hich charity
leads, is ineDpressible#
. Charity unites us to GodA
charity co"ers the multitude of
sins' charity endures all thingsA
is long%suffering in all things#
2 There is nothing base and
sordid in charity' charity lifts not
itself up abo"e othersA admits of
no di"isionsA is not seditiousA but
does all things in peace and concord#
1 By charity !ere all the elect of
God made perfect' ithout it nothing
is pleasing and acceptable in the
sight of God#
I Through charity did the &ord
join us into himselfA !hilst for
the lo"e that he bore to!ards us,
our &ord 9esus Christ ga"e his
o!n blood for us, by the !ill of
GodA his flesh for our fleshA his
soul for our souls#
+ $e see, belo"ed, ho! great
and !onderful a thing charity isA
and ho! that no eDpressions are
sufficient to declare its perfection#
L But !ho is fit to be found in
itH E"en such only as God shall
"ouchsafe to make so#
*- &et us therefore pray to him,
and beseech him, that !e may be
!orthy of itA that so !e may li"e
in charityA being unblameable,
!ithout human propensities,
!ithout respect of persons#
** All the ages of the !orld,
from Adam, e"en unto this day,
are passed a!ayA but they !ho
ha"e been made perfect in lo"e,
ha"e by the grace of God obtained
a place among the righteousA and
shall be made manifest in the
judgment of the kingdom of Christ#
*, For it is !ritten, Enter into
thy chambers for a little space, till
my anger and indignation shall
pass a!ay' And 5 !ill remember
the good day, and, !ill raise you
up out of your gra"es#
*K 8appy then shall !e be,
belo"ed, if !e shall ha"e fulfilled
the commandments of God, in the
unity of lo"eA that so, through
lo"e, our sins may be forgi"en us#
*. For so it is !ritten, Blessed
are they !hose iniBuities are
forgi"en, and !hose sins are co"ered#
Blessed is the man to !hom the
&ord imputeth no sin, and in !hose
mouth there is no guile#
*2 ;o! this blessing is fulfilled
in those !ho are chosen by God
through 9esus Christ our &ord, to
!hom be glory for e"er and e"er,
Amen#
C8APTE( >>55#
* 8e eDhorts such as ha"e been concerned in these di"isions to
repent, and return to their unity, confessing their sin to God,
I !hich he enforces from the eDample of =oses,
*- and of many among the heathen,
,K and of 9udith and Esther among the 9e!s#
&ET us therefore, as many as
ha"e transgressed by any of
the suggestions of the ad"ersary,
beg GodCs forgi"eness#
, And as for those !ho ha"e
been the heads of the sedition and
faction among you, let them look
to the common end of our hope#
K For as many as are endued
!ith fear and charity, !ould rather
they themsel"es should fall into
trials than their neighbours' And
choose to be themsel"es condemned,
rather than that the good and just
charity deli"ered to us, should
suffer#
. For it is seemly for a man
to confess !herein he has
transgressed#
2 And not to harden his heart,
as the hearts of those !ere
hardened, !ho raised up sedition
against =oses the ser"ant of God
!hose punishment !as manifest
unto all men, for they !ent do!n
ali"e into the gra"eA death
s!allo!ed them up#
1 Pharaoh and his host, and
all the rulers of Egypt, their
chariots also and their horsemen,
!ere for no other cause dro!ned
in the bottom of the (ed 4ea,
and perishedA but because they
hardened their foolish hearts,
after so many signs done in the
land of Egypt, by =oses the
ser"ant of God#
I Belo"ed, God is not indigent
of anythingA nor does he demand
anything of us, but that !e
should confess our sins unto him#
+ For so says the 8oly )a"id,
5 !ill confess unto the &ord, and
it shall please him better than a
young bullock that hath horns and
hoof# &et the poor see it and be
glad#
L And again he saith, 7ffer
unto God the sacrifice of praise,
and pay thy "o!s unto the =ost
8ighest# And call upon me in the
day of trouble, and 5 !ill deli"er
thee, and thou shalt glorify me#
The sacrifice of God is a broken
spirit#
*- $e kno!, belo"ed, ye kno!
full !ell, the 8oly 4cripturesA
and ha"e thoroughly searched into
the oracles of God' call them
therefore to your remembrance#
** For !hen =oses !ent up into
the mount, and tarried there forty
days and forty nights in fasting
and humiliationA God said unto
him, Arise, =oses, and get thee
do!n Buickly from hence, for thy
people !hom thou broughtest out
of the land of Egypt, ha"e
committed !ickedness' they ha"e
soon transgressed the !ay that
5 commanded them, and ha"e made
to themsel"es gra"en images#
*, And the &ord said unto him,
5 ha"e spoken unto thee se"eral
times, saying, 5 ha"e seen this
people, and behold it is a stiff%
necked people' let me therefore
destroy them, and put out their
name from under hea"en# And 5
!ill make unto thee a great and a
!onderful nation, that shall be
much larger than this#
*K But =oses said, ;ot so,
&ord' Forgi"e no! this people
their sinA or if thou !ilt not,
blot me also out of the book of
the li"ing# 7 admirable charityJ
7 insuperable perfectionJ The ser"ant
speaks freely to his &ord' 8e beseeches
him either to forgi"e the people,
or to destroy him together !ith them#
*. ho is there among you
that is generousH ho that is
compassionateH ho that has
any charityH &et him say, if this
sedition, this contention, and these
schisms, be upon my account,
5 am ready to departA to go a!ay
!hithersoe"er you pleaseA and do
!hatsoe"er ye shall command me'
7nly let the flock of Christ be in
peace, !ith the elders that are set
o"er it#
*2 8e that shall do this, shall
get to himself a "ery great honour
in the &ordA and there is no place
but !hat !ill be ready to recei"e
him' For the earth is the &ordCs,
and the fulness thereof#
*1 These things, they !ho ha"e
their con"ersation to!ards God
not to be repented of, both ha"e
done, and !ill al!ays be ready to
do#
*I ;ay and e"en the Gentiles
themsel"es ha"e gi"en us eDamples
of this kind#
*+ For !e read, 8o! many
kings and princes, in times of
pestilence, being !arned by their
oracles, ha"e gi"en up themsel"es
unto deathA that by their o!n
blood, they might deli"er their
country from destruction#
*L 7thers ha"e forsaken their
cities, so that they might put an
end to the seditions of them#
,- e kno! ho! many among
oursel"es, ha"e gi"en up
themsel"es unto bonds, that
thereby they might free others
from them#
,* 7thers ha"e sold themsel"es
into bondage, that they might feed
their brethren !ith the price of
themsel"es#
,, And e"en many !omen,
being strengthened by the grace
of God, ha"e done many glorious
and manly things on such occasions#
,K The blessed 9udith, !hen
her city !as besieged, desired the
elders, that they !ould suffer her
to go into the camp of their enemiesA
and she !ent out eDposing herself
to danger, for the lo"e she bare
to her country and her people
that !ere besieged' and the
&ord deli"ered 8olofernes into
the hands of a !oman#
,. ;or did Esther, being perfect
in faith, eDpose herself to any
less haGard, for the deli"ery of the
t!el"e tribes of 5srael, in danger
of being destroyed# For by fasting
and humbling herself, she entreated
the Great =aker of all things, the
God of spiritsA so that beholding
the humility of her soul, he
deli"ered the people, for !hose
sake she !as in peril#
C8APTE( >>555#
The benefit of mutual ad"ice and correction#
8e entreats them to follo! that !hich is here gi"en to them#
8E(EF7(E let us also pray
for such as are fallen into
sin# That being endued !ith
humility and moderation, they
may submit not unto us, but to
the !ish of God#
, For by this means they shall
obtain a fruitful and perfect
remembrance, !ith mercy, both in
our prayers to God, and in our
mention of them before his saints#
K &et us recei"e correction, at
!hich no man ought to repine#
. Belo"ed, the reproof and the
correction !hich !e eDercise
to!ards one another, is good, and
eDceeding profitable' for it unites
us the more closely to the !ill of
God#
2 For, so says the 8oly 4cripture,
The &ord corrected me, but he did
not deli"er me o"er unto death# For
!hom the &ord lo"eth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth e"ery son !hom he
recei"eth#
1 The righteous, saith he, shall
instruct me in mercy and repro"e
meA but let not oil of sinners
make fat my head#
I And again he saith, 8appy
is the man !hom God correctethA
therefore despise not thou the
chastening of the Almighty#
+ For he maketh gore and bindeth
upA he !oundeth and his hands
make !hole#
L 8e shall deli"er thee in siD
troublesA yea in se"en there shall
no e"il touch thee# 5n famine he
shall redeem thee from deathA and
in !ar from the po!er of the s!ord#
*- Thou shalt be hid from the
scourge of the tongueA neither
shalt thou be afraid of destruction
!hen it cometh#
** Thou shalt laugh at the
!icked and sinnersA neither shalt
thou be afraid of the beasts of the
earth# The !ild beast shall be at
peace !ith thee#
*, Then shalt thou kno! that
thy house shall be in peaceA and
the habitation of thy tabernacle
shall not err# Then shalt kno!
also that thy seed shall be great
and thy offspring as the grass of
the earth#
*K Thou shalt come to thy
gra"e as the ripe corn, that is
taken in due time' like as a shock
of corn cometh in, in its season#
*. $e see, belo"ed, ho! there
shall be a defence to those that are
corrected of the &ord# For being
a good instructor, he is !illing to
admonish us by his holy discipline#
*2 )o ye therefore !ho laid the
first foundation of this sedition,
submit yoursel"es unto your
priestsA and be instructed unto
repentance, bending the knees of
your hearts#
*1 &earn to be subject, laying
aside all proud and arrogant
boasting of your tongues#
*I For it is better for you to be
found little, and appro"ed, in the
sheepfold of Christ, than to seem
to yoursel"es better than others,
and be cast out of his fold#
*+ For thus speaks the
eDcellent and all%"irtuous !isdom,
Behold 5 !ill pour out the !ord
of my spirit upon you, 5 !ill make
kno!n my speech unto you#
*L Because 5 called and ye
!ould not hear, 5 stretched out
my hand and ye regarded not#
,- But ye ha"e set at nought all
my counsel, and !ould none of
my reproof# 5 !ill also laugh at
your calamity, and mock !hen
your fear cometh#
,* hen your fear cometh as
desolation, and your destruction
as a !hirl!ind, !hen distress and
anguish cometh upon you#
,, Then shall ye call upon me
but 5 !ill not hear you' the
!icked shall seek me but they
shall not find me# For that they
hated kno!ledge, and did not seek
the fear of the &ord#
,K They !ould not hearken
unto my counsel' they despised
all my reproof# Therefore shall
they eat of the fruit of their o!n
!aysA and be filled !ith their
o!n !ickedness#
C8APTE( >>5?#
* (ecommends them to God# )esires speedily to hear
that this Epistle has had a good effect upon them#
. Conclusion#
;7 God, the inspector of all
things, the Father of 4pirits,
and the &ord of all flesh, !ho
hath chosen our &ord 9esus Christ,
and us by him, to be his peculiar
peopleA
, Grant to e"ery soul of man
that calleth upon his glorious and
holy name, faith, fear, peace,
long%suffering, patience, temperance,
holiness and sobriety, unto all
!ell%pleasing in his sightA
through our 8igh%Priest and
Protector 9esus Christ, by !hom
be glory and majesty, and po!er,
and honour unto him no! and for
e"er more, Amen#
K The messengers !hom !e
ha"e sent unto you, Claudius,
Ephebus, and ?alerios Bito, !ith
Fortunatus, send back to us again
!ith all speed, in peace and !ith
joy, that they may the sooner
acBuaint us !ith your peace and
concord, so much prayed for and
desired by us' and that !e may
rejoice in your good order#
. The grace of our &ord 9esus
Christ be !ith you, and !ith all
that are any !here called by God
through him' To !hom be honour
and glory, and might and majesty,
and eternal dominion, by Christ
9esus, from e"erlasting to
e"erlasting, Amen#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 C&E=E;TC4 F5(4T EP54T&E T7 T8E C7(5;T85A;4#
/Clement !as a disciple of Peter, and after!ards Bishop of (ome# Clemens
AleDandrinus calls him an apostle# 9erome says he !as an apostolic man,
and (afinus that he !as almost an apostle# Eusebius calls this the
!onderful Epistle of 4t# Clement, and says that it !as publicly read in
the assemblies of the primiti"e church# 5t is included in one of the
ancient collections of the Canon 4cripture# 5ts genuineness has been
much Buestioned, particularly by Photius, patriarch of Constantinople in
the ninth century, !ho objects that Clement speaks of !orlds beyond the
ocean' that he has not !ritten !orthily of the di"inity of ChristA and
that to pro"e the possibility of a future resurrection, he introduces the
fabulous story of the phoeniDCs re"i"al from its o!n ashes# To the latter
objection, Archbishop ake replies that the generality of the ancient
Fathers ha"e made use of the same instance in proof of the same pointA
and asks, if 4t# Clement really belie"ed that there !as such a bird, and
that it did re"i"e out of the cinders of the body after burning, !here
!as the, great harm either in gi"ing credit to such a !onder, or,
belie"ing it, to make rich a use as he here does of itH%%The present is
the ArchbishopCs translation from the ancient Greek copy of the Epistle,
!hich is at the end of the celebrated AleDandrine =4# of the 4eptuagint
and ;e! Testament, presented by Cyril, patriarch of AleDandria, to <ing
Charles the First, no! in the British =useum# The Archbishop, in
prefacing his translation, esteems it a great blessing that this
@Epistle@ !as at last so happily found out, for the increase and
confirmation both of our faith and our charity#3
T8E 4EC7;) EP54T&E 7F
C&E=E;T T7 T8E C7(5;T85A;4
C8APTE( 5#
That !e ought to "alue our sal"ationA
and to sho! that !e do by a sincere obedience#
B(ET8(E;, !e ought so to
think of 9esus Christ as of
God' as of the judge of the li"ing,
and the deadA nor should !e think
any less of our sal"ation#
, For if !e think meanly of
him, !e shall hope only to recei"e
some small things from him#
K And if !e do so, !e shall
sinA not considering from !hence
!e ha"e been called, and by !hom,
and to !hat placeA and ho! much
9esus Christ "ouchsafed to suffer
for our sakes#
. hat recompense then shall
!e render unto himH 7r !hat
fruit that may be !orthy of !hat
he has gi"en to usH
2 For indeed ho! great are
those ad"antages !hich !e o!e to
him in relation to our holinessH
8e has illuminated usA as a father,
he has called us his childrenA
he has sa"ed us !ho !ere lost and
undone#
1 hat praise shall !e gi"e to
himH 7r !hat re!ard that may
be ans!erable to those things
!hich !e ha"e recei"ed#
I e !ere defecti"e in our
understandingsA !orshipping stones,
and !oodA gold, and sil"er, and
brass, the !ork of menCs handsA
and our !hole life !as nothing
else but death#
+ herefore being encompassed
!ith darkness, and ha"ing such a
mist before our eyes, !e ha"e
looked up, and through his !ill
ha"e laid aside the cloud !here!ith
!e !ere surrounded#
L For he had compassion upon
us, and being mo"ed in his bo!els
to!ards us, he sa"ed usA ha"ing
beheld in us much error, and
destructionA and seeing that !e had
no hope of sal"ation, but only
through him#
*- For he called us, !ho !ere
notA and !as pleased from nothing
to gi"e us being#
C8APTE( 55#
* That God had before prophesied by 5saiah,
that the Gentiles should be sa"edA
+ And that this ought to engage, such especially
to li"e !ellA !ithout !hich they !ill still miscarry#
(E975CE, thou barren, that
bearest not, break forth and
cry thou that tra"ailest notA for
she that is desolate hath many
more children than she that hath
a husband#
, 5n that saying, (ejoice thou
barren that bearest not, he spake
of us' for our church !as barren
before children !ere gi"en unto it#
K And againA !hen he said,
Cry thou that tra"ailest not'
he implied thus much' That after
the manner of a !oman in tra"ail,
!e should not cease to put up our
prayers unto God abundantly#
. And for !hat follo!s, because
she that is desolate hath more
children than she that hath a husbandA
it !as therefore added, because
our people !hich seemed to ha"e
been forsaken by God, no! belie"ing
in him, are become more than they
!ho seemed to ha"e God#
2 And another 4cripture saith,
a 5 came not to call the righteous
but sinners Eto repentanceF# The
meaning of !hich is thisA that
those !ho !ere lost must be sa"ed'
1 For that is, indeed, truly great
and !onderful, not to confirm those
things that are yet standing, but
those !hich are falling,
I E"en so did it seem good to
Christ to sa"e !hat !as lostA and
!hen he came into the !orld, he
sa"ed many, and called us !ho
!ere already lost#
+ 4eeing then he has sho!ed
so great mercy to!ards usA and
chiefly for that !e !ho are ali"e,
do no! no longer sacrifice to dead
Gods, nor pay any !orship to
them, but ha"e by him been
brought to the kno!ledge of
the Father of truth#
L hereby shall !e sho! that
!e do indeed kno! him, and by
not denying him by !hom !e
ha"e come to the kno!ledge of
him#
*- For e"en he himself saith,
hosoe"er shall confess me before
men, him !ill 5 confess before
my Father# This therefore is our
re!ard, if !e shall confess him by
!hom !e ha"e been sa"ed#
** But, !herein must !e confess
himH%%;amely, in doing those
things !hich he saith, and not
disobeying his commandments
by !orshipping him not !ith
our lips only, but !ith all our
heart, and !ith all our mind# For
he saith in 5saiahA This people
honoureth me !ith their lips, but
their heart is far from me#
*, &et us then not only call
him &ordA for that !ill not sa"e
us# For he saith' ;ot e"eryone
that saith unto me &ord, &ord,
shall be sa"ed, but he that doth
righteousness#
*K herefore, brethren,
let us confess him by our !orksA
by lo"ing one anotherA in not
committing adultery, not speaking
e"il against each other, not en"ying
one anotherA but by being temperate,
merciful, good#
*. &et us also ha"e a mutual
sense of one anotherCs sufferingsA
and not be co"etous of moneyA but
let us, by our good !orks, confess
God, and not by those that are
other!ise#
*2 Also let us not fear men' but
rather God# herefore, if !e
should do such !icked things, the
&ord hath saidA Though ye should
be joined unto me, e"en in my "ery
bosom, and not keep my commandments,
5 !ould cast you off, and say unto
youA )epart from meA 5 kno! not
!hence you are, ye !orkers of iniBuity#
C8APTE( 555#
* That, !hilst !e secure the other !orld,
!e need not fear !hat can befall its in this#
2 That, if !e follo! the interests of this present !orld,
!e cannot escape the punishment of the other#
*- hich ought to bring us to repentance and holiness,
*. and that presently' because in this !orld
is the only time for repentance#
T8E(EF7(E brethren, lea"ing
!illingly for conscience sake
our sojourning in this !orld,
let us do the !ill of him !ho has
called us, and not fear to depart
out of this !orld#
, For the &ord saith, $e shall
be as sheep in the midst of !ol"es#
Peter ans!ered and said, hat if
the !ol"es shall tear in pieces the
sheepH 9esus said unto Peter,
&et not the sheep fear the !ol"es
after death' And ye also fear not
those that kill you, and after that
ha"e no more than they can do unto
youA but fear him !ho after you
are dead, has po!er to cast both
soul and body into hell%fire#
K For consider, brethren, that
the sojourning of this flesh in the
present !orld, is but little, and of
a short continuance, but the promise
of Christ is great and !onderful,
e"en the rest of the kingdom
that is to come, and of eternal life#
. hat then must !e do that
!e may attain unto itH%%e must
order our con"ersation, holy and
righteously, and look upon all the
things of this !orld as none of
ours, and not desire them# For,
if !e desire to possess them !e
fall from the !ay of righteousness#
2 For thus saith the &ord, ;o
ser"ant can ser"e t!o masters# 5f
therefore !e shall desire to ser"e
God and =ammon, it !ill be !ithout
profit to us# For !hat !ill it profit,
if one gain the !hole !orld, and lose
his o!n soulH
1 ;o! this !orld and that
to come are t!o enemies# This
speaketh of adultery and corruption,
of co"etousness and deceitA but that
renounces these things#
I e cannot, therefore, be the
friends of bothA but !e must
resol"e by forsaking the one,
to enjoy the other# And !e think
it is better to hate the present
things, as little, short%li"ed,
and corruptibleA and to lo"e
those !hich are to come, !hich
are truly good and incorruptible#
+ For, if !e do the !ill of
Christ, !e shall find rest'
but if not, nothing shall deli"er
us from eternal punishment if !e
shall disobey his commands# For
e"en thus saith the 4cripture in
the prophet EGekiel, 5f ;oah, 9ob,
and )aniel should rise up, they
shall not deli"er their children in
capti"ity#
L herefore, if such righteous
men are not able by their
righteousness to deli"er their
childrenA ho! can !e hope to
enter into the kingdom of God,
eDcept !e keep our baptism holy
and undefiledH 7r !ho shall be
our ad"ocate, unless !e shall
be found to ha"e done !hat is holy
and justH
*- &et us, therefore, my brethren,
contend !ith all earnestness,
kno!ing that our combat is at
handA and that many go long
"oyages to encounter for a
corruptible re!ard#
** And yet all are not cro!ned,
but they only that labour much,
and stri"e gloriously# &et us,
therefore, so contend, that !e may
all be cro!ned# &et us run in the
straight road, the race that is
incorruptible' and let us in great
numbers pass unto it, and stri"e
that !e may recei"e the cro!n#
But if !e cannot all be cro!ned,
let us come as near to it as !e are
able#
*, =oreo"er, !e must consider,
that he !ho contends in a corruptible
combatA if he be found doing anything
that is not fair, is taken a!ay and
scourged, and cast out of the lists#
hat think ye then that he shall
suffer, !ho does anything that is
not fitting in the combat of
immortalityH
*K Thus speaks the prophet
concerning those !ho keep not
their sealA Their !orm shall not
die, and their, fire shall not be
BuenchedA and they shall be for a
spectacle unto all flesh#
*. &et us therefore repent, !hilst
!e are yet upon the earth' for !e
are as clay in the hand of the
artificer# For the potter if he
make a "essel, and it be turned
amiss in his hands, or broken,
again forms it ane!A but if he has
gone so far as to thro! it into the
furnace of fire, he can no more
bring any remedy to it#
*2 4o !e, !hilst !e are in this
!orld should repent !ith our !hole
heart for !hatsoe"er e"il !e ha"e
done in the fleshA !hile !e ha"e
yet the time of repentance, that
!e may be sa"ed by the &ord#
*1 For after !e shall ha"e
departed out of this !orld, !e
shall no longer be able either
to confess our sins or repent
in the other#
*I herefore, brethren, let us,
doing the !ill of the Father,
and keeping our flesh pure,
and obser"ing the commandments
of the &ord, lay hold on eternal
life' for the &ord saith in the
Gospel, 5f ye ha"e not kept that
!hich !as little, !ho !ill gi"e
you that !hich is greatH%%
For 5 say unto you, he that is
faithful in that !hich is
least, is faithful also in much#
*+ This, therefore, is !hat he
saithA keep your bodies pure, and
your seal !ithout spot, that ye
may recei"e eternal life#
C8APTE( 5?#
e shall rise, and be judged, in our bodiesA
therefore !e must li"e !ell in themA
1 that !e ought, for our o!n interest,
to li"e !ellA though fe! seem to
mind !hat, really is for their ad"antageA
*- and !e should not decei"e oursel"es'
seeing God !ill certainly judge us,
and render to all of us according to our !orks#
A;) let not any one among you
say, that this "ery flesh is
not judged, neither raised up#
Consider, in !hat !ere you sa"ed
in !hat did you look up, if not
!hilst you !ere in the fleshH
, e must, therefore, keep our
flesh as the temple of God# For
in like manner as ye !ere called
in the flesh, ye shall also come
to judgment in the flesh# 7ur one
&ord 9esus Christ, !ho has sa"ed
us, being first a spirit, !as made
flesh, and so called usA e"en so !e
also shall in this flesh recei"e the
re!ard#
K &et us, therefore, lo"e one
another, that !e may attain unto
the kingdom of God# hilst !e
ha"e time to be healed, let us
deli"er up oursel"es to God our
physician, gi"ing our re!ard unto
him#
. And !hat re!ard shall !e
gi"eH%%(epentance out of a pure
heart# For he kno!s all things
beforehand, and searches out our
"ery hearts#
2 &et us, therefore, gi"e praise
unto him' not only !ith our
mouths, but !ith all our soulsA
that he may recei"e us as children#
For so the &ord hath saidA They
are my brethren, !ho do the !ill
of my father#
1 herefore, my brethren,
let us do the !ill of the Father,
!ho hath called us, that !e may
li"e# &et us pursue "irtue, and
forsake !ickedness, !hich leadeth
us into sinsA and let us flee all
ungodliness, that e"ils o"ertake
us not#
I For, if !e shall do our diligence
to li"e !ell, peace shall follo! us#
And yet ho! hard is it to find a man
that does thisH For almost all are
led by human fears, choosing rather
the present enjoyments, than the
future promise#
+ For they kno! not ho! great
a torment the present enjoyments
bring !ith themA nor !hat delights
the future promise#
L And if they themsel"es only
did this, it might the more easily
be enduredA but no! they go on
to infect innocent souls !ith their
e"il doctrinesA not kno!ing that
both themsel"es, and those that
hear them, shall recei"e a double
condemnation#
*- &et us, therefore, ser"e
God !ith a pure heart, and !e
shall be righteous' but if !e shall
not ser"e him, because !e do not
belie"e the promise of God, !e
shall be miserable#
** For thus saith the prophetA
=iserable are the double%minded,
!ho doubt in their heart, and say,
these things !e ha"e heard, e"en#
in the time of our fathers, but !e
ha"e seen none of them, though
!e ha"e eDpected them from day
to day#
*, 7 ye foolsJ compare yoursel"es
to a treeA take the "ine for an
eDample# First it sheds its lea"es,
then it buds, then come the sour
grapes, then the ripe fruitA
e"en so my people has borne its
disorders and afflictions, but shall
hereafter recei"e good things#
*K herefore my brethren, let
us not doubt in our minds, but let
us eDpect !ith hope, that !e may
recei"e our re!ardA for he is
faithful, !ho has promised that
he !ill render to e"eryone a
re!ard according to his !orks#
*. 5f, therefore, !e shall do
!hat is just in the sight of God
!e shall enter into his kingdom,
and shall recei"e the promisesA
hich neither eye has seen, nor
ear heard, nor ha"e entered into
the heart of man#
*2 herefore let us e"ery
hour eDpect the kingdom of God
in lo"e and righteousnessA because
!e kno! not the day of GodCs
appearing#
C8APTE( ?#
A F(AG=E;T#
=anCs immortal nature a type of the &ordCs kingdom#
* 6 6 6 For the &ord
himself, being asked by a certain
person, hen his kingdom should
comeH ans!ered, hen t!o shall
be one, and that !hich is !ithout
as that !hich is !ithinA and the
male !ith the female, neither male
nor female#
, ;o! t!o are one, !hen !e
speak the truth to each other, and
there is E!ithout hypocrisyF one
seal in t!o bodies'
K And that !hich is !ithout as
that !hich, is !ithinA%%8e means
thisA he calls the soul that !hich
is !ithin, and the body that !hich
is !ithout# As therefore thy body
appears, so let thy soul be seen by
its good !orks#
. And the male !ith, the female,
neither =ale nor femaleA%%8e
means thisA he calls our anger
the male, our concupiscence the
female#
2 hen therefore a man is come
to such a pass that he is subject
neither to the one nor the other of
these Eboth of !hich, through the
pre"alence of custom, and an e"il
education, cloud and darken the
reason,F
1 But rather, ha"ing dispelled
the mist arising from them, and
being full of shame, shall by
repentance ha"e united both his
soul and spirit in the obedience
of reasonA then, as Paul says, there is
in us neither male nor female#
(EFE(E;CE T7 T8E 4EC7;) EP54T&E T8E C7(5;T85A;4#
/Archbishop ake is the translator of this 4econd Epistle, !hich he says
!as not of so great reputation among the primiti"e Fathers as the first#
8e defends it not!ithstandingA and in ans!er to those !ho objected to
ClementCs First Epistle, that it did not duly honour the TrinityA the
Archbishop refers to this as containing proof of the !riterCs fulness of
belief on that point#3
T8E GE;E(A& EP54T&E 7F BA(;ABA4#
C8APTE( 5#
Preface to the Epistle#
A&& happiness to you my sons
and daughters, in the name
of our &ord 9esus Christ, !ho
lo"ed us, in peace#
, 8a"ing percei"ed abundance
of kno!ledge of the great and
eDcellent la!s of God to be in you,
5 eDceedingly rejoice in your blessed
and admirable souls, because ye
ha"e so !orthily recei"ed the
grace !hich !as grafted in you#
K For !hich cause 5 am full of
joy, hoping the rather to be sa"edA
inasmuch as 5 truly see a spirit
infused into you, from the pure
fountain of God'
. 8a"ing this persuasion, and
being fully con"inced thereof,
because that since 5 ha"e begun to
speak unto you, 5 ha"e had a more
than ordinary good success in the
!ay of the la! of the &ord, !hich
is in Christ,
2 For !hich cause brethren, 5
also think "erily that 5 lo"e you
abo"e my o!n soulA because that
therein d!elleth the greatness of
faith and charity, as also the hope
of that life !hich is to come#
1 herefore considering this,
that if 5 shall take care to
communicate to you a part of !hat
5 ha"e recei"ed, it shall turn to
my re!ard, that 5 ha"e ser"ed such
good souls# 5 ga"e diligence to
!rite in a fe! !ords unto youA
that together !ith your faith, your
kno!ledge also may be perfect#
I There are therefore three
things ordained by the &ordA the
hope of life, the beginning, and
the completion of it#
+ For the &ord hath both
declared unto us, by the prophets,
those things that are pastA and
opened to us the beginnings of
those that are to come#
L herefore, it !ill beho"e us,
as he has spoken, to come more
holily, and nearer to his altar#
*- 5 therefore, not as a teacher
but as one of you, !ill endea"our
to lay before you a fe! things by
!hich you may, on many accounts,
become the more joyful#
C8APTE( 55#
That God has abolished the legal sacrifices,
to introduce the spiritual righteousness of the Gospel#
4EE5;G then the days are
eDceedingly e"il, and the
ad"ersary has got the po!er of this
present !orld !e ought to gi"e the
more diligence to inBuire into the
righteous judgments of the &ord#
, ;o! the assistants of our
faith are fear and patienceA our
fello!%combatants, long suffering
and continence#
K hilst these remain pure
in !hat relates unto the &ord,
!isdom, and understanding, and
science, and kno!ledge, rejoice
together !ith them#
. For God has manifested to us
by all the prophets, that he has no
occasion for our sacrifices, or
burnt%offerings, or oblations'
saying thusA To !hat purpose is
the multitude of your sacrifices
unto me, saith the &ord#
2 5 am full of the burnt%offerings
of rams, and the fat of fed beastsA
and 5 delight not in the blood of
bullocks, or of he%goats#
1 hen ye come to appear
before me, !ho hath reBuired
this at your handsH $e shall no
more tread my courts#
I Bring no more "ain oblations,
incense is an abomination unto me
your ne! moons and sabbaths,
and the calling of assemblies
5 cannot bear !ith, it is iniBuity,
e"en the solemn meetingA your
ne! moons and your appointed
feasts my soul hateth#
+ These things therefore hath
God abolished, that the ne! la!
of our &ord 9esus Christ, !hich
is !ithout the yoke of any such
necessity, might ha"e the spiritual
offering of, men themsel"es#
L For so the &ord saith again
to those heretoforeA )id 5 at all
command your fathers !hen they
came out of the land of Egypt
concerning burnt%offerings of
sacrificesH
*- But this 5 commanded them,
saying, &et none of you imagine
e"il in your hearts against his
neighbour, and lo"e no false oath#
** Forasmuch then as !e are
not !ithout understanding, !e
ought to apprehend the design of
our merciful Father# For he
speaks to us, being !illing that
!e !ho ha"e been in the same
error about the sacrifices, should
seek and find ho! to approach
unto him#
*, And therefore he thus
bespeaks us, The sacrifice of God
Eis a broken spirit,F a broken and
contrite heart%%God !ill not despise#
*K herefore brethren, !e ought
the more diligently to inBuire
after those things that belong
to our sal"ation, that the
ad"ersary may not ha"e any
entrance into us, and depri"e
us of our spiritual life#
*. herefore he again speaketh
to them, concerning these thingsA
$e shall not fast as ye do this day,
to make your "oice to be heard on high#
*2 5s it such a fast that 5 ha"e
chosenH A day for a man to afflict
his soulH 5s it to bo! do!n his
head like a bulrush, and to spread
sackcloth and ashes under himH
ilt thou call this a fast, and an
acceptable day to the &ordH
*1 But to us he saith on this
!ise' 5s not this the fast that 5
ha"e chosen, to loose the bands of
!ickedness, to undo the hea"y burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free'
and that ye break e"ery yokeH
*I 5s it not to deal thy bread
to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy
houseH hen thou seest the naked
that thou co"er him, and that thou
hide not thyself from thy o!n
flesh#
*+ Then shall thy light break
forth as the morning, and thy
health shall spring forth speedilyA
and thy righteousness shall go
before theeA the glory of the &ord
shall be thy re!ard#
*L Then shalt thou call and
the &ord shall ans!erA thou shalt
cry and he shall say, 8ere 5 amA
if thou put a!ay from the midst of
thee the yokeA the putting forth
of the finger, and speaking "anityA
and if thou dra! out thy soul to
the hungryA and satisfy the
afflicted soul#
,- 5n this, therefore, brethren,
God has manifested his forekno!ledge
and lo"e for usA because the
people !hich he has purchased to
his belo"ed 4on !ere to belie"e
in sincerityA and therefore he has
sho!n these things to all of us,
that !e should not run as
proselytes to the 9e!ish &a!#
C8APTE( 555#
The prophecies of )aniel concerning the ten kings,
and the coming of Christ#
8E(EF7(E it is necessary
that searching diligently into
those things !hich are soon to
come to pass, !e should !rite to
you !hat may ser"e to keep you
!hole#
, To !hich end, let us flee from
e"ery e"il !ork and hate the errors
of the present time, that !e may
be happy in that !hich is to come#
K &et us not gi"e oursel"es the
liberty of disputing !ith the !icked
and sinnersA lest !e should chance
in time to become like unto them#
. For the consummation of sin
is come, as it is !ritten, as the
prophet )aniel says# And for this
end the &ord hath shortened the
times and the days, that his
belo"ed might hasten his coming
to his inheritance#
2 For so the prophet speaksA
There shall ten kings reign in
the heart, and there shall rise last
of all another little one, and he
shall humble three kings#
1 And again )aniel speaks in
like manner concerning the kingdomsA
and 5 sa! the fourth beast dreadful
and terrible, and strong eDceedinglyA
and it had ten horns# 5 considered
the horns, and behold there came up
among them another little horn,
before !hich !ere three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots#
I e ought therefore to understand
this also' And 5 beseech you, as one
of your o!n brethren, lo"ing you all
beyond my o!n life, that you look
!ell to yoursel"es, and be not like
to those !ho add sin to sin, and sayA
That their co"enant is ours also#
;ay, but it is ours only' for they
ha"e fore"er lost that !hich =oses
recei"ed#
+ For thus saith the 4cripture
And =oses continued fasting forty
days and forty nights in the =ountA
and he recei"ed the co"enant from
the &ord, e"en the t!o tables of
stone, !ritten by the hand of God#
L But ha"ing turned themsel"es
to idols they lost itA as the &ord
also said to =osesA =oses, go
do!n Buickly, for thy people !hich
thou hast brought forth out of
Egypt, ha"e corrupted themsel"es,
and turned aside from the !ay
!hich 5 commanded them# And
=oses cast the t!o tables out of
his handsA and their co"enant !as
brokenA that the lo"e of 9esus
might be sealed in your hearts,
unto the hope of his faith#
*- herefore let us gi"e heed
unto the last times# For all the
time past of our life and our faith,
!ill profit us nothingA unless !e
continue to hate !hat is e"il, and
to !ithstand the future temptations#
4o the 4on of God tells usA &et us
resist all iniBuity and hate it#
** herefore consider the !orks
of the e"il !ay# )o not !ithdra!
yoursel"es from others as if you
!ere already justifiedA but coming
altogether into one place, inBuire
!hat is agreeable to and profitable
for the belo"ed of God# For the
4cripture saithA oe unto them
that are !ise in their o!n eyesA
and prudent in their sight#
*, &et us become spiritually a
perfect temple to God# As much
as in us lies let us meditate upon
the fear of GodA and stri"e to the
utmost of our po!er to keep his
commandmentsA that !e may rejoice
in his righteous judgments#
*K For God !ill judge the !orld
!ithout respect of persons and
e"eryone shall recei"e according
to his !orks#
*. 5f a man shall be good, his
righteousness shall go before him
if !icked, the re!ard of his
!ickedness shall follo! him#
*2 Take heed therefore lest
sitting still no!, that !hen !e are
called, !e fall asleep in our sinsA
and the !icked one getting the
dominion o"er us, stir us up, and
shut us out of the kingdom of the
&ord#
*1 Consider this also' although
you ha"e seen so great signs and
!onders done among the people
of the 9e!s, yet this not!ithstanding
the &ord hath forsaken them#
*I Be!are, therefore, lest it
happen to usA as it is !ritten
There may be many called, but
fe! chosen#
C8APTE( 5?#
That Christ !as to suffer is pro"ed
from the prophecies concerning him#
For this cause did our &ord
"ouchsafe to gi"e up his body
to destruction, that through the
forgi"eness of our sins !e might
be sanctifiedA that is, by the
sprinkling of his blood#
, ;o! for !hat concerns the
things that are !ritten about him,
some belong to the people of the
9e!s, and some to us#
K For thus saith the 4criptureA
8e !as !ounded for our transgressions,
he !as bruised for our iniBuities,
and by his blood !e are healed#
8e !as led as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before
his shearers is dumb, so he
opened not his mouth#
. herefore !e ought the more
to gi"e thanks unto God, for that
he hath both declared unto us
!hat is passed, and not suffered
us to be !ithout understanding of
those things that are to come#
2 But to them he saithA The
nets are not unjustly spread for
the birds#
1 This he spake, because a man
!ill justly perish, if ha"ing the
kno!ledge of the !ay of truth, he
shall ne"ertheless not refrain
himself from the !ay of darkness#
I And for this cause the &ord
!as content to suffer for our souls,
although he be the &ord of the
!hole earthA to !hom God said
before the beginning of the !orld,
&et us make man after our o!n
image and likeness#
+ ;o! ho! he suffered for us,
seeing it !as by men that he
under!ent it, 5 !ill she! you#
L The prophets ha"ing recei"ed
from him the gifts of prophecy,
spake before concerning him'
*- But he, that he might
abolish death, and make kno!n the
resurrection from the dead, !as
content, as it !as necessary, to
appear in the flesh, that he might
make good the promise before gi"en
to our fathers, and preparing
himself a ne! people, might
demonstrate to them !hilst he !as
upon earth, that after the
resurrection he !ould judge
the !orld#
** And finally, teaching the
people of 5srael, and doing many
!onders and signs among them,
he preached to them, and she!ed
the eDceeding great lo"e !hich
he bare to!ards them#
*, And !hen he chose his apostles,
!hich !ere after!ards to publish
his Gospel, he took men !ho had
been "ery great sinnersA that
thereby he might plainly she!
That he came not to call the
righteous but sinners to
repentance#
*K Then he clearly manifested
himself to be the 4on of God#
For had he not come in the flesh,
ho! should men ha"e been able to
look upon him, that they might be
sa"edH
*. 4eeing that if they beheld
only the sun, !hich !as the !ork
of his hands, and shall hereafter
cease to be, they are not able to
endure steadfastly to look against
the rays of itA
*2 herefore the 4on of God
came in the flesh for this cause,
that he might fill up the measure
of their iniBuity, !ho ha"e
persecuted his prophets unto
death# And for the same reason
also he suffered#
*1 For God hath said of the
stripes of his flesh, that they !ere
from them# And, 5 !ill smite the
shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered#
*I Thus he !ould suffer, because
it beho"ed him to suffer upon the
cross#
*+ For thus one saith,
prophesying concerning himA
4pare my soul from the s!ord#
And again, =y flesh trembleth
for fear#
*L And again, the congregation
of !icked doers rose up against
me, EThey ha"e pierced my
hands and my feetF#
,- And again he saith, 5 ga"e
my back to the smiters, and my
face 5 set as a hard rock#
C8APTE( ?#
The subject continued#
And !hen he had fulfilled the
commandment of God, hat
says heH ho !ill contend !ith
meH &et him stand against me
or !ho is he that !ill implead
meH &et him dra! near to the
ser"ant of the &ord# oe be to
youJ Because ye shall all !aD
old as a garment, the moth
shall eat you up#
, And again adds the prophet,
8e is put for a stone of
stumbling# Behold 5 lay in Mion
for a foundation, a precious
stone a choice corner%stoneA
an honourable stone# And !hat
follo!sH And he that hopeth
in him shall li"e for e"er#
K hat thenH 5s our hope built
upon a stoneH God forbid# But
because the &ord hath hardened
his flesh against sufferings, he
saith, 5 ha"e put me as a firm
rock#
. And again the prophet addsA
The stone !hich the builders
refused has become the head of
the corner# And again he saith
This is the great and !onderful
day !hich the &ord hath made#
a 5 !rite these things the more
plainly to you that ye may
understand' 5 For indeed 5
could be content e"en to die
for your sakes#
2 But !hat saith the prophet
againA The counsel of the !icked
encompassed me about# They
came about me, as bees about the
honey%comb' and, :pon my "esture
they cast lots#
1 Forasmuch then as our 4a"iour
!as to appear in the flesh and
suffer, his passion !as hereby
foretold#
I For thus saith the prophet
against 5srael' @oe be to their
soul because they ha"e taken
!icked counsel against themsel"es,
sayingA let us lay snares for the
righteous, because he is
unprofitable to us#@
+ =oses also in like manner
speaketh to themA Behold thus
saith the &ord GodA Enter ye
into the good land of !hich the
&ord hath s!orn to Abraham, and
5saac, and 9acob, that he !ould
gi"e it you, and possess itA a land
flo!ing !ith milk and honey#
L ;o! !hat the spiritual meaning
of this is, learnA 5t is as if it
had been said, Put your trust in
9esus, !ho shall be manifested to
you in the flesh# For man is the
earth !hich suffers' forasmuch
as out of the substance of the
earth Adam !as formed#
*- hat therefore does he mean
!hen he says, 5nto a good land
flo!ing !ith milk and honeyH
Blessed be our &ord, !ho has
gi"en us !isdom, and a heart to
understand his secrets# For so
says the prophet, @ho shall
understand the hard sayings of the
&ordH But he that is !ise, and
intelligent, and that lo"es his
&ord#@
** 4eeing therefore he has
rene!ed us by the remission of our
sins, he has put us into another
frame, that !e should ha"e souls
like those of children, forming
us again himself by the spirit#
*, For thus the 4cripture saith
concerning us, !here it introduceth
the Father speaking to the 4onA
&et us make man after our likeness
and similitudeA and let them ha"e
dominion o"er the beasts of the
earth, and o"er the fo!ls of the
air, and the fish of the sea#
*K And !hen the &ord sa! the
man !hich he had formed, that
behold he !as "ery goodA he said,
5ncrease and multiply, and
replenish the earth# And this
he spake to his son#
*. 5 !ill no! sho! you, ho! he
made us a ne! creature, in the
latter days#
*2 The &ord saithA Behold 5
!ill make the last as the first#
herefore the prophet thus spake,
Enter into the land flo!ing !ith
milk and honey, and ha"e dominion
o"er it#
*1 herefore ye see ho! !e
are again formed ane!A as also
he speaks by another prophetA
Behold saith the &ord, 5 !ill take
from themA that is, from those
!hom the spirit 5 of the &ord
foresa!, their hearts of stone,
and 5 !ill put into them hearts
of flesh#
*I Because he !as about to be
made manifest in the flesh and to
d!ell in us#
*+ For, my brethren, the
habitation of our heart is a Choly
temple unto the &ord# For the prophet
saith again, 5n !hat place shall 5
appear before the &ord my God,
and be glorifiedH
*L 8e ans!ers 5 !ill confess
unto thee in the congregation in
the midst of my brethrenA and !ill
sing unto thee in the church of
the saints'
,- herefore !e are they !hom
he has brought into that good land#
,* But !hat signifies the milk
and honeyH Because as the child
is nourished first !ith milk, and
then !ith honeyA so !e being
kept ali"e by the belief of his
promises and his !ord, shall li"e
and ha"e dominion o"er the land#
,, For he foretold before, saying,
increase and multiply, and ha"e
dominion o"er the beasts, fishes,
and birds#
,K But !ho is there that is no!
able to ha"e this dominion o"er
the !ild beasts, or fishes, or fo!ls
of the airH For you kno! that to
rule, is to ha"e po!erA that a man
should be set o"er !hat he rules#
,. But forasmuch as this !e
ha"e not no!, he tells us !hen !e
shall ha"e itA namely, !hen !e
shall become perfect, that !e may
be made the inheritors of the
co"enant of the &ord#
C8APTE( ?5#
The sacrifice of 9esus, and of a goat,
an e"ident type of Christ crucified#
:;)E(4TA;) then my belo"ed
children, that the good God hath
before manifested all things unto
us, that !e might kno! to !hom
!e ought al!ays to gi"e thanks
and praise#
, 5f therefore the 4on of God
!ho is the &ord of all, and shall
come to judge both the Buick and
dead, hath suffered, that by his
stripes !e might li"eA let us
belie"e that the 4on of God could
not ha"e suffered but for us# But
being crucified, they ga"e him
"inegar and gall to drink#
K 8ear therefore ho! the priests
of the temple did foresho! this
also' the &ord by his command
!hich !as !ritten, declared that
!hosoe"er did not fast the
appointed fast he should die the
death' because he also !as himself
one day to offer up his body for
our sinsA that so the type of
!hat !as done in 5saac might be
fulfilled, !ho !as offered upon the
altar#
. hat therefore is it that he
says by the prophetH And let
them eat of the goat !hich is
offered in the day of the fast for
all their sins# 8earken diligently,
Emy brethren,F and all the priests,
and they only shall eat the in!ards
not !ashed !ith "inegar#
2 hy soH because 5 kno!
that !hen 5 shall hereafter offer
my flesh for the sins of a ne!
