Similitude Tenth.

Concerning Repentance and Alms-Giving.

Chap. I.

After I had fully written down this book, that messenger who had delivered me to the Shepherd came into the house in which I was, and sat down upon a couch, and the Shepherd stood on his right hand. He then called me, and spoke to me as follows: “I have delivered you and your house to the Shepherd, that you may be protected by him.” “Yes, sir,” I said. “If you wish, therefore, to be protected,” he said, “from all annoyance, and from all harsh treatment, and to have success in every good work and word, and to possess all the virtues of righteousness, walk in these commandments which he has given you, and you will be able to subdue all wickedness. For if you keep those commandments, every desire and pleasure of the world will be subject to you, and success will attend you in every good work. Take unto yourself his experience and moderation, and say to all that he is in great honour and dignity with God, and that he is a president with great power, and mighty in his office. To him alone throughout the whole world is the power of repentance assigned. Does he seem to you to be powerful? But you despise his experience, and the moderation which he exercises towards you.”

Chap. II.

I said to him, “Ask himself, sir, whether from the time that he has entered my house I have done anything improper, or have offended him in any respect.” He answered, “I also know that you neither have done nor will do anything improper, and therefore I speak these words to you, that you may persevere. For he had a good report of you to me, and you will say these words to others, that they also who have either repented or will still repent may entertain the same feelings with you, and he may report well of these to me, and I to the Lord.” And I said, “Sir, I make known to every man the great works of God: and I hope that all those who love them, and have sinned before, on hearing these words, may repent, and receive life again.” “Continue, therefore, in this ministry, and finish it. And all who follow out his commands shall have life, and great honour with the Lord.158    Lord. God.—Pal. But those who do not keep his commandments, flee from his life, and despise him. But he has his own honour with the Lord. All, therefore, who shall despise him,159   But he has his own honour … despise him, omitted in Vat. and not follow his commands, deliver themselves to death, and every one of them will be guilty of his own blood. But I enjoin you, that you obey his commands, and you will have a cure for your former sins.”

Chap. III.

“Moreover, I sent you these virgins, that they may dwell with you.160    [Cap. xiii. p. 48, supra.] For I saw that they were courteous to you. You will therefore have them as assistants, that you may be the better able to keep his commands: for it is impossible that these commandments can be observed without these virgins. I see, moreover, that they abide with you willingly; but I will also instruct them not to depart at all from your house: do you only keep your house pure, as they will delight to dwell in a pure abode. For they are pure, and chaste, and industrious, and have all influence with the Lord. Therefore, if they find your house to be pure, they will remain with you; but if any defilement, even a little, befall it, they will immediately withdraw from your house. For these virgins do not at all like any defilement.” I said to him, “I hope, sir, that I will please them, so that they may always be willing to inhabit my house. And as he to whom you entrusted me has no complaint against me, so neither will they have.” He said to the Shepherd, “I see that the servant of God wishes to live, and to keep these commandments, and will place these virgins in a pure habitation.”161    [1 Pet. i. 22.] When he had spoken these words he again delivered me to the Shepherd, and called those virgins, and said to them, “Since I see that you are willing to dwell in his house, I commend him and his house to you, asking that you withdraw not at all from it.” And the virgins heard these words with pleasure.

Chap. IV.

The angel162    Angel, Æth.; Pastor, Pal.; omitted in Vat. then said to me, “Conduct yourself manfully in this service, and make known to every one the great things of God,163    God, common version; Lord, Æth., Pal.; Lord God, Vat. and you will have favour in this ministry. Whoever, therefore, shall walk in these commandments, shall have life, and will be happy in his life; but whosoever shall neglect them shall not have life, and will be unhappy in this life. Enjoin all, who are able to act rightly, not to cease well-doing; for, to practice good works is useful to them.164    [Here might follow that beautiful fragment of Irenæus, on God’s goodness accepting the feeblest efforts of the soul in drawing near to Him. Vol. i. Frag. lv. p. 577, this series.] And I say that every man ought to be saved from inconveniences. For both he who is in want, and he who suffers inconveniences in his daily life, is in great torture and necessity. Whoever, therefore, rescues a soul of this kind from necessity, will gain for himself great joy. For he who is harassed by inconveniences of this kind, suffers equal torture with him who is in chains. Moreover many, on account of calamities of this sort, when they could not endure them, hasten their own deaths. Whoever, then, knows a calamity of this kind afflicting a man, and does not save him, commits a great sin, and becomes guilty of his blood.165    [Jas. v. 19, 20. As St. James concludes with this principle, so also Hermas, who evidently delights in this apostle’s teaching and has thrown it into this allegorical metaphrase.] Do good works, therefore, ye who have received good from the Lord; lest, while ye delay to do them, the building of the tower be finished, and you be rejected from the edifice: there is now no other tower a-building. For on your account was the work of building suspended. Unless, then, you make haste to do rightly, the tower will be completed, and you will be excluded.”

After he had spoken with me he rose up from the couch, and taking the Shepherd and the virgins, he departed. But he said to me that he would send back the Shepherd and the virgins to my dwelling. Amen.166    The Vatican has: “Here ends the Book of the Shepherd, the disciple of the blessed apostle Paul. Thanks be to God.” The Æthiopic has: “May the name of him who wrote this book be written on a pillar of gold. With thanksgiving to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, this book of the prophet Hermas has been finished. Amen. Finished are the visions, and commandments, and similitudes of the prophet Hermas, who is Paul, in the year 191 of mercy, 23d night and 22d day of the month,” etc. The writer goes on [fruitlessly] to show that Hermas is Paul, appealing to Acts xiv. 12.

