The Second Book of HERMAS, called his COMMANDS. W Introduction. HEN I had prayed at home, and was sat down upon the bed, a certain man came in to me with a reverend look, in the habit of a shepherd, clothed with a white cloak, having his bag upon his back, and his staff in his hand, and saluted me. 2 I returned his salutation, and immediately he sat down by me, and said unto me, I am sent by that venerable messenger, that I should dwell with thee all the remaining days of thy life. 3 But I thought that he was come to try me, and said unto him, Who are you? For I know to whom I am committed. He said unto me, Do you not know me? I answered no. I am, said he, that shepherd to whose care you are delivered. 4 Whilst he was yet speaking, his shape was changed; and when I knew that it was he to whom I was committed, I was ashamed, and a sudden fear came upon me, and I was utterly overcome with sadness, because I had spoken so foolishly unto him. 5 But he said unto me, Be not ashamed, but receive strength in thy mind, through the commands which I am about to deliver unto thee. For, said he, I am sent to shew unto thee all those things again, which thou hast seen before, but especially such of them as may be of most use unto thee. 6 And first of all write my Commands and Similitudes, the rest thou shall so write as I shall memory. 7 Whereupon I wrote his Coinmands and Similitudes, as he bade me. 8 Which things if when you have heard, ye shall observe to do them, and shall walk according to them, and exercise yourselves in them with a pure mind, ye shall receive from the Lord those things which he has promised unto Observe them, Custodite possis. Lat. 5 Keep these things, and cast lust and iniquity far from 2 Adversa recipietis. 3 Faith. 'Irenæus. 1 1. c. 3. Origen, de Princ. 1. 1. c. 3. Euseb. Hist. 8. Athanas. de Incarn. Verb. &c. 5 Habe abstinentiam. cupiscentiam. MSS. Lamb. et Oxon. Eccles. 1. 5. c. 6 Omnem con Against detraction II. HERMAS. and lying. thee, and put on righteousness, | a real need, shall give an account and thou shalt live to God, if thou for it; but he that gives shall be shalt keep this commandment. innocent. COMMAND II. our alms-deeds with simplicity. 9 For he has fulfilled his duty That we must avoid detraction, and do as he received it from God; not making any choice to whom he should give, and to whom not. And this service he did with sim E said unto me, 1 Be innoHE cent and without disguise; so shalt thou be like an infant who knows no malice which destroys the life of man. 2 Especially see that thou speak evil of none, nor willingly hear any one speak evil of any. 2 3 For if thou observest not this, thou also who hearest shalt be 3 partaker of the sin of him that speaketh evil, by believing the slander, and thou also shalt have sin, because thou believedest him plicity and 12 to the glory of God. mand according as I have deli10 Keep therefore this comvered it unto thee; that thy repentance may be found to be sincere, and that good may come to thy house; and have a pure heart. COMMAND III. of avoiding lying, and the repentance M that spoke evil oí thy brother. 4 Detraction is a pernicious thing; an inconstant, evil spirit; that never continues in peace, but 2 That the spirit which the Lord is always in discord. Where- hath given to dwell in thy flesh may fore refrain thyself from it, and be found true towards all men; and keep peace ever more with thy the Lord be glorified, who hath given such a spirit unto thee: because God is true in all his words, and in him there is no lie. brother. 5 Put on an holy 'constancy, in which there are no sins, but all is full of joy; and do good of thy labours. 69 Give 10 without distinction to all that are in want, not doubting to whom thou givest. 7 But give to all, for God will have us give to all, of all his own gifts. They therefore that receive shall give an account to God, both wherefore they received and for what end. 8 And they that receive without Lat. 3 They therefore that lie, deny the Lord, 14 and become robbers of the Lord, 16 not rendering to God what they received from him. 4 For they received the spirit free from lying: If therefore they make that a liar, they defile what was committed to them by the Lord, and become deceivers. 5 When I heard this, I wept bitterly; and when he saw me weeping, he said unto me, Why Have simplicity and be innocent. 2 Gr. Ει δε μη, και συ ακουων xo con. So the Gr. and Lamb. MS. Particeps eris peccati male loquentis, credens tu habebis peccatum. 4 Vid. Antioch. Hom. xxix. 5 Dæmon The Greek hath ovv. 7 Rather Simplicity; according to the Greek reading, spreserved by Athanasius. 