Historians say that there are three nations called India. The first India
lies towards the Ethiopians' realm, the second lies towards the Medes, the
third on the great ocean; this third India has on one side darkness, and on
the other the grim ocean. To this came the apostle of God BARTHOLOMEW, and
went into the temple to the idol Ashtaroth, and as a stranger there
remained. In the idol dwelt a devil such that he spake to men through the
image, and healed the sick, the blind and the halt, whom he had himself
previously afflicted. He injured men's sight, and afflicted their bodies
with divers diseases, and answered them through the image, that they should
offer to him their gifts, and he would heal them; but he helped them not
with any healing, but when they bowed to him, he ceased from the bodily
affliction, for he then possessed their souls. Then foolish men thought
that he healed them, when he ceased from afflicting them.
When the apostle went into the temple, the devil Ashtaroth became dumb, and
could not help any of those whom he had {457} afflicted, for the presence
of the holy servant of God. There lay there within the temple many sick
men, and offered daily to the idol; but when they saw that he could not
help them, nor answer any one, they went to a neighbouring city, where
another devil was worshiped, whose name was Berith, and offered to him, and
asked, why their god could not answer them? The devil Berith then answered,
and said, "Your god is so fast bound with iron chains, that he dares not
even breathe or speak since God's apostle Bartholomew came within the
temple." They asked, "Who is Bartholomew?" The devil answered, "He is a
friend of the Almighty God, and he is come to this province that he may
render vain all the idols which these Indians worship." They said,
"Describe to us his countenance, that we may know him." Berith answered
them, "He has fair and curling locks, is white of body, and has deep eyes
and moderate sized nose, and ample beard, somewhat hoary, a middling
stature, and is clad in a white upper garment, and is within six and twenty
years old: his raiment is not dirty nor threadbare, nor are his shoes worn
out. A hundred times he bows his knees by day, and a hundred times by
night, praying to his Lord. His voice is as an immense trumpet, and God's
angels go with him, who allow not hunger to hurt him, nor any faintness. He
is ever of one mind, and continues glad. All things he foresees and knows,
and he understands the tongues of all nations. Now long ago he knows what I
am saying of him, for God's angels minister and make known all things to
him. When ye seek him, if he himself will, ye will find him; if he will
not, verily ye will find him not. I pray you that ye earnestly beseech him
not to come hither, lest God's angels who are with him command to me what
they have commanded to my companion Ashtaroth." And with these words the
devil was silent.
They turned back, and beheld the countenance and garments of every man,
and, during a space of two days, they {459} did not find him. Then in the
meanwhile some madman cried through the devil's spirit, and said, "O thou
apostle of God, Bartholomew, thy prayers torment and exasperate me." The
apostle then said, "Be dumb, thou unclean devil, and depart from the man."
And straightways the man was cleansed from the foul spirit, and spake
rationally, who had been mad for many years.
Then the king Polymius heard of the maniac, how the apostle had saved him
from that madness, and he commanded him to be fetched to him, and said, "My
daughter is cruelly frantic: now I beseech thee to bring her to her wits,
as thou didst Seustius, who for many years had been afflicted with dreadful
madness." When the apostle saw the maiden bound with hard chains (because
she bit and tore everyone whom she could reach, and no man durst approach
her), he ordered her to be unbound. The servants answered him, "Who dares
to touch her?" Bartholomew answered, "I have bound the fiend that tormented
her, and ye yet fear her. Go to and unbind her, and give her to eat, and
to-morrow early lead her to me." They did then as the apostle ordered, and
the accursed spirit could no longer torment her.
Then on the morrow the king Polymius loaded gold, and silver, and precious
gems, and purple garments upon camels, and sought the apostle, but he found
him not. On the morrow the apostle came into the king's bower, the door
being closed, and asked him, "Why soughtest thou me with gold, and with
silver, and with precious gems, and garments? These gifts those require who
seek earthly wealth; but I desire no earthly treasure, nor fleshly
pleasure; but I wish thee to know that the Son of Almighty God vouchsafed
to be born of a maidenly womb, who wrought heaven and earth and all
creatures; and he had beginning in humanity who never began in his divine
nature, for he is himself beginning, {461} and to all creatures, both
visible and invisible, gave beginning. The maiden who bare him despised
every man's fellowship, and to the Almighty God promised her maidenhood. To
her came God's archangel, Gabriel, and announced to her the advent of the
Heavenly Prince into her womb, and she believed his words, and so was with
child."