people, ye !ill gi"e me "inegar to
drink miDed !ith gallA therefore
do ye only eat, the people fasting
the !hile, and lamenting in
sackcloth and ashes#
1 And that he might foresho!
that he !as to suffer for them,
hear then ho! he appointed it#
I Take, says he, t!o goats, fair
and alike, and offer themA and let
the high priest take one of them
for a burnt offering# And !hat
shalt be done !ith the otherH &et
it, says he, be accursed#
+ Consider ho! eDactly this
appears to ha"e been a type of
9esus# And let all the congregation
spit upon it, and prick itA and
put the scarlet !ool about its
headA and thus let it be carried
forth into the !ilderness#
L And this being done, he that
!as appointed to con"ey the goat,
led it into the !ilderness, and
took a!ay the scarlet !ool, and
put it upon a thorn bush, !hose
young sprouts, !hen !e find
them in the field, !e are !ont to
eat' so the fruit of that thorn
only is s!eet#
*- And to !hat end !as this
ceremonyH ConsiderA one !as
offered upon the altar, the
other !as accursed#
** And !hy !as that !hich !as
accursed cro!nedH Because they
shall see Christ on that day ha"ing
a scarlet garment about his bodyA
and shall say' 5s not this he !hom
!e crucifiedA ha"ing despised him,
pierced him, mocked himH Certainly,
this is he, !ho then said,
that he !as the 4on of God#
*, As therefore he shall be
then like to !hat he !as on
earth, so !ere the 9e!s heretofore
commanded, to take t!o goats fair
and eBualA that !hen they shall
see Eour 4a"iourF hereafter coming
Ein the clouds of hea"enF, they may
be amaGed at the likeness of the
goats#
*K herefore ye here again
see a type of 9esus !ho !as to
suffer for us#
*. But !hat then signifies this,
That the !ool !as to be put into
the midst of the thornsH
*2 This also is a figure of 9esus,
set out to the church# For as he !ho
!ould take a!ay the scarlet !ool
must undergo many difficulties,
because that thorn !as "ery sharp,
and !ith difficulty get it' 4o,
says Christ, they that !ill see me,
and come to my kingdom, must
through many afflictions and
troubles attain unto me#
C8APTE( ?55#
The red heifer, another type of Christ#
B:T !hat type do ye suppose
it to ha"e been, !here it is
commanded to the people of 5srael,
that gro!n persons in !hom sins
are come to perfection, should
offer an heifer, and after they had
killed it should burn the sameA
, But then young men should
take up the ashes and put them in
"esselsA and tie a piece of scarlet
!ool and hyssop upon a stick, and
so the young men should sprinkle
e"ery one of the people, and they
should be clear from their sinsH
K Consider ho! all these are
deli"ered in a figure to us#
. This heifer is 9esus ChristA
the !icked men that !ere to offer
it are those sinners !ho brought
him to deathA !ho after!ards ha"e
no more to do !ith it' for the
sinners ha"e no more the honour
of handling it'
2 But the young men that performed
the sprinkling, signified those !ho
preach to us the forgi"eness of
sins, and the purification of the
heart, to !hom the &ord ga"e
authority to preach his Gospel'
being at the beginning t!el"e,
to signify the tribes, because
there !ere t!el"e tribes of 5srael#
1 But !hy !ere there three
young men appointed to sprinkleH
To denote Abraham, and 5saac,
and 9acob, because they !ere
great before God#
I And !hy !as the !ool put
upon a stickH Because the kingdom
of 9esus !as founded upon the crossA
and therefore they that put their
trust in him, shall li"e for e"er#
+ But !hy !as the !ool and
hyssop put togetherH To signify
that in the kingdom of Christ there
shall be e"il and filthy days, in
!hich ho!e"er, !e shall be sa"edA
and because he that has any disease
in the flesh by some filthy humours,
is cured by hyssop#
L herefore these things being
thus done, are to us indeed e"ident,
but to the 9e!s they are obscureA
because they hearkened not unto
the "oice of the &ord#
C8APTE( ?555#
7f the circumcision of the ears and ho! in the
first institution of circumcision Abraham
mystically foretold Christ by name#
A;) therefore the 4cripture
again speaks concerning our
ears, that God has circumcised
them, together !ith our hearts#
For thus saith the &ord by the
holy prophet' By the hearing of
the ear they obeyed me#
, And again, They !ho are afar
off, shall hear and understand
!hat things 5 ha"e done# And
again, Circumcise your hearts,
saith the &ord#
K And again he saith, 8ear 7
5sraelJ For thus saith the &ord
thy God# And again the 4pirit of
God prophesieth, saying' ho is
there that !ould li"e for e"er, let
him hear the "oice of my 4on#
. And again, 8ear, 7 8ea"ens,
and gi"e ear 7 EarthJ Because
the &ord has spoken these things
for a !itness#
2 And again, he saith, 8ear
the !ord of the &ord, ye princes
of the people# And again, 8ear
7 childrenJ The "oice of one
crying in the !ilderness#
1 herefore he has circumcised
our ears, that !e should hear his
!ord, and belie"e# But as for
that circumcision, in !hich the
9e!s trust, it is abolished' for the
circumcision of !hich God spake,
!as not of the flesh#
I But they ha"e transgressed
his commands, because the e"il
one hath decei"ed them# For
thus God bespeaks themA Thus
saith the &ord your God, E8ere 5
find the ne! la!F 4o! not among
thornsA but circumcise yoursel"es
to the &ord your God# And !hat
doth he mean by this sayingH
8earken unto your &ord#
+ And again he saith, Circumcise
the hardness of your heart, and
harden not your neck# And again,
Behold, saith the &ord, all the
nations are uncircumcised, Ethey
ha"e not lost their fore%skinF' but
this people is uncircumcised in
heart#
L But you !ill say the 9e!s
!ere circumcised for a sign# And
so are all the 4yrians and Arabians,
and all the idolatrous priests' but
are they therefore of the co"enant
of 5sraelH And e"en the Egyptians
themsel"es are circumcised#
*- :nderstand therefore, children,
these things more fully, that
Abraham !as the first, that
brought in circumcision, looking
for!ard in the 4pirit, to 9esusA
circumcised, ha"ing recei"ed the
mystery of three letters#
** For the 4cripture says that
Abraham circumcised three hundred
and eighteen men of his house#
But !hat therefore !as the mystery
that !as made kno!n unto himJ
*, =ark, first the eighteen, and
neDt the three hundred# For the
numeral letters of ten and eight
are T 8# And these denote 9esus#
*K And because the cross !as
that by !hich !e !ere to find
grace, therefore he adds, three
hundredA the note of !hich is T
Ethe figure of his crossF#
herefore by t!o letters he
signified 9esus, and by the
third his cross#
*. 8e !ho has put the engrafted
gift of his doctrine !ithin us,
kno!s that 5 ne"er taught to
anyone a more certain truth' but 5
trust that ye are !orthy of it#
C8APTE( 5>#
That the commands of =oses concerning clean and unclean
beasts, !ere all designed for a spiritual signification#
B:T !hy did =oses say $e
shall not eat of the s!ine,
neither the eagle nor the ha!kA
nor the cro!A nor any fish that
has not a scale upon himH%%5
ans!er that, in the spiritual sense,
he comprehended three doctrines,
that !ere to be gathered from
thence#
, Besides !hich he says to them
in the book of )euteronomy, And
5 !ill gi"e my statutes unto this
people# herefore it is not the
command of God that they should
not eat these thingsA but =oses in
the spirit spake unto them#
K ;o! the so! he forbad them
to eatA meaning thus much' Thou
shalt not join thyself to such
persons as are like unto s!ine,
!ho, !hilst they li"e in pleasure,
forget their GodA but !hen any !ant
pinches them, then they kno! the
&ord' as the so! !hen she is full
kno!s not her master, but !hen
she is hungry she makes a noiseA
and being again fed, is silent#
. ;either, says he, shalt thou
eat the eagle, nor the ha!k, nor
the kite, nor the cro!A that is,
thou shalt not keep company !ith
such kind of men as kno! not ho!
by their labour and s!eat to get
themsel"es foodA but injuriously
ra"ish a!ay the things of others,
and !atch ho! to lay snares for
themA !hen at the same time they
appear to li"e in perfect innocence#
K 4o these birds alone Eseek not
food for themsel"es,F but sitting
idle, seek ho! they may eat of the
flesh others ha"e pro"ided being
destructi"e through their
!ickedness#
1 ;either, says he, shalt thou
eat the lamprey, nor the polypus,
nor the cuttle%fishA that is thou
shalt not be like such men, by
seeking to con"erse !ith them
!ho are altogether !icked and
adjudged to death# For so those
fishes are alone accursed, that
!allo! in the mire, nor s!im as other
fishes, but tumble in the dirt at
the bottom of the deep#
I But, he adds, neither shalt
thou eat of the hare# To !hat
endH%%To signify this to usA
Thou shalt not be an adulterer,
nor liken thyself to such persons#
For the hare e"ery year multiplies
the places of its conceptionA and
as many years as it li"es, so many
it has#
+ ;either shalt thou eat of the
hyena' that is, again, be not an
adulterer, nor a corrupter of
othersA neither be like to such#
And !herefore soH%%Because that
creature e"ery year changes its
kind, !hich is sometimes male
and sometimes female#
L For !hich cause also he justly
hated the !eaGelA to the end that
they should not be like such
persons !ho !ith their mouths
commit !ickedness by reason of
their uncleannessA nor join
themsel"es !ith those impure !omen,
!ho !ith their mouths commit
!ickedness# Because that animal
concei"es !ith its mouth#
*- =oses, therefore, speaking
as concerning meats, deli"ered
indeed three great precepts to
them in the spiritual signification
of those commands# But they
according to the desires of the
flesh, understood him as if he
had only meant it of meats#
** And therefore )a"id took
aright the kno!ledge of his
three%fold command, saying in
like manner'
*, Blessed is the man that hath
not !alked in the counsel of the
ungodlyA as the fishes before
mentioned in the bottom of the
deep, in darkness#
*K ;or stood in the !ay of
sinners, as they !ho seem to fear
the &ord, but yet sin, as the so!#
*. And hath not sat in the seat
of the scornersA as those birds
!ho sit and !atch that they may
de"our#
*2 8ere you ha"e the la!
concerning meat perfectly set
forth and according to the
true kno!ledge of it#
*1 But, says =oses, ye shall
eat all that di"ideth the hoof, and
che!eth the cud# 4ignifying
thereby such an one as ha"ing
taken his food, kno!s him that
nourisheth himA and resting upon
him, rejoiceth in him#
*I And in this he spake !ell,
ha"ing respect to the commandment#
hat, therefore, is it that
he saysH%%That !e should hold
fast to them that fear the &ordA
!ith those !ho meditate on the
command of the !ord !hich they
ha"e recei"ed, in their heartA
!ith those that declare the
righteous judgments of the &ord,
and keep his commandmentsA
*+ 5n short, !ith those !ho
kno! that to meditate is a !ork
of pleasure, and therefore eDercise
themsel"es in the !ord of the
&ord#
*L But !hy might they eat
those that cla"e the hoofH
Because the righteous li"eth in this
present !orldA but his eDpectation
is fiDed upon the other# 4ee,
brethren, ho! admirably =oses
commanded these things#
,- But ho! should !e thus
kno! all this, and understand itH
e, therefore, understanding
aright the commandments, speak
as the &ord !ould ha"e us#
herefore he has circumcised our
ears and our hearts, that !e might
kno! these things#
C8APTE( >#
Baptism and the cross of Christ
foretold in figures under the la!#
&ET us no! inBuire !hether
the &ord took care to manifest
anything beforehand concerning !ater
and the cross#
, ;o! for the former of these,
it is !ritten to the people of
5srael ho! they shall not recei"e
that baptism !hich brings to
forgi"eness of sinsA but shall
institute another to themsel"es
that cannot#
K For thus saith the prophet'
Be astonished, 7 8ea"enJ and
let the earth tremble at it, because
this people ha"e done t!o great
and !icked things' they ha"e left
me, the fountain of li"ing !ater,
and ha"e digged for themsel"es
broken cisterns, that can hold no
!ater#
. 5s my holy mountain of Mion,
a desolate !ildernessH For ye
shall be as a young bird !hen its
nest is taken a!ay#
2 And again the prophet saith,
5 !ill go before thee, and !ill
make plain the mountains, and
!ill break the gates of brass, and
!ill snap in sunder the bars of
ironA and !ill gi"e thee dark,
and hidden, and in"isible
treasures, that they may kno!
that 5 am the &ord God#
1 And again' he shall d!ell
in the high den of the strong
rock# And then, !hat follo!s in
the same prophetH 8is !ater is
faithfulA ye shall see the king
!ith glory, and your soul shall
learn the fear of the &ord#
I And again he saith in another
prophet' 8e that does these
thingsA 5 shall be like a tree
planted by the currents of !ater,
!hich shall gi"e its fruit in its
season# 5ts leaf also shall not
!ither, and !hatsoe"er he doth
it shall prosper#
+ As for the !icked it is not
so !ith themA but they are as the
dust !hich the !ind scattereth
a!ay from the face of the earth#
L Therefore the ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, neither
the sinners in the council of the
righteous# For the &ord kno!eth
the !ay of the righteous, and the
!ay of the ungodly shall perish#
*- Consider ho! he has joined
both the cross and the !ater
together#
** For this he saith' Blessed
are they !ho put their trust in the
cross, and descend into the !aterA
for they shall ha"e their re!ard in
due time' then, saith he, !ill 5
gi"e it them#
*, But as concerning the present
time, he saith, their lea"es shall
not fall' meaning thereby, that
e"ery !ord that shall go out of
your mouth, shall through faith
and charity be to the con"ersion
and hope of many#
*K 5n like manner doth another
prophet speak# And the land of
9acob !as the praise of all the
earthA magnifying thereby the
"essel of his spirit#
*. And !hat follo!sH%%And
there !as a ri"er running on the
right hand, and beautiful trees
gre! up by itA and he that shall
eat of them shall li"e for e"er#
The signification of !hich is this
that !e go do!n into the !ater
full of sins and pollutions, but
come up again, bringing forth
fruitA ha"ing in our hearts the
fear and hope !hich is in 9esus,
by the spirit# And !hosoe"er
shall eat of them shall li"e for
e"er#
*2 That is, !hosoe"er shall
hearken to those !ho call them, and
shall belie"e, shall li"e for e"er#
C8APTE( >5#
The subject continued#
5; like manner he determines
concerning the cross in another
prophet, saying' And !hen shall
these things be fulfilledH
, The &ord ans!ers' hen the
tree that is fallen shall rise, and
!hen blood shall drop do!n from
the tree# 8ere you ha"e again
mention made, both of the cross,
and of him that !as to be crucified
upon it#
K And yet farther he saith by
=osesA E!hen 5srael !as fighting
!ith, and beaten by, a strange
peopleA to the end that God might
put them in mind ho! that for
their sins they !ere deli"ered unto
deathF yea, the holy spirit put it
into the heart of =oses, to represent
both the sign of the cross, and of
him that !as to suffer' that so
they might kno! that if they did
not belie"e in him, they should be
o"ercome for e"er#
. =oses therefore 5 piled up
armour upon armour in the middle
of a rising ground, and standing
up high abo"e all of them, stretched
forth his arms, and so 5srael again
conBuered#
2 But no sooner did he let do!n
his hands, but they !ere again
slain# And !hy soH%%To the end
they might kno!, that eDcept they
trust in him they cannot be sa"ed#
1 And in another prophet, he
saith, 5 ha"e stretched out my
hands all the day long to a people
disobedient, and speaking against
my righteous !ay#
I And again =oses makes a
type of 9esus, to sho! that he !as
to die, and then that he, !hom
they thought to be dead, !as to
gi"e life to othersA in the type
of those that fell in 5srael#
+ For God caused all sorts of
serpents to bite them, and they
died' forasmuch as by a serpent
transgression began in E"eA that
so he might con"ince them that
for their transgressions they shall
be deli"ered into the pain of death#
L =oses then himself, !ho had
commanded them, saying, $e shall
not make to yoursel"es any gra"en
or molten image, to be your God
yet no! did so himself, that he
might represent to them the figure
of the &ord 9esus#
*- For he made a braGen
serpent, and set it up on high,
and called the people together
by a proclamation' !here being come,
they entreated =oses that he !ould
make an atonement for them, and
pray that they might be healed#
** Then =oses spake unto them,
saying' !hen any one among you
shall be bitten, let him come unto
the serpent that is set upon the
poleA and let him assuredly trust
in him, that though he be dead,
yet he is able to gi"e life, and
presently he shall be sa"edA and so
they did# 4ee therefore ho! here
also you ha"e in this the glory of
9esusA and that in him and to
him are all things#
*, AgainA hat says =oses to
9oshua, the 4on of ;un, !hen he
ga"e that name unto him, as being
a prophet, that all the people might
hear him aloneH Because the
father did manifest all things
concerning his son 9esus, in 9oshua,
the 4on of ;unA and ga"e him
that name !hen he sent him to spy
out the land of Canaan, sayingA
Take a book in thine hands,
and !rite !hat the &ord saith#
Forasmuch as 9esus the 4on of God
shall in the last days cut off by the
roots all the house of Amalek, see
here again 9esus, not the son of
man, but the 4on of God, made
manifest in a type, and in the flesh#
*K But because it might hereafter
be said that Christ !as the
4on of )a"idA therefore )a"id
fearing and !ell kno!ing the errors
of the !icked, saithA the &ord
said unto my &ord, sit thou on my
right hand until 5 make thine
enemies thy footstool#
*. And again 5saiah speaketh
on this !ise, The &ord said unto
Christ my &ord, 5 ha"e laid hold
on his right hand, that the nations
should obey before him, and 5 !ill
break the strength of kings#
*2 Behold, ho! doth )a"id and
5saiah call him &ord, and the 4on
of God#
C8APTE( >55#
The Promise of God not made to the 9e!s only,
but to the Gentiles also, and fulfilled to us by 9esus Christ#
B:T let us go yet further, and
inBuire !hether this people be
the heir, or the formerA and
!hether the co"enant be !ith us
or !ith them#
, And first, as concerning
the people, hear no! !hat the
4cripture saith'
K 5saac prayed for his !ife
(ebekah, because she !as barrenA
and she concei"ed# After!ards
(ebekah !ent forth to inBuire
of the &ord#
. And the &ord said unto herA
There are t!o nations in thy !omb,
and t!o people shall come from
thy bodyA and the one shall ha"e
po!er o"er the other, and the
greater shall ser"e the lesser#
:nderstand here !ho !as 5saacA
!ho (ebekahA and of !hom it !as
foretold, this people shall be
greater than that#
2 And in another prophecy 9acob
speaketh more clearly to his
son 9oseph, sayingA Behold the
&ord hath not deri"ed me of seeing
thy face, bring me thy sons that
5 may bless them# And he brought
unto his father =anasseh and
Ephraim, desiring that he should
bless =anasseh, because he !as
the elder#
1 Therefore 9oseph brought him
to the right hand of his father
9acob# But 9acob by the spirit
foresa! the figure of the people
that !as to come#
I And !hat saith the 4criptureH
And 9acob crossed his hands, and
put his right hand upon Ephraim,
his second, and the younger son,
and blessed him# And 9oseph said
unto 9acobA Put thy right hand
upon the head of =anasseh, for he
is my first%born son# And 9acob
said unto 9osephA 5 kno! it, my
son, 5 kno! itA but the greater
shall ser"e the lesserA though he
also shall be blessed#
+ $e see of !hom he appointed
it, that they should be the first
people, and heirs of the co"enant#
L 5f therefore God shall ha"e
yet farther taken notice of this,
by Abraham tooA our understanding
of it !ill then be perfectly
established#
*- hat then saith the 4cripture
of Abraham, !hen 5 be belie"ed,
and it !as imputed unto him for
righteousnessH Behold 5 ha"e made
thee a father of the nations,
!hich !ithout circumcision belie"e
in the &ord#
** &et us therefore no! inBuire
!hether God has fulfilled the
co"enant, !hich he s!are to our
fathers, that he !ould gi"e this
peopleH $es, "erily, he ga"e itA
but they !ere not !orthy to recei"e
it by reason of their sins#
*, For thus saith the prophet
And =oses continued fasting in
mount 4inai, to recei"e the co"enant
of the &ord !ith the people, forty
days and forty nights#
*K And he recei"ed of the &ord
t!o tables !ritten !ith the finger
of the &ordCs hand, in the 4pirit#
And =oses, !hen he had recei"ed
them, brought them do!n that he
might deli"er them to the people#
*. And the &ord said unto
=osesA =oses, =oses, get thee
do!n Buickly, for the people !hich
thou broughtest out of the land of
Egypt ha"e done !ickedly#
*2 And =oses understood that
they had again set up a molten
image' and he cast the t!o tables
out of his handsA and the tables
of the co"enant of the &ord !ere
broken# =oses therefore recei"ed
them, but they !ere not !orthy#
*1 ;o! then learn ho! !e ha"e
recei"ed them# =oses, being a
ser"ant, took themA but the &ord
himself has gi"en them unto us,
that !e might be the people of his
inheritanceA ha"ing suffered for
us#
*I 8e !as therefore made
manifestA that they should fill
up the measure of their sins,
and that !e being made heirs by
him, should recei"e the co"enant
of the &ord 9esus#
*+ And again the prophet saith
Behold, 5 ha"e set thee for a light
unto the GentilesA to be the sa"iour
of all the ends of the earth, saith
the &ordA the God !ho hath redeemed
thee#
*L ho for that "ery end
!as prepared, that by his o!n
appearing he might redeem our
hearts, already de"oured by
death, and deli"ered o"er to
the irregularity of error,
from darknessA and establish
a co"enant !ith us by his !ord#
,- For so it is !ritten that the
father commanded him by deli"ering
us from darkness, to prepare unto
himself a holy people#
,* herefore the prophet saith
5 the &ord thy God ha"e called
thee in righteousness, and 5 !ill
take thee by thy hand, and !ill
strengthen thee, and gi"e thee
for a co"enant of the peopleA for a
light to the Gentiles# To open the
eyes of the blind, to bring out the
prisoners from the prison, and them
that sit in darkness out of the
prison house#
,, Consider, therefore, from
!hence !e ha"e been redeemed#
And again the prophet saith
The spirit of the &ord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me' he
hath sent me to preach glad tidings
to the lo!lyA to heal the broken in
heartA to preach remission to the
capti"es, and gi"e sight unto the
blindA to proclaim the acceptable
year of the &ord, and the day of
restitutionA to comfort all that
mourn#
C8APTE( >555#
That the sabbath of the 9e!s !as but a figure
of a more glorious sabbath to come, and their
temple, of the spiritual temples of God#
F:(T8E(=7(E it is !ritten
concerning the sabbath, in the
Ten Commandments, !hich God
spake in the mount 4inai to =oses,
face to face' 4anctify the sabbath
of the &ord !ith pure hands, and
!ith a clean heart#
, And else!here he saithA
5f thy children shall keep my
4abbaths, then !ill 5 put my
mercy upon them#
K And e"en in the beginning of
the creation he makes mention of
the sabbath# And God made in
siD days the !orks of his hands,
and he finished them on the se"enth
dayA and he rested the se"enth
day, and sanctified it#
. Consider, my children, !hat
that signifies, he finished them
in siD days# The meaning of it is
this' that in siD thousand years
the &ord God !ill bring all things
to an end#
2 For !ith him one day is
a thousand yearsA as himself
testifieth, saying, Behold this
day shall be as a thousand years#
Therefore, children, in siD days,
that is, in siD thousand years,
shall a all things be accomplished#
1 And !hat is that he saith,
And he rested the se"enth day
he meaneth this' that !hen
his 4on shall come, and abolish
the season of the icked 7ne,
and judge the ungodlyA and shall
change the sun and the moon, and
the starsA then he shall gloriously
rest on that se"enth day,
I 8e adds, lastly' Thou shalt
sanctify it !ith clean hands and
a pure heart# herefore !e are
greatly decei"ed if !e imagine
that anyone can no! sanctify that
day !hich God has made holy,
!ithout ha"ing a heart pure in
all things#
+ Behold, therefore, he !ill then
truly sanctify it !ith blessed rest,
!hen !e Eha"ing recei"ed the
righteous promise, !hen iniBuity
shall be no more, all things being
rene!ed by the &ordF shall be able
to sanctify it, being oursel"es first
made holyA
L &astly, he saith unto them
$our ne! moons and your 4abbaths
5 cannot bear them# Consider
!hat he means by itA the
4abbaths, says he, !hich ye no!
keep are not acceptable unto me,
but those !hich 5 ha"e madeA
!hen resting from all things 5
shall begin the eight day, that is,
the beginning of the other !orld#
*- For !hich cause !e obser"e
the eight day !ith gladness, in
!hich 9esus rose from the deadA
and ha"ing manifested himself to
his disciples, ascended into hea"en#
** 5t remains yet that 5
speak to you concerning the temple'
ho! those miserable men being
decei"ed ha"e put their trust
in the house, and not in God
himself !ho made them, as if
it !ere the habitation of God#
*, For much after the same
manner as the Gentiles, they
consecrated him in the temple#
*K But learn therefore ho!
the &ord speaketh, rendering the
temple "ain' ho has measured the
hea"en !ith a span, and the earth
!ith his handH 5s it not 5H Thus
!ith the &ord, 8ea"en is my
throne, and the earth is my
footstool# hat is the house
that ye !ill build meH 7r !hat
is the place of my restH <no!
therefore that all their hope
is "ain#
*. And again he speaketh after
this manner' Behold they that
destroy this temple, e"en they
shall again build it up# And so
it came to passA for through their
!ars it is no! destroyed by their
enemiesA and the ser"ants of their
enemies build it up#
*2 Furthermore it has been
made manifest, ho! both the city
and the temple, and the people of
5srael should be gi"en up# For
the scripture saithA And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that
the &ord !ill deli"er up the sheep
of his pasture, and their fold, and
their to!er unto destruction# And
it is come to pass, as the &ord hath
spoken#
*1 &et us inBuire therefore,
!hether there be any temple of
GodH $es there is' and there
!here himself declares that he
!ould both make and perfect it#
For it is !ritten' And it shall
be that as soon as the !eek shall
be completed, the temple of the
&ord shall be gloriously built in
the name of the &ord#
*I 5 find therefore that there
is a temple# But ho! shall it be
built in the name of the &ordH 5
!ill she! you#
*+ Before that !e belie"ed in
God, the habitation of our heart
!as corruptible, and feeble, as a
temple truly built !ith hands#
*L For it !as a house full
of idolatry, a house of de"ilsA
inasmuch as there !as done in it
!hatsoe"er !as contrary unto God#
But it shall be built in the name
of the &ord#
,- Consider, ho! that the
temple of the &ord shall be "ery
gloriously builtA and by !hat
means that shall be, learn#
,* 8a"ing recei"ed remission
of our sins, and trusting in the
name of the &ord, !e are become
rene!ed, being again created as it
!ere from the beginning# herefore
God truly d!ells in our house,
that is, in us#
,, But ho! does he d!ell in usH
By the !ord of his faith, the calling
of his promise, the !isdom of his
righteous judgments and the commands
of his doctrine# 8e himself prophesies
!ithin us, he himself d!elleth in us,
and openeth to us !ho !ere in bondage
of death the gate of our temple,
that is, the mouth of !isdom, ha"ing
gi"en repentance unto usA and by this
means has brought us to be an
incorruptible temple#
,K 8e therefore that desires to
be sa"ed looketh not unto the
man, but unto him that d!elleth
in him, and speaketh by himA
being struck !ith !onder,
forasmuch as he ne"er either
heard him speaking such !ords
out of his mouth, nor e"er
desired to hear them#
,. This is that spiritual temple
that is built unto the &ord#
C8APTE( >5?#
7f the !ay of lightA being a summary of !hat
a Christian is to do, that he maybe happy for e"er#
A;) thus 5 trust, 5 ha"e
declared to you as much, and
!ith as great simplicity as 5
could, those, things !hich pro"ide
for your sal"ation, so as not to
ha"e omitted any thing that might
be reBuisite thereunto#
, For should 5 speak farther of
the things that no! are, and of
those that are to come, you !ould
not yet understand them, seeing
they lie in parables# This therefore
shall suffice as to these things#
K &et us no! go on to the other
kind of kno!ledge and doctrine#
There are t!o !ays of doctrine
and po!erA the one of light, the
other of darkness#
. But there is a great deal of
difference bet!een these t!o !ays
for o"er one are appointed the
angels of God, the leaders of
the !ay of lightA o"er the other,
the angels of 4atan# And the one
is the &ord from e"erlasting to
e"erlastingA the other is the
prince of the time of
unrighteousness#
2 ;o! the !ay of light is this'
5f any one desires to attain to the
place that is appointed for him,
and !ill hasten thither by his
!orks# And the kno!ledge that
has been gi"en to us for !alking
in it, to this effect' Thou shalt
lo"e him that made thee' thou
shalt glorify him that hath
redeemed thee from death#
1 Thou shalt be simple in heart,
and rich in the spirit# Thou shalt
not clea"e to those that !alk in
the !ay of death# Thou shalt hate
to do anything that is not pleasing
unto God# Thou shalt abhor all
dissimulation# Thou shalt not
neglect any of the commands of
the &ord#
I Thou shalt not eDalt thyself,
but shalt be humble# Then shalt
not take honour to thyself# Thou
shalt not enter into any !icked
counsel against thy neighbour#
Thou shalt not be o"er confident
in thy heart#
+ Thou shaft not commit
fornication, nor adultery#
;either shalt thou corrupt
thyself !ith mankind# Thou
shalt not make use of the
!ord of God, to any impurity,
L Thou shalt not eDcept any
manCs person, !hen thou repro"est
any oneCs faults# Thou shalt be
gentle# Thou shalt be Buiet#
Thou shalt tremble at the !ords
!hich thou hast heard# Thou
shalt not keep any hatred in thy
heart against thy brother# Thou
shalt not entertain any doubt
!hether it shall be or not#
*- Thou shalt not take the name
of the &ord in "ain# Thou shalt
lo"e thy neighbour abo"e thy o!n
soul,
** Thou shalt not destroy thy
conceptions, before they are
brought forthA nor kill them
after they are born#
*, Thou shalt not !ithdra! thy
hand from thy son, or from thy
daughterA but shall teach them
from their youth the fear of the
&ord#
*K Thou shalt not co"et thy
neighbourCs goodsA neither shalt
thou be an eDtortioner# ;either
shall thy heart be joined to proud
menA but thou shalt be numbered
among the righteous and the
lo!ly# hate"er e"ents shall
happen unto thee, thou shalt
recei"e them as good#
*. Thou shalt not be double%
minded or double%tonguedA for a
double tongue is the snare of death#
Thou shalt be subject unto the
&ord and to inferior masters as to
the representati"es of God, in fear
and re"erence#
*2 Thou shalt not be bitter in
thy commands to!ards any of thy
ser"ants that trust in GodA lest
thou chance not to fear him !ho
is o"er bothA because he came not
to call any !ith respect of persons,
but !homsoe"er the spirit had
prepared#
*1 Thou shalt communicate to
thy neighbour of all thou hastA
thou shalt not call anything
thine o!n' for if ye partake of
such things as are incorruptible,
ho! much more should you do it
in those that are corruptibleH
*I Thou shalt not be for!ard to
speakA for the mouth is the snare
of death# 4tri"e for thy soul !ith
all thy might# (each not out
thine hand to recei"e, and
!ithhold it not !hen thou
shouldest gi"e#
*+ Thou shalt lo"e, as the apple
of thine eye, e"eryone that speaketh
unto thee the ord of the &ord#
Call to thy remembrance, day and
night, the future judgment#
*L Thou shalt seek out e"ery
day, the persons of the righteousA
and both consider and go about to
eDhort others by the !ord, and
meditate ho! thou mayest sa"e a
soul#
,- Thou shaft also labour !ith
thy hands to gi"e to the poor,
that thy sins may be forgi"en thee,
Thou shalt not deliberate !hether
thou shouldst gi"eA nor ha"ing
gi"en, murmur at it#
,* Gi"e to e"eryone that asks
so shalt thou kno! !ho is the good
re!arder of thy gifts#
,, <eep !hat thou hast recei"edA
thou shalt neither add to it nor
take from it#
,K &et the !icked be al!ays
thy a"ersion# Thou shalt judge
!ith righteous judgment# Thou
shalt ne"er cause di"isionsA but
shalt make peace bet!een those
that are at "ariance, and bring
them together#
,. Thou shalt confess thy sinsA
and not come to thy prayer !ith
an e"il conscience#
,2 This is the !ay of light#
C8APTE( >?#
7f the !ay of darknessA that is, !hat kind of persons
shall be for e"er cast out of the kingdom of God#
B:T the !ay of darkness is
crooked, and full of cursing#
For it is the !ay of eternal death,
!ith punishmentA in !hich they
that !alk meet those things that
destroy their o!n souls#
, 4uch areA idolatry, confidence,
pride of po!er, hypocrisy, double%
mindedness, adultery, murder, rapine,
pride, transgression, deceit, malice,
arrogance, !itchcraft, co"etousness,
and the !ant of the fear of God#
K 5n this, !alk those, !ho are
the persecutors of them that are
goodA haters of truthA lo"ers of
liesA !ho kno! not the re!ard of
righteousness, nor clea"e to any
thing that is good#
. ho administer not righteous
judgment to the !ido! and orphanA
!ho !atch for !ickedness, and not
for the fear of the &ordA
2 From !hom gentleness and
patience are far off' !ho lo"e
"anity, and follo! after re!ardsA
ha"ing no compassion upon the
poorA nor take any pains for such
as are hea"y laden and oppressed#
1 (eady to e"il speaking,
not kno!ing him that made themA
murderers of childrenA corrupters
of the creature of GodA that turn
a!ay from the needyA oppress the
afflictedA are the ad"ocates of the
rich, but unjust judges of the poorA
being altogether sinners#
I 5t is therefore fitting
that learning the just commands
of the &ord, !hich !e ha"e before
mentioned, !e should !alk in them#
For he !ho does such things shall
be glorified in the kingdom of 8od#
+ But he that chooses the other
part, shall be destroyed, together
!ith his !orks# For this cause
there shall be both a resurrection,
and a retribution#
L 5 beseech those that are in
high estate among you, Eif so be
you !ill take the counsel !hich
!ith a good intention 5 offer to
you,F you ha"e those !ith you
to!ards !hom you may do goodA
do not forsake them#
*- For the day is at hand in
!hich all things shall be destroyed,
together !ith the !icked one#
The &ord is near, and his re!ard
is !ith him#
** 5 beseech you, therefore,
again, and again, Be as good
la!gi"erCs to one AnotherA continue
faithful counsellors do each other
remo"e from among you all hypocrisy#
*, And may God, the &ord
of all the !orld, gi"e you
!isdom, kno!ledge, counsel,
and understanding of his
judgments in patience'
*K Be ye taught of GodA
seeking !hat it is the &ord
reBuires of you, and doing itA
that ye may be sa"ed in the
day of judgment#
*. And if there be among you
any remembrance of !hat is good,
think of meA meditating on these
things, that both my desire and
my !atching for you may turn to
a good account#
*2 5 beseech youA 5 ask it as a
fa"our of youA !hilst you are in
this beautiful tabernacle of the
body, be !anting in none of these
thingsA but !ithout ceasing seek
them, and fulfil e"ery command,
For these things are fitting and
!orthy to be done#
*1 herefore 5 ha"e gi"en the
more diligence to !rite unto you
according to my ability, that you
might rejoice# Fare!ell, children
of lo"e and peace#
*I The &ord of glory and of
all grace, be !ith your spirit,
Amen#
/The end of the Epistle of Barnabas
the Apostle, and fello!%tra"eller
of 4t# Paul the Apostle#3
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E GE;E(A& EP54T&E 7F BA(;ABA4#
/Barnabas !as a companion and fello!%preacher !ith Paul# This Epistle
lays a greater claim to canonical authority than most others# 5t has been
cited by Clemens, AleDandrinus, 7rigen, Eusebius, and 9erome, and many
ancient Fathers# Cotelerius affirms that 7rigen and 9erome esteemed it
genuine and canonicalA but Cotelerius himself did not belie"e it to be
either one or the otherA on the contrary, he supposes it !as !ritten for
the benefit of the Ebionites, Ethe christianiGed 9e!s,F !ho !ere
tenacious of rites and ceremonies# Bishop Fell feared to o!n eDpressly
!hat he seemed to be persuaded of, that it ought to be treated !ith the
same respect as se"eral of the books of the present canon# )r# Bernard,
4a"ilian professor at 7Dford, not only belie"ed it to be genuine, but
that it !as read throughout in the churches of AleDandria, as the
canonical 4criptures !ere# )od!ell supposed it to ha"e been published
before the Epistle of 9ude, and the !ritings of both the 9ohns# ?ossius,
)upuis, )r# Cane, )r# =ill, )r, 4# Clark, hitson, and Archbishop ake
also esteemed it genuine' =enardus, Archbishop &and, 4panheim, and others
deemed it apocryphal#3
T8E EP54T&E 7F
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E EP8E45A;4#
C8APTE( 5#
* 5gnatius commends the brethren for sending
7nesimus and other members of the church to him#
+ EDhorts them to unityA
*K by a due subjection to their bishopA
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to the church !hich
is at Ephesus in AsiaA most
deser"edly happy' being blessed
through the greatness and fullness
of God the Father, and predestinated
before the !orld beganA that it
should be al!ays unto an enduring
and unchangeable gloryA united and
chosen through his true passion,
according to the !ill of the Father,
and 9esus Christ our GodA all
happiness, by 9esus Christ,
and his undefiled grace#
, 5 ha"e heard of your name
much belo"ed in GodA !hich ye
ha"e "ery justly attained by a
habit of righteousness, according
to the faith and lo"e !hich is in
9esus Christ our 4a"iour#
K 8o! that being follo!ers of
God, and stirring up yoursel"es
by the blood of Christ ye ha"e
perfectly accomplished the !ork
that !as con%natural unto you#
. For hearing that 5 came bound
from 4yria, for the common name
and hope, trusting through your
prayers to fight !ith beasts at
homeA so that by suffering 5 may
become indeed the disciple of him
!ho ga"e himself to God, an offering
and sacrifice for usA ye hastened
to see me# 5 recei"ed, therefore,
in the name of God, your !hole
multitude in 7nesimusA
2 ho by' ineDpressible lo"e is
ours, but according to the flesh
is our bishopA !hom 5 beseech you,
pray 9esus Christ, to lo"e' and that
you !ould all stri"e to be like unto
him# And blessed be God, !ho
has granted unto you, !ho are so
!orthy of him, to enjoy such an
eDcellent bishop#
1 For !hat concerns my fello!
ser"ant Burrhus, and your most
blessed deacon in things pertaining
to GodA 5 entreat you that he may
tarry longer, both for yours, and
your bishopCs honour#
I And Crocus also !orthy of
both our God and you, !hom 5
ha"e recei"ed as the pattern
of your lo"e, has in all things
refreshed me, as the Father of
our &ord 9esus Christ shall also
refresh himA together !ith 7nesimus,
and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto,
in !hom 5 ha"e, as to your charity,
seen all of you, And may al!ays,
ha"e joy of you, if 5 shall be
!orthy of it#
+ 5t is therefore fitting that you
should by all means glorify 9esus
Christ, !ho hath glorified you
that by a uniform obedience ye
may be perfectly joined together
in the same mind, and in the same
judgmentA and may all speak the
same things concerning e"erything'
L And that being, subject to
your bishop, and the presbytery,
ye may be !holly and thoroughly
sanctified#
*- These things 5 prescribe to
you, not as if 5 !ere somebody
eDtraordinary' for though 5 am
bound for his name, 5 am not yet
perfect in Christ 9esus# But no!
