Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

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V. The Encomium of Flavianus, Bishop of Ephesus, on Demetrius, Archbishop of Alexandria

1 Flavianus, bishop of the city of ephesus, pronounced upon saint deme-trius, archbishop of rakote, on the day of his glorious commemoration, which is the twentieth day of the month thoth. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CON-CERNING THE MIRACLES WHICH GOD WROUGHT BY HIS HAND. AND HE SPAKE ALSO IN THIS SAME ENCOMIUM CONCERN-ING THE SAINT, AND MARTYR, AND VIRGIN, APA PETER, ARCHBISHOP OF THIS SAME CITY RAKOTE. AND [HE SPAKE ALSO] CON-CERNING THE HOLY WOMAN WHO WAS A NATIVE OF THE CITY OF ANTIOCH AND A MARTYR, AND HER TWO SONS PHILOPATOR AND EUTROPIUS. AND HE SPAKE ALSO CONCERNING THE IMPULSE OF THE SOUL, AND CONCERNING THE PASSAGE WHICH IS WRITTEN IN [THE BOOK OF] JEREMIAH THE PROPHET, WHICH SAITH, 'IN THAT DAY I WILL ESTABLISH SUNRISE (OR, MORNING) 2 The occasion moveth me to set in motion the organ of my halting tongue, and my infirm mouth, and it maketh me to say with the Psalmist David, the Singer of God, 'Thou visitest the earth, Thou makest it to produce food, Thou multipliest in great abundance the riches [thereof]. The river of God is full of water. Thou preparest their food.' This is our preparation in truth. He hath visited the earth, He hath made it to produce food, He hath multiplied the riches [thereof] in great abundance. If material wine be the joy of men, the which when they drink it to excess causeth them to become drunk, and there is arrogance therein, how very much more joy and gladness will those men have who have drunk of the Fountain of living water, the Christ! If the earth rejoiceth when the water of heaven cometh upon it, how much more joy and gladness shall men [feel] at the moment when the waters of understanding fall upon the grass of the mind! Now the waters which are manifest yield fruits which are manifest, and are of fleshly character; and when the waters of the Spirit have descended upon the earth of men they yield fruits of the Spirit. Of what kind now are these fruits? Hearken and I will tell you; only ye must neither feel any doubt [about what I say], nor must ye murmur. One church only hath closed [its door]:

3 I speak of the synagogue of the Jews, but I do not call this truly a spiritual church, because it hath shut its door against Him that rose from the dead, and hath taken His seat on the right hand of His Father. He became man at His command, and the things which have been opened unto us through His holy Blood, which He shed for us, are thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands. Now the fruits to which I have already alluded are these: continence, purity, virginity, compassion, peace, hope, long-suffering, obedience, et cetera. These are the things which the spiritual meadow produceth through the spiritual rain which falleth upon it. 4 And, moreover, now is the time for me to say with the prophet and law-giver Moses, 'Let us ascribe glory unto the Lord, for He hath gotten glory.' If those who lived in days of old marvelled when they saw their enemies dying in the sea, why should I not marvel when I behold Him that did for us, and rose [from the dead], until He had humbled pride? Assuredly then I will set in motion the organ of my tongue, and I will declare a few glorious things concerning the saint in whose name we are gathered together, for he was a father who loved his children, and a shepherd who pastured his sheep wisely. He was clothed with the foundation of virtue, virginity, and holy matrimony. But perhaps some one will tell me that it is not possible for a man to become a virgin after he hath married a wife; let that some one hearken, and I will give him an absolute proof that this is possible from Holy Scripture. I myself say, with our Saviour, that there exist some who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom which is in the heavens. Those who were born eunuchs from their mother's womb to those the name of eunuch certainly belongeth, but as concerning the man who hath made himself an eunuch, who is able to declare adequately his valour? The acts of David, when he destroyed Goliath with his armour and weapons of war upon him, and when the people applauded him with sympathy, are wholly different from the valour of the man who hath made himself an eunuch.

5 But now, when once David had destroyed him, without armour and without spear, Goliath was dead once and for all, even as every other person who dieth, and [he obtained] the prize which belongeth to the victors. Even so is it in the case of a man if he has been born an eunuch; he striveth, but languidly, and without the strength which is shewn by the man who striveth, being in possession of all his members. Now David destroyed the lion and the bear, once, or twice, and even three times, but Demetrius the Archbishop destroyed his lusts every day. He who fighteth with wild beasts is not as valiant as the man who fighteth against passion. When the wild beast devoureth a man the man is no longer forthcoming to fight with him again. On the other hand, the lust to which a man giveth place in himself never ceaseth to crush him all day and every day, and it increaseth in him until it destroyeth him. And the wise men who were continent knew that this is so, and it was because of this very thing that they fled into the desert.

6 Let us, however, turn our discourse to this holy man Demetrius, and we will now make known unto you his virtues and his valour. Now this holy man Demetrius was descended from a great and very old and famous family in the city of Rakote. And after Saint Julianus, the Archbishop of Rakote, was dead, the throne of Rakote remained empty for many days, and there was no bishop, and no man sat on the archiepiscopal throne, because it was the period during which lawless and idol-worshipping Emperors reigned. A great persecution of the Church was in progress, and the people were like unto the sheep that are without a shepherd. However, by the Will of God, and by the votes of the whole congregation, they laid hold of a second Joseph, I mean Saint Demetrius, and they enthroned him on the throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist. 7 But, perchance, thou who art listening to me wilt say, 'Thou mayest compare this holy man to Joseph, but thou must not compare the wife of this holy and wise man to that worthless woman who bore ill will towards the holy man Joseph, I mean the wife of the Egyptian.' Most certainly not, and far be it from me to do so. But forgive me, O Christ-loving congregation. If Joseph had lain with the Egyptian woman, it would have been a sin to him, for it would have been fornication that he was committing, and it was for this very reason that he kept his body pure in respect of God Who had created him. Now in the case of Saint Demetrius, even if he had lain with his wife, it would not have been sin unto him, because they had been joined together by God.

8 But, notwithstanding my answer, thou wilt say unto me in any case, 'He was a bishop, and it was not seemly for him to take a wife.' Speak not in this wise, O brother, for the holy Canons of the Apostles speak thus: 'If a head hath a wife who was married to him before he became a bishop, he shall not put her away after he hath become a bishop, but let him remain with her.' And the holy Apostle used to say, 'Marriage is honourable in everything, and the marriage bed is pure, [but] the whoremonger and the adulterer shall God judge.' Therefore this holy man Demetrius hath triumphed, according to what we said. When, therefore, they had enthroned him upon the episcopal throne, …He never upbraided a man. 9 And he was in the habit of saying, 'My son, go and withdraw thyself from whatever kind of sin it is which thou art committing, and afterwards [come] and partake of the Holy Mysteries.' And when he had continued to act in this manner for a considerable time the whole city withdrew itself from sin to such an extent that hardly any sin was committed. If any man saw another committing a sin he would rebuke him, saying, 'Withdraw thyself from this act lest the Archbishop turn aside from thee, and the whole congregation will look at thee'; and that sinner would become afraid and would continue to be so; and for this reason very many ceased entirely to commit sin.

10 Nevertheless, there be many a quarrelsome man who will say, 'Hath not this Demetrius his wife with him?' And he will also say these words: 'All the people were scandalized, and there was murmuring because of him, because [until this man did so] no one had sat upon the archiepiscopal throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist, who was no virgin.' However, there are some who understand the Scriptures who will say to those who utter these words, 'Marriage is honourable in every way, and the marriage bed is pure, and it is God Who instituted marriage: what aileth you that ye murmur against the Archbishop?' But in spite of these words those [who murmur] do not wish to be persuaded, and they say, 'This man Demetrius who hath seated himself on the archiepiscopal throne is the twelfth, and of them all only this man hath had a wife.' But it is God Himself, the Good, Who did not wish the [virtue of the] holy man to remain hidden, and He desired to make him manifest, and [to make him] to be glorified by the people, according to what He said in the Gospel, 'Men do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but they place it upon a candlestick, so that it may give light to all those who are in the house.'

