The Gospel of Barnabas (71-140)

The Gospel of Barnabas (71-140)

Chapter 71

Jesus having arrived in his own country, it was spread through all the region of Galilee how that Jesus the prophet was come to Nazareth. Whereupon with diligence sought they the sick and brought them to him, beseeching him that he would touch them with his hands. And so great was the multitude that a certain rich man, sick of the palsy, not being able to get himself carried through the door, had himself carried up to the roof of the house in which Jesus was, and having caused the roof to be uncovered, had himself let down by sheets in front of Jesus. Jesus stood for a moment in hesitation, and then he said: “Fear not, brother, for your sins are forgiven you.” Every one was offended hearing this, and they said: “And who is this who forgives sins?”

Then Jesus said: “As God lives, I am not able to forgive sins, nor is any man, but God alone forgives. But as servant of God I can beseech him for the sins of others: and so I have besought him for this sick man, and I am sure that God has heard my prayer. Wherefore, that you may know the truth, I say to this sick man: “In the name of the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham and his sons, rise up healed!”” And when Jesus had said this the sick man rose up healed, and glorified God.

Then the common people besought Jesus that he would beseech God for the sick who stood outside. Whereupon Jesus went out to them, and, having lifted up his hands, said: “Lord God of hosts, the living God, the true God, the holy God, that never will die; having mercy upon them!” Whereupon every one answered: “Amen.”. And this having been said, Jesus laid his hands upon the sick folk, and they all received their health. Thereupon they magnified God, saying: “God has visited us by his prophet, and a great prophet has God sent to us.”

Chapter 72

At night Jesus spoke in secret with his disciples, saying: “Truly I say to you that Satan desires to sift you as wheat; but I have besought God for you, and there shall not perish of you save he that lays snares for me.” And this he said of Judas, because the angel Gabriel said to him how that Judas had hand with the priests, and reported to them all that Jesus spoke.

With tears drew near to Jesus he who writes this saying: “O master, tell me, who is he that should betray you?” Jesus answered, saying: “O Barnabas, this is not the hour for you to know him, but soon will be wicked one reveal himself, because I shall depart from the world.” Then wept the apostles, saying: “O master, wherefore will you forsake us? It is much better that we should die than be forsaken of you!”

Jesus answered: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither be you fearful: for I have not created you, but God our creator who has created you will protect you. As for me, I am now come to the world to prepare the way for the Messenger of God, who shall bring salvation to the world. But beware that you be not deceived, for many false prophets shall come, who shall take my words and contaminate my gospel.”

Then said Andrew: “Master tell us some sign, that we may know him.” Jesus answered: “He will not come in your time, but will come some years after you, when my gospel shall be annulled, insomuch that there shall be scarcely thirty faithful. At that time God will have mercy on the world, and so he will send his Messenger, over whose head will rest a white cloud, whereby he shall be known of one elect of God, and shall be by him manifested to the world. He shall come with great power against the ungodly, and shall destroy idolatry upon the earth. And it rejoices me because that through him our God shall be known and glorified, and I shall be known to be true; and he will execute vengeance against those who shall say that I am more than man.

Truly I say to you that the moon shall minister sleep to him in his boyhood, and when he shall be grown up he shall take her in his hands. Let the world beware of casting him out because he shall slay the idolaters, for many more were slain by Moses, the servant of God, and Joshua, who spared not the cities which they burnt, and slew the children; for to an old wound one applies fire. “He shall come with truth more clear than that of all the prophets, and shall reprove him who use the world amiss. The towers of the city of our father shall greet one another for joy: and so when idolatry shall be seen to fall to the ground and confess me a man like other men, truly I say to you the Messenger of God shall be come.”

Chapter 73

“Truly I say to you, that if Satan shall try whether you be friends of God; because no one assails his own cities if Satan should have his will over you he would suffer you to glide at your own pleasure; but because he knows that you be enemies to him he will do every violence to make you perish. But fear not you, for he will be against you as a dog that is chained, because God has heard my prayer.” John answered: “O master, not only for us, but for them that shall

believe the gospel, tell us how the ancient tempter lays wait for man.”

Jesus answered: “In four ways tempts that wicked one. The first is when he tempts by himself, with thoughts. The second is when he tempts with words and deeds by means of his servants; the third is when he tempts with false doctrine; the fourth is when he tempts with false visions. Now how cautious ought men to be, and all the more according as he has in his favour the flesh of man, which loves sin as he who has fever loves water. Truly I say to you, that if a man fear God he shall have victory over all, as says David his prophet: “God shall give his angels charge over you, who shall keep your ways, so that the devil shall not cause you to stumble. A thousand shall fall on your left hand, and ten thousand on your right hand, so that they shall not come near you.”

“Furthermore, our God with great love promised to us by the same David to keep us, saying: “I give to you understanding, which shall teach you; and in your ways wherein you shall walk I will cause My eye to rest upon you.” “But what shall I say? He has said by Isaiah: “Can a mother forget the child of her womb? But I say to you, that when she forget, I will not forget you.” “Tell me, then, who shall fear Satan, having for guard the angels and for protection the living God? Nevertheless, it is necessary, as says the prophet Solomon, that “You, my son, that are come to fear the Lord, prepare your soul for temptations.” Truly I say to you, that a man ought to do as the banker who examines money, examining his thoughts, that he sin not against God his creator.”

Chapter 74

There have been and are in the world men who hold not thought for sin [and] who are in the greatest error. Tell me, how [did] Satan sin? It is certain that he sinned in the thought he was more worthy than man. Solomon sinned in thinking to invite all the creatures of God to a feast, [so] a fish corrected him by eating all that he had prepared. Not without cause, our father David says, that to ascend in one’s heart sets one in the valley of tears. And why does God cry by his prophet Isaiah, saying: Take away your evil thoughts from my eyes? And to what purpose [does] Solomon say, With all your keeping, keep your heart?”

As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, all [scripture speaks] against the evil thoughts with which sin is committed, for without thinking it is not possible to sin. Now tell me, when the husbandman plants the vineyard does he set the plants deep? Assuredly yes. Satan does [the same]. In planting sin [he] does not stop at the eye or the ear, but passes into the heart, which is God’s dwelling, as Moses his servant, [said]: I will dwell in them, in order that they may walk in my Law.

Now tell me, if Herod the king gave you a house to keep in which he desired to dwell, would you let Pilate, his enemy, enter there or place his goods in it? Surely not. Then how much less ought you let Satan enter into your heart, or place his thoughts [in your heart]. Our God has given you your heart to keep, which is his dwelling.

Observe, therefore, [how] the banker considers [his] money. [He considers] whether the image of Caesar is right, whether the silver is good or false, and whether it is of due weight. He turns it over much in his hand. Ah, mad world! How prudent you are in your business; in the last day you will reprove and judge the servants of God of negligence and carelessness, for without doubt your servants are more prudent than the servants of God. Tell me, now, who is he who examines a thought as the banker a silver coin? No one.”

Chapter 75

Then said James: “O master, how is the examination of a thought like to [that of] a coin?” Jesus answered: “The good silver in the thought is piety, because every impious thought comes of the devil. The right image is the example of the holy ones and prophets, which we ought to follow; and the weight of the thought is the love of God by which all ought to be done. Whereupon the enemy will bring there impious thoughts against your neighbour, [thoughts] conformed to the world, to corrupt the flesh; [thoughts] of earthly love to corrupt the love of God.”

Bartholomew answered: “O master, what ought we to do to think little, in order that we may not !fall into temptation?” Jesus answered: “Two things are necessary for you. The first is to exercise yourselves much, and the second is to talk little: for idleness is a sink wherein is gathered every unclean thought, and too much talking is a sponge which picks up iniquities. It is, therefore, necessary not only your working should hold the body occupied, but also that the soul be occupied with prayer. For it needs never to cease from prayer.

“I tell you for an example: There was a man who paid ill, wherefore none that knew him would go to till his fields. Whereupon he, like a wicked man, said: ‘I will go to the market-place to find idle ones who are doing nothing, and will therefore come to till my vines.’ This man went forth from his house, and found many strangers who were standing in idleness, and had no money. To them he spoke, and led them to his vineyard. But truly none that knew him and had work for his hands went thither.

He is Satan, that one who pays ill; for he gives labour, and man receives for it the eternal fires in his service. Wherefore he has gone forth from paradise, and goes in search of labourers. Assuredly he sets to his labours those who stand in idleness whoever they be, but much more those who do not know him. It is not in any wise enough for any one to know evil in order to escape it, but it behoves to work at good in order to overcome it.”

Chapter 76

I tell you for an example. There was a man who had three vineyards, which he let out to three husbandman. Because the first knew not how to cultivate the vineyard the vineyard brought forth only leaves. The second taught the third how the vines ought to be cultivated; and he most excellently hearkened to his words; and he cultivated his, as he told him, insomuch that the vineyard of the third bore much. But the second left his vineyard uncultivated, spending his time solely in talking. When the time was come for paying the rent to the lord of the vineyard, the first said: “Lord, I know not how your vineyard ought to be cultivated: therefore I have not received any fruit this year.” The lord answered: “O fool, do you dwell alone in the world, that you has not asked counsel of my second vinedresser, who knows well how to cultivate the land? Certain it is that you shall pay me.”

And having said this he condemned him to work in prison until he should pay his lord; who moved with pity at his simplicity liberated him, saying: “Begone, for I will not that you work longer at my vineyard; it is enough for you that I give you your debt.”

The second came, to whom the lord said: “Welcome, my vinedresser! Where are the fruits that you owe me? Assuredly, since you know well how to prune the vines, the vineyard that I let out to you must needs have borne much fruit.” The second answered: “O lord, your vineyard is backward because I have not pruned the wood nor worked up the soil; but the vineyard has not borne fruit, so I cannot pay you.” Whereupon the lord called the third and with wonder said: “You said to me that this man, to whom I let out the second vineyard, taught you perfectly to cultivate the vineyard which I let out to you. How then can it be that the vineyard I let out to him should not have borne fruit, seeing it is all one soil.”

The third answered: “Lord, the vines are not cultivated by talking only, but he needs must sweat a shirt every day who wills to make it bring forth its fruit. And how shall your vineyard of your vinedresser bear fruit, O lord, if he does nothing but waste the time in talking? Sure it is, O lord, that if he had put into practice his own words, [while] I who cannot talk so much have given you the rent for two years, he would have given you the rent of the vineyard for five years.” The lord was wroth, and said with scorn to the vinedresser, “And so you have wrought a great work in not cutting away the wood and levelling the vineyard, wherefore there is owing to you a great reward!” And having called his servants he had him beaten without any mercy. And then he put him into prison under the keeping of a cruel servant who beat him every day, and never was willing to set him free for prayers of his friends.”

Chapter 77

Truly I say to you, that on the day of judgment many shall say to God: “Lord, we have preached and taught by your Law.” Against them even the stones shall cry out, saying: “When you preached to others, with your own tongue you condemned yourselves, O workers of iniquity.” “As God lives,” said Jesus, “he who knows the truth and works the contrary shall be punished with such grievous penalty that Satan shall almost have compassion on him. Tell me, now has our God given us the Law for knowing or for working? Truly I say to you, that all knowledge has for end that wisdom which works all it knows. “Tell me, if one were sitting at table and with his eyes beheld delicate meats, but with his hands should choose unclean things and eat those, would not he be mad?” “Yes, assuredly,” said the disciples.