5 begin to learn, and 5 speak to
you as fello! disciples together
!ith me#
** For 5 ought to ha"e been
stirred up by you, in faith' in
admonitionA in patienceA in long%
sufferingA but forasmuch as
charity suffers me not to be
silent to!ards you, 5 ha"e first
taken upon me to eDhort you, that
ye !ould all run together,
according to the !ill of God#
*, For e"en 9esus Christ, our
inseparable life, is sent by the
!ill of the FatherA as the bishops,
appointed unto the utmost bounds of
the earth, are by the !ill of 9esus
Christ#
*K herefore it !ill become you
to run together according to the
!ill of your bishop, as also ye do,
*. For your famous presbytery,
!orthy of God, is fitted as eDactly
to the bishop, as the strings are
to the harp#
*2 Therefore in your concord
and agreeing charity, 9esus Christ
is sungA and e"ery single person
among you makes up the chorus'
*1 That so being all consonant
in lo"e, and taking up the song
of God, ye may in a perfect unity
!ith one "oice, sing to the Father
by 9esus ChristA to the end that
he may both hear you, and percei"e
by your !orks, that ye are indeed
the members of his son#
*I herefore it is profitable for
you to li"e in an unblameable
unity, that so ye may al!ays ha"e
a fello!ship !ith God#
C8APTE( 55#
* The benefit of subjection#
. The bishop not to be respected the less
because he is not for!ard in eDacting it'
+ !arns brethren against hereticsA bidding
them clea"e to 9esus, !hose di"ine and human
mature is declared' commends them for their care
to keep themsel"es from false teachers'
and she!s them the !ay to God#
F7( if 5 in this little time ha"e
had such a familiarity !ith
your bishop, 5 mean not a carnal,
but spiritual acBuaintance !ith
himA ho! much more must 5 think
you happy !ho are so joined to him,
as the church is to 9esus Christ,
and 9esus Christ to the FatherA
so that all things may agree in
the same unity#
, &et no man decei"e himselfA
if a man be not !ithin the altar,
he is depri"ed of the bread of God#
For if the prayer of one or t!o
be of such force, as !e are toldA
ho! much more po!erful shall
that of the bishop and the !hole
church beH
K 8e therefore that does not
come together in the same place
!ith it, is proud, and has already
condemned himselfA for it is !ritten,
God resisteth the proud# &et us take
heed therefore, that !e do not set
oursel"es against the bishop,
that !e may be subject to God#
. The more any one sees his
bishop silent, the more let him
re"ere him# For !homsoe"er the
master of the house sends to be
o"er his o!n household, !e ought
in like manner to recei"e him, as
!e do him that sent him# 5t is
therefore e"ident that !e ought
to look upon the bishop, e"en as
!e do upon the &ord himself#
2 And indeed 7nesimus himself
does greatly commend your good
order in God' that you all li"e
according to the truth, and that
no heresy d!ells among you# For
neither do ye hearken to anyone
more than to 9esus Christ
speaking to you in truth#
1 For some there are !ho
carry about the name of Christ
in deceitfulness, but do things
un!orthy of GodA !hom ye must
flee, as ye !ould do so many
!ild beasts# For they are ra"ing
dogs, !ho bite secretlyA against
!hom ye must guard yoursel"es,
as men hardly to be cured#
I There is one Physician, both
fleshy and spiritualA made and
not madeA God incarnateA true
life in deathA both of =ary and
of God' first passible, then
impassibleA e"en 9esus Christ our
&ord#
+ herefore let no man decei"e
youA as indeed neither are ye
decei"ed, being !holly the
ser"ants of God# For inasmuch as
there is no contention nor strife
among you, to trouble you, ye
must needs li"e according to GodCs
!ill# =y soul be for yoursA
and 5 myself, the eDpiatory
offering for your church of EphesusA
so famous throughout the !orld#
L They that are of the flesh
cannot do the !orks of the spiritA
neither they that are of the spirit
the !orks of the fleshA as he
that has faith cannot be an infidelA
nor he that is an infidel ha"e
faith# But e"en those things
!hich ye do according to the flesh
are spiritualA forasmuch as ye do
all things in 9esus Christ#
*- ;e"ertheless 5 ha"e heard
of some !ho ha"e passed by you,
ha"ing per"erse doctrineA !hom
ye did not suffer to so! among
youA but stopped your ears, that
ye might not recei"e those things
that !ere so!n by them' because
being the stones of the temple of
the Father, prepared for his
buildingA and dra!n up on high
by the Cross of Christ,
as by an engineA
**# :sing the 8oly Ghost as the
rope' your faith being your supportA
and your charity the !ay that leads
unto God#
*, $e are therefore, !ith all
your companions in the same
journey full of GodA his spiritual
temples, full of Christ, and of
holiness' adorned in all things
!ith the commands of Christ#
*K 5n !hom also 5 rejoice that
5 ha"e been thought !orthy by
this present epistle to con"erse,
and joy together !ith youA that
!ith respect to the other life, ye
lo"e nothing but God only#
C8APTE( 555#
* EDhorts them to prayerA to be unblamable#
2 To be careful of sal"ationA
** freBuent in public de"otionA
*K and to li"e in charity#
P(A$ also !ithout ceasing for
other menA for there is hope
of repentance in them, that they
may attain unto God# &et them
therefore at least be instructed by
your !orks, if they !ill be no
other !ay#
, Be ye mild at their angerA
humble at their boastingA to their
blasphemies return your prayers
to their error, your firmness in
the faithA !hen they are cruel,
be ye gentleA not endea"ouring
to imitate their !ays#
EK &et us be their brethren in
all kindness and moderation, but
let us be follo!ers of the &ordA
for !ho !as e"er more unjustly
usedH =ore destituteH =ore
despisedHF#
. That so no herb of the de"il
may be found in you' but ye may
remain in all holiness and sobriety
both of body and spirit, in Christ
9esus#
2 The last times are come upon
us' let us therefore be "ery
re"erent, and fear the long%
suffering of God, that it be
not to us unto condemnation#
1 For let us either fear the
!rath that is to come, or let us
lo"e the grace that !e at present
enjoyA that by the one or other of
these, !e may be found in Christ
9esus, unto true life#
I Besides him, let nothing be
!orthy of youA for !hom also 5
bear about these bondsA those
spiritual je!els, in !hich 5 !ould
to God that 5 might arise through
your prayers#
+ 7f !hich 5 entreat you to
make me al!ays partaker, that 5
may be found in the lot of the
Christians of Ephesus, !ho ha"e
al!ays agreed !ith the Apostles,
through the po!er of 9esus Christ#
L 5 kno! both !ho 5 am, and
to !hom 5 !rite' 5, a person
condemnedA ye, such as ha"e
obtained mercyA 5, eDposed
to dangerA ye confirmed
against danger#
*- $e are the passage of
those that are killed for GodA
the companions of Paul in the
mysteries of the GospelA the
holy, the martyr, the deser"edly
most happy Paul' at !hose feet
may 5 be found, !hen 5 shall ha"e
attained unto GodA !ho throughout
all his epistles, makes mention
of you in Christ 9esus#
** &et it be your care therefore
to come more fully together, to
the praise and glory of GodA
for !hen ye meet fully together
in the same place, the po!ers of
the de"il are destroyed, and his
mischief is dissol"ed by the unity
of your faith#
*, And indeed, nothing is better
than peace, by !hich all !ar both
spiritual and earthly is abolished#
*K 7f all !hich, nothing is hid
from you, if ye ha"e perfect faith
and charity in Christ 9esus, !hich
are the beginning and end of life#
*. For the beginning is faithA
the end is charity# And these t!o
joined together, are of GodA but
all other things !hich concern a
holy life, are the conseBuences of
these#
*2 ;o man professing a true
faith, sinnethA neither does he
!ho has charity hate any#
*1 The tree is made manifest
by its fruitA so they !ho profess
themsel"es to be Christians are
kno!n by !hat they do#
*I For Christianity is not the
!ork of an out!ard professionA
but sho!s itself in the po!er of
faith, if a man be found faithful
unto the end#
*+ 5t is better for a man to hold
his peace, and beA than to say, he
is a Christian, and not to be#
*L 5t is good to teachA if !hat
he says he does like!ise#
,- There is therefore one master
!ho spake, and it !as doneA and
e"en those things !hich he did
!ithout speaking, are !orthy
of the Father#
,* 8e that possesses the !ord
of 9esus, is truly able to bear his
"ery silence# That he may be perfect,
he !ill do according to !hat he
speaks, and be kno!n by those
things of !hich he is silent#
,, There is nothing hid from
God, but e"en our secrets are nigh
unto him#
,K &et us therefore do all
things, as becomes those !ho
ha"e God d!elling in themA
that !e maybe his templesA
and he may be our God as also
he is, and !ill manifest himself
before our faces, by those things
for !hich !e justly lo"e him#
C8APTE( 5?#
* To ha"e a care for the Gospel#
L The "irginity of =ary, the incarnation,
and the death of Christ, !ere hid from the )e"il#
** 8o! the birth of Christ !as re"ealed#
*1 EDhorts to unity#
BE not decei"ed, my brethren'
those that corrupt families
by adultery, shall not inherit
the kingdom of God#
, 5f therefore they !ho do this
according to the flesh, ha"e
suffered deathA ho! much more shall
he die, !ho by his !icked doctrine
corrupts the faith of God, for !hich
Christ !as crucifiedH
K 8e that is thus defiled, shall
depart into unBuenchable fire, and
so also shall he that hearkens to
him#
. For this cause did the &ord
suffer the ointment to be poured
on his headA that he might breathe
the breath of immortality unto his
church#
2 Be not ye therefore anointed
!ith the e"il sa"our of the doctrine
of the prince of this !orld' let him
not take you capti"e from the life
that is set before you#
1 And !hy are !e not all
!ise, seeing !e ha"e recei"ed
the kno!ledge of God, !hich is
9esus ChristH hy do !e suffer
oursel"es foolishly to perishA
not considering the gift !hich
the &ord has truly sent to usH
I &et my life be sacrificed
for the doctrine of the crossA
!hich is indeed a scandal to the
unbelie"ers, but to us is sal"ation
and life eternal#
+ here is the !ise manH
here is the disputerH here
is the boasting of those !ho
are called !iseH
L For our &ord 9esus Christ !as
according to the dispensation of
God, concei"ed in the !omb of
=ary, of the seed of )a"id,
by the 8oly Ghost# 8e !as born
and baptiGed, that through his
passion he might purify !ater,
to the !ashing a!ay of sin#
*- ;o! the ?irginity of =ary,
and he !ho !as born of her, !as
kept in secret from the prince of
this !orldA as !as also the death
of our &ord' three of the mysteries
the most spoken of throughout the
!orld, yet done in secret by God#
** 8o! then !as our 4a"iour
manifested to the !orldH A star
shone in hea"en beyond all the
other stars, and its light !as
ineDpressible, and its no"elty
struck terror into menCs minds#
All the rest of the stars,
together !ith the sun and moon,
!ere the chorus to this starA
but that sent out its light
eDceedingly abo"e them all#
*, And men began to be troubled
to think !hence this ne! star
came so unlike to all the others#
*K 8ence all the po!er of magic
became dissol"edA and e"ery bond
of !ickedness !as destroyed' menCs
ignorance !as taken a!ayA and
the old kingdom abolishedA God
himself appearing in the form
of a man, for the rene!al of
eternal life#
*. From thence began !hat
God had prepared' from thence#
forth things !ere disturbedA
forasmuch as he designed to
abolish death#
*2 But if 9esus Christ shall
gi"e me grace through your prayers,
and if it be his !ill, 5 purpose
in a second epistle !hich 5 !ill
suddenly !rite unto you, to manifest
to you more fully the dispensation
of !hich 5 ha"e no! begun to speak,
about the ne! man, !hich is 9esus
ChristA both in his faith, and
charityA in his suffering, and
in his resurrection#
*1 Especially if the &ord shall
make kno!n unto me, that ye all
by name come together united in
one faith, and in 9esus ChristA
!ho !as of the race of )a"id
according to the fleshA the 4on
of man, and son of GodA obeying
your bishop and the presbytery
!ith an entire affectionA breaking
one and the same bread, !hich is
the medicine of immortalityA
our antidote that !e should not
die, but li"e for e"er in Christ
9esus#
*I =y soul be for yours, and
theirs !hom ye ha"e sent, to the
glory of GodA e"en unto 4myrna,
from !hence also 5 !rite to youA
gi"ing thanks unto the &ord and
lo"ing Polycarp e"en as 5 do you#
(emember me, as 9esus Christ does
remember you#
*+ Pray for the church !hich is
in 4yria from !hence 5 am carried
bound to (omeA being the least
of all the faithful !hich are there,
as 5 ha"e been thought !orthy to
be found, to the glory of God#
*L Fare ye !ell in God the
Father, and in 9esus Christ, our
common hope# Amen#
T8E EP54T&E 7F
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E =AG;E45A;4
C8APTE( 5#
. 5gnatius mentions the arri"al of )amas,
their bishop, and others,
1 !hom he eDhorts them to re"erence
not!ithstanding he !as a young man#
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to the blessed
church, by the grace of God the
Father, in 9esus Christ our 4a"iourA
through !hom 5 salute the church
!hich is at =agnesia, near the
=aeander' and !ish it all joy in
God the Father, and in 9esus
Christ#
, hen 5 heard of your !ell%
ordered lo"e and charity in God,
being full of joy, 5 desired much
to speak unto you in the faith of
9esus Christ#
K For ha"ing been thought
!orthy to obtain a most eDcellent
name, in the bonds !hich 5 carry
about, 5 salute the churchesA
!ishing in them a union both of
the body and spirit of 9esus Christ,
our eternal life' as also of faith
and charity, to !hich nothing is
preferred' but especially of 9esus
and the FatherA in !hom if !e
undergo all the injuries of the
prince of this present !orld, and
escape, !e shall enjoy God,
. 4eeing, then, 5 ha"e been
judged !orthy to see you, by
)amas your most eDcellent bishopA
and by your !orthy presbyters,
Bassus and ApolloniusA and by my
fello!%ser"ant 4otio, the deaconA
2 5n !hom 5 rejoice, forasmuch
as he is subject unto his bishop as
to the grace of GodA and to the
presbytery as to the la! of 9esus
ChristA 5 determined to !rite
unto you#
1 herefore it !ill become you
also not to use your bishop too
familiarly upon the account of his
youthA but to yield all re"erence
to him according to the po!er of
God the FatherA as also 5 percei"e
that your holy presbyters do' not
considering his age, !hich indeed
to appearance is youngA but as
becomes those !ho are prudent in
God, submitting to him, or rather
not to him but to the Father of our
&ord 9esus Christ, the bishop of
us all#
I 5t !ill therefore beho"e you
!ith all sincerity, to obey your
bishopA in honour of him !hose
pleasure it is that ye should do so#
+ Because he that does not do
so, decei"es not the bishop !hom
he sees, but affronts him that is
in"isible# For !hatsoe"er of this
kind is done, it reflects not upon
man, but upon God, !ho kno!s
the secrets of our hearts#
L 5t is therefore fitting,
that !e should not only be called
christians, but be so#
*- As some call indeed their
go"ernor, bishopA but yet do all
things !ithout him#
** But 5 can ne"er think
that such as these ha"e a good
conscience, seeing that they are
not gathered together thoroughly
according to GodCs commandment#
C8APTE( 55#
* That as all must die,
. he eDhorts them to li"e orderly and in unity#
4EE5;G then all things ha"e
an end, there are these t!o
indifferently set before us,
death and life' and e"eryone
shall depart unto his proper place#
, For as there are t!o sorts of
coins, the one of God, the other of
the !orld, and each of these has
its proper inscription engra"en
upon itA so also is it here#
K The unbelie"ers are of this
!orldA but the faithful, through
charity ha"e the character of God
the Father by 9esus Christ'
by !hom if !e are not readily
disposed to die after the likeness
of his passion, his life is not in us#
. Forasmuch, therefore, as 5
ha"e in the persons before mentioned,
seen all of you in faith and charityA
5 eDhort you that ye study to do all
things in a di"ine concord'
2 $our bishop presiding in the
place of GodA your presbyters in
the place of the council of the
ApostlesA and your deacons most
dear to me, being entrusted !ith
the ministry of 9esus ChristA !ho
!as the Father before all ages,
and appeared in the end to us#
1 herefore taking the same
holy course, see that ye all
re"erence one another, and let no
one look upon his neighbour after
the fleshA but do ye all mutually
lo"e each other in 9esus Christ#
I &et there be nothing that may
be able to make a di"ision among
youA but be ye united to your
bishop, and those !ho preside
o"er you, to be your pattern and
direction in the !ay to immortality#
+ As therefore the &ord did
nothing !ithout the Father, being
united to himA neither by himself
nor yet by his Apostles, so neither
do ye do anything !ithout your
bishop and presbyters'
L ;either endea"our to let
anything appear rational to
yoursel"es apartA
*- But being come together into
the same place, ha"e one common
prayerA one supplicationA
one mindA one hopeA one in charity,
and in joy undefiled#
** There is one &ord 9esus
Christ, than !hom nothing is better#
herefore come ye all together, as
unto one temple of GodA as to one
altarA as to one' 9esus Christ,
!ho proceeded from one Father,
and eDists in oneA and is
returned to one#
C8APTE( 555#
* 8e cautions them against false opinions#
K Especially those of Ebion and the 9udaising Christians#
BE not decei"ed !ith strange
doctrinesA nor !ith old fables
!hich are unprofitable# For if
!e still continue to li"e according
to the 9e!ish la!, !e do confess
oursel"es not to ha"e recei"ed grace#
For e"en the most holy prophets
li"ed according to Christ 9esus#
, And for this cause !ere they
persecuted, being inspired by his
grace to con"ince the unbelie"ers
and disobedient that there is one
God !ho has manifested himself
by 9esus Christ his 4onA !ho is
his eternal !ord, not coming forth
from silenceA !ho in all things
pleased him that sent him#
K herefore if they !ho !ere
brought up in these ancient la!s,
came ne"ertheless to the ne!ness
of hopeA no longer obser"ing
sabbaths, but keeping the &ordCs
day in !hich also our life is
sprung up by him, and through
his death, !hom yet some deny'
. EBy !hich mystery !e ha"e
been brought to belie"e and
therefore !ait that !e maybe
found the disciples of 9esus
Christ, our only master'F
2 8o! shall !e be able to li"e
different from himA !hose disciples
the "ery prophets themsel"es
being, did by the spirit eDpect him
as their masterA
1 And therefore he !hom they
justly !aited for, being come,
raised, them up from the dead#
I &et us not then be insensible
of his goodnessA for should he
ha"e dealt !ith us according to
our !orks, !e had not no! had a
being#
+ herefore being become his
disciples, let us learn to li"e
according to the rules of
ChristianityA for !hosoe"er is
called by any other name besides
this, he is not of God#
L &ay aside therefore the old and
sour, and e"il lea"enA and be ye
changed into the ne! lea"en, !hich
is 9esus Christ#
*- Be ye salted in him, lest any
one among you should be corruptedA
for by your 4a"ior ye shall
be judged#
** 5t is absurd to name 9esus
Christ, and to 9udaiGe# For the
christian religion did not embrace
the 9e!ish, but the 9e!ish the
christianA that so e"ery tongue
that belie"ed might be gathered
together unto God#
*, These things, my belo"ed, 5
!rite unto youA not that 5 kno!
of any among you that lie under
this error' but as one of the least
among you, 5 am desirous to fore!arn
you, that ye fall not into the
snares of false doctrine#
*K But that ye be fully instructed
in the birth, and suffering, and
resurrection of 9esus Christ,
our hopeA !hich !as accomplished
in the time of the go"ernment of
Pontius Pilate, and that most truly
and certainly' and from !hich God
forbid that any among you should
be turned aside#
C8APTE( 5?#
* Commends their faith and pietyA eDhorts them
to perse"ereA
*- desires their prayers for himself and the
church at Antioch#
=A$ 5 therefore ha"e joy of
you in all things, if 5 shall
be !orthy of it# For though 5 am
bound, yet am 5 not !orthy to be
compared to one of you that are at
liberty#
, 5 kno! that ye are not puffed
upA for ye ha"e 9esus Christ in
your hearts#
K And especially !hen 5 commend
you, 5 kno! that ye are ashamed,
as it is !ritten, The just man
condemneth himself#
. 4tudy therefore to be confirmed
in the doctrine of our &ord, and
of his ApostlesA that so !hate"er
ye do, ye may prosper both in body
and spirit, in faith and charity,
in the 4on, and in the Father,
and in the 8oly 4piritA in the
beginning, and in the end'
2 Together !ith your most !orthy
bishop, and the !ell%!rought
spiritual cro!n of your presbytery,
and your deacons, !hich are
according to God#
1 Be subject to your bishop, and
to one another, as 9esus Christ
!as to the Father, according to the
fleshA and the Apostles, both to
Christ, and to the FatherA and to
the 8oly Ghost' that so ye may
be united both in body and spirit#
I <no!ing you to be full of
God, 5 ha"e the more briefly
eDhorted you#
+ Be mindful of me in your
prayers, that 5 may attain unto
God, and of the church that is in
4yria, from !hich 5 am not !orthy
to be called#
L For 5 stand in need of your
joint prayers in God, and of your
charity, that the church !hich is
in 4yria may be thought !orthy
to be nourished by your church#
*- The Ephesians from 4myrna
salute you, from !hich place 5
!rite unto youA Ebeing present
here to the glory of God, in like
manner as you are,F !ho ha"e in
all things refreshed me, together
!ith Polycarp, the bishop of the
4myrneans#
** The rest of the churches in
the honour of 9esus Christ salute
you#
*, Fare!ell, and be ye strengthened
in the concord of GodA enjoying
his inseparable spirit, !hich
is Christ 9esus#
T8E EP54T&E 7F
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E T(A&&5A;4#
C8APTE( *#
* Ackno!ledges the coming of their bishop#
2 Commends them for their subjection to their bishop,
priests, and deaconsA and eDhorts them to continue in it'
*2 is afraid e"en of his o"er%great desire to suffer,
lest it should be prejudicial to him#
5G;ATT:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to the holy church
!hich is at Tralles in Asia'
belo"ed of God, the Father of 9esus
ChristA elect and !orthy of God,
ha"ing peace through the flesh and
blood, and passion of 9esus Christ
our hopeA in the resurrection !hich
is by him' !hich also 5 salute in
its fullness, continuing in the
apostolical character, !ishing all
joy and happiness unto it#
, 5 ha"e heard of your blameless
and constant disposition through
patience, !hich not only appears
in your out!ard con"ersation, but
is naturally rooted and grounded
in you#
K 5n like manner as Polybius
your bishop has declared unto me,
!ho came to me to 4myrna, by the
!ill of God and 9esus Christ, and
so rejoiced together !ith me in my
bonds for 9esus Christ, that in
effect 5 sa! your !hole church in
him#
. 8a"ing therefore recei"ed
testimony of your good !ill to!ards
me for GodCs sake, by himA 5 seemed
to find you, as also 5 kne! that ye
!ere the follo!ers of God#
2 For !hereas ye are subject to
your bishop as to 9esus Christ, ye
appear to one to li"e not after the
manner of men, but according to
9esus Christ !ho died for us,
that so belie"ing in his death,
ye might escape death#
1 5t is therefore necessary, that
as ye do, so !ithout your bishop
you should do nothing' also be
ye subject to your presbyters, as
to the Apostles of 9esus Christ our
hopeA in !hom if !e !alk, !e
shall be found in him#
I The deacons also, as being
the ministers of the mysteries of
9esus Christ, must by all means
please ye# For they are not the
ministers of meat and drink,
but of the church of God# herefore
they must a"oid all offences,
as they !ould do fire#
+ 5n like manner let us re"erence
the deacons as 9esus ChristA
and the bishop as the FatherA and
the presbyters as the 4anctuary of
God, and college of the Apostles#
L ithout these there is no
churchA concerning all !hich, 5
am persuaded that ye think after
the "ery same mannerA for 5 ha"e
recei"ed, and e"en no! ha"e !ith
me, the pattern of your lo"e, in
your bishop#
*- hose "ery look is instructi"eA
and !hose mildness po!erful' !hom
5 am persuaded, the "ery Atheists
themsel"es cannot but re"erence#
** But because 5 ha"e a lo"e
to!ards you, 5 !ill not !rite any
more sharply unto you about this
matter, though 5 "ery !ell might
but no! 5 ha"e done so, lest being
a condemned man, 5 should seem
to prescribe to you as an Apostle#
*, 5 ha"e great kno!ledge in
GodA but 5 refrain myself, lest
5 should perish in my boasting#
*K For no! 5 ought the more
to fear, and not to hearken to
those that !ould puff me up#
*. For they that speak to me,
in my praise, chasten me#
*2 For 5 indeed desire to suffer,
but 5 cannot tell !hether 5 am
!orthy so to do#
*1 And this desire, though to
others it does not appear, yet to
myself it is for that "ery reason
the more "iolent# 5 ha"e, therefore,
need of moderationA by !hich the
prince of this !orld is destroyed#
*I Am 5 not able to !rite to
you of hea"enly thingsH%%But 5
fear lest 5 should harm you, !ho
are yet but babes in ChristA
EeDcuse me this careAF and lest
perchance being not able to
recei"e them, ye should be
choken !ith them#
*+ For e"en 5 myself, although
5 am in bonds, yet am not therefore
able to understand hea"enly thingsA
*L As the assembly of angels,
and the se"eral companies of them,
under their respecti"e princesA
things "isible and in"isible' but
in these 5 am yet a learner#
,- For many things are !anting to
us, that !e come not short of God#
C8AP# 55#
* arns them against heretics,
. eDhorts them to humility and unity,
*- and briefly sets before them the true
doctrine concerning Christ#
E>87(T you therefore, or
rather not 5, but the lo"e of
9esus ChristA that ye use none but
christian nourishmentA abstaining
from pasture !hich is of another
kind, 5 mean heresy#
, For they that are heretics,
confound together the doctrine of
9esus Christ, !ith their o!n poison'
!hilst they seem !orthy of belief'
K As men gi"e a deadly potion
miDed !ith s!eet !ineA !hich he
!ho drinks of, does !ith the
treacherous pleasure s!eetly
drink in his o!n death#
. herefore guard yourself
against such personsA and that
you !ill do, if you are not puffed
upA but continue inseparable from
9esus Christ our God, and from
your bishop, and from the
commands of the Apostles#
2 8e that is !ithin the altar,
is pureA but he that is !ithout,
namely, does anything !ithout the
bishop, the presbyters, and deacons,
is not pure in his conscience#
1 ;ot that 5 kno! there is any
thing of this nature among youA
but 5 fore%arm you, as being
greatly belo"ed by me, foreseeing
the snares of the de"il#
I herefore putting on meekness,
rene! yoursel"es in faith,
!hich is the flesh of the &ordA
and in charity, !hich is the blood
of 9esus Christ#
+ &et no man ha"e any grudge
against his neighbour# Gi"e no
occasion to the GentilesA lest by
means of a fe! foolish men, the
!hole congregation of God be
e"il spoken of#
L For !oe to that man through
!hose "anity my name is
blasphemed by any#
*- 4top your ears therefore,
as often as any one shall speak
contrary to 9esus Christ, !ho !as
of the race of )a"idA by the ?irgin
=ary#
** ho !as truly born, and
did eat and drinkA !as truly
persecuted under Pontius PilateA
!as truly crucified and deadA both
those in hea"en and on earth, and
under the earth, being spectators
of it'
*, ho, !as also truly raised
from the dead by his Father, after
the same manner as 8E !ill also
raise up us !ho belie"e in him by
Christ 9esusA !ithout !hom !e
ha"e no true life#
*K But if, as some !ho are
Atheists, that is to say infidels,
pretend, that he seemed to suffer,
Ethey themsel"es only seeming to
eDistF !hy then am 5 boundH%%
hy do 5 desire to fight !ith
beastsH%%Therefore do 5 die in
"ain' therefore 5 !ill not speak
falsely against the &ord#
*. Flee therefore these e"il
sprouts !hich bring forth deadly
fruitA of !hich if any one taste,
he shall presently die#
*2 For these are not the plants
of the FatherA seeing if they !ere,
they !ould appear to be the
branches of the cross, and their
fruit !ould be incorruptibleA by
!hich he in"ites you through his
passion, !ho are members of him#
*1 For the head cannot be !ithout
its members, God ha"ing promised
a union !ith himself#
C8AP# 555#
8e again eDhorts to unity, and desires their
prayers for himself, and for his church at Antioch#
5 4A&:TE you from 4myrna,
together !ith the churches of
God that are present !ith meA
!ho ha"e refreshed me in all
things, both in the flesh and
in the spirit#
, =y bonds, !hich 5 carry about
me for the sake of Christ,
Ebeseeching him that 5 may
attain unto GodF eDhort you that
you continue in concord among
yoursel"es, and in prayer !ith
one another#
K For it becomes e"eryone of
you, especially the presbyters, to
refresh the bishop, to the honour
of the Father of 9esus Christ, and
of the Apostles#
. 5 beseech you, that you hearken
to me in lo"eA that 5 may not by
those things !hich 5 !rite, rise up
in !itness against you#
2 Pray also for meA !ho,
through the mercy of God, stand
in need of your prayers, that 5
may be !orthy of the portion !hich
5 am about to obtain, and that 5
be not found a reprobate#
1 The lo"e of those !ho are at
4myrna and Ephesus salute you#
(emember in your prayers the
church of 4yria, from !hich 5 am
not !orthy to be called, being one
of the least of it#
I Fare ye !ell in 9esus ChristA
being subject to your bishop as to
the command of GodA and so like#
!ise to the presbytery#
+ &o"e e"ery one his brother
!ith an unfeigned heart# =y soul
be your eDpiation, not only no!,
but !hen 5 shall ha"e attained
unto GodA for 5 am yet under
danger#
L But the Father is faithful in
9esus Christ, to fulfil both mine
and your petitionA in !hom may
ye be found unblameable#
T8E EP54T&E 7F
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E (7=A;4#
C8APTE( 5#
5gnatius testifies his desire to see, and his
hopes of suffering for Christ
2 !hich he earnestly entreats them not to pre"ent,
*- but to pray for him, that God !ould strengthen
him to the combat#
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to the church
!hich has obtained mercy from
the majesty of the =ost 8igh
Father, and his only begotten
4on 9esus ChristA belo"ed, and
illuminated through the !ill of him
!ho !illeth all things !hich are
according to the lo"e of 9esus
Christ our GodA !hich also presides
in the place of the region
of the (omansA and !hich 5 salute
in the name of 9esus Christ, as
being united both in flesh and
spirit to all his commands, and
filed !ith the grace of GodA !ith
all joy in 9esus Christ our God#
, Forasmuch as 5 ha"e at last
obtained through my prayers to
God, permission to see your faces,
!hich 5 much desired to doA being
bound in 9esus Christ, 5 hope ere
long to salute you, if it shall be
the !ill of God to grant me to
attain unto the end 5 long for#
K For the beginning is !ell
disposed, if 5 shall but ha"e grace,
!ithout hindrance, to recei"e !hat
is appointed for me#
. But 5 fear your lo"e, lest it
do me an injuryA for it is easy for
you to do !hat you pleaseA but it
!ill be hard for me to attain unto
God, if you spare me#
2 But 5 !ould not that ye
should please men, but GodA !hom
also ye do, please# For neither
shall 5 hereafter ha"e such an
opportunity of going unto GodA nor
!ill you, if ye shall no! be silent,
e"er be entitled to a better !ork#
For if you, shall be silent in my
behalf, 5 shall be made partaker of
God#
1 But if you shall lo"e my body,
5 shall ha"e my course again to
run# herefore ye cannot do me
a greater kindness, than to suffer
me to be sacrificed unto God, no!
that the altar is already prepared'
I That !hen ye shall be gathered
together in lo"e, ye nay gi"e
thanks to the Father through
Christ 9esus, that he has
"ouchsafed to bring a bishop
of 4yria unto you, being called
from the east unto the !est#
+ For it is good for me to turn
from the !orld, unto GodA that 5
may rise again unto him#
L $e ha"e ne"er en"ied any oneA
ye ha"e taught others# 5 !ould
therefore that ye should no! do
those things yoursel"es, !hich
in your instructions you ha"e
prescribed to others#
*- 7nly pray for me, that God
!ould gi"e me both in!ard and
out!ard strength, that 5 may not
only say, but !illA nor be only
called a christian, but be found
one#
** For if 5 shall be found a
christian, 5 may then deser"edly
be called oneA and be thought
faithful, !hen 5 shall no longer
appear to the !orld#
*, ;othing is good, that is
seen#
*K For e"en our God, 9esus
Christ, no! that he is in the
Father, does so much the more
appear#
*. A christian is not a !ork of
opinionA but of greatness of mind,
especially !hen he is hated by the
!orld#
C8APTE(# 55#
EDpresses his great desire and determination
to suffer martyrdom#
5 (5TE to the churches, and
signify to them all, that 5 am
!illing to die for God, unless you
hinder me#
, 5 beseech you that you sho!
not an unseasonable good !ill
to!ards me# 4uffer me to be food
to the !ild beasts, by !hom 5 shall
attain unto God#
K For 5 am the !heat of God,
and 5 shall be ground by the teeth
of the !ild%beasts, that 5 may be
found the pure bread of Christ#
(ather encourage the beasts,
that they may became my sepulchre,
and may let li"e nothing of my
bodyA that being dead 5 may not
be troublesome to any#
2 Then shall 5 be truly the
disciple of 9esus Christ, !hen the
!orld shall not see so much as my
body# Pray therefore unto Christ
for me, that by these instruments
5 may be made the sacrifice of
God#
1 5 do not, as Peter and Paul,
command you# They !ere Apostles,
5 a condemned manA they !ere free,
but 5 am e"en to this day a ser"ant'
I But if 5 shall suffer, 5 shall
then become the freeman of 9esus
Christ, and shall rise free# And
no!, being in bonds, 5 learn not
to desire any thing#
+ From 4yria e"en unto (ome,
5 fight !ith beasts both by sea and
landA both night and day' being
bound to ten leopards, that is to
say, to such a band of soldiers,
!ho, though treated !ith all manner
of kindness, are the !orse for
it#
L But 5 am the more instructed
by their injuriesA yet am 5 not
therefore justified#
*- =ay 5 enjoy the !ild beasts
that are prepared for meA !hich
also 5 !ish may eDercise all their
fierceness upon me#
** And !hom for that end 5 !ill
encourage, that they may be sure
to de"our me, and not ser"e me as
they ha"e done some, !hom out of
fear they ha"e not touched# But
if they !ill not do it !illingly,
5 !ill pro"oke them to it#
*, Pardon me in this matterA 5
kno! !hat is profitable for me,
no! 5 begin to be a disciple#
;ot shall any thing mo"e me
!hether "isible or in"isible,
that 5 may attain to 9esus Christ#
*K &et fire and the crossA let
the companies of !ild beastsA
let breakings of bones, and tearing
of membersA let the shattering in
pieces of the !hole body, and all
the !icked torments of the de"il
come upon meA only let me enjoy
9esus Christ#
*. All the ends of the !orld,
and the kingdoms of it, !ill profit
me nothing' 5 !ould rather die
for 9esus Christ, than rule to the
utmost ends of the earth# 8im
5 seek !ho died for usA him 5
desire !ho rose again for us#
This is the gain that is laid up
for me#
*2 Pardon me, my brethren, ye
shall not hinder me from li"ingA
nor seeing 5 desire to go to God,
may you separate me from him,
for the sake of this !orldA%%nor
induce me by any of the desires of
it# 4uffer me to enter into pure
light, !here being come, 5 shall
be indeed the ser"ant of God#
*1 Permit me to imitate the
passion of my God# 5f any one has
God !ithin himself, let him consider
!hat 5 desireA and let him ha"e
compassion on me, as kno!ing ho!
5 am straightened#
C8APTE( 555#
Further eDpresses his desire to suffer#
T8E prince of this !orld !ould
fain carry me a!ay, and corrupt
my resolution to!ards my God#
&et none of you therefore help
himA rather do ye join !ith me,
that is, !ith God#
, )o not speak !ith 9esus
Christ, and yet co"et the !orld#
&et not any en"y d!ell !ith youA
no, not though 5 myself, !hen 5
shall be come unto you, should
eDhort you to it, yet do not ye
hearken to meA but rather belie"e
!hat 5 no! !rite to you#
K For though 5 am ali"e at the
!riting of this, yet my desire is
to die# =y lo"e is crucifiedA and
the fire that is !ithin me does
not desire any !aterA but being
ali"e and springing !ithin me,
says, Come to the Father#
. 5 take no pleasure in the food
of corruption, nor in the pleasures
of this life#
2 5 desire the bread of God
!hich is the flesh of 9esus Christ,
of the seed of )a"idA and the
drink that 5 long for is his blood,
!hich is incorruptible lo"e#
1 5 ha"e no desire to li"e any
longer after the manner of menA
neither shall 5, if you consent#
Be ye therefore !illing, that ye
yoursel"es also maybe pleasing to
God# 5 eDhort you in a fe! !ordsA
5 pray you belie"e me#
I 9esus Christ !ill she! you
that 5 speak truly# =y mouth is
!ithout deceit, and the Father
hath truly spoken by it# Pray
therefore for me, that 5 may
accomplish !hat 5 desire#
+ 5 ha"e not !ritten to you after
the flesh, but according to the !ill
of God# 5f 5 shall suffer, ye ha"e
lo"ed me' but if 5 shall be rejected,
ye ha"e hated me#
L (emember in your prayers
the church of 4yria, !hich no!
enjoys God for its shepherd instead
of me# &et 9esus Christ only o"ersee
it, and your charity#
*- But 5 am e"en ashamed to
be reckoned as one of themA for
neither am 5 !orthy, being the
least among them, and as one
born out of due season# But
through mercy 5 ha"e risen to
be somebody, if 5 shall get unto
God#
** =y spirit salutes youA and
the charity of the churches that
ha"e recei"ed me in the name of
9esus ChristA not as a passenger,
for e"en they that !ere not near
to me in the !ay, ha"e gone before
me to the neDt city to meet me#
*, These things 5 !rite to you
from 4myrna, by the most !orthy
of the church of Ephesus#
*K There is no! !ith me, together
!ith many others, Crocus, most
belo"ed of me# As for those !hich
are come from 4yria, and are gone
before me to (ome, to the glory
of God, 5 suppose you are not
ignorant of them#
*. $e shall therefore signify to
them that 5 dra! near, for they,
are all !orthy both of God and of
you' hom it is fit that you
refresh in all things#
*2 This ha"e 5 !ritten to you,
the day before the ninth of the,
calends of 4eptember# Be strong
unto the end, in the patience of
9esus Christ#
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E P85&A)E&P85A;4#
C8APTE( 5#
Commends their bishop, !hom they had sent unto him,
!arns them against di"ision and schism#
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to the church of
God the Father, and our &ord
9esus Christ, !hich is at Philadelphia
in AsiaA !hich has obtained mercy,
being fiDed in the concord of God,
and rejoicing e"ermore in the passion
of our &ord, and being fulfilled in
all mercy through his resurrection'
hich also 5 salute in the blood of
9esus Christ, !hich is our eternal
and undefiled joyA especially if
they are at unity !ith the bishop,
and presbyters !ho are !ith him,
and the deacons appointed according
to the mind of 9esus ChristA !hom
he has settled according to his o!n
!ill in all firmness by his 8oly
4pirit'
, hich bishop 5 kno! obtained
that great ministry among you,
not of himself, neither by men,
nor out of "ain gloryA but by the
lo"e of God the Father, and our
&ord 9esus Christ#
K hose moderation 5 admireA
!ho by his silence is able to do
more than others !ith all their
"ain talk# For he is fitted to the
commands, as the harp to its strings#
. herefore my soul esteems
his mind to!ards God most happy,
kno!ing it to be fruitful in all
"irtue, and perfectA full of
constancy, free from passion,
and according to all the
moderation of the li"ing God#
2 herefore as becomes the
children both of the light and of
truthA flee di"isions and false
doctrinesA but !here your shepherd
is, there do ye, as sheep, follo!
after#
1 For there are many !ol"es
!ho seem !orthy of belief, that
!ith a false pleasure lead capti"e
those that run in the course of
GodA but in the concord they shall
find no place#
I Abstain therefore from those
e"il herbs !hich 9esus Christ does
not dress' because such are not
the plantation of the Father# ;ot
that 5 ha"e found any di"ision
among you, but rather all manner
of purity#
+ For as many as are of God,
and of 9esus Christ, are also !ith
their bishop# And as many as
shall !ith repentance return into
the unity of the church, e"en these
shall also be the ser"ants of God,
that they may li"e according to
9esus Christ#
L Be not decei"ed brethrenA
if any one follo!s him that makes
a schism in the church, he shall
not inherit the kingdom of God#
5f any one !alks after any other
opinion, he agrees not !ith the
passion of Christ#
*- herefore let it be your
endea"our to partake all of the
same holy eucharist#
** For there is but one flesh of
our &ord 9esus ChristA one cup
in the unity of his bloodA and one
altarA
*, As also there is one bishop,
together !ith his presbytery, and
the deacons my fello! ser"ants
that so !hatsoe"er ye do, ye may
do it according to the !ill of God#
C8APTE( 55#
)esires their prayers, and to be
united, but not to 9udaiGe#
=$ brethren, the lo"e 5 ha"e
to!ards you makes me the
more largeA and ha"ing a great
joy in you, 5 endea"our to secure
you against dangerA or rather not
5, but 9esus ChristA in !hom
being bound, 5 the more fear,
as being yet only on the !ay
to suffering#
, But your prayer to God shall
make me perfect, that 5 may attain
to that portion, !hich by GodCs
mercy is allotted to me Fleeing
to the Gospel as to the flesh of
ChristA and to the Apostles as
to the presbytery of the church#
K &et us also lo"e the prophets,
forasmuch as they ha"e led us
to the Gospel, and to hope in
Christ, and to eDpect him#
. 5n !hom also belie"ing they
!ere sa"ed in the unity of 9esus
ChristA being holy men, !orthy
to be lo"ed, and had in !onderA
2 ho ha"e recei"ed testimony
from 9esus Christ, and are
numbered in the Gospel of our
common hope#
1 But if any one shall preach
the 9e!ish la! unto you, hearken
not unto himA for it is better to
recei"e the doctrine of Christ from
one that has been circumcised, than
9udaism from one that has not#
I But if either the one, or other,
do not speak concerning Christ
9esusA they seem to me to be but
as monuments and sepulchres of
the dead, upon !hich are !ritten
only the names of men#
+ Flee therefore the !icked arts
and snares of the prince of this
!orldA lest at any time being
oppressed by his cunning, ye gro!
cold in your charity# But come
altogether into the same place,
!ith an undi"ided heart#
L And 5 bless my God that 5
ha"e a good conscience to!ards
you, and that no one among you
has !hereof to boast either openly
or pri"ately, that 5 ha"e been
burthensome to him in much or
little#
*- And 5 !ish to all, among
!hom 5 ha"e con"ersed, that
may not turn to a !itness again
them#
** For although some !ould
ha"e decei"ed me according to
the flesh, yet the spirit, being
from God, is not decei"ed' for it
kno!s, both !hence it comes and
!hither it goes, and repro"es the
secrets of the heart#
*, 5 cried !hilst 5 !as among
youA 5 spake !ith a loud "oice'
attend to the bishop, and to the
presbytery, and to the deacons#
*K ;o! some supposed that 5 spake
this as foreseeing the di"ision
that should come among you#
*. But he is my !itness for
!hose sake 5 am in bonds that
5 kno! nothing from any man#
But the spirit spake, saying
on this !ise' )o nothing !ithout
the bishop'
*2 <eep your bodies as the
temples of God' &o"e unityA
Flee di"isionsA Be the follo!ers
of Christ, as he !as of his Father#
*1 5 therefore did as became
me, as a man composed to unity
for !here there is di"ision,
and !rath, God d!elleth not#
*I But the &ord forgi"es all
that repent, if they return to the
unity of God, and to the council
of the bishop#
*+ For 5 trust in the grace
9esus Christ that he !ill free
you from e"ery bond#
*L ;e"ertheless 5 eDhort you
that you do nothing out of strife
but according to the instruction
of Christ#
,- Because 5 ha"e heard
some !ho sayA unless 5 find
!ritten in the originals, 5 !ill
not belie"e it to be !ritten in
the Gospel# And !hen 5 said,
5t is !rittenA they ans!ered
from !hat lay before them in the
corrupted copies#
,* But to me 9esus Christ
instead of all the uncorrupted
monuments in the !orldA together
!ith those undefiled monuments,
his cross, and death, and
resurrection, and the faith
!hich is by himA by !hich 5
desire, through your prayers,
to be justified#
,, The priests indeed are
goodA but much better is the 8igh
Priest to !hom the 8oly of 8olies
has been committedA and !ho
alone has been intrusted !ith the
secrets of God#
,K 8e is the door of the FatherA
by !hich Abraham, and 5saac,
and 9acob, and all the prophets,
enter inA as !ell as the Apostles,
and the church#
,. And all these things tend to
the unity !hich is of God# 8o!beit
the Gospel has some!hat in it far
abo"e all other dispensationsA
namely, the appearance of our
4a"iour, the &ord 9esus Christ,
his passion and resurrection#
,2 For the belo"ed prophets
referred to himA but the Gospel
is the perfection of incorruption#
All therefore together are good,
if ye belie"e !ith charity#
C8APTE( 555#
5nforms them he had heard that the persecution
!as stopped at Antioch' and directs them to send
a messenger thither to congratulate !ith the church#
;7 as concerning the church
of Antioch !hich is in 4yria,
seeing 5 am told that through
your prayers and the bo!els !hich
ye ha"e to!ards it in 9esus Christ,
it is in peaceA it !ill become you,
as the church of God, to ordain
some 5 deacon to go to them thither
as the ambassador of GodA that
he may rejoice !ith them !hen
they meet together, and glorify
GodCs name#
, Blessed be that man in 9esus,
Christ, !ho shall be found !orthy
of such a ministryA and ye yoursel"es
also shall be glorified#
K ;o! if you be !illing, it is
not impossible for you to do this
for the grace of GodA as also the
other neighbouring churches ha"e
sent them some bishops, some
priests and some deacons#
. As concerning Philo the deacon
of Cilicia, a most !orthy man,
he still ministers unto me in the
!ord of God' together !ith (heus
of Agathopolis a singular good
person, !ho has follo!ed me e"en
from 4yria, not regarding his life'
These also bear !itness unto you#
2 And 5 myself gi"e thanks to
God for you, that you recei"e them
as the &ord shall recei"e you#
But for those that dishonoured
them, may they be forgi"en
through the grace of 9esus Christ#
1 The charity of the brethren
that are at Troas salutes you'
from !hence also 5 no! !rite
by Burrhurs, !ho !as sent together
!ith me by those of Ephesus and
4myrna, for respect sake#
I =ay our &ord 9esus Christ
honour themA in !hom they hope,
both in flesh, and soul, and spiritA
in faith, in lo"e, in unity#
Fare%!ell in Christ 9esus our
common hope#
5G;AT5:4 T7 T8E 4=$(;EA;4#
C8APTE( 5#
* )eclares his joy for their firmness in the Gospel#
. Enlarges on the person of Christ, against such
as pretend that Christ did not suffer#
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theohorus, to the church of
God the Father, and of the belo"ed
9esus Christ, !hich God hath
mercifully blessed !ith e"ery
good giftA being filled !ith faith
and charity, so that it is !anting
in no giftA most !orthy of God,
and fruitful in saintsA the church
!hich is at 4myrna in AsiaA all
through his immaculate spirit,
through !ord of God#
, 5 glorify God, e"en 9esus
Christ, !ho has gi"en you such
!isdom#
K For 5 ha"e obser"ed that you
are settled in an immo"eable faith,
as if you !ere nailed to the cross
of our &ord 9esus Christ, both in
the flesh and in the spiritA and
are confirmed in lo"e through the
blood of ChristA being fully
persuaded of those things !hich
relate unto our &ord#
. ho truly !as of the race
of )a"id according to the flesh,
but the 4on of God according to
the !ill and po!er of GodA
truly born of the ?irgin, and
baptised of 9ohnA that so all
righteousness might be fulfilled
by him#
2 8e !as also truly crucified
by Pontius Pilate, and 8erod the
Tetrarch, being nailed for us in
the fleshA by the fruits of !hich
!e are, e"en by his most blessed
PassionA
1 That he might set up a token
for all ages through his resurrection,
to all his holy and faithful ser"ants,
!hether they be 9e!s or Gentiles,
in one body of his church#
I ;o! all these things he suffered
for us that !e might be sa"edA and
he suffered truly, as he also truly
raised up himselfA and not, as some
unbelie"ers say, that he only seemed
to sufferA they themsel"es Conly
seeming to be#C
+ And as they belie"e so shall it
happen unto them, !hen being di"ested
of the body they shall become mere
spirits#
L But 5 kno! that e"en after his
resurrection he !as in the fleshA
and 5 belie"e that he is still so#
*- And !hen he came to those
!ho !ere !ith Peter, he said
unto them, Take, handle me, and
see that 5 am not an incorporeal
daemon# And straight!ay they
felt and belie"edA being con"inced
both by his flesh and spirit#
** For this cause they despised
death, and !ere bound to be abo"e
it#
*, But after his resurrection he
did eat and drink !ith them, as he
!as fleshA although as to his
4pirit he !as united to the Father#
C8APTE( 55#
* EDhorts them against heretics#
+ The danger of their doctrine#
;7 these things, belo"ed, 5 put
you in mind of, not Buestioning
but that you yoursel"es also
belie"e that they are so#
, But 5 arm you before%hand
against certain beasts in the shape
of men, !hom you must not only
not recei"e, but if it be possible
must not meet !ith#
K 7nly you must pray for them,
that if it be the !ill of God they
may repentA !hich yet !ill be
"ery hard# But of this our &ord
9esus Christ has the po!er, !ho
is our true life#
. For if all these things !ere
done only in sho! by our &ord,
then do 5 also seem only to be
bound'
2 And !hy ha"e 5 gi"en up myself
to death, to the fire, to the
s!ord, to !ild beastsH
1 But no! the nearer 5 am to
the s!ord, the nearer 5 am to
God' !hen 5 shall come among
the !ild beasts, 5 shall come to
God#
I 7nly in the name of 9esus
Christ, 5 undergo all, to suffer
together !ith himA he !ho !as
made a perfect man strengthening,
me#
+ hom some not kno!ing, do
denyA or rather ha"e been denied
by him, being the ad"ocates of
death, rather than of the truth#
hom neither the prophecies, nor
the la! of =oses ha"e persuadedA
nor the Gospel itself, e"en to this
dayA nor the sufferings of e"ery
one of us#
L For they think also the same
things of us# For !hat does a
man profit me, if he shall praise
me, and blaspheme my &ordA not
confessing that he !as truly made
manH
*- ;o! he that doth not say
this, does in effect deny him,
and is in death# But for the names
of such as do this, they being
unbelie"ers, 5 thought it not
fitting to !rite them unto you#
** $ea, God forbid that 5 should
make any mention of them, till
they shall repent to a true belief
of ChristCs passion, !hich is our
resurrection#
*, &et no man decei"e himselfA
both the things !hich are in hea"en,
and the glorious angels, and princes,
!hether "isible or in"isible, if they
belie"e not in the blood of Christ,
it shall be to them, unto condemnation#
*K 8e that is able to recei"e
this, let him recei"e it# &et no
manCs place or state in the !orld
puff him up' that !hich is !orth
all his faith and charity, to it
nothing is to be preferred#
*. But consider those !ho are
of a different opinion from us,
as to !hat concerns the grace of
9esus Christ !hich is come unto us,
ho! contrary they are to the
design of God#
*2 They ha"e no regard to charity,
no care of the !ido!, the fatherless,
and the oppressedA of the bond or
free, of the hungry or thirsty#
*1 They abstain from the eucharist,
and from the public officesA
because they confess not the eucharist
to be the flesh of our 4a"iour 9esus
Christ !hich suffered for our sins,
and !hich the Father of his goodness
raised again from the dead#
*I And for this cause contradicting
the gift of God, they die in their
disputesA but much better !ould it
be for them to recei"e it, that they
might one day rise through it#
*+ 5t !ill therefore become you#
to abstain from such persons, and
not to speak !ith them, neither in
public nor in pri"ate#
*L But to hearken to the prophets,
and especially to the Gospel, in
!hich both ChristCs passion is
manifested unto us, and his
resurrection perfectly declared#
,- But flee all di"isions, as the
beginning of e"ils#
C8APTE( 555#
* EDhorts them to follo! their bishop and pastorsA
but especially their bishop#
1 Thanks them for their kindness,
** and acBuaints them !ith the ceasing of the
persecution at Antioch#
4EE that ye all follo! your
bishop, as 9esus Christ, the
FatherA and the presbytery, as
the ApostlesA and re"erence the
deacons, as the command of God#
, &et no man do any thing
of !hat belongs to the church
separately from the bishop#
K &et that eucharist be looked
upon as !ell established, !hich is
either offered by the bishop, or by
him to !hom the bishop has gi"en#
his consent#
. heresoe"er the bishop shall
appear, there let the people also
be' as !here 9esus Christ is, there
is the Catholic church#
2 5t is not la!ful !ithout the
bishopA neither to baptiGe, nor to
celebrate the 8oly Communion
but !hatsoe"er he shall appro"e
of, that is also pleasing unto GodA
that so !hate"er is done, may be
sure and !ell done#
1 For !hat remains, it is "ery
reasonable that !e should repent
!hilst there is yet time to return
unto God#
I 5t is a good thin to ha"e a
due regard both to God, and to
the bishop' he that honours the
bishop, shall be honoured of GodA
but he that does any thing !ithout
his kno!ledge, ministers unto the
de"il#
+ &et all things therefore abound
to you in charityA seeing that ye
are !orthy#
L $e ha"e refreshed me in all
thingsA so shall 9esus Christ you#
$e ha"e lo"ed me both !hen 5 !as
present !ith you, and no! being
absent, ye cease not to do so#
*- =ay God be your re!ard,
for !hom !hilst ye undergo all
things, ye shall attain unto
him#
** $e ha"e done !ell in that ye
ha"e recei"ed Philo, and (heus
Agathopus, !ho follo!ed me for
the !ord of God, as the deacons
of Christ our God#
*, ho also ga"e thanks unto
the &ord for you, forasmuch as ye
ha"e refreshed them in all things#
;or shall any thing that you ha"e
done be lost to you#
*K =y soul be for yours, and
my bonds !hich ye ha"e not despised,
nor been ashamed of# herefore
neither shall# 9esus Christ,
our perfect faith, be ashamed
of you#
*. $our prayer is come to the
church of Antioch, !hich is in
4yria# From !hence being sent
bound !ith chains becoming God#
5 salute the churchesA being not
!orthy to be called from thence,
as being the least among them#
*2 ;e"ertheless by the !ill of
God 5 ha"e been thought !orthy
of this honourA not for that 5
think 5 ha"e deser"ed it, but by
the grace of GodA
*1 hich 5 !ish may be perfectly
gi"en unto me, that through your
prayers 5 may attain unto God#
*I And therefore, that your
!ork may be fully accomplished,
both upon earth and in hea"enA
it !ill be fitting, and for the
honour of God, that your church
appoint some !orthy delegate,
!ho being come as far as 4yria,
may rejoice together !ith them
that they are in peaceA and that
they are again restored to their
former state, and ha"e again
recei"ed their proper body#
*+ herefore 5 should think it
a !orthy action, to send some
one from you !ith an epistle,
to congratulate !ith them their
peace in GodA and that through
your prayers, they ha"e no!