11 And the matter was revealed to the Archbishop when he was lying asleep one night, for behold, the Angel of God appeared unto him, and he said unto him, 'Demetrius, Demetrius, seek not only thine own happiness, but that of thy neighbour. And remember what the Lord spake in the Gospel, saying, "The good shepherd layeth down his life for his sheep." And the holy man Demetrius said unto the Angel, 'What is it, O my Lord? What is it that Thou wouldst command me to do? If Thou wishest to send me forth to martyrdom, am I not ready to pour out my blood for the Name of my Lord Jesus the Christ?' The Angel said unto him, 'Hearken unto me, O Demetrius. The Christ became man because He loved us, and because of this He also redeemed His people. Now, therefore, is it a right thing for thee to cause a scandal among the people over whom God hath set thee?' The Archbishop said unto the Angel, 'My Lord, shew me my sin, and I will withdraw myself from it.' The Angel said unto him, 'The mystery which is between thee and thy wife must be made manifest unto the whole congregation.' Demetrius said, 'I beseech thee, O my Lord, let me die before Thee, only let not this thing be, and do not let any man have knowledge thereof.' The Angel said unto him, 'Thou knowest, O Demetrius, what is written, namely, "The disobedient shall end in destruction."' Rise thou up then

12 early in the morning, and after thou hast administered the Ō Sacrament gather together all the clergy, and all the business folk, and shew them the mystery which existeth between thee and thy wife.' And when the Angel had said these things unto him he disappeared from him. And when the morning had come, now it was the Day of Pentecost, the Archbishop made ready to celebrate the Catholic Synaxis. Now on that day he used to expound passages of the Scriptures to the congregation with his holy mouth, and after the people had received the Holy Mysteries he would complete the Liturgy. And the Archbishop commanded the Archdeacon not to allow any member of the congregation to leave the church, but to gather them all together in the council chamber, saying, 'The Archbishop biddeth me say: Let not one of you depart to his house, for I have somewhat to say unto thee.' And when they had all taken their seats in the council chamber the Archbishop commanded [his servant] to gather together a large quantity

13 of wood, and he made them bring in fire and set light Ō to the wood. And the congregation marvelled what this thing meant. Then the Papa said, 'Rise up, let us pray'; and when they had prayed they sat down. And the Papa said unto them, 'I invoke your love so that your servant, that is to say, my wife, may come forth, and enjoy your blessing.' And they marvelled, and said, 'Whatsoever our father commandeth, let it take place.' Then the Archbishop called one of his servants, and said unto him, 'Go and call the servant of these holy men, that is to say, my wife.' And when the holy woman heard [these words] she came into the midst of the brethren. Then the Archbishop rose up and looked round upon all present, and he stood up on the blazing pieces of wood of the fire, and he spread out his tunic, and took some of the burning coals in his hands and threw them into it. And all the brethren who were sitting in the council chamber marvelled at the large quantity of fire which he put into his tunic, and why it did not catch fire. Then he told his wife to spread out her tunic and her other garment, and the holy man transferred the coals of fire to her garment, and she remained standing there before him in the midst of the fire, and neither she nor her apparel was burnt. And the Archbishop said a second time, 'Let us pray'; and the coals of fire were in his garment, and he was not burnt.

14 Hearken ye now unto me. Ye marvel at me, O my brethren, because I say that when a man hath made himself an eunuch he is more glorious than the man who was an eunuch when he was born. It was because of this very thing that these saints were not burnt, for they had extinguished the flame of the fire of lust; let us then not be troubled at the words. Let us return now and finish the narrative, which will glorify God. When they had prayed, and were seated, the clergy said unto the Archbishop, 'We entreat thee and the holy woman to explain unto us the meaning of this symbolic act which thou hast performed, for we are all wondering about the matter, and what it meaneth.' And the Archbishop said unto them, 'Hearken unto me, and I will shew you. For I have not done this thing with the view of seeking after the praise of men. I am sixty years of age this day, and the woman whom ye see is more than fifty-one. Her father died when she was a little girl, and the brother of her father, who was my father, brought her to our house; she was an only child, just as I myself am an only child, and we were brought up together in the same house. And when I was fifteen years of age my parents wished to betroth me to her, in the first place naturally because we were brethren of each other (i. e.

15 cousins), and secondly because, according to the pride of this world, we did not wish any stranger to enter our family and take any part of our inheritance. And when we had celebrated our marriage, it was incumbent upon me, as it befitteth men, to go in unto her. And when we were lying together she said unto me, "My brother, a brother ought not to marry [his] sister"; and I said unto her, "Assuredly not. And she said unto me, "Why then have they given us each to the other? Am I not thy sister? And I said unto her, "If thou wilt hearken unto me, O my sister, we shall live in a world where they shall never separate us, the one from the other. But if I take thee to wife in this world, I shall be separated from thee by death, and thou wilt be separated from me. If we keep our bodies holy in purity we shall never leave each other in the Jerusalem which is in the heavens. And when she had heard these words from me we made a compact together to keep our bodies unpolluted. And my parents did not know of [this] conversation, but they told the men who were in the bride-chamber to bring to them the tokens of the virginity of the bride, according to the custom which, as ye well know, men observe in this matter.

16 And these men persuaded our parents, saying, "They are mere children still," and by reason of these words our parents ceased to make enquiries concerning our affairs. 17 'And when our parents were dead we remained together, both being orphans. Then as for these three children which we …for ourselves, it was God Who ordained them …each other. And the same covering which clothed (or, covered) us both …each other except at the time when the woman separateth from the man. And the Lord Who shall judge the living and the dead, and Who knoweth what is hidden in the heart, knoweth that I have never known this woman, and that she hath never known me. I am only the husband of us two in appearance, and as for the carnal intercourse of this world which taketh place on a bed I have no knowledge of it whatsoever. Moreover, when we used to lie together in bed, we used to see a creature like unto an eagle flying in the air, and he would come and sing over the bed whereon we two were lying; and me he used to place under his right wing, and the woman under his left wing. In the daytime when it was light he would depart, and we used to see him going away. Do not think that I am seeking after the praise of men, for I am not, and it would not be my wish to tell you these things if it had not been that He Who wisheth to be profitable unto every man, namely, God, the Lover of man, hath commanded me to do so. And when he had said these things they cast themselves down at his feet, saying, O our father, thou art the most noble of all created things!' And after these things he commanded his wife to depart to her own quarter, and having prayed he dismissed the other people, and each one departed to his house in peace.

18 Now do not your hearts leap when ye hear of miracles of this kind? And do ye not wonder at this holy man, who passed his whole life with his wife, and restrained himself from union with her? Where are the men now, who, although they have their wives, practise fornication, and who [at the same time] proclaim emphatically 'We are Christians?' Let them come hither now, and let them be ashamed when they see their father Demetrius, the holy Archbishop, saying, 'We know nothing of each other, except the face.' O thou who dost set the combat, thou fighter against passion, Saint Demetrius, O my father, did not thy heart leap within thee when thou didst gaze upon the exceedingly great beauty of thy wife? Did not the tender softness of her body cause thine understanding to totter? For thou wast, after all, only a youth. When thou didst talk with her and there was none present with thee, did not he who shooteth arrows of evil shoot arrows into thee? He said, 'I am a man myself, and I am clothed with flesh like every other man.' But hearken, and I will shew thee [what Demetrius said], 'Whensoever my heart used to stir me up to passion, I used to remember the vows which I swore to keep to the Christ, saying, "I will never break them, for if I do He will deny me before His Father

19 and His [ holy angels." Whensoever I remembered the softness of her body, I used to remember how the flesh of men goeth to corruption in the tomb, and the foetid humour which it giveth forth. And, not permitting our mouth to utter any strange thing, we were afraid of the destruction caused by the fire and flame of Gehenna which exist in Amente, and [we remembered that] those who are therein wish to open their mouth to its fullest extent, and that they cannot open it.' 20 And I make mention, O God-loving Council, of what I said in the opening paragraphs [of this discourse], namely, this pure man of this kind is far more excellent than he who slayeth a lion and a bear. And, moreover, one of the philosophers saith, 'He who destroyeth a lion is not a strong man, and he who destroyeth a panther is not a mighty man; but he who killeth himself, and is guiltless of beguilement of women, is the strongest of all.' Now Joseph the patriarch lived in the house of the Egyptian, and the matter is manifest, namely, that that sinful woman was bad and that she associated herself with him daily until she found an opportunity [to tempt] him. As for thee, O holy man, Demetrius, they contended against thee daily through thy understanding. If I wished to do so, I could prolong my discourse to you, and relate further to you concerning the virtues, and the miracles, and the mighty power of this holy man! I know, however, that his honour is in the heavens before Him Who became man, for our sakes, through Mary the Virgin. Verily thou didst effect thy escape, thou didst keep the faith, and now thou dost make supplication for us in the place wherein thou art. If I wished to multiply speech unto you, I could relate unto you the miracles which God set in operation by the hands of this holy man, Demetrius, the holy Archbishop, but I am well aware of my feebleness, and of the utter impotence of my halting and poor words.