Then Jesus said: “O mad beyond all madmen are you, O man, that with your understanding know heaven, and with your hands choose earth; with your understanding know God, and with your affection desire the world; with your understanding know the delights of paradise, and with your works choose the miseries of hell. Brave soldier, that leaves the sword and carries the scabbard to fight! Now, know you not that he who walks by night desires light, not only to see the light, but rather to see the good road, in order that he may pass safely to the inn?

O miserable world, to be a thousand times despised and abhorred! since our God by his holy prophets has ever willed to grant it to know the way to go to his country and his rest: but you, wicked one, not only wiliest not to go, but, which is worse, have despised the light! True is the proverb of the camel, that it likes not clear water to drink, because it desires not to see its own ugly face. So does the ungodly who works ill; for he hates the light lest his evil works should be known. But he who receives wisdom, and not only works not well, but, which is worse, employs it for evil, is like to him who should use the gifts as instruments to slay the giver.”

Chapter 78

Truly I say to you, that God had not compassion on the fall of Satan, but yet [had compassion on the fall of Adam;. And let this suffice you to know the unhappy condition of him who knows good and does evil.” Then said Andrew: “O master, it is a good thing to leave learning aside, so as not to fall into such condition.”

Jesus answered: “If the world is good without the sun, man without eyes, and the soul without understanding, then is it good not to know. Truly I say to you, that bread is not so good for the temporal life as is learning for the eternal life. Know you not that it is a precept of God to learn? For thus says God: Ask of your elders, and they shall teach you. And of the Law says God: See that my precept be before your eyes, and when you sit down, and when you walk, and at all times meditate thereon. Whether, then, it is good not to learn, you may now know. Oh, unhappy he who despises wisdom, for he is sure to lose eternal life.”

James answered: “O master, we know that Job learned not from a master, nor Abraham; nevertheless they became holy ones and prophets.” Jesus answered: “Truly I say to you, that he who is of the bridegroom’s house does not need to be invited to the marriage, because he dwells in the house where the marriage is held; but they that are far from the house. Now know you not that the prophets of God are in the house of God’s grace and mercy, and so have the Law of God manifest in them: as David our father says on this matter: The Law of his God is in his heart; therefore his path shall not be digged up.

Truly I say to you that our God in creating man not only created him righteous, but inserted in his heart a light that should show to him that it is fitting to serve God. Wherefore, even if this light be darkened after sin, yet is it not extinguished. For every nation has this desire to serve God, though they have lost God and serve false and lying gods. Accordingly it is necessary that a man be taught of the prophets of God, for they have clear the light to teach the way to go to paradise, our country, by serving God well: just as it is necessary that he who has his eyes diseased should be guided and helped.”

Chapter 79

James answered: “And how shall the prophets teach us if they are dead; and how shall he be taught who has not knowledge of the prophets?” Jesus answered: “Their doctrine is written down, so that it ought to be studied, for [the writing] is to you for a prophet. Truly, truly, I say to you that he who despises the prophecy despises not only the prophet, but despises also God who has sent the prophet. But concerning such as know not the prophet, as are the nations, I tell you that if there shall live in those regions any man who lives as his heart shall show him, not doing to others that which he would not receive from others, and giving to his neighbour that which he would receive from others, such a man shall not be forsaken of the mercy of God.

Wherefore at death, if not sooner, God will show him and give him his Law with mercy. Perhaps you think that God has given the Law for love of the Law? Assuredly this is not true, but rather has God given his Law in order that man might work good for love of God. And so if God shall find a man who for love of him works good, shall he perhaps despise him? No, surely, but rather will he love him more than those to whom he has given the Law.

I tell you for an example: There was a man who had great possessions; and in his territory he had desert land that only bore unfruitful things. And so, as he was walking out one day through such desert land, he found among such unfruitful plants a plant that had delicate fruits. Whereupon this man said: “Now how does this plant here bear these so delicate fruits? Assuredly I will not that it be cut down and put on the fire with the rest.” And having called his servants he made them dig it

up and set it in his garden. Even so, I tell you, that our God shall preserve from the flames of hell those who work righteousness;, wheresoever they be.”

Chapter 80

“Tell me, where dwelt Job but in Uz among idolaters? And at the time of the flood, how writes Moses? Tell me. He says: “Noah truly found grace before God.” Our father Abraham had a father without faith, for he made and worshipped false idols. Lot abode among the most wicked men on earth. Daniel as a child, with Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in such wise that they were but two years old when they were taken; and they

were nurtured among the multitude of idolatrous servants. As God lives, even as the fire burns dry things and converts them into fire, making no difference between olive and cypress and palm; even so our God has mercy on every one that works righteously, making no difference between Jew, Scythian, Greek, or Ishmaelite.

But let not your heart stop there, O James, because where God has sent the prophet it is necessary entirely to deny your own judgment and to follow the prophet, and not to say: ‘Why says he thus? Why does he thus forbid and command?’ But say: ‘Thus God wills. Thus God commands.’ Now what said God to Moses when Israel despised Moses? They have not despised you, but they have despised me. Truly I say to you, that man ought to spend all the time of his life not in learning how to speak or to read, but in learning how to work well. Now tell me, who is that servant of Herod who would not study to please him by serving him with all diligence? Woe to the world that studies only to please a body that is clay and dung, and studies not but forgets the service of God who has made all things, who is blessed for evermore.”

Chapter 81

Tell me, would it have been a great sin of the priests if when they were carrying the ark of the testimony of God they had let it fall to the ground? The disciples trembled hearing this, for they knew that God slew Uzzah for having wrongly touched the ark of God. And they said: “Most grievous would be such a sin.” Then Jesus said: “As God lives, it is a greater sin to forget the word of God, wherewith he made all things, whereby he offers you eternal life.” And having said this Jesus made prayer; and after the prayer he said: “Tomorrow we needs must pass into Samaria;, for so has said to me the holy angel of God.”

Early on the morning of a certain day, Jesus arrived near the well which Jacob made and gave to Joseph his son. Whereupon Jesus being wearied with the journey, sent his disciples to the city to buy food. And so he sat himself down by the well, upon the stone of the well. And, lo, a woman of Samaria comes to the well to draw water. Jesus says to the woman: “Give me to drink.” The woman answered: “Now, are you not ashamed that you, being an Hebrew, ask drink of me which am a Samaritan woman?” Jesus answered: “O woman, if you knew who he is that asks you for drink, perhaps you would have asked of him for drink.” The woman answered: “Now how should you give me to drink, seeing you have no vessel to draw the water, nor rope, and the well is deep?”

Jesus answered: “O woman, whoever drinks of the water of this well, thirst comes to him again, but whosoever drinks of the water that I give has thirst no more; but to them that have thirst give they to drink, insomuch that they come to eternal life.” Then said the woman: “O Lord, give me of this your water.” Jesus answered: “Go call your husband, and to both of you I will give to drink.” The woman said: “I have no husband.” Jesus answered: “Well have you said the truth, for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband.”

The woman was confounded hearing this, and said: “Lord, hereby perceive I that you are a prophet; therefore tell me, I pray: the Hebrews make prayer on mount Sion in the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, and say that there and nowhere else [men] find grace and mercy of God. And our people worship on these mountains, and say that only on the mountains of Samaria ought worship to be made. Who are the true worshippers?”

Chapter 82

Then Jesus gave a sigh and wept, saying: “Woe to you, Judea, for you glory, saying: “The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord,” and live as though there were no God; given over wholly to the pleasures and gains of the world; for this woman in the day of judgment shall condemn you to hell; for this woman seeks to know how to find grace and mercy before God.”

And turning to the woman he said: “O woman, you Samaritans worship that which you know not, but we Hebrews worship that which we know. Truly, I say to you, that God is spirit and truth, and so in spirit and in truth must he be worshipped. For the promise of God was made in Jerusalem, in the Temple of Solomon, and not elsewhere. But believe me, a time will come that God will give his mercy in another city, and in every place it will be possible to worship him in truth. And God in

every place will have accepted true prayer with mercy.

The woman answered: “We look for the Messiah; when he comes he will teach us.” Jesus answered: “Know you, woman, that the Messiah must come?” *She answered: “Yes, Lord.” Then Jesus rejoiced, and said: “So far as I see, O woman, you are faithful: know therefore that in the faith of the Messiah shall be saved every one that is elect of God; therefore it is necessary that you know the coming of the Messiah;.” The woman said: “O Lord, perhaps you are the Messiah.” Jesus answered: “I am indeed sent to the House of Israel as a prophet of salvation; but after me shall come the Messiah, sent of God to all the world; for whom God has made the world.

And then through all the world will God be worshipped, and mercy received, insomuch that the year of jubilee, which now comes every hundred years, shall by the Messiah be reduced to every year in every place.” Then the woman left her waterpot and ran to the city to announce all that she had heard from Jesus.

Chapter 83

Whilst the woman was talking with Jesus came his disciples, and marvelled that Jesus was speaking so with a woman. Yet no one said to him: “Why speak you thus with a Samaritan woman;?” Whereupon, when the woman was departed, they said: “Master, come and eat.” Jesus answered: “I must eat other food.”

Then said the disciples one to another: “Perhaps some wayfarer has spoken with Jesus and has gone to find him food.” And they questioned him who writes this ;- , saying: “Has there been any one here, O Barnabas, who might have brought food to the master?” Then answered he who writes: “There has not been here any other than the woman whom you saw, who brought this empty vessel to fill it with water.” Then the disciples stood amazed, awaiting the issue of the words of Jesus. Whereupon Jesus said: “You know not that the true food is to do the will of God; because it is not bread that sustains man and gives him life, but rather the word of God, by his will. And so for this reason the holy angels eat not, but live nourished only by the will of God. And thus we, Moses and Elijah and yet another, have been forty days and forty nights; without any food.”

And lifting up his eyes, Jesus said: “How far off is the harvest;?” The disciples answered: “Three months.” Jesus said: “Look now, how the mountain is white with corn; truly I say to you, that today there is a great harvest ;to be reaped.” And then he pointed to the multitude who had come to see him. For the woman having entered into the city had moved all the city, saying: “O men, come and see a new prophet sent of God to the House of Israel”; and she recounted to them all that she had heard from Jesus. When they were come thither they besought Jesus to abide with them; and he entered into the city and abode there two days, healing all the sick, and teaching concerning the kingdom of God;. *Then said the citizens to the woman: “We believe more in his words and miracles than we do in what you said; for he is indeed a holy one of God, a prophet sent for the salvation of those that shall believe on him.”

After the prayer of midnight; the disciples came near to Jesus, and he said to them: “This night shall be in the time of the Messiah, Messenger of God, the jubilee every year that now comes every hundred years. Therefore I will not that we sleep, but let us make prayer, bowing our head a hundred times, doing reverence to our God, mighty and merciful, who is blessed for evermore, and therefore each time let us say: “I confess you our God alone, that has not had beginning, nor shall ever have end; for by your mercy gave you to all things their beginning, and by your justice you shall give to all an end; that has no likeness among men, because in your infinite goodness you are not subject to motion nor to any accident. Have mercy on us, for you have created us, and we are the works of your hand.””

Chapter 84

Having made the prayer, Jesus said: “Let us give thanks to God because he has given to us this night great mercy; for that he has made to come back the time that needs must pass in the night, in that we have made prayer in union with the Messenger of God. And I have heard his voice.” The disciples rejoiced greatly at hearing this, and said: “Master, teach us some precepts this night.” Then Jesus said: “Have you ever seen dung mixed with balsam?” They answered: “No, Lord, for no one is so mad as to do this thing.”

