Pseudo Hermas, The Pastor: Book First. Visions

Vision First.

Against Filthy and Proud Thoughts, and the Carelessness of Hermas in Chastising His Sons.

Chap. I.

He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome.1 The commencement varies. In the Vatican: “He who had brought me up, sold a certain young woman at Rome. Many years after this I saw her and recognized her.” So Lips.; Pal. has the name of the woman, Rada. The name Rhode occurs in Acts xii. 13. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The sight of her beauty made me think with myself, “I should be a happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good as she is.” This was the only thought that passed through me: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was walking on my road to the villages,2 “On my road to the villages.” This seems to mean: as I was taking a walk into the country, or spending my time in travelling amid rural scenes. So the Æthiopic version. “Proceeding with these thoughts in my mind.”—Vat. After I had come to the city of Ostia.”—Pal. “Proceeding to some village.”—Lips. [The Christian religion begetting this enthusiasm for nature, and love for nature’s God, is to be noted. Where in all heathendom do we find spirit or expression like this?] and magnifying the creatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful, and powerful they are,3 Creatures. Creature or creation.—Lips., Vat., Æth. I fell asleep. And the Spirit carried me away, and took me through a pathless place,4 Pathless place. Place on the right hand.—Vat. [Rev. xvii. 3, xxi. 10. Dante, Inferno, i. 1–5.] through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in the midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassible on account of water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain. I then bent down on my knees, and began to pray to the Lord,5 Lord. God.—Sin. alone. and to confess my sins. And as I prayed, the heavens were opened, and I see the woman whom I had desired saluting me from the sky, and saying, “Hail, Hermas!” And looking up to her, I said, “Lady, what doest thou here?” And she answered me, “I have been taken up here to accuse you of your sins before the Lord.” “Lady,” said I, “are you to be the subject of my accusation?”6 Are you to be the subject of my accusation? Are you to accuse me?—Vat., Lips., Æth. “No,” said she; “but hear the words which I am going to speak to you. God, who dwells in the heavens, and made out of nothing the things that exist, and multiplied and increased them on account of His holy Church,7 [Eph. iii. 9, 10.] is angry with you for having sinned against me.” I answered her, “Lady, have I sinned against you? How?8 How? In what place?—Vat., Sin. or when spoke I an unseemly word to you? Did I not always think of you as a lady? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why do you falsely accuse me of this wickedness and impurity?” With a smile she replied to me, “The desire of wickedness9 Wickedness. The desire of fornication.—Lips. [Prov. xxi. 10, xxiv. 9; Matt. v. 28.] arose within your heart. Is it not your opinion that a righteous man commits sin when an evil desire arises in his heart? There is sin in such a case, and the sin is great,” said she; “for the thoughts of a righteous man should be righteous. For by thinking righteously his character is established in the heavens,10 Literally, his glory is made straight in the heavens. As long as his thoughts are righteous and his way of life correct, he will have the Lord in heaven merciful to him.—Vat. When he thinks righteously, he corrects himself, and his grace will be in heaven, and he will have the Lord merciful in every business.—Pal. His dignity will be straight in the skies.—Æth. [Prov. x. 24, xi. 23.] and he has the Lord merciful to him in every business. But such as entertain wicked thoughts in their minds are bringing upon themselves death and captivity; and especially is this the case with those who set their affections on this world,11 [Col. iii. 2; Ps. xlix. 6.] and glory in their riches, and look not forward to the blessings of the life to come. For many will their regrets be; for they have no hope, but have despaired of themselves and their life.12 For many … life. For the minds of such become empty. Now this is what the doubters do who have no hope in the Lord, and despise and neglect their life.—Vat. Their souls not having the hope of life, do not resist these luxuries: for they despair of themselves and their life.—Pal. [Eph. ii. 12.] But do thou pray to God, and He will heal thy sins, and the sins of thy whole house, and of all the saints.”13 [Job xlii. 8.]

Chap. II.