21 Let us however turn to another case (i. e. subject). We will now bring forward the case of a man who was arrayed in three virtues, namely, virginity, and the rank of the high priesthood, and the rank of the martyr. Now who was this saint? It was Peter, the Archbishop of Rakote. In times past he had been a worshipper of idols, and had performed the duties of an office under the lawless Emperor Diocletian, who gave the order to pull down the churches everywhere. And there was nothing which he did openly against the service of holiness in Rakote, because the Archbishop Peter, the holy man, did not regard the face of men, but he paid good heed to Him Who said, 'Fear not those who can kill your bodies, but who are not able to kill your souls.' For this reason he was exceedingly courageous, and he used to say to the clergy, 'Let not the suspicion of men separate you from the Christ.'

22 Now there was at that time a certain man in Antioch whose name was Zôkratôr, and this man was in no wise a companion of Apatêr, who went to Egypt and became a martyr. And this Zôkratôr was originally a Christian who had been baptized, but he had withdrawn himself [from the Christians]; and he was a hypocrite, and he hated the Christians exceedingly. And he had a wife who was a Christian, and whose name was Marturia, and she had borne him two sons, the elder of whom was called Philopator, and the younger Eutropius. And when the boys had grown up, and were of a suitable age for baptism, they wished to be 23 baptized according to the ordinance of the Christians. And the wife spake unto her husband, saying, 'I beseech thee, O my brother, to come with me to the city of Rakote that we may have our children baptized, lest they die before they have received the baptism of God, for God will be wroth with us if we neglect the souls of our children.' And Zōkratōr said unto his wife, 'Hold thy peace, my sister—now thou knowest that a persecution [of the Christians] is in progress at the present time—lest the Emperor hear of it, and destroy us.' And when he had said these words she was afraid to leave her children unbaptized. And when she knew that he would not be persuaded by her to do what she thought [to be right] she rose up, and she took her two children by their hands, and went forth on the sea, and she prayed in this wise, saying, 'O Lord God, the Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Christ, if Thou art pleased to make straight my way, grant that I may find an opportunity [of crossing the sea].' And as she was praying she looked up and saw a ship about to set sail on the sea, and this woman cried out unto those who were on the ship, 'Whither sail ye?' And they

24 said unto her, 'We are going to the city of Rakote.' And na she said unto them, 'If ye will take me with you I will pay you your passage money'; and they said unto her, 'We will take thee.' Thereupon they took her into the ship, and set sail. 25 And when they had sailed away from the land a distance of about twenty stadia a mighty storm rose up against the ship, and it was so violent that every one who was sailing in the ship was terrified. And that God-loving woman said, 'God will not hearken unto a sinful woman like myself, but that which hath entered into my heart I will do.' And she arose, and stood up, and prayed [with her face] towards the east, saying thus: 'O God, Who knowest everything before it taketh place, Who knowest the heart of every one, and Who knowest the wish of my heart in respect of Thee, I do not wish for a husband, nor for the apparel which belongeth to this world, nor for possessions, but for my own soul and the souls of my children. Behold, we are about to die in the sea.

26 For Thy Holy Name's sake, O my Lord Jesus the Christ, Thou Saviour of my soul and spirit, look down upon me and upon my two orphan children, and have mercy upon us.' And when she had said these things she took a butcher's knife in her right hand, and she thrust it out, and made the Sign of the Cross over it, and she stuck it into her right breast, and drew forth therefrom three drops of blood, and she made the Sign of the Cross with it on the foreheads of her two sons and [on] their breasts, in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And she dipped them three times in the sea, in the Name of the Holy Trinity, saying, 'In the Name of the Holy Trinity, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit.' After these things she made her children lie in her bosom, saying, 'I may die, but let me die with my sons.' And God, the Master of the Universe, when He had seen her faith, stilled the storm, and there was a great calm.

27 And within three days they arrived at Rakote. And by the help of God they came into Rakote on the day of preparation, on the fourth day of the week, on the Passover, whereon they are wont to baptize children according to the tradition of the Egyptians. And the woman saw that the whole city was draped in white, and she asked what the matter was. And they told her, saying, 'All the Christians who are living in the city are going to baptize their children to-morrow.' And she answered, saying, 'In truth God hath made straight my way.' Then she made her way to a certain deacon, and said unto him, 'My father, I wish to meet the Archbishop.' And he said unto her, 'What is thy business with the Archbishop?' And she said unto him, 'I am a stranger, and I want to baptize my children.' And the deacon said unto her, 'Hast thou any other business with the Archbishop besides this?' And she said unto him, 'No, I have not.' And the deacon said unto her, 'If this be really the only thing for which thou wishest to meet the Archbishop then tarry thou here. For behold, the children of this city are to be baptized to-morrow, and your own children shall be baptized with them.'

28 And when the evening had come, and the Archbishop had finished Divine Service, he commanded them to bring to him the little children, and to make them ready for baptism. And when he had baptized them they brought in the children in of the wife of the man of Antioch; and God, Who alone worketh wonders, hid the matter from the Archbishop. And when he had taken hold of the little children to baptize them the water in the font congealed and became stone; and when the Archbishop saw this he marvelled exceedingly, and he commanded [the ministrant] to put the children on one side. Then he ordered [him] to bring in to him the children of the natives of Rakote, and when he had begun to baptize them the water which was in the font assumed the form which it had usually. And he commanded [him] straightway to bring in again the children of the wife of the man of Antioch, and when he had done so the water in the font became like stone, even as before. And he commanded [him] to put the little children aside once more. And he ordered [him] to bring in the children of the natives of Rakote, and when he had brought them in [and the Archbishop began] to baptize them the water in the font assumed the form which it usually had. Then the Archbishop commanded [him] to bring in to him the children of the wife of the man of Antioch a third time, and straightway the water in the font congealed and became like stone. Then Saint Peter the Archbishop commanded the Archdeacon to bring into his presence the wife of the man of Antioch.

29 And when she had been set in his presence the Archbishop said unto her, 'Tell me, What hath happened to thee? What, peradventure, hast thou done? Of what religion art thou a follower? What city dost thou come from?' And the mother of the little children answered and said unto the Archbishop, 'I am a Christian, and my parents were Christians, and I am a woman of Antioch.' And the Archbishop answered and said unto her, 'Tell me what it is that thou hast done, for behold, God will not accept children in lieu of repentance.' And the woman said unto him, 'Hearken unto me, my Lord and Father, in [thy] charity, for thou knowest the sufferings which exist in the world at this time, and especially in Antioch. Now my children grew up, and [as] I could not find an opportunity to have them baptized I said unto their father, "Rise up, and let us [depart] to the city of Rakote, to the feet of thy holiness, and let us have our children baptized"; but he did not wish to do this, and he put before me also the dangers which he said would befall me. And I rose up, and took my two sons by the hand, and I came out on the sea, and I found a ship coming to Rakote, and I embarked thereon with my children. And when we had come into the middle of the sea the ship was in such terrible danger through a mighty storm that it wellnigh foundered.

30 And I seized my two children, so that I might cast myself into the sea with them and die with them, but the thought came into my heart, and I took a butcher's knife in my hand, and I cut my right breast and drew out from it three drops of blood. And I made the Sign of the Cross on their foreheads and their breasts, saying, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And I dipped them in the sea in the Name of the Holy Trinity. And it must in any case have been for this reason, O my Lord Father, that the Lord effected the salvation of myself and my children. Besides this I know of no other thing which I have done.' 31 And the Archbishop said unto the woman, 'Be of good cheer, my daughter, for it is to the Lord of truth that thou hast done [this] good thing. And He to Whom thou didst come when thou didst pierce thy right breast, and didst put the blood on the foreheads of thy sons, was He Whose side was pierced by the spear on the Cross. He it was Who made the Sign of the Cross on thy sons with His own hand, and at the time when thou didst baptize them at sea it was our Lord Who did baptize them with His own hand.' And straightway the Archbishop set the children back so that he might not baptize them, and he only prayed over the woman and her children. And he preached this stimulating discourse on that very day, shewing forth the love for man and the gracious goodness of God. And he gave to the little children something of the Holy Mysteries, and he kept them under his charge until they had completed the Holy Easter. And afterwards he sent the woman away to her city with her children, in peace.

32 And it came to pass that when her husband saw that she had returned to him, he set off and went to the lawless Emperor Diocletian, the most wicked man on all the earth, and he said unto him, 'Thou knowest that my wife played the harlot in this town, and I would not support her. When she saw that I would not support her she rose up and departed to Rakote, to the feet of that contemptible Peter. And she hath played the whore there with the people with baptism, and she hath also taught the children mysteries which are unclean. And, behold, it is many days since she went away, and now she hath come back again. What now dost thou wish me to do, O my lord the king?' And the Emperor said unto him, 'Zôkratôr, who is it that doeth these things in Rakote?' And Zôkratôr said, 'It is Peter, whom men call "Archbishop". And when the Emperor heard [this] he was filled with indignation, for he had been wroth with the holy man Peter since the time when he read his discourse concerning idols, the which [also] he preached. And he sent a tribune and soldiers into Rakote to cut off the head of Saint Peter.