“Now I tell you that there be in the world greater madmen, said Jesus, “because with the service of God they mingle the service of the world. So much so that many of blameless life have been deceived of Satan, and while praying have mingled with their prayer worldly business, whereupon they have become at that time abominable in the sight of God. Tell me, when you wash yourselves for prayer, do you take care that no unclean thing touch you? Yes, assuredly. But what do you when you are making prayer? You wash your soul from sins through the mercy of God. Would you be willing then, while you are making prayer, to speak of worldly things? Take care not to do so, for every worldly word becomes dung of the devil upon the soul of him that speaks.”

Then the disciples trembled, because he spoke with vehemence of spirit; and they said: “O master, what shall we do if when we are making prayer a friend shall come to speak to us?” Jesus answered: “Suffer him to wait, and finish the prayer.” Bartholomew said;: “But what if he shall be offended and go his way, when he see that we speak not with him?” Jesus answered: “If he shall be offended, believe me he will not be a friend of yours nor a believer, but rather an unbeliever and a companion of Satan. Tell me, if you went to speak with a stable boy of Herod;, and found him speaking into Herod’s ears, would you be offended if he made you to wait?’ No,

assuredly; but you would be comforted at seeing your friend in favour with the king. Is this true?” said Jesus.

The disciples answered: “It is most true.” Then Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, that every one when he prays speaks with God. Is it then right that you should leave speaking with God in order to speak with man? Is it right that your friend should for this cause be offended, because you have more reverence for God than for him? Believe me that if he shall be offended when you make him wait, he is a good servant of the evil. For this desires the devil, that God should be forsaken for man. As God lives, in every good work he that fears God ought to separate himself from the works of the world, so as not to corrupt the good work.”

Chapter 85

“When a man works ill or talks ill, if one go to correct him, and hinder such work, what does such an one?” said Jesus. The disciples answered: “He does well, because he serves God, who always seeks to hinder evil, even as the sun that always seeks to chase away the darkness.” Jesus said: “And I tell you on the contrary that when one works well or, speaks well, whosoever seeks to hinder him, under pretext of aught that is not better, he serves the devil, no, he even becomes his companion. For the devil attends to nought else but to hinder every good thing. “But what shall I say to you now? I will say to you as said Solomon ;the prophet, holy one, and friend of God: “Of a thousand whom you know, one be your friend.”

Then said Matthew: “Then shall we not be able to love any one.” Jesus answered: “Truly I say to you, that it is not lawful for you to hate anything save only sin: insomuch that you cannot hate even Satan as creature of God, but rather as enemy of God. Know you wherefore? I will tell you; because he is a creature of God, and all that God has created is good and perfect. Accordingly, whoever hates the creature hates also the creator. But the friend is a singular thing, that is not easily found, but is easily lost. For the friend will not suffer contradiction against him whom he supremely loves. Beware, be you cautious, and choose not for friend one who loves not him whom you love. Know you what friend means? Friend means nothing but physician of the soul;.

And so, just as one rarely finds a good physician who knows the sicknesses and understands to apply the medicines thereto, so also are friends rare who know the faults and understand how to guide to good. But herein is an evil, that there are many who have friends that feign not to see the faults of their friend; others excuse them; others defend them under earthly pretext; and, what is worse, there are friends who invite and aid their friend to err, whose end shall be like to their villainy. Beware that you receive not such men for friends, for that in truth they are enemies and slayers of the soul.

Chapter 86

“Let your friend be such that, even as he wills to correct you, so he may receive correction; and even as he wills that you should leave all things for love of God, even so again it may content him that you forsake him for the service of God. “But tell me, if a man know not how to love God how shall he know how to love himself; and how shall he know how to love others, not knowing how to love himself? Assuredly this is impossible. Therefore when you choose you one for friend (for truly he is supremely poor who has no friend at all), see that you consider first, not his fine lineage, not his fine family, not his fine house, not his fine clothing, not his fine person, nor yet his fine words, for you shall be easily deceived.

But look how he fears God, how he despises earthly things, how he loves good works, and above all how he hates his own flesh, and so shall you easily find the true friend: if he above all things shall fear God, and shall despise the vanities of the world; if he shall be always occupied in good works, and shall hate his own body as a cruel enemy. Nor yet shall you love such a friend in such wise that your love stay in him, for [so] shall you be an idolater. But love him as a gift that God has given you, for so shall God adorn [him] with greater favour. Truly I say to you, that he who has found a true friend has found one of the delights of paradise; no, such is the key of paradise.”

Thaddaeus answered: “But if perhaps a man shall have a friend who is not such as you have said, O master? What ought he to do? Ought he to forsake him?” Jesus answered: “He ought to do as the mariner does with the ship, who sails it so long as he perceives it to be profitable, but when he sees it to be a loss forsakes it. So shall you do with your friend that is worse than you: in those things wherein he is an offence to you, leave him if you would not be left of the mercy of God.”

Chapter 87

“Woe to the world because of offences. It needs must be that the offence come, because all the world lies in wickedness. But yet woe to that man through whom the offence comes. It were better for the man if he should have a millstone about his neck and should be sunk in the depths of the sea than that he should offend his neighbour. If your eye be an offence to you, pluck it out. For it is better that you go with one eye only into paradise than with both of them into hell. If your hand or your foot offend you, do likewise; for it is better that you go into the kingdom of heaven with one foot or with one hand, than with two hands and two feet go into hell.”

Simon, called Peter: said “Lord, how must I do this? Certain it is that in a short time I shall be dismembered.” Jesus answered: “O Peter, put off fleshly prudence and straightway you shall find the truth. For he that teaches you is your eye, and he that helps you to work is your foot, and he that ministers aught to you is your hand. Wherefore when such are to you an occasion of sin leave them; for it is better for you to go into paradise ignorant, with few works, and poor, than to go into hell wise, with great works, and rich. Everything that may hinder you from serving God, cast it from you as a man casts away everything that hinders his sight.”

And having said this, Jesus called Peter close to him, and said to him: * “If your brother shall sin against you, go and correct him. If he amend, rejoice, for you have gained your brother; but if he shall not amend go and call afresh two witnesses and correct him afresh; and if he shall not amend, go and tell it to the church; and if he shall not then amend, count him for an unbeliever, and therefore you shall not dwell under the same roof whereunder he dwells, you shall not eat at the same table whereat he sits, and you shall not speak with him; insomuch that if you know where he sets his foot in walking you shall not set your foot there.”

Chapter 88

“But beware that you hold not yourself for better; rather shall you say thus: “Peter, Peter, if God helped you not with his grace you would be worse than he.” Peter answered: “How must I correct him?” Jesus answered: “In the way that you yourself would fain be corrected And as you would fain be borne with, so bear with others. Believe me, Peter, for truly I say to you that every time you shall correct your brother with mercy you shall receive mercy of God, and your words shall bear some fruit; but if you shall do it with rigour, you shall be rigorously punished by the justice of God, and shall bear no fruit.

Tell me, Peter: Those earthen pots wherein the poor cook their food they wash them, perhaps, with stones and iron hammers? No, assuredly; but rather with hot water. Vessels are broken in pieces with iron, things of wood are burned with fire; but man is amended with mercy. Wherefore, when you shall correct your brother you shall say to yourself: “If God help me not, I shall do tomorrow worse than all that he has done today.” Peter answered: “How many times must I forgive my brother, O master?” Jesus answered: “As many times as you would fain be forgiven by him.”

Peter said: “Seven times a day?” Jesus answered: “Not only seven, but seventy times seven you shall forgive him every day; for he that forgives, to him shall it be forgiven, and he that condemns shall be condemned.” Then said he who writes this: “Woe to princes! for they shall go to hell” Jesus reproved him, saying: “You are become foolish, O Barnabas. in that you have spoken thus. Truly I say to you, that the bath is not so necessary for the body, the bit for the horse, and the tiller for the ship, as the prince is necessary for the state. And for what cause did God give Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, and Solomon, and so many others who passed judgment? To such has God given the sword for the extirpation of iniquity.”

Then said he who writes this: “Now, how ought judgment to be given, condemning and pardoning?” Jesus answered: “Not every one is a judge: for to the judge alone it appertains to condemn others, O Barnabas. And the judge ought to condemn the guilty, even as the father commands a putrefied member to be cut off from his son, in order that the whole body may not become putrefied.”

Chapter 89

Peter said: “How long must I wait for my brother to repent?” Jesus answered: “So long as you would be waited for.” Peter answered: “Not every one will understand this; wherefore speak to us more plainly.” Jesus answered: “Wait for your brother as long as God waits for him.” “Neither will they understand this,” said Peter. Jesus answered: “Wait for him so long as he has time to repent.”

Then was Peter sad, and the others also, because they understood not the meaning. Whereupon Jesus answered: “If you had sound understanding, and knew that you yourselves were sinners, you would not think ever to cut off your heart from mercy to the sinner. And so I tell you plainly, that the sinner ought to be waited for that he may repent, so long as he has a soul beneath his teeth to breathe. For so does our God wait for him, the mighty and merciful. God said not: “In that hour that the sinner shall fast, do alms, make prayer, and go on pilgrimage, I will forgive him.” Wherefore this have many accomplished, and are damned eternally. But he said: “In that hour that the sinner shall bewail his sins, I for my part will not remember any more his iniquities.” Do you understand?” said Jesus.

The disciples answered: “Part we understand, and part not.” Jesus said: “Which is the part that you understand not?” They answered: “That many who have made prayer with fastings are damned.” Then Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, that the hypocrites and the Gentiles make more prayers, more alms, and more fasts than do the friends of God. But because they have not faith, they are not able to repent for love of God, and so they are damned.” Then said John: “Teach us, for love of God, of the faith.” Jesus answered: “It is time that we say the prayer of the dawn.” Whereupon they arose, and having washed themselves made prayer to our God, who is blessed for evermore.

Chapter 90

When the prayer was done, his disciples again drew near to Jesus, and he opened his mouth and said: Draw near, John, for today will I speak to you of all that you have asked. Faith is a seal whereby God seals his elect: which seal he gave to his Messenger, at whose hands every one that is elect has received the faith. For even as God is one, so is the faith one. Wherefore God, having created before all things his Messenger, gave to him before aught else the faith which is as it were a likeness of God and of all that God has done and said. And so the faithful by faith sees all things, better than one sees with his eyes; because the eyes can err; no they do almost always err; but faith errs never, for it has for foundation God and his word. Believe me that by faith are saved all the elect of God. And it is certain that without faith it is impossible for any one to please God.

Wherefore Satan seeks not to bring to nothing fastings and prayer, alms and pilgrimages, no rather he incites unbelievers thereto, for he takes pleasure in seeing man work without receiving pay. But he takes pains with all diligence to bring faith to nought, wherefore faith ought especially to be guarded with diligence, and the safest course will be to abandon the “Wherefore,” seeing that the “Wherefore” drove men out of Paradise and changed Satan from a most beautiful angel into a horrible devil.”

Then said John: “Now, how shall we abandon the “Wherefore,” seeing that it is the gate of knowledge?” Jesus answered: “No, rather the “Wherefore” is the gate of hell.” Thereupon John kept silence, when Jesus added: “When you know that God has said a thing, who are you, O man, that you should say, “Wherefore have you so said, O God: wherefore have you so done?” Shall the earthen vessel, perhaps, say to its maker: “Wherefore have you made me to hold water and not to contain balsam?” Truly I say to you, it is necessary against every temptation to strengthen yourself with this word, saying “God has so said”; “So has God done”; “God so wills”; for so doing you shall live safely.”