8 Gr. in which there is no evil offence, but all things smooth and delightful, εν οις ουδεν προσκόμμα εστιν πονηωον, αλλα παντα ομαλα κγ ιλαωα. 9 Vid Antioch. Hom. xcviii. 11 G. EK TW dwv dwημaтwv. MS. Lamb. de suis dodis. 13 Antioch Hom. lxvi. 14 According to the Gr. ix. v. 268 et seq. 10 Simply. 12 Gloriously to Guu. 16 See III. Hermias Simil If putting away COMMAND IV. a wife for adultery. weepest thou? And I said, Be- | to enter into thy heart: for such cause, sir, I doubt whether I can be saved? 6 He asked me, Wherefore? I replied, Because, sir, I never spake a true word in my life; but always lived in dissimulation, and aflirmed a lie for truth to all men; and no man contradicted me, but all gave credit to my words. How then can I live, seeing I have done in this manner. 7 And he said unto me. Thou thinkest well and truly. For thou oughtest, as the servant of God, to have walked in the truth, and not have joined an evil conscience with the spirit of truth, nor have grieved the holy and true Spirit of God. 8 And I replied unto him, Sir, I never before hearkened so diligently to these things. He answered, Now thou hearest them Take care from henceforth, that even those things which thou hast formerly spoken falsely for the sake of thy business, may, by thy present truth receive credit. 1 9 For even those things may be credited, if for the time to come thou shalt speak the truth; and by so doing thou mayest attain unto life. 10 And whosoever shall hearken unto this command, and do it, and shall depart from all lying, he shall live unto God. FUR COMMAND IV. Of putting away one's wife for adultery. URTHERMORE, said he, I command thee, that thou keep 8 thyself chaste; and that thou suffer not any thought of any other marriage, or of fornication, a thought produces great sin. 2 But be thou at all times mindful of the Lord, and thou shalt never sin. For if such an evil thought should arise in thy heart, thou shouldest be guilty of a great sin; and they who do such things, follow the way of death. 3 Look therefore to thyself, and keep thyself from such a thought; for where chastity remains in the heart of a righteous man, there an evil thought ought never to arise. 4 And I said unto him, Sir, suffer me to speak a little to you. He bade me say on. And I answered, Sir, if a man that is faithful in the Lord shall have a wife, and shall catch her in adultery; doth a man sin that continues to live still with her? 5 And he said unto me, As long as he is ignorant of her sin, he commits no fault in living with her; but if a man shall know his wife to have offended, and she shall not repent of her sin, but go on still in her fornication, and a man shall continue nevertheless to live with her, he shall become guilty of her sin, and partake with her in her adultery. 6 And I said unto him, What therefore is to be done, if the woman continues on in her sin? He answered, Let her husband put her away, and let him continue by himself. But if he shall put away his wife, and marry another, he also doth commit adultery. 7 And I said, What if the woman that is so put away, shall repent, and be willing to return to her husband, shall she not be received by him? He said unto me, Yes; and if her husband shall Through these words. Lat. His verbis et illa fidem recipiant. shalt keep the truth. 3 Chastity. Another man' If thou 8 For to the servants of God there is but one repentance. And for this cause a man that putteth away his wife ought not to take another, because she may repent. 9 This act is alike both in the man and in the woman. Now they commit adultery, not only who pollute their flesh, but who also make an image. If therefore a woman perseveres in any thing of this kind, and repents not, depart from her, and live not with her, otherwise thou also shalt be partaker of her sin. 10 But it is therefore commanded that both the man and the woman should remain unmarried, because such persons may repent. 11 Nor do I in this administer any occasion for the doing of these things; but rather that whoso has offended, should not offend any more. 12 But for their former sins, God who has the power of healing will give a remedy; for he has the power of all things. a wife for adultery. 4 ine, I am the minister of repentance, and give understanding to all that repent. Does it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent? Because he that does so gets great understanding. 15 For he is sensible that he hath sinned and done wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and he remembers within himself that he has offended, and repents and does no more wickedly, but does that which is good, and humbles his soul and afflicts it, because he has offended. You see therefore that repentance is great wisdom. 