33 And the wife of Zôkratôr commanded [them] to bring her and her two sons [before the Emperor]. And when they had brought her before him, he said unto her, 'O woman, why didst thou leave thy husband, and didst go and commit fornication with the Christians?' And the martyr answered one word only, 'The Christians do not commit fornication, neither do they worship idols; now therefore, whatsoever thou wishest to do, that do. And I have no desire to hear mention made of them (i. e. Christians) by thy mouth.' And the Emperor said unto her, 'Shew me what took place among them'; but the woman made no answer to him whatsoever. And the Emperor was furious, and he commanded [his soldiers] to tie her hands and her feet behind her, and then to lift up her two children on her body, and to burn them together. And she turned her face towards the east, and yielded up her spirit (?).

34 Now ye see, O my beloved, that God always hath a man who doeth what He wisheth at all times. He (i. e. the writer of the text) saith, 'She turned her face towards the east, and yielded up her spirit straightway,' because her holy heart was always looking towards the east. For the trees which were created in Paradise were in the east, and the Devil brought Adam out therefrom through envy, because when God Himself had made man [the angels] became jealous of him through the Devil; but God shall take us back again [into Paradise] through His holy Blood which He hath poured out for our sakes. The true east is that which hath risen from the House of David. For a star shall rise in Jacob, that is to say, the star which the Magi saw in the east when they were bringing unto the Christ their gifts, which were indicated aforetime by the prophet. Let us then, we who are in the darkness and shadow of death, know the east!

35 I think now, O Christ-loving congregation, that what we have now said must suffice. Ye have shewn love according to the measure of discipleship, for we are all disciples of the Great, True Master, our Lord and Saviour, to Whom be glory, and to the Father with Him, and to the Holy Spirit, life-giving and consubstantial, now, and always, for ever. Amen.

VI. The Askêtikon of Apa Ephraim

1 Suffering compelleth me to speak, and unworthiness for undertaking the task urgeth me to hold my peace. Again the grief which is in my heart tortureth me to make me speak, and my sins lay on me the charge to keep silence. Now therefore, since I am fast held by both [desires], it is better to make myself to speak than to make myself to keep silence. I will speak so that I may obtain respite from the pain which is in my heart; my soul causeth me tribulation, and my eyes shed tears. O who is there that will pour water into my head, and a fountain of tears into mine eyes, so that I may weep by day and by night for the wound which is in my soul, and which is caused by the fact that the word of instruction hath ceased to prevail in our time, and that inasmuch as we are in a state of ignorance our sins have multiplied? For pride permitteth us not to know the things which are upon us, so that we may cease to commit sin.

2 The teaching and the words of wisdom of our fathers send forth light, even as doth the light-giver of the heavens, because their lives and conversation were filled with every kind of excellence, and this notwithstanding the fact that there were among them thorns and tares (I mean the Greeks and the heretics who lived in their times), and they were glorious, even like unto precious stones of great price. And again, because of their words of truth and their [noble] lives and conversation, their enemies, and those who hated them, were jealous of them. For who in contemplating their humility would not have pity upon them? Or who in contemplating them in their meekness and humility, and in their tranquillity, would not be puzzled thereat? Or who in contemplating their detestation of riches doth not hate the world? What plunderer, or what arrogant man is there, who, in contemplating the holiness of their lives, will not betake himself to what is excellent? Or what whoremonger is there, or what impure man, who, when he seeth them standing in prayer, will not become good and pure? What man of wrath is there, or what timid man, who, when he meeteth them, will not transfer [to himself] straightway their humility? They contended mightily in this world, and they [now] rejoice and are glad in the everlasting east, and God acquireth glory through them, and very many men are edified by them.

3 And our teaching (or, direction) hath ceased to proceed on the paths which are straight and easy, and it walketh on the ways which cause affliction and pain. For no man at this time abandoneth his possessions for the sake of God, and no man arrangeth his life here for the sake of that which is for ever. There is no meek man now, neither is there any man who is humble. There is no man now who can bear to suffer ignominy and contempt. Neither is there any man who can endure being treated with derision. For we have all become men without any [right] feeling in us. We have all become men of wrath. We have become lazy and slothful. We have become envious. We have all of us become proud and arrogant. We all seek after fine and gorgeous apparel. We are boasters. We are lovers of vain glory. We are lovers of comfort. For he who cometh among the brethren, instead of letting them teach him, wisheth to give instruction to the others, and wisheth to impart knowledge before he hath acquired properly that knowledge for himself. He wisheth to expound the law before he hath learned the law thoroughly. He wisheth to pose as a philosopher before he hath learned the letters. He wisheth to make them submit to him before he hath learned to rule himself. He wisheth to give orders [to others] before he hath learned to command himself.

4 He who hath attained to the full height of his stature giveth [his] orders with authority, but he who is still a child giveth vague orders and contradicteth himself. If a wealthy man cometh in among the brethren he demandeth to be treated with great honour, and if a poor man cometh in among the brethren he looketh for a life of ease, the which he hath never known. If he hath been a workman in the world he will minister to his body most carefully and diligently so that it may become refined; and he will make his hands to become soft. 5 O my beloved brethren, who will not weep when he seeth that our instruction doth not increase? Those who have subdued the world continue to think of the things which belong to the world. And those who desire them most of all are those who say, 'We have subdued [our desires] for the things of earth,' and those who make most use of the things of the earth are they who say, 'We are spiritually-minded.' They think upon the things of the flesh in the thoughts of [their] hearts. O brethren, do ye not know the matter whereto we are invited? O brethren, do ye not know the honour whereto we have come? We are invited to abstinence, and yet we seek after delicate foods. We have come in naked, and we devote our care to rich and dainty apparel. We have come in to suffer with our Lord, and we seek after a life easy in every respect. We have come to be in subjection, and we all refuse to submit. We are all of us deaf when we are invited to meekness, and humility, and prudence. And we all act savagely towards each other. We cry out, but we do not understand the things which we are crying out. We listen, but the words do not enter into the ears of our heart. If a man cometh upon a dead man on the roadside his face changeth its colour, and his heart palpitateth. Let us see and let us hear the words of the apostles who died and of the prophets who were stoned, and instead of weeping and sighing let us laugh and make merry, and let us have no feeling of sorrow at all in the matter.

6 He died for our sins. And notwithstanding these things we are in no wise afraid; on the contrary, our hearts go astray, and we remain in a state of carelessness, and we laugh at our anxieties. [And yet] the sun could not endure the contempt shewn to its Lord, for it was filled with grief, and withdrew its light, and there was darkness, but we ourselves do not wish to turn our hearts from the darkness to the light. The veil of His temple had committed no sin whatsoever, and yet it was rent down the middle thereof, but we ourselves do not wish to move our hearts, nor to weep for our sins. If the earth were to quake beneath us times without number, and tremble before the face of the Lord, still we should never be afraid, and we should continue to remain disobedient to the Lord. Similarly, if the earth were to open and to swallow up cities, and to bury them entirely because of the wrath of God, we should not be afraid. Similarly, if the sun were to hide itself times without number, and were to become dark at midday, and the darkness were to envelop us at noontide, still we should not be afraid, and our hearts would never feel troubled concerning it. And we should not be disturbed at the wars which break out with the Persians, and with the other barbarians, wherein they slay men, and invade their territories, and lay waste the earth, and pour out blood in very large quantities. If we saw them [doing this] we should not be afraid, and flee to the feet of God with tears and repentance, and because of these things we should not turn aside from our evil ways.

7 O brethren, let us repent, lest the wrath of God fall upon us. O brethren, let us cast ourselves down on the ground, and let us weep, so that we may do away the wrath of God, and that He may forgive us, for we have provoked Him to wrath. O brethren, let us humble our souls with fasting and with sorrow, and with vigils by night, and let us walk in the truth, that He may shew compassion upon us, and may fill the earth with joy. Let us mourn, so that the Holy Spirit may comfort us and may make us lift ourselves up in gladness. Let us cast away from us our evil habits. Let us array ourselves in the virtues of goodness, especially we who have been made to be worthy of the conversation (or, citizenship) of the angels. Let us lay down for ourselves the measure and canon of goodness. Let us emulate the life of our fathers, and first of all let us continue in patient endurance. Let us not work hard to-day so that we may relax our efforts to-morrow. Let us not walk to-day wishing for a covering for the top of the foot, lest we come to-morrow to ask for a beautiful sandal to cover the sole thereof. Let us not put on our bodies to-day a shoulder-covering or a piece of sacking, or to-morrow we shall certainly ask for a fine shirt made of soft and dainty stuff.