Chapter 91

At this time there was a great disturbance throughout Judea because of Jesus. The Roman soldiery, through the operation of Satan, [had] stirred up the Hebrews, saying that Jesus was God come to visit them. So great [was the] sedition [that] arose, that near the Forty Days all Judea was in arms, such that the son was against the father, and the brother against the brother. Some said that Jesus was God come to the world; others said: ‘No, but he is a son of God’; and others said: ‘No, for God has no human similitude, and therefore does not beget sons; but Jesus of Nazareth is a prophet of God.’ This [sedition] arose because of the great miracles which Jesus did.

To quiet the people, it was necessary that the high-priest should ride in procession, clothed in his priestly robes, with the holy name of God, the teta gramaton (sic), on his forehead, and the governor Pilate, and Herod rode in a similar manner. Then, three armies assembled in Mizpeh, each one of two hundred thousand men that bare sword. Herod spoke to them, but they were not quietened. Then the governor and the high-priest spoke, saying: “Brothers, this war [has been] aroused by the work of Satan, for Jesus is alive, and we ought to resort to him, and ask him to give testimony of himself, and then believe him, according to his word.”

So at this everyone was quieted; and having laid down their arms they all embraced one another, saying to one another: ‘Forgive me, brother!’ *On that day, therefore, every one laid this in his heart, to believe [whatever] Jesus said. The governor and the high-priest offered great rewards to whoever should come [forward and] announce where Jesus was to be found.

Chapter 92

At this time, by the word of the holy angel, we, [had] gone to Mount Sinai with Jesus. There Jesus [and] his disciples kept the forty days.

When this was past, Jesus drew near to the river Jordan, to go to Jerusalem. And he was seen by one of them who believed Jesus to be God. Then, crying with great gladness [over and over] “Our God comes!” he reached the city [and] moved the whole city saying: Our God comes, O Jerusalem; prepare you to receive him! And he testified that he had seen Jesus near to [the] Jordan.

Then everyone, small and great, went out from the city to see Jesus, so that the city was left empty, for the women [carried] their children in their arms, and forgot to take food to eat. When they [saw] this, the governor and the high-priest rode forth and sent a messenger to Herod, who [also] rode forth to find Jesus, in order to quiten the sedition of the people. For two days they sought him in the wilderness near to [the] Jordan, and the third day they found him, near the hour of midday, when he (with his disciples) was purifying himself for prayer, according to the Book of Moses.

Jesus marvelled greatly, seeing the multitude which covered the ground with people, and [he] said to his disciples: “Perhaps Satan has raised sedition in Judea. May it please God to take away from Satan the dominion which he has over sinners.” And when he had said this, the crowd drew near, and when they knew him they began to cry out: “Welcome to you, O our God!” and they began to do him reverence, as to God. Jesus gave a great groan and said: “Get from before me, O madmen, for I fear [that] the earth shall open and devour me with you for your abominable words!” At this the people were filled with terror and began to weep.

Chapter 93

Then Jesus, having lifted his hand in token of silence, said: “Truly you have erred greatly, O Israelites, in calling me, a man, your God. And I fear that God may for this give heavy plague upon the holy city, handing it over in servitude to strangers;. O a thousand times accursed Satan, that has moved you to this!”

And having said this, Jesus smote his face with both his hands, whereupon arose such a noise of weeping that none could hear what Jesus was saying. Whereupon once more he lifted up his hand in token of silence;, and the people being quieted from their weeping, he spoke once more: ”

I confess before heaven, and I call to witness everything that dwells upon the earth, that I am a stranger to all that you have said; seeing that I am man, born of mortal woman, subject to the judgment of God, suffering the miseries of eating and sleeping, of cold and heat, like other men. Whereupon when God shall come to judge, my words like a sword shall pierce each one [of them] that believe me to be more than man.” And having said this, Jesus saw a great multitude of horsemen, whereby he perceived that there were coming the governor with Herod and the high-priest. Then Jesus said: “Perhaps they also are become mad.”

When the governor arrived there, with Herod and the priest, every one dismounted, and they made a circle round about Jesus, insomuch that the soldiery could not keep back the people that were desirous to hear Jesus speaking with the priest. Jesus drew near to the priest with reverence, but he was wishful to bow himself down and worship Jesus, when Jesus cried out: “Beware of that which you do, priest of the living God! Sin not against our God!”

The priest answered: “Now is Judea so greatly moved over your signs and your teaching that they cry out that you are God; wherefore, constrained by the people, I am come here with the Roman governor and king Herod. We pray you therefore from our heart, that you will be content to remove the sedition which is arisen on your account. For some say you are God, some say you are son of God, and some say you are a prophet.”

Jesus answered: “And you, O high priest of God, why have you not quieted this sedition? Are you also perhaps, gone out of your mind? Have the prophecies, with the Law of God, so passed into oblivion, O wretched Judea, deceived of Satan!”

Chapter 94

And having said this, Jesus said again: “I confess before heaven, and call to witness everything that dwells upon the earth, that I am a stranger to all that men have said of me, to wit, that I am more than man. For I am a man, born of a woman, subject to the judgment of God; that live here like as other men, subject to the common miseries. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, you have greatly sinned, O priest, in saying what you have said. May it please God that there come not upon the holy city great vengeance for this sin.” Then said the priest: “May God pardon us, and do you pray for us. Then said the governor and Herod: “Sir, it is impossible that man should do that which you do; wherefore we understand not that which you say.

Jesus answered: “That which you say is true, for God works good in man, even as Satan works evil. For man is like a shop, wherein whoever enters with his consent works and sells therein. But tell me, O governor, and you O king, you say this because you are strangers to our Law: for if you read the testament and covenant of our God you would see that Moses with a rod made the water turn into blood, the dust into fleas, the dew into tempest, and the light into darkness. He made the frogs and mice to come into Egypt;, which covered the ground, he slew the first-born, and opened the sea, wherein he drowned Pharaoh;. Of these things I have wrought none.

And of Moses, every one confesses that he is a dead man at this present. Joshua made the sun to stand still, and opened the Jordan, which I have not yet done. And of Joshua every one confesses that he is a dead man at this present. Elijah made fire to come visibly down from heaven, and rain, which I have not done. And of Elijah every one confesses that he is a man. And [in like manner] very many other prophets, holy men, friends of God, who in the power of God have wrought things which cannot be grasped by the minds of those who know not our God, almighty and merciful, who is blessed for evermore.”

Chapter 95

Accordingly the governor and the priest and the king prayed Jesus that in order to quiet the people he should mount up into a lofty place and speak to the people. Then went up Jesus on to one of the twelve stones which Joshua made the twelve tribes take up from the midst of Jordan;, when all Israel passed over there dry shod; and he said with a loud voice: “Let our priest go up into a high place whence he may confirm my words.” Thereupon the priest went up thither; to whom Jesus said distinctly, so that everyone might hear: “It is written in the testament and covenant of the living God that our God has no beginning, neither shall he ever have an end.” The priest answered: “Even so is it written therein.”

Jesus said: “It is written there that our God by his word alone has created all things.” “Even so it is,” said the priest. Jesus said: “It is written there that God is invisible and hidden from the mind of man, seeing he is incorporeal and uncomposed, without variableness.” “So is it, truly” said the priest. Jesus said: “It is written there how that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, seeing that our God is infinite.” “So said Solomon the prophet,” said the priest, “O Jesus.” Jesus said: “It is written there that God has no need, forasmuch as he eats not, sleeps not,; and suffers not from any deficiency.” “So is it,” said the priest.

Jesus said: “It is written there that our God is everywhere, and that there is not any other god but he, who strikes down and makes whole, and does all that pleases him.” “So is it written,” replied the priest. Then Jesus, having lifted up his hands, said: “Lord our God, this is my faith wherewith I shall come to your judgment: in testimony against every one that shall believe the contrary.”

And turning himself towards the people, he said: “Repent, for from all that of which the priest has said that it is written in the Book of Moses, the covenant of God for ever, you may perceive your sin; for. that I am a visible man and a morsel of clay that walks upon the earth, mortal as are other men. And I have had a beginning, and shall have an end, and [am] such that I cannot create a fly over again.”

Thereupon the people raised their voices weeping, and said: “We have sinned, Lord our God, against you; have mercy upon us. And they prayed Jesus, every one, that he would pray for the safety of the holy city, that our God in his anger should not give it over to be trodden down of the nations. Thereupon Jesus, having lifted up his hands, prayed for the holy city and for the people of God, every one crying: “So be it,” “Amen.”

Chapter 96

When the prayer was ended, the priest said with a loud voice: “Stay, Jesus, for we need to know who you are, for the quieting of our nation.” Jesus answered: “I am Jesus, son of Mary, of the seed of David, a man that is mortal and fears God, and I seek that to God be given honour and glory.”

The priest answered: “In the Book of Moses it is written that our God must send us the Messiah, who shall come to announce to us that which God wills, and shall bring to the world the mercy of God. Therefore I pray you tell us the truth, are you the Messiah of God whom we expect?”

Jesus answered: “It is true that God has so promised, but indeed I am not he, for he is made before me, and shall come after me.” The priest answered: “By your words and signs at any rate we believe you to be a prophet and an holy one of God, wherefore I pray you in the name of all Judea and Israel that you for love of God should tell us in what wise the Messiah will come.

Chapter 97

Jesus answered: “As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Messiah whom all the tribes of the earth expect, even as God promised to our father Abraham, saying: “In your seed will I bless all the tribes of the earth.” But when God shall take me away from the world, Satan will raise again this accursed sedition, by making the impious believe that I am God and son of God, whence my words and my doctrine shall be contaminated, insomuch that scarcely shall there remain thirty faithful ones: whereupon God will have mercy upon the world, and will send his Messenger for whom he has made all things who shall come from the south with power, and shall destroy the idols with the idolaters who shall take away the dominion from Satan which he has over men. He shallbring with him the mercy of God for salvation of them that shall believe in him, and blessed is he who shall believe his words.

“Unworthy though I am to untie his hosen, I have received grace and mercy from God to see him.” Then answered the priest, with the governor and the king, saying: “Distress not yourself, O Jesus, holy one of God, because in our time shall not this sedition be any more, seeing that we will write to the sacred Roman senate in such wise that by imperial decree none shall any more call you God or son of God.” Then Jesus said: “With your words I am not consoled, because where you hope for light darkness shall come; but my consolation is in the coming of the Messenger, who shall destroy every false opinion of me, and his faith shall spread and shall take

hold of the whole world, for so has God promised to Abraham our father. And that which gives me consolation is that his faith shall have no end, but shall be kept inviolate by God.”

The priest answered: “After the coming of the Messenger of God shall other prophets come?” Jesus answered: “There shall not come after him true prophets sent by God, but there shall come a great number of false prophets, whereat I sorrow. For Satan shall raise them up by the just judgment of God, and they shall hide themselves under the pretext of my gospel.” Herod answered: “How is it a just judgment of God that such impious men should come?”

Jesus answered: “It is just that he who will not believe in the truth to his salvation should believe in a lie to his damnation. Wherefore I say to you, that the world has ever despised the true prophets and loved the false, as can be seen in the time of Micaiah and Jeremiah. For every like loves his like.”

Then said the priest: “How shall the Messiah be called, and what sign shall reveal his coming?” Jesus answered: “The name of the Messiah is admirable, for God himself gave him the name when he had created his soul, and placed it in a celestial splendour. God said: “Wait Muhammad; for your sake I will to create paradise, the world, and a great multitude of creatures, whereof I make you a present, insomuch that whoever shall bless you shall be blessed, and whoever shall curse you shall be accursed. When I shall send you into the world I shall send you as my Messenger of salvation, and your word shall be true, insomuch that heaven and earth shall fail, but your faith shall never fail.” Muhammad is his blessed name.” Then the crowd lifted up their voices, saying: “O God send us your Messenger: O Muhammad, come quickly for the salvation of the world!”

