Of the mysteries 1II. HERMAS. of the church. the kingdom of God, because God | the contentious, and those who has blessed this innocent kind. 261 Of this kind therefore none shall fall away; for though any of them being tempted by the devil should offend, he shall soon return to his Lord God. 262 I the angel of repentance esteem you happy, whosoever are innocent as little children, because your portion is good and honourable with the Lord. 263 And I say unto all you who have received this seal; keep simplicity, and remember not the offences which are committed against you, nor continue in malice, or in bitterness, through the memory of offences. 264 But become one spirit, and provide remedies for these evil rents, and remove them from you; that the lord of the sheep may rejoice at it; for he will rejoice, if he shall find all whole. 265 But if any of these sheep shall be found scattered away, Wo shall be to the shepherds; but and if the shepherds themselves shall be scattered; what will they answer to the lord of the sheepfold? Will they say that they were troubled by the sheep? But they shall not be believed. 266 For it is an incredible thing that the shepherd should suffer by his flock; and he shall be the more punished for his lie. 267 Now I am the shepherd; and especially must give an actount of you. are 'full of malice. 269 Wherefore restore unto him the spirit entire, as ye received it. For if thou shalt give unto a fuller a garment new and whole, thou wilt expect to receive it whole again; if therefore the fuller shall restore it unto thee torn, wouldst thou receive it? 270 Wouldst thou not presently be angry; and reproach him, saying; I gave my garment to thee whole; why hast thou rent it, and made it useless to me? Now it is of no use to me, by reason of the rent which thou hast made in it. Wouldst thou not say all this to a fuller, for the rent which he made in thy garment? 271 If therefore thou wouldst be concerned for thy garment, and complain that thou hadst not received it whole; what thinkest thou that the Lord will do, who gave his Spirit to thee entire, and thou hast rendered him altogether unprofitable, so that he can be of no use unto his Lord? For being corrupted by thee, he is no longer profitable to him. 272 Will not therefore the Lord do the same concerning his Spirit, by reason of thy deed? Undoubt edly, said I, he will do the same to all those whom he shall find to continue in the remembrance of injuries. 273 Tread not then under foot he said, his mercy; but rather honour him, because he is so patient with respect to your offences, and not like one of you; but repent, for that will be profitable 268 Wherefore take care of yourselves whilst the tower is yet building. The Lord dwells in those that love peace; for peace for you. is beloved; but he is far off from 274 All these things which MS. Lamb. Et unum quemque spiritum fleri: which appears from the Gr. of Antiochus to be the true reading, κγ γενεσθκι εν πνευμα. 2 MS. Lamb. Gaudeat de his; and Gr. Antioch xapη er auTW. 3 Vid. Antioch. Hom. cxxii. 'Gr. Tw deanоTN TOV TOLμVIOV. Perditis malitia. Lat. Antioch. Hom. xciv. Of repentance SIMILITUDE X. and alms deeds. are above written, I the shepherd,, thou mightest be protected by him. the angel of repentance, have I said, Yes, Lord. shown and spoken to the servants of God. 275 If therefore ye shall believe and hearken to these words, and shall walk in them, and shall correct your ways, ye shall live. But if ye shall continue in malice, and in the remembrance of injuries, no such sinners shall live unto God. 276 All these things which were to be spoken by me I have thus delivered unto you. Then the shepherd said unto me, last thou asked all things of me? I answered, Sir, I have. 3 If therefore, said he, thou wilt be protected from all vexations and from all cruelty, and have success in every good word and work; and have all virtue and righteousness; walk in those commands which he has given thee, and thou shalt have dominion over all sin. 4 For if thou keepest those commands, all the lust and pleasure of this present world shall be subject to thee; and success shall follow thee in every good undertaking. 5 Take therefore his gravity and modesty towards thee, and say unto all, that he is in great honour and renown with God, and is a 277 Why, then, said he, hast thou not asked concerning the spaces of these stones that were put in the building, that I may ex-prince of great authority and plain that also unto thee? I an- powerful in his office. swered, Sir, I forgot it. Hear, then, said he, concerning these also. 278 They are those who have now heard these commands, and have repented with all their hearts; 279 And when the Lord saw that their repentance was good and pure, and that they could continue in it, he commanded their former sins to be blotted out. For these spaces were their sins, and they are therefore made even that they might not appear. A 6 To him only is the power of repentance committed throughout the whole world. Does he not seem to thee to be of great authority? 7 But ye despise his goodness, and the modesty which he shews towards you. 8 I said unto him; Sir, ask him since the time that he came into my house whether I have done any thing disorderly, or have offended him in any thing? 91 know, said he, that thou SIMILITUDE X. hast done nothing disorderly, Of Repentance and alms-deeds. neither wilt thou hereafter do FTER that I had written any such thing; and therefore I this book, the angel which speak these things with thee that had delivered me to that shep-thou mayest persevere; for he has herd, came into the house where given me a good account concernI was and sat upon the bed, and ing thee, that shepherd stood at his right hand. 2 Then he called me and said unto me; I delivered thee and thy house to this shepherd, that Lat. Maturitatem. 10 But thou shalt speak these things to others, that they who either have repented, or shall repent, may be like-minded with thee; and he may give me as President. 