The apostle then preached to the king all christianity, and the redemption
of the world through the advent of Jesus, and how he overcame the hellish
devil, and deprived him of mankind, and said, "The Lord Christ, who through
his innocent death overpowered the devil, has sent us among all nations, to
drive away the devil's ministers, who dwell in images, and to withdraw the
heathen who worship them from their power. But we receive not gold nor
silver, but despise, as Christ despised them; for we desire to be rich in
his kingdom, in which neither sickness, nor infirmity, nor sadness, nor
death, has any place, but there is eternal happiness and bliss, joy without
end with eternal riches. Therefore came I to your temple, and the devil,
who answered you through the image, is made captive by the angels of God
who sent me. And if thou consentest to be baptized, I will cause thee to
see the devil, and to hear by what craft he appears to heal sickness. The
accursed devil, after that he had deceived the first-created man, had power
over unbelieving men, over some greater, over some less: on those greater
who sin more, on those less who sin in less degree. Now the devil by his
wiles causes miserable men to fall sick, and instigates them to believe in
an idol: then ceases he from afflicting them, and has their souls in his
power; then they say to the image, Thou art my god. But the devil, which
was within your temple, is bound, and cannot answer those who pray to him.
If thou wilt prove whether I speak truth, I will command {463} him to go
into the image, and I will make him confess the same, that he is bound and
can give no answer."
Then the king answered, "Now to-morrow this folk has designed to offer him
their gifts, then will I come thereto, that I may see these wonderful
deeds." So on the second day the king with the citizens came to the temple,
and then the devil cried with terrific voice through the image, and said,
"Cease, ye miserable, cease your offerings, lest ye suffer worse torment
than I. I am bound with fiery chains by the angels of Christ, whom the Jews
hanged on a cross: they thought that death might hold him captive; but he
overcame death, and bound our prince with fiery chains, and on the third
day arose victorious, and gave his rood-sign to his apostles, and sent them
among all nations. One of them is here, who holds me bound. I pray you that
ye intercede for me to him, that I may go to some other province."
Then said the apostle Bartholomew, "Thou unclean devil, confess who has
afflicted these sick men." The unclean spirit answered, "Our prince, bound
as he now is, sent us to mankind, that we might afflict them with divers
infirmities; first their bodies, for we have no power over their souls,
unless they offer us their gifts. But when they for their bodies' health
offer to us, then cease we from afflicting the body, for we have then their
souls in our power. Then it seems as though we heal them, when we cease
from those afflictions. And men worship us for gods, while we truly are
devils, disciples of the chief whom Christ, the maiden's Son, has bound.
From the day on which his apostle Bartholomew came hither, I am grievously
tormented with burning chains, and therefore I speak what he has commanded
me; else I durst not speak in his presence, nor even our chief."
Then said the apostle, "Why wilt thou not heal the sick, as thy custom
was?" The devil answered, "When we injure {465} the bodies of men, unless
we can injure the soul, the bodies continue in their affliction."
Bartholomew said, "And how come ye to the affliction of the soul?" The
devil answered, "When they believe that we are gods, and offer to us, then
the Almighty God forsakes them, and we then leave the body undiseased, and
attend to the soul that has bowed to us, and which is then in our power."
Then said the apostle to all the people, "Lo, now ye have heard what sort
of god this is that ye thought healed you; but hear now the true God your
Creator, who dwells in heaven; and believe not henceforth in vain images:
and if ye will that I intercede for you with God, and that these sick
receive health, overthrow and break this image. If this ye do, then will I
hallow this temple in the name of Christ, and therein wash you with his
baptism from all sins." The king then commanded the image to be cast down.
The people then promptly cast ropes about it, and plied it with poles, but
they could not, for the devil, stir the image.
