That the spirits and prophets are to be
tried by their works; and of a twofold, spirit.
HE showed me certain men
sitting upon benches, and
one sitting in a chair: and he said
unto me; Seest thou those who sit
upon the benches? Sir, said I,
I see them. He answered, They
are the faithful; and he who sits
in the chair is an earthly spirit.
2 For he cometh not into the
assembly of the faitful, but avoids
it. But he joins himself to the
doubtful and empty; and prophesies
to them in corners and hidden places;
and pleases them by speaking according
to all the desires of their hearts.
3 For he placing himself among
empty vessels, is not broken, but
the one fitteth the other. But
when he cometh into the company
of just men, who are full of the
spirit of God, and they pray unto
the Lord; that man is emptied,
because that earthly spirit flies
from him, and he is dumb, and
cannot speak anything.
4 As if in a store-house you
shall stop up wine or oil, and
among those vessels place an
empty jar; and when afterwards
you come to open it, you shall
find it empty as you stopped it up;
so those empty prophets when
they come among the spirits of
the just, are found to be such as
they came.
5 I said, How then shall a
man be able to discern them?
Consider what I am going to say
concerning both kinds of men;
and as I speak unto thee so shalt
thou prove the prophet of God,
and the false prophet.
6 And first try the man who
hath the spirit of God, because
the spirit which is from above is
humble, and quiet, and departs
from all wickedness; and from the
vain desires of the present world;
and makes himself more humble
than all men; and answers to none
when he is asked; nor to every
one singly: for the Spirit of God
doth not speak to a man when he
will, but when God pleases.
7 When therefore a man who hath
the Spirit of God hath come into
the church of the righteous, who
have the faith of God, and they
pray unto the Lord; then the holy
angel of God fills that man with
the blessed Spirit, and he speaks
in the congregation as he is moved
of God.
8 Thus therefore is the spirit,
of God known, because whosoever
speaketh by the Spirit of God,
speaketh as the Lord will.
9 Hear now concerning the
earthly spirit, which is empty and
foolish, and without virtue. And
first of all the man who is supposed
to have the Spirit, (whereas he hath
it not in reality), exalteth himself,
and desires to have the first seat,
and is wicked, and full of words.
10 And spends his time in pleasure,
and in all manner of voluptuousness,
and receives the reward of his
divination; which if he receives
not, he does not divine.
11 Should the Spirit of God
receive reward, and divine? It doth
not become a prophet of God so to
do.
12 Thus you seethe life of each
of these kind of prophets. Wherefore
prove that man by his life and works,
who says that he hath the Holy Spirit.
And believe the Spirit which comes
from God, and has power as such.
But believe not the earthly and
empty spirit, which is from the
devil, in whom there is no faith
nor virtue.
13 Hear now the similitude
which I am about to speak unto
thee. Take a stone, and throw it
up towards heaven; or take a
spout of water, and mount it up
thitherward; and see if thou
canst reach unto heaven.
14 Sir; said I, how can this be
done? For neither of those things
which you have mentioned, are
possible to be done. And he
answered, Therefore as these things
cannot be done, so is the earthy
spirit without virtue, and without
effect.
15 Understand yet farther the
power which cometh from above,
in this similitude. The grains of
hail that drop down are exceedingly
small; and yet when they fall upon
the head of a man, how do they
cause pain to it.
16 And again, consider, the
droppings of a house; how the
little drops falling upon the earth,
work a hollow in the stones.
17 So in like manner the least
things which come from above,
and fall upon the earth, have great
force. Wherefore join thyself
to this spirit, which has the
power; and depart from the other
which is empty.