gotten to their harbour#
*L For inasmuch as ye are perfect
yoursel"es, you ought to think
those things that are perfect# For
!hen you are desirous to do !ell,
God is ready to enable you there#
unto#
,- The lo"e of the brethren that
are at Troas salute youA from !hence
5 !rite to you by Burrhus !hom ye
sent !ith me, together !ith the
Ephesians, your brethrenA and !ho
has in all Things refreshed me#
,* And 5 !ould to God that all
!ould imitate him, as being a pattern
of the ministry of God# =ay his grace
fully re!ard him#
,, 5 salute your "ery !orthy
bishop, and your "enerable presbyteryA
and your deacons, my fello!%ser"antsA
and all of you in general, and e"ery
one in particular, in the name of
9esus Christ, and in his flesh and
bloodA in his passion and resurrection
both fleshly and spirituallyA and in
the unity of God !ith you#
,K Grace be !ith you, and mercy,
and peace, and patience, for e"ermore#
,. 5 salute the families of my
brethren, !ith their !i"es and
childrenA and the "irgins that are
called !ido!s# Be strong in the
po!er of the 8oly Ghost# Philo,
!ho is present !ith me salutes
you#
,2 5 salute the house of Ta"ias,
and pray that it may be strengthened
in faith and charity, both of flesh
and spirit#
,1 5 salute Alce my !ell%belo"ed,
together !ith the incomparable
)aphnus, and Eutechnus, and all
by name#
,I Fare!ell in the grace of God#
5G;AT5:4 T7 P7&$CA(P
C8APTE( 5#
5gnatius blesses God for the firm,
establishment of Polycarp in the
faith, and gi"es him particular
directions for impro"ing it#
5G;AT5:4, !ho is also called
Theophorus, to Polycarp, bishop
of the church !hich is at 4myrnaA
their o"erseer, but rather himself
o"erlooked by God the Father,
and the &ord 9esus ChristA
all happiness#
, 8a"ing kno!n that thy mind
to!ards God, is fiDed as it !ere
upon an immo"eable rockA
5 eDceedingly gi"e thanks, that
5 ha"e been thought !orthy to
behold thy blessed face, in
!hich may 5 al!ays rejoice in God#
K herefore 5 beseech thee by
the grace of God !ith !hich thou
art clothed, to press for!ard in
thy course, and to eDhort all
others that they may be sa"ed#
. =aintain thy place !ith all
care both of flesh and spirit' =ake
it thy endea"our to preser"e unity,
than !hich nothing is better#
Bear !ith all men e"en as the
&ord !ith thee#
2 4upport all in lo"e, as also
thou dost# Pray !ithout ceasing
ask more understanding than !hat
thou already hast# Be !atchful,
ha"ing thy spirit al!ays a!ake#
1 4peak to e"ery one according
as God shall enable thee# Bear
the infirmities of all, as a
perfect combatantA !here the
labour is great, the gain is
the more#
I 5f thou shalt lo"e the good
disciples, !hat thank is itH But
rather do thou subject to thee
those that are mischie"ous, in
meekness#
+ E"ery !ound is not healed
!ith the same plaister' if the
accessions of the disease be
"ehement, modify them !ith soft
remedies' be in all things !ise
as a serpent, but harmless as a
do"e#
L For this cause thou art
composed of flesh and spiritA
that thou mayest modify those
things that appear before thy face#
*- And as for those that are not
seen, pray to God that he !ould
re"eal them into thee, that so
thou mayest be !anting in nothing,
but mayest abound in e"ery gift#
** The times demand thee, as
the pilots the !indsA and he that
is tossed in a tempest, the ha"en
!here he !ould be#
*, That thou mayest attain unto
God, be sober as the combatant
of God# The cro!n proposed to
thee is immortality, and eternal
life' concerning !hich thou art
also fully persuaded# 5 !ill be
thy surety in all things, by my
bonds, !hich thou halt lo"ed#
*K &et not those that seem
!orthy of credit, but teach other
doctrines, disturb thee# 4tand
firm and immo"eable, as an an"il
!hen it is beaten upon#
*. 5t is the part of a bra"e
combatant to be !ounded, and yet
o"ercome# But especially !e ought
to endure all things for GodCs
sake, that he may bear !ith us#
*2 Be e"ery day better than
othersA consider the times, and
eDpect him, !ho is abo"e all time,
eternalA in"isible, though for our
sakes made "isible' impalpable,
and impassible, yet for us
subjected to sufferingsA enduring
all manner of !ays for our sal"ation#
C8APTE( 55#
* Continues his ad"ice,
1 and teaches him ho! to ad"ise others#
*, Enforces unity and subjection to the bishop#
&ET not the !ido!s be neglected'
be thou after God, their Guardian#
, &et nothing be done !ithout thy
kno!ledge and consentA neither do
thou anything but according to the
!ill of GodA as also thou dost,
!ith all constancy#
K &et your assemblies be more
full' inBuire into all by name#
. 7"erlook not the men and
maid ser"antsA neither let them
be puffed up' but rather let them
be the more subject to the glory
of God, that they may obtain from
him a better liberty#
2 &et them not desire to be
set free at the public cost, that
they be not sla"es to their o!n
lusts#
1 Flee e"il artsA or rather make
not any mention of them#
I 4ay to my sisters, that they
lo"e the &ordA and be satisfied
!ith their o!n husbands, both in
the flesh and spirit#
+ 5n like manner, eDhort my
brethren in the name of 9esus
Christ, that they lo"e their !i"es,
e"en as the &ord the church#
L 5f any man can remain in a
"irgin state, to the honour of the
flesh of Christ, let him remain
!ithout boastingA but if he boast,
he is undone# And if he desire to
be more taken notice of than the
bishop he is corrupted#
*- But it becomes all such as
are married, !hether men or !omen,
to come together !ith the consent
of the bishop, that so their
marriage may be according to
godliness, and not in lust#
** &et all things be done to the
honour of God#
*, 8earken unto the bishop,
that God also may hearken unto
you# =y soul be security for
them that submit to their bishop,
!ith their presbyters and deacons#
And may my portion be together
!ith theirs in God#
*K &abour !ith one anotherA
contend together, run together,
suffer togetherA sleep together,
and rise togetherA as the ste!ards,
and assessors, and ministers of
God#
*. Please him under !hom ye
!arA and from !hom ye recei"e
your !ages# &et none of you be
found a deserterA but let your
baptism remain, as your armsA
your faith, as your helmetA your
charity, as your spearA your
patience, as your !hole armour#
*2 &et your !orks be your
charge, that so you may recei"e
a suitable re!ard# Be long
suffering therefore to!ards each
other in meeknessA as God is
to!ards you#
*1 &et me ha"e joy of you in
all things#
C8APTE( 555#
* Greets Polycarp on the peace of the church at Antioch'
, and desires him to !rite to that and other churches#
;7 forasmuch as the church
of Antioch in &yria is, as
5 am told, in peace through your
prayersA 5 also ha"e been the more
comforted, and !ithout care in
GodA if so be that by suffering, 5
shall attain unto GodA and through
your prayers 5 may be found a
disciple of Christ#
, 5t !ill be "ery fit, 7 most
!orthy Polycarp, to call a select
council, and choose some one
!hom ye particularly lo"e, and
!ho is patient of labour' that he
may be the messenger of GodA
and that going unto 4yria, he may
glorify your incessant lo"e, to the
praise of Christ#
K A Christian has not the po!er
of himselfA but must be al!ays
at leisure for GodCs ser"ice#
;o! this !ork is both GodCs and
ourCsA !hen ye shall ha"e
perfected it#
. For 5 trust through the grace
of God that ye are ready to e"ery
good !ork that is fitting for you
in the &ord#
2 <no!ing therefore your
earnest affection for the truth,
5 ha"e eDhorted you by these short
letters#
1 But forasmuch as 5 ha"e not
been able to !rite to all the
churches, because 5 must suddenly
sail from Troas to ;eapolisA
Efor so is the command of those
to !hose pleasure 5 am subjectAF
do you !rite to the churches that
are near you, as being instructed
in the !ill of God, that they also
may do in like manner#
I &et those that are able send
messengersA and let the rest send
their letters by those !ho shall be
sent by you' that you may be
glorified to all eternity,
of !hich you are !orthy#
+ 5 salute all by nameA particularly
the !ife of Epitropus !ith all her
house and children# 5 salute Attalus
my !ell%belo"ed#
L 5 salute him !ho shall be
thought !orthy to be sent by you
into 4yria# &et grace be e"er
!ith him, and !ith Polycarp !ho
sends him#
*- 5 !ish you all happiness in
our God, 9esus ChristA in !hom
continue, in the unity and
protection of God#
** 5 salute Alce my !ell%
belo"ed# Fare!ell in the &ord#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E 4E?E; EP54T&E4 7F 5G;AT5:4#
/The Epistles of 5gnatius are translated by Archbishop ake from the teDt
of ?ossius# 8e says that there !ere considerable difference in the
editionsA the best for a long time eDtant containing fabrications, and
the genuine being altered and corrupted# Archbishop :sher printed old
&atin translations of them at 7Dford, in *1..# At Amsterdam, t!o years
after!ards, ?ossius printed siD of them in their ancient and pure GreekA
and the se"enth, greatly amended from the ancient &atin "ersion, !as
Printed at Paris, by (uinart, in *1+L, in the Acts and =artyrdom of
5gnatius, from a Greek uninterpolated copy# These are supposed to form
the collection that Polycarp made of the Epistles of 5gnatius, mentioned
by 5renaes, 7rigen, Eusebius, 9erome, Athanasius, Theodoret, and other
ancients' but many learned men ha"e imagined all of them to be
apocryphal# This supposition, the piety of Archbishop ake, and his
persuasion of their utility to the faith of the church, !ill not permit
him to entertain' hence he has taken great pains to render the present
translation acceptable, by adding numerous readings and references to the
Canonical Books#3
T8E EP54T&E 7F
P7&$CA(P T7 T8E P85&5PP5A;4#
/The genuineness of this Epistle is contro"erted, but implicitly
belie"ed by Archbishop ake, !hose translation is belo!# There is
also a translation by )r# Ca"e attached to his life of Polycarp#3
C8APTE( 5#
Polycarp commends the Philippians for their respect to
those !ho suffered for the GospelA and for their o!n faith#
P7&$CA(P, and the presbyters
that are !ith him, to the
church of God !hich is at PhilippiA
mercy unto you, and peace from
God Almighty, and the &ord 9esus
Christ our 4a"iour, be multiplied#
, 5 rejoiced greatly !ith you
in our &ord 9esus Christ, that ye
recei"ed the images of a true lo"e,
and accompanied, as it beho"ed you,
those !ho !ere in bonds, becoming
saintsA !hich are the cro!ns of
such as are truly chosen by God
and our &ord'
K As also that the root of the
faith !hich !as preached from
ancient times, remains firm in you
to this dayA and brings forth fruit
to our &ord 9esus Christ, !ho
suffered himself to be brought
e"en to the death for our sins'
. hom God hath raised up, ha"ing
loosed the pains of death# hom
ha"ing not seen, ye lo"eA in !hom
though no! ye see him not, yet
belie"ing, ye rejoice !ith joy
unspeakable and full of glory#
2 5nto !hich many desire to
enterA 5 kno!ing that by grace ye
are sa"edA not by !orks, but by
the !ill of God through 9esus
Christ#
1 herefore girding up the
loins of your mindsA 5 ser"e
the &ord !ith fear, and in truthA
laying aside all empty and "ain
speech, and the errors of manyA
belie"ing in him that raised up
our &ord 9esus Christ from the
dead, and hath gi"en him glory
and a throne at his right hand#
I To !hom all things are made
subject, both that are in hea"en,
and that are in earthA !hom e"ery
li"ing creature shall !orshipA
!ho shall come to be the judge of
the Buick and dead' !hose blood
God shall reBuire of them that
belie"e not in him#
+ But he that raised up Christ
from the dead, shall also raise up
us in like manner, if !e do his
!ill, and !alk according to his
commandmentsA and lo"e those
things !hich he lo"ed'
L Abstaining from all
unrighteousnessA inordinate affection,
and lo"e of moneyA from e"il#
speakingA false !itnessA not
rendering e"il for e"il, or
railing for railing, or striking
for striking, or cursing
for cursing'
*- But remembering !hat the
&ord has taught us saying, 9udge
not, and ye shall not be judgedA
forgi"e and ye shall be forgi"enA
be ye merciful, and ye shall obtain
mercyA for !ith the same measure
that ye meet !ithal, it shall be
measured to you again#
** And againA Blessed are the
poor, and they that are persecuted
for righteousness sakeA for theirs
is the kingdom of God#
C8APTE( 55#
, EDhorts to Faith, 8ope, and Charity#
2 Against co"etousness, and as to the
duties of husbands, !i"es, !ido!s,
L deacons, young men, "irgins, and presbyters#
T8E4E things, my brethren,
5 took not the liberty of myself
to !rite unto you concerning
righteousness, but you yoursel"es
before encouraged me to it#
, For neither can i, nor any
other such as 5 am, come up to
the !isdom of the blessed and
reno!ned PaulA !ho being himself
in person !ith those !ho then
li"ed, did !ith all eDactness and
soundness teach the !ord of truthA
and being gone from you !rote an
epistle to you#
K 5nto !hich if you look, you
!ill be able to edify yoursel"es in
the faith that has been deli"ered
unto you, !hich is the mother of
us allA being follo!ed !ith hope,
and led on by a general lo"e, both
to!ards God and to!ards Christ,
and to!ards our neighbour#
. For if any man has these
things, he has fulfilled the la!
of righteousness' for he that has
charity is far from all sin#
2 But the lo"e of money is the
root of all e"il# <no!ing therefore
that as !e brought nothing into this
!orld, so neither may !e carry any
thing outA let us arm oursel"es
!ith the armour of righteousness#
1 And teach oursel"es first to
!alk according to the commandments
of the &ordA and then your !i"es
to !alk like!ise according to the
faith that is gi"en to themA in
charity, and in purityA lo"ing
their o!n husbands, !ith all
sincerity, and all others alike,
!ith all temperanceA and to bring up
their children in the instruction
and fear of the &ord#
I The !ido!s like!ise teach
that they be sober as to !hat
concerns the faith of the &ord'
praying al!ays for all menA being far
from all detraction, e"il speaking,
false !itnessA from co"etousness,
and from all e"il#
+ <no!ing that they are the
altars of God, !ho sees all blemishes,
and from !hom nothing is hidA !ho
searches out the "ery reasonings,
and thoughts, and secrets of our
hearts#
L <no!ing therefore that God
is not mocked, !e ought to !alk
!orthy both of his command and
of his glory#
*- Also the deacons must be
blameless before him, as the
ministers of God in Christ, and
not of men# ;ot false mousers, not
double tongued, not lo"ers of moneyA
but moderate in all thingsA
compassionate, carefulA !alking
according to the truth of the &ord,
!ho !as the ser"ant of all#
** hom if !e please in this
present !orld, !e shall also be
made partakers of that !hich is
to come, according as he has
promised to us, that he !ill raise
us from the deadA and that if !e
shall !alk !orthy of him, !e shall
also reign together !ith him, if
!e belie"e#
*, 5n like manner the younger
men must be unblameable in all
thingsA abo"e all, taking care of
their purity, and to restrain
themsel"es from all e"il# For it is
good to be cut off from the lusts that
are in the !orldA because e"ery
such lust !arreth against the
spirit' and neither fornicators,
nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themsel"es !ith mankind, shall
inherit the kingdom of GodA nor
they !ho do such things as are
foolish and unreasonable#
*K herefore ye must needs
abstain from all these things,
being subject to the priests and
deacons, as unto God and Christ#
*. The "irgins admonish to
!alk in a spotless and pure
conscience#
*2 And let the elders be
compassionate and merciful to!ards
allA turning them from their errorsA
seeking out those that are !eakA
not forgetting the !ido!s, the
fatherless, and the poorA but
al!ays pro"iding !hat is good
both in the sight of God and man#
*1 Abstaining from all !rath,
respect of persons, and unrighteous
judgmentA and especially being
free from all co"etousness#
*I ;ot easy to belie"e anything
against anyA not se"ere in judgmentA
kno!ing that !e are all debtors
in point of sin#
*+ 5f therefore !e pray to the
&ord that he !ould forgi"e us, !e
ought also to forgi"e othersA for
!e are all in the sight of our &ord
and GodA a and must all stand before
the judgment%seat of ChristA
and shall e"ery one gi"e an
account of himself#
*L &et us therefore ser"e him in
fear, and !ith all re"erence as
both himself hath commandedA
and as the Apostles !ho ha"e
preached the Gospel unto us, and
the prophets !ho ha"e foretold
the coming of our &ord ha"e
taught us'
,- Being Gealous of !hat is
goodA abstaining from all offence,
and from false brethrenA and
from those !ho bear the name of
Christ in hypocrisyA !ho decei"e
"ain men#
C8APTE( 555#
* As to faith in our 4a"iour ChristA
his nature and sufferings, the resurrection and judgment#
K EDhorts to prayer
2 and steadfastness in the faith, from the eDamples of Christ,
I and Apostles and saints, and eDhorts to carefulness
in all !ell%doing#
F7( !hosoe"er does not confess
that 9esus Christ is come in
the flesh, he is Antichrist' and
!hoe"er does not confess his
suffering upon the cross, is
from the de"il#
, And !hosoe"er per"erts the
oracles of the &ord to his o!n
lusts, and says that there shall#
neither be any resurrection, nor
judgment, he is the first%born of
4atan#
K herefore lea"ing the "anity
of many, and their false doctrinesA
let us return to the !ord that !as
deli"ered to us from the beginning'
atching unto prayerA and
perse"ering in fastingA
. ith supplication beseeching
the all seeing God not to lead us
into temptationA as the &ord hath
said, The spirit is truly !illing,
but the flesh is !eak#
2 &et us therefore !ithout ceasing
hold steadfastly to him !ho is our
hope, and the earnest of our
righteousness, e"en 9esus ChristA
ho, his o!n self, bare our sins
in his o!n body on the tree' !ho
did no sin, neither !as guile found
in his mouthA but suffered all for
us that !e might li"e through
him#
1 &et us therefore imitate his
patienceA and if !e suffer for his
name, let us glorify himA for this
eDample he has gi"en us by himself,
and so ha"e !e belie"ed#
I herefore 5 eDhort all
of you that ye obey the !ord of
righteousness, and eDercise all
patienceA !hich ye ha"e seen set
forth before your eyes, not only
in the blessed 5gnatius, and MoGimus,
and (ufusA but in others among
yoursel"esA and in Paul himself,
and the rest of the Apostles'
+ Being confident of this, that
all these ha"e not run in "ain, but
in faith and righteousnessA and
are gone to the place that !as due
to them from the &ordA !ith
!hom also they suffered#
L For they lo"ed not this
present !orldA but him !ho died,
and !as raised again by God for
us#
*- 4tand therefore in these
things, and follo! the eDample of
the &ordA being firm and immutable
in the faith, lo"ers of the
brotherhood, lo"ers of one
another' companions together
in the truth, being kind and
gentle to!ards each other,
despising none#
** hen it is in your po!er to
do good defer it not, for charity
deli"ered from death#
*, Be all of you subject one to
another, ha"ing your con"ersation
honest among the GentilesA that
by your good !orks, both ye
yoursel"es may recei"e praise, and
the &ord may not be blasphemed
through you# But !oe be to him
by !hom the name of the &ord is
blasphemed#
*K Therefore teach all men
sobrietyA in !hich do ye also
eDercise yoursel"es#
C8APTE( 5?#
?alens, a presbyter, ha"ing fallen into the sin
of co"etousness, he eDhorts them against it#
5 am greatly afflicted for ?alens,
!ho !as once a presbyter among youA
that he should so little understand
the place that !as gi"en to him in
the church, herefore 5 admonish you
that ye abstain from co"etousnessA
and that ye be chaste, and true of
speech#
, <eep yoursel"es from all e"il#
For he that in these things cannot
go"ern himself, ho! shall he be
able to prescribe them to anotherH
K 5f a man does not keep himself
from co"etousness, he shall be
polluted !ith idolatry, and be
judged as if he !ere a Gentile#
. But !ho of you are ignorant
of the judgment of GodH )o !e
not kno! that the saints shall
judge the !orld, as Paul teachesH
2 But 5 ha"e neither percei"ed
nor heard anything of this kind
in you, among !hom the blessed
Paul labouredA and !ho are
named in the beginning of his
Epistle#
1 For he glories of you in all
the churches !ho then only kne!
GodA for !e did not then kno!
him# herefore, my brethren, 5
am eDceedingly sorry both for him
and for his !ifeA to !hom God
grant a true repentance#
I And be ye also moderate upon
this occasionA and look not upon
such as enemies, but call them
back as suffering and erring
members, that ye may sa"e your
!hole body' for by so doing,
ye shall edify your o!n sel"es#
+ For 5 trust that ye are !ell
eDercised in the 8oly 4criptures,
and that nothing is hid from you
but at present it is not granted
unto me to practise that !hich is
!ritten, Be angry and sin notA
and again, &et not the sun go
do!n upon your !rath#
L Blessed be he that belie"eth
and remembereth these thingsA
!hich also 5 trust you do#
*- ;o! the God and Father of
our &ord 9esus Christ, and he
himself !ho is our e"erlasting
high%priest, the 4on of God, e"en
9esus Christ, build you up in faith
and in truth, and in all meekness
and lenityA in patience and long%
suffering, in forbearance and
chastity'
** And grant unto you a lot and
portion among his saints, and us
!ith youA and to all that are under
the hea"ens, !ho shall belie"e in
our &ord 9esus Christ, and in his
Father !ho raised him from the dead#
*, Pray for all the saints'
pray also for kings, and all that
are in authorityA and for those !ho
persecute you, and hate you, and for
the enemies of the crossA that your
fruit may be manifest in allA and
that ye may be perfect in Christ#
*K $e !rote to me, both ye, and
also 5gnatius, that if any one
!ent from hence into 4yria, he
should bring your letters !ith
himA !hich also 5 !ill take care
of, as soon as 5 shall ha"e a
con"enient opportunityA either
by myself, or him !hom 5 shall
send upon your account#
*. The Epistle of 5gnatius,
!hich he !rote unto us, together
!ith !hat others of his ha"e come
to our hands, !e ha"e sent to you,
according to your orderA !hich
are subjoined to this Epistle'
*2 By !hich !e may be greatly
profitedA for they treat of faith
and patience, and of all things that
pertain to edification in the &ord
9esus#
*1 hat you kno! certainly of
5gnatius, and those that are
!ith him, signify to us#
*I These things ha"e 5 !ritten
unto you by Crescens, !hom by
this present Epistle 5 ha"e
recommended to you, and do no!
again commend#
*+ For he has had his con"ersation
!ithout blame among usA and 5 suppose
also !ith you#
*L $e !ill also ha"e regard unto
his sister !hen she shall come
unto you#
,- Be ye safe in the &ord 9esus
ChristA and in fa"our !ith all
yours# Amen#
T8E F5(4T PA(T 7F T8E
B77< 7F 8E(=A4 CA&&E) 854 ?5457;#
?5457; 5#
* Against filthy and proud thoughtsA
,- also the neglect of 8ermas in chastising his children#
8E !ho had bred me up sold a
certain young maid at (omeA
!hom !hen 5 sa! many years
after, 5 remembered her, and
began to lo"e her as a sister#
5t happened some time after!ards,
that 5 sa! her !ashing in the ri"er
TyberA and 5 reached out my hand
unto her, and brought her out of
the ri"er,
, And !hen 5 sa! her 5 thought
!ith myself, saying, 8o! happy
should 5 be if 5 had such a !ife,
both for beauty and manners#
This 5 thought !ith myselfA nor
did 5 think any thing more# But
not long after, as 5 !as !alking,
and musing on these thoughts, 5
began to honour this creature of
God, thinking !ith myselfA ho!
noble and beautiful she !as#
K And !hen 5 had !alked a little,
5 fell asleepA and the spirit
caught me a!ay, and carried me
through a certain place to!ards
the right hand, through !hich no
man could pass# 5t !as a place
among rocks, "ery steep, and
unpassable for !ater#
. hen 5 !as past this place,
5 came into a plainA and there
falling do!n upon my knees, 5
began to pray unto the &ord, and
to confess my sins#
2 And as 5 !as praying, the
hea"en !as opened, and 5 sa! the
!oman !hich 5 had co"eted,
saluting me from hea"en, and
saying, 8ermas, hailJ and 5 looking
upon her, ans!ered, &ady, !hat
dost thou do hereH 4he ans!ered
me, 5 am taken up hither to accuse
thee of sin before the &ord#
1 &ady, said 5, !ilt thou
con"ince meH ;o, said she' but
hear the !ords !hich 5 am about
to speak unto thee# God !ho
d!elleth in hea"en, and hath made
all things out of nothing, and
hath multiplied them for his holy
churchCs sake, is angry !ith thee
because thou hast sinned against
me#
I And 5 ans!ering said unto
her, &ady, if 5 ha"e sinned against
thee, tell me !here, or in !hat
place, or !hen did 5 e"er speak
an unseemly or dishonest !ord
unto theeH
+ 8a"e 5 not al!ays esteemed
thee as a ladyH 8a"e 5 not al!ays
re"erenced thee as a sisterH hy
then dost thou imagine these
!icked things against meH
L Then she, smiling upon me,
said' the desire of naughtiness
has risen up in thy heart# )oes
it not seem to thee to be an ill
thing for a righteous man to ha"e
an e"il desire rise up in his heart#
*- 5t is indeed a sin, and that a
"ery great sin, to such a oneA for
a righteous man thinketh that
!hich is righteous# And !hilst
he does so, and !alketh uprightly,
he shall ha"e the &ord in hea"en
fa"ourable unto him in all his
business#
** But as for those !ho think
!ickedly in their hearts, they take
to themsel"es death and capti"ityA
and especially those !ho lo"e this
present !orld, and glory in their
riches, and regard not the good
things that are to comeA their
souls !ander up and do!n and
kno! not !here to fiD#
*, ;o! this is the case of such
as are double%minded, !ho trust
not in the &ord, and despise and
neglect their o!n life#
*K But do thou pray unto the
&ord, and he !ill heal thy sins,
and the sins of thy !hole house,
and of all his saints#
*. As soon as she had spoken
these !ords the hea"en !ere shut,
and 5 remained utterly s!allo!ed
up !ith sadness and fear' and
said !ithin myself, if this be laid
against me for sin, ho! can 5 be
sa"ed#
*2 7r ho! should 5 e"er be able
to entreat the &ord for my many
and great sinsH ith !hat !ords
shall 5 beseech him to be merciful
unto meH
*1 As 5 !as thinking o"er these
things, and meditating in myself
upon them, behold a chair !as
set o"er against me of the !hitest
!ool, as bright as sno!#
*I And there came an old !oman
in a bright garment, ha"ing
a book in her hand, and sat alone,
and saluted me, saying, 8ermas,
hailJ and 5 being full of sorro!
and !eeping, ans!ered, 8ail &adyJ
*+ And she said unto me, hy
art thou sad, 8ermas, !ho !ert
!ont to be patient, and modest,
and al!ays cheerfulH 5 ans!ered,
and said to her, &ady, a reproach
has been laid to my charge by an
eDcellent !oman, !ho tells me
that 5 ha"e sinned against her#
*L 4he replied, Far be any such
thing from the ser"ant of God#
But it may be the desire of her
has risen up in thy heartH For
indeed such a thought maketh the
ser"ants of God guilty of sin#
,- ;or ought such a detestable
thought to be in the ser"ant of
God' nor should he !ho is appro"ed
by the 4pirit desire that !hich
is e"ilA but especially 8ermas,
!ho contains himself from all
!icked lusts, and is full of all
simplicity, and of great innocence#
,* ;e"ertheless the &ord is
not so much angry !ith thee for
thine o!n sake, as upon the
account of thy house, !hich has
committed !ickedness against the
&ord, and against their parents#
,, And for that out of thy
fondness to!ards thy sons, thou
hast not admonished thy house,
but hast permitted them to li"e
!ickedlyA for this cause the &ord
is angry !ith thee' but he !ill heal
all the e"ils that are done in thy
house# For through their sins
and iniBuities, thou art !holly
consumed in secular affairs#
,K But no! the mercy of God
hath taken compassion upon thee,
and upon thine house, and hath
greatly comforted thee# 7nly
as for thee, do not !ander, but be
of an e"en mind, and comfort thy
house#
,. As the !orkman bringing
forth his !ork, offers it to
!homsoe"er he pleasethA so shalt
thou by teaching e"ery day !hat
is just, cut off a great sin#
herefore cease not to admonish thy
sons, for the &ord kno!s that they
!ill repent !ith all their heart,
and they shall be !ritten in the
book of life#
,2 And !hen she had said this,
she added unto meA ilt thou
hear me readH 5 ans!ered her,
&ady, 5 !ill#
,1 8ear then, said sheA
and opening the book she read,
gloriously, greatly, and !onderfully,
such things as 5 could not keep in
my memory# For they !ere terrible
!ords, such as no man could bear#
,I 8o! it be 5 committed her
last !ords to my remembranceA
for they !ere but fe!, and of great
use to us'%%
,+ Behold the mighty &ord, !ho
by his in"isible po!er, and !ith
his eDcellent !isdom made the
!orld, and by his glorious counsel
beautified his creature, and !ith
the !ord of his strength fiDed the
hea"en, and founded the earth
upon the !atersA and by his
po!erful "irtue established the
8oly Church, !hich he hath
blessed#
,L Behold he !ill remo"e the
hea"ens, and the mountains, the
hills, and the seasA and all things
shall be made plain for his electA
that he may render unto them the
promise !hich he has promised,
!ith much honour and joyA if so
be that they shall keep the
commandments of God, !hich they
ha"e recei"ed !ith great faith#
K- And !hen she had made an end
of reading, she rose out of the
chairA and behold four young men
came, and carried the chair to
the east#
K* And she called me unto her,
and touched my breast, and said
unto me, )id my reading please
theeH 5 ans!ered, &ady, these
last things please meA but !hat
!ent before !as se"ere and hard#
K, 4he said unto me, these last
things are for the righteous, but
the foregoing for the re"olters and
heathen#
KK And as she !as talking !ith
me, t!o men appeared, and took
her upon their shoulders, and
!ent to the east !here the chair
!as#
K. And she !ent cheerfully
a!ayA and as she !as going, said
unto me, 8ermas, be of good
cheer#
?5457; 55#
Again, of his neglect in correcting his talkati"e !ifeA
and of his le!d sons#
A4 5 !as on the !ay to Cuma,
about the same time that 5
!ent the year before, 5 began to
call to mind the "ision 5 formerly
had# And again the spirit carried
me a!ay, and brought me into the
same place, in !hich 5 had been
the year before#
, And !hen 5 !as come into the
place, 5 fell do!n upon my knees,
and began to pray unto the &ord,
and to glorify his name, that he
had esteemed me !orthy, and had
manifested unto me my former
sins#
K And !hen 5 arose from prayer,
behold 5 sa! o"er against me the
old !oman !hom 5 had seen the
last year, !alking and reading
in a certain book#
. And she said unto me, Canst
thou tell these things to the
elect of GodH 5 ans!ered and said
unto her, &ady, 5 cannot retain
so many things in my memory, but
gi"e me the book, and 5 !ill !rite
them do!n#
2 Take it, says she, and see that
thou restore it again to me#
1 As soon as 5 had recei"ed it,
5 !ent aside into a certain place
of the field, and transcribe e"ery
letter, for 5 found no syllables#
I And as soon as 5 had finished
!hat !as !ritten in the book, the
book !as suddenly caught out of
my hand, but by !hom 5 sa! not#
+ After fifteen days, !hen 5
had fasted, and entreated the &ord
!ith all earnestness, the kno!ledge
of the !riting !as re"ealed unto me#
;o! the !riting !as this'%%
L Thy seed, 7 8ermasJ hath
sinned against the &ord, and ha"e
betrayed their parents, through
their great !ickedness# And they
ha"e been called the betrayers of
their parents, and ha"e gone on in
their treachery#
*- And no! ha"e they added
le!dness to their other sins, and
the pollutions of their naughtiness'
thus ha"e they filled up the measure
of their iniBuities# But do thou
upbraid thy sons !ith all these
!ordsA and thy !ife, !ho shall be
as thy sisterA and let her learn
to refrain her tongue, !ith !hich
she calumniates#
** And !hen she shall hear these
things, she !ill refrain herself,
and shall obtain mercy#
*, And they also shall be
instructed, !hen thou shalt ha"e
reproached them !ith these !ords,
!hich the &ord has commanded to
be re"ealed unto them#
*K Then shall their sins be
forgi"en, !hich they ha"e heretofore
committed, and the sins of all the
saints !ho ha"e sinned e"en unto
this dayA if they shall repent !ith
all their hearts, and remo"e all
doubts out of their hearts#
*. For the &ord hath s!orn by
his glory concerning his elect,
ha"ing determined this "ery time,
that if any one shall e"en no!
sin, he shall not be sa"ed#
*2 For the repentance of the
righteous has its endA the days of
repentance are fulfilled to all the
saintsA but to the heathen, there
is repentance e"en unto the last
day#
*1 Thou shalt therefore say to
those !ho are o"er the church,
that they order their !ays in
righteousnessA so that they may
fully recei"e the promise !ith
much glory#
*I 4tand fast therefore ye that
!ork righteousness and continue
to do it, that your departure may
be !ith the holy angels#
*+ 8appy are ye, as many as
shall endure the great trial that is
at hand, and !hosoe"er shall not
deny his life#
*L For the &ord hath s!orn by
his 4on, that !hoso, denieth his
4on and 85=, being afraid of his
life, he !ill also deny him in the
!orld that is to come#
,- But those !ho shall ne"er
deny him, he !ill of his eDceeding
great mercy be fa"ourable unto
them#
,* But thou, 7 8ermasJ remember
not the e"ils !hich thy sons ha"e
done, neither neglect thy sister,
but take care that they amend of
their former sins#
,, For they !ill be instructed
by this doctrine, if thou shalt not
be mindful of !hat they ha"e done
!ickedly#
,K For the remembrance of e"ils
!orketh death, but the forgetting
of them eternal life#
,. But thou, 7 8ermasJ hast
undergone a great many !orldly
troubles for the offences of thy
house, because thou hast neglected
them, as things that did not belong
unto theeA and thou art !holly
taken up !ith thy great business#
,2 ;e"ertheless, for this cause
shalt thou be sa"ed, that thou hast
not departed from the li"ing God,
and thy simplicity and singular
continency shall preser"e thee, if
thou shalt continue in them#
,1 $es, they shall sa"e all such
as do such things, and !alk in
innocence and simplicity#
,I They !ho are of this kind
shall pre"ail against all impiety,
and continue until life eternal#
,+ 8appy are all they that do
righteousness, they shall not be
consumed for e"er#
,L But thou !ilt say, Behold
there is a great trial coming# 5f
it seem good to thee, deny him
again#
K- The &ord is nigh to them that
turn to him, as it is !ritten in
the book of 8eldam and =odal,
!ho prophesied to the people of
5srael in the !ilderness#
K* =oreo"er, brethren, it !as
re"ealed to me, as 5 !as sleeping,
by a "ery goodly young man, saying
unto me, hat thinkest thou of that
old !oman from !hom thou recei"edst
the bookA !ho is sheH 5 ans!ered,
a 4ybil#
K, Thou art mistaken said he,
she is not# 5 replied, ho is she
then, sirH 8e ans!ered me, 5t is
the church of God#
KK And 5 said unto him, hy
then does she appear oldH 4he is
therefore, said he, an old !oman,
because she !as the first of all
the creation, and the !orld !as
made for her#
K. After this 5 sa! a "ision at
home in my o!n house, and the
old !oman, !hom 5 had seen before,
came to me and asked me !hether
5 had yet deli"ered her book to
the elders of the churchH And
5 ans!ered, that 5 had not yet#
K2 4he replied, Thou hast !ell
done, for 5 ha"e certain !ords
more to tell thee# But !hen 5
shall ha"e finished all the !ords,
they shall be clearly understood
by the elect#
K1 And thou shalt !rite t!o
books, and send one to Clement
and one to Grapte# For Clement
shall send it to the foreign cities,
because it is permitted to him so
to do' but Grapte shall admonish
the !ido!s and orphans#
KI But thou shalt read in this
city !ith the elders of the church#
?5457; 555#
7f the building of the church triumphant,
and of the se"eral sorts of reprobates#
T8E "ision !hich 5 sa!, brethren,
!as this#
, hen 5 had often fasted and
prayed unto the &ord, that he
!ould manifest unto me the
re"elation, !hich he had promised
by the old !oman to sho! unto meA
the same night she appeared unto
me, and said unto me,
K Because thou dost thus afflict
thyself, and art so desirous to kno!
all things, come into the field,
!here thou !ilt, and about the
siDth hour, 5 !ill appear unto thee,
and sho! thee !hat thou must
see#
. 5 asked her, sayingA &ady,
into !hat part of the fieldH 4he
ans!ered, !here"er thou !ilt, only
choose a good and a pri"ate place#
And before 5 began to speak and
tell her the place, she said unto
meA 5 !ill come !here thou !ilt#
2 5 !as therefore, brethren in
the field and 5 obser"ed the hours,
and came into the place !here 5
had appointed her to come#
1 And 5 beheld a bench placedA
it !as a linen pillo!, and o"er it
spread a co"ering of fine linen#
I hen 5 sa! these things ordered
in this manner, and that there !as
nobody in the place, 5 began to be
astonished, and my hair stood on end,
and a kind of horror seiGed meA
for 5 !as alone#
+ But being come to myself,
and calling to mind the glory of
God, and taking courage, 5 fell
do!n upon my knees and began
again to confess my sins as before#
L And !hilst 5 !as doing this,
the old !oman came thither !ith
the siD young men !hom 5 had
seen before, and stood behind me
as 5 !as praying, and heard me
praying and confessing my sins
unto the &ord#
*- And touching me, she saidA
&ea"e off praying no! only for thy
sinsA pray also for righteousness,
that thou mayest recei"e a part of
it in thy house#
** And she lifted me up from
the place, and took me by the
hand, and brought me to the seatA
and said to the young men, go,
and build#
*, As soon as they !ere departed,
and !e !ere alone, she said unto meA
sit here# 5 ans!ered herA &ady,
let those !ho are elder sit first#
4he replied, 4it do!n as 5 bid you#
*K And !hen 5 !ould ha"e sat
on the right side, she suffered me
not, but made a sign to me !ith
her hand, that 5 should sit on the
left#
*. As 5 !as therefore musing,
and full of sorro!, that she !ould
not suffer me to sit on the right
side, she said unto me, 8ermas,
!hy art thou sadH
*2 The place !hich is on the
right hand is theirs !ho ha"e
already attained unto God, and ha"e
suffered for his name%sake# But
there is yet a great deal remaining
unto thee, before thou canst sit
!ith them#
*1 But continue as thou doest,
in thy sincerity, and thou shalt sit
!ith themA as all others shall,
!ho do their !orks, and shall bear
!hat they ha"e borne#
*I 5 said to herA &ady, 5 !ould
kno! !hat it is that they ha"e
sufferedH 8ear then, said she'
!ild beasts, scourgings,
imprisonments, and crosses
for his name%sake#
*+ For this cause the right hand
of holiness belongs to them, and
to all others as many as shall
suffer for the name of GodA but
the left belongs to the rest#
*L 8o!beit the gifts and the
promises belong to both, to them
on the right, and to those on the
left handA only that sitting on the
right hand they ha"e some glory
abo"e the others#
,- But thou art desirous to sit
on the right hand !ith them, and
yet thy defects are many# But
thou shalt be purged from thy
defects, as also all !ho doubt not
shall be cleansed from all the sins
!hich they ha"e committed unto
this day#
,* And !hen she had said this
she !ould ha"e departed#
,, herefore, falling do!n before
her feet, 5 began to entreat her,
for the &ordCs sake, that she
!ould sho! me the "ision !hich
she had promised#
,K Then she again took me by
the hand, and lifted me up, and
made me sit upon the seat at the
left sideA and holding up a certain
bright !and, said unto me, 4eest
thou that great thingH 5 replied,
&ady, 5 see nothing#
,. 4he ans!ered, )ost thou not
see o"er against thee a great to!er,
!hich is built upon the !ater !ith
bright sBuare stonesH
,2 For the to!er !as built upon
a sBuare by these siD young men
that came !ith her#
,1 But many thousand of other
men brought stonesA some dre!
them out of the deep, others
carried them from the ground,
and ga"e them to the siD young menA
and they took them and built#
,I As for those stones !hich
!ere dra!n out of the deep, they
put them all into the buildingA
for they !ere polished, and their
sBuares eDactly ans!ered one another,
and so one !as joined in such !ise
to the other, that there !as no
space to be seen !here they
joined, insomuch that the !hole
to!er appeared to be built as it
!ere of one stone#
,+ But as for the other stones
that !ere taken off from the
ground, some of them they rejected,
others they fitted into the building#
,L As for those !hich !ere rejected,
some they cut out, and cast them
at a distance from the to!erA
but many others of them lay round
about the to!er, !hich they made
no use of in the building#
K- For some of these !ere
rough, others had clefts in them,
others !ere !hite and round, not
proper for the building of the
to!er#
K* But 5 sa! the other stones
cast afar off from the to!er, and
falling into the high%!ay, and yet
not continuing in the !ay, but
!ere rolled from the !ay into a
desert place#
K, 7thers 5 sa! falling into the
fire and burningA others fell near
the !ater, yet could not roll
themsel"es into it, though "ery
desirous to fall into the !ater#
KK And !hen she had sho!ed
me these things she !ould ha"e
departedA but 5 said to her, &ady,
!hat doth it profit me to see these
things, and not understand !hat
they meanH
K. 4he ans!ered and said unto
meA $ou are "ery cunning, in
that you are desirous to kno!
those things !hich relate to the
to!er# $ea, said 5, lady, that 5
may declare them unto the brethren,
and they may rejoice, and hearing
these things may glorify God
!ith great glory#
K2 Then she said, =any indeed
shall hear them, and !hen they
shall ha"e heard them, some shall
rejoice, and others !eep# And
yet e"en these, if they shall
repent, shall rejoice too#
K1 8ear therefore !hat 5 shall
say concerning the parable of the
to!er, and after this be no longer
importunate !ith me about the
re"elation#
KI For these re"elations ha"e
an end, seeing they are fulfilled#
But thou dost not lea"e off to
desire re"elations, for thou art
"ery urgent#
K+ As for the to!er !hich thou
seest built, it is myself, namely,
the church, !hich ha"e appeared
to thee both no! and heretofore#
herefore ask !hat thou !ilt
concerning the to!er, and 5 !ill
re"eal it unto thee, that thou
mayest rejoice !ith the saints#
KL 5 said unto her, &ady,
because thou hast thought me once
!orthy to recei"e from thee the
re"elation of all these things,
declare them unto me#
.- 4he ans!ered me, hatsoe"er
is fit to be re"ealed unto thee
shall be re"ealed' only yet thy
heart be !ith the &ord, and doubt
not, !hatsoe"er thou shalt see#
.* 5 asked her, &ady, !hy is the
to!er built upon the !aterH 4he
replied, 5 said before to thee that
thou !ert "ery !ise to inBuire
diligently concerning the building,
therefore thou shalt find the truth#
., 8ear therefore !hy the to!er
is built upon the !ater' because
your life is and shall be sa"ed by
!ater# For it is founded by the
!ord of the almighty and honourable
name, and is supported by the
in"isible po!er and "irtue of God#
.K And 5 ans!ering, said
unto her, These things are "ery
admirableA but, lady, !ho are
those siD young men that buildH
.. They are, said she, the angels
of God, !ho !ere first appointed,
and to !hom the &ord has deli"ered
all his creatures, to frame and
build them up, and to rule o"er
them# For by these the building
of the to!er shall be finished#
.2 And !ho are the rest !ho
bring them stonesH
.1 They also are the holy angels
of the &ordA but the others are
more eDcellent than these# herefore
!hen the !hole building of the
to!er shall be finished, they
shall all feast together beside
the to!er, and shall glorify God,
because the structure of the
to!er is finished#
.I 5 asked her, saying, 5 !ould
kno! the condition of the stones,
and !hat the meaning of them
isH
.+ 4he ans!ering, said unto
me, Art thou better than all others
that this should be re"ealed unto
theeH For others are both before
thee and better than thou art,
to !hom these "isions should be
made manifest#
.L ;e"ertheless, that the name
of God may be glorified, it has been
sho!n and shall be re"ealed unto
thee, for the sake of those !ho are
doubtful, and think in their hearts
!hether these things are so or not#
2- Tell them that all these
things are true, and that there is
nothing in them that is not true
but all are firm and truly
established#
2* 8ear no! then concerning
the stones that are in the building#
2, The sBuare and !hite stones
!hich agree eDactly in their joints,
are the apostles, and bishops, and
doctors, and ministers, !ho
through the mercy of God ha"e
come in, and go"erned, and taught
and ministered holily and modestly
to the elect of God, both they
that ha"e fallen asleep, and !hich
yet remainA and ha"e al!ays
agreed !ith them, and ha"e had
peace !ithin themsel"es, and ha"e
heard each other#
2K For !hich cause their joints
eDactly meet together in the building
of the to!er#
2. They !hich are dra!n out
of the deep and put into the
building, and !hose joints agree
!ith the other stones !hich are
already built, are those !hich are
already fallen asleep, and ha"e
suffered for the sake of the &ordCs
name#
22 And !hat are the other
stones, lady, that are brought
from the earthH 5 !ould kno!
!hat are they#
21 4he ans!ered, They !hich
lie upon the ground and are not
polished, are those !hich God has
appro"ed, because they ha"e
!alked in 5 the la! of the &ord,
and directed their !ays in his
commandments#
2I They !hich are brought and
put in the building of the to!er,
are the young in faith and the
faithful# And these are admonished
by the angels to do !ell because
iniBuity is not found in them#
2+ But !ho are those !hom they
rejected, and laid beside the to!erH
2L They are such as ha"e sinned
and are !illing to repentA for
!hich cause they are not cast far
from the to!er, because they !ill
be useful for the building, if they
shall repent#
1- They therefore that are yet
to repent, if they repent they shall
become strong in the faithA that
is, if they repent no!, !hilst the
to!er is building# For if the
building shall be finished there
!ill then be no place for them to
be put in, but they shall be rejectedA
for he only has this pri"ilege !ho
shall no! be put into the to!er#
1* But !ould you kno! !ho
they are that !ere cut out, and
cast afar off from the to!erH
&ady said 5, 5 desire it#
1, They are the children of iniBuity,
!ho belie"ed only in hypocrisy,
and departed not from their e"il
!aysA for this cause they shall not
be sa"ed, because they are not of
any use in the building by reason
of their sins#
1K herefore they are cut out,
and cast afar off, because of the
anger of the &ord, and because
they ha"e pro"oked him to anger
against them#
1. As for the great number of
other stones !hich thou hast seen
placed about the to!er, but no!
put into the buildingA those !hich
are rugged, are they !ho ha"e
kno!n the truth, but ha"e not
continued in it, nor been joined
to the saints, and therefore are
unprofitable#
12 Those that ha"e clefts in
them, are they that keep up discord
in their hearts against each other,
and li"e not in peaceA that are
friendly !hen present !ith their
brethren, but as soon as they are
departed from one another, their
!ickedness still continues in
their hearts' these are the clefts
!hich are seen in those stones#
11 Those that are maimed and
short, are they !ho ha"e belie"ed
indeed, but still are in great
measure full of !ickednessA for
this cause they are maimed and
not !hole#
1I But !hat are the !hite and
round stones, lady, and !hich are
not proper for the building of the
to!erH
1+ 4he ans!ering said unto
me' 8o! long !ilt thou continue
foolish and !ithout understanding,
asking e"erything and discerning
nothingH
1L They are such as ha"e faith
indeed, but ha"e !ithal the riches
of this present !orld# hen
therefore any troubles arise, for
the sake of their riches and traffic,
they deny the &ord#
I- 5 ans!ering, said unto her,
hen therefore !ill they be
profitable to the &ordH hen their
riches shall be cut a!ay, says she,
in !hich they take delight, then
they !ill be profitable unto the
&ord for his building#
I* For as a round stone, unless
it be cut a!ay and is cast some!hat
of its bulk, cannot be made sBuare,
so they !ho are rich in this !orldA
unless their riches be pared offA
cannot be made profitable unto the
&ord#
I, &earn this from thy o!n
eDperience' !hen thou !ert rich,
thou !ast unprofitableA but no!
thou art profitable, and fit for the
life !hich thou hast undertakenA
for thou also once !as one of
those stones#
IK As for the rest of the stones
!hich thou sa!est cast afar
off from the to!er, and running in
the !ay, and tumbled out of the
!ay into desert placesA they are
such as ha"e belie"ed indeed,
but through their doubting ha"e
forsaken the true !ay, thinking that
they could find a better# But they
!ander and are miserable, going
into desolate !ays#
I. Then for those stones !hich
fell into the fire and !ere burnt,
they are those !ho ha"e for e"er
departed from the li"ing GodA
nor doth it e"er come into their
hearts to repent, by reason of the
affection !hich they bear to their
lusts and !ickedness !hich they
commit#
I2 And !hat are the rest !hich
fell by the !ater, and could not
roll into the !aterH
I1 They are such as ha"e heard
the !ord, and !ere !illing to be
baptised in the name of the &ordA
but considering the great holiness
!hich the truth reBuires, ha"e
!ithdra!n themsel"es, an !alked
again after !icked lusts#
II Thus she finished the
eDplanation of the to!er#
I+ But 5 being still urgent,
asked her, 5s there repentance
allo!ed to all those stones !hich
are thus cast a!ay, and !ere not
suitable to the building of the
to!erA and shall they find place
in this to!erH
IL They may repent, said she,
yet they cannot come into this
to!erA but, they shall be placed
in a much lo!er rank, and then
only after they shall ha"e been
afflicted and fulfilled the days of
their sins#
+- And for this cause they shall
be remo"ed, because they ha"e
recei"ed the !ord of righteousness'
and then they shall be translated
from their afflictions, if they
shall ha"e a true sense in their
hearts of !hat they ha"e done amiss#
+* But if they shall not ha"e
this sense in their hearts, they
shall not be sa"ed by reason of
the hardness of their hearts#
+, hen therefore 5 had done
asking her concerning all these
things, she said unto me, ilt
thou see something elseH And
being desirous of seeing it,
5 became "ery cheerful of
countenances#
+K 4he therefore looking back
upon me, and smiling a little, said
unto me, 4eest thou se"en !omen
about the to!erH &ady, said 5,
5 see them#
+. This to!er, replied she, is
supported by them, according to
the command of the &ord' hear
therefore the effects of them#
+2 The first of them, !hich
holds fast !ith her hand, is called
FaithA The neDt, !hich is girt
up, and looks manly, is named
Abstinence' she is the daughter
of Faith#
+1 hosoe"er therefore shall
follo! her shall be happy in all
his life, because he shall abstain
from all e"il !orks, belie"ing that
if he shall contain himself from
all concupiscence, he shall be
the heir of eternal life# And
!hat, lady, said 5, are the other
fi"eH
+I They are, replied she, the
daughters of one another# The
first of them is called 4implicityA
the neDt 5nnocenceA the third
=odestyA then )isciplineA and
the last of all is Charity# hen
therefore thou shalt ha"e fulfilled
the !orks of their mother, thou
shalt be able to do all things#
++ &ady, said 5, 5 !ould kno!