3 'Eadam quæ tu sentiant. good on account of them also, and I may do the same unto the Lord. 11 I answered; Sir, I declare to all men the wonderful works of God; and I hope that all who love them and have before sinned, when they shall hear these things, will repent, and recover life. 12 Continue therefore, said he, in this ministry, and fulfil it. And whosoever shall do according to the commands of this shepherd, he shall live; and shall have great honour both here and with the Lord. 13 But they that shall not keep his commands, flee from their life, and are adversaries to it. And they that follow not his commands, shall deliver themselves unto death, and shall be every one guilty of his own blood. 14 But I say unto thee, keep these commandments, and thou shalt find a cure for all thy sins. 15 Moreover, I have sent 1 these virgins to dwell with thee; for I have seen that they are very kind to thee. Thou shalt there fore have them for thy helpers, that thou mayest the better keep the commands which he hath given thee; for these commands cannot be kept without these virgins. 16 And I see how they are willing to be with thee; and I will also command them that they shall not all depart from thy house 17 Only do thou purify thy house, for they will readily dwell in a clean house. For they are clean and chaste, and industrious; and all of them have grace with the Lord. 18 If therefore, thou shalt have thy house pure, they will abide with thee. But if it shall be never so little polluted, they will imme. and alms deeds. diately depart from thy house for these virgins cannot endure any manner of pollution. 19 I said unto him; Sir, I hope that I shall so please them, that they shall always delight to dwell in my house. And as he to whom you have committed me, makes no complaint of me ; so neither shall they complain. 20 Then he said to that shepherd: I see that the servant of God will live and keep these commandments, and place these virgins in a pure habitation. 21 When he had said this, he delivered me again to that shepherd, and called the virgins, and said unto them; forasmuch as I see that ye will readily dweil in this man's house, I commend him and his house to you, that ye may not at all depart from his house. And they willingly heard these words. 22 Then he said unto me, Go on manfully in thy ministry; declare to all men the great things of God, and thou shalt find grace in this ministry. 23 And whosoever shall walk in these commands, shall live, and be happy in his life. But he that shall neglect them, shall not live, and shall be unhappy in his life. 24 Say unto all that whosoever can do well, cease not to exercise themselves in good works, for it is profitable unto them. For 1 would that all men should be delivered from the inconveniences they lie under. 3 25 For he that wants, and suf fers inconveniences in his daily life, is in great torment and necessity. Whosoever therefore delivers such a soul from necessity, gets great joy unto himself. 1 What is meant by these virgins?-See before, Simil. ix. v. 149 et seq. 'MS. Lamb. Video: which appears from the close of this section to be the true reading. 3 Say. 26 For he that is grieved with such inconveniences is equally tormented, as if he were in chains. And many upon the account of such calamities, being not able to bear them, have chosen even to destroy themselves. 27 He therefore that knows the calamity of such a man, and does not free him from it, commits a great sin, and is guilty of his blood. 28 Wherefore exercise yourselves in good works, as many as have received ability from the Lord; lest whilst ye delay to do and alms teels. them, the building of the tower be finished; because for your sakes the building is stopped 29 Except therefore ye shall make haste to do well, the tower shall be finished, and ye shall be shut out of it. 30 And after he had thus spoken with me, he rose up from the bed and departed, taking the shepherd and virgins with him. 31 Howbeit he said unto me that he would send back the shepherd and virgins unto my house Amen. THE END OF THE APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT. TABLE I. ▲ LIST of all the Apocryphal Pieces not now extant, mentioned by Writers in the first four Centuries of Christ, with the several Works wherein they are cited or noticed. 1. THE ACTS of ANDREW. Euseb. Ilist. Eccl. l. 3 c. 25. Philastr. Ilveres. 87. Epiphan. Hueres. 47 § 1. lores. 61. § 1. et Heres. 63. § 2. Gelus. in Decret. apul. Concil. Sanct. tom. 4. p. 1260. 2. Books under the name of ANDREW. August. contr. Adversar. Leg. et Prophet. 1. c. 20. et Innocent 1. Epis. 3. ad Exuper. Thulos. Episc. §. 7. 3. The Gospel of ANDREW. Gelas. in Decret. A Gospel under the name of APELLES. Hieron. Præfat. in Com ment. in Matt. The Gospel according to the Twelve APOSTLES. Origen. Homil. in Luc. i. 1. Ambros. Comment. in Luc. i. 1. et Hieron. Præfat. in Com ment. in Matt. The Gospel of Barnabas. B Gelus. in Decret. 1. The Writings of BARTHOLOMEW the Apostle. Dionys. Areopagit. de Theol. Myst. c. 1. 2. The Gospel of BartholomeW. Hieron Catul. Script. Eccles. in Panton. et Præfat. in Comm. in Matt. Gelas, in Decret. The Gospel of BASILIDES. Orig. in Luc. i. 1. Ambros, in Luc. i. 1. Hieron. Præfat. in Comm. in Matt. с 1. The Gospel of CERINTHUS. Epiphan. Ilæres. 51. § 7. 2. The Revelation of CERINTHUS. apud Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. 3. c. 28. Cuias Presb. Rom. lib. Disput. 1. An Epistle of CHRIST to l'eter and Paul. Evang. 1. 1. c. 9 19. August. de Consens. Ibid. c. 3. 2. Some other Books under the name of CHRIST. 3. An Epistle of CHRIST, produced by the Manichees. contr. Faust, 1. 28. c. 4. August. 4. A Hymn, which CHRIST taught his Disciples. Epis. ad Ceret. Episc. R The Gospel according to the FGYPTIANS. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 3. p. 452, 465. Origen. in Luc. ill. Hieror.. Præf. in Comm. in Mutt. Epiphan. Hores. 62 §. 2. The Acts of the APOSTLES, made use of by the EBIONITES. phan. Ilæres. 30. §. 16. The Gospel of the EBIONITES. Epiphan. Hares. 30. §. 13. H Epi The Gospel according to the HEBREWS. Hegesipp. lib. Comment apul Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. c. 22. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 2. p. 380 Origen. Tract. 8. in Matt. xix. 19. et l. 2, Joan. p. 58. Euseb. Hist Eccl. 1. 3. c. 25, 27, et 39. Jerome in many places, as above. |