16 And I said unto him, For this cause, sir, I inquire diligently into all things, because I am a sinner, that I may know what I must do that I may live; because my sins are many. 17 And he said unto me, Thou shalt live if thou shalt keep these my commandments. And whosoever shall hear and do these commands shall live unto God. 18 And I said unto him, I have even now heard from certain teachers, that there is no other repentance beside that of baptism; when we go down into the water, and receive the forgiveness of our sins; and that after that, we must. sin no more, but live in purity. 19 And he said unto me, Thou has been rightly informed. 7 Ne 13 I asked him again and said, Seeing the Lord hath thought me worthy that thou shouldest dwell with me conti-vertheless seeing now thou inquirnually, speak a few words unto est diligently into all things, I me, because I understand nothing, will manifest this also unto thee: and my heart is hardened through yet not so as to give any occasion my former conversation; and of sinning either to those who open my understanding because shall hereafter believe, or to those I am very dull, and apprehend who have already believed in the nothing at all. Lord. 2 14 And he answering said unto 20 For neither they who have 1 See 1 Cor. vii. 15. 2 Sense. Præpositus. 3 'Great wisdom. * In his understanding. 4 See below, v. 18 et seq. 8 Rightly heard 7 Chastity. T continued. COMMAND. V. 'newly believed, or who shall here- | in so doing? after believe, have any repentance of sins, but forgiveness of them. 21 But as to those who have been called to the faith, and since that are fallen into any gross sin, the Lord hath appointed repentance, because God knoweth the thoughts of all men's hearts, and their infirmities, and the manifold wickedness of the devil, who is always contriving something against the servants of God, and maliciously lays snares for them. Of sadness of heart He that marries says he, sins not: howbeit, if he shall remain single, he shall thereby gain to himself great honour before the Lord. 27 Keep therefore thy chastity and modesty, and thou shalt live unto God. Observe from henceforth those things which I speak with thee, and command thee to observe, from the time that I have been delivered unto thee, and dwell in thy house. 28 So shall thy former sins be forgiven, if thou shalt keep these my commandments. And in like manner shall all others be forgiven, who shall observe these my commandments. 22 Therefore our merciful Lord had compassion towards his creature, and appointed that repentance, and gave unto me the power of it. And therefore I say unto thee, if any one after that great and holy calling shall be tempted by the devil and sin, he has one of the sadness of the heart, and of repentance. But if he shall often E COMMAND V. patience. 5 sin and repent, it shall not profit Buffering; so shalt thou have it patient, says he, and longsuch a one; for he shall hardly live unto God. dominion over all wicked works, and shalt fulfil all righteousness. 23 And I said, Sir, I am restored again to life since I have 2 For if thou shalt be patient, thus diligently hearkened to these the Holy Spirit which dwelleth commands. For I perceive that in thee shall be pure, and not be if I shall not hereafter add any darkened by any evil spirit; but more to my sins, I shall be saved. being full of joy shall be enlarged, 24 And he said, Thou shalt be and feast 7 in the body in which it saved and so shall all others, as dwells, and 8 serve the Lord with many as shall observe these com-joy, and in great peace. mandments. 3 But if any anger shall overtake thee, presently the Holy Spirit which is in thee will be straightened and seek to depart from thee. 25 ¶ Andagain I said unto him, Sir, seeing thou hearest me patiently shew me yet one thing more. Tell me, saith he, what it is. 26 And I said, If a husband or a wife die, and the party which survives marry again, does he sin 9 4 For he is choaked by the evil spirit, and has not the 10 liberty of 11 serving the Lord as he would, for he is grieved by anger. 12 MS. Lamb. Qui modo. crediderunt, Who have just now believed Vid. Annot. Coteler. in loc. pp. 60, 61 3 Vid. not. Coteler. in loc. p 64 B.C. Rom. vii. 3. Comp. 1 Cor. vii. SM. Lamb. medius; Ex quo mihi traditus es, That thou hast been delivered unto me, and I dwell, etc 'Gr. Makpoovμos. MS. Lam. Animæqu 7 SM. Lamb. melius, Cum. vase. Et Gr. μETа TOV σKevous, with the body or vessel • Gr. Λειτουργει τω κυρίω. Ogvxodia, Gr. Bitterness of gall. 41 Gr. Λειτουργησαι 12 Οξυχολια. • Work. 10 Place |