!hat particular "irtue e"ery one
of these has#
+L 8ear then, replied sheA
they ha"e eBual "irtues, and their
"irtues are knit together, and
follo! one another as they !ere
born#
L- From Faith proceeds AbstinenceA
from Abstinence, 4implicityA from
4implicity, 5nnocenceA from 5nnocence,
=odestyA from =odesty, )iscipline
and Charity# Therefore the !orks
of these are holy, and chaste, and
right#
L* hoe"er therefore shall
ser"e these, and hold fast to their
!orks, he shall ha"e his d!elling
in the to!er !ith the saints of
God#
L, Then 5 asked her concerning
the times, !hether the end !ere
no! at handH
LK But she cried out !ith a loud
"oice, saying, 7 foolish manJ
)ost thou not see the to!er yet a
buildingH hen therefore the
to!er shall be finished, and built,
it shall ha"e an endA and indeed
it shall soon be accomplished#
L. But do not ask me any more
Buestions# hat has been said
may suffice thee and all the saints
for the refreshment of your spirits#
For these things ha"e not been
re"ealed to thee only, but that
thou mayest make them manifest
unto all#
L2 For therefore, 7 8ermas,
after three days thou must understand
these !ords !hich 5 begin
to speak unto thee, that thou
mayest speak them in the ears of
the saintsA that !hen thou shall
ha"e heard and done them, they
may be cleansed from their
iniBuities, and thou together
!ith them#
L1 8ear me therefore, 7 my
sonsJ 5 ha"e bred you up in much
simplicity, and innocency, and
modesty, for the lo"e of God,
!hich has dropped do!n upon
you in righteousness, that you
should be sanctified and justified
from all sin and !ickednessA but
ye !ill not cease from your e"il
doings#
LI ;o! therefore hearken unto
me, and ha"e peace one !ith another,
and "isit one another, and recei"e
one another, and do not enjoy
the creatures of God alone#
L+ Gi"e freely to them that are
in need# For some by too free
feeding contract an infirmity in
their flesh, and do injury to their
bodiesA !hilst the flesh of others,
!ho ha"e not food, !ithers a!ay,
because they !ant sufficient
nourishment, and the bodies are
consumed#
LL herefore this intemperance
is hurtful to you, !ho ha"e, and
do not contribute to them that
!ant# Prepare for the judgment
that is about to come upon you#
*-- $e that are the more eminent,
search out them that are hungry,
!hilst the to!er is yet unfinished#
For !hen the to!er shall be finished,
ye shall be !illing to do good,
and shall not find any place in it#
*-* Be!are, therefore, ye that
glory in your riches, lest perhaps
they groan !ho are in !ant, and
their sighing come up unto God,
and ye be shut out !ith your goods
!ithout the gate of the to!er#
*-, Behold 5 no! !arn you !ho
are set o"er the church, and lo"e
the highest seats, be not ye like
unto those that !ork mischief#
*-K And they indeed carry about
their poison in boDes, but ye
contain your poison and infection
in your hearts, and !ill not purge
them, and miD your sense !ith a
pure heart, that ye might find
mercy !ith the Great <ing#
*-. Take heed, my children,
that your dissensions depri"e you
not of your li"es# 8o! !ill ye
instruct the elect of God, !hen
ye yoursel"es !ant correctionH
herefore admonish one another,
and be at peace among yoursel"es,
that 5, standing before your
Father, may gi"e an account
of you unto the &ord#
*-2 And !hen she had made
an end of talking !ith me, the siD
young men that built, came and
carried her to the to!erA and four
others took up the seat on !hich
she sat, and they also !ent a!ay
again to the to!er# 5 sa! not the
faces of these, for their backs
!ere to!ards me#
*-1 As she !as going a!ay, 5
asked her, that she !ould re"eal
to me !hat concerned the three
forms, in !hich she had appeared
unto me#
*-I But she ans!ering said unto
me, concerning these things
thou must ask some other, that
they may be re"ealed unto thee#
*-+ ;o!, brethren, in the first
"ision the last year, she appeared
unto me eDceedingly old, and
sitting in a chair#
*-L 5n another "ision, she had
indeed a youthful face, but her
flesh and hair !ere oldA but she
talked !ith me standing, and !as
more cheerful than the first time#
**- 5n the third "ision, she !as
in all respects much younger, and
comely to the eyeA only she had
the hair of an aged person' yet
she looked cheerful, and sat upon
a seat#
*** 5 !as therefore "ery sad
concerning these things, until 5
might understand the "ision#
**, herefore 5 sa! the same
old !oman in a "ision of the night
saying unto me, All prayer needeth
humiliation# Fast, therefore, and
thou shalt learn from the &ord
that !hich thou dost ask# 5 fasted
therefore one day#
**K The same night a young
man appeared to me and said,
hy dost thou thus often desire
(e"elations in thy prayersH Take
heed that by asking many things,
thou hurt not the body# &et these
(e"elations suffice thee#
**. Canst thou see more notable
(e"elations than those !hich
thou hast already recei"edH
**2 5 ans!ered and said unto
him, 4ir, 5 only ask this one
thing upon the account of the
three figures of the old !oman
that appeared to me, that the
(e"elation may be complete#
**1 8e ans!ered me, $ou are
not !ithout understanding, but
your doubts make you soA for as
much as you ha"e not your heart
!ith the &ord#
**I 5 replied and said, But !e
shall learn these things more
carefully from you#
**+ 8ear then, says he, concerning
the figures about !hich you inBuire#
**L To beginA in the first "ision
she appeared to thee in the shape
of an old !oman sitting in, a chair,
because your old spirit !as decayed,
and !ithout strength, by reason
of your infirmities, and the
doubtfulness of your heart#
*,- For as they !ho are old
ha"e no hope of rene!ing
themsel"es, nor eDpect any thing
but their departureA so you being
!eakened through your !orldly
affairs ga"e yourself up to sloth,
and cast not a!ay your solicitude
from yourself upon the &ord' and
your sense !as confused, and you
gre! old in your sadness#
*,* But, sir, 5 !ould kno! !hy
she sat upon a chairH
*,, 8e ans!ered, because e"ery
one that is !eak sitteth upon a
chair by reason of his infirmity,
that his !eakness may be upheld#
Behold therefore the figure of the
first "ision#
*,K 5n the second "ision you
sa! her standing, and ha"ing a
youthful face, and more cheerful
than her formerA but her flesh
and her hair !ere ancient# 8ear,
said he, this parable also#
*,. hen any one gro!s old,
he despairs of himself by reason
of his infirmity and po"erty, and
eDpects nothing but the last day of
his life#
*,2 But on a sudden an inheritance
is left to him, and he hears of it,
and rises' and being become
cheerful, he puts on ne! strength#
And no! he no longer sits do!n,
but stands, and is deli"ered from
his former sorro!A and sits not,
but acts manfully#
*,1 4o you, ha"ing heard the
(e"elation !hich God re"ealed
unto you, because God had
compassion upon you, and rene!ed
your spirit, both laid aside your
infirmities, and strength came to
you, and you gre! strong in the
faithA and God, seeing your
strength, rejoiced#
*,I For this cause he sho!ed
you the building of the to!er,
and !ill sho! other things unto you,
if you shall ha"e peace !ith all
your heart among each other#
*,+ But in the third "ision you
sa! her yet younger, fair and
cheerful, and of a serene
countenance#
*,L For, as if some good ne!s
comes to him that is sad, he
straight!ay forgets his sadness,
and regards nothing else but the
good ne!s !hich he has heardA
and for the rest he is comforted,
and his spirit is rene!ed through
the joy !hich he has recei"ed
e"en so you ha"e been refreshed
in your spirit by seeing these good
things#
*K- And for that you sa! her
sitting upon a bench, it denotes a
strong positionA because a bench
has four feet, and stands strongly#
And e"en the !orld itself is upheld
by the four elements#
*K* They therefore that repent
perfectly, shall be youngA and
they that turn from their sins
!ith their !hole heart, shall
be established#
*K, And no! you ha"e the
(e"elation fully, ask no more
to ha"e any thing farther
re"ealed unto you#
*KK But if any thing is to be
re"ealed, it shall be made manifest
unto you#
?5457; 5?#
7f the trial, and tribulation that is about
to come upon men#
5 4A a "ision brethren, t!enty
days after the former "isionA
a representation of the tribulation
that is at hand# 5 !as !alking in
the field !ay#
, ;o! from the public !ay to
the place !hither 5 !ent is about
ten furlongsA it is a !ay "ery
little freBuented'
K And as 5 !as !alking alone, 5
entreated the &ord that he !ould
confirm the (e"elations !hich he
had sho!n unto me by his 8oly
Church#
. And !ould grant repentance
to all his ser"ants !ho had been
offended, that his great and
honourable name might be glorified,
and because he thought me !orthy
to !hom he might sho! his !onders,
and, that 5 might honour him,
and gi"e thanks unto him#
2 And behold some!hat like a
"oice ans!ered meA )oubt not,
8ermas# herefore 5 began to
think, and say !ithin myself, !hy
should 5 doubt, seeing 5 am thus
settled by the &ord, and ha"e seen
such glorious thingsH
1 5 had gone but a little farther,
brethren, !hen behold 5 sa! a
dust rise up to hea"en# 5 began
to say !ithin myself, is there a
dro"e of cattle coming, that rises
such a dustH
I 5t !as about a furlong off from
me# And behold 5 sa! the dust
rise more and more, insomuch that
5 began to suspect that there !as
some!hat eDtraordinary in it#
+ And the sun shone a littleA
and behold 5 sa! a great beast, as
it !ere a !haleA and fiery locusts
came out of his mouth# The height
of the beast !as about a hundred
feet, and he had a head like a
large earthen "essel#
L 5 began to !eep, and to pray
unto the &ord that he !ould deli"er
me from it# Then 5 called to mind
the !ord !hich 5 had heardA
)oubt not, 8ermas#
*- herefore, brethren, putting
on a di"ine faith, and remembering
!ho it !as that had taught me great
things, 5 deli"ered myself bodily
unto the beast#
** ;o! the beast came on in
such a manner, as if it could at
once ha"e de"oured a city#
*, 5 came near unto it, and the
beast eDtended its !hole bulk upon
the ground, and put forth nothing
but its tongue, nor once mo"ed itself
till 5 had Buite passed by it#
*K ;o! the beast had upon its
head four coloursA first black,
then a red and bloody colour, then
a golden, and then a !hite#
*. After that 5 had passed by
it, and !as gone for!ard about
thirty feet, behold there met me a
certain "irgin, !ell adorned as if
she had been just come out of her
bride%chamberA all in !hite, ha"ing
on !hite shoes, and a "eil do!n her
face, and co"ered !ith shining hair#
*2 ;o! 5 kne! by my former
"isions that it !as the church,
and thereupon gre! the more cheerful#
4he saluted me, saying, 8ail, 7 =anJ
5 returned the salutation, saying,
&ady, 8ailJ
*1 4he ans!ering said unto me,
)id nothing meet you, 7 manJ
5 replied, &ady, there met me such
a beast, as seemed able to de"our
a !hole peopleA but by the po!er
of God, and through his singular
mercy, 5 escaped it#
*I Thou didst escape it !ell,
said she, because thou didst cast
thy !hole care upon God, and
opened thy heart unto him,
belie"ing that thou couldst be safe
by no other than by his great and
honourable name#
*+ For this cause the &ord sent
his angel, !ho is o"er the beast,
!hose name is 8egrin, and stopped
his mouth, that he should not
de"our thee, Thou hast escaped
a great trial through thy faith, and
because thou didst not doubt for
such a terrible beast#
*L Go, therefore, and relate to
the elect of God the great things
that he hath done for thee# And
thou shalt say unto them, that this
beast is the figure of the trial that
is about to come#
,- 5f, therefore, ye shall ha"e
prepared yoursel"es, ye may escape
it, if your hearts be pure and
!ithout spotA and if ye shall ser"e
God all the rest of your days
!ithout complaint#
,* Cast all your care upon the
&ord, and he !ill direct them#
Belie"e in God, ye doubtful,
because he can do all thingsA
he can both turn a!ay his !rath
from you, and send you help and
security#
,, oe to the doubtful, to those
!ho shall hear these !ords, and
shall despise them' it had been
better for them that they had not
been born#
,K Then 5 asked her concerning
the four colours !hich the beast
had upon its head# But she
ans!ered me sayingA Again thou
art curious in that thou asketh
concerning these things# But 5
said to her, &ady, che! me !hat
they areH
,. 8ear, said sheA The black
!hich thou sa!est denotes the
!orld in !hich you d!ell# The
fiery and bloody colour signifies
that this age must be destroyed
by fire and blood#
,2 The golden part are ye, !ho
ha"e escaped out of itA for as gold
is tried by the fire, and is made
profitable, so are ye also in like
manner tried !ho d!ell among the
men of this !orld#
,1 They therefore, that shall
endure to the end, and be pro"ed
by them, shall be purged# And as
gold, by this trial, is cleansed
and loses its dross, so shall ye
also cast a!ay all sorro! and
trouble, and be made pure for
the building of the to!er#
,I But the !hite colour denotes
the time of the !orld !hich is to
come, in !hich the elect of God
shall d!ell' because the elect of
God shall be pure and !ithout
spot until life eternal#
,+ herefore do not thou cease
to speak these thing in the ears of
the saints# 8ere ye ha"e the figure
of the great tribulation that is
about to comeA !hich, if you
please, shall be nothing to you#
,L hen she had spoken thus
much, she departedA but 5 sa!
not !hither she !ent# But suddenly
5 heard a noise, and 5 turned
back, being afraid, for 5 thought
that the beast !as coming to!ard
me#
T8E 4EC7;) PA(T 7F T8E
B77< 7F 8E(=A4, CA&&E) 854 C7==A;)4#
5ntroduction#
8E; 5 had prayed at home,
and !as sat do!n upon the
bed, a certain man came in to me
!ith a re"erend look, in the habit
of a 4hepherd, clothed !ith a !hite
cloak, ha"ing his bag upon his
back, and his staff in his hand, and
saluted me#
, 5 returned his salutation, and
immediately he sat do!n by me,
and said unto me, 5 am sent by
that "enerable messenger, that
5 should d!ell !ith thee all the
remaining days of thy life#
K But 5 thought that he !as
come to try me, and said unto him,
ho are youH For 5 kno! to
!hom 5 am committed# 8e said
unto me, )o you not kno! meH
5 ans!ered no# 5 am, said he,
that shepherd to !hose care you
are deli"ered#
. hilst he !as yet speaking,
his shape !as changedA and !hen
5 kne! that it !as he to !hom 5
!as committed, 5 !as ashamed,
and a sudden fear came upon me,
and 5 !as utterly o"ercome !ith
sadness, because 5 had spoken so
foolishly unto him#
2 But he said unto me, Be not
ashamed, but recei"e strength in
thy mind, through the commands
!hich 5 am about to deli"er unto
thee# For, said he, 5 am sent to
sho! unto thee all those things
again, !hich thou hast seen before,
but especially such of them as may
be of most use unto thee#
1 And first of all !rite my
Commands and 4imilitudes, the rest
thou shall so !rite as 5 shall sho!
unto thee# But 5 therefore bid
thee first of all !rite my Commands
and 4imilitudes, that by often
reading of them thou mayest
the more easily keep them in
memory#
I hereupon 5 !rote his Commands
and 4imilitudes, as he bade me#
+ hich things if !hen you
ha"e heard, ye shall obser"e to do
them, and shall !alk according to
them, and eDercise yoursel"es in
them !ith a pure mind, ye shall
recei"e from the &ord those things
!hich he has promised unto you#
L But if ha"ing heard them ye
shall not repent, but shall still go
on to add to your sins, ye shall
be punished by him#
*- All these things that 4hepherd,
the angel of repentance, commanded
me to !rite#
C7==A;) 5#
7f belie"ing in one God#
F5(4T of all belie"e that
there is one God !ho created and
brought all things out of nothing
into eDistence#
, 8e comprehends all things,
and is only 5;F5;5TE, not to be
comprehended by any#
K ho can neither be defined
by any !ords, nor concei"ed by
the mind#
. Therefore belie"e in him, and
fear himA and fearing him abstain
from all e"il#
2 <eep these things, and cast
all lust and iniBuity far from
thee, and put on righteousness,
and thou shalt li"e to God, if thou
shalt keep his commandment#
C7==A;) 55#
That !e must a"oid detraction, and do our
alms%deeds !ith simplicity#
8E said unto me, Be innocent
and !ithout disguiseA so shalt
thou be like an infant !ho kno!s
no malice !hich destroys the
life of man#
, Especially see that thou speak
e"il of none, nor !illingly hear
any one speak e"il of others#
K For if thou obser"est not this,
thou also !ho hearest shall be
partaker of the sin of him that
speaketh e"il, by belie"ing the
slander, and thou also shalt ha"e
sin, because thou belie"edst him
that spoke e"il of thy brother#
. )etraction is a pernicious
thingA an inconstant, e"il spiritA
that ne"er continues in peace, but
is al!ays in discord# herefore
refrain thyself from it, and keep
peace e"er more !ith thy brother#
2 Put on an holy constancy,
in !hich there are no sins, but
all is full of joyA and do good
of thy labours#
1 Gi"e !ithout distinction to
all that are in !ant, not doubting
to !hom thou gi"est#
I But gi"e to all, for God !ill
ha"e us gi"e to all, of all his o!n
gifts# They therefore that recei"e
shall gi"e an account to God, both
!herefore they recei"ed and for
!hat end#
+ And they that recei"e !ithout
real need, shall gi"e an account
for itA but he that gi"es shall be
innocent#
L For he has fulfilled his duty
as he recei"ed it from GodA not
making any choice to !hom he
should gi"e, and to !hom not#
And this ser"ice he did !ith
simplicity and to the glory
of God#
*- <eep therefore this command
according as 5 ha"e deli"ered it
into thee' that thy repentance
nay be found to be sincere, and
that good may come to thy houseA
and ha"e a pure heart#
C7==A;) 555#
7f a"oiding lying, and the repentance of 8ermas
for his dissimulation#
=7(E7?E( he said unto me
lo"e truthA and let all the
speech be true !hich proceeds out
of thy mouth#
, That the spirit !hich the &ord
hath gi"en to d!ell in thy flesh
may be found true to!ards all
menA and the &ord be glorified,
!ho hath gi"en such a spirit unto
thee' because God is true in all
his !ords, and in him there is no
lie#
K They therefore that lie, deny
the &ord, and become robbers of
the &ord, not rendering to God
!hat they recei"ed from him#
. For they recei"ed the spirit
free from lying' 5f therefore they
make that a liar, they defile !hat
!as committed to them by the
&ord, and become decei"ers#
2 hen 5 heard this, 5 !ept
bitterlyA and !hen he sa! me
!eeping, he said unto me, hy
!eepest thouH And 5 said, Because,
sir, 5 doubt !hether 5 can be sa"ed#
1 8e asked me, hereforeH
5 replied, Because, sir, 5 ne"er
spake a true !ord in my lifeA but
al!ays li"ed in dissimulation, and
affirmed a lie for truth to all menA
and no man contradicted me, but
all ga"e credit to my !ords# 8o!
then can 5 li"e, seeing 5 ha"e done
in this mannerH
I And he said unto me, Thou
thinkest !ell and trulyA for thou
oughtest, as the ser"ant of God,
to ha"e !alked in the truth, and
not ha"e joined an e"il conscience
!ith the spirit of truth, nor ha"e
grie"ed the holy and true 4pirit
of God#
+ And 5 replied unto him,
4ir, 5 ne"er before hearkened
so diligently to these things#
8e ans!ered, ;o! thou hearest them
Take care from henceforth, that
e"en those things !hich thou hast
formerly spoken falsely for the
sake of thy business, may, by
thy present truth recei"e pardon#
L For e"en those things may
be forgi"en, if for the time to come
thou shalt speak the truthA and
by so doing thou mayest attain
unto life#
*- And !hosoe"er shall hearken
unto this command, and do it,
and shall depart from all lying,
he shall li"e unto God#
C7==A;) 5?#
7f putting a!ay oneCs !ife for adultery#
F:(T8E(=7(E, said he, 5
command thee, that thou keep
thyself chasteA and that thou
suffer not any thought of any
other marriage, or of fornication,
to enter into thy heartA for such
a thought produces great sin#
, But be thou at all times mindful
of the &ord, and thou shalt ne"er
sin# For if such an e"il thought
should arise in thy heart, then
thou shall be guilty of a great
sinA and they !ho do such things,
follo! the !ay of death#
K &ook therefore to thyself, and
keep thyself from such a thoughtA
for !here chastity remains in the
heart of a righteous man, there an
e"il thought ought ne"er to arise#
. And 5 said unto him, 4ir,
suffer me to speak a little to you#
8e bade me say on# And 5 ans!ered,
4ir, if a man that is faithful
in the &ord shall ha"e a !ife,
and shall catch her in adulteryA
doth a man sin that continues to
li"e still !ith herH
2 And he said unto me, As long
as he is ignorant of her sin, he
commits no fault in li"ing !ith
herA but if a man shall kno! his
!ife to, ha"e offended, and she
shall not repent of her sin, but go
on still in her fornication, and a
man shall continue ne"ertheless
to li"e !ith her, he shall become
guilty of her sin, and partake !ith
her in her adultery#
1 And 5 said unto him, hat
therefore is to be done, if the
!oman continues on in her sinH
8e ans!ered, &et her husband put
her a!ay, and let him continue
by himselfA but if he shall put
a!ay his !ife and marry another,
he also doth commit adultery#
I And 5 said, hat, if the
!oman that is so put a!ay, should
repent, and be !illing to return
to her husband, shall she not be
recei"ed by himH 8e said unto me,
$esA and if her husband shall
not recei"e her, he !ill sin, and
commit a great offence against
himselfA for he ought to recei"e
the offender, if she repents' only
not often#
+ For, to the ser"ants of God,
there is but one repentanceA and
for this cause a man that putteth
a!ay his !ife ought not to take
another, because she may repent#
L This act is alike both in the
man and in the !oman# ;o! they
commit adultery, not only !ho
pollute their flesh, but !ho
also make an image# 5f therefore
a !oman perse"eres in any thing
of this kind, and repents not,
depart from herA and li"e not !ith
her, other!ise thou also shalt be
partaker of her sin#
*- But it is therefore commanded
that both the man and the !oman
should remain unmarried, because
such persons may repent#
** ;or do 5 in this administer
any occasion for the doing of these
thingsA but rather that !hoso has
offended, should not offend any
more#
*, But for their former sins,
God !ho has the po!er of healing
!ill gi"e a remedyA for he has
the po!er of all things#
*K 5 asked him again, and
said, 4eeing the &ord hath thought
me !orthy that thou shouldest
d!ell !ith me continually, speak
a fe! !ords unto me, because 5
understand nothing, and my heart
is hardened through my former
con"ersationA and open my
understanding because 5 am "ery
dull, and apprehend nothing at all#
*. And he ans!ering said
unto me, 5 am the minister of
repentance, and gi"e understanding
to all that repent# )oes it not
seem to thee to be a "ery !ise
thing to repentH Because he that
does so gets great understanding#
*2 For he is sensible that he
hath sinned and done !ickedly in
the sight of the &ord, and he
remembers !ithin himself that he
has offended, and repents and does
no more !ickedly, but does that
!hich is good, and humbles his
soul and afflicts it, because he has
offended# $ou see therefore that
repentance is great !isdom#
*1 And 5 said unto him, For this
cause, sir, 5 inBuire diligently
into all things, because 5 am a
sinner, that 5 may kno! !hat 5
must do that 5 may li"eA because
my sins are many#
*I And he said unto me, Thou
shalt li"e if thou shalt keep these
my commandments# And !hosoe"er
shall hear and do these commands
shall li"e unto God#
*+ And 5 said unto him, 5 ha"e
e"en no! heard from certain
teachers, that there is no other
repentance beside that of baptism,
!hen !e go do!n into the !ater,
and recei"e the forgi"eness of our
sinsA and that after that, !e must
sin no more, but li"e in purity#
*L And he said unto me, Thou
hast been rightly informed# ;e"er%
the%less seeing no! thou inBuirest
diligently into all things, 5 !ill
manifest this also unto theeA yet
not so as to gi"e any occasion of
sinning, either to those !ho shall
hereafter belie"e, or to those
!ho ha"e already belie"ed in the
&ord#
,- For neither they !ho ha"e
ne!ly belie"ed, or shall hereafter
belie"e, ha"e any repentance of sins,
but forgi"eness of them#
,* But as to those !ho ha"e
been called to the faith, and since
that are fallen into any gross sin,
the &ord hath appointed repentance,
because God kno!eth the thoughts
of all menCs hearts, and their
infirmities, and the manifold
!ickedness of the de"il, !ho is
al!ays contri"ing something
against the ser"ants of God, and
maliciously lays snares for them#
,, Therefore our merciful &ord
had compassion to!ards his creature,
and appointed that repentance, and
ga"e unto me the po!er of it# And
therefore 5 say unto thee, if any
one after that great and holy
calling shall be tempted by the
de"il and sin, he has one repentance#
But if he shall often sin and repent,
it shall not profit such a oneA
for he shall hardly li"e unto God#
,K And 5 said, 4ir, 5 am restored
again to life since 5 ha"e thus
diligently hearkened to these
commands# For 5 percei"e that if 5
shall not hereafter add any more
of my sins, 5 shall be sa"ed#
,. And he said, Thou shalt be
sa"ed' and so shall all others, as
many as shall obser"e these
commandments#
,2 And again 5 said unto him,
4ir, seeing thou hearest me
patiently, sho! me yet one thing
more# Tell me, saith he, !hat it
is#
,1 And 5 said, 5f a husband or
a !ife die, and the party !hich
sur"i"es marry again, does he sin
in so doingH 8e that marries
says he, sins not' ho!beit, if
he shall remain single, he shall
thereby gain to himself great
honour before the &ord#
,I <eep therefore thy chastity
and modesty, and thou shalt li"e
unto God# 7bser"e from henceforth
those things !hich 5 speak
!ith thee, and command thee to
obser"e, from the time that 5
ha"e been deli"ered unto thee, and
d!ell in thy house#
,+ 4o shall thy former sins be
forgi"en, if thou shalt keep these
my commandments# And in like
manner shall all others be forgi"en,
!ho shall obser"e these my commandments#
C7==A;) ?#
7f the sadness of the heart, and of patience#
Be patient, says he, and long%
sufferingA so shalt thou ha"e
dominion o"er all !icked !orks,
and shall fulfil all righteousness#
, For if thou shalt be patient,
the 8oly 4pirit !hich d!elleth in
thee shall be pure, and not be
darkened by any e"il spiritA but
being full of joy shall be enlarged,
and feast in the body in !hich it
d!ells, and ser"e the &ord !ith
joy, and in great peace#
K But if any anger shall o"ertake
thee, presently the 8oly 4pirit
!hich is in thee !ill be straightened
and seek to depart from thee#
. For he is choked by the e"il
spirit, and has not the liberty of
ser"ing the &ord as he !ouldA for
he is grie"ed by anger# hen,
therefore, both these spirits d!ell
together, it is destructi"e to a
man#
2 As if one should take a little
!orm!ood, and put it into a "essel
of honey, the !hole honey !ould
be spoiledA and a great Buantity
of honey is corrupted by a "ery
little !orm!ood, and loses the
s!eetness of honey, and is no
longer acceptable to its &ord
because the !hole honey is made
bitter, and loses its use#
1 But if no !orm!ood be put
into the honey, it is s!eet and
profitable to its &ord# Thus is
forbearance s!eeter than honey,
and profitable to the &ord !ho
d!elleth in it#
I But anger is unprofitable#
5f therefore anger shall be miDed
!ith forbearance, the soul is
distressed, and its prayer is
not profitable !ith God#
+ And 5 said unto him, 4ir,
5 !ould kno! the sinfulness of
anger, that 5 may keep myself from
it# And he said unto me, Thou
shall kno! itA and if thou shalt
not keep thyself from it, thou shalt
lose thy hope !ith all thy house#
herefore depart from it#
L For 5 the messenger of
righteousness am !ith thee, and
all that depart from it' as many
as shall repent !ith all their hearts,
shall li"e unto GodA and 5 !ill be !ith
them, and !ill keep them all#
*- For all such as ha"e repented
ha"e been justified by the most
holy messenger, !ho is a minister
of sal"ation#
** And no!, says he, hear
the !ickedness of angerA ho!
e"il and hurtful is is, and ho! it
o"erthro!s the ser"ants of GodA
for it cannot hurt those that are
full of faith because the po!er
of God is !ith themA but it
o"erthro!s the doubtful, and those
that are destitute of faith#
*, For as often as it sees such
men, it casts itself into their
heartsA and so a man or !oman
is in bitterness for nothing' for
the things of life, or for sustenance,
or for a "ain !ord, if any should
chance to fall inA or by reason
of any friend, or for a debt,
or for any other superfluous
things of the like nature#
*K For these things are foolish,
and superfluous, and "ain to the
ser"ants of God# But eBuanimity
is strong, and forcibleA and of
great po!er, and sitteth in great
enlargementA is cheerful, rejoicing
in peaceA and glorifying God at
all times 5 !ith meekness#
*. And this long%suffering
d!ells !ith those that are full of
faith# But anger is foolish, and
light, and empty# ;o! bitterness
is bred through follyA by
bitterness, angerA by anger, furyA
and this fury arising from so
many e"il principles, !orketh a
great and incurable sin#
*2 For !hen all these things,
are in the same man in !hich the
8oly 4pirit d!ells, the "essel
cannot contain them, but runs
o"er' and because the 4pirit being
tender cannot tarry !ith the e"il
oneA it departs and d!ells !ith
him that is meek#
*1 hen, therefore, it is
departed from the man in !hom it
d!elt, that man becomes destitute
of the 8oly 4pirit, and is after!ards
filled !ith !icked spirits, and
is blinded !ith e"il thoughts#
Thus doth it happen to all angry
men#
*I herefore depart then from
anger, and put on eBuanimity, and
resist' !rathA so then shalt be
found !ith modesty and chastity
by God# Take good heed, therefore,
that thou neglect not this commandment#
*+# For if thou shalt obey this
command, then thou shalt also be
able to obser"e the other commandments
!hich 5 shall command thee#
*L herefore strengthen thyself
no! in these commands, that then
mayest li"e unto God# And !hosoe"er
shall obser"e these commandments
shall li"e unto God#
C7==A;) ?5#
That e"ery man has t!o angels and of the
suggestions of both#
5 C7==A;)E) thee, said he,
in my first commandments,
that thou shouldst keep faith and
fear, and repentance# $es, sir,
said 5#
, 8e continued# But no! 5
!ill she! thee the "irtues of these
commands, that then mayest kno!
their effectsA ho! they are
prescribed alike to the just
and unjust#
K )o thou therefore belie"e the
righteous, but gi"e no credit to
the unrighteous# For righteousness
keepeth the right !ay, but
unrighteousness the !icked !ay#
. )o thou therefore keep the
right !ay, and lea"e that !hich is
e"il# For the e"il !ay has not a
good end, but hath many stumbling%
blocksA it is rugged and full
of thorns, and leads to destructionA
and it is hurtful to all such
as !alk in it#
2 But they !ho go in the right
!ay !alk !ith e"enness, and !ithout
offenceA because it is not rough
nor thorny#
1 Thou seest therefore ho! it is
best to !alk in this !ay# Thou
shalt therefore go, says he, and all
others, as many as belie"e in God
!ith all their heart, shall go
through it#
I And no!, says he, 5 understand
first of all !hat belongs to faith#
There are t!o angels !ith manA
one of righteousness, the other
of iniBuity#
+ And 5 said unto him, 4ir,
ho! shall 5 kno! that there are
t!o such angels !ith manH 8ear,
says he, and understand#
L The angel of righteousness,
is mild and modest, and gentle,
and Buiet# hen, therefore, he
gets into thy heart, immediately
he talks !ith thee of righteousness,
of modesty, of chastity, of
bountifulness, of forgi"eness,
of charity, and piety#
*- hen all these things come
into thy heart, kno! then that the
angel of righteousness is !ith thee#
herefore hearken to this angel
and to his !orks#
** &earn also the !orks of the
angel of iniBuity# 8e is first of
all bitter, and angry, and foolishA
and his !orks are pernicious, and
o"erthro! the ser"ants of God#
hen therefore these things come
into thine heartA thou shalt kno!
by his !orks, that this is the angel
of iniBuity#
*, And 5 said unto him, 4ir,
ho! shall 5 understand these
thingsH 8ear, says he, and
understandA hen anger o"ertakes
thee, or bitterness, kno! that he is
in thee'
*K As also, !hen the desire of
many things, and of the best meats,
and of drunkennessA !hen the
lo"e of !hat belongs to others,
pride, and much speaking, and
ambitionA and the like things,
come upon thee#
*. hen therefore these things
arise in thine heart, kno! that the
angel of iniBuity is !ith thee#
4eeing therefore thou kno!est his
!orks, depart from them all, and
gi"e no credit to him' because his
!orks are e"il, and become not the
ser"ants of God#
*2 8ere therefore thou hast
the !orks of both these angels#
:nderstand no! and belie"e the
angel of righteousness, because
his instruction is good#
*1 For let a man be ne"er so
happyA yet if the thoughts of the
other angel arise in his heart, that
man or !oman must needs sin#
*I But let man or !oman be
ne"er so !icked, if the !orks of
the angel of righteousness come
into their hearts, that man or
!oman must needs do some good#
*+ Thou seest therefore ho!
it is good to follo! the angel of
righteousness# 5f therefore thou
shall follo! him, and submit to
his !orks, thou shalt li"e unto God#
And as many as shall submit to
his !ork shall li"e also unto God#
C7==A;) ?55#
That !e must fear God but not the )e"il#
FEA( God, says he, and keep
his commandments# For if
thou keepest his commandments
thou shalt be po!erful in e"ery
!ork, and all thy !orks shall be
eDcellent# For by fearing God,
thou shalt do e"erything !ell#
, This is that tear !ith !hich
thou must be affected that thou
mayest be sa"ed# But fear not
the )e"il' for if thou fearest the
&ord, thou shalt ha"e dominion
o"er himA because there is no
po!er in him#
K ;o! if there be no po!er in
him, then neither is he to be
feared' for e"ery one that has
po!er, is to be feared# But he
that has no po!er is despised by
e"ery one#
. Fear the !orks of the )e"il,
because they are e"il# For by
fearing the &ord, thou !ilt fear
and do not the !orks of the )e"il,
but keep thyself from them#
2 There is therefore a t!ofold
fearA if thou !ilt not do e"il, fear
the &ord and thou shalt not do it#
But if thou !ilt do good, the fear
of the &ord is strong, and great
and glorious#
1 herefore, fear God and thou
shalt li"e' and !hosoe"er shall
fear him, and keep his commandments,
their life is !ith the &ord#
But they !ho keep them not,
neither is there life in them#
C7==A;) ?555#
That !e must flee from e"il, and do good !orks#
5 8A?E told thee, said he,
that there are t!o kinds of
creatures of the &ord, and that
there is a t!o%fold abstinence#
From some things therefore thou
must abstain, and from others not#
, 5 ans!ered, )eclare to me,
sir, from !hat 5 must abstain, and
from !hat not# 8earken, said he,
<eep thyself from e"il, and do it
notA yet abstain not from good,
but do it# For if thou shalt abstain
from !hat is good, and not do it,
thou shalt sin# Abstain therefore
from all e"il, and thou shalt kno!