8 Walk not to-day with excessive prudence, or to-morrow thou wilt certainly walk to destruction. Walk not to-day blindly obedient, or to-morrow thou wilt certainly be disobedient, and thou wilt be troubled with obstinacy or contradictoriness. Walk not to-day humbly and in lowlymindedness, or to-morrow thou wilt walk conceitedly and arrogantly. Be not to-day in a state of weeping and mourning for thy sins, or to-morrow thou wilt certainly be over-confident, and thou wilt walk with over-boldness, and with the laughter which ariseth from folly. Do not sleep on the ground to-day, and to-morrow sleep in some bed which is high above the ground. 9 I adjure you, O my brethren, to do none of these things, but make moderation your guide, and set a fixed measure to your patient endurance and to your perseverance, in order that ye may be able to fulfil your lives in the manner which is pleasing unto God. And then each one of you shall be of use to his neighbour in every way, and ye shall be able to mortify your bodies by your asceticism, and to help your fathers and your brethren according to God. Hear what the Lord spake, saying, 'According to what ye wish that men should do unto you, even so do ye yourselves do.'

10 O my beloved one, do thou persevere in thy good work, and thou shalt be strong therein, and shalt not remove thyself from it. For our fathers made perfect their perfectness, and they persevered in one rule, and the work which they began they completed in patient endurance. There were some who passed forty or fifty years without changing the manner of their good life of continence. They ceased to make changes in what they ate and drank, they kept a firm hold on their tongue, they slept upon the ground, they walked in humility, and gentleness, and faith, and love, and singleness of heart. They loved their neighbours, which is the bond of spiritual perfection. After all these things there remained to them nothing more upon the earth, and they withdrew from the care (or, anxiety) of this life, and they devoted themselves most strenuously to prayer, and to vigils by night, with tears and groanings. Their bodies became unto them at need things of the greatest utility. They trampled upon pride, they suppressed wrath, gold and silver became strange things unto them, and through their sufferings and their tribulations they became purified from every evil thing. Therefore God took up His abode in them, and He received glory from them, and every one who became acquainted with them, and those who heard concerning them, were wont to praise them and to ascribe glory to God.

11 Let us then emulate them, and let us forsake every evil thing [and] those things which God hateth, so that when we have made ourselves pure God may dwell in us, and deliver us from the Evil One. Consider now the following matter carefully. If a man were to thrust thee into the mud, and wished to leave thee in the mire, wouldst thou not cling to him? If now, thou who art a worm, art not able to endure this [mire], how is it possible for God, Who is spotless, and without blemish, and holy, to dwell within thee when thou art immersed in the mire of filth and corruption? Let us then purify ourselves, O my beloved, so that God may take up His abode in us, and let us make ourselves to be like unto Him. Disgrace not His Holy Name, which hath been proclaimed over us, for we are called 'Christians' after the Name of Christ. Let us walk in truth, for those who love the Christ [among us] in them shall the Holy Spirit dwell. And in the place wherein the Christ dwelleth there is freedom. Let us be sober, for we know that He hath invited us to His wedding feast. Let us love Him as He hath loved us. Let us strive in everything so that we may be worthy of His bridal chamber. Let us not be careless about our apparel and allow it to become soiled, lest they bind us in fetters and cast us forth from the wedding chamber, and pass judgement upon us for two offences, namely, though we have come forth from the world, we still meditate on the things of the world, and though we flee from the things which appertain to the flesh, we yet seek after bodily ease and comfort. Do not these things, O my beloved, but remember that the day of the Lord cometh like a thief.

12 Let us be afraid lest that day come upon us suddenly (or, unexpectedly), and we are found to be naked, and in a miserable state. For it shall come suddenly, and we shall not know how to repent; and it shall be even as he saith, 'In the days of Noah they were eating, and drinking, and marrying wives, and living together, and they knew nothing until the flood came and destroyed them all.' Let us then have fear within ourselves, O my beloved, and let us be prepared, lest it (i. e. the day of the Lord) come upon us, and we be unprepared, and there shall be no help for us. The day is drawing nigh, and the things which are written shall be fulfilled, and they shall come to an end, and then there shall be nothing left except the works of Antichrist. For needs must that his wickedness be completed, when the Roman Empire shall have come to an end.

13 Already, already, He Who shall come is coming, and He shall not tarry. Let no man who wisheth to reign with the King, the Christ, shew himself careless in respect of Him, for the time draweth nigh, according to that which is written in the Apocalypse. Therefore let him that wisheth to escape the fire of Gehenna and the worm which sleepeth not struggle strenuously; let him have fear in his heart, and let him keep vigil. Let him that wisheth to be consoled [in the next world] sorrow in this; let him that wisheth for an exalted state in the kingdom which is in the heavens humble himself now, in this world. Let him that wisheth to rejoice with the angels weep now, in this world. Be sober, let your lamps burn brightly, put oil in your flasks. Let your apparel be splendid. Watch. Sleep not at the wrong time (or, even for a moment). Enter into the chamber of the Bridegroom, which is full of joy and gladness for ever. For the city of the King, the true Bridegroom, which is full of every kind of good thing, is the Jerusalem of heaven; it is full of light, there is no darkness therein, and therein is the fountain which is filled with the water of life. Whosoever wisheth to dwell therein with the King, the Christ, let him make haste to prepare himself. For the time is becoming less, the day is declining, and there is nothing whereby he can know what shall happen unto him. Let us not sleep, lest He shut the door in our faces, and say, 'I know you not,' and there come upon us a black cloud, and earthquake, and thunders, and thunderbolts (?), and lightnings, and tribulations on every side of us, and we shall have no place whither to make our escape.

14 O my brethren, let us repent, and let us not be judged [in] the Judgement of God. Hearken unto the Collector of Proverbs who spake, saying, 'When tribulation cometh upon you, and would return, it shall happen that ye shall call upon me, but I will not hearken unto you. For I called unto you, and ye would not hearken unto me, and I sent abroad my words, but ye paid no attention to them.' Let us then hearken unto the Lord. Let us recognize that we are sojourners. Let us use our earnest endeavours to enter into our own city. And, O brethren, we are spiritual merchants. Let us acquire for ourselves the precious Stone, the Pearl, the Christ Jesus. Woe be unto the man who shall not acquire it for himself, for such a man, in my opinion, handeth himself over to destruction. O brethren, is it possible that ye do not know that we are branches of the True Vine, the Christ, and that the Father of the Christ is the Husbandman? Take heed then, O brethren, lest any one of you remain without fruit. But know ye that it is the Father Who cultivateth the vine, and those branches which yield fruit He doth cleanse, so that the vine may bring forth still more fruit. Those branches which yield not fruit He striketh off from the vine, so that He may burn them in the fire.

15 Let us then look to ourselves, O brethren, lest we become careless, and we produce no fruit, and we become cut off from the vine, and we become strangers to the Christ, and are cast into Gehenna wherein is the fire which is unquenchable. And, O my brethren, we are the good seed which the Lord of the earth, the Christ, cast into His field. Let us know then, and let us understand, that the harvest is drawing nigh, and that the reapers are ready for the harvest for which they wait by the command of God. Let us look to it then that we do not allow tares to fall among us, for [if we do] they will tie us in bundles for the fire. Is it possible that ye do not know, O brethren, that we are bound to sail over the sea which is full of terror? Therefore I am afraid lest a gale of wind spring up suddenly, and we be seized thereby, and buffeted thereby, and we be irresistibly driven onwards on its wings and borne to the Valley of Judgement, when we shall be unable to find an apology. And whilst we are weeping there over our careless indifference we shall see others who are glad, and who are exulting and rejoicing. As for us they will drag us away down to Amente, and to tribulations, and sufferings, and sorrow of heart, and bitter sighings, because of our careless indifference and our supineness, inasmuch as we had not prepared ourselves before these troubles overtook us.

16 Let us then be not careless, O brethren, for the Judgement of God is an awful thing. Let us not permit the passion of the flesh to make us strangers to the city of the Christ, and to cast us away from the chamber of the Bridegroom, lest we fall down into the place of weeping and the gnashing of teeth. On the contrary, let us be sober, O brethren, and let us know that we have taken upon ourselves the garb of monkhood. Let us not permit ourselves to fall under the passions of the flesh, and allow them to have dominion over us. The amusements of dissipation, and idle pleasures, and effeminate games and pastimes are manifest among us because we are destitute of the glory of God. Similarly, mad lusts and desires for the vain and foolish things of this life are manifest among us because we seek after the things which are polluted. The love of money and pride are manifest among us because we do not love God. Envy and jealousy indicate that the love of God is not in us. The flesh, which is tender and delicate by reason of frequent bathings and anointings, appeareth in us because we love passions, and because we are the slaves of polluted things. Our mouth is open, and we are never silent, and [we utter] what words we please; whether they are good or bad we pour them out without sparing. We never pay attention to what is written, 'In the multiplicity of words thou canst not escape from sin.' Whilst we are in this condition all is vain, and the garb of the monk cannot benefit us; on the contrary, so long as our hearts are fixed upon these works in this way, only the emptiness of our foolish pleasures will follow us.

