COMMAND IL

THAT WE MUST AVOID DETRACTION, AND DO OUR ALMSDEEDS WITH SIMPLICITY.

HE said unto me, be innocent and without disguise; so shalt thou be like an infant who knows no malice, which destroys the life of man. Especially see that thou speak evil of none, nor willingly hear any one speak evil of any. For if thou observest not this, thou also who hearest shalt be partaker of the sin of him that speaketh evil by believing the slander, and thou also shalt have sin,() because thou believedst him that spake evil of thy brother. Detraction is a pernicious thing,(k) an inconstant evil spirit, that never continues in peace, but is always in discord. Wherefore refrain thyself from it, and keep peace evermore with thy brother.(m) Put on a holy constancy(n) in which there are no sins, but all is full of joy, and do good of thy labours. Give(p) without distinction to all that are in want, not doubting to whom thou givest. 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. And they that receive without a real need, shall give an account for it; but he that gives shall be innocent, for he has fulfilled his duty 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 simplicity, and to the glory of God. Keep therefore this command according as I have delivered it unto

3

(i) So the Gr. and Lamb. MS. Particeps eris peccati male loquentis, credens: Et tu habebis Peccatum.

(k) Vid. Antioch. Hom xxix.

(m) The Greek hath

(n) Rather simplicity, according to the Greek reading, preserved by Athanasius.

() Vid. Antioch. Hom. xcviii.

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 OF HERMAS FOR HIS DISSIMULATION.

MOREOVER he said unto me, love truth,(t) and let all the speech be true which proceeds out of thy mouth; that the spirit which the Lord hath given to dwell in thy flesh may be found true towards all men ; and 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. They therefore that lie, deny the Lord, and become robbers of the Lord; not rendering to God what they received from him.(w) For they received the spirit free from lying: if there fore they make that a liar, they defile what was committed to them by the Lord, and become deceiv ers. When I heard this, I wept bitterly. And when he saw me weeping, he said unto me, why weepest thou? And I said, because sir, I doubt whether I can be saved? He asked me, wherefore? I replied, because sir, I never spake a true word in my life, but always lived in dissimulation, and affirmed 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? 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

(t) Antioch. Hom. lxvi.

(w) Post, Book iii. Sim. ix. Chap. 32.

of truth; nor have grieved the holy and true spirit of God. 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.(x) For even those things may be credited, it for the time to come thou shalt speak the truth; and by so doing thou mayest attain unto life. And whosoever shall hearken unto his command, and do it, and shall depart from all lying, he shall live unto God.

COMMAND IV.

OF PUTTING AWAY ONES WIFE FOR ADULTERY.

1. Furthermore, said he, I command thee, that thou keep thyself chaste, and that thou suffer not any thought of any other marriage, or of fornication to enter into thy heart: for such a thought produces a great sin 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 shouldst be guilty of a great sin; and they who do such things follow the way of death; look therefore to thy self, 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. 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 shall have a wife that is faithful in the Lord, and shall catch her in

(x) Through these words. Lat. His. Verbis. & illa fidem recipiant.

shall repent, shall she not yes; and if will sin, and

adultery, doth a man sin that continues to live still with her? And he said unto me, as long as he is ig norant 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. And I said unto him, what therefore is to be done, if the woman continues 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. And I said, what if the woman that is so put away ́and be willing to return to her husband, be received by him? He said unto me, her husband shall not receive her, he commit a great offence against himself; but he ought to receive the offender, if she repents, only not often; 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.— 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,(b) and repents not, depart from her, and live not with her; otherwise thou also shalt be partaker of her sin. But it is therefore commanded that both the man and the woman should remain unmarried, because such persons may repent. 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, but for their former sins; God who has the power of healing will give a remedy, for he has the power of all things.

(b) See 1 Cor. vii 15.

2. I asked him again, and said, seeing the Lord Bath thought me worthy that thou shouldst dwell with me continually, speak a few words unto me, because I understand nothing, and my heart is hardened through my former conversation, and open my understanding because I am very dull, and apprehend nothing at all. And he answering said unto me, I am the minister of repentance, and give understanding to all that repent.(e) Does it not seem to thee to be a very wise thing to repent? because he that does so, gets great understanding; 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. 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. 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.

3. And I said unto him, I have even now heard from certain teachers that there is no other repentance besides 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. And he said unto me, thou hast been rightly informed; nevertheless seeing now thou inquirest diligently into all things, I will manifest this also unto thee; yet not so as to give any occasion of sinning either to those who shall hereafter believe, or to those who have al ready believed in the Lord; for neither they who have newly believed,() or who shall hereafter believe, have

(e) Ante, Chap. iii.

(i) MS. Lamb. Qui. modo crediderunt. Who have just now believed.