There was a certain father of a family, a powerful king, who had
four daughters, of whom one was called Mercy, the second Truth, the
third Justice, the fourth Peace; of whom it is said, "Mercy and
Truth are met together; Justice and Peace have kissed each other."
He had also a certain most wise son, to whom no one could be
compared in wisdom. He had, also, a certain servant, whom he had
exalted and enriched with great honor: for he had made him after his
own likeness and similitude, and that without any preceding merit on
the servant's part. But the Lord, as is the custom with such wise
masters, wished prudently to explore, and to become acquainted with,
the character and the faith of his servant, whether he were
trustworthy towards himself or not; so he gave him an easy
commandment, and said, "If you do what I tell you, I will exalt you
to further honors; if not, you shall perish miserably."
The servant heard the commandment, and without any delay went and
broke it. Why need I say more? Why need I delay you by my words and
by my tears? This proud servant, stiff-necked, full of contumely,
and puffed up with conceit, sought an excuse for his transgression,
and retorted the whole fault on his Lord. For when he said, "the
woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she deceived me," he threw all
the fault on his Maker. His Lord, more angry for such contumelious
conduct than for the transgression of his command, called four most
cruel executioners, and commanded one of them to cast him into
prison, another to afflict him with grievous torments; the third to
strangle him, and the fourth to behead him. By and by, when occasion
offers, I will give you the right name of these tormentors.
These torturers, then, studying how they might carry out their own
cruelty, took the wretched man and began to afflict him with all
manner of punishments. But one of the daughters of the King, by
name Mercy, when she had heard of this punishment of the servant,
ran hastily to the prison, and looking in and seeing the man given
over to the tormentors, could not help having compassion upon him,
for it is the property of Mercy to have pity. She tore her garments
and struck her hands together, and let her hair fall loose about her
neck, and crying and shrieking, ran to her father, and kneeling
before his feet began to say with an earnest and sorrowful voice:
"My beloved father, am not I thy daughter Mercy? and art not thou
called merciful? If thou art merciful, have mercy upon thy servant;
and if thou wilt not have mercy upon him, thou canst not be called
merciful; and if thou art not merciful, thou canst not have me,
Mercy, for thy daughter." While she was thus arguing with her
father, her sister Truth came up, and demanded why it was that Mercy
was weeping. "Your sister Mercy," replied the father, "wishes me to
have pity upon that proud transgressor whose punishment I have
appointed." Truth, when she heard this, was excessively angry, and
looking sternly at her father, "Am not I," said she, "thy daughter
Truth? art not thou called true? Is it not true that thou didst
fix a punishment for him, and threaten him with death by torments?
If thou art true, thou wilt follow that which is true; if thou art
not true, thou canst not have me, Truth, for thy daughter." Here,
you see, Mercy and Truth are met together. The third sister,
namely, Justice, hearing this strife, contention, quarreling, and
pleading, and summoned by the outcry, began to inquire the cause
from Truth. And Truth, who could only speak that which was true,
said, "This sister of ours, Mercy, if she ought to be called a
sister who does not agree with us, desires that our father should
have pity on that proud transgressor." Then Justice, with an angry
countenance, and meditating on a grief which she had not expected,
said to her father, "Am not I thy daughter Justice? are thou not
called just? If thou art just, thou wilt exercise justice on the
transgressor; if thou dost not exercise that justice, thou canst not
be just; if thou art not just, thou canst not have me, Justice, for
thy daughter." So here were Truth and Justice on the one side, and
Mercy on the other. _Ultima_ _coelicolum_ _terras_ _Astrea_
_reliquit_; this means, that Peace fled into a far distant country.
For where there is strife and contention, there is no peace; and by
how much greater the contention, by so much further peace is driven
away.
Peace, therefore, being lost, and his three daughters in warm
discussion, the King found it an extremely difficult matter to
determine what he should do, or to which side he should lean.
For, if he gave ear to Mercy, he would offend Truth and Justice if
he gave ear to Truth and Justice, he could not have Mercy for his
daughter; and yet it was necessary that he should be both merciful
and just, and peaceful and true. There was great need then of good
advice. The father, therefore, called his wise son, and consulted
him about the affair. Said the son, "Give me my father, this present
business to manage, and I will both punish the transgressor for
thee, and will bring back to thee in peace thy four daughters."
"These are great promises," replied the father, "if the deed only
agrees with the word. If thou canst do that which thou sayest, I
will act as thou shalt exhort me."
Having, therefore, received the royal mandate, the son took his
sister Mercy along with him, and leaping upon the mountains, passing
over the hills, came to the prison, and looking through the windows,
looking through the lattice, he beheld the imprisoned servant, shut
out from the present life, devoured of affliction, and from the sole
of his foot even to the crown there was no soundness in him. He saw
him in the power of death, because through him death entered into
the world. He saw him devoured, because, when a man is once dead he
is eaten of worms. And because I now have the opportunity of
telling you, you shall hear the names of the four tormentors. The
first, who put him in prison, is the Prison of the Present Life, of
which it is said, "Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in
Mesech"; the second, who tormented him, is the Misery of the World,
which besets us with all kinds of pain and wretchedness; the third,
who was putting him to death, conquered death, bound the strong man,
took his goods, and distributed the spoils; and ascending up on
high, led captivity captive and gave gifts for men, and brought back
the servant into his country, crowned with double honor, and endued
with a garment of immortality. When Mercy beheld this, she had no
grounds for complaint, Truth found no cause of discontent, because
her father was found true. The servant had paid all his penalties.
Justice in like manner complained not, because justice had been
executed on the transgressor; and thus he who had been lost was
found. Peace, therefore, when she saw her sisters at concord, came
back and united them. And now, behold, Mercy and Truth are met
together, Justice and Peace have kissed each other. Thus,
therefore, by the Mediator of man and angels, man was purified and
reconciled, and the hundredth sheep was brought back to the fold of
God. To which fold Jesus Christ brings us, to whom is honor and
power everlasting. Amen.