Chapter 98

And having said this, the multitude departed with the priest and the governor with Herod, having great disputations concerning Jesus and concerning his doctrine. Whereupon the priest prayed the governor to write to Rome to the senate the whole matter; which thing the governor did; wherefore the senate had compassion on Israel, and decreed that on pain of death none should call Jesus the Nazarene, prophet of the Jews, either God or son of God. Which decree was posted up in the Temple, engraved upon copper.

When the greater part of the crowd had departed, there remained about five thousand men, without women and children who being wearied by the journey, having been two days without bread, for that through longing to see Jesus they had forgotten to bring any, whereupon they ate raw herbs therefore they were not able to depart like the others. Then Jesus, when he perceived this, had pity on them, and said to Philip: “Where shall we find bread for them that they perish not of hunger?” Philip answered: “Lord, two hundred pieces of gold could not buy so much bread that each one should taste a little.” Then said Andrew: “There is here a child which has five loaves and two fishes, but what will it be among so many?”

Jesus answered: “Make the multitude sit down” And they sat down upon the grass by fifties and by forties. Thereupon said Jesus: “In the name of God!” And he took the bread, and prayed to God and then brake the bread, which he gave to the disciples, and the disciples gave it to the multitude; and so did they with the fishes. Every one ate and every one was satisfied. Then Jesus said: “Gather up that which is over.” So the disciples gathered those fragments, and filled twelve baskets.

Thereupon every one put his hand to his eyes, saying: “Am I awake, or do I dream?” And they remained, every one, for the space of an hour. as it were beside themselves by reason of the great miracle. Afterwards Jesus, when he had given thanks to God, dismissed them, but there were seventy-two men that willed not to leave him; wherefore Jesus, perceiving their faith, chose them for disciples.

Chapter 99

Jesus, having withdrawn into a hollow part of the desert in Tiro near to Jordan, called together the seventy-two with the twelve, and, when he had seated himself upon a stone, made them to sit near him. And he opened his mouth with a sigh and said: “This day have we seen a great wickedness in Judea and in Israel such that my heart trembles within my breast for fear of God. Truly I say to you, that God is jealous for his honour, and loves Israel as a lover. You know that when a youth loves a lady, and she does not love him, but another, he is moved to indignation and slays his rival. Even so, I tell you, does God: for, when Israel has loved anything such that he forgets God, God has brought such a thing to nothing.

Now what thing is more dear to God here on earth than the priesthood and the holy Temple? Nevertheless, in the time of Jeremiah the prophet, when the people had forgotten God, and boasted only of the Temple, for that there was none like it in all the world, God raised up his wrath by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and with an army caused him to take the holy city and burn it with the sacred Temple, such that the sacred things which the prophets of God trembled to touch were trodden under foot by infidels full of wickedness.

Abraham loved his son Ishmael a little more than was right, so in order to kill that evil love out of the heart of Abraham, God commanded that he should slay his son: which he would have done had the knife cut. * David loved Absalom vehemently, and therefore God brought it to pass that the son rebelled against his father and was suspended by his hair and slain by Joab. O fearful judgment of God, that Absalom loved his hair above all things, and this was turned into a rope to hang him!

Innocent Job came near to loving his seven sons and three daughters [too much], when God gave him into the hand of Satan, who not only deprived him of his sons and his riches in one day, but also struck him with grievous sickness, such that worms came out of his flesh for the next seven years. Our father Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, so God caused him to be sold, and caused Jacob to be deceived by these same sons, such that he believed that the beasts had devoured his son, and so lived in mourning for ten years.

Chapter 100

As God lives, brothers, I fear that God will be angered against me. Therefore you must go through Judea and Israel, preaching the truth to the twelve tribes, that they may be undeceived.” The disciples answered with fear, weeping: “We will do whatever you bid us [to do].”

Then Jesus said: “Let us make prayer and fast for three days, and from henceforth every evening when the first star shall appear, when prayer is made to God, let us make prayer three times, asking him for mercy three times: because the sin of Israel is three times more grievous than other sins.” “So be it,” answered the disciples.

When the third day was ended, on the morning of the fourth day, Jesus called together all the disciples and apostles and said to them: “Barnabas and John will stay with me: you others are to go through all the region of Samaria and Judea and Israel, preaching penitence: because the axe is laid near to the tree, to cut it down. And make prayer over the sick, because God has given me authority over every sickness.”

Then he who writes said: “O Master, if your disciples be asked how they ought to show penitence, what shall they answer?” Jesus answered: “When a man loses a purse does he turn back only his eye, to see it? or his hand, to take it? or his tongue, to ask? No, but he turns his whole body back and employs every power of hissoul to find it. Is this true?” Then he who writes answered : “It is most true.”

Chapter 101

Then Jesus said: “Penitence is a reversing of the evil life: for every sense must be turned around to the contrary of that which it wrought while sinning. Instead of delight must be mourning; for laughter, weeping; for revellings, fasts; for sleeping, vigils; for leisure, activity; for lust, chastity; let storytelling be turned into prayer and avarice into almsgiving.” Then he who writes answered: “But if they are asked, how are we to mourn, how are we to weep, how are we to fast, how are we to show activity, how are we to remain chaste, how are we to make prayer and do alms; what answer shall they give? And how shall they do penance properly if they do not know how to repent.”

Jesus answered: “You have asked [a good question], O Barnabas, and I wish to answer all fully if it is pleasing to God. So today I will speak to you of penitence generally, and that which I say to one I say to all. Know then that penitence more than anything [else] must be done for pure love of God; otherwise it will be vain to repent. I will speak to you by a similitude. Every building, if its foundation be removed, falls into ruin: is this true?” “It is true,” answered the disciples.

Then Jesus said: “The foundation of our salvation is God, without whom there is no salvation. When man has sinned, he has lost the foundation of his salvation; so it is necessary to begin from the foundation. Tell me, if your slaves had offended you, and you knew that they did not grieve at having offended you, but grieved at having lost their reward, would you forgive them? Certainly not. I tell you that this is what God will do to those who repent for having lost paradise. Satan, the enemy of all good, has great remorse for having lost paradise and gained hell. Yet he will he never find mercy. Do you know why? Because he does not love God; no, he hates his Creator.

Chapter 102

Truly I say to you, that every animal according to its own nature, if it loses that which it desires, mourns for the lost good. Accordingly, the sinner who will be truly penitent must have [a] great desire to punish in himself that which he has done in opposition to his Creator: [to the extent that] when he prays he dare not to crave paradise from God, or that God [will] free him from hell, but in confusion of mind, prostrate before God, he says in his prayer:

‘Behold the guilty one, O Lord, who has offended You without any cause at the very time when he ought to have been serving You. Here he seeks that what he has done may be punished by Your hand, and not by the hand of Satan, Your enemy; in order that the ungodly may not rejoice over your creatures. Chastise, punish as it pleases you, O Lord, for you will never give me so much torment as this wicked one deserves.’

The sinner, holding to this manner of [penitence], will find mercy with God in proportion to [the extent that] he craves justice. Assuredly, [the] laughter of a sinner is an abominable sacrilege since this world is rightly called by our father David a vale of tears.

There was a king who adopted one of his slaves as [his] son [and] he made him lord of all that he possessed. Now it happened that by the deceit of a wicked man the wretched one fell under the displeasure of the king, so that he suffered great miseries, not only in his substance, but in being despised, and being deprived of all that he won each day by working. Do you think that such a man would laugh for any time?” “No,” answered the disciples, “for if the king should have known it he would have had him slain, seeing him laugh at the king’s displeasure. But it is probable that he would weep day and night.”

Then Jesus wept saying: “Woe to the world, for it is sure of eternal torment. O wretched mankind, that God has chosen you as a son, granting you paradise, at which you, O wretched one, by the operation of Satan, did fall under the displeasure of God, and was cast out of paradise and condemned to the unclean world, where you receive all things with toil and every good work is taken from you by continual sinning. And the world simply laughs, and, what is worse, he that is the greatest sinner laughs more than the rest! It will be, therefore, as you have said: that God will give the sentence of eternal death upon the sinner who laughs at his sins and does not weep.”

Chapter 103

The weeping of the sinner ought to be like that of a father who weeps over his son [who is] near to death. O madness of man, that weeps over the body from which the soul is departed, and [yet] does not weep over the soul from which the mercy of God has departed because of sin! Tell me, if the mariner, when his ship has been wrecked by a storm, could recover all that he had lost by weeping, what would he do? It is certain that he would weep bitterly. But I say to you truly, that in every thing [for which] a man weeps, he sins, except when he weeps for his sin. For every misery that comes to man comes to him from God for his salvation, so that he should rejoice [when it befalls him]. But sin comes from the devil for the damnation of man, and [yet] man is not sad about that. Surely here you can perceive that man seeks loss and not profit.”

Bartholomew said: “Lord, what shall he do who cannot weep because his heart is a stranger to weeping? ” Jesus answered: “Not all those who shed tears weep, O Bartholomew. As God lives, there are found men from whose eyes no tear has ever fallen, and they have wept more than a thousand of those who [do] shed tears. The weeping of a sinner is a consumption of earthly affection by vehemence of sorrow.

Just as the sunshine preserves from putrefaction what is placed uppermost, even so this consumption preserves the soul from sin. If God should grant as many tears to the true penitent as the sea has waters he would desire far more: and so that desire consumes that little drop that he would shed, as a blazing furnace consumes a drop of water. But they who readily burst into weeping are like the horse that goes faster the more lightly he is laden.

Chapter 104

‘Truly there are men who have both the inward affection and the outward tears. But he who is thus, will be a Jeremiah. In weeping, God measures more the sorrow than the tears.’ Then said John: “O master, how does man lose in weeping over things other than sin?” Jesus answered: ‘If Herod; should give you a mantle to keep for him, and afterwards should take it away from you, would you have reason to weep?’

“No,” said John. Then Jesus said: ‘Now has man less reason to weep when he loses aught, or has not that which he would; for all comes from the hand of God. Accordingly, shall not God have power to dispose at his pleasure of his own things, O foolish man? For you have of your own, sin alone; and for that ought you to weep, and not for aught else.’

Matthew said: “O master, you have confessed before all Judea that God has no similitude like man, and now you have said that man receives from the hand of God; accordingly, since God has hands he has a similitude with man.” Jesus answered: ‘You are in error, O Matthew, and many have so erred, not knowing the sense of the words. For man ought to consider not the outward [form] of the words, but the sense; seeing that human speech is as it were an interpreter between us and God. Now knew you not, that when God willed to speak to our fathers on mount Sinai, our fathers cried out: “Speak you to us, O Moses, and let not God speak to us, lest we die”? And what said God by Isaiah the prophet, but that, so far as the heaven is distant from the earth, even so are the ways of God distant from the ways of men, and the thoughts of God from the thoughts of men?

Chapter 105

‘God is so immeasurable that I tremble to describe him. But it is necessary that I make to you a proposition. I tell you, then, that the heavens are nine and that they are distant from one another even as the first heaven is distant from the earth, which is distant from the earth five hundred years’ journey. Wherefore the earth is distant from the highest heaven four thousand and five hundred years’ journey. I tell you, accordingly, that [the earth] is in proportion to the first heaven as the point of a needle and the first heaven in like manner is in proportion to the second as a point, and similarly all the heavens are inferior each one to the next. But all the size of the earth with that of all the heavens is in proportion to paradise as a point, no, as a grain of sand. Is this greatness immeasurable?’

The disciples answered: ‘Yes, surely.’