17 O monk, put not thy confidence in thy garb, but know that thou art a stranger to the things of heaven, and that thy soul appeareth in a naked condition. But peradventure there will be some one who will say, 'The passions of the body are natural, and the man who becometh a servant unto them is without blame.' Watch carefully, O brother, that thou dost not bring an accusation against thyself. Thou resemblest that which was created by the Good God, and the unnatural things [exist] because of thy wishes and thine acts of carelessness; for all the beings whom God hath created are exceedingly good. He hath adorned their natural persons with beauty, and He hath given unto man suitable needs, and good powers and faculties for labour. Now, according to nature, a man feeleth an hungered, and when he eateth in moderation he is blameless; but if he eateth with gluttonous immoderation he becometh liable to blame. And yet hunger is a natural thing! Similarly, when a man feeleth thirsty, he is blameless, so long as he drinketh in moderation; but if he taketh to drinking and swilling at all times men will blame him. Now thirst is a natural thing, but to be swilling always is unnatural. And if a man sleepeth sufficient to satisfy his natural want he is blameless; but if he sleepeth overmuch there is no credit therein, for he doeth great injury to his own body.

18 He giveth himself into the power of the passion for sleep, and he delivereth himself over to phantasies through careless indifference. If the custom of sleeping overmuch become firmly rooted in him, it will become the master of his natural faculty of sleep. For nature and custom (or, habit) are preachers of two distinct kinds; nature manifesteth itself as a servant, but custom manifesteth itself as an act of deliberate choice, and man standeth between them. The act of deliberate choice is its own master, and it is like unto a husbandman who planteth evil habits in the natural body, as well as the virtues which are excellent, and who planteth what is evil according as it pleaseth him. Thus also is it in the case of hunger, and in the case of thirst likewise. In the matter of thirst [there is] swilling. In the matter of sleep [there is] great destruction [of the body] if the sleep be too heavy. Moreover, in the sight of the eyes [there is] the evil thought, and in truth there is also the habit of theft. And he planteth the virtues which are excellent in a similar manner. Thus in the case of thirst there is patient endurance. In the case of sleep there is the nightly vigil. In the case of theft there is the practice of honesty. In the case of the sight of the eyes there is temperance. Thus the act of deliberate choice is like unto a husbandman.

19 For this act of deliberate choice, by the turning of the eyes, either stablisheth evil habits or planteth the virtues, which are excellent, according as he willeth, and it can overcome nature. For nature is like unto a parcel of ground which is cultivated, and the husbandman thereof is the act of deliberate choice. And Holy Scripture teacheth us and instructeth us what are the evil habits which deserve to be pulled up by their roots, and what are the excellent virtues which it is meet to plant, and to cultivate, so that they may Pö prosper. For the husbandman who knoweth not the power of the Scriptures is himself powerless, and he is also a simpleton, because the law-giving of the Scriptures giveth strength and understanding. It bestoweth the virtues of excellence from its own branches according to rule, it giveth unto him good faith to plant in his unbelieving [soil], and hope when he is in a state of want of confidence (or, incredulity), and love when in a state of hatred, and understanding when in a state of ignorance, and diligence when in a state of carelessness, [and] honour and glory. He Who suffered planted immortality and Godhead in His manhood. And if our husbandman, that is to say, the act of deliberate choice, casteth behind him his Master who teacheth him, that is to say, the Holy Scriptures, he will find himself led astray, and he will come into evil thoughts which will gather round about him evil habits, and he will plant them in his nature, which was not intended to receive them. And these are they: Unbelief, Despair about thyself, Hatred, Envy, Love of vainglory, the Lust of the belly, Luxuriousness, Contradictoriness, Strife, and the things which are like unto these. For these things shall come upon him because he hath forsaken the Law-giver.

20 And [when] he repenteth he must blame himself, and make haste and cast himself down before the Law-giver, and say, shedding tears as he doeth so, 'I have sinned, for I have cast thee behind me.' Then straightway the Law-giver will receive him gladly, in His abundant love for man, and He will give unto him a good understanding, and strength to enable him to work the field of nature once again. He shall remove the evil habits therefrom, and will give unto him the virtues which are chosen and excellent to plant in the place of the evil things, and He will give unto him crowns and honours in abundance. He shall suffer hunger according to nature, but shall endure it with patience; he shall feel desire, but shall be able to resist it (?); sleep shall oppress him heavily, but he shall contend against it during the night of vigil; he will sing unwillingly, but he will open his mouth and bless God with a vigorous voice. They shall give him a crown for this, and at the same time pay him honours; a crown because he strove earnestly and vanquished nature, and honours because he acquired the virtues pia of excellence.

21 Now let us ascribe glory to God because of the love which He hath shewn to man, and let us bless Him, and let us make manifest to all His goodness, and let us cast ourselves down and worship His gracious compassion. For what father would ever shew forth such compassion as this? Or, what father is there who loveth his son in the way wherein the Lord loveth us, who are His servants? He hath graciously bestowed upon us multitudes of gifts, He hath ruled us in majesty, He hath forgiven us in mercy, and He hath healed the wounds of our souls compassionately, and yet we, who are unpardonable, have wholly disregarded Him. He hath shewn long-suffering towards us, and hath not cast us behind Him, for He wisheth to save every one, and to make them cease from their sins, so that they may inherit His kingdom. For He hath in His goodness healed all the sicknesses which have afflicted us. The lazy and inert man He hath made eager and zealous, and

22 He hath made him to learn a few hymns and psalms. The piš sinner He hath urged to repent, and He hath forgiven him, and given him joy of heart in virtue by means of weeping and humility. The weak man He hearkeneth unto very swiftly in order that his courage may not fail him, and upon those who endure patiently He graciously bestoweth the gift of the Spirit, and He giveth honour to them all as the wages of their sufferings. It is quite possible for Him to draw us to Him [on] wings, but He doth not wish to make our act of deliberate choice to become unfruitful. O what a Good God is this God! O what a Lover of man is this God! O how indescribable is this God! And yet we treat Him with contempt and are careless in seeking after Him, our Lord, Who created us, and loved us, and gave Himself for us, and are sluggish in invoking Him! He hath redeemed us, He hath helped us, He hath illumined the eyes of our understanding, He hath set prudence in our hearts, He hath made us to taste the delight of His love, which is sweet at all times. Blessed is the man who shall be filled with His love, and over whom no other wish of the heart hath dominion.

23 Hearken now unto me, O my brethren, my beloved. What wise man is there who would not love such a God as this? Who is there who would not worship Him, and acknowledge Him? I beseech and I entreat you that ye be not careless in ascribing blessing to this merciful God. If we are careless and indifferent, O [my] God-loving [brethren], what apology therefor shall we make in the Day of Judgement, or what shall we say? Shall we say that we did not hear, or that we did not know, or that we had never been informed [about Him]? Woe! Woe! Twofold and manifold shall be the woe that shall come upon us. For He saith, 'Voices are heard in the Valley of Judgement.' And what voices are these, O my brethren, except weeping and gnashing of teeth? What thing is there which our Lord did not do for us when He was in the bosom of His Father? Did not He Who was in the height that is indescribable humble Himself, and come down to us? Did not He Who was invisible make Himself visible for our sakes? Did not the Immortal Word take flesh and taste death for us? Was not He Who payeth honour to every one treated with contempt? Was not He smitten on His face for our sakes, that He might make us free? O how full of terror is this miracle!

24 A hand made of mud, a hand of clay, a hand of dust and ashes, which was fashioned out of the earth, dared to thrust itself into the Face of Christ, Who fashioned the heavens and the earth, and He endured it with humility! And yet we, wretched and miserable creatures that we are, and made of dust and ashes, cannot bear even speech from each other. This God Who was spotless, did not He taste death, and was He not buried in the tomb for our sakes so that He might raise us up? 25 Did not He break the fetters of the Enemy, and bind him, and deliver him over into our hands for us to make a mock of him, and give us the power to trample upon him? When we cried out unto Him, on what day did He not hearken unto us? And if we hesitated a little He was willing to increase our wages. Hearken, O beloved brother, I speak to thee. O monk, tell me wherefore didst thou set thyself apart from the world, if thou seekest again for the pleasant things of the world? Thou wilt neither answer me nor wilt thou be sober. Dost thou not know that thou art invited to tribulations, and afflictions, and hunger, and thirst, and cold, pie and nakedness? Thou art invited, O beloved, to prayings, and nights of vigil, and weepings, and sighings. And yet, O brother, thou goest on amid jestings, and lewdness, and laughter, and thou sparest not thy mouth and thine eyes, and thou lookest not into thy heart.