Then the apostle commanded the ropes to be loosed, and said to the accursed
spirit which staid in it, "If thou wilt that I send thee not into the
abyss, depart from this image, and break it, and go to the waste, where no
bird flies, nor husbandman ploughs, nor voice of man sounds." He forthwith
came out, and brake the image piecemeal, and crushed all the carvings
within the temple. The people then with one voice cried, "There is one
Almighty God, whom Bartholomew preaches." The apostle then stretched out
his hand towards heaven, thus praying, "Thou Almighty God, in whom Abraham
believed, and Isaac, and Jacob; thou who hast sent thine only begotten Son,
that he might redeem us with his precious blood from the devil's thraldom,
and hath made us to be thy children; thou art the unbegotten Father, he is
the Son ever of thee begotten, and the Holy Ghost is {467} ever proceeding
from thee and thy Son, who hath given us in his name this power, to heal
the sick, and give light to the blind, cleanse lepers, drive out devils,
raise the dead, and hath said unto us, Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye
pray for in my name, of my Father, it shall be granted unto you. Now I pray
in his name that this sick multitude be healed, that they all may know that
thou alone art God in heaven, and on earth, and on sea, thou who restorest
health through the same our Lord, who with thee and with the Holy Ghost
liveth and reigneth for ever and ever." While they were answering "Amen,"
all the sick multitude was healed: and there came then flying God's angel
shining as the sun, and flew over the four corners of the temple, and
graved with his finger the sign of the cross on the four-cornered stones,
and said, "The God who sendeth me said, That so as these sick are healed
from all diseases, so hath he cleansed this temple from the devil's
foulness, whom the apostle hath commanded to retire to the waste. And God
hath bidden me that I first make manifest the devil to your sights. Be ye
not afraid at the sight of him, but mark the sign of the rood on your
foreheads, and every evil shall depart from you."
And the angel then showed to the people the accursed spirit in this
likeness. He appeared as an immense Ethiop, with sharp visage and ample
beard. His locks hung to his ancles, his eyes were scattering fiery sparks;
sulphureous flame stood in his mouth, he was frightfully feather-clad, and
his hands were bound to his back. Then said God's angel to the hideous
devil, "Because thou wast obedient to the apostle's commands, and didst
break the diabolical image, now, according to his promise, I will unbind
thee, that thou mayest go to the waste, there where no man's converse is;
and there dwell until the great doom." And the angel then unbound him, and
he with woful lamentation went away, and nowhere afterwards appeared. The
angel then, all looking on him, flew to heaven.
{469} Then the king Polymius, with his wife and his two sons, and with all
his people, believed in the true God, and was baptized, and cast away his
crown together with his purple garments, and would not let God's apostle
depart. After this all the perverse and reprobate assembled, and accused
the king to his brother Astryges, who was king in another country, and
said, "Thy brother is become the follower of a magician, who appropriates
to himself our temples, and breaks our gods." Then was the king Astryges
enraged, and sent a thousand armed soldiers, that they might bring the
apostle to him bound. When the apostle was led to him, the king said, "Why
hast thou corrupted my brother with thy magic?" Bartholomew answered, "I
have not corrupted him, but I have turned him from heathenism to the true
God." The king said to him, "Why hast thou cast down our gods?" He
answered, "I gave that power to the devils, that they might crush the vain
image in which they dwelt, that mankind might turn from their errors, and
believe in the true God." Then said the king, "So as thou hast made my
brother forsake his god and believe in thy god, so also will I make thee
forsake thy god and believe in mine." Then answered the apostle, "The god
that thy brother worshiped I showed to him bound, and I commanded that he
should himself break his image. If thou canst do this to my God, then wilt
thou incline me to the worship of thy god; but if thou canst not do this to
my God, I will break all thy gods, and do thou then believe in the true God
whom I preach."
While he was saying this, some man announced to the king that his greatest
god Baldath had fallen, and burst asunder piecemeal. The king then tore his
purple robe, and commanded the apostle to be beaten with stiff clubs, and
afterwards beheaded. And he on this day, so martyred, departed to the
eternal life. But after this the brother came with his people and bore away
the holy body with glorious {471} hymns, and built a monastery of wondrous
greatness, and in that honourably placed his holy remains. But on the
thirtieth day the king Astryges, who had commanded the apostle to be slain,
was seized with a fiendlike spirit, and dreadfully became frantic: so also
the perverse idolaters, who through envy had accused the apostle to the
king, became frantic together with him, and they and he ran to his grave,
and there raving died. Then sprang up great dread and horror over all the
unbelieving, and they then believed and were baptized at the hands of the
mass-priests whom the apostle had before ordained. Then the apostle
Bartholomew revealed respecting the believing king Polymius, that he should
receive the episcopal order; and the servants of God and the believing
people chose him unanimously to that order. It happened then, after the
ordination, that he wrought many miracles in the name of God through his
belief, and continued twenty years in the episcopal office, and in good
course of life; and in full dignity departed to the Lord, to whom is honour
and glory for ever and ever.