Then Jesus said: ‘As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the universe before God is small as a grain of sand, and God is as many times greater [than it] as it would take grains of sand to fill all the heavens and paradise, and more. Now consider you if God has any proportion with man, who is a little piece of clay that stands upon the earth. Beware, then, that you take the sense and not the bare words, if you wish to have eternal life.’ The disciples answered: ‘God alone can know himself, and truly it is as said Isaiah the prophet: “He is hidden from human senses.”

Jesus answered: ‘So is it true; wherefore, when we are in paradise we shall know God, as here one knows the sea from a drop of salt water. Returning to my discourse, I tell you that for sin alone one ought to weep, because by sinning man forsakes his Creator. But how shall he weep who attends at revellings and feasts? He will weep even as ice will give fire! You needs must turn revellings into fasts if you will have lordship over your senses, because even so has our God lordship. Thaddaeus said: ‘So then, God has sense over which to have lordship.’

Jesus answered: ‘Go you back to saying, “God has this,” “God is such”? Tell me, has man sense?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the disciples. Jesus said: ‘Can a man be found who has life in him, yet in him sense works not?’ ‘No,’ said the disciples. ‘You deceive yourselves,’ said Jesus, ‘for he that is blind, deaf, dumb, and mutilated-where is his sense? And when a man is in a swoon?’ Then were the disciples perplexed; when Jesus said: ‘Three things there are that make up man: that is, the soul and the sense and the flesh, each one of itself separate. Our God created the soul and the body as you have heard, but you have not yet heard how he created the sense. Therefore to-morrow, if God please, I will tell you all.’ And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God, and prayed for the salvation of our people, every one of us saying: ‘Amen.’

Chapter 106

When he had finished the prayer of dawn, Jesus sat down under a palm tree, and thither his disciples drew near to him. Then Jesus said: ‘As God lives, in whose presence stands my soul, many are deceived concerning our life. For so closely are the soul and the sense joined together, that the more part of men affirm the soul and the sense to be one and the same thing, dividing it by operation and not by essence, calling it the sensitive, vegetative, and intellectual soul. But truly I say to you, the soul is one, which thinks and lives. O foolish ones, where will they find the intellectual soul without life? Assuredly, never. But life without senses will readily be found, as is seen in the unconscious when the sense leaves him.’ Thaddaeus answered: “O master, when the sense leaves the life, a man does not have life.”

Jesus answered: “This is not true, because man is deprived of life when the soul departs; because the soul returns not any more to the body, save by miracle. But sense departs by reason of fear that it receives, or by reason of great sorrow that the soul has. For the sense has God created for pleasure, and by that alone it lives, even as the body lives by food and the soul lives by knowledge and love. This sense is now rebellious against the soul, through indignation that it has at being deprived of the pleasure of paradise through sin. Wherefore there is the greatest need to nourish it with spiritual pleasure for him who wills not that it should live of carnal pleasure. Understand you? Truly I say to you, that God having created it condemned it to hell and to intolerable snow and ice; because it said that it was God; but when he deprived it of nourishment, taking away its food from it, it confessed that it was a slave of God and the work of his hands. And now tell me, how does sense work in the ungodly? Assuredly, it is as God in them: seeing that they follow sense, forsaking reason and the Law of God. Whereupon they become abominable, and work not any good.”

Chapter 107

‘And so the first thing that follows sorrow for sin is fasting. For he that sees that a certain food makes him sick, for that he fears death, after sorrowing that he has eaten it, forsaken it, so as not to make himself sick. So ought the sinner to do. Perceiving that pleasure has made him to sin against God his creator by following sense in these good things of the world, let him sorrow at having done so, because it deprives him of God, his life, and gives him the eternal death of hell. But because man while living has need to take these good things of the world, fasting is needful here. So let him proceed to mortify sense and to know God for his lord. And when he sees the sense abhor fastings, let him put before it the condition of hell, where no pleasure at all but infinite sorrow is received; let him put before it the delights of paradise, that are so great that a grain of one of the delights of paradise is greater than all those of the world. For so will it easily be quieted; for that it is better to be content with little in order to receive much, than to be unbridled in little and be deprived of all and abide in torment.

‘You ought to remember the rich feaster in order to fast well. For he, wishing here on earth to fare deliciously every day, was deprived eternally of a single drop of water: while Lazarus, being content with crumbs here on earth, shall live eternally in full abundance of the delights of paradise. But let the penitent be cautious; for that Satan seeks to annul every good work, and more in the penitent than in others, for that the penitent has rebelled against him, and from being his faithful slave has turned into a rebellious foe. Whereupon Satan will seek to cause that he shall not fast in any wise, under pretext of sickness, and when this shall not avail he will invite him to an extreme fast, in order that he may fall sick and afterwards live deliciously. And if he succeed not in this, he will seek to make him set his fast simply upon bodily food, in order that he may be like to himself, who never eats but always sins.

As God lives, it is abominable to deprive the body of food and fill the soul with pride, despising them that fast not, and holding oneself better than they. Tell me, will the sick man boast of the diet that is imposed on him by the physician, and call them mad who are not put on diet? Assuredly not. But he will sorrow for the sickness by reason of which he needs must be put upon diet. Even so I say to you, that the penitent ought not to boast in his fast, and despise them that fast not; but he ought to sorrow for the sin by reason whereof he fasts. Nor should the penitent that fasts procure delicate food, but he should content himself with coarse food. Now will a man give delicate food to the dog that bites and to the horse that kicks? No, surely, but rather the contrary. And let this suffice you concerning fasting.’

Chapter 108

Hearken, then, to what I shall say to you concerning watching. For just as there are two kinds of sleeping, viz. that of the body and that of the soul, even so must you be careful in watching that while the body watches the soul sleep not. For this would be a most grievous error. Tell me, in parable: there is a man who whilst walking strikes himself against a rock, and in order to avoid striking it the more with his foot, he strikes with his head what is the state of such a man?’ “Miserable,” answered the disciples, “for such a man is frenzied.”

Then Jesus said: “Well have you answered, for truly I say to you that he who watches with the body and sleeps with the soul is frenzied. As the spiritual infirmity is more grievous than the corporeal, even so is it more difficult to cure. Wherefore, shall such a wretched one boast of not sleeping with the body, which is the foot of the life, while he perceives not his misery that he sleeps with the soul, which is the head of the life? The sleep of the soul is forgetfulness of God and of his fearful judgment. The soul, then, that watches is that which in everything and in every place perceives God, and in everything and through everything and above everything gives thanks to his majesty, knowing that always at every moment it receives grace and mercy from God.

Wherefore in fear of his majesty there always resounds in its ear that angelic utterance “Creatures, come to judgment, for your Creator wills to judge you.” For it abides habitually ever in the service of God. * Tell me, whether do you desire the more: to see by the light of a star or by the light of the sun?” Andrew answered: “By the light of the sun; for by the light of the star we cannot see the neighbouring mountains, and by the light of the sun we see the tiniest grain of sand. Wherefore we walk with fear by the light of the star, but by the light of the sun we go securely.”

Chapter 109

Jesus answered: “Even so I tell you that you ought to watch with the soul by the sun of justice [which is] our God, and not to boast yourselves of the watchings of the body. It is most true, therefore, that bodily sleep is to be avoided as much as is possible, but [to avoid it] altogether is impossible, the sense and the flesh being weighed down with food and the mind with business. Wherefore let him that will sleep little avoid too much business and much food. As God lives, in whose presence stands my soul, it is lawful to sleep somewhat every night, but it is never lawful to forget God and his fearful judgment: and the sleep of the soul is such oblivion.”

Then answered he who writes: “O master, how can we always have God in memory? Assuredly, it seems to us impossible. Jesus said, with a sigh: “This is the greatest misery that man can suffer, O Barnabas. For man cannot here upon earth have God his creator always in memory; saving them that are holy, for they always have God in memory, because they have in them the light of the grace of God, so that they cannot forget God. But tell me, have you seen them that work quarried stones, how by their constant practice they have so learned to strike that they speak with others and all the time are striking the iron tool that works the stone without looking at the iron, and yet they do not strike their hands? Now do you likewise.

Desire to be holy if you wish to overcome entirely this misery of forgetfulness. Sure it is that water cleaves the hardest rocks with a single drop striking there for a long period. Do you know why you have not overcome this misery? Because you have not perceived that it is sin. I tell you then that it is an error, when a prince gives you a present, O man, that you shouldst shut your eyes and turn your back upon him. Even so do they err who forget God, for at all times man receives from God gifts and mercy.”

Chapter 110

Now tell me, does our God at all times grant you [his bounty]? Yes, assuredly; for unceasingly he ministers to you the breath whereby you live. Truly, truly, I say to you, every time that your body receives breath your heart ought to say: “God be thanked!”‘ Then said John: “it is most true what you say, O master; teach us therefore the way to attain to this blessed condition.”

Jesus answered: “Truly I say to you, one cannot attain to such condition by human powers, but rather by the mercy of God our Lord. It is true indeed that man ought to desire the good in order that God may give it him. Tell me, when you are at table do you take those meats which you would not so much as look at? No, assuredly. Even so I say to you that you shall not receive that which you will not desire. God is able, if you desire holiness, to make you holy in less time than the twinkling of an eye, but in order that man may be sensible of the gift and the giver our God wills that we should wait and ask.

Have you seen them that practice shooting at a mark? Assuredly they shoot many times in vain. Howbeit, they never wish to shoot in vain, but are always in hope to hit the mark. Now do you this, you who ever desire to have our God in remembrance, and when you forget, mourn; for God shall give you grace to attain to all that I have said. Fasting and spiritual watching are so united one with the other that, if one break the watch, straightway the fast is broken. For in sinning a man breaks the fast of the soul, and forgets God. So is it that watching and fasting as regards the soul are always necessary for us and for all men. For to none is it lawful to sin.

But the fasting of the body and its watchings, believe me, they are not possible at all times, nor for all persons. For there are sick and aged folk, women with child, men that are put upon diet, children, and others that are of weak complexion. For indeed everyone, even as he clothes himself according to his proper measure, so should choose his [manner of] fasting. For just as the garments of a child are not suitable for a man of thirty years, even so the watchings and fastings of one are not suitable for another.”

Chapter 111

‘But beware that Satan will use all his strength [to bring it to pass] that you [shall] watch during the night, and afterward be sleeping when by commandment of God you ought to be praying and listening to the word of God. Tell me, would it please you if a friend of yours should eat the meat and give you the bones?” Peter answered: “No, master, for such an one ought not to be called friend, but a mocker.”

Jesus answered with a sigh: “You have well said the truth, O Peter, for truly every one that watches with the body more than is necessary, sleeping, or having his head weighed down with slumber when he should be praying or listening to the words of God, such a wretch mocks God his creator, and so is guilty of such a sin. Moreover, he is a robber, seeing that he steals the time that he ought to give to God, and spends it when, and as much as, pleases him.

In a vessel of the best wine a man gave his enemies to drink so long as the wine was at its best, but when the wine came down to the dregs he gave to his lord to drink. What, think you, will the master do to his servant when he shall know all, and the servant be before him? Assuredly, he will beat him and slay him in righteous indignation according to the laws of the world. And now what shall God do to the man that spends the best of his time in business, and the worst in prayer and study of the Law? Woe to the world, because with this and with greater sin is its heart weighed down! Accordingly, when I said to you that laughter should be turned into weeping, feasts into fasting, and sleep into watching, I compassed in three words all that you have heard that here on earth one ought always to weep, and that weeping should be from the heart, because God our creator is offended; that you ought to fast in order to have lordship over the sense, and to watch in order not to sin; and that bodily weeping and bodily fasting and watching should be taken according to the constitution of each one.”