26 Remember, therefore, that thou hast been invited to a heavenly inheritance, and yet thou behavest like a madman through thy stupidity, and thinkest about the things which belong to earth! But what wilt thou say in the Day of Judgement? Will not the Righteous Judge say unto thee, 'Did I not suffer for thy sake? I suffered hunger for thee, I was thirsty, and they made Me drink vinegar. I was naked on the Cross. I gave My soul for thee.' Were not these words written for thee, O brother? Or dost thou not know that all creation shall stand before the throne of the Christ, and that they all shall be judged on account of everything which they have forgotten, both good and bad? They shall set us in the midst of thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands pie of angels and archangels, and all the saints shall stand round about Him. In that hour thou shalt not be able to lie. Watch carefully, then, O monk, and make not thy judgement to be double upon thee, and thyself to be ashamed of thy evil actions. But I exhort thee to rise up out of sleep, and to cast thy forgetfulness behind thee, and to prepare thyself before the Judgement of God [cometh]. Know thou that it hath drawn nigh, that the day hath turned, and that the hour is at hand. Know too that thou didst see our brethren with us yesterday, and that to-day they are not, for their Lord required them, and they departed. Consider yesterday and to-day, how they have passed away like a pretty flower or like a swift runner; even so are our days, and yet we do not know it. Blessed is the man who shall make himself ready, for he shall receive the life which is for ever!

27 Hearken unto me, O beloved one. Hitherto thou hast been carelessly indifferent, hitherto thou hast occupied thyself with the cares of things material, although this world is only like unto a place wherein to sojourn. Now, however, take good heed, and decide what it is that thou wilt send to heaven before thee. I exhort thee not to depart in a condition of emptiness, but to send a gift on before thee. Send on a prayer full of tears, send on alms and oblations [obtained by] the labours of thy hands, send on nights of vigil [filled] with psalms and hymns, send on belief and truth to the God Who hath loved thee. If thou hast sent on before thee things like unto these then be of good cheer, for thou shalt depart into a place of everlasting rest. If, however, thou hast not sent on before thee any one of the things which I have enumerated, and if …Do not irritate thy brother, and do not treat him arrogantly. And why dost thou take thought beyond measure concerning apparel, and raiment, and food? O brother, thou takest oaths, thou utterest lies, and thou shewest thyself hard and grasping in thy buying and selling; shall not He Who feedeth the birds and the beasts feed thee by His forethought and by the fruit of thy hands? Do not act in this manner, O monk, but take heed that thou mayest become an heir of God; and, if thou wert, wouldst thou then take care for the material things of this world? Thou sayest, in accordance with thy garb, 'I have died to the world,' and then thou lettest thy

28 3 I mind dwell upon the things of the world! Why dost thou deceive thyself alone? Why dost thou make thyself a slave unto thyself? The season for repentance hath been set before thee, [but] thou art careless, and wilt be accused before the Law-giver. Observe now, O thou wretched man, that death shall come suddenly, and what wilt thou say unto him? Wilt thou not say, 'Let me be; take me not now; leave me until I have repented?' Be wise(?), O wretched man, for that hour shall come upon thee like a snare, and thou wilt repent, and wilt say, 'O woe is me! for my days have come to an end without my knowing it. Woe is me! What shall I do? Death hath compassed me round about, and there is no way whereby I may flee from him.' 29 Now therefore, O my beloved, be wise, and pay good heed unto the things which I shall say unto thee. Hearken thou unto what the Lord spake, for He said, 'Even unto the very least word, and the most trivial, a man shall give account of the same in the Day of Judgement.' This is sufficient to bring fear and trembling upon us in the day of the Judgement of the Christ. Is there any man who would not be utterly terror-stricken before the Lord of All, Who crieth out? for he who hearkeneth unto Him ceaseth to exist [forth-with]. He saith, 'The chamber of the marriage feast is prepared; my oxen and my fatted animals are slaughtered, all things are ready. Come ye to the marriage feast. Come ye to the open door. Come ye inside, remain ye not outside. If I shall shut the door there is no one who can open it to you, there is no one who can take inside him that standeth outside.' And after these invitations, and after all these entreaties, there is none who heareth, none who hasteneth [to accept], none who is afraid, but all remain unmoved in heart through [their] vain delusion, for we do not wish to hearken. Let us be prudent. Let us not be careless and become carried away by emptiness. A blessed man is he who hath fled joyfully and hath departed to the Lord, for He shall give him freedom of speech at the true marriage feast.

30 O woe be unto him that is careless! We know that we must of necessity depart, and we know that He will come in power and great glory, and will bestow crowns upon those who have hearkened unto Him, and have worked well, and that He will award punishments to those who have been careless. For, in the middle of the night, when all men are asleep, and are sunk in the deepest slumber, mighty noises shall come from the heavens, and peals of thunder which strike terror [into those who hear them], and lightnings filled with fire, and mighty winds filled with quaking, and those who are asleep shall wake up in a state of great alarm, and terror shall lay hold of them, and fear and dismay shall seize them, when each and every one of them shall remember his own deeds, whether they be evil or whether they be good. Those who have done evil shall burst out into lamentation, and their hearts shall beat wildly, and they shall cry out, saying, 'Woe be unto us! Whither shall we go?' For the earth shall shake under them, the thunders shall strike terror into them, the lightnings of fire shall alarm them, and the winds shall buffet them and shake them violently. There shall be darkness and the blackness of night of the densest kind which shall terrify them utterly, and there shall be no place whereunto they may flee. The fear of death shall stupefy them, and the thought of their sins shall encircle them, and the punishment of the Judgement shall put them to shame.

31 Such are the things which shall come to pass at that hour. A trumpet which striketh terror shall issue a blast in heaven, and the terror thereof shall raise up those who are sleeping in the ends of the earth, and it shall make those who have been dead for ages to stand up. Then the powers of the heavens shall shake, and the foundations of the earth shall totter and shall roar like the seas, and all the elements shall be set pR pRa in violent commotion at the fear of the glory of the Lord. For a terrible fire shall go before Him, and shall purify the earth from the iniquities wherewith it hath been defiled. Amente shall open its gates in fear, and Death shall remove himself and be abolished. Then all the flesh of men who have come into being from the earth, and who have all turned to corruption, shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and they all shall come to life. O what a terrifying miracle will this be! How is it possible in the twinkling of an eye for the dead bodies of all mankind to rise up, and come to life, and stand up to judgement, and cry out in their fear, saying, 'Glory be to Thee, O God, Who hast raised us up from the dead through Thy love for man?'

32 O blessed shall be those who are perfect, and have lived in purity, for they shall be made happy by the sight of the wages of their labours, and the Martyrs who shall be made to wear their crowns, and the Prophets and the Apostles who shall be arrayed in their apparel, and they shall all dwell in glory before the face of the Christ. O blessed shall be those who shall be found worthy of that state of being, for they shall hold intercourse with the angels, and walk with the saints, and converse with God in the uppermost heights amid the clouds of glory, and they shall keep the feast with the Immortal Bridegroom. For as the bird which stretcheth out its wings fliceth up into the heights therewith, even so shall it be with each of them who seeth according to his power. He whose heart is holy seeth the glory of God. And Adam, the first man, shall marvel in that day, and shall say, 'How is it possible that all this great multitude, and these countless nations, can have come forth from my body?' But he will be far more puzzled to know why it is that of this one creation of all mankind, one is in the kingdom [of heaven] and the other in Amente. Glory be unto Thee, Thou Who art alone the Wise God! And further, O brethren, let us remember that terrible place of Judgement.

33 In very truth when I remember it trembling seizeth me, and I become violently alarmed, and I heave sighs, and I weep when I see the Paradise of Joy, and the fiery furnace of Gehenna, and the examination before the throne of the Christ. [When] I see these things I heave a sigh, and my strength faileth me because I have squandered my time with careless indifference, and wasted it in empty talk and thoughts, whereon I have used up my tears, and I never perceived how they were being sacrificed, and how my days were coming to an end; and so my days came to an end without my knowing it, and my sins became very many. 34 Woe be unto me, O my beloved! What shall I do by reason of the shame which shall overwhelm me on the day of the awful Judgement of Truth? At the moment when those who are my friends and acquaintances see me in the garb of monkhood, they will look upon me, and ascribe blessings unto me, not knowing that my inward parts are full of Folk wickedness, and of every kind of uncleanness, and that I ~~pka~~ forgot God, Who trieth the hearts and the reins. O brethren, great indeed will be the shame of that moment, and it will be the greater because it must be submitted to, and there is no escape therefrom. Verily, wretched and miserable shall the man be who shall be cast away on that day in shame. Who is there that shall be able to help him? I adjure Thee, O God, by Thy lovingkindness, Thou Lover of mankind, Thou Good God, place Thou me not on Thy left hand, and cast me not away with the goats, who have provoked Thee to wrath. And say not unto me, 'I know thee not.' But because of Thy great mercy, make me, so long as I remain in the body, continue to weep by day and by night, and to groan over my sins, and do Thou prepare my heart to be a dwelling-place for Thy holy grace. Even though I am a wicked sinner I will not cease to knock at the door of Thy compassion. Even though I am careless I will not desert Thy path, O my God.