After she had spoken these words, the heavens were shut. I was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, and said to myself, “If this sin is assigned to me, how can I be saved, or how shall I propitiate God in regard to my sins,14 Literally, perfect. How … sins. How shall I entreat the Lord in regard to my very numerous sins?—Vat. How can I propitiate the Lord God in these my sins?—Pal. How then shall I be saved, and beg pardon of the Lord for these my many sins?—Æth. [Mic. vi. 6, 7, 8.] which are of the grossest character? With what words shall I ask the Lord to be merciful to me?” While I was thinking over these things, and discussing them in my mind, I saw opposite to me a chair, white, made of white wool,15 A chair made of white wool, like snow.—Vat. A chair for reclining, and on it a covering of wool, white as hail.—Æth. of great size. And there came up an old woman, arrayed in a splendid robe, and with a book in her hand; and she sat down alone, and saluted me, “Hail, Hermas!” And in sadness and tears16 And … sorrow. I leaping in spirit with joy at her salutation.—Lips. [The Monatanist austerity glanced at.] I said to her, “Lady, hail!” And she said to me, “Why are you downcast, Hermas? for you were wont to be patient and temperate, and always smiling. Why are you so gloomy, and not cheerful?” I answered her and said, “O Lady, I have been reproached by a very good woman, who says that I sinned against her.” And she said, “Far be such a deed from a servant of God. But perhaps a desire after her has arisen within your heart. Such a wish, in the case of the servants of God, produces sin. For it is a wicked and horrible wish in an all-chaste and already well-tried spirit17 For … spirit. For this hateful thought ought not to be in a servant of God, nor ought a well-tried spirit to desire an evil deed.—Vat. [The praise here bestowed on Hermas favours the idea that a second Hermas was the author.] to desire an evil deed; and especially for Hermas so to do, who keeps himself from all wicked desire, and is full of all simplicity, and of great guilelessness.”

Chap. III.

“But God is not angry with you on account of this, but that you may convert your house,18 But that. But God is not angry with you on your own account, but on account of your house, which has.—Vat. which have committed iniquity against the Lord, and against you, their parents. And although you love your sons, yet did you not warn your house, but permitted them to be terribly corrupted.19 Corrupted. To live riotously.—Vat. [1 Sam. iii. 11, 14. Traditions of the Pauline Hermas may be here preserved.] On this account is the Lord angry with you, but He will heal all the evils which have been done in your house. For, on account of their sins and iniquities, you have been destroyed by the affairs of this world. But now the mercy of the Lord20 Lord. God.—Vat. [The Montanist dogma representing God as the reverse of (Neh. ix. 17) “gentle and easy to be entreated” is rebuked.] has taken pity on you and your house, and will strengthen you, and establish you in his glory.21 Will strengthen. Has preserved you in glory.—Vat. Strengthened and established.—Lips. Has saved your house.—Pal. Only be not easy-minded,22 Easy-minded. Only wander not, but be calm.—Vat. Omitted in Pal. but be of good courage and comfort your house. For as a smith hammers out his work, and accomplishes whatever he wishes23 Accomplishes … wishes. And exhibits it to any one to whom he wishes.—Vat., so shall righteous daily speech overcome all iniquity.24 So shall you also, teaching the truth daily, cut off great sin.—Vat. Cease not therefore to admonish your sons; for I know that, if they will repent with all their heart, they will be enrolled in the Books of Life with the saints.”25 I know … saints. For the Lord knows that they will repent with all their heart, and He will write you in the Book of Life.—Vat. See Phil. iv. 3; Rev. xx. 15. [He contrasts the mild spirit of the Gospel with the severity of the Law in the case of Eli.] Having ended these words, she said to me, “Do you wish to hear me read?” I say to her, “Lady, I do.” “Listen then, and give ear to the glories of God.”26 And give ear to the glories of God, omitted in Vat. And then I heard from her, magnificently and admirably, things which my memory could not retain. For all the words were terrible, such as man could not endure.27 And then … her. And unfolding a book, she read gloriously, magnificently, and admirably.—Vat. [Dan. x. 9.] The last words, however, I did remember; for they were useful to us, and gentle.28 Gentle. For they were few and useful to us.—Vat. “Lo, the God of powers, who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence29 By His own wisdom and providence. By His mighty power.—Vat., Pal. [Scripture is here distilled like the dew. Prov. iii. 19. Ps. xxiv. 2, and marginal references.] has created His holy30 Holy omitted by Lips. Church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes31 Removes. He will remove.—Vat. the heavens and the mountains,32 See 2 Pet. iii. 5. the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them,33 [Isa. lxv. 22. See Faber’s Historical Inquiry, as to the primitive idea of the elect, book ii. 2. New York, 1840.] with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith.”