We may take example by the apostolic doctrine, that no christian man shall
fetch his salvation save from the Almighty Creator, whom life and death,
sickness and health obey, who hath said in his gospel, that a little bird
falls not in death without God's direction. He is so mighty, that he
directs and orders without toil; but he scourges his chosen with diseases,
as he himself said, "Those whom I love I chastise and scourge." For divers
causes are christian men afflicted with disease, sometimes for their sins,
sometimes for trial, sometimes for God's miracles, sometimes for
preservation of good courses, that they may be the humbler; but in all
these things patience is needful. Sometimes also through God's vengeance
comes very dreadful evil to the impious man, so that his punishment begins
in this world, and his soul departs to eternal punishments for his cruelty;
as Herod who slew the {473} innocent children at the birth of Christ, and
many others besides him. If the sinful be afflicted with disease for his
unrighteousness, then if he with patience praise his Lord, and pray for his
mercy, he shall be washed from his sins by that sickness, as a foul garment
by soap. If he be righteous, he shall have greater honour through his
sickness, if he be patient. He who is impatient, and with froward mind
murmurs against God in his sickness, shall have double condemnation, for he
increases his sins by that murmuring, and suffers nevertheless.
God is the true leech, who by divers afflictions heals the sins of his
people. The world's leech is not cruel, though he cure the wounded with
burning or with the amputation-knife. The leech cuts or burns, and the
patient cries, yet has he no mercy on the other's moaning, for if the leech
desist from his craft, then will the wounded perish. So also God cures the
sins of his chosen with divers diseases; and though it be wearisome to the
sufferer, yet will the good Leech cure him to everlasting health. But he
who suffers no sickness in this life, he goes to suffering. For his own
sins a man is afflicted with disease, as the Lord said to one bedridden,
who was borne to him, "My son, thy sins are forgiven thee: arise now, and
bear home thy sick-bed."
For trial are some men afflicted with disease, as was the blessed Job, when
he was righteous and obedient to God. Then the devil prayed that he might
try him, and he in one day destroyed all his possessions, and afterwards
afflicted himself with the greatest disease, so that worms rolled over all
his body. But the patient Job, in all these calamities, sinned not with his
mouth, nor spake anything foolish against God, but said, "God gave me
possessions, and afterwards took them from me; be his name blessed." God
also then healed him, and restored him his possessions twofold. Some {475}
men are afflicted for the miracles of God, as Christ said of some blind
man, when his disciples asked him, for whose sins the man was thus born
blind. Then said Jesus, that he was born blind not for his own nor for his
parents' sins, but because that God's miracles might be manifested through
him. And he forthwith mercifully healed him, and manifested that he is the
true Creator, who opened the unshapen eye-rings with his salutary spittle.
For preservation of true humility are God's chosen very often afflicted, as
Paul the apostle said of himself, "To me is given a goad of my body, and
the devil buffeteth me, that the greatness of God's revelations may not
exalt me; for I thrice besought my Lord to remove the devil's goad from me;
but he answered me, Paul, my grace will suffice thee. Verily power is
promoted in weakness. I now glorify joyfully in my weaknesses, that
Christ's might may dwell in me."
The christian man, who in any of this like is afflicted, and he then will
seek his health at unallowed practices, or at accursed enchantments, or at
any witchcraft, then will he be like to those heathen men, who offered to
an idol for their bodies' health, and so destroyed their souls. Let him who
is sick pray for his health to his Lord, and patiently endure the stripes;
let him behold how long the true Leech provides, and buy not, through any
devil's craft, with his soul, his body's health; let him also ask the
blessing of good men, and seek his health at holy relics. It is not allowed
to any christian man to fetch his health from any stone, nor from any tree,
unless it be the holy sign of the rood, nor from any place, unless it be
the holy house of God: he who does otherwise, undoubtedly commits idolatry.
We have, nevertheless, examples in holy books, that he who will may cure
his body with true leechcraft, as the prophet Isaiah did, who wrought {477}
for the king Hezekiah a plaster for his sore, and cured him.
The wise Augustine said, that it is not perilous, though any one eat a
medicinal herb; but he reprehends it as an unallowed charm, if any one bind
those herbs on himself, unless he lay them on a sore. Nevertheless we
should not set our hope in medicinal herbs, but in the Almighty Creator,
who has given that virtue to those herbs. No man shall enchant a herb with
magic, but with God's words shall bless it, and so eat it.
Let every one, however, know, that no man comes to the eternal rest without
tribulations, when Christ himself would not ascend to his own kingdom
without great tribulation: so also his apostles, and the holy martyrs with
their own lives bought the heavenly kingdom: afterwards also holy
confessors with great perseverance in God's service, and through great
privations and chastity became holy. What shall we, the end-men of this
world, desire, if for our sins we are with sickness afflicted, but to
praise our Lord, and humbly pray that he through transient stripes lead us
to everlasting joy? To him be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen.
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