Similitudo X

I 1. Postquam perscripseram librum hunc, venit nuntius ille, qui me tradiderat huic pastori, in domum, in qua eram, et sonsedit supra lectum, et adstitit ad dexteram hic pasotr. Deinde vocavit me et hae mihi dixit; 2. Tradidi te, inquit, et domum tuam huic pastori, ut ab eo protegi, inquit, ab omni vexatione et ab omni saevitia, successum autem habere in omni opere bono atque verbo et omnem virtutem aequitatis, in mandatis huius ingredere, quae dedi tibi, et poteris dominari omni nequitiae. 3. Custodienti enim tibi mandata huius subiecta erit omniw cupiditas et dulcedo saeculi huius, successus vero in omni bono te sequitur. Maturitatem huius et modestiam suscipe in to et dic omnibus, in magno honore esse eum et dignitate apud dominum et magnae potestatis eum praesidem esse et potentem in officio suo. Huic soli per totam orbem paenitentiae potestas tributa est. Potensne tibi videtur esse? Sed vos maturitatem huius et verecundiam, quam in vos habet, despicitis.

II 1. Dico ei: Interroga ipsum, domine, ex quo in domo mea est, an aliquid extra ordinem fecerim, ex quo eum offenderim. 2. Et ego, inquit, scio nihil extra ordinem fecisse te neque esse facturum. Et ideo haec loquor tecum, ut perseveres. Bene enim de te hic apud me existimavit. Tu autem ceteris haec verba dices, ut et illi, qui egerunt aut acturi sunt paenitentiam, eadem quae tu sentiant et hic apud me de his bene interpretetur et ego apud dominum. 3. Et ego, inquam, domine, omni homini indico magnalia domini; spero autem, quia omnes, qui antea peccaverunt, si haec audiant, libenter acturi sunt paenitentiam vitam recuperantes. 4. Permane ergo, inquit, in hoc ministerio et consumma illud. Quicumque autem mandata huius efficiunt, habebun vitam, et hic apud dominum magnum honorem. quicumque vero huius mandata non servant, fugiunt a sua vita et illum adversus; nec mandata eius sequuntur, sed morti se tradunt et unusquisque eorum reus fit sanguinis sui. Tibi autem dico, ut servias mandatis his, et remedium peccatorum habebis.

III 1. Misi autem has virgines, ut habitent tecum; vidi enim eas affabiles tibi esse. Habes ergo eas adiutrices, quo magis possis huius mandata servare; non potest enim fieri, ut sine his virginibus haec mandata serventur. Video autem eas libenter esse tecum; sed ego praecipiam eis, omnino a domo tua non discedent. 2. Tu tantum communda domum tuam; in munda enim sunt atque castae et industriae et omnes habentes gratiam apud dominum. Igitur si habuerint domum tuam puram, tecum permanebunt. Sin autem pusillum aliquid inquinationis acciderit, protinus a domo tua recedent; hae enim virgenes nullum omnino diligunt inquinationem. 3. Dico ei: Spero me, domine, placiturum eis, ita ut in domo mea libenter habitent semper. καὶ ὥσπερ οὗτος, ᾧ παρέδωκάς με, οὐ μέμφεταί με, οὐδὲ αὗται μέμψονταί με. 4. λέγει τῷ ποιμένι· Οἶδα, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ θέλει ζῆν καὶ τηρήσει τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας καὶ τὰς παρθένους ἐν καθαρότητι καταστήσει. 5. ταῦτα εἰπὼν τῷ ποιμένι πάλιν παρέδωκέν με καὶ τὰς παρθένους καλέσας . . . . λέγει αὐταῖς· Quoniam video vos libenter in domo huius habitare, commendo eum vobis et domum eius, ut a domo eius non recedatis omnino. Illae vero haec verba libenter audierunt.

IV 1. Ait deinde mihi: Viriliter in ministerio hoc conversare, omni homini indica magnalia domini, et habebis gratiam in hoc ministerio. Quicumque ergo in his mandatis ambulaverit, vivet et felix erit in vita sua; quicumque vero neglexerit, non vivet et erit infelix in vita sua. 2. Dic omnibus, ut non cessent, quicumque recte facere possunt; bona opera exercere utile est illis. Dico autem, omnen hominem de incommodis eripi oportere. Et is enim, qui eget et in cotidiana vita patitur incommoda, in magno tormento est ac necessitate. 3. Qui igitur huismodi animam eripit de necessitate, magnum gaudium sibi adquirit. Is enim, qui huiusmodi vexatur incommodo, pari tormento curciatur atque torquet se qui in vincula est. Multi enim propter huiusmodi calamites, cum eas sufferre non possunt, mortem sibi adducunt. Qui novit igitur calamitatem huiusmodi hominiw et non eripit eum, magnum peccatum admittit et reus fit sanguinis eius. 4. Facite igitur opera bona, quicumque accepistis a domino, ne, dum tardatis facere, consummetur structura turris. Propter vos enim intermissum est opus aedificationis eius. Nisi festinetis igitur facere recte, consummabitur turris, et excludemini. 5. Postquam vero locutus est mecum, surrexit de lecto et apprehenso pastore et virginibus abiit, dicens autem mihi, remissurum se pastorem illum et virgines in domum meam.