Chap. IV.

When she had ended her reading, she rose from the chair, and four young men came and carried off the chair and went away to the east. And she called me to herself and touched my breast, and said to me, “Have you been pleased with my reading?” And I say to her, “Lady, the last words please me, but the first are cruel and harsh.” Then she said to me, “The last are for the righteous: the first are for heathens and apostates.” And while she spoke to me, two men appeared and raised her on their shoulders, and they went to where the chair was in the east. With joyful countenance did she depart; and as she went, she said to me, “Behave like a man,34 Be strong, or be made strong.—Vat. [1 Cor. xvi. 13.] Hermas.”

Ὅρασις α’

I 1. Ὁ θρέψας με πεπρακέν με ῾Ρόδῃ τινὶ εἰς ῾Ρώμην. μετὰ πολλὰ ἔτη ταύτην ἀνεγνωρισάμην καὶ ἠρξάμην αὐτὴν ἀγαπᾶν ὡς ἀδελφήν. 2. μετὰ χρόνον τινὰ λουομένην εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Τίβεριν εἶδον καὶ ἐπέδωκα αὐτῇ τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἐξήγαγον αὐτὴν ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ. ταύτης οὖν ἰδὼν τὸ κάλλος διελογιζόμην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου λέγων· Μακάριος ἤμην, εἰ τοιαύτην γυναῖκα εἶχον καὶ τῷ κάλλει καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ. μόνον τοῦτο ἐβουλευσάμην, ἕτερον δὲ οὐδὲ ἕν. 3. μετὰ χρόνον τινα πορευομένου μου εἰς Κώμας καὶ δοξάζοντος τὰς κτίσεις τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς μεγάλαι καὶ ἐκπρεπεῖς καὶ δυναταί εἰσιν, περιπατῶν ἀφύπνωσα. καὶ πνεῦμά με ἔλαβεν καὶ ἀπήνεγκέ με δι’ ἀνοδίας τινός, δι’ ἧς ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἐδύνατο ὁδεῦσαι· ἧν δὲ ὁ τόπος κρημνώδης καὶ ἀπερρηγὼς ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων. διαβὰς οὖν τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκεῖνον ἦλθον εἰς τὰ ὁμαλὰ καὶ τιθῶ τὰ γόνατα καὶ ἠρξάμην προσεύχεσθαι τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί μου τὰς ἁμαρτίας. 4. προσευχομένου δέ μου ἠνοίγη ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ βλέπω τὴν γυναῖκα ἐκείνην, ἣν ἐπεθύμησα, ἀσπαζομένην με ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, λέγουσαν· Ἑρμᾶ χαῖρε. 5. βλέψας δὲ εἰς αὐτὴν λέγω αὐτῇ· Κυρία, τί σὺ ὧδε ποιεῖς; ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη μοι· Ἀνελήμωθην, ἵνα σοῦ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐλεγχος πρὸς τὸν κύριον. 6. λέγω αὐτῇ· Νῦν σύ μου ἔλεγχος εἶ; Οὔ, φησίν, ἀλλὰ ἄκουσον τὰ ῥήματα, ἅ σοι μέλλω λέγειν. ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς κατοικῶν καὶ κτίσας ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος τὰ ὄντα καὶ πληθύνας καὶ αὐξήσας ἕνεκεν τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ ὀργίζεταί σοι, ὅτι ἥμαρτες εἰς ἐμέ. 7. ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῇ λέγω· Εἰς σὲ ἥμαρτον; ποίῳ τόπῳ ἢ πότε σοι αἰσχρὸν ῥῆμα ἐλάλησα; οὐ πάντοτέ σε ὡς θεὰν ἡγησάμην; οὐ πάντοτέ σε ἐνετράπην ὡς ἀδελφήν; τί μου καταψεύδῃ, ὦ γύναι, τὰ πονηρὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀκάθαρτα; 8. γελάσασά μοι λέγει· Ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀνέβη ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς πονηρίας. ἢ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἀνδρὶ δικαίῳ πονηρὸν πρᾶγμα εἶναι, ἐὰν ἀναβῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡ πονηρὰ ἐπιθυμία; ἁμαρτία γέ ἐστιν, καὶ μεγάλη, φησίν. ὁ γὰρ δίκαιος ἀνὴρ δίκαια βουλεύεται. ἐν τῷ οὖν δίκαια βουλεύεσθαι αὐτὸν κατορθοῦνται ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ εὐκατάλλακτον ἔχει τὸν κύριον ἐν παντὶ πράγματι αὐτοῦ· οἱ δὲ πονηρὰ βουλευόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν θάνατον καὶ αἰχμαλωτισμὸν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισπῶνται, μάλιστα οἱ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον περιποιούμενοι καὶ γαυριῶντες ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀντεχόμενοι τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῶν μελλόντων. 9. μετανοήσουσιν αἱ ψυχαὶ αὐτῶν, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἐλπίδα, ἀλλὰ ἑαυτοὺς ἀπεγνώκασιν καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν. ἀλλὰ σὺ προσεύχου πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ ἰάσεται τὰ ἁμαρτήματά σου καὶ ὅου τοῦ οἴκου σου καὶ πάτων τῶν ἁγίων.