Chapter 112

Having said this, Jesus said: “You needs must seek of the fruits of the field the wherewithal to sustain our life, for it is now eight days that we have eaten no bread. Wherefore I will pray to our God, and will await you with Barnabas.”

So all the disciples and apostles departed by fours and by sixes and went their way according to the word of Jesus. There remained with Jesus he who writes; whereupon Jesus, weeping, said: “O Barnabas, it is necessary that I should reveal to you great secrets, which, after that I shall be departed from the world, you shall reveal to it.” Then answered he that writes, weeping, and said: “Suffer me to weep, O master, and other men also, for that we are sinners. And you, that are an holy one and prophet of God, it is not fitting for you to weep so much.”

Jesus answered: “Believe me, Barnabas that I cannot weep as much as I ought. For if men had not called me God, I should have seen God here as he will be seen in paradise, and should have been safe not to fear the day of judgment. But God knows that I am innocent, because never have I harboured thought to be held more than a poor slave. No, I tell you that if I had not been called God I should have been carried into paradise when I shall depart from the world, whereas now I shall not go thither until the judgment. Now you see if I have cause to weep.

Know, O Barnabas, that for this I must have great persecution, and shall be sold by one of my disciples for thirty pieces of money. Whereupon I am sure that he who shall sell me shall be slain in my name, for that God shall take me up from the earth, and shall change the appearance of the traitor so that every one shall believe him to be me; nevertheless, when he dies an evil death, I shall abide in that dishonour for a long time in the world. But when Muhammad shall come, the sacred Messenger of God, that infamy shall be taken away. And this shall God do because I have confessed the truth of the Messiah who shall give me this reward, that I shall be known to be alive and to be a stranger to that death of infamy.”

Then answered he that writes: “O master, tell me who is that wretch, for I fain would choke him to death.” “Hold your peace,” answered Jesus, “for so God wills, and he cannot do otherwise but see you that when my mother is afflicted at such an event you tell her the truth, in order that she may be comforted.” Then answered he who writes: “All this will I do, O master, if God please.”

Chapter 113

When the disciples were come they brought pine-cones, and by the will of God they found a good quantity of dates. So after the midday prayer they ate with Jesus. Whereupon the apostles and disciples, seeing him that writes of sad countenance, feared that Jesus needs must quickly depart from the world. Whereupon Jesus consoled them, saying: “Fear not, for my hour is not yet come that I should depart from you. I shall abide with you still for a little while. Therefore must I teach you now, in order that you may go, as I have said, through all Israel to preach penitence; in order that God may have mercy upon the sin of Israel. Let every one therefore beware of sloth, and much more he that does penance; because every tree that bears not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.

There was a citizen who had a vineyard, and in the midst thereof had a garden, which had a fine fig-tree; whereon for three years when the owner came he found no fruit, and seeing every other tree bare fruit there he said to his vinedresser: “Cut down this bad tree, for it cumbers the ground.” The vinedresser answered: “Not so, my lord, for it is a beautiful tree.” “Hold your peace,” said the owner, “for I care not for useless beauties. You should know that the palm and the balsam are nobler than the fig. But I had planted in the courtyard of my house a plant of palm and one of balsam, which I had surrounded with costly walls, but when these bare no fruit, but leaves which heaped themselves up and putrefied the ground in front of the house, I caused them both to be removed. And how shall I pardon a fig-tree far from the house, which cumbers my garden and my vineyard where every other tree bears fruit? Assuredly I will not suffer it any longer.”

Then said the vinedresser: “Lord, the soil is too rich. Wait, therefore, one year more, for I will prune the fig-plant’s branches, and take away from it the richness of the soil, putting in poor soil with stones, and so shall it bear fruit.” The owner answered: “Now go and do so; for I will wait, and the fig-plant shall bear fruit.” Understand you this parable?” The disciples answered: “No, Lord, therefore explain it to us.”

Chapter 114

Jesus answered: “Truly I say to you, the owner is God, and the vinedresser is his Law. God, then, had in paradise the palm and the balsam; for Satan is the palm and the first man the balsam. Then did he cast out because they bare not fruit of good works, but uttered ungodly words that were the condemnation of many angels and many men. Now that God has man in the world, in the midst of his creatures that serve God, all of them, according to his precept: and man, I say, bearing no fruit, God would cut him down and commit him to hell, seeing he pardoned not the angel and the first man, punishing the angel eternally, and the man for a time.

Whereupon the Law of God says that man has too much good in this life, and so it is necessary that he should suffer tribulation and be deprived of earthly goods, in order that he may do good works. Therefore our God waits for man to be penitent. Truly I say to you, that our God has condemned man to work, so that, as said Job, the friend and prophet of God: “As the bird is born to fly and the fish to swim, even so is man born to work.” So also David our father, a prophet of God, says: Eating the labours of our hands we shall be blessed, and it shall be well with us. Wherefore let every one work, according to his quality. Now tell me, if David our father and Solomon his son worked with their hands, what ought the sinner to do?”

Said John: “Master, to work is a fitting thing, but this ought the poor to do.” Jesus answered: “Yes, for they cannot do otherwise. But know you not that good, to be good, must be free from necessity? Thus the sun and the other planets are strengthened by the precepts of God so that they cannot do otherwise, wherefore they shall have no merit. Tell me, when God gave the precept to work, he said not: “A poor man shall live of the sweat of his face”? And Job did not say that: “As a bird is born to fly, so a poor man is born to work”? But God said to man: “In the sweat of your countenance shall you eat bread,” and Job that “Man is born to work.” Therefore [only] he who is not man is free from this precept. Assuredly for no other reason are all things costly, but that there are a great multitude of idle folk: if these were to labour, some attending the ground and some at fishing the water, there would be the greatest plenty in the world. And of the lack thereof it will be necessary to render an account in the dreadful day of judgment.

Chapter 115

Let man say somewhat to me. What has he brought into the world, by reason of which he would live in idleness? Certain it is that he was born naked, and incapable of anything. Hence, of all that he has found, he is not the owner, but the dispenser. And he will have to render an account thereof in that dreadful day.

The abominable lust, that makes man like the brute beasts, ought greatly to be feared; for the enemy is of one’s own household, so that it is not possible to go into any place where your enemy may not come. Ah, how many have perished through lust! Through lust came the deluge, insomuch that the world perished before the mercy of God and so that there were saved only Noah and eighty-three human persons. For lust God overwhelmed three wicked cities whence escaped only Lot and his two children. For lust the tribe of Benjamin was all but extinguished. And I tell you truly that if I should narrate to you how many have perished through lust, the space of five days would not suffice.” James answered: “O Master, what signifies lust?”

Jesus answered: “Lust is an unbridled desire of love, which, not being directed by reason, bursts the bounds of man’s intellect and affections; so that the man, not knowing himself, loves that which he ought to hate. Believe me, when a man loves a thing, not because God has given him such thing, but as its owner, he is a fornicator; for that the soul, which ought to abide in union with God its creator, he has united with the creature. And so God laments by Isaiah the prophet, saying: You have committed fornication with many lovers; nevertheless, return to me and I will receive you.

As God lives in whose presence my soul stands, if there were not internal lust within the heart of man, he would not fall into the external; for if the root be removed the tree dies speedily. Let a man content himself therefore with the wife whom his creator has given him, and let him forget every other woman.” Andrew answered: “How shall a man forget the women if he live in the city where there are so many of them?” Jesus replied: “O Andrew, certain it is he who lives in the city, it will do him harm; seeing that the city is a sponge that draws in every iniquity.

Chapter 116

It behoves a man to live in the city, even as the soldier lives when he has enemies around the fortress, defending himself against every assault and always fearing treachery on the part of the citizens. Even so, I say, let him repel every outward enticement of sin, and fear the sense, because it has a supreme desire for things impure. But how shall he defend himself if he bridle not the eye, which is the origin of every carnal sin? As God lives in whose presence my soul stands, he who has not bodily eyes is secure not to receive punishment save only to the third degree, while he that has eyes receives it to the seventh degree.

In the time of the prophet Elijah it came to pass that Elijah seeing a blind man weeping, a man of good life, asked him saying: “Why weep you, O brother?” The blind man answered: “I weep because I cannot see Elijah the prophet, the holy one of God.”. Then Elijah rebuked him, saying: “Cease from weeping, O man, for in weeping you sin.” The blind man answered: “Now tell me, is it a sin to see a holy prophet of God, that raises the dead and makes the fire to come down from heaven?” Elijah answered: “You speak not the truth, for Elijah is not able to do anything of all that you say, because he is a man as you are. For all the men in the world cannot make one fly to be born.” Said the blind man: “You say this, O man, because Elijah must have rebuked you for some sin of your, wherefore you hate him.”

Elijah answered: “May it please God that you be speaking the truth; because, O brother, if I should hate Elijah I should love God, and the more I should hate Elijah the more I should love God.” Hereupon was the blind man greatly angered, and said: “As God lives, you are an impious fellow! Can God then be loved while one hates the prophets of God? Begone forthwith, for I will not listen to you any longer!” Elijah answered: “Brother, now may you see with your intellect how evil is bodily seeing. For you desire sight to see Elijah, and hate Elijah with your soul.” The blind man answered: “Now begone’ for you are the devil, that would make me sin against the holy one of God.”

Then Elijah gave a sigh, and said with tears: “You have spoken the truth, O brother, for my flesh, which you desire to see, separates you from God.” Said the blind man: “I do not wish to see you; no, if I had my eyes, I would close them so as not to see you?” Then said Elijah: “Know, brother, that I am Elijah!” The blind man answered: “You speak not the truth.” Then said the disciples of Elijah: “Brother, he truly is the prophet of God, Elijah.” ” Let him tell me,” said the blind man, “if he be the prophet. Of what seed I am, and how I became blind?”

Chapter 117

Elijah answered: “You are of the tribe of Levi; and because you, in entering the Temple of God, looks lewdly upon a woman, you being near the sanctuary, our God took away your sight.” Then the blind man weeping said: “Pardon me, O holy prophet of God, for I have sinned in speaking with you; for if I had seen you I should not have sinned.”

Elijah answered: “May our God pardon you, O brother, because as regards me I know that you have told me the truth, seeing that the more I hate myself the more I love God, and if you saw me you would still your desire, which is not pleasing to God. For Elijah is not your creator, but God; whence, so far as concerns you, I am the devil,” said Elijah weeping, “because I turn you aside from your creator. Weep then, O brother, because you have not that light which would make you see the true from the false, for if you had had that you would not have despised my doctrine. Wherefore I say to you, that many desire to see me and come from far to see me, who despise my words. Wherefore it were better for them, for their salvation, that they had no eyes, seeing that everyone that finds pleasure in the creature, be he who he may, and seeks not to find pleasure in God, has made an idol in his heart, and forsaken God.” Then Jesus said, sighing: “Have you understood all that Elijah said?” The disciples answered: “In truth, we have understood, and we are beside ourselves at the knowledge that here on earth there are very few that are not idolaters.”

Chapter 118

Then Jesus said: “You speak the truth, for now was Israel desirous to establish the idolatry that they have in their hearts, in holding me for God, many of whom have now despised my teaching, saying that I could make myself lord of all Judea, if I confessed myself to be God, and that I am mad to wish to live in poverty among desert places, and not abide continually among princes in delicate living. Oh hapless man, that prizes the light that is common to flies and ants and despises the light that is common only to angels and prophets and holy friends of God!