all righteousness#
K 5 said, hat e"il things are
they from !hich 5 must abstainH
8earken, said heA from adultery,
from drunkenness, from riots, from
eDcess of eating, from daintiness
and dishonesty, from pride, from
fraud, from lying, from detraction,
from hypocrisy, from remembrance
of injuries, and from all e"il
speaking#
. For these are the !orks of
iniBuity, from !hich the ser"ant
of God must abstain# For he that
cannot keep himself from these
things, cannot li"e unto God#
2 But hear, said he, !hat
follo!s of these kind of things'
for indeed many more there are
from !hich the ser"ant of God must
abstain# From theft, and cheatingA
from false !itness, from co"etousness,
from boasting, and all other things
of the like nature#
1 )o these things seem to thee
to be e"il or notH 5ndeed they
are "ery e"il to the ser"ants of
God, herefore the ser"ant of
God must abstain from all these
!orks#
I <eep thyself therefore from
them, that thou mayest li"e unto
God, and be !ritten among those
that abstain from them# And thus
ha"e 5 sho!n thee !hat things
thou must a"oid' no! learn from
!hat thou must not abstain#
+ Abstain not from any good
!orks, but do them# 8ear, said
he, !hat the "irtue of those good
!orks is !hich thou must do, that
thou mayest be sa"ed# The first
of all is faithA the fear of the
&ordA charityA concordA eBuityA
truthA patienceA chastity#
L There is nothing better than
these things in the life of menA
!ho shall keep and do these
things in their life# 8ear neDt
!hat follo! these#
*- To minister to the !ido!sA
not to despise the fatherless and
poorA to redeem the ser"ants of
God from necessityA to be hospitable
Efor in hospitality there is
sometimes great fruitFA not to be
contentious, but be Buiet#
** To be humble abo"e all menA
to re"erence the agedA to labour
to be righteousA to respect the
brotherhoodA to bear affrontsA to
be long%sufferingA not to cast
a!ay those that ha"e fallen from
the faith, but to con"ert them, and
make them be of good cheer' to
admonish sinnersA not to oppress
those that are our debtorsA and all
other things of a like kind#
*, )o these things seem to thee
to be good or notH And 5 said,
hat can be better than these
!ordsH &i"e then, said he, in
these commandments, and do not
depart from them# For if thou
shalt keep all these commandments,
thou shalt li"e unto God# And all
they that shall keep these
commandments shall li"e unto God#
C7==A;) 5>#
That !e must ask of God dailyA
and !ithout doubting#
AGA5; he said unto meA remo"e from
thee all doubtingA and Buestion
nothing at all !hen thou askest
any thing of the &ordA saying
!ithin thyself, ho! shall 5
be able to ask any thing of the
&ord and recei"e it, seeing 5 ha"e
so greatly sinned against himH
, )o not think thus, but turn
unto the &ord !ith all thy heart,
and ask of him !ithout doubting,
and thou shalt kno! the mercy of
the &ordA bo! that he !ill not
forsake thee, but !ill fulfil the
reBuest of thy soul#
K For God is not as men, mindful
of the injuries he has recei"edA
but he forgets injuries, and has
compassion upon his creature#
. herefore purify thy heart
from all the "ices of this present
!orldA and obser"e the commands
5 ha"e before deli"ered unto thee
from GodA and thou shall recei"e
!hatsoe"er good things thou shalt
ask, and nothing shall be !anting
unto thee of all thy petitionsA if
thou shalt ask of the &ord !ithout
doubting#
2 But they that are not such,
shall obtain none of those things
!hich they ask# For they that are
full of faith, ask all things !ith
confidence, and recei"e from the
&ord, because they ask !ithout
doubting# But he that doubts,
shall hardly li"e unto God, eDcept
he repent#
1 herefore purify thy heart
from doubting, and put on faith,
and trust in God, and thou shall
recei"e all that thou shalt ask#
But if thou shouldest chance to
ask something, and not immediately
recei"e it, yet do not therefore
doubt, because thou hast not
presently recei"ed the petition
of thy soul#
I For it may be thou shalt not
presently recei"e it for thy trial,
or else for some sin !hich thou
kno!est not# But do not thou
lea"e off to ask, and then thou
shalt recei"e# Else if thou shalt
cease to ask, thou must complain
of thyself, and not of God, that he
has not gi"en unto thee !hat thou
didst desire#
+ Consider therefore this doubting
ho! cruel and pernicious it isA
and ho! it utterly roots out many
from the faith, !ho !ere "ery
faithful and firm# For this doubting
is the daughter of the )e"il, and
deals "ery !ickedly !ith the
ser"ants of God#
L )espise it therefore, and thou
shalt rule o"er it on e"ery occasion#
Put on a firm and po!erful faith'
for faith promises all things
and perfects all things# But
doubting !ill not belie"e that it
shall obtain any thing by all that
it can do#
*-# Thou seest therefore, says
he, ho! faith cometh from abo"e
from GodA and hath great po!er#
But doubting is an earthly spirit,
and proceedeth from the )e"il,
and has no strength#
** )o thou therefore keep the
"irtue of faith, and depart from
doubting, in !hich is no "irtue,
and thou shalt li"e unto God# And
all shall li"e unto God, as many
as do these things#
C7==A;) >#
7f the sadness of the heartA and that
!e must take, heed not to grie"e the
spirit of God that is in us#
P:T all sadness far from theeA
for it is the sister of doubting
and of anger# 8o!, sir, said 5
is it the sister of theseH For
sadness, and anger, and doubting,
seem to me to be "ery different
from one another#
, And he ans!ered' Art thou
!ithout sense that thou dost not
understand itH For sadness is the
most mischie"ous of all spirits,
and the !orst to the ser"ants of
God' 5t destroys the spirits of all
men, and torments the 8oly 4pirit,
and it sa"es again#
K 4ir, said 5, 5 am "ery foolish,
and understand not these things#
5 cannot apprehend ho! it can
torment, and yet sa"e# 8ear, said
he, and understand# They !ho
ne"er sought out the truth, nor
inBuired concerning the majesty
of God, but only belie"ed, are
in"ol"ed in the affairs of the
heathen#
. And there is another lying
prophet that destroys the minds
of the ser"ants of GodA that is
of those that are doubtful, not of
those that fully trust in the &ord#
;o! those doubtful persons come
to him, as to a di"ine spirit, and
inBuire of him !hat shall befall
them#
2 And this lying prophet, ha"ing
no po!er in him of the )i"ine
4pirit, ans!ers them according to
their demands, and fills their souls
!ith promises according as they
desire# 8o!beit that prophet is
"ain, and ans!ers "ain things to
those !ho are themsel"es "ain#
1 And !hatsoe"er is asked of
him by "ain men, he ans!ers them
"ainlyA ne"ertheless he speaketh
some things truly# For the )e"il
fills him !ith his spirit, that he
may o"erthro! some of the
righteous#
I hosoe"er therefore are
strong in the faith of the &ord,
and ha"e put on the truthA they
are not joined to such spirits, but
depart from them# But they that
are doubtful, and often repenting,
like the heathens, consult them,
and heap up to themsel"es great
sin, ser"ing idols#
+ As many therefore as are
such, inBuire of them upon e"ery
occasionA !orship idols, and are
foolishA and "oid of the truth#
For e"ery spirit that is gi"en
from God needs not to be asked'
but ha"ing the po!er of di"inity
speaks all things of itself,
because he comes from abo"eA
from the po!er of God#
*- But he, that being asked
speaks according to menCs desires
and concerning many other affairs
of this present !orld, understands
not the tidings !hich relate unto
God# For these spirits are darkened
through such affairs, and corrupted,
and broken#
** As good "ines if they are
neglected, are oppressed !ith !eeds
and thorns, and at last killed by
themA so are the men !ho belie"e
such spirits#
*, They fall into many actions
and businesses, and are "oid of
sense, and !hen they think of
things pertaining unto God, they
understand nothing at allA but
at any time they chance to hear
any thing concerning the &ord,
their thoughts are upon their
business#
*K But they that ha"e the fear
of the &ord, and search out the
truth concerning God, ha"ing all
their thoughts to!ards the &ordA
apprehend !hatsoe"er is said to
them, and forth!ith understand
it, because they ha"e the fear
of the &ord in them#
*. For !here the spirit of the
&ord d!ells, there is also much
understanding added# herefore
join thyself to the &ord, and thou
shalt understand all things#
*2 &earn no!, 7 un!ise manJ
ho! sadness troubleth the 8oly
4pirit, and ho! it sa"es# hen
a man that is doubtful is engaged
in any affair, and does not
accomplish it by reason of his
doubtingA this sadness enters
into him, and grie"es the 8oly
4pirit, and makes him sad#
*1 Again anger, !hen it o"er#
takes any man for any business he
is greatly mo"edA and then again
sadness entereth into the heart of
him, !ho !as mo"ed !ith anger,
and he is troubled for !hat he hath
done, and repenteth, because he
hath done amiss#
*I This sadness therefore seemeth
to bring sal"ation, because he
repenteth of his e"il deed# But
both the other things, namely,
doubting and sadness, such as
before !as mentioned, "eD the
spirit' doubting, because his
!ork did not succeedA and sadness,
because he angered the 8oly 4pirit#
*+ (emo"e therefore sadness
from thyself, and afflict not the
8oly 4pirit !hich d!elleth in
thee, lest he entreat God, and
depart from thee# For the spirit
of the &ord !hich is gi"en to
d!ell in the flesh, endureth no
such sadness#
*L herefore clothe thyself
!ith cheerfulness, !hich has al!ays
fa"our !ith the &ord, and thou shalt
rejoice in it# For e"ery cheerful
man does !ellA and relishes those
things that are good, and despises
sadness#
,- But the sad man does al!ays
!ickedly# First, he doth !ickedly,
because he grie"eth the 8oly 4pirit,
!hich is gi"en to man being of a
cheerful nature# And again he does
ill, because be prays !ith sadness
unto the &ord, and maketh not first
a thankful ackno!ledgment unto him
of former mercies, and obtains not
of God !hat he asks#
,* For the prayer of a sad man
has not al!ays efficacy to come up
to the altar of God# And 5 said
unto him, 4ir, !hy has not the
prayer of a sad man "irtue to come
up to the altar of GodH Because,
said he, that sadness remaineth in
his heart#
,, hen therefore a manCs
prayer shall be accompanied !ith
sadness, it !ill not suffer his
reBuests to ascend pure to the altar
of God# For as !ine !hen it is
mingled !ith "inegar, has not the
s!eetness it had beforeA so sadness
being miDed !ith the 8oly 4pirit,
suffers not a manCs prayer to be
the same as it !ould be other!ise#
,K herefore cleanse thyself
from sadness, !hich is e"il, and
thou shalt li"e unto God# And all
others shall li"e unto God, as many
as shall lay aside sadness, and put
on cheerfulness#
C7==A;) >5#
That the spirits and prophets are to be
tried by their !orksA and of a t!ofold, spirit#
8E sho!ed me certain men
sitting upon benches, and
one sitting in a chair' and he said
unto meA 4eest thou those !ho sit
upon the benchesH 4ir, said 5,
5 see them# 8e ans!ered, They
are the faithfulA and he !ho sits
in the chair is an earthly spirit#
, For he cometh not into the
assembly of the faithful, but a"oids
it# But he joins himself to the
doubtful and emptyA and prophesies
to them in corners and hidden placesA
and pleases them by speaking according
to all the desires of their hearts#
K For he placing himself among
empty "essels, is not broken, but
the one fitteth the other# But
!hen he cometh into the company
of just men, !ho are full of the
spirit of God, and they pray unto
the &ordA that man is emptied,
because that earthly spirit flies
from him, and he is dumb, and
cannot speak anything#
. As if in a store%house you
shall stop up !ine or oil, and
among those "essels place an
empty jarA and !hen after!ards
you come to open it, you shall
find it empty as you stopped it upA
so those empty prophets !hen
they come among the spirits of
the just, are found to be such as
they came#
2 5 said, 8o! then shall a
man be able to discern themH
Consider !hat 5 am going to say
concerning both kinds of menA
and as 5 speak unto thee so shalt
thou pro"e the prophet of God,
and the false prophet#
1 And first try the man !ho
hath the spirit of God, because
the spirit !hich is from abo"e is
humble, and Buiet, and departs
from all !ickednessA and from the
"ain desires of the present !orldA
and makes himself more humble
than all menA and ans!ers to none
!hen he is askedA nor to e"ery
one singly' for the 4pirit of God
doth not speak to a man !hen he
!ill, but !hen God pleases#
I hen therefore a man !ho hath
the 4pirit of God hath come into
the church of the righteous, !ho
ha"e the faith of God, and they
pray unto the &ordA then the holy
angel of God fills that man !ith
the blessed 4pirit, and he speaks
in the congregation as he is mo"ed
of God#
+ Thus therefore is the spirit,
of God kno!n, because !hosoe"er
speaketh by the 4pirit of God,
speaketh as the &ord !ill#
L 8ear no! concerning the
earthly spirit, !hich is empty and
foolish, and !ithout "irtue# And
first of all the man !ho is supposed
to ha"e the 4pirit, E!hereas he hath
it not in realityF, eDalteth himself,
and desires to ha"e the first seat,
and is !icked, and full of !ords#
*- And spends his time in pleasure,
and in all manner of "oluptuousness,
and recei"es the re!ard of his
di"inationA !hich if he recei"es
not, he does not di"ine#
** 4hould the 4pirit of God
recei"e re!ard, and di"ineH 5t doth
not become a prophet of God so to
do#
*, Thus you seethe life of each
of these kind of prophets# herefore
pro"e that man by his life and !orks,
!ho says that he hath the 8oly 4pirit#
And belie"e the 4pirit !hich comes
from God, and has po!er as such#
But belie"e not the earthly and
empty spirit, !hich is from the
de"il, in !hom there is no faith
nor "irtue#
*K 8ear no! the similitude
!hich 5 am about to speak unto
thee# Take a stone, and thro! it
up to!ards hea"enA or take a
spout of !ater, and mount it up
thither!ardA and see if thou
canst reach unto hea"en#
*. 4irA said 5, ho! can this be
doneH For neither of those things
!hich you ha"e mentioned, are
possible to be done# And he
ans!ered, Therefore as these things
cannot be done, so is the earthy
spirit !ithout "irtue, and !ithout
effect#
*2 :nderstand yet farther the
po!er !hich cometh from abo"e,
in this similitude# The grains of
hail that drop do!n are eDceedingly
smallA and yet !hen they fall upon
the head of a man, ho! do they
cause pain to it#
*1 And again, consider, the
droppings of a houseA ho! the
little drops falling upon the earth,
!ork a hollo! in the stones#
*I 4o in like manner the least
things !hich come from abo"e,
and fall upon the earth, ha"e great
force# herefore join thyself
to this spirit, !hich has the
po!erA and depart from the other
!hich is empty#
C7==A;) >55#
7f a t!o fold desire' that the commands of God,
are not impossible' and that the de"il is not
to be feared by them that belie"e#
AGA5; he said unto meA
remo"e from thee all e"il
desires, and put on good and
holy desires# For ha"ing put on a
good desire, thou shalt hate that
!hich is e"il, and bridle it as thou
!ilt# But an e"il desire is dreadful,
and hard to be tamed#
, 5t is "ery horrible and !ildA
and by its !ildness consumes men#
And especially if a ser"ant of God
shall chance to fall into it, eDcept
he be "ery !ise, he is ruined by
it# For it destroys those !ho ha"e
not the garment of a good desire
and are engaged in the affairs of
this present !orldA and deli"ers
them unto death#
K 4ir, said 5, !hat are the !orks
of an e"il desire, !hich bring men
unto deathH 4he! them to me that
5 may depart from them# 8ear, said he,
by !hat !orks an e"il desire bringeth
the ser"ants of God unto death#
. First of all, it is an e"il desire
to co"et another manCs !ife, or
for a !oman to co"et anotherCs
husbandA as also to desire the
dainties of richesA and multitude
of superfluous meatsA and drunkennessA
and many delights#
2 For in much delicacy there is
follyA and many pleasures are
needless to the ser"ants of God#
4uch lusting therefore is e"il and
pernicious, !hich brings to death
the ser"ants of God# For all such
lusting is from the de"il#
1 hosoe"er therefore shall
depart from all e"il desires,
shall li"e unto GodA but they
that are subject unto them shall
die fore"er# For this e"il lusting
is deadly# )o thou therefore put
on the desire of righteousness,
and being armed !ith the fear of
the &ord resist all !icked lusting#
I For this fear d!elleth in good
desiresA and, !hen e"il co"eting
shall see thee armed !ith the fear
of the &ord, and resisting itA it
!ill fly far from thee, and not
appear before thee, but be afraid
of thy armour#
+ And thou shall ha"e the "ictory,
and be cro!ned for itA and shall
attain to that desire !hich is
goodA and shall gi"e the "ictory
!hich thou hast obtained unto
God, and shall ser"e him in doing
!hat thou thyself !ouldest do#
L For if thou shalt ser"e good
desires, and be subject to themA
then thou shalt be able to get the
dominion o"er thy !icked lustingsA
and they !ill be subject to thee,
as thou !ilt#
*- And 5 said, 4ir, 5 !ould
kno! ho! to ser"e that desire
!hich is goodH 8earken, said he,
Fear God, and put thy trust in
him, and lo"e truth, and
righteousness, and do that
!hich is good#
*- 5f thou shalt do these things,
thou shall be an appro"ed ser"ant
of God, and ser"e himA and all
others !ho shall in like manner
ser"e a good desire, shall li"e unto
God#
*, And !hen he had fulfilled
these t!el"e commands, he said
unto me, Thou hast no! these
commands, !alk in themA and eDhort
those that hear them, to repent,
and that they keep their
repentance pure all the
remaining days of their life#
*K And fulfil diligently this
ministry !hich 5 commit to thee,
and thou shalt recei"e great
ad"antage by it, and find fa"our
!ith all such as shall repent
and belie"e thy !ords# For 5 am
!ith thee, and !ill force them
to belie"e#
*. And 5 said unto him, 4ir,
these commands are great and
eDcellent, and able to cheer the
heart of that man that shall be
able to keep them# But, 4ir,
5 cannot tell, !hether they can
be obser"ed by any manH
*2 8e ans!ered, Thou shalt
easily keep these commands, and
they shall not be hard' ho!beit,
if thou shalt suffer it once to
enter into thine heart that they
cannot be kept by any one, thou
shalt not fulfil them#
*1 But no! 5 say unto thee,
if thou shalt not obser"e these
commands, and shall neglect them,
thou shalt not be sa"ed, nor thy
children, nor thy house' because
thou hast judged that these
commands cannot be kept by man#
*I These things he spake
"ery angrily unto me, insomuch
that he greatly affrighted me,
for he changed his countenance
so that a man could not bear his
anger#
*+ And !hen he sa! me altogether
troubled and confounded, he began
to speak more moderately and
cheerfully, saying, 7 foolish,
and !ithout understandingJ
*L :nconstant, not kno!ing
the majesty of God ho! great and
!onderful he isA !ho created the
!orld for man, and hath made
e"ery creature subject unto himA
and gi"en him all po!er, that he
should be able to fulfil all these
commands#
,- 8e is able, said he, to fulfil
all these commands, !ho has the
&ord in his heartA but they !ho
ha"e the &ord only in their mouths,
their hearts are hardened, and
they are far from the &ord' to
such persons these commands are
hard and difficult#
,* Therefore, ye that are empty
and light in the faith, put the
&ord your God in your heartsA
and ye shall percei"e ho! that
nothing is more easy than these
commands, nor more pleasant, nor
more gentle and holy#
,, And turn yoursel"es to the
&ord your God, and forsake the
de"il and his pleasures, because
they are e"il, and bitter, and
impure# And fear not the de"il,
because he has no po!er o"er you#
,K For 5 am !ith you, the
messenger of repentance, !ho ha"e
the dominion o"er him# The de"il
doth indeed affright men but his
terror is "ain# herefore fear
him not, and he !ill flee from you#
,. And 5 said unto himA 4ir,
hear me speak a fe! !ords unto
you# 8e ans!ered, 4ay on' A
man indeed desires to keep the
commandments of God, and there
is no one but !hat prays unto God,
that he may be able to keep his
commandmentsA
,2 But the de"il is hard, and
by his po!er rules o"er the ser"ants
of God# And he saidA 8e cannot
rule o"er the ser"ants of God,
!ho trust in him !ith all their
hearts#
,1 The de"il may stri"e, but he
cannot o"ercome them#
,I For if ye resist him, he !ill
flee a!ay !ith confusion from you#
But they that are not full in the
faith, fear the de"il, as if he had
some great po!er# For the de"il
tries the ser"ants of God and if he
finds them empty, he destroys
them#
,+ For as man, !hen he fills up
"essels !ith good !ine, and among
them puts a fe! "essels half full,
and comes to try and taste of the
"essels, doth not try those that are
full, because he kno!s that they
are good, but tastes those that are
half full, lest they should gro!
sourA Efor "essels half full soon
gro! sour, and lose the taste of
!ine'F so the de"il comes to the
ser"ants of God to try them#
,L They that are full of faith
resist him stoutly, and he departs
from them, because he finds no
place !here to enter into them
then he goes to those that are not
full of faith, and because he has a
place of entrance he goes into
them, and does !hat he !ill !ith
them, and they become his ser"ants#
K- But 5, the messenger of
repentance, say unto you, fear not
the de"il, for 5 am sent unto you,
that 5 may be !ith you, as many
as shall repent !ith your !hole
heart, and that 5 may confirm you
in the faith#
K* Belie"e therefore, ye !ho
by reason of your transgressions
ha"e forgot God and your o!n
sal"ationA and adding to your
sins ha"e made your life "ery
hea"y#
K, That if ye shall turn to the
&ord !ith your !hole hearts, and
shall ser"e him according to his
!illA he !ill heal you of your
former sins, and ye shall ha"e
dominion o"er all the !orks of the
de"il#
KK Be not then afraid in the
least of his threatenings, for they
are !ithout force, as the ner"es of
a dead man# But hearken unto
me, and fear the &ord Almighty,
!ho is able to sa"e and to destroy
youA and keep his commands, that
ye may li"e unto God#
K. And 5 said unto himA 4ir,
5 am no! confirmed in all the
commands of the &ord !hilst you
are !ith me, and 5 kno! that you
!ill break all the po!ers of the
de"il#
K2 And !e also shall o"ercome
him, if !e shall be able, through
the help of the &ord, to keep these
commands !hich you ha"e deli"ered#
K1 Thou shalt keep them, said
he, if thou shalt purify thy heart
to!ards the &ord# And all they
also shall keep them !ho shall
cleanse their hearts from the "ain
desires of the present !orld, and
shall li"e unto God#
T8E T85() PA(T 7F T8E
B77< 7F 8E(=A4, CA&&E) 854 45=5&5T:)E4#
45=5&5T:)E 5#
That seeing !e ha"e no abiding city in this !orld,
!e ought to look after that !hich is to come#
A;) he said onto meA $e kno!
that ye !ho are the ser"ants
of the &ord, li"e here as in
a pilgrimageA for your city
is far off from this city#
, 5f, therefore, ye kno! your
city in !hich ye are to d!ell,
!hy do ye here buy estates, and
pro"ide yoursel"es !ith delicacies,
and stately buildings, and
superfluous housesH For he that
pro"ides himself these things
in this city, does not think
of returning into his o!n city#
K 7 foolish, and doubtful, and
!retched manA !ho understandest
not that all these things belong
to other men, and are under the
po!er of another# For the &ord
of this city saith unto theeA
Either obey my la!s, or depart
out of my city#
. hat therefore shalt thou do
!ho art subject to a la! in thine
o!n cityH Canst thou for thy
estate, or for any of those things
!hich thou hast pro"ided, deny
thy la!H But if thou shalt deny
it, and !ilt after!ards return into
thy o!n city, thou shalt not be
recei"ed, but shall be eDcluded
thence#
2 4ee therefore, that like a man
in another country, thou procure
no more to thyself than !hat is
necessary, and sufficient for theeA
and be ready, that !hen the God
or &ord of this city shall dri"e
thee out of it thou mayest oppose
his la!, and go into thine o!n
cityA !here thou mayest !ith all
cheerfulness li"e according to
thine o!n la! !ith no !rong#
1 Take heed therefore ye that
ser"e God, and ha"e him in your
hearts' !ork ye the !orks of
God, being mindful both of his
commands and of his promises,
!hich he has promisedA and be
assured that he !ill make them
good unto youA if ye shall keep
his commandments#
I 5nstead therefore of the
possessions that ye !ould other!ise
purchase, redeem those that are
in !ant from their necessities,
as e"ery one is ableA justify the
!ido!sA judge the cause of the
fatherlessA and spend your riches
and your !ealth in such !orks as
these#
+ For this end has God enriched
you, that ye might fulfil these
kind of ser"ices# 5t is much
better to do this, than to buy lands
or housesA because all such things
shall perish !ith this present time#
L But !hat ye shall do for the
name of the &ord, ye shall find
in your city, and shall ha"e joy
!ithout sadness or fear# herefore
co"et not the riches of the heathenA
for they are destructi"e to the
ser"ants of God#
*- But trade !ith your o!n riches
!hich you possess, by !hich ye may
attain unto e"erlasting joy#
** And do not commit adultery,
nor touch any other manCs !ife,
nor desire herA but co"et that
!hich is thy o!n business, and
thou shalt be sa"ed#
45=5&5T:)E 55#
As the "ine is supported by the elm,
so is the rich man helped by the prayers of the poor#
A4 5 !as !alking into the field,
and considered the elm and
the "ine, and thought !ith myself
of their fruits, an angel appeared
unto me, and said unto meA hat
is it that thou thinkest upon thus
long !ithin thyselfH
, And 5 said unto him, 4ir, 5
think of this "ine and this elm
because their fruits are fair#
And he said unto meA These t!o
trees are set for a pattern to
the ser"ants of God#
K And 5 said unto him, 4ir, 5
!ould kno! in !hat the pattern
of these trees !hich thou mentionest,
does consist# 8earken, saith heA
seest thou this "ine and this
elmH 4ir, said 5, 5 see them#
. This "ine, saith he, is fruitful,
but the elm is a tree !ithout fruit#
;e"ertheless this "ine unless it
!ere set by this elm, and supported
by it, !ould not bear much
fruitA but lying along upon the
ground, !ould bear but ill fruit,
because it did not hang upon the
elmA !hereas, being supported
upon the elm, it bears fruit both
for itself and for that#
2 4ee, therefore, ho! the elm
gi"es no less, but rather more
fruit, than the "ine# 8o!, 4ir,
said 5, does it bear more fruit
than the "ineH Because, said he,
the "ine being supported upon
the elm gi"es both much and good
fruitA !hereas, if it lay along
upon the ground, it !ould bear
but little, and that "ery ill too#
1 This similitude, therefore,
is set forth to the ser"ants of GodA
and it represents the rich and poor
man# 5 ans!ered, 4ir, make this
manifest unto me# 8ear, said heA
the rich man has !ealth' ho!beit
to!ards the &ord he is poorA for
he is taken up about his riches,
and prays but little to the &ordA
and the prayers !hich he makes
are laGy and !ithout force#
I hen therefore, the rich man
reaches out to the poor those
things !hich he !ants, the poor
man prays unto the &ord for the
richA and God grants unto the
rich man all good things, because
the poor man is rich in prayerA
and his reBuests ha"e great po!er
!ith the &ord#
+ Then the rich man ministers
all thing to the poor, because he
percei"es that he is heard by the
&ordA and he the more !illingly
and !ithout doubting, affords him
!hat he !ants, and takes care that
nothing be lacking to him#
L And the poor man gi"es
thanks unto the &ord for the richA
because they both do their !ork
from the &ord#
*- ith men, therefore, the
elm is not thought to gi"e any
fruitA and they kno! not, neither
understand that its company being
added to the "ine, the "ine bears a
double increase, both for itself and
for the elm#
** E"en so the poor praying
unto the &ord for the rich, are
heard by himA and their riches
are increased, because they minister
to the poor of their !ealth#
They are, therefore, both made
partakers of each otherCs good
!orks#
*, hosoe"er, therefore, shall
do these things, he shall not be
forsaken by the &ord, but shall be
!ritten in the book of life#
*K 8appy are they !ho are rich,
and percei"e themsel"es to be
increased' for he that is sensible
of this, !ill be able to minister
some!hat to others#
45=5&5T:)E 555#
As the great trees in the !inter cannot be
distinguished from the dryA so neither can the
righteous from the !icked in this present !orld#
AGA5; he sho!ed me many
trees !hose lea"es !ere shed,
and !hich seemed to me to be
!ithered, for they !ere all alike#
And he said unto me, 4eest thou
these treesH 5 said, 4ir, 5 see that
they look like dry trees#
, 8e ans!ering, said unto meA
These trees are like unto the men
!ho li"e in the present !orld# 5
replied' 4ir, !hy are they like
unto dried treesH Because, said
he, neither the righteous, nor
unrighteous, are kno!n from one
anotherA but all are alike in this
present !orld#
K For this !orld is as the !inter
to the righteous men, because
they are not kno!n, but d!ell
among sinners#
. As in the !inter all the trees
ha"ing lost their lea"es, are like
dry treesA nor can it be discerned
!hich are dry and !hich are green'
so in this present !orld neither
the righteous, nor !icked are
discerned from each otherA but they
are all alike#
45=5&5T:)E 5?#
As in the summer the li"ing trees are distinguished
from the dry by their fruit and green lea"esA
so in the !orld to come the righteous shall be
distinguished from the unrighteous by their happiness#
AGA5; he sho!ed me many
other trees, of !hich some
had lea"es, and others appeared
dry and !ithered# And he said
unto me, 4eest thou these trees
5 ans!ered, 4ir, 5 see themA some
are dry, and others full of lea"es#
, These trees, saith be, !hich
are green, are the righteous, !ho
shall possess the !orld to come#
For the !orld to come, is the summer
to the righteousA but to sinners
it is the !inter#
K hen, therefore, the mercy
of the &ord shall shine forth, then
they !ho ser"e God shall be made
manifest, and plain unto all# For
as in the summer the fruit of e"ery
tree is sho!n and made manifest#
so also the !orks of the righteous
shall be declared and made manifest,
and they shall all be restored
in that !orld merry and joyful#
. For the other kind of men,
namely the !icked, like the trees
!hich thou ra!est dry, shall, as
such, be found dry and !ithout
fruit in that other !orldA and like
dry !ood shall be burntA and it
shall be made manifest that they
ha"e done e"il all the time of their
lifeA
2 And they shall be burnt because
they ha"e sinned and ha"e not
repented of their sins# And
also all the other nations shall
be burnt, because they ha"e not
ackno!ledged God their Creator#
1 )o then, therefore, bring forth
good fruit, that in the summer thy
fruit may be kno!nA and keep
thyself from much business, and
thou shalt not offend# For they
!ho are in"ol"ed in much business,
sin muchA because they are taken
up !ith their affairs, and
ser"e not God#
I And ho! can a man that does
not ser"e God, ask anything of
God, and recei"e itH But they
!ho ser"e him, ask and recei"e
!hat they desire#
+ But if a man has only one
thing to follo!, he may ser"e God,
because his mind is not taken off
from God, but he ser"es him !ith
a pure mind#
L 5f, therefore, thou shalt do
this, thou mayest ha"e fruit in
the !orld to comeA and as many as
shall do in like manner, shall
bring forth fruit#
45=5&5T:)E ?#
7f a true fast, and the re!ards of it'
also of the cleanliness of the body#
A4 5 !as fasting, and sitting
do!n in a certain mountain,
and gi"ing thanks unto God for all
the things that he had done unto
meA behold, 5 sa! the 4hepherd,
!ho !as !ont to con"erse !ith
me, sitting by me, and saying
unto me' hat has brought thee
hither thus early in the morningH
5 ans!ered, 4ir, to%day 5 keep a
station#
, 8e ans!ered, hat is a stationA
5 replied, it is a fast# 8e said,
hat is that fastH 5 ans!ered,
5 fast as 5 ha"e been !ont to
do# $e kno! not, said he, !hat
it is to fast unto GodA nor is this
a fast !hich ye keep, profiting
nothing !ith God#
K 4ir, said 5, !hat makes you
speak thusH 8e replied, 5 speak
it, because it is not the true fast
!hich you think that you keepA
but 5 !ill sho! you !hat that is
!hich is a complete fast, and
acceptable unto God#
. 8earken, said he, The &ord
does not desire such a needless
fastA for by fasting in this manner,
thou ad"ancest nothing in
righteousness#
2 But the true fast is this' )o
nothing !ickedly in thy life, but
ser"e God !ith a pure mindA and
keep his commandments, and !alk
according to his precepts, nor
suffer any !icked desire to enter
into the mind#
1 But trust in the &ord, that if
thou dost these things, any fearest
him, and abstaineth from e"ery
e"il !ork, thou shall li"e unto
God#
I 5f thou shalt do this, thou
shall perfect a great fast, and an
acceptable one unto the &ord#
+ 8earken unto the similitude
!hich 5 am about to propose
unto thee, as to this matter#
L A certain man ha"ing a farm,
and many ser"ants, planted a "ineyard
in a certain part of his estate for
his posterity'
*- And taking a journey into
a far country, chose one of his
ser"ants !hich he thought the most
faithful and appro"ed, and deli"ered
the "ineyard into his careA
commanding him that he should
stake up the "ines# hich if he
did, and fulfilled his command, he
promised to gi"e him his liberty#
;or did he command him to do
any thing moreA and so !ent into
a far country#
** And after that ser"ant had
taken that charge upon him, he
did !hatsoe"er his lord commanded
him# And !hen he had staked the
"ineyard, and found it to be full
of !eeds, he began to think !ithin
himself, saying'
*, 5 ha"e done !hat my lord
commanded me, 5 !ill no! dig
this "ineyard, and !hen it is digged,
it !ill be more beautifulA and the
!eeds being pulled up, it !ill
bring forth more fruit and not be
choked by the !eeds#
*K 4o setting about this !ork
he digged it, and plucked up all
the !eeds that !ere in itA and so
the "ineyard became "ery beautiful
and prosperous, not being choked
!ith !eeds#
*. After some time the lord of
the "ineyard comes and goes into
the "ineyard, and !hen he sa!
that it !as handsomely staked and
digged, and the !eeds plucked up
that !ere in it, and the "ines
flourishing, he rejoiced greatly at
the care of his ser"ant#
*2 And calling his son !hom
he lo"ed, and !ho !as to be his
heir, and his friends !ith !hom
he !as !ont to consultA he tells
them !hat he had commanded his
ser"ant to do, and !hat his
ser"ant had done moreA and they
immediately congratulated that
ser"ant, that he had recei"ed so
full a testimony from his lord#
*1 Then he said to them, 5
indeed promised this ser"ant his
liberty, if he obser"ed the command
!hich 5 ga"e himA and he obser"ed it,
and besides has done a good !ork
to my "ineyard, !hich has eDceedingly
pleased me#
*I herefore, for this !ork
!hich he hath done, 5 !ill make
him my heir together !ith my
sonA because that !hen he sa!
!hat !as good, he neglected it
not, but did it#
*+ This design of the lord both
his son and his friends appro"ed,
namely, that his ser"ant should be
heir together !ith his son#
*L ;ot long after this the master
of the family calling together, his
friends, sent from his supper se"eral
kinds of food to that ser"ant#
,- hich !hen he had recei"ed,
he took so much of them as !as
sufficient for himself, and di"ided
the rest among his fello!%ser"ants#
,* hich !hen they had recei"ed,
they rejoicedA and !ished that
he might find yet greater fa"our
!ith his lord, for !hat he had
done to them#
,, hen his lord heard all these
things, he !as again filled !ith
great joy' and calling again his
friends and his son together, he
related to them !hat his ser"ant
had done !ith the meats !hich he
had sent unto him#
,K They therefore so much the
more assented to the master of the
householdA and he ought to make
that ser"ant his heir together !ith
his son#
,. 5 said unto him, sir, 5 kno!
not these similitudes, neither can
5 understand them, unless you
eDpound them unto me# 5 !ill,
says he, eDpound, all things unto
thee !hatsoe"er 5 ha"e talked !ith
thee, or sho!n unto thee#
,2 <eep the commandments of
the &ord and thou shalt be appro"ed,
and shall be !ritten in the number
of those that keep his commandments#
But if besides those things !hich
the &ord hath commanded, thou shalt
add some good thingA thou shall
purchase to thyself a greater dignity,
and be in more fa"our !ith the &ord
than thou shouldst other!ise ha"e been#
,1 5f therefore thou shalt keep
the commandments of the &ord,
and shalt add to them these stations,
thou shall rejoiceA but especially
if thou shalt keep them according
to my commands#
,I 5 said unto him, sir, !hatsoe"er
thou shall command me, 5 !ill obser"eA
for 5 kno! that thou !ilt be !ith me#
5 !ill, said he, be !ith thee !ho hast
taken up such a resolutionA and 5 !ill
be !ith all those !ho purpose in like
manner#
,+ This fast, saith he, !hilst
thou dost also obser"e the
commandments of the &ord, is
eDceeding goodA therefore thus
shalt thou keep it#
,L First of all, take heed to
thyself, and keep thyself from e"ery
!icked act, and from e"ery filthy
!ord, and from e"ery hurtful desireA
and purify thy mind from all the
"anity of this present !orld# 5f
thou shalt obser"e these things,
this fast shall be right#
K- Thus therefore do# 8a"ing
performed !hat is before !ritten,
that day on !hich thou fastest
thou shalt taste nothing at all but
bread and !aterA and computing
the Buantity of food !hich thou
art !ant to eat upon other days,
thou shalt lay aside the eDpense
!hich thou shouldest ha"e made
that day, and gi"e it unto the
!ido!, the fatherless, and the
poor#
K* And thus thou shalt perfect
the humiliation of thy soulA that
he !ho recei"es of it may satisfy
his soul, and his prayer come up
to the &ord God for thee#
K, 5f therefore thou shalt thus
accomplish thy fast, as 5 command
thee, thy sacrifice shall be
acceptable unto the &ord, and thy
fast shall be !ritten in his book#
KK This station, thus performed,
is good and pleasing and acceptable
unto the &ord# These things if thou
shalt obser"e !ith thy children and
!ith all thy house, thou shalt
be happy#
K. And !hosoe"er, !hen they
hear these things, shall do them,
they also shall be happyA and
!hatsoe"er they shall ask of the
&ord they shall recei"e it#
K2 And 5 prayed him that he
!ould eDpound unto me the similitude
of the farm, and the &ord, and of
the "ineyard, and of the ser"ant
that had staked the "ineyardA
and of the !eeds that !ere
plucked out of the "ineyardA and
of his son and his friends !hich
he took into counsel !ith himA
for 5 understand that that !as
a similitude#
K1 8e said unto me, Thou art
"ery bold in askingA for thou
oughtest not to ask any thingA
because if it be fitting to sho! it
unto thee, it shall be sho!ed unto
thee#
KI 5 ans!ered himA 4ir, !hatsoe"er
thou shalt sho! me, !ithout eDplaining
it unto me, 5 shall in "ain see it,
if 5 do not understand !hat it is#
And if thou shalt propose any
similitudes, and not eDpound them,
5 shall in "ain hear them#
K+ 8e ans!ered me again, saying'
hosoe"er is the ser"ant of God,
and has the &ord in his heart,
he desires understanding of him,
and recei"es itA and he eDplains
e"ery similitude, and understands
the !ords of the &ord !hich need
an inBuiry#
KL But they that are laGy and
slo! to pray, doubt to seek from
the &ord' although the &ord be of
such an eDtraordinary goodness,
that !ithout ceasing he gi"eth all
things to them that ask of him#
.- Thou therefore !ho art
strengthened by that "enerable
messenger, and hast recei"ed such
a po!erful gift of prayerA seeing
thou art not slothful, !hy dost
thou not no! ask understanding of
the &ord, and recei"e itH
.* 5 said unto himA seeing 5
ha"e thee present, it is necessary
that 5 should seek it of thee, and
ask theeA for thou she!est all
things unto me, and speakest to
me !hen thou art present#
., But if 5 should see or hear
these things !hen thou !ert not
present, 5 !ould then ask the &ord
that he !ould che! them unto me#
.K And he replied, 5 said a
little before that thou !ert subtle
and bold, in that thou asketh the
meaning of these similitudes#
.. But because thou still persistest,
5 !ill unfold to thee this parable
!hich then desirest, that thou mayest
make it kno!n unto all men#
.2 8ear, therefore, said he,
and understand# The farm before
mentioned denotes the !hole earth#
The &ord of the farm is he, !ho
created and finished all thingsA
and ga"e "irtue unto them#
.1 8is son is the 8oly 4piritA
the ser"ant is the 4on of God' the
"ineyard is the people !hom he
sa"es# The stakes are the messengers
!hich are set o"en them by the &ord,
to support his people# The !eeds
that are plucked up out of the
"ineyard, are the sins !hich
the ser"ants of God had
committed#
.I The food !hich he sent him
from his supper, are the commands
!hich he ga"e to his people by his
4on# The friends !hom he called
to counsel !ith him, are the holy
angels !hom he first created# The
absence of the master of the household,
is the time that remains unto
his coming#
.+ 5 said unto him, 4ir, all
these things are "ery eDcellent,
and !onderful, and good# But,
continued 5, could 5 or any other
man besides, though ne"er so !ise,
ha"e understood these thingsH
.L herefore no!, sir, tell me,
!hat 5 ask# 8e replied, ask me
!hat thou !ilt# hy, said 5, is
the 4on of God in this parable,
put in the place of a ser"ant#
2- 8earken, he said' the 4on
of God is not put in the condition
of a ser"ant, but in great po!er
and authority# 5 said unto him,
ho!, sirH 5 understand it not#
2* Because, said he, the 4on set
his messengers o"er those !hom
the Father deli"ered unto him, to
keep e"ery one of themA but he
himself laboured "ery much, and
suffered much, that he might blot
out their offences#
2, For no "ineyard can be digged
!ithout much labour and pains#
herefore ha"ing blotted out the
sins of his people, he sho!ed to
them the paths of life, gi"ing
them the la! !hich he had
recei"ed of the Father#
2K $ou see, said he, that he is
the &ord of his people, ha"ing
recei"ed all po!er from his Father#
But !hy the lord did take his
son into counsel, about di"iding
the inheritance, and the good
angels, hear no!#
2. That 8oly 4pirit, !hich !as
created first of all, he placed in the
body in !hich God should d!ellA
namely, in a chosen body, as it
seemed good to him# This body
therefore into !hich the 8oly
4pirit !as brought, ser"ed that
4pirit, !alking rightly and purely
in modestyA nor e"er defiled that
4pirit#
22 4eeing therefore the body at
all times obeyed the 8oly 4pirit,
and laboured rightly and chastely
!ith him, nor faltered at anytimeA
that body being !earied con"ersed
indeed ser"ilely, but being
mightily appro"ed to God !ith
the 8oly 4pirit, !as accepted by
him#
21 For such a stout course
pleased God, because he !as not
defiled in the earth, keeping the
8oly 4pirit# 8e called therefore
to counsel his 4on, and the good
angels, that there might be some
place of standing gi"en to this
body !hich had ser"ed the 8oly
4pirit !ithout blameA lest it
should seem to ha"e lost the
re!ard of its ser"ice#
2I For e"ery pure body shall
recei"e its re!ardA that is found
!ithout spot, in !hich the 8oly
4pirit has been appointed to d!ell#
And thus you ha"e no! the eDposition
of this parable also#
2+ 4ir, said 5, 5 no! understand
your meaning, since 5 ha"e heard
this eDposition# 8earken farther,
said he' keep this thy body clean
and pure, that the 4pirit !hich
shall d!ell in it may bear !itness
unto it, and be judged to ha"e
been !ith thee#
2L Also take heed that it be not
instilled into thy mind that this
body perishes, and thou abuse it
to any lust# For if thou shalt
defile thy body, thou shalt also at
the same time defile the 8oly
4piritA and if thou shalt defile
the 8oly 4pirit, thou shall not
li"e#
1- And 5 said, hat if through
ignorance this should ha"e been
already committed, before a man
heard these !ordsA 8o! can he
attain into sal"ation, !ho has thus
defiled his bodyH
1* 8e replied, As for menCs former
actions !hich through ignorance
they ha"e committed, God only can
afford a remedy unto themA for all
the po!er belongeth unto him#
1, But no! guard thyselfA and
seeing God is almighty and merciful,
he !ill grant a remedy to !hat thou
hast formerly done amiss, if for the
time, to come thou shalt not defile
thy body and spirit'
1K For they are companions together,
and the one cannot be defiled but the
other !ill be so too# <eep therefore
both of them pure, and thou shalt
li"e unto God#
45=5&5T:)E ?5#
7f t!o sorts of "oluptuous men, and of
their death and defectionA and of the
continuance of their pains#
A4 5 !as sitting at home, and
praising God for all the things
!hich 5 had seenA and !as thinking
concerning the commands, that they
!ere eDceedingly good, and great,
and honest, and pleasant, and
such as !ere able to bring a man
to sal"ationA 5 said thus !ithin
myself, 5 shall be happy if 5 !alk
according to these commandsA and
!hosoe"er shall !alk in them shall
li"e unto God#
, hilst 5 !as speaking on this
!ise !ithin myself, 5 sa! him
!hom 5 had before been !ont to
see, sitting by meA and he spake
thus unto me'
K hat doubtest thou concerning
my commands !hich 5 ha"e deli"ered
unto theeH They are good, doubt not,
but trust in the &ord, and thou shalt
!alk in themA for 5 !ill gi"e thee
strength to fulfil them#
. These commands are profitable
to those !ho shall repent of the
sins !hich they ha"e formerly
committedA if for the time to come
they shall not continue in them#
2 hosoe"er therefore ye be
that repent, cast a!ay from you
the naughtiness of the present
!orldA and put on all "irtue, and
righteousness, and so shall ye be
able to keep these commandsA
and not sin from henceforth any
more#
1 For if ye shall keep yoursel"es
from sin for the time to come,
ye shall cut off a great deal
of your former sins# alk in my
commands, and ye shall li"e unto
God' These things ha"e 5 spoken
unto you#
I And !hen he, had said this,
he addedA let us go into the field,
and 5 !ill sho! thee shepherds of
sheep# 5 replied, sir, let us go#
+ And !e came into a certain
field, and there he sho!ed me a
young shepherd, finely arrayed,
!ith his garments of a purple
colour# And he fed large flocksA
and his sheep !ere full of pleasure,
and in much delight and cheerfulnessA
and they skipping, ran here and there#
L And the shepherd took "ery
great satisfaction in his flockA and
the countenance of that shepherd
!as cheerful, running up and do!n
among his flock#
*- Then the angel said unto
me, 4eest then this shepherdH
5 ans!ered, sir, 5 see him#
8e said unto me, this is the
messenger of delight and pleasure#
8e therefore corrupts the minds
of the ser"ants of God, and turns
them from the truth, delighting them
!ith many pleasures, and they perish#
** For they forget the commands
of the li"ing God, and li"e in
luDury and in "ain pleasures,
and are corrupted by the e"il
angel, some of them e"en unto
deathA and others to a falling
a!ay#
*, 5 repliedA 5 understand not
!hat you mean, by saying unto
death, and to a falling a!ay#
8ear, says heA all those sheep
!hich thou sa!est eDceeding
joyful, are such as ha"e for e"er
departed from God, and gi"en
sel"es up to the lusts of this
present time#
*K To these therefore there is
no return, by repentance, unto
lifeA because, to their other sins
they ha"e added this, that they
ha"e blasphemed the name of the
lord' These kind of men are
ordained unto death#
*. But those sheep !hich thou
sa!est not leaping, but feeding in
one placeA are such as ha"e indeed
gi"en themsel"es up to pleasure
and delightsA but ha"e not spoken
anything !ickedly against the &ord#
*2 These therefore are only
fallen off from the truth, and so
ha"e yet hope laid up for them in
repentance# For such a falling off
hath some hope still left of a
rene!alA but they that are dead,
are utterly gone for e"er#
*1 Again !e !ent a little farther
for!ard, and he sho!ed me a great
shepherd, !ho had as it !ere a rustic
figureA clad !ith a !hite goatCs skin,
ha"ing his bag upon his shoulder,
and in his hand a stick full of knots,
and "ery hard, and a !hip in his other
handA and his countenance !as stern and
sour, enough to affright a manA
such !as his look#
*I 8e took from that young
shepherd such sheep as li"ed in
pleasures, but did not skip up and
do!nA and dro"e them into a
certain steep craggy place fall of
thorns and briars, insomuch that
they could not get themsel"es free
from them'
*+ But being entangled in them,
fed upon thorns and briars, and
!ere grie"ously tormented !ith
his !hipping# For he still dro"e
them on, and afforded them not
any place, or time, to stand still#
*L hen therefore 5 sa! them so
cruelly !hipped and afflicted,
5 !as grie"ed for themA because
they !ere greatly tormented, nor
had they any rest afforded them#
,- And 5 said unto the shepherd
that !as !ith me' 4ir, !ho is this
cruel and implacable shepherd, !ho
is mo"ed !ith no compassion to!ards
these sheepH 8e ans!ered, This
shepherd is indeed one of the holy
angels, but is appointed for the
punishment of sinners#
,* To him therefore are deli"ered
those !ho ha"e erred from God,
and ser"ed the lusts and pleasures
of this !orld# For this cause he
punishes them e"ery one according
to their deserts, !ith cruel and
"arious kinds of pains#
,, 4ir, said 5, 5 !ould kno!
!hat kind of pains they are !hich
e"ery one undergoesH 8earken,
said heA The se"eral pains and
torments are those !hich men
e"ery day undergo in their present
li"es# For some suffer lossesA
others po"ertyA others di"ers
sicknesses# 4ome are unsettledA others
suffer injuries from those that are
un!orthyA others fall under many
other trials and incon"eniences#
,K For many !ith an unsettled
design at many things, and it
profiteth them notA and they say
that they ha"e not success in their
undertakings#
,. They do not call to their
mind !hat they ha"e done amiss,
and they complain of the &ord#
hen therefore they shall ha"e
undergone all kind of "eDation
and incon"enienceA then they are
deli"ered o"er to me for good
instruction, and are confirmed
in the Faith of the &ord, and
ser"e the &ord all the rest of
their days !ith a pure mind#
,2 And !hen they begin to repent
of their sins, then they call to
mind their !orks !hich they ha"e
done amiss, and gi"e honour to
God, saying, that he is a just
9udge, and they ha"e deser"edly
suffered all things according to
their deeds#
,1 Then for !hat remains of
their li"es, they ser"e God !ith a
pure mindA and ha"e success in
all their undertakings, and recei"e
from the &ord !hate"er they desire#
,I And then they gi"e thanks
unto the &ord that they !ere
deli"ered unto meA nor do they
suffer any more cruelty#
,+ 5 said unto himA 4ir, 5 entreat
you still to sho! me no! one thing#
hat, said he, dost thou askH
5 said unto himA Are they !ho
depart from the fear of God,
tormented for the same time that
they enjoyed their false delight
and pleasuresH 8e ans!ered meA
they are tormented for the same
time#
,L And 5 said unto himA They
are then tormented but littleA
!hereas they !ho enjoy their
pleasures so as to forget God,
ought to endure se"en times as
much punishment#
K- 8e ans!ered meA Thou art
foolish, neither understandest thou
the efficacy of this punishment#
5 said unto himA 4ir, if 5 understood
it, 5 !ould not desire you to tell me#
K* 8earken, said he, and learn
!hat the force of both is, both of
the pleasure and of the punishment#
An hour of pleasure is terminated
!ithin its o!n space' but one hour
of punishment has the efficacy of
thirty days# hosoe"er therefore
enjoys his false pleasure for one day,
and is one day, tormentedA that one
day of punishment is eBui"alent to
a !hole yearCs space#
K, Thus look ho! many days
any one pursues his pleasures, so
many years is he punished for it#
$ou see therefore ho! that the
time of !orldly enjoyments is but
shortA but that of pain and torments,
a great deal more#
KK 5 repliedA 4ir, forasmuch as
5 do not understand at all these
times of pleasure and painA 5
entreat you that you !ould eDplain
yourself more clearly concerning
them# 8e ans!ered me, sayingA
Thy foolishness still sticks unto
thee#
K.# 4houldst thou not rather
purify thy mind, and ser"e GodH
Take heed, lest !hen thy time is
fulfilled, thou be found still
un!ise# 8ear then, as thou desirest,
that thou mayest the more easily
understand#
K2 8e that gi"es himself up one
day to his pleasures and delights,
and does !hatsoe"er his soul desires,
is full of great folly, nor understands
!hat he does, but the day follo!ing
forgets !hat he did the day before#
K1 For delight and !orldly
pleasure are not kept in memory,
by reason of the folly that is rooted
in them# But !hen pain and torment
befall a man a day, he is in effect
troubled the !hole year afterA
because his punishment continues
firm in his memory#
KI herefore he remembers it
!ith sorro! the !hole yearA and
then calls to mind his "ain pleasure
and delight, and percei"es that for
the sake of that he !as punished#
K+ hosoe"er therefore ha"e
deli"ered themsel"es o"er to such
pleasures, are thus punishedA because
that !hen they had life, they rendered
themsel"es liable to death#
KL 5 said unto himA 4ir, !hat
pleasures are hurtfulH 8e ans!eredA
That is pleasure to e"ery man
!hich he doth !illingly#
.- For the angry man, gratifying
his passion, percei"es pleasure
in itA and so the adulterer, and
drunkardA the slanderer and liarA
the co"etous man and the defrauderA
and !hosoe"er commits anything like
unto these, he follo!eth his e"il
disposition, because he recei"es
a satisfaction in the doing of it#
.* All these pleasures and delights
are hurtful to the ser"ants of God#
For these therefore they are tormented
and suffer punishment#
., There are also pleasures that
bring sal"ation unto men# For many,
!hen they do !hat is good, find
pleasure in it, and are attracted
by the delights of it#
.K ;o! this pleasure is profitable
to the ser"ants of God, and brings
life to such menA but those hurtful
pleasures, !hich !ere before mentioned,
bring torments and punishment#
.. And !hosoe"er shall continue
in them, and shall not repent of
!hat they ha"e done, shall bring
death upon themsel"es#
45=5&5T:)E ?55#
That they !ho repent, must bring forth,
fruits !orthy of repent once#
AFTE( a fe! days 5 sa! the
same person that before talked
!ith me, in the same field, in
!hich 5 had seen those shepherds,
And he said unto meA hat seekest
thouH 4ir, said 5, 5 came to entreat
you that $ou !ould command the
shepherd, !ho is the minister of
punishment, to depart out of my
house, because he greatly afflicts
me#
K And he ans!ered, 5t is necessary
for thee to endure incon"eniencies
and "eDationsA for so that good angel
hath commanded concerning thee,
because he !ould try thee#
. 4ir, said 5A hat so great
offence ha"e 5 committed, that 5
should be deli"ered to this messengerH
8earken, said he' Thou art indeed
guilty of many sins, yet not so
many that thou shouldest be
deli"ered to this messenger#
2 But thy house hath committed
many sins and offences, and therefore
that good messenger being grie"ed
at their doings commanded that for
some time thou shouldst suffer
afflictionA that they may both
repent of !hat they ha"e done, and
may !ash themsel"es from all the
lusts of this present !orld#
1 hen therefore they shall ha"e
repented, and be purified, then that
messenger !hich is appointed o"er
thy punishment, shall depart from
thee#
I 5 said unto himA 4ir, if they
ha"e beha"ed themsel"es so as to
anger that good angel, yet !hat
ha"e 5 doneH 8e ans!ered' They
cannot other!ise be afflicted,
unless thou, !ho art the head
of the family, suffer#
+ For !hatsoe"er thou shalt
suffer, they must needs feel it
but as long as thou shalt stand
!ell established, they cannot
eDperience any "eDation#
L 5 repliedA But, sir, behold
they also no! repent !ith all their
hearts# 5 kno!, says he, that they
repent !ith all their heartsA but
dost thou therefore think that their
offences !ho repent, are immediately
blotted out#
*- ;o, they are not presentlyA
but he that repents must afflict his
soul and sho! himself humble in
all his affairs, and undergo many
and di"ers "eDations#
** And !hen he shall ha"e suffered
all things that !ere appointed for himA
then perhaps 8E that made him, and
formed all things besides, !ill be
mo"ed !ith compassion to!ards him,
and afford him some remedyA and
especially if 8E shall percei"e
his heart !ho repents, to be free
from e"ery e"il !ork#
*, But at present it is eDpedient
for thee, and for thy house, to be
grie"edA and it is needful that
thou shouldst endure much "eDation,
as the angel of the &ord !ho committed
thee unto me, has commanded#
*K (ather gi"e thanks unto the
&ord, that kno!ing !hat !as to
come he thought thee !orthy, to
!hom he should foretell that trouble
!as coming upon thee, !ho art able
to bear it#
*. 5 said unto himA 4ir, but be
thou also !ith me, and 5 shall
easily undergo any trouble# 5 !ill,
said he, be !ith theeA and 5 !ill
entreat the messenger !ho is set
o"er thy punishment, that he
!ould moderate his afflictions
to!ards thee#
*2 And moreo"er thou shalt
suffer ad"ersity but for a little
timeA and then thou shalt again
be restored to thy former stateA
only continue on in the humility
of thy mind#
*1 7bey the &ord !ith a pure
heartA thou, and thy house, and
thy childrenA and !alk in the
commands !hich 5 ha"e deli"ered
unto theeA and then thy repentance
may be firm and pure#
*I And if thou shalt keep
these things !ith thy house, thy
incon"eniencies shall depart from thee#
*+ And all "eDation shall in like
manner depart from those, !hosoe"er
shall !alk according to these commands#
45=5&5T:)E ?555#
That there are many kinds of elect, and of
repenting sinners' and ho! all of these shall
recei"e a re!ard proportionable to the measure
of their repentance and good !orks#
AGA5; he sho!ed me a !illo!