II 1. Μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι αὐτὴν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐκλείσθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί· κἀγῲ ὅλος ἤμην πεφρικὼς καὶ λυπούμενος. ἔλεγον δὲ ἐν ἐμαυτῷ· Εἰ αὕτη μοι ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀναγράφεται, πῶς δυνήσομαι σωθῆναι; ἢ πῶς ἐξιλάσομαι τὸν θεὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου τῶν τελείςν; ἢ ποίοις ῥήμασιν ἐρωτήσω τὸν κύριον, ἵνα ἱλατεύσηταί μοι; 2. ταῦτά μου συμβουλευομένου καὶ διακρίνοντος ἐν τῇ κάρδίᾳ μου, βλέπω κατέναντί μου καθέδραν λευκὴν ἐξ ἐρίων χιονίνων γεγονυῖαν μεγάλην· καὶ ἦλθεν γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις ἐν ἱματισμῷ λαμπροτάτῳ, ἔχουσα βιβλίον εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐκάθισεν μόνη καὶ ἀσπάζεταί με· Ἑρμᾶ, χαῖρε, κἀγὼ λυπούμενος καὶ κλαίων εἶπον· Κυρία, χαῖρε. 3. καὶ εἶπέν μοι· Τί στυγνός, Ἑρμᾶ; ὁ μακρόθυμος καὶ ἀστομάχητος, ὁ πάντοτε γελῶν τί οὕτω κατηφὴς τῇ ἰδέᾳ καὶ οὐχ ἱλαρός; κἀγὼ εἶπον αὐτῇ· Ὑπὸ γυναικὸς ἀγαθωτάτης λεγούσης, ὅτι ἥμαρτον εἰς αὐτήν. 4. ἡ δὲ ἔφη· Μηδαμῶς ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀνέβη περὶ αὐτῆς. ἔστιν μὲν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ τοιαύτη βουλὴ ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιφέρουσα· πονηρὰ γὰρ βουλὴ καὶ ἔκπληκτος εἰς πάνσεμνον πνεῦμα καὶ ἤδη δεδοκιμασμένον, ἐὰν ἐπιθυμήσῃ πονηρὸν ἔργον, καὶ μάλιστα Ἑρμᾶς ὁ ἐγκρατής, ὁ ἀπεχόμενος´πάσης ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς καὶ πλήρης πάσης ἁπλότητος καὶ ἀκακίας μεγάλης.