35 I beseech you, my brethren, I entreat you, I adjure you, let us weep before Him day and night, with prayers and psalms, in order that we may not fall into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and the sleepless worm, and the shame, and the disgrace, and the Great Judgement, which shall decide [everything], that peradventure, by the compassion of God, He may make us worthy of life everlasting with the saints, in the place wherein there is neither terror nor destruction, the place wherein there is no death, the place wherein there is no war of the Adversary, the place wherein there is neither hatred nor enmity, but everlasting joy and happiness, and the table which is full of the good things of the Spirit of every kind, and is full of the sweetness of righteousness, and the Paradise over which we shall exult, and which we shall inherit for ever and ever.

36 Glory and majesty be to the good and man-loving God, Who hath prepared for us His kingdom for ever and ever! Amen.

VII. Another Epistle of Apa Ephraim to a beloved disciple

1 My beloved in the Lord, before every other thing set humility in thy mouth when thou art ready to make answer, for, forgive me, thou knowest that by humility all the power of the Enemy is brought to naught. And thou knowest the goodness of thy Master, Whom they blasphemed, and how He became humble, and obedient, even unto death. And do thou thyself, my son, set thy humility in thy mouth, and in thy heart, and in thy neck, for there is a commandment which inculcateth humility. Consider David, who boasted himself of his humility, and said, 'Because I humbled myself the Lord delivered me, and He did good unto me.' My son, array thyself in humility, and thou shalt make the virtues of God be with thee. And if, my son, thou art in a state of humility, no passion whatsoever shall have power to draw nigh thee. There is no measure (or, limit) to the beauty of the man who is humble. No passion whatsoever shall be able to draw nigh unto the man who is humble, and there is no measure to his beauty. The humble man is a sacrifice of God. With him that is humble the hearts of God and His angels rest. Moreover, when the angels glorify him, there is the excuse for him that hath produced in himself all virtues; but for him that hath produced humility in himself thou wilt find no excuse whatsoever needed, besides that he hath become humble.

2 My son, these are the virtues of humility. My son, hold thy peace, for it is written, 'He who is wise at that time will hold his peace.' Hold thy peace until thou art asked a question. When they ask thee a question speak, and use humble words, and a humble manner. Do not be wholly mournful. If it (i.e. the question) be too great for thee sit down. Speak not when others are speaking words of depreciation; compel thyself, thou shalt not forget, [and let] thy thoughts [be] 'I have not heard [them].' To all words wherein is profit give thy most earnest attention. For it is Prr written, 'If [thou art] a doer of the word and not a hearer thereof thou deceivest thyself, my son, in the Lord.' I gave thee commandments in thy beginning, do thou keep them in thy youth. Observe what Paul spake. He said, 'Besides, from the time when thou wast a child thou didst know the Holy Scriptures, which have the power to save thee.' Learn thou the whole code of rules of the profession of the monk, and make thyself to be greatly beloved in all thy works. If thou goest to the desert to take up a place therein, thou being a youth, and thou settlest thyself on one which is too great for thee, and God is therein, do not leave it in thy discontent and depart to another. Let that desert whereon thou hast settled be sufficient for thee, lest thou make Him angry. For it is written, 'It is not a little thing against you to provoke men to wrath.' In the desert wherein thou art observe this course of action,

3 and flee not from place to place. Do not cry into [the abode Prg of] a man because of thy belief, nor because of the desire of thy bowels. Have no companionship with a restless and troublesome man, and make thou thyself to continue in thy quiet life, and thou shalt not be in the mouth[s] of the brethren. I beseech thee, my beloved in the Lord, to let thy chief aim be to learn; to hearken (or, obey) will give thee rest. For it is written, 'The profit of instruction is not silver.' Guard thou thyself against the habit of not listening (i. e. disobedience), that the word of Saul be not fulfilled on thee and his generation, for God is more easily persuaded by obedience than by sacrifice. 4 These then are the rules of the profession of the monk. Thou shalt eat with the brethren. Lift not up thy face until thou hast finished eating. Perform thy eating in the apparel wherein thou appearest in public. If thou shouldst happen to be the last man served say not, 'Bring it here, where there sitteth a greater than thou.' When thou wishest to drink from the water-bottle do not let thy throat make a gurgling noise like a layman. When thou art sitting in the midst of the brethren, and phlegm riseth up in thee, do not eject it in the midst of them, but go some distance away, and eject it there. When thou art sleeping in any place with the brethren let not thy person approach them within a cubit. If the work be of a quiet character do not sleep upon a mat, but fold it up, for thou art a young man. Do not sleep stretched out, nor upon thy back, in order that thou mayest not be disturbed by dreams. When thou art walking with the brethren keep some distance from them, for when thou walkest with a brother thou makest thy heart to be idle. If thou art wearing sandals on thy feet, and he who is walking with thee hath none, take off thy sandals, and walk as he is doing, for it is written, 'Suffer.' Do the work of the preacher. Do diligently whilst thou art in thy habitation. Eat not whilst the sun is outside (i. e. on the horizon).

5 Light not a fire for thyself alone, [or] thou wilt become luxurious. But when thou art invited to warm thyself call some poor and miserable man who is with thee in the desert, [send him in thy stead], and thou shalt cause thyself to be praised, saying, 'I could not eat my bread by myself.' If thou art on a mountain, or in a place wherein there is a sick brother, visit him twice daily: in the morning before thou beginnest to work with thy hands, and in the evening. For it is written, my beloved in the Lord, 'I was sick and ye visited Me.' When a brother dieth on the mountain whereon thou art do not sit in thy cell when thou hearest thereof, but go and sit with him, and weep over him. For it is written, 'Weep over a dead man, and walk forth with him until he hath been buried'; for this is the last duty which a man can perform for his brother. Salute his body compassionately, saying, 'Remember me before the Lord.'

6 My son, do thy utmost to observe the things which I have written down for thee, for they all are the rules of the profession of the monk. Let death draw nigh unto thee by day and by night, for thou knowest that him whom thou knowest is he who shall speak unto thee, saying, 'I have never placed it in my heart. My feet are on the threshold, I shall live until I am beyond the threshold of the door.' My son, set thou thy whole mind before God at all times, and let not all these infirm thoughts lead thee out of thy course. Keep always before thy sight the punishments which are to come. Make thyself to resemble God whilst thou art in thy habitation. If a brother come to thee rejoice with him. Salute him. Set water for his feet. Forget not this. Let him pray. Do thou sit down. Salute his hands and his feet. Do not put questions to him, saying, 'Whence comest thou?' For it is written, 'In this way some have received angels in their abode without knowing it.' Believe him that cometh unto thee, even as thou wouldst God. If he be a greater man than thou say unto him very often, 'Let [thy] favour be unto me,' that is to say, 'I regard thee as my master.' Put away thy food, and eat with him. And if thou art in the bond of fasting break it, for it is written, 'My son, I have always shewn myself glad to accompany the man who wished to walk.' Thou shalt rejoice with him, and be glad. Do thine utmost to make him bless thee three times, so that the blessing of the angel who walketh with him may come upon thee.

7 And as regards the Faith itself of the Catholic Church, do not let thyself backslide therein, neither do thou put thyself outside it. We believe in the One God, the Father the Almighty, and in His only-begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord, through Whom the Universe came into being, and in the Holy Spirit, that is to say, in the Blessed Trinity, which is the complete Godhead. He is God, He was in God, He is the Light which came out of Light, He is the Lord out of the Lord. He was produced and was not a creation. He was produced like a man. He was not a created thing, but God. He was produced by the Holy Virgin Mary, the woman who produced God. He took the flesh of men for our sakes, [He came down] to the earth, He rose up therefrom. He chose for Himself preachers, that is to say, the Holy Apostles, whose voices, according to that which is written, have gone forth into all the earth. They crucified Him. They pierced Him with a spear. There came out our salvation, Water and Blood, that is to say, the baptism and the glorious Blood, for unless thou receivest the Blood thou art not baptized.

8 Do thou, my son, keep this faith, and the God of peace shall be with thee, and shall save thee, and deliver thee, and thou shalt be at rest all thy days. Salvation is in the Lord, my beloved son, in the Lord. Remember me, O my beloved one in the Lord, through Jesus the Christ, our Lord, unto Whom belong glory and might for ever and ever! Amen.