!hich co"ered the fields and
the mountains, under !hose shado!
came all such as !ere called by
the name of the &ord#
, And by that !illo! stood an#
angel of the &ord "ery eDcellent
and lofty, and did cut do!n bo!s
from the !illo! !ith a great
hookA and reached out to the people
that !ere under the shado! of the
!illo!, little rods, as it !ere
about a foot long#
K And !hen all of them had
taken them, he laid aside his hook,
and the tree continued entire, as 5
had before seen itA at !hich 5
!ondered, and mused !ithin myself#
. Then that shepherd said unto
meA Forbear to !onder that the
tree continues !hole,
not%!ith%standing so many boughs ha"e
been cut off from it' but stay a
little, for no! it shall be sho!n
thee, !hat that angel means, !ho
ga"e those rods to the people#
2 4o he again demanded the
rods of themA and in the same
order that e"ery one had recei"ed
them, !as he called to him, and
restored his rodA !hich !hen he
had recei"ed, he eDamined them#
1 From some he recei"ed them
dry and rotten, and as it !ere
touched !ith the mothA those he
commanded to be separated from
the rest, and placed by themsel"es#
7thers ga"e in their rods dry
indeed, but not touched !ith the
moth' these also he ordered to be
set by themsel"es#
I 7thers ga"e in their rods half
dryA these also !ere set apart,
7thers ga"e in their rods half dry
and cleftA these too !ere set by
themsel"es# 7thers brought in
their rods half dry and half green,
and these !ere in like manner
placed by themsel"es#
+ 7thers deli"ered up their rods
t!o parts green, and the third
dryA and they too !ere set apart#
7thers brought their rods t!o
parts dry, and the third greenA
and !ere also placed by themsel"es#
L 7thers deli"ered up their rods
less dry Efor there !as but a "ery
little, to !it, their tops dryF, but
they had clefts, and these !ere set
in like manner by themsel"es# 5n
the rods of others there !as but a
little green, and the rest dryA and
these !ere set aside by themsel"es#
*- 7thers came, and brought
their rods green as they had
recei"ed them, and the greatest
part of the people brought their
rods thusA and the messenger
greatly rejoiced at these, and they
also !ere put apart by themsel"es#
** 7thers brought in their rods
not only green, but full of branchesA
and these !ere set aside, being
also recei"ed by the angel
!ith great joy# 7thers brought
their rods green !ith branches,
and those also some fruit upon
them#
*, They !ho had such rods,
!ere "ery cheerfulA and the angel
himself took great joy at themA
nor !as the shepherd that stood
!ith me, less pleased !ith them#
*K Then the angel of the &ord
commanded cro!ns to be brought,
and the cro!ns !ere brought made
of palmsA and the angel cro!ned
those men in !hose rods he found
the young branches !ith fruit, and
commanded them to go into the
to!er#
*. 8e also sent those into the
to!er, in !hose hands he found
branches !ithout fruit, gi"ing a
seal unto them# For they had the
same garment, that is, one !hite
as sno!A !ith !hich he bade them
go into the to!er And so he did
to those !ho returned their rods
green as they had recei"ed themA
gi"ing them a !hite garment, and
so sent them a!ay to go into the
to!er#
*2 8a"ing done this, he said to
the shepherd that !as !ith me,
5 go my !ayA but do thou send
these !ithin the !alls, e"ery one
into the place in !hich he has
deser"ed to d!ellA eDamining first
their rods, but eDamine them
diligently that no one decei"e theeA
and if any one shall escape thee,
5 !ill try them upon the altar#
8a"ing said this to the shepherd,
he departed#
*1 After he !as gone, the shepherd
said unto meA &et us take the rods
from them, and plant themA if
perchance they may gro! green again#
5 said unto himA 4ir, ho! can those
dry rods e"er gro! green againH
*I 8e ans!ered meA That tree#
is a !illo!, and al!ays lo"es to
li"e# 5f therefore these rods shall
be planted, and recei"e a little
moisture, many of them !ill
reco"er themsel"es#
*+ herefore 5 !ill try, and
!ill pour !ater upon them, and if
any of them can li"e, 5 !ill rejoice
!ith themA but if not, at least by
this means 5 shall be found not
to ha"e neglected my part#
*L Then he commanded me to
call themA and they all came
unto him, e"ery one in the rank
in !hich he stood, and ga"e him
their rodsA !hich ha"ing recei"ed
he planted e"ery one of them in
their se"eral orders#
,- And after he had planted
them all, he poured much !ater
upon them, insomuch that they
!ere co"ered !ith !ater, and did
not appear abo"e it# Then !hen
he had !atered them, he said unto
meA &et us depart, and after a
little time !e !ill return and "isit
them#
,* For he !ho created this tree,
!ould ha"e all those li"e that
recei"ed rods from it# And 5 hope
no! that these rods are thus
!atered, many of them recei"ing
in the moisture, !ill reco"er'
,, 5 said unto him, 4ir, tell
me !hat this tree denotesH For 5
am greatly astonished, that after
so many branches ha"e been cut
off, it seems still to be !hole'
nor does there any thing the less
of it appear to remain, !hich
greatly amaGes me#
,K 8e ans!ered, 8earken# This
great tree !hich co"ers the plains
and the mountains, and all the
earth, is the la! of God, published
throughout the !hole !orld#
,. ;o! this la! is the 4on of
God, !ho is preached to all the
ends of the earth# The people
that stand under its shado!, are
those !hich ha"e heard his preaching,
and belie"ed#
,2 The great and "enerable
angel !hich you sa!, !as =ichael
!ho had the po!er o"er his people,
and go"erns them# For he has
planted the la! in the hearts
of those !ho ha"e belie"ed' and
therefore he "isits them to !hom
lie has gi"en the la!, to see if
they ha"e kept it#
,1 And he eDamines e"ery
oneCs rodA and of those, many that
are !eakened' for those rods are
the la! of the &ord# Then he discerns
all those !ho ha"e not kept the la!,
kno!ing the place of e"ery one of them#
,I 5 said unto him, 4ir, !hy
did he send a!ay some to the
to!er, and left others here to youH
8e replied, those !ho ha"e
transgressed the la!, !hich they
recei"ed from him, are left in my
po!er, that they may repent of
their sins' but they !ho fulfilled
this la! and kept it, are under his
po!er#
,+ But !ho then, said 5, are
those, !ho !ent into the to!er
cro!nedH 8e replied, all such as
ha"ing stri"en !ith the de"il, ha"e
o"ercome him, are cro!ned' and
they are those, !ho ha"e suffered
hard things, that they might keep
the la!#
,L But they !ho ga"e up their
rods green, and !ith young
branches, but !ithout fruit, ha"e
indeed endured trouble for the
same la!, but ha"e not suffered
deathA neither ha"e they denied
their holy la!#
K- They !ho deli"ered up their
rods green as they recei"ed them,
are those !ho !ere modest and
just, and ha"e li"ed !ith a
"ery pure mind, and kept the
commandments of God#
K* The rest thou shalt kno!,
!hen 5 shall ha"e considered those
rods !hich 5 ha"e planted and
!atered#
K, After a fe! days !e returned,
and in the same place stood that
glorious angel, and 5 stood by him#
Then he said unto meA Gird thyself
!ith a to!el, and ser"e me#
KK And 5 girded myself !ith
a clean to!el, !hich !as made of
coarse cloth# And !hen he sa!
me girded, and ready to minister
unto him, he said, Call those men
!hose rods ha"e been planted,
e"ery one in his order as he
ga"e them#
K. And he brought me into the
field, and 5 called them all,
and they all stood ready in their
se"eral ranks# Then he said unto
themA let e"ery one pluck up his
rod, and bring it unto me# And
first they deli"ered theirs, !hose
rods had been dry and rotten#
K2 And those !hose rods still
continued so, he commanded to
stand apart# Then they came
!hose rods had been dry but not
rotten# 4ome of these deli"ered#
in their rods greenA others dry
and rotten, as if they had been
touched by the moth#
K1 Those !ho ga"e them up
green, he commanded to stand
apart' but those !hose rods !ere
dry and rotten, he caused to stand
!ith the first sort# Then came
they !hose rods had been half
dry, and cleft' many of these
ga"e up their rods green, and
uncleft#
KI 7thers deli"ered them up
green !ith branches, like unto
theirs !ho !ent cro!ned into the
to!er# 7thers deli"ered them
up dry, but not rottenA and some
ga"e them up as they !ere before,
all dry, and cleft#
K+ E"ery one of these he ordered
to stand apartA some by themsel"es,
others in their respecti"e ranks#
K, Then came they !hose rods
had been green, but cleft# These
deli"ered their rods altogether
green, and stood in their o!n
order# And the shepherd rejoiced
at these, because they !ere all
changed, and free from their
clefts#
.- Then they ga"e in their rods,
!ho had them half green and
half dry# 7f these some !ere
found !holly green, others half
dry' others green, !ith young
shoots# And all these !ere sent
a!ay, e"ery one to his proper
rank#
.* Then they ga"e up their
rods, !ho had them before t!o
parts green, and the third dry#
=any of those ga"e in their rods
greenA many half dryA the rest
dry but not rotten# 4o these !ere
sent a!ay, each to his proper
place#
., Then came they !ho before
had their rods t!o parts dry and
the third greenA many of these
deli"ered up their rods half dry,
others dry and rottenA others half
dry and cleft' but fe! green# And
all these !ere set e"ery one in his
o!n rank#
.K Then they reached in their
rods, in !hich there !as before
but a little green, and the rest
dry# Their rods !ere for the
most part found green, ha"ing
little boughs, !ith fruit upon
themA and the rest altogether
green#
.. And the shepherd upon sight
of these rejoiced eDceedingly,
because he had found them thusA
and they also !ent to their
proper orders#
.2 ;o! after he had eDamined
all their rods, he said unto me,
5 told thee that this tree lo"ed
life thou seest ho! many ha"e
repented, and attained unto
sal"ation# 4ir, said 5, 5 see it#
.1 That thou mightest kno!
saith he, that the goodness and
mercy of the &ord is great, and
to be had in honourA !ho ga"e
his spirit to them that !ere found
!orthy of repentance#
.I 5 ans!ered, 4ir, !hy then
did not all of them repentH 8e
replied, Those !hose minds the
&ords foresa! !ould be pure, and
that they !ould ser"e him !ith
all their hearts, to them he ga"e
repentance#
.+ But for those !hose deceit
and !ickedness he beheld, and
percei"ed that they !ould not
truly return unto himA to them
he denied any return unto
repentance, lest they should again
blaspheme his la! !ith !icked
!ords#
.L 5 said unto himA ;o!, 4ir,
make kno!n unto me, !hat is the
place of e"ery one of those, !ho
ha"e gi"en up their rods, and
!hat their portionA that !hen
they may ha"e not kept their seal
entire, but ha"e !asted the seal
!hich they recei"ed, shall hear
and belie"e these thins, and may
ackno!ledge their e"il deeds and
repentA
2- And recei"ing again their
seal from you, may gi"e glory to
God, that he !as mo"ed !ith
compassion to!ards them, and sent
you to rene! their spirits#
2* 8earken, said heA they
!hose rods ha"e been found
and rotten, and as it !ere touched
!ith the mothA are the deserters
and the betrayers of the churchA
2, ho !ith the rest of their
crimes, ha"e also blasphemed the
&ord, and denied his name !hen
he had called upon them# Therefore
all these are dead unto God
and thou seest that none of them
ha"e repented, although they
ha"e heard my commands !hich
thou hast deli"ered unto them#
From these men therefore life is
far distant#
2K They also !ho ha"e deli"ered
up their rods dry, but not rotten,
ha"e not been far from them# For
they ha"e been counterfeits,
and brought in e"il doctrines,
and ha"e per"erted the ser"ants
of God, especially those
!ho had sinnedA not suffering
them to return unto repentance,
but keeping them back by their
false doctrines#
2. These therefore ha"e hopeA
and thou seest that many of them
ha"e repented, since the time
that thou hast laid my commands
before themA and many more
!ill yet repent# But they, that
shall not repentA shall lose both
repentance and life#
22 But they that ha"e repented,
their place is begun to be !ithin
the first !alls, and some of them
are e"en gone into the to!er#
Thou seest therefore, said he, that
in the repentance of sinners there
is lifeA but for those !ho repent
not, death is prepared#
21 8ear no! concerning
those !ho ga"e in their rods half
dry and full of clefts# Those !hose
rods !ere only half dry, are the
doubtfulA for they are neither
li"ing nor dead#
2I But they !ho deli"ered in
their rods, not only half dry but
also full of clefts, are both doubtful
and e"il speakersA !ho detract from
those that are absent, and ha"e
ne"er peace among themsel"es,
and !ho en"y one another#
2+ 8o!beit, to those also
repentance is offeredA for thou
seest that some of these ha"e
repented#
2L ;o! all those of this kind
!ho ha"e Buickly repented, shall
ha"e a place in the to!erA and
they !ho ha"e been more slo! in
their repentance, shall d!ell !ithin
the !alls' but they that shall
not repent, and shall continue on
in their !icked doings, shall die
the death#
1- As for those !ho had their
rods green, but yet cleftA they
are such as !ere al!ays faithful
and good, but they had some en"y
and strife among themsel"es
concerning dignity and pre%eminence#
1* ;o! all such as are "ain, and
!ithout understanding, contend
!ith one another about these
things#
1, ;e"ertheless, seeing they
are other!ise good, if !hen they
shall hear these commands they
shall amend themsel"es, and shall
at my persuasion suddenly repentA
they shall at last d!ell in the
to!er, like those !ho ha"e truly
and !orthily repented#
1K But if any one shall again
return to his dissensionA he shall
be shut out from the to!er, and
shall lose his life# For the life
of those !ho keep the commandments
of the &ord, consists in doing
!hat they are commandedA not in
principality, or in any other
dignity#
1. For by forbearance and humility
of mind, men shall attain unto lifeA
but by seditions and contempt of the
la!, they shall purchase death unto
themsel"es#
12 They !ho in their rods
had half dry and half green, are
those !ho are engaged in many
affairs of the !orld, and are not
joined to the saints# For !hich
cause half of them li"eth, and
half is dead#
11 herefore many of these
since the time that they ha"e
heard my commands, ha"e repented,
and begun to d!ell in the to!er#
But some of them ha"e
!holly fallen a!ayA to these there
is no more place for repentance#
1I For by reason of their present
interests, they ha"e blasphemed
and denied God' and for this
!ickedness they ha"e lost life#
And of these many are still in
doubt, yet these may returnA and
if they shall Buickly repent, they
shall ha"e a place in the to!erA
but if they shall be more slo!,
they shall d!ell !ithin the !allsA
but if they shall not repent, they
shall die#
1+ As for those !ho had t!o
parts of their rods green, and the
third dryA they ha"e by manifold
!ays denied the &ord# 7f these
many ha"e repented, and found
a place in the to!er' and many
ha"e altogether departed from
God# These ha"e utterly lost life#
1L And some being in a doubtful
state, ha"e raise up dissensions'
these may yet return, if they
shall suddenly repent and not
continue in their lustsA but if
they shall continue in their
e"il%doing they shall die#
I- They !ho ga"e in their
rods t!o parts dry, and the other
been, are those !ho ha"e indeed
been faithful, but !ithal rich and
full of good thingsA and thereupon
upon ha"e desired to be famous
among the heathen !hich are
!ithout, and ha"e thereby fallen
into great pride, and begun to
aim at high matters, and to
forsake the truth#
I* ;or !ere they joined to the
saints, but li"ed !ith the heathenA
and this life seemed the more pleasant
to them# 8o!beit they ha"e not
departed from God, but continued
in the faithA only they ha"e
not !rought the !orks of faith#
I, =any therefore of these ha"e
repentedA and begun to d!ell in
the to!er# $et others still li"ing
among the heathen people, and
being lifted up !ith their "anities,
ha"e utterly fallen a!ay from
God, and follo!ed the !orks and
!ickedness of the heathen#
These kind of men therefore are
reckoned among strangers to the
Gospel#
IK 7thers of these began to be
doubtful in their mindsA despairing
by reason of their !icked doings
e"er to attain unto sal"ation
7thers being thus made doubtful,
did moreo"er stir up dissensions#
I. To these therefore, and to
those !ho by reason of their doings
are become doubtful, there is still
hope of returnA but they must repent
Buickly, that their place may be in
the to!er# But they that repent not,
and continue still in their pleasures,
are nigh unto death#
I2 As for those !ho ga"e in
their rods green, eDcepting their
tops, !hich only !ere dry, and
had cleftsA these !ere al!ays
good, and faithful, and upright
before God' ne"ertheless they
sinned a little, by reason of their
empty pleasures and trifling
thoughts !hich they had !ithin
themsel"es#
I1 herefore many of them
!hen they heard my !ords,
repented forth!ith, and began to
d!ell in the to!er# ;e"ertheless
some gre! doubtful, and others
to their doubtful minds added
dissensions# To these therefore
there is still hope of return,
because they !ere al!ays goodA
but they shall not hardly be mo"ed#
II As for those, lastly, !ho
ga"e in their rods dry, their tops
only eDcepted, !hich alone !ere
greenA they are such as ha"e
belie"ed indeed in God, but ha"e
li"ed in !ickednessA yet !ithout
departing from God' ha"ing al!ays
!illingly borne the name of the
&ord, and readily recei"ed into
their houses the ser"ants of God#
I+ herefore hearing these
things they returned, and !ithout
delay repented, and li"ed in all
righteousness# And some of them
suffered death' others readily
under!ent many trials, being
mindful of their e"il doings#
IL 5f And !hen he had ended
his eDplications of all the rods,
he said unto me, Go, and say unto
all men that they repent, and they
shall li"e unto GodA because the
&ord being mo"ed !ith great
clemency hath sent me to preach
repentance unto all'
+- E"en unto those !ho by
reason of their e"il doings, deser"e
not to attain unto sal"ation# But
the &ord !ill by patient, and keep
the in"itation that !as made by
his 4on#
+* 5 said unto him, sir, 5 hope
that all !hen they shall hear these
things, !ill repent# For 5 trust
that e"eryone ackno!ledging his
crimes, and taking up the fear
of the &ord, !ill return unto
repentance#
+, 8e said unto me, hosoe"er
shall repent !ith all their
hearts, and cleanse themsel"es
from all the e"ils that 5 ha"e
before mentioned, and not add
anything more to their sins,
shall recei"e from the &ord cure
of their former iniBuities, if they do
not make any doubt of these commands,
and shall li"e unto God#
+K But they that shall continue
to add to their transgressions, and
still con"erse !ith the lusts of
the present !orld, shall condemn
themsel"es unto death# But do
thou !alk in these commands, and
!hosoe"er shall alk in these, and
eDercise them rightly, shall li"e
unto God#
+. And ha"ing sho!ed me all
these things, he saidA 5 !ill sho!
thee the rest in a fe! days#
45=5&5T:)E 5>#
The greatest mysteries of the militant and
triumphant Church !hich is to be built#
AFTE( 5 had ritten the Commands
and similitudes of the 4hepherd,
the Angel of (epentance came unto
me, and said to me, 5 !ill sho!
thee all those things !hich the
4pirit spake !ith thee under
the figure of the church# For
that 4pirit is the 4on of God#
, And because thou !ert !eak
in body, it !as not declared unto
thee by the angel, until thou !ert
strengthened by the 4pirit, and
increased in force, that thou
mightest also see the angel'
K For then indeed the building
of the to!er !as "ery !ell and
gloriously sho!n unto thee by the
churchA ne"ertheless thou sa!est
all things sho!n unto thee as it
!ere by a "irgin#
. But no! thou art enlightened
by the angel, and yet by the same
4pirit# But thou must consider
all things diligentlyA for therefore
am 5 sent into thy house by that
"enerable messenger, that !hen
thou shalt ha"e seen all things
po!erfully, thou mayest not be
afraid as before#
2 And he led me to the height
of a mountain in Arcadia, and !e
sat upon its top# And he sho!ed
me a great plain, and about it
t!el"e mountains in different
figures#
1 The first !as black as soot#
The second !as smooth, !ithout
herbs# The third !as full of
thorns and thistles# The fourth
had herbs half driedA of !hich
the upper part !as green, but that
neDt the root !as dryA and some
of the herbs, !hen the sun gre!
hot, !ere dry#
I The fifth mountain !as "ery
ruggedA but yet had green herbs#
The siDth mountain !as full of
clefts, some lesser, and some
greaterA and in these clefts gre!
grass, not flourishing, but !hich
seemed to be !ithering#
+ The se"enth mountain had
delightful pasture, and !as !holly
fruitfulA and all kinds of cattle,
and of the birds of hea"enA fed
upon itA and the more they fed
on it, the more and better did the
grass gro!#
L The eighth mountain !as full
of fountains, and from those
fountains !ere !atered all kinds of
the creatures of Cod# The ninth
mountain had no !ater at all, but
!as !holly destitute of itA and
nourished deadly serpents, "ery
destructi"e to men#
*- The tenth mountain !as full
of tall trees, and altogether shadyA
and under the shade of them lay
cattle resting and che!ing the cud#
** The ele"enth mountain !as
full of the thickest trees, and
those trees seemed to be loaded
!ith se"eral sorts of fruitsA that
!hosoe"er sa! them could not choose
but desire to eat of their fruit#
*, The t!elfth mountain !as
altogether !hite, and of a most
pleasant aspect, and itself ga"e a
most eDcellent beauty to itself#
*K 5n the middle of the plain
he sho!ed me a huge !hite rock,
!hich rose out of the plain, and
the rock !as higher than those
mountains, and !as sBuareA so
that it seemed capable of supporting
the !hole !orld#
*. 5t looked to me to be old,
yet it had in it a ne! gate, !hich
seemed to ha"e been ne!ly he!n
out of it# ;o! that gate !as
bright beyond the sun itselfA
insomuch, that 5 greatly !ondered
at its light#
*2 About the gate stood t!el"e
"irginsA of !hich four that stood
at the corners of the gate, seemed
to me to be the chiefest, although
the rest !ere also of !orth' and
they stood in the four parts of the
gate#
*1 5t added also to the grace of
those "irgins, that they stood in
pairs, clothed !ith linen garments,
and decently girded, their right
arms being at liberty, as if they
!ere about to lift up some burthenA
for so they !ere adorned, and !ere
eDceeding cheerful and ready#
*I hen 5 sa! this, 5 !ondered
!ith myself to see such great
and noble things# And again 5
admired upon the account of those
"irgins, that they !ere so handsome
and delicateA and stood !ith such
firmness and constancy, as if they
!ould carry the !hole hea"en#
*+ And as 5 !as thinking thus
!ithin myself, the shepherd said
unto meA hat thickest thou !ithin
thyselfH hy art thou disBuieted,
and fillest thyself !ith careH
*L )o not seem to consider, as
if thou !ert !ise, !hat thou doest
not understand, but pray unto the
&ord, that thou mayest ha"e ability
to understand it# hat is to come
thou canst not understand, but
thou seest that !hich is before
thee#
,- Be not therefore disBuieted
at those things !hich thou canst
not seeA but get the understanding
of those !hich thou seest#
,* Forbear to be curiousA and
5 !ill sho! thee all things that 5
ought to declare unto thee' but
first consider !hat yet remains#
,, And !hen he had said this unto
me 5 looked up, and behold 5 sa!
siD tall and "enerable men comingA
their countenances !ere all alike,
and they called a certain multitude
of menA and they !ho came at their
call !ere also tall and stout#
,K And those siD commanded
them to build a certain to!er o"er
that gate# And immediately there
began to be a great noise of those
men running here and there about
the gate, !ho !ere come together
to build the to!er#
,. But those "irgins !hich stood
about the gate percei"ed that the
building of the to!er !as to be
hastened by them# And they
stretched out their hands, as if
they !ere to recei"e some!hat
from them to do#
,2 Then those siD men commanded,
that they should lift up stones
out of a certain deep place,
and prepare them for the building
of the to!er# And there !ere
lifted up ten !hite stones, sBuare,
and not cut round#
,1 Then those siD men called
the ten "irgins to them, and
commanded them to carry all the
stones that !ere to be put into
the building, and ha"ing carried
them through the gate to deli"er
them to those that !ere about to
build the to!er#
,I 5mmediately the "irgins began
all of them together to lift up
those stones, that !ere before
taken out of the deep#
,+ And they !ho also stood about
the gate did carry stones in such
a manner, that those stones !hich
seemed to be the strongest !ere
laid at the corners, and the rest
!ere put into the sidesA
,L And thus they carried all the
stones, and bringing them through
the gate deli"ered them to the
builders, as they had been
commanded' !ho recei"ing them
at their hands, built !ith them#
K- But this building !as made
upon that great rock, and o"er the
gateA and by these the !hole to!er
!as supported# But the building
of the ten stones filled the !hole
gate, !hich began to be made for
the foundation of that to!er#
K* After those ten stones did
fi"e and t!enty others rise up
out of the deepA and these !ere
placed in the building of the same
to!erA being lifted up by those
"irgins, as the others had been
before#
K, After these did fire and thirty
others rise upA and these !ere also
in like manner fitted into the same
!ork# Then forty other stones !ere
brought up, and all these !ere added
unto the building of that to!er#
KK 4o there began to be four
ranks in the foundation of that
to!erA and the stones ceased to
rise out of the deepA and they
also !hich built rested a little#
K. Again, those siD men commanded
the multitude, that they should
bring stones out of those t!el"e
mountains to the building of the
same to!er#
K2 4o they cut out of all the
mountains stones of di"ers colours,
and brought them and ga"e them to
the "irginsA !hich !hen they had
recei"ed they carried them, and
deli"ered them into the building
of the to!er#
K1 5n !hich !hen they !ere built
they became !hite, and different
from !hat they !ere beforeA for
they !ere all alike, and did
change their former colours#
And some !ere reached up by the
men themsel"es, !hich !hen they
came into the building, continued
such is they !ere put in#
KI These neither became !hite,
nor different from !hat they !ere
beforeA because they !ere not
carried by the "irgins through
the gate# herefore these stones
!ere disagreeable in the buildingA
!hich, !hen these siD men percei"ed
they commanded them to be remo"ed,
and put again in the place from
!hich they !ere brought#
K+ And they said to those !ho
brought these stonesA )o not ye
reach up to us any stones for this
building, but lay them do!n by
the to!er, that these "irgins may
carry them and reach them to us#
KL For unless they shall be
carried by these "irgins through
this gate, they cannot change their
colours' therefore do not labour
in "ain#
.- 4o the building that day
!as doneA ho!beit the to!er !as
not finished, for it !as after!ards
to be builtA therefore no! also
there !as some delay made of it#
.* And these siD men commanded
those that built to depart, and
as it !ere to rest for some timeA
but they ordered those "irgins
that they should not depart from
the to!erA so no! they seemed
to me to be left for the guarding
of it#
., hen all !ere departed,
5 said unto the shepherdA 4ir,
!hy is not the building of the
to!er finishedH Because it cannot,
said he, be finished until its &ord
comes, and appro"es of the buildingA
that if he shall find any stones
in it that are not good they may
be changedA for this to!er is built
according to his !ill#
.K 4ir, said 5, 5 !ould kno!
!hat the building of this to!er
signifiesA as also 5 !ould be
informed concerning this rock,
and this gateA
.. And concerning the mountains,
and the "irgins, and the stones
that did rise out of the deep,
and !ere not cut, but put into
the building just as they came
forthA and !hy the ten stones
!ere first laid in the foundationA
then the t!enty%fi"e, then thirty%
fi"eA then fortyH
.2 Also concerning those stones
that !ere put into the building,
and again taken out, and carried
back into their placesH Fulfil, 5
pray, the desire of my soul as to
all these things, and manifest all
unto me#
.1 And he said unto meA 5f thou
shalt not be dull, thou shall
kno! all, and shall see all the
other things that are about to
happen in this, to!er' and shall
understand diligently all these
similitudes#
.I And after a fe! days !e
came into the same place !here
!e had sat beforeA and he said
unto me, &et us go unto the
to!erA for the &ord of it !ill
come and eDamine it#
.+ 4o !e came thither, and
found none but those "irgins there#
And he asked them !hether the
&ord of that to!er !as come
thitherH And they replied, that
he !ould be there presently to
eDamine the building#
.L After a "ery little !hile 5
sa! a great multitude of men
coming, and in the middle of them
a man so tall, that he surpassed
the to!er in height#
2- About him !ere those siD,
!ho before commanded in the
building, and all the rest of
those !ho had built that to!er,
and many others of great dignity'
and the "irgins that kept the to!er
ran to meet him, and kissed him,
and began to !alk near unto him#
2* But he eDamined the building
!ith so much care, that he handled
e"ery stoneA and struck e"ery one
!ith a rod !hich he held in his hand'
2, 7f !hich some being so struck
turned black as sootA others !ere
roughA some looked as if they had
cracks in themA others seemed maimedA
some neither black nor !hiteA some
looked sharp, and agreed not !ith the
other stones, and others !ere full
of spots#
2K These !ere the se"eral kinds
of those stones !hich !ere not
found proper in the buildingA all
!hich the &ord commanded to be
taken out of the to!er, and laid
near it, and other stones to be
brought and put in their places#
2. And they that built, asked
him from !hich of the mountains
he !ould ha"e stones brought to
put in the place of those that !ere
laid aside# But he forbad them
to bring any from the mountains,
and commanded that they should
take them out of a certain field
that !as near#
22 4o they digged in the field,
and found many bright sBuare
stones, and some also that !ere
round# 8o!beit, all that !ere
found in that field !ere taken
a!ay, and carried through the
gate by those "irginsA and those
of them that !ere sBuare !ere
fitted and put into the places of
those that !ere pulled out#
21 But the round ones !ere not
put into the building, because they
!ere hard, and it !ould ha"e
reBuired too much time to cut them
but they !ere placed about the
to!er, as if they should hereafter
be cut sBuare, and put into the
buildingA for they !ere "ery
!hite#
2I hen he !ho !as chief in
dignity, and lord of the !hole
to!er sa! this, he called to him
the shepherd that !as !ith me,
and ga"e him the stones that !ere
rejected and laid about the to!er,
and said unto himA cleanse these
stones !ith all care, and fit them
into the building of the to!er, that
they may agree !ith the restA but
those that !ill not suit !ith the
rest, cast a!ay afar off from the
to!er#
2+ hen he had thus commanded him,
he departed, !ith all those that
came !ith him to the to!er but
those "irgins still stood about
the to!er to keep it#
2L And 5 said unto that shepherdA
8o! can these stones, seeing they
ha"e been rejected, return into
the building of this to!erH
8e repliedA 5 !ill cut off the
greatest part from these stones,
and !ill add them to the building,
and they !ill agree !ith the rest#
1- And 5 said, 4ir, ho! !ill
they be able to fill the same place,
!hen they shall be so much cut
a!ayH 8e ans!eredA They that
shall be found too little shall be
put into the middle of the building,
and the greater shall be placed
!ithout, and keep them in#
1* hen he had said thus unto
me, he addedA &et us go, and after
three days !e !ill return, and
5 !ill put these stones, being
cleansed, into the to!er#
1, For all these that are about
the to!er must be cleansed, lest
the master of the house chance to
come upon the sudden, and find
those !hich are about the to!er
uncleanA and be so eDasperated
that these stones should ne"er be
put into the building of this to!er,
and 5 shall be looked upon to ha"e
been unmindful of my masterCs
commands#
1K hen therefore !e came
after three days to the to!er,
he said unto meA &et us eDamine
all these stones, and let us see
!hich of them may go into the
building# 5 ans!ered, 4ir,
let us see#
1. And first of all !e began
to consider those !hich had been
blackA for they !ere found just
such as they !ere !hen they !ere
pulled out of the to!er' !herefore
he commanded them to be remo"ed
from the to!er and put by themsel"es#
12 Then he eDamined those
!hich had been roughA and commanded
many of those to be cut round, and
to be fitted by the "irgins into
the building of the to!erA so they
took them, and fitted them into
the middle of the building and
he commanded the rest to be laid
by !ith the black ones, for they
also !ere become black#
11 ;eDt he considered those
!hich !ere full of cracks, and
many of those also he ordered to
be pared a!ay, and so to be added
to the rest of the building, by the
came "irgins#
1I These !ere placed !ithout
because they !ere found entireA
but the residue through the
multitude of their cracks could
not be reformed, and therefore
!ere cast a!ay from the building
of the to!er#
1+ Then he considered those
that had been maimedA many of
these had cracks, and !ere become
blackA others had large cleftsA
these he commanded to be placed
!ith those that !ere rejectedA
1L But the rest being cleansed
and reformed, he commanded to
be put into the building# These
therefore those "irgins took up,
and fitted into the middle of the
building, because they !ere but
!eak#
I- After these he eDamined those
!hich !ere found half !hite and
half black, and many of those
!hich !ere no! blackA these also
he ordered to be laid among
those that !ere cast a!ay#
I* The rest !ere found altogether
!hiteA those !ere taken up by the
"irgins, and fitted into the same
to!er' and they !ere put in the
outside, because they !ere found
entireA that so they might keep
in those that !ere placed in the
middle, for nothing !as cut off
from them#
I, ;eDt he looked upon those
!hich had been hard and sharpA
but fe! of these !ere made use of,
because they could not be cut, for
they !ere found "ery hard' but
the rest !ere formed, and fitted by
the "irgins into the middle of the
building, because they !ere more
!eak#
IK Then he considered those
!hich had spotsA of these a fe!
!ere found black, and they !ere
carried to their fello!s# The rest
!ere !hite and entireA and they
!ere fitted by the "irgins into the
building, and placed in the outside,
by reason of their strength#
I. After this he came to
consider those stones !hich !ere
!hite and round' and he said unto
me, hat shall !e do !ith these
stonesH 5 ans!ered, 4ir, 5 cannot
tell#
I2 8e replied, Canst thou
think of nothing then for theseH
5 ans!ered, 4ir, 5 understand not
this artA neither am 5 a stone%cutter,
nor can 5 tell anything#
I1 And he said, seest thou not
that they are "ery roundH ;o!
to make them sBuare, 5 must cut
off a great deal from themA ho!beit,
it is necessary that some of these
should go into the building of the
to!er#
II 5 ans!eredA 5f it be necessary,
!hy do you perpleD yourself, and
not rather choose, if you ha"e
any choice among them, and fit
them into the building#
I+ :pon this he chose out the
largest and brightest, and sBuared
themA !hich, !hen he had done
the "irgins took them up, and
fitted them into the building#
IL And the rest that remained
!ere carried back into the same
field from !hich they !ere takenA
ho!beit, they !ere not cast a!ayA
because, said he, there is yet a
little !anting to this to!er, !hich
is to be builtA and perhaps the
&ord !ill ha"e these stones fitted
into this building, because they
are eDceeding !hite#
+- Then there !ere called t!el"e
"ery stately !omen, clothed !ith
a black garment, girded, and their
shoulders free, and their hair
loose# These seemed to me to be
country !omen#
+* And the shepherd commanded
them to take up those stones
!hich !ere cast out of the building,
and carry them back to the mountains
out of !hich they !ere taken#
+, And they took them all up
joyfully, and carried them back to
their places from !hence they had
been taken#
+K hen not one stone remained
about the to!er, he said unto
me, &et us go about this to!er,
and see !hether anything be
!anting to it#
+. e began therefore to go
round about itA and !hen he sa!
that it !as handsomely built, he
began to be "ery gladA for it !as
so beautifully framed, that any one
that had seen it must ha"e been in
lo"e !ith the building#
+2 For it seemed to be all but
one stone, nor did a joint any
!here appearA but it looked as if
it had all been cut out of one rock#
+1 And !hen 5 diligently
considered !hat a to!er it !as,
5 !as eDtremely pleased' and he
said unto me, Bring hither some
lime and little shells, that 5 may
fill up the spaces of those stones
that !ere taken out of the building,
and put in againA for all things
about the to!er must be made e"en#
+I And 5 did as he commanded
me, and brought them unto him
and he said unto me, Be ready to
help me, and this !ork !ill Buickly
be finished#
++ 8e therefore filled up
the spaces of those stones, and
commanded the place about the to!er
to be cleansed#
+L Then those "irgins took besoms,
and cleansed all the place around,
and took a!ay all the rubbish,
and thre! !ater onA !hich being
done, the palace became delightful,
and the to!er beauteous#
L- Then he said unto me, All
is no! clean if the &ord should
come to finish the to!er, he !ill
find nothing !hereby to complain
of us#
L* hen he had said this he
!ould ha"e departed# But 5 laid
hold on his bag, and began to
entreat him for the &ordCs sake, that
he !ould eDplain to me all things
that he had sho!n me#
L, 8e said unto me, 5 ha"e at
present a little businessA but 5
!ill suddenly eDplain all things
unto thee# Tarry here for me till
5 come#
LK 5 said unto him, 4ir, !hat
shall 5 do here aloneH 8e ans!ered,
Thou art not alone, seeing all
these "irgins are !ith thee#
L. 5 said, 4ir, deli"er me then
unto them# Then he called them
and said unto them, 5 commend
this man unto you until 5 shall
comeA
L2 4o 5 remained !ith those
"irgins' no! they !ere cheerful
and courteous unto meA especially
the four, !hich seemed to be
the chiefest among them#
L1 Then those "irgins said
unto me, that shepherd !ill not
return hither to%day# 5 said unto
them, hat then shall 5 doH They
ans!ered, Tarry for him till the
e"ening, if perhaps he may come
and speak !ith theeA but if not,
yet thou shalt continue !ith us
till he does come#
LI 5 said unto them, 5 !ill
tarry for him till e"eningA but if
he comes not by that time, 5 !ill
go home, and return hither again
the neDt morning#
L+ They ans!ered me, As thou
art deli"ered unto us, thou mayest
not depart from us# 5 said, here
shall 5 tarryH
LL They replied, Thou shalt
sleep !ith us as a brother, not
as a husbandA for thou art our
brother, and !e are ready from
henceforth to d!ell !ith theeA
for thou art "ery dear to us#
*-- 8o!beit 5 !as ashamed to
continue !ith them# But she that
seemed to be the chiefest amongst
them, embraced me, and began
to kiss me# And the rest !hen
they sa! that 5 !as kissed by her,
began also to kiss me as a brotherA
and led me about the to!er, and
played !ith me#
*-* 4ome of them also sung
psalms, others made up the chorus
!ith them# But 5 !alked about
the to!er !ith them, rejoicing
silently, and seeming to myself
to be gro!n young again#
*-, hen the e"ening came on,
5 !ould forth!ith ha"e gone
home, but they !ithheld me,
and suffered me not to depart#
herefore 5 continued !ith them
that night near the same to!er#
*-K 4o they spread their linen
garments upon the groundA and
placed me in the middle, nor did
they anything else, only they
prayed#
*-. 5 also prayed !ith them
!ithout ceasing, nor less than
they# ho, !hen they sa! me pray
in that manner, rejoiced greatly'
and 5 continued there !ith their
till the neDt day#
*-2 And !hen !e had !orshipped God,
then the shepherd came and said unto
them' $ou ha"e done no injury to
this manH They ans!ered, Ask him#
5 said unto him, 4ir, 5 ha"e recei"ed
a great deal of satisfaction in that
5 ha"e remained !ith them#
*-1 And he said unto me, 8o! didst
thou supH 5 ans!ered, 4ir, 5 feasted
the !hole night upon the !ords of
the &ord# They recei"ed thee !ell
then, said heH 5 said, 4ir, "ery !ell#
*-I 8e ans!ered, ilt thou
no! learn !hat thou didst desireH
5 replied, 4ir, 5 !ill' and first 5
pray thee that thou shouldest sho!
me all things in the order that 5
asked them#
*-+ 8e ans!ered, 5 !ill do all
as thou !ouldst ha"e me, nor
!ill 5 hide any thing from thee#
*-L First of all, 4ir, said 5,
tell me, !hat this rock and this
gate denoteH 8earken, said heA
this rock, and this gate, are the
4on of God# 5 replied, 4ir, ho!
can that beA seeing the rock is
old, but the gate ne!H
**- 8ear, said he, 7 foolish
manJ and understand# The 4on
of God is indeed more ancient
than any creatureA insomuch
that he !as in council !ith his
Father at the creation of all
things#
*** But the gate is therefore
ne!, because he appeared in the
last days in the fullness of timeA
that they !ho shall attain unto
sal"ation, may by it enter into the
kingdom of God#
**, $ou ha"e seen, said he,
those stones !hich !ere carried
through the gate, ho! they !ere
placed in the building of the
to!erA but that those !hich !ere
not carried through the gate,
!ere sent a!ay into their o!n
placesH
**K 5 ans!ered, sir, 5 sa! it#
Thus, said he, no man shall enter
into the kingdom of God, but he
!ho shall take upon him the name
of the 4on of God#
**. For if you !ould enter
into any city, and that city should
he encompassed !ith a !all, and
had only one gate, could you
enter into that city eDcept by that
gateH
**2 5 ans!ered, 4ir, ho! could
5 do other!iseH As therefore, said
he, there !ould be no other !ay
of entering into that city but by
its gate, so neither can any one
enter into the kingdom of God,
but only by the name of his 4on,
!ho is most dear unto him#
**1 And he said unto me,
)idst thou see the multitude of
those that built that to!erH 4ir,
said 5, 5 sa! it# 8e ans!ered,
All those are the angels, "enerable
in their dignity,
**I ith those is the &ord
encompassed as !ith a !all' but
the gate is the 4on of God, !ho is
the only !ay of coming unto God#
For no man shall go to God, but
by his 4on#
**+ Thou sa!est also, said he,
the siD men, and in the middle of
them that "enerable great man,
!ho !alked about the to!er, and
rejected the stones out of the to!erH
**L 4ir, said 5, 5 sa! them#
8e ans!ered, that tall man !as
the 4on of GodA and those siD
!ere his angels of most eminent
dignity, !hich stand about him
on the right hand and on the left#
*,- 7f these eDcellent angels
none comes in unto God !ithout
him# 8e added, hosoe"er there#
fore shall not take upon him his
name, he shall nor enter into the
kingdom of God#
*,* Then 5 said, hat is this
to!erH This, said he, is the church#
And !hat, 4ir, are these "irginsH
8e said unto me, These are the
holy spirits, for no man can enter
into the kingdom of God, eDcept
these clothe him !ith their garment,
*,, For it !ill a"ail thee nothing
to take up the name of the 4on of
God, unless thou shalt also
recei"e their garment from them#
For these "irgins are the po!ers
of the 4on of God# 4o shall a
man in "ain bear his name, unless
he shall be also endued !ith his
po!ers#
*,K And he said unto me, sa!est
thou those stones that !ere cast
a!ayH They bore indeed the name,
but put not on their garment#
5 said, 4ir, !hat is their
garmentH Their "ery names,
said he, are their garment#
*,. Therefore !hosoe"er beareth
the name of the 4on of God,
ought to bear their names alsoA
for the 4on of God also himself
beareth their names#
*,2 As for those stones,
continued he, !hich being deli"ered
by their hands, thou sa!est remain
in the building, they !ere clothed
!ith their po!erA for !hich cause
thou seest the !hole to!er of the
same colour !ith the rock, and made
as it !ere of one stone#
*,1 4o also those !ho ha"e
belie"ed in God by his 4on, ha"e
put on his spirit# Behold there
shall be one spirit, and one body,
and one colour of their garmentsA
and all they shall attain this, !ho
shall bear the names of these "irgins#
*,I And 5 said, 4ir, !hy then
!ere those stones cast a!ay !hich
!ere rejected, seeing they also
!ere carried through the gate,
and deli"ered by the hands of
these "irgins into the building
of this to!erH
*,+ 4eeing, said he thou takest
care to inBuire diligently into all
things, hear also concerning those
stones !hich !ere rejected# All
these recei"ed the name of the
4on of God, and !ith that the
po!er of these "irgins#
*,L 8a"ing therefore recei"ed
these spirits, they !ere perfected,
and brought into the number of
the ser"ants of GodA and they
began to be one body, and to ha"e
one garment, for they !ere endued
!ith the same righteousness,
!hich they alike eDercised#
*K- But after that they beheld
those !omen !hich thou sa!est
clothed !ith a black garment,
!ith their shoulders at liberty and
their hair looseA they fiDed their
desires upon them, being tempted
!ith their beautyA and !ere
clothed !ith their po!er,
and cast off the clothing
of the "irgins'
*K* Therefore !ere they cast
off from the house of God, and
deli"ered to those !omen# But
they that !ere not corrupted !ith
their beauty, remained in the
house of God# This, said he, is
the signification of those stones
!hich !ere rejected#
*K, And 5 said, sir, !hat if
any of these men shall repent, and
cast a!ay their desire of those
!omen, and be con"erted, and
return to these "irgins, and put
on again their "irtueA shall they
not enter into the house of GodH
*KK They shall enter, said he,
if they shall lay aside all the
!orks of those !omen, and shall
resume the po!er of these "irgins,
and shall !alk in their !orks#
*K. And for this cause there is
a stop in the building, that if they
shall repent, they may be added
to the building of this to!erA but
if they shall not repent, that others
may be built in their places, and
so they may be utterly cast a!ay#
*K2 For all these things 5 ga"e
thanks unto the &ord, that being
mo"ed !ith mercy to!ards all
those upon !hom his name is
carried, he sent to us the angel of
repentance to preside o"er us !ho
ha"e sinned against himA and that
he has refreshed our spirits !hich
!ere almost gone, and !ho had
no hope of sal"ation, but are no!
refreshed to the rene!al of life#
*K1 Then 5 said, 4ho! me no!
sir, !hy this to!er is not built
upon the ground, but upon a rock,
and upon the gateH 8e replied,
Thou art foolish, and !ithout
understanding, therefore thou
asketh this#
*KI And 5 said, sir, 5 must
needs ask all things of you
because 5 understand nothing at all#
For all your ans!ers are great and
eDcellentA and !hich a man can
hardly understand#
*K+ 8ear, said he' The name
of the 4on of God is great and
!ithout bounds, and the !hole
!orld is supported by it# 5f
therefore, said 5, e"ery creature
of God be sustained by his 4on,
!hy should he not support those
also !ho ha"e been in"ited by him,
and !ho carry his name, and !alk
in his commandmentsH
*KL 4eest thou not, said he, that
he doth support them, !ho !ith
all their heart, bear his nameH
8e therefore is their foundation,
and gladly supports those !ho do
not deny his name, but !illingly
bear it#
*.- And 5 said' 4ir, tell me
the names of these "irginsA and of
those !omen that !ere clothed
!ith the black garment#
*.* 8ear, said he, the names of
those "irgins !hich are the more
po!erful, and stand at the corners
of the gate# These are their
names'
*., The first is called FaithA
the second ContinenceA the third
Po!erA the fourth PatienceA the
rest !hich stand beneath these
are, 4implicity, 5nnocence,
Chastity, Cheerfulness, Truth,
:nderstanding, Concord, Charity#
*.K hosoe"er therefore bear
these names, and the name of the
4on of God, shall enter into the
kingdom of God#
*.. 8ear no!, said he, the
names of those !omen, !hich
!ere clothed !ith the black garment#
7f these, four are the principal'
the first is PerfidiousnessA
the second, 5ncontinenceA the
third, 5nfidelityA the fourth,
Pleasure#
*.2 And the rest !hich follo!