III 1. Ἀλλ’ οὐχ ἕνεκα τούτου ὀργίζεταί σοι ὁ θεός, ἀλλ’ ἵνα τὸν οἶκόν σου τὸν ἀνομήσαντα εἰς τὸν κύριον καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς γονεῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιστρέψῃς. ἀλλὰ φιλότεκνος ὢν οὐκ ἐνουθέτεις σου τὸν οἶκον, ἀλλὰ ἀφῆκες αὐτὸν καταφθαρῆναι, διὰ τοῦτό σοι οργίζεται ὁ κύριος· ἀλλὰ ἰάσεταί σου πάντα τὰ προγεγονότα πονηρὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου· διὰ γὰρ τὰς ἐκείνων ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀνομήματα σὺ κατεφθάρης ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν πράξεων. 2. ἀλλ’ ἡ πολυσπλαγχνία τοῦ κυρίου ἠλέησέν σε καὶ τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ ἰσχυροποιήσει σε καὶ θεμελιώσει σε ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. σὺ μόνον μὴ ῥᾳθυμήσῃς, ἀλλὰ εὐψύχει καὶ ἰσχυροποίει σου τὸν οἶκον. ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκεὺς σφυροκοῶν τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ περιγίνεται τοῦ πράγματος οὗ θέλει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ λόγος ὁ καθημερινὸς ὁ δίκαιος περιγίνεται πάσης πονηρίας. μὴ διαλίπῃς οὖν νουθετῶν σου τὰ τέκνα. οἶδα γάρ, ὅτι, ἐὰν μετανοήσουσιν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἐνγραφήσονται εἰς τὰς βίβλους τῆς ζωῆς μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων. 3. μετὰ τὸ παῆναι αὐτῆς τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα λέγει μοι· Θέλεις ἀκοῦσαί μου ἀναγινωσκούσης; λέγω κἀγώ· Θέλω, κυρία. λέγει μοι· Γενοῦ ἀκροατὴς καὶ ἄκουε τὰς δόξας τοῦ θεοῦ. ἤκουσα μεγάλως καὶ θαυμαστῶς, ὃ οὐκ ἴσχυσα μνημονεῦσαι· πάντα γὰρ τὰ ῥήματα ἔκφρικτα, ἃ οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος βαστάσαι. τὰ οὖν ἔσχατα ῥήματα ἐμνημόνευσα· ἦν γὰρ ἡμῖν σύμφορα καὶ ἥμερα· 4. Ἰδού, ὁ θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ὃ ἀγαπῶ, δυνάμει κραταιᾷ καὶ τῇ μεγάλῃ συνέσει αὐτοῦ κτίσας τὸν κόσνον καὶ τῇ ἐνδόξῳ βουλῇ περιθεὶς τὴν εὐπρέπειαν τῇ κτίσει αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ ἰσχυρῷ ῥήματι πήξας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ θεμελώσας τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ ὑδάτων καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ σοφίᾳ καὶ προνοίᾳ κτίσας τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ, ἣν καὶ ηὐλόγησεν, ἰδού, μεθιστάνει τοὺς οὐρανούς, καὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς καὶ τὰς θαλ́σσας, καὶ πάντα ὁμαλὰ γίνεται τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἀποδῷ αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο μετὰ πολλῆς δόξης καὶ χαρᾶς, ἐὰν τηρήσωσιν τὰ νόμιμα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἃ παρέλαβον ἐν μεγάλῃ πίστει.

IV 1. Ὅτε οὖν ἐτέλεσεν ἀναγινώσκουσα καὶ ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῆς καθέδρας, ἦλθαν τέσσαρες νεανίαι καὶ ἦραν τὴν καθέδραν καὶ ἀπῆλθον πρὸς τὴν ἀνατολήν. 2. προσκαλεῖται δέ με καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ στήθους μου καὶ λέγει μοι· Ἤρεσέν σοι ἡ ἀνάγνωσίς μου; καὶ λέγω αὐτῇ· Κυρία, ταῦτά μοι τὰ ἔσχατα ἀρέσκει, τὰ δὲ πρῶτα χαλεπὰ καὶ σκληρά. ἡ δὲ ἔφη μοι λέγουσα· Ταῦτα τὰ ἔσχατα τοῖς ἀποστάταις. 3. λαλούσης αὐτῆς μετ’ ἐμοῦ δύο τινὲς ἄνδρες ἐφάνησαν καὶ ἦραν αὐτῆς μετ’ ἐμοῦ δύο τινὲς ἄνδρες ἐφάνησαν καὶ ἦραν αὐτὴν τῶν ἀγκώνων καὶ ἀπῆλθαν, ὅου ἡ καθέδρα, πρὸς τὴν ἀνατολήν. ἱλαρὰ δὲ ἀπῆλθεν καὶ ὑπάγουσα λέγει μοι· Ἀνδρίζου, Ἑρμᾶ.