The Third Book Of Hermas, Which Is Called His Similitudes
1926 anthology with historical English translations and Crane introduction
William Wake and Frank Crane
133 They shall enter, said he, if they shall lay aside all the works of those women, and shall resume the power of these virgins, and shall walk in their works.
134 And for this cause there is a stop in the building, that if they shall repent, they may be added to the building of this tower; but if they shall not repent, that others may be built in their places, and so they may be utterly cast away.
135 For all these things I gave thanks unto the Lord, that being moved with mercy towards all those upon whom his name is called, he sent to us the angel of repentance to preside over us who have sinned against him; and that he has refreshed our spirits which were almost gone, and who had no hope of salvation, but are now refreshed to the renewal of life.
136 Then I said, Shew me now, Sir, why this tower is not built upon the ground, but upon a rock, and upon the gate? He replied, thou art foolish, and without understanding, therefore thou asketh this.
137 And I said, Sir, I must needs ask all things of you, because I understand nothing at all. For all your answers are great and excellent; and which a man can hardly understand.
138 Hear, said he: The name of the Son of God is great and without bounds, and the whole world is supported by it. If therefore, said I, every creature of God be sustained by his Son, why should he not support those also who have been invited by him, and who carry his name, and walk in his commandments?
139 Seest thou not, said he, that he doth support them, who with all their heart bear his' name? He therefore is their foundation, and gladly supports those who do not deny his name, but willingly bear it.
140 And I said: Sir, tell me the names of these virgins; and of those women that were clothed with the black garment.
141 Hear, said he, the names of those virgins which are the more powerful, and stand at the corners of the gate. These are their names:
142 The first is called[1389] Faith; the second Continence; the third, Power; the fourth, Patience; the rest which stand beneath these are, Simplicity, Innocence, Chastity, Cheerfulness, Truth, Understanding, Concord, Charity.
143 Whosoever therefore bear these names, and the names of the Son of God, shall enter into the kingdom of God.
144 Hear now, said he, the names of those women, which were clothed with the black garment. Of these, four are the principal: the first is Perfidiousness; the second, Incontinence; the third, Infidelity; the fourth, Pleasure.
145 And the rest which follow are called thus, Sadness, Malice, Lust, Anger, Lying, Foolishness, Pride, and Hatred. The servant of God, which carries these spirits, shall see indeed the kingdom of God, but he shall not enter into it.
146 But, Sir, what are those stones which were taken out of the deep and fitted into the building? The ten, said he, which were placed at the foundation, are the first age; the following five-and-twenty, the second, of righteous men.
147 The next thirty-five, are the prophets and ministers of the Lord. And the forty, are the Apostles and doctors of the preaching of the Son of God.
148 And I said, Sir, why did the virgins put even those stones into the building after they were carried through the gate? And he said, Because these first carried those spirits, and they departed not one from the one, neither the men from the spirits, nor the spirits from the men:
149 But the spirits were joined to those men even to the day of their death; who if they had not had these spirits with them, they could not have been useful to the building of this tower.
150 And I said, Sir, shew me this farther. He answered, What dost thou ask? Why did these stones come out of the deep, and were placed into the building of this tower, seeing that they long ago carried those[1390] holy spirits.
151[1391] It was necessary, said he, for them to ascend by water, that they might be at rest. For they could not otherwise enter into the kingdom of God, but by laying aside the mortality of their former life.
152 They therefore being dead, were nevertheless sealed with the seal of the Son of God, and so entered into the kingdom of God.
153 For before a man receives the name of the Son of God, he is ordained unto death; but when he receives that seal, he is freed from death, and[1392] assigned unto life.
154 Now that seal is the water of baptism, into which men go down under the obligation unto death, but come up appointed unto life.
155 Wherefore to those also was this seal[1393] preached, and they made use of it, that they might enter the kingdom of God.
156 And I said, Why then, sir, did these forty stones also ascend with them out of the deep, having already received that seal?
157 He answered,[1394] Because these Apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the Son of God, dying after they had received his faith and power, preached to them who were dead before; and they gave this seal to them.
158 They went down therefore into the water with them, and again came up. But these went down whilst they were alive, and came up again alive: whereas those who were before dead, went down dead, but came up alive;
159 Through these therefore they received life, and knew the Son of God: for which cause they came up with them, and were fit to come into the building of the tower; and were not cut, but put in entire; because they died in righteousness, and in great purity; only this seal was wanting to them.
160 Thus you have the explication of these things.
161 I answered: Sir, tell me now what concerns those mountains, why are they so different; some of one form, and some of another.
162 Hear, said he; These twelve mountains which thou seest, are twelve nations, which make up the whole world. Wherefore the Son of God is preached to them, by those whom he sent unto them.
163 But why, said I, are they different, and every one of a figure? He replied, Hearken. Those twelve nations which possess the whole world, are twelve people.
164 And as thou hast beheld these mountains different, so are they. I will therefore open to thee the meaning and actions of every mountain.
165 But first, sir, said I, shew me this; Seeing these mountains are so different, how have they agreed into the building of this tower; and been brought to one colour; and are no less bright than those that came out of the deep?
166 Because, replied he, all the nations which are under heaven, have heard and believed in the same one name of the Son of God by whom they are called.
168 And therefore the building of this tower appeared to be of the same colour, and did shine like the brightness of the sun.
169 But after that they had thus agreed in one mind there began to be one body of them all; howbeit some of them polluted themselves, and were cast off from the kind of the righteous, and again returned to their former state, and became even worse than they were before.
170 How, said I, sir, were they worse who knew the Lord? He answered: If he who knows not the Lord liveth wickedly, the punishment of his wickedness attends him.
171 But he who has known the Lord, ought to abstain altogether from all wickedness, and more and more to be the servant of righteousness.
172 And does not he then seem to thee to sin more who ought to follow goodness, if he shall prefer the part of sin; than he who offends without knowing the power of God?