Of Repentance and alms-deeds.
AFTER I had written this
book, the angel which had
delivered me to that shepherd,
came into the house where I was
and sat upon the bed, and 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
thou mightest be protected by
him. I said, Yes, Lord.
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 prince of great authority, and
powerful in his office.
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 shows
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?
9 I know, said he, that thou
hast done nothing disorderly,
neither wilt thou hereafter do
any such thing, and therefore I
speak these things with thee that
then mayest persevere; for he
has given me a good account
concerning thee.
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
good an account of them also;
and that 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
these virgins to dwell with thee;
for I have seen that they are very
kind to thee. Thou shalt therefore
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 as I see how they are
willing to be with thee, 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
immediately 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 be 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 dwell in
this man's house, I commend him
and his family 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 whosover 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 I
would that all men should be
delivered from the inconveniences
they lie under.
25 For he that wants, and
suffers inconveniences in his
daily life, is in great torment
and necessity. Whosoever therefore
delivers such a soul from necessity,
gets great joy unto himself.
26 For he that is grieved with
such inconveniencies 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 your.
selves in good works, as many as
have received ability from the
Lord; lest whilst ye delay to do
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.
REFERENCES TO THE BOOK OF
HERMAS, THE SHEPHERD.
[This book, divided into three parts, called his VISIONS, COMMANDS,
and SIMILITUDES, is thus entitled, because it was composed by
Hermas, brother to Pius, bishop of Rome; and because the Angel, who
bears the principal part in it, is represented in the form and habit
of a shepherd. Irenxus quotes it under the very name of Scripture.
Origen thought it a most useful writing, and that it was divinely
inspired; Eusebius says that, though it was not esteemed canonical,
it was read publicly in the churches, which is corroborated by
Jerome; and Athanasius cites it, calls it a most useful work, and
observes, that though it was not strictly canonical, the Fathers
appointed it to be read for direction and confirmation in faith and
piety. Jerome, notwithstanding this, and that he applauded it in his
catalogue of writers, in his comments upon it afterwards, terms it
apocryphal and foolish. Turtullian praised it when a Catholic, and
abused it when a Montanist. Although Gelasius ranks it among the
apocryphal books, it is found attached to some of the most ancient
MSS. of the New Testament; and Archbishop Wake, believing it the
genuine work of an apostolical Father, preserves it to the English
reader by the foregoing translation, in which he has rendered the
three parts of it not only more exact, but in greater purity than
they had before appeared. The archbishop procured Dr. Grabe to
entirely collate the old Latin version with an ancient MS. in the
Lambeth library; and the learned prelate himself still further
improved the whole from a multitude of fragments of the original
Greek never before used for that purpose.]