are called thus, 4adness, =alice,
&ust, Anger, &ying, Foolishness,
Pride, and 8atred# The ser"ant
of God, !hich carries these spirits,
shall see indeed the kingdom of
God, but he shall not enter into it#
*.1 But, sir, !hat are those
stones !hich !ere taken out of the
deep and fitted into the buildingH
The ten, said he, !hich !ere
placed at the foundation, are the
first ageA the follo!ing fi"e%and%
t!enty, are the second, of righteous
men#
*.I The neDt thirty%fi"e, are the
prophets and ministers of the &ord#
And the forty, are the Apostles and
doctors of the preaching of the
4on of God#
*.+ And 5 said, sir, !hy did the
"irgins put e"en those stones into
the building after they !ere carried
through the gateH And he said,
Because these first carried those
spirits, and they departed not one
from the other, neither the men
from the spirits, nor the spirits
from the men'
*.L But the spirits !ere joined
to those men e"en to the day of
their deathA !ho if they had not
had these spirits !ith them, they
could not ha"e been useful to the
building of this to!er#
*2- And 5 said, sir, sho! me
this farther# 8e ans!ered, hat
dost then askH hy did these
stones come out of the deep, and
!ere placed into the building of
this to!er, seeing that they long
ago carried those holy spiritsH
*2* 5t !as necessary, said he,
for them to ascend by !ater, that
they might be at rest# For they
could not other!ise enter into the
kingdom of God, but by laying
aside the mortality of their former
life#
*2, They therefore being dead,
!ere ne"ertheless sealed !ith the
seal of the 4on of God, and so
entered into the kingdom of God#
*2K For before a man recei"es
the name of the 4on of God, he is
ordained unto deathA but !hen he
recei"es that seal, he is freed from
death, and assigned unto life#
*2. ;o! that seal is the !ater
of baptism, into !hich men go
do!n under the obligation unto
death, but come up appointed unto
life#
*22 herefore to those also !as
this seal preached, and they made
use of it, that they might enter
into the kingdom of God#
*21 And 5 said, hy then, sir,
did these forty stones also ascend
!ith them out of the deep, ha"ing
already recei"ed that sealH
*2I 8e ans!ered, Because
these Apostles and teachers, !ho
preached the name of the 4on of
God, dying after they had recei"ed
his faith and po!er, preached to
them !ho !ere dead before' and
they ga"e this seal to them#
*2+ They !ent do!n therefore
into the !ater !ith them, and again
came up# But these !ent do!n
!hilst they !ere ali"e, and came
up again ali"e' !hereas those !ho
!ere before dead, !ent do!n dead,
but came up ali"eA
*2L Through these therefore
they recei"ed life, and kne! the
4on of God' for !hich cause they
came up !ith them, and !ere fit
to come into the building of the
to!erA and !ere not cut, but put
in entireA because they died in
righteousness, and in great purityA
only this seal !as !anting to
them#
*1- Thus you ha"e the eDplication
of these things#
*1* 5 ans!ered' 4ir, tell me
no! !hat concerns those mountainsA
!hy are they so different, some
of one form, and some of anotherH
*1, 8ear, said heA These t!el"e
mountains !hich thou seest, are
t!el"e nations, !hich make up the
!hole !orld# herefore the 4on
of God is preached to them, by
those !hom he sent unto them#
*1K But !hy, said 5, are they
different, and e"ery one of a figureH
8e replied, 8earken# Those t!el"e
nations !hich possess the !hole
!orld, are t!el"e people#
*1. And as thou hast beheld
these mountains different, so are
they# 5 !ill therefore open to
thee the meaning and actions of
e"ery mountain#
*12 But first, sir, said 5, sho!
me thisA 4eeing these mountains
are so different, ho! ha"e they
agreed in the building of this
to!erA and been brought to one
colourA and are no less bright
than those that came out of the
deepH
*11 Because, replied he, all the
nations !hich are under hea"en,
ha"e heard and belie"ed in the
same one name of the 4on of God
by !hom they are called#
*1I herefore ha"ing recei"ed
his seal, they ha"e all been made
partakers of the same understanding
and kno!ledgeA and their faith
and charity ha"e been the sameA
and they ha"e carried the spirits
of these "irgins together !ith his
name#
*1+ And therefore the building
of this to!er appeared to be of the
same colour, and did shine like
the brightness of the sun#
*1L But after that they had thus
agreed in one mind, there began to
be one body of them allA ho!beit
some of them polluted themsel"es,
and !ere cast off from those of the
righteous, and again returned to
their former state, and became
e"en !orse than they !ere before#
*I- 8o!, air, said 5, !ere
they !orse !ho kne! the &ordH
8e ans!ered' 5f he !ho kno!s
not the &ord li"eth !ickedly,
the punishment of his !ickedness
attends himA
*I* But he !ho has kno!n the
&ord, ought to abstain altogether
from all !ickedness, and more and
more to be the ser"ant of
righteousness#
*I, And does not he then seem
to thee to sin more !ho ought to
follo! goodness, if he shall prefer
the part of sinA than he !ho
offends !ithout kno!ing the
po!er of GodH
*IK herefore these are indeed
ordained unto deathA but they !ho
ha"e kno!n the &ord, and ha"e
seen his !onderful !orks, if they
shall li"e !ickedly, they shall be
doubly punished, and shall die for
e"er#
*I. As therefore thou hast seen
that after the stones !ere cast out
of the to!er, !hich had been rejected,
they !ere deli"ered to !icked and
cruel spiritsA and thou beheldest
the to!er so cleansed, as if it had
all been made of one stone'
*I2 4o the church of God, !hen
it shall be purified' Ethe !icked
and counterfeits, the mischie"ous
and doubtful, and all that ha"e
beha"ed themsel"es !ickedly in it,
and committed di"ers kinds of sin,
being cast outF shall become one
body, and there shall be one
understanding, one opinion,
one faith, and the same charity#
*I1 And then shall the 4on of
God rejoice among them, and shall
recei"e his people !ith a pure !ill#
*II And 5 saidA 4ir, all these
things are great and honourableA
but no! sho! unto me the effect
and force of e"ery mountain' that
e"ery soul !hich trusteth in the
&ord, !hen it shall hear these
things may honour his great, and
!onderful, and holy name#
*I+ 8ear, said he, the "ariety
of these mountains, that is, of the
t!el"e nations#
*IL They !ho ha"e belie"ed
of the first mountain, !hich is
black, are those !ho ha"e re"olted
from the faith, and spoken !icked
things against the &ordA and
betrayed the ser"ants of God#
*+- These are condemned to
deathA there is no repentance for
them' and therefore they are
black, because their kind is
!icked#
*+* 7f the second mountain
!hich !as smooth, are the
hypocrites, !ho ha"e belie"ed,
and the teachers of naughtiness'
and these are neDt to the foregoing,
!hich ha"e not in them the fruit of
righteousness#
*+, For as their mountain is
barren and !ithout fruit so also
such kind of men ha"e indeed the
name of Christians, but are empty
of faithA nor is there any fruit of
the truth in them#
*+K ;e"ertheless there is room
left to them of repentance, if they
shall speedily pursue itA but if
they shall delay, they also shall
be partakers of death !ith the
foregoing kind#
*+. 5 said, air, !hy is there
room left to those for repentance,
and not to the foregoing kind,
seeing their sins are !ell nigh the
sameH
*+2 There is therefore, said he,
to these a return unto life by
repentance, because they ha"e not
blasphemed against their &ord,
nor betrayed the ser"ants of God'
but by their desire of gain ha"e
decei"ed men, leading them according
to the lusts of sinnersA !herefore
they shall suffer for this thing#
*+1 8o!beit there is still left
them room for repentance, because
they ha"e not spoken any thing
!ickedly against the &ord#
*+I They !ho are of the
third mountain !hich had thorns
and brambles, are those !ho
belie"ed, but !ere some of them
richA others taken up !ith many
affairs' the brambles are their
richesA the thorns, those affairs in
!hich they !ere engaged#
*++ ;o! they !ho are entangled
in much business, and in di"ersity
of affairs, join not themsel"es to
the ser"ants of God, but !ander,
being called a!ay by those affairs
!ith !hich they are choked#
*+L And so they !hich are rich,
!ith difficulty yield themsel"es to
the con"ersation of the ser"ants
of GodA fearing lest any thing
should be asked of them# These
therefore shall hardly enter the
kingdom of God#
*L- For as men !alk !ith difficulty
bare%foot o"er thorns, e"en so
these kind of men shall scarcely
enter into the kingdom of God#
*L* ;e"ertheless there is afforded
to all these a return unto repentance,
if they shall Buickly return to itA
because in their former days they
ha"ing neglected to !ork, in the time
that is to come they may do some good#
*L, 5f therefore ha"ing
repented they shall do the !orks
of righteousness, they shall li"eA
but if they shall continue in their
e"il courses, they shall be deli"ered
to those !omen !ho !ill take a!ay
their li"es#
*LK As for the fourth mountain,
!hich had many herbs, the upper
part of !hich is green, but
the roots dry, and some of !hich
being touched !ith the heat of the
sun, are !itheredA
*L. 5t denotes the doubtful, !ho
ha"e belie"ed, and some others
!ho carry the &ord on their tongues,
but ha"e him not in their hearts'
therefore their grass is dry,
and !ithout rootA because they
li"e only in !ords, but their
!orks are dead#
*L2 These therefore are neither
dead nor li"ing, and !ithal are
doubtful# For the doubtful are
neither green nor dryA that is
neither dead nor ali"e#
*L1 For as the herbs dry a!ay
at the sight of the sun, so the
doubtful, as soon as they hear of
persecution, and fear incon"eniencies,
return to their idols, and again
ser"e them, and are ashamed
to bear the name of their &ord#
*LI This kind of men then is
neither dead nor ali"eA ne"ertheless
these also may li"e, if they shall
presently repentA but if not,
they shall be deli"ered to those
!omen, !ho shall take a!ay their
li"es#
*L+ As concerning the fifth
mountain that is craggy, and yet
has green grassA they are of this
kind !ho ha"e belie"ed, and are
faithful indeed, but belie"e !ith
difficulty, and are bold and self%
conceitedA and !ould be thought
to kno! all things, but really
kno! nothing#
*LL herefore, by reason of
this confidence, kno!ledge is
departed from themA and a rash
presumption is entered into them#
,-- But they carry themsel"es
high, and as prudent menA and
though they are fools, yet !ould
seem to be teachers#
,-* ;o! by reason of this folly
many of them !hilst they magnify
themsel"es, are become "ain and
empty# For boldness and "ain
confidence is a "ery e"il spirit#
,-, herefore many of these
are cast a!ayA but others
ackno!ledging their error, ha"e
repented, and submitted themsel"es
to those !ho are kno!ing#
,-K And to all the rest of this
kind, there is repentance allo!edA
forasmuch as they !ere not so
much !icked as foolish, and "oid
of understanding#
,-. 5f these therefore shall
repent, they shall li"e unto GodA
but if not, they shall d!ell !ith
those !omen, !ho shall eDercise
their !ickedness upon them#
,-2 For !hat concerns the
siDth mountain ha"ing greater and
lesser clefts, they are such as ha"e
belie"edA but those in !hich !ere
lesser clefts are they !ho ha"e had
contro"ersies among themsel"esA
and by reason of their Buarrels
languish in the faith'
,-1 ;e"ertheless many of these
ha"e repented, and so !ill the rest
!hen they shall hear my commandsA
for their contro"ersies are but
small, and they !ill easily
return unto repentance#
,-I But those !ho ha"e the
greater clefts, !ill be as stiff
stones, mindful of grudges and
offences, and full of anger among
themsel"es# These therefore are
cast from the to!er, and refused
to be put into its buildingA for
this kind of men shall hardly
li"e#
,-+ 7ur God and &ord, !ho
ruleth o"er all things, and has
po!er o"er all his creatures, !ill
not remember our offences, but is
easily appeased by those !ho
confess their sins' but man being
languid, mortal, infirm, and full
of sins, perse"eres in his anger
against manA as if it !ere in his
po!er to sa"e or destroy him#
,-L But 5, as the angel !ho am
set o"er your repentance, admonish
you, that !hosoe"er among you has
any such purpose he should lay it
aside, and return unto repentanceA
and the &ord !ill heal your former
sins, if you shall purge yourself
from this e"il spiritA but if you
shall not do it, ye shall be
deli"ered to him unto death#
,*- As for the se"enth mountain
in !hich the grass !as green
and flourishing, and the !hole
mountain faithfulA and all kind of
cattle fed upon the grass of it, and
the more the grass !as eaten, so
much the more it flourishedA
,** They are such as belie"ed,
and !ere al!ays good and uprightA
and !ithout any differences among
themsel"es, but still rejoiced
in the ser"ants of God, ha"ing
put on the spirit of these "irginsA
and been al!ays for!ard to sho!
mercy to all men, readily gi"ing
to all men of their labours
!ithout upbraiding, and !ithout
deliberation#
,*, herefore the &ord seeing
their simplicity and innocence,
has increased them in the !orks of
their hands, and gi"en them grace
in all their !orks#
,*K But 5, !ho am the angel
appointed o"er your repentance,
eDhort you, that as many as are of
this kind !ould continue in the
same purpose, that your seed may
not be rooted out for e"er#
,*. For the &ord hath tried
you, and !ritten you into our
numberA and all your seed shall
d!ell !ith the 4on of GodA for ye
are all of his spirit#
,*2 As concerning the eighth
mountain in !hich !ere a great
many springs, by !hich e"ery
kind of all the creatures of God
!as !ateredA they are such as
ha"e belie"ed the Apostles !hich
the &ord sent into all the !orld to
preachA
,*1 And some of them being
teachers ha"e preached and taught
purely and sincerely, and ha"e
not in the least yielded to any e"il,
desires, but ha"e constantly !alked
in righteousness and truth#
,*I These therefore ha"e their
con"ersations among the angels#
,*+ AgainA as for !hat concerns
the ninth mountain !hich is
a desert, and full of serpentsA they
are such as ha"e belie"ed, but had
many stains'
,*L These are such ministers as
discharge their ministry amissA
ra"ishing a!ay the goods of the
!ido!s and fatherlessA and ser"e
themsel"es, not others, out of
those things !hich they ha"e
recei"ed#
,,- These, if they continue in
this co"etousness, ha"e deli"ered
themsel"es unto death, nor shall
there be any hope of life for them#
But if they shall be con"erted,
and shall discharge their ministry
sincerely, they may li"e#
,,* As for those !hich !ere
found rough, they are such as
ha"e denied the name of the &ord,
and not returned again to the
&ord, but ha"e become sa"age
and !ildA not applying themsel"es
to the ser"ants of GodA but being
separated from them, ha"e for a
little carelessness lost their li"es#
,,, For as a "ine that is forsaken
in a hedge, and ne"er dressed,
perishes and is choked by the
!eeds, and in time becomes !ild,
and ceases to be useful to its lordA
so this kind of men despairing of
themsel"es, and being soured,
ha"e begun to be unprofitable to
their &ord#
,,K 8o!beit, to these there is,
after all, repentance allo!ed, if
they shall not be found from their
hearts to ha"e denied ChristA but
if any of these shall be found to
ha"e denied him from his heart,
5 cannot tell !hether such a one
can attain unto life#
,,. 5 say therefore that if any
one hath denied, he should in
these days return unto repentanceA
for it cannot be that anyone
!ho no! denies the &ord, can
after!ards attain unto sal"ation
ne"ertheless repentance is promised
unto them !ho ha"e formerly denied#
,,2 But he !ho !ill repent
must hasten on his repentance,
before the building of this to!er
is finishedA other!ise, he shall be
deli"ered by those !omen unto
death#
,,1 But they that are maimed,
are the deceitfulA and those !ho
miD !ith one another, are the
serpents that you sa! mingled in
that mountain#
,,I For as the poison of serpents
is deadly unto men, so the !ords
of such persons infect and
destroy men# They are therefore
maimed in their faith, by reason
of that kind of life !hich they
lead#
,,+ 8o!beit some of them,
ha"ing repented, ha"e been sa"edA
and so shall others of the same
kind be also sa"ed, if they shall
repentA but if not, they shall die
by those !omen !ho po!er and
force posses,
,,L For !hat concerns the
tenth mountain, in !hich !ere the
trees co"ering the cattle, they are
such as ha"e belie"edA and some
of them ha"e been bishops, that is,
go"ernors of the churches#
,K- 7thers, are such stones as
ha"e not feignedly, but !ith a
cheerful mind entertained the
ser"ants of God#
,K* Then, such as ha"e been set
o"er inferior ministries, and ha"e
protected the poor and the !ido!sA
and ha"e al!ays kept a chaste
con"ersation' therefore they
also are protected by the &ord#
,K, hosoe"er shall do on this
!ise, are honoured !ith the &ordA
and their place is among the
angels, if they shall continue
to obey the &ord e"en unto the end#
,KK As to the ele"enth mountain
in !hich !ere trees loaded
!ith se"eral sorts of fruitA they
are such as ha"e belie"ed, and
suffered death, for the name of the
&ordA and ha"e endured !ith a
hea"y mind, and ha"e gi"en up
their li"es !ith all their hearts#
,K. And 5 said, hy then, sir,
ha"e all these fruit indeed, but yet
some fairer than othersH
,K2 8earken, said he' hosoe"er
ha"e suffered for the name of
the &ord are esteemed honourable
by the &ordA and all their offences
are blotted out, because they ha"e
suffered death for the name of the
4on of God#
,K1 8ear no!, !hy their fruits
are different, and some of them
eDcel others# They !ho !ere
brought before magistrates, and
being asked, denied not the &ord,
but suffered !ith a ready mindA
these are more honourable !ith
the &ord# The fruits therefore
that are the most fair are these#
,KI But they !ho !ere fearful
and doubtful, and ha"e deliberated
!ith themsel"es !hether they
should confess or deny Christ, and
yet ha"e sufferedA their fruits are
smaller, because that this thought
came into their hearts#
,K+ For it is a !icked and e"il
thought for a ser"ant to deliberate
!hether he should deny his master'
Take heed therefore ye !ho
ha"e such thoughts, that this mind
Pontinrie not in you, and ye die
unto God#
,KL But ye !ho suffer death for
his name sake, ought to honour
the &ord, that he has esteemed
you !orthy to bear his nameA and
that you should be deli"ered from
all your sins#
,.- And !hy therefore do you
not rather esteem yoursel"es happyH
$e think "erily that if any
one among you suffer, he performs
a great !orkJ $et the &ord
gi"eth you life, and ye understand
it not# For your offences did
oppress youA and if you had not
suffered for his name sake, ye !ould
no! be dead unto the &ord#
,.* herefore 5 speak this unto
you !ho deliberate !hether ye
should confess or deny him# Confess
that ye ha"e the &ord for your
God, lest at any time denying him,
ye be deli"ered up into bonds#
,., For if all nations punish
their ser"ants !hich deny their
mastersA !hat think you that the
&ord !ill do unto you, !ho has
the po!er of all thingsH
,.K (emo"e therefore out of
your hearts these doubts, that ye
may li"e for e"er unto God#
,.. As for the t!elfth mountain,
!hich !as !hite, they are
such as ha"e belie"ed like sincere
children, into !hose thoughts
there ne"er came any malice, nor
ha"e they e"er kno!n !hat sin
!as, but ha"e al!ays continued in
their integrity#
,.2 herefore this kind of men
shall !ithout all doubt inherit the
kingdom of GodA because they
ha"e ne"er in any thing defiled
the commandments of God, but
ha"e continued !ith sincerity in
the same condition all the days of
their li"es#
,.1 hosoe"er therefore, said
he, shall continue as children
!ithout maliceA shall be more
honourable than all those of !hom
5 ha"e yet spoken' for all such
children are honoured by the
&ord, and esteemed the first of
all#
,.I 8appy therefore are ye
!ho shall remo"e all malice from
you, and put on innocenceA be#
cause ye shall first see the &ord#
,.+ And after he had thus
ended his eDplication of all the
mountains, 5 said unto him, 4ir,
sho! me no! also !hat concerns
the stones that !ere brought out
of the plain, and put into the
to!er in the room of those that
!ere rejected#
,.L As also concerning those
round stones !hich !ere added
into the building of the to!erA
and also of those !ho still
continued round#
,2- 8ear no!, says he,
concerning those stones !hich !ere
brought out of the plain into the
building of the to!er, and placed
in the room of those that !ere
rejected' they are the roots of
that !hite mountain#
,2* herefore because those
!ho ha"e belie"ed of that mountain,
!ere "ery innocentA the lord of
this to!er commanded that they
!hich !ere of the roots of this
mountain should be placed into
the building#
,2, For he kne! that if they
!ere put into, this building they
!ould continue brightA nor !ould
any of them any more be made
black#
,2K But if he had added after
this manner, from the rest of the
mountains, he !ould almost ha"e
needed again to "isit the to!er,
and to cleanse it#
,2. ;o! all these !hite stones
are the young men !ho ha"e belie"ed,
or shall belie"eA for they are all
of the same kind# 8appy is this
kind, because it is innocent#
,22 8ear no! also concerning
those round and bright stonesA all
these are of this !hite mountain#
But they are therefore found
round, because their riches ha"e
a little darkened them from the
truth, and daGGled their eyes#
,21 8o!beit they ha"e ne"er
departed from the &ord, nor has
any !icked !ord proceeded out
of their mouthsA but all
righteousness, and "irtue,
and truth#
,2I hen therefore the &ord
sa! their minds, and that they
might adorn the truthA he
commanded that they should continue
good, and that their riches should
be pared a!ay'
,2+ For he !ould not ha"e
them taken !holly a!ay, to the
end they might do some good
!ith that !hich !as left, and li"e
unto GodA because they also are
of a good kind#
,2L Therefore !as there little
cut off from them, and so they
!ere put into the building of this
to!er#
,1- As for the rest !hich
continued still round, and !ere
not found fit for the building of
this to!er, because they ha"e not
yet recei"ed the sealA they !ere
carried back to their place, be#
cause they !ere found "ery
round#
,1* But this present !orld must
be cut a!ay from them, and the
"anities of their richesA and then
they !ill be fit for the kingdom of
God# For they must enter into
the kingdom of God, because God
has blessed this innocent kind#
,1, 7f this kind therefore none
shall fall a!ay' for though any of
them being tempted by the de"il
should offend, he shall soon return
to his &ord God#
,1K 5 the angel of repentance
esteem you happy, !hosoe"er are
innocent as little children, because
your portion is good and honourable
!ith the &ord#
,1. And 5 say unto all you
!ho ha"e recei"ed this sealA keep
simplicity, and remember not the
offences !hich are committed
against you, nor continue in
malice, or in bitterness, through
the memory of offences#
,12 But become one spirit,
and pro"ide remedies for these
e"il rents, and remo"e them from
youA that the lord of the sheep
may rejoice at itA for he !ill
rejoice, if he shall find all !hole#
,11 But if any of these sheep
shall be found scattered a!ay, oe
shall be to the shepherdsA and
if the shepherds themsel"es shall
be scatteredA !hat !ill they ans!er
to the lord of the sheep%foldH
ill they say that they !ere
troubled by the sheepH But
they shall not be belie"ed#
,1I For it is an incredible thing
that the shepherd should suffer by
his flockA and he shall be the more
punished for his life#
,1+ ;o! 5 am the shepherdA
and especially must gi"e an
account of you#
,1L herefore take care of
yoursel"es !hilst the to!er is,
yet building# The &ord d!ells
in those that lo"e peace, for peace
is belo"edA but he is far off from
the contentious, and those !ho are
full of malice#
,I- herefore restore unto him
the 4pirit entire, as ye recei"ed it#
For if thou shalt gi"e unto a
fuller a garment ne! and !hole,
thou !ilt eDpect to recei"e it !hole
againA if therefore the fuller shall
restore it unto thee torn, !ouldst
thou recei"e itH
,I* ouldst thou not presently
be angry, and reproach him,
saying' 5 ga"e my garment to thee
!hole, !hy halt thou rent it, and
made it useless to meH ;o! it is
of no use to me, by reason of the
rent !hich thou hast made in it#
ouldst thou not say all this to a
fuller, for the rent !hich he made
in thy garmentH
,I, 5f therefore thou !ouldst
be concerned for thy garment,
and complain that thou hadst not
recei"ed it !holeA !hat thinkest
thou that the &ord !ill do, !ho
ga"e his 4pirit to thee entire, and
thou hast rendered him altogether
unprofitable, so that he can be of
no use unto his &ordH For being
corrupted by thee, he is no longer
profitable to him#
,IK ill not therefore the &ord
do the same concerning his 4pirit,
by reason of thy deedH :ndoubtedly,
said 5, he !ill do the same
to all those !hom he shall find to
continue in the remembrance of
injuries#
,I. Tread not then under foot
he said, his mercyA but rather
honour him, because he is so
patient !ith respect to your offences,
and not like one of youA but repent,
for it !ill be profitable for you#
,I2 All these things !hich
are abo"e !ritten, 5 the shepherd
and angel of repentance, ha"e
sho!n and spoken to the ser"ants
of God#
,I1 5f therefore ye shall belie"e
and hearken to these !ords, and
shall !alk in them and correct
your !ays, ye shall li"e# But if
ye shall, continue in malice, and
in the remembrance of injuries,
no such sinners shall li"e unto
God#
,II All these things !hich !ere
to be spoken by me, 5 ha"e thus
deli"ered unto you# Then the
shepherd said unto me, 8ast thou
asked all things of meH
5 ans!ered, sir, 5 ha"e#
,I+ hy then, said he, hast
thou not asked concerning the
spaces of these stones that !ere
put in the building, that 5 may
eDplain that also unto theeH
5 ans!ered, sir, 5 forgot it#
8ear, then, said he, concerning
these also#
,IL They are those !ho ha"e
no! heard these commands, and
ha"e repented !ith all their
heartsA
,+- And !hen the &ord sa!
that their repentance !as good
and pure, and that they could
continue in it, he commanded
their former sins to be blotted
out# For these spaces !ere their
sins, and they are therefore made
e"en that they might not appear#
45=5&5T:)E >#
7f (epentance and alms%deeds#
AFTE( 5 had !ritten this
book, the angel !hich had
deli"ered me to that shepherd,
came into the house !here 5 !as
and sat upon the bed, and that
shepherd stood at his right hand#
, Then he called me and said
unto meA 5 deli"ered thee and
thy house to this shepherd, that
thou mightest be protected by
him# 5 said, $es, &ord#
K 5f therefore, said he, thou
!ilt be protected from all
"eDations and from all cruelty, and
ha"e success in e"ery good !ord
and !ork, and ha"e all "irtue and
righteousnessA !alk in those
commands !hich he has gi"en thee,
and thou shalt ha"e dominion
o"er all sin#
. For if thou keepest those
commands, all the lust and pleasure
of this present !orld shall be
subject to theeA and success shall
follo! thee in e"ery good undertaking#
2 Take therefore his gra"ity
and modesty to!ards thee, and
say unto all, that he is in great
honour and reno!n !ith God, and
is a prince of great authority, and
po!erful in his office#
1 To him only is the po!er of
repentance committed throughout
the !hole !orld# )oes he not
seem to thee to be of great
authorityH
I But ye despise his goodness,
and the modesty !hich he sho!s
to!ards you#
+ 5 said unto himA 4ir, ask
him since the time that he came
into my house !hether 5 ha"e
done any thing disorderly, or
ha"e offended him in any thingH
L 5 kno!, said he, that thou
hast done nothing disorderly,
neither !ilt thou hereafter do
any such thing, and therefore 5
speak these things !ith thee that
then mayest perse"ereA for he
has gi"en me a good account
concerning thee#
*- But thou shalt speak these
things to others, that they !ho
either ha"e repented, or shall
repent, may be like%minded !ith
thee, and he may gi"e me as
good an account of them alsoA
and that 5 may do the same unto
the &ord#
** 5 ans!eredA 4ir, 5 declare
to all men the !onderful !orks of
GodA and 5 hope that all !ho
lo"e them, and ha"e before sinned,
!hen they shall hear these things,
!ill repent, and reco"er life#
*, Continue therefore, said he,
in this ministry, and fulfil it#
And !hosoe"er shall do according
to the commands of this shepherd,
he shall li"eA and shall ha"e great
honour both here and !ith the
&ord#
*K But they that shall not keep
his commands, flee from their life,
and are ad"ersaries to it# And
they that follo! not his commands,
shall deli"er themsel"es
unto deathA and shall be e"ery
one guilty of his o!n blood#
*. But 5 say unto thee, keep
these commandments, and thou
shalt find a cure for all thy sins#
*2 =oreo"er, 5 ha"e sent
these "irgins to d!ell !ith theeA
for 5 ha"e seen that they are "ery
kind to thee# Thou shalt therefore
ha"e them for thy helpers,
that thou mayest the better keep
the commands !hich he hath gi"en
theeA for these commands cannot
be kept !ithout these "irgins#
*1 And as 5 see ho! they are
!illing to be !ith thee, 5 !ill
also command them that they shall
not all depart from thy house#
*I 7nly do thou purify thy
houseA for they !ill readily d!ell
in a clean house# For they are
clean and chaste, and industriousA
and all of them ha"e grace !ith
the &ord#
*+ 5f therefore thou shalt ha"e
thy house pure, they !ill abide
!ith thee# But, if it shall be
ne"er so little polluted, they !ill
immediately depart from thy houseA
for these "irgins cannot endure any
manner of pollution#
*L 5 said unto himA 4ir, 5 hope
that 5 shall so please them, that
they shall al!ays delight to d!ell
in my house# And as he to !hom
you ha"e committed me, makes
no complaint of meA so neither
shall they complain#
,- Then he said to that shepherd'
5 see that the ser"ant of God !ill
li"e and keep these commandments,
and place these "irgins in a pure
habitation#
,* hen he had said this,
he deli"ered me again to that
shepherd, and called the "irgins,
and said unto themA Forasmuch as 5
see that ye !ill readily d!ell in
this manCs house, 5 commend him
and his family to you, that ye may
not at all depart from his house#
And they !illingly heard these
!ords#
,, Then he said unto me,
Go on manfully in thy ministryA
declare to all men the great things
of God, and thou shalt find grace
in this ministry#
,K And !hosoe"er shall !alk
in these commands, shall li"e,
and be happy in his life# But he
that shall neglect them, shall not
li"e, and shall be unhappy in his
life#
,. 4ay unto all that !hosoe"er
can do !ell, cease not to eDercise
themsel"es in good !orks, for it
is profitable unto them# For 5
!ould that all men should be
deli"ered from the incon"eniences
they lie under#
,2 For he that !ants, and
suffers incon"eniences in his
daily life, is in great torment
and necessity# hosoe"er therefore
deli"ers such a soul from necessity,
gets great joy unto himself#
,1 For he that is grie"ed !ith
such incon"eniencies is eBually
tormented, as if he !ere in chains#
And many upon the account of
such calamities, being not able to
bear them, ha"e chosen e"en to
destroy themsel"es#
,I 8e therefore that kno!s the
calamity of such a man, and does
not free him from it, commits a
great sin, and is guilty of his
blood#
,+ herefore eDercise yoursel"es
in good !orks, as many as
ha"e recei"ed ability from the
&ordA lest !hilst ye delay to do
them, the building of the to!er be
finishedA because for your sakes
the building is stopped#
,L EDcept therefore ye shall
make haste to do !ell, the to!er
shall be finished, and ye shall be
shut out of it#
K- And after he had thus spoken
!ith me, he rose up from the bed
and departed, taking the shepherd
and "irgins !ith him#
K* 8o!beit he said unto me,
that he !ould send back the
shepherd and "irgins unto
my house# Amen#
(EFE(E;CE4 T7 T8E B77< 7F
8E(=A4, T8E 48EP8E()#
/This book, di"ided into three parts, called his ?5457;4, C7==A;)4,
and 45=5&5T:)E4, is thus entitled, because it !as composed by
8ermas, brother to Pius, bishop of (omeA and because the Angel, !ho
bears the principal part in it, is represented in the form and habit
of a shepherd# 5reneus Buotes it under the "ery name of 4cripture#
7rigen thought it a most useful !riting, and that it !as di"inely
inspiredA Eusebius says that, though it !as not esteemed canonical,
it !as read publicly in the churches, !hich is corroborated by
9eromeA and Athanasius cites it, calls it a most useful !ork, and
obser"es, that though it !as not strictly canonical, the Fathers
appointed it to be read for direction and confirmation in faith and
piety# 9erome, not!ithstanding this, and that he applauded it in his
catalogue of !riters, in his comments upon it after!ards, terms it
apocryphal and foolish# Tertullian praised it !hen a Catholic, and
abused it !hen a =ontanist# Although Gelasius ranks it among the
apocryphal books, it is found attached to some of the most ancient
=44# of the ;e! TestamentA and Archbishop ake, belie"ing it the
genuine !ork of an apostolical Father, preser"es it to the English
reader by the foregoing translation, in !hich he has rendered the
three parts of it not only more eDact, but in greater purity than
they had before appeared# The archbishop procured )r# Grabe to
entirely collate the old &atin "ersion !ith an ancient =4# in the
&ambeth libraryA and the learned prelate himself still further
impro"ed the !hole from a multitude of fragments of the original
Greek ne"er before used for that purpose#3
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles,
Complete, by Archbishop ake
666 E;) 7F T854 P(79ECT G:TE;BE(G EB77< T8E F7(B5))E; G74PE&4 666
66666 This file should be named 12*1#tDt or 12*1#Gip 66666
This and all associated files of "arious formats !ill be found in'
http'PP!!!#gutenberg#netP1P2P*P12*1P
Produced by )a"id idger !ith additional proofing by Curtis A# eyant
:pdated editions !ill replace the pre"ious one%%the old editions
!ill be renamed#
Creating the !orks from public domain print editions means that no
one o!ns a :nited 4tates copyright in these !orks, so the Foundation
Eand youJF can copy and distribute it in the :nited 4tates !ithout
permission and !ithout paying copyright royalties# 4pecial rules,
set forth in the General Terms of :se part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks to
protect the P(79ECT G:TE;BE(G%tm concept and trademark# Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you recei"e specific permission# 5f you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying !ith the
rules is "ery easy# $ou may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of deri"ati"e !orks, reports, performances and
research# They may be modified and printed and gi"en a!ay%%you may do
practically A;$T85;G !ith public domain eBooks# (edistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution#
666 4TA(T' F:&& &5CE;4E 666
T8E F:&& P(79ECT G:TE;BE(G &5CE;4E
P&EA4E (EA) T854 BEF7(E $7: )54T(5B:TE 7( :4E T854 7(<
To protect the Project Gutenberg%tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic !orks, by using or distributing this !ork
Eor any other !ork associated in any !ay !ith the phrase @Project
Gutenberg@F, you agree to comply !ith all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg%tm &icense Ea"ailable !ith this file or online at
http'PPgutenberg#netPlicenseF#
4ection *# General Terms of :se and (edistributing Project Gutenberg%tm
electronic !orks
*#A# By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg%tm
electronic !ork, you indicate that you ha"e read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
EtrademarkPcopyrightF agreement# 5f you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks in your possession#
5f you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg%tm electronic !ork and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to !hom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph *#E#+#
*#B# @Project Gutenberg@ is a registered trademark# 5t may only be
used on or associated in any !ay !ith an electronic !ork by people !ho
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement# There are a fe!
things that you can do !ith most Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks
e"en !ithout complying !ith the full terms of this agreement# 4ee
paragraph *#C belo!# There are a lot of things you can do !ith Project
Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks if you follo! the terms of this agreement
and help preser"e free future access to Project Gutenberg%tm electronic
!orks# 4ee paragraph *#E belo!#
*#C# The Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation E@the Foundation@
or PG&AFF, o!ns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks# ;early all the indi"idual !orks in the
collection are in the public domain in the :nited 4tates# 5f an
indi"idual !ork is in the public domain in the :nited 4tates and you are
located in the :nited 4tates, !e do not claim a right to pre"ent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating deri"ati"e
!orks based on the !ork as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are remo"ed# 7f course, !e hope that you !ill support the Project
Gutenberg%tm mission of promoting free access to electronic !orks by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg%tm !orks in compliance !ith the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg%tm name associated !ith
the !ork# $ou can easily comply !ith the terms of this agreement by
keeping this !ork in the same format !ith its attached full Project
Gutenberg%tm &icense !hen you share it !ithout charge !ith others#
*#)# The copyright la!s of the place !here you are located also go"ern
!hat you can do !ith this !ork# Copyright la!s in most countries are in
a constant state of change# 5f you are outside the :nited 4tates, check
the la!s of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before do!nloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating deri"ati"e !orks based on this !ork or any other Project
Gutenberg%tm !ork# The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any !ork in any country outside the :nited
4tates#
*#E# :nless you ha"e remo"ed all references to Project Gutenberg'
*#E#*# The follo!ing sentence, !ith acti"e links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg%tm &icense must appear prominently
!hene"er any copy of a Project Gutenberg%tm !ork Eany !ork on !hich the
phrase @Project Gutenberg@ appears, or !ith !hich the phrase @Project
Gutenberg@ is associatedF is accessed, displayed, performed, "ie!ed,
copied or distributed'
This eBook is for the use of anyone any!here at no cost and !ith
almost no restrictions !hatsoe"er# $ou may copy it, gi"e it a!ay or
re%use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg &icense included
!ith this eBook or online at !!!#gutenberg#net
*#E#,# 5f an indi"idual Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !ork is deri"ed
from the public domain Edoes not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted !ith permission of the copyright holderF, the !ork can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the :nited 4tates !ithout paying any fees
or charges# 5f you are redistributing or pro"iding access to a !ork
!ith the phrase @Project Gutenberg@ associated !ith or appearing on the
!ork, you must comply either !ith the reBuirements of paragraphs *#E#*
through *#E#I or obtain permission for the use of the !ork and the
Project Gutenberg%tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs *#E#+ or
*#E#L#
*#E#K# 5f an indi"idual Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !ork is posted
!ith the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply !ith both paragraphs *#E#* through *#E#I and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder# Additional terms !ill be linked
to the Project Gutenberg%tm &icense for all !orks posted !ith the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this !ork#
*#E#.# )o not unlink or detach or remo"e the full Project Gutenberg%tm
&icense terms from this !ork, or any files containing a part of this
!ork or any other !ork associated !ith Project Gutenberg%tm#
*#E#2# )o not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic !ork, or any part of this electronic !ork, !ithout
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph *#E#* !ith
acti"e links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg%tm &icense#
*#E#1# $ou may con"ert to and distribute this !ork in any binary,
compressed, marked up, non%proprietary or proprietary form, including any
!ord processing or hyperteDt form# 8o!e"er, if you pro"ide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg%tm !ork in a format other than
@Plain ?anilla A4C55@ or other format used in the official "ersion
posted on the official Project Gutenberg%tm !eb site E!!!#gutenberg#netF,
you must, at no additional cost, fee or eDpense to the user, pro"ide a
copy, a means of eDporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
reBuest, of the !ork in its original @Plain ?anilla A4C55@ or other
form# Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg%tm
&icense as specified in paragraph *#E#*#
*#E#I# )o not charge a fee for access to, "ie!ing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg%tm !orks
unless you comply !ith paragraph *#E#+ or *#E#L#
*#E#+# $ou may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or pro"iding
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks pro"ided
that
% $ou pay a royalty fee of ,-Q of the gross profits you deri"e from
the use of Project Gutenberg%tm !orks calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taDes# The fee is
o!ed to the o!ner of the Project Gutenberg%tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation# (oyalty payments
must be paid !ithin 1- days follo!ing each date on !hich you
prepare Eor are legally reBuired to prepareF your periodic taD
returns# (oyalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation at the
address specified in 4ection ., @5nformation about donations to
the Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation#@
% $ou pro"ide a full refund of any money paid by a user !ho notifies
you in !riting Eor by e%mailF !ithin K- days of receipt that sPhe
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg%tm
&icense# $ou must reBuire such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the !orks possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg%tm !orks#
% $ou pro"ide, in accordance !ith paragraph *#F#K, a full refund of any
money paid for a !ork or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic !ork is disco"ered and reported to you !ithin L- days
of receipt of the !ork#
% $ou comply !ith all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg%tm !orks#
*#E#L# 5f you !ish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg%tm
electronic !ork or group of !orks on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in !riting from
both the Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation and =ichael
8art, the o!ner of the Project Gutenberg%tm trademark# Contact the
Foundation as set forth in 4ection K belo!#
*#F#
*#F#*# Project Gutenberg "olunteers and employees eDpend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain !orks in creating the Project Gutenberg%tm
collection# )espite these efforts, Project Gutenberg%tm electronic
!orks, and the medium on !hich they may be stored, may contain
@)efects,@ such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defecti"e or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer "irus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your eBuipment#
*#F#,# &5=5TE) A((A;T$, )54C&A5=E( 7F )A=AGE4 % EDcept for the @(ight
of (eplacement or (efund@ described in paragraph *#F#K, the Project
Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation, the o!ner of the Project
Gutenberg%tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg%tm electronic !ork under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and eDpenses, including legal
fees# $7: AG(EE T8AT $7: 8A?E ;7 (E=E)5E4 F7( ;EG&5GE;CE, 4T(5CT
&5AB5&5T$, B(EAC8 7F A((A;T$ 7( B(EAC8 7F C7;T(ACT E>CEPT T874E
P(7?5)E) 5; PA(AG(AP8 FK# $7: AG(EE T8AT T8E F7:;)AT57;, T8E
T(A)E=A(< 7;E(, A;) A;$ )54T(5B:T7( :;)E( T854 AG(EE=E;T 5&& ;7T BE
&5AB&E T7 $7: F7( ACT:A&, )5(ECT, 5;)5(ECT, C7;4EO:E;T5A&, P:;5T5?E 7(
5;C5)E;TA& )A=AGE4 E?E; 5F $7: G5?E ;7T5CE 7F T8E P7445B5&5T$ 7F 4:C8
)A=AGE#
*#F#K# &5=5TE) (5G8T 7F (EP&ACE=E;T 7( (EF:;) % 5f you disco"er a
defect in this electronic !ork !ithin L- days of recei"ing it, you can
recei"e a refund of the money Eif anyF you paid for it by sending a
!ritten eDplanation to the person you recei"ed the !ork from# 5f you
recei"ed the !ork on a physical medium, you must return the medium !ith
your !ritten eDplanation# The person or entity that pro"ided you !ith
the defecti"e !ork may elect to pro"ide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund# 5f you recei"ed the !ork electronically, the person or entity
pro"iding it to you may choose to gi"e you a second opportunity to
recei"e the !ork electronically in lieu of a refund# 5f the second copy
is also defecti"e, you may demand a refund in !riting !ithout further
opportunities to fiD the problem#
*#F#.# EDcept for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph *#F#K, this !ork is pro"ided to you CA4%54C 5T8 ;7 7T8E(
A((A;T5E4 7F A;$ <5;), E>P(E44 7( 5=P&5E), 5;C&:)5;G B:T ;7T &5=5TE) T7
A((A;T5E4 7F =E(C8A;T5B5&5T$ 7( F5T;E44 F7( A;$ P:(P74E#
*#F#2# 4ome states do not allo! disclaimers of certain implied
!arranties or the eDclusion or limitation of certain types of damages#
5f any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement "iolates the
la! of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maDimum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state la!# The in"alidity or unenforceability of any
pro"ision of this agreement shall not "oid the remaining pro"isions#
*#F#1# 5;)E=;5T$ % $ou agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark o!ner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
pro"iding copies of Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks in accordance
!ith this agreement, and any "olunteers associated !ith the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg%tm electronic !orks,
harmless from all liability, costs and eDpenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the follo!ing !hich you do
or cause to occur' EaF distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg%tm
!ork, EbF alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg%tm !ork, and EcF any )efect you cause#
4ection ,# 5nformation about the =ission of Project Gutenberg%tm
Project Gutenberg%tm is synonymous !ith the free distribution of
electronic !orks in formats readable by the !idest "ariety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle%aged and ne! computers# 5t eDists
because of the efforts of hundreds of "olunteers and donations from
people in all !alks of life#
?olunteers and financial support to pro"ide "olunteers !ith the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg%tmCs
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg%tm collection !ill
remain freely a"ailable for generations to come# 5n ,--*, the Project
Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation !as created to pro"ide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg%tm and future generations#
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation
and ho! your efforts and donations can help, see 4ections K and .
and the Foundation !eb page at http'PP!!!#pglaf#org#
4ection K# 5nformation about the Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg &iterary Archi"e Foundation is a non profit
2-*EcFEKF educational corporation organiGed under the la!s of the
state of =ississippi and granted taD eDempt status by the 5nternal
(e"enue 4er"ice# The FoundationCs E5; or federal taD identification
number is 1.%1,,*2.*# 5ts 2-*EcFEKF letter is posted at
http'PPpglaf#orgPfundraising# Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
&iterary Archi"e Foundation are taD deductible to the full eDtent
permitted by :#4# federal la!s and your stateCs la!s#
The FoundationCs principal office is located at .22I =elan )r# 4#
Fairbanks, A<, LLI*,#, but its "olunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations# 5ts business office is located at
+-L ;orth *2-- est, 4alt &ake City, :T +.**1, E+-*F 2L1%*++I, email
businessRpglaf#org# Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the FoundationCs !eb site and official
page at http'PPpglaf#org
For additional contact information'
)r# Gregory B# ;e!by
Chief EDecuti"e and )irector
gbne!byRpglaf#org
4ection .# 5nformation about )onations to the Project Gutenberg
&iterary Archi"e Foundation
Project Gutenberg%tm depends upon and cannot sur"i"e !ithout !ide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed !orks that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the !idest
array of eBuipment including outdated eBuipment# =any small donations
ES* to S2,---F are particularly important to maintaining taD eDempt
status !ith the 5(4#
The Foundation is committed to complying !ith the la!s regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 2- states of the :nited
4tates# Compliance reBuirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paper!ork and many fees to meet and keep up
!ith these reBuirements# e do not solicit donations in locations
!here !e ha"e not recei"ed !ritten confirmation of compliance# To
4E;) )7;AT57;4 or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state "isit http'PPpglaf#org
hile !e cannot and do not solicit contributions from states !here !e
ha"e not met the solicitation reBuirements, !e kno! of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states !ho
approach us !ith offers to donate#
5nternational donations are gratefully accepted, but !e cannot make
any statements concerning taD treatment of donations recei"ed from
outside the :nited 4tates# :#4# la!s alone s!amp our small staff#
Please check the Project Gutenberg eb pages for current donation
methods and addresses# )onations are accepted in a number of other
!ays including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations# To donate, please "isit' http'PPpglaf#orgPdonate
4ection 2# General 5nformation About Project Gutenberg%tm electronic
!orks#
Professor =ichael 4# 8art is the originator of the Project Gutenberg%tm
concept of a library of electronic !orks that could be freely shared
!ith anyone# For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg%tm eBooks !ith only a loose net!ork of "olunteer support#
Project Gutenberg%tm eBooks are often created from se"eral printed
editions, all of !hich are confirmed as Public )omain in the :#4#
unless a copyright notice is included# Thus, !e do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance !ith any particular paper edition#
=ost people start at our eb site !hich has the main PG search facility'
http'PP!!!#gutenberg#net
This eb site includes information about Project Gutenberg%tm,
including ho! to make donations to the Project Gutenberg &iterary
Archi"e Foundation, ho! to help produce our ne! eBooks, and ho! to
subscribe to our email ne!sletter to hear about ne! eBooks#