If, then, the eye shall not be guarded, O Andrew, I tell you that it is impossible not to fall headlong into lust. Wherefore Jeremiah the prophet, weeping vehemently, said truly: “My eye is a thief that robs my soul.” For therefore did David our father pray with greatest longing to God our Lord that he would turn away his eyes in order that he might not behold vanity. For truly everything which has an end is vain. Tell me, then, if one had two pence to buy bread, would he spend it to buy smoke? Assuredly not, seeing that smoke does hurt to the eyes and gives no sustenance to the body. Even so then let man do, for with the outward sight of his eyes and the inward sight of his mind he should seek to know God his creator and the good pleasure of his will, and should not make the creature his end, which causes him to lose the creator.

Chapter 119

For truly every time that a man beholds a thing and forgets God who has made it for man, he has sinned. For if a friend of yours should give you somewhat to keep in memory of him, and you should sell it and forget your friend, you have offended against your friend. Even so does man; for when he beholds the creature and has not in memory the creator, who for love of man has created it, he sins against God his creator by ingratitude.

He therefore who shall behold women and shall forget God who for the good of man created woman, he will love her and desire her. And to such degree will this lust of his break forth, that he will love everything like to the thing loved: so that hence comes that sin of which it is a shame to have memory. If, then, man shall put a bridle upon his eyes, he shall be lord of the sense, which cannot desire that which is not presented to it. For so shall the flesh be subject to the spirit. Because as the ship cannot move without wind, so the flesh without the sense cannot sin.

That thereafter it would be necessary for the penitent to turn story-telling into prayer, reason itself shows, even if it were not also a precept of God. For in every idle word man sins, and our God blots out sin by reason of prayer. For that prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defence of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith, prayer, is the bridle of sense; prayer is the salt of the flesh that suffers it not to be corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands of our life, whereby the man that prays shall defend himself in the day of judgment: for he shall keep his soul from sin here on earth, and shall preserve his heart that it be not touched by evil desires; offending Satan because he shall keep his sense within the Law of God, and his flesh shall walk in righteousness;, receiving from God all that he shall ask.

As God lives, in whose presence we are, a man without prayer can no more be a man of good works than a dumb man can plead his cause to a blind one; than fistula can be healed without unguent; a man defend himself without movement; or attack another without weapons, sail without rudder, or preserve dead flesh without salt;. For truly he who has no hand cannot receive. If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar;, what would he do?

Then, Jesus being silent, the disciples answered: “No one would exercise himself in any way other than in making gold and sugar.” Then Jesus said: “Now why does not man change foolish story-telling into prayer? Is time, perhaps, given him by God that he may offend God? For what prince would give a city to his subject in order that the latter might make war upon him? As God lives, if man knew after what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking he would sooner bite off his tongue with his teeth than talk. O wretched world! for today men do not assemble together for prayer, but in the porches of the Temple and in the very Temple ;itself Satan ;has there the sacrifice of vain talk, and that which is worse of things which I cannot talk of without shame.

Chapter 120

The fruit of vain talking is this, that it weakens the intellect in such wise that it is not ready to receive the truth; even as a horse accustomed to carry but one ounce of cottonflock cannot carry an hundred pounds of stone. But what is worse is the man who spends his time in jests. When he is fain to pray, Satan will put into his memory those same jests, insomuch that when he ought to weep over his sins to provoke God to mercy and to win forgiveness for his sins, by laughing he provokes God to anger; who will chastise him, and cast him out.

Woe, therefore, to them that jest and talk vainly! But if our God has in abomination them that jest and talk vainly, how will he hold them that murmur and slander their neighbour, and in what plight will they be who deal with sinning as with a business supremely necessary? Oh impure world, I cannot conceive how grievously you will be punished by God! He, then, who would do penance, he, I say, must give out his words at the price of gold.

His disciples answered: “Now who will buy a man’s words at the price of gold? Assuredly no one. And how shall he do penance? It is certain that he will become covetous!” Jesus answered: “You have your heart so heavy that I am not able to lift it up. Hence in every word it is necessary that I should tell you the meaning. But give thanks to God, who has given you grace to know the mysteries of God. I do not say that the penitent should sell his talking, but I say that when he talks he should think that he is casting forth gold. For indeed, so doing, even as gold is spent on necessary things, so he will talk [only] when it is necessary to talk. And just as no one spends gold on a thing which shall cause hurt to his body, so let him not talk of a thing that may cause hurt to his soul.

Chapter 121

When the governor has arrested a prisoner whom he examines while the notary writes down [the case], tell me, how does such a man talk?” The disciples answered: “He talks with fear and to the point, so as not to give suspicion of himself, and he is careful not to say anything that may displease the governor, but seeks to speak somewhat whereby he may be set free.” Then answered Jesus: “This ought the penitent to do, then, in order not to lose his soul. For that God has given two angels to every man for notaries, the one writing the good, the other the evil that the man does. If then a man would receive mercy let him measure his talking more than gold is measured.

Chapter 122

As for avarice, that must be changed into almsgiving. truly I say to you, that even as the plummet has for its end the centre, so the avaricious has hell for his end, for it is impossible for the avaricious to possess any good in paradise. Know you wherefore? for I will tell you. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, the avaricious, even though he be silent with his tongue, by his works says: “There is no other God than I.” Inasmuch as all that he has he is fain to spend at his own pleasure, not regarding his beginning or his end, that he is born naked, and dying leaves all.

Now tell me; if Herod; should give you a garden to keep, and you were fain to bear yourselves as owners, not sending any fruit to Herod, and when Herod sent for fruit you drove away his messengers, tell me, would you be making yourselves kings over that garden? Assuredly you. Now I tell you that even so the avaricious man makes himself god over his riches which God has given him.

Avarice is a thirst of the sense, which having lost God through sin because it lives by pleasure, and being unable to delight itself in God, who is hidden from it, surrounds itself with temporal things which it holds as its good; and it grows the stronger the more it sees itself deprived of God. And so the conversion of the sinner is from God, who gives the grace to repent. As said our father David: This change comes from the right hand of God.” It is necessary that I should tell you of what sort man is, if you would know how penitence ought to be done. And so today let us render thanks to God, who has given us the grace to communicate his will by my word.”

Whereupon he lifted up his hands and prayed, saying: “Lord God almighty and merciful, who in mercy has created us, giving us the rank of men, your servants, with the faith of your true Messenger, we thank you for all your benefits and would fain adore you only all the days of our life, bewailing our sins praying and giving alms, fasting and studying your word, instructing those that are ignorant of your will, suffering from the world for love of you, and giving up our life to the death to serve you. Do you, O Lord, save us from Satan, from the flesh and from the world, even as you save your elect for love of your own self and for love of your Messenger for whom you did create us, and for love of all your holy ones and prophets.” The disciples ever answered: “So be it, so be it, Lord, so be it, O our merciful God.”

Chapter 123

When it was day, Friday morning, early, Jesus, after the prayer, assembled his disciples and said to them: “Let us sit down; for even as on this day God created man of the clay of the earth;; even so will I tell you what a thing is man, if God please.” When all were seated, Jesus said again: “Our God, to show to his creatures his goodness and mercy and his omnipotence, with his liberality and justice, made a composition of four things contrary the one to the other, and united them in one final object, which is man and this is earth, air, water, and fire in order that each one might temper its opposite.

And he made of these four things a vessel, which is man’s body, of flesh, bones, blood, marrow, and skin, with nerves and veins, and with all his inward parts; wherein God placed the soul and the sense, as two hands of this life: giving for lodgement to the sense every part of the body, for it diffused itself there like oil. And to the soul gave he for lodgement the heart, where, united with the sense, it should rule the whole life.

God, having thus created man, put into him a light which is called reason;, which was to unite the flesh, the sense, and the soul in a single end to work for the service of God. Whereupon, he placing this work in paradise, and the reason being seduced of the sense by the operation of Satan, the flesh lost its rest, the sense lost the delight whereby it lives, and the soul lost its beauty. Man having come to such a plight, the sense, which finds not repose in labour, but seeks delight, not being curbed by reason, follows the light which the eyes show it; whence, the eyes not being able to see aught but vanity, it deceives itself, and so, choosing earthly things, sins.

Thus it is necessary that by the mercy of God man’s reason be enlightened afresh, to know good from evil and [to distinguish] the true delight: knowing which, the sinner is converted to penitence. Wherefore I say to you truly, that if God our Lord enlighten not the heart of man, the reasonings of men are of no avail.” John answered: “Then to what end serves the speech of men?”

Jesus replied “Man as man avails nothing to convert man to penitence; but man as a means which God uses converts man; so that seeing God works by a secret fashion in man for man’s salvation, one ought to listen to every man, in order that among all may be received him in whom God speaks to us.” James answered: “O Master, if perhaps there shall come a false prophet and lying teacher pretending to instruct us, what ought we to do?

Chapter 124

Jesus answered in parable: “A man goes to fish with a net, and therein he catches many fishes, but those that are bad he throws away.’ A man went forth to sow, but only the grain that falls on good ground bears seed.’ Even so ought you to do, listening to all and receiving only the truth, seeing that the truth alone bears fruit to eternal life.”

Then answered Andrew: “Now how shall the truth be known?” Jesus answered: “Everything that conforms to the Book of Moses, that receive you for true; seeing that God is one, the truth is one; whence it follows that the doctrine is one and the meaning of the doctrine is one; and therefore the faith is one. Truly I say to you that if the truth had not been erased from the Book of Moses, God would not have given to David our father the second. And if the book of David had not been contaminated, God would not have committed the Gospel to me; seeing that the Lord our God is unchangeable, and has spoken but one message to all men. Wherefore, when the Messenger of God shall come, he shall come to cleanse away all wherewith the ungodly have contaminated my book.”

Then answered he who writes: “O Master, what shall a man do when the Law shall be found contaminated and the false prophet shall speak?” Jesus answered: “Great is your question, O Barnabas; wherefore I tell you that in such a time few are saved, seeing that men do not consider their end, which is God. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, every doctrine that shall turn man aside from his end, which is God, is most evil doctrine. Wherefore there are three things that you shall consider in doctrine namely, love towards God, pity towards one’s neighbour, and hatred towards yourself, who had offended God, and offends him every day. Wherefore

every doctrine that is contrary to these three heads do you avoid, because it is most evil.

Chapter 125

I will return now to avarice: and I tell you that when the sense would fain acquire a thing or tenaciously keep it, reason must say: “Such a thing will have its end.” It is certain that if it will have an end it is madness to love it. Wherefore it behoves one to love and to keep that which will not have an end. Let avarice then be changed into alms, distributing rightly what [a man] has acquired wrongly.

And let him see to it that what the right hand shall give the left hand shall not know’. Because the hypocrites when they do alms desire to be seen and praised of the world. But truly they are vain, seeing that for whom a man works from him does he receive his wages. If, then, a man would receive anything of God, it behoves him to serve God.

And see that when you do alms, you consider that you are giving to God all that [you give] for love of God. Wherefore be not slow to give, and give of the best of that which you have, for love of God. Tell me, desire you to receive of God anything that is bad? Certainly not, O dust and ashes! Then how have you faith in you if you shall give anything bad for love of God?

It were better to give nothing than to give a bad thing; for in not giving you shall have some excuse according to the world: but in giving a worthless thing, and keeping the best for yourselves, what shall be the excuse? And this is all that I have to say to you concerning penitence.” Barnabas answered: “How long ought penitence to last?” Jesus replied: “As long as a man is in a state of sin he ought always to repent and do penance for it. Wherefore as human life always sins, so ought it always to do penance; unless you would make more account of your shoes than of your soul, since every time that your shoes are burst you mend them.”

Chapter 126

Jesus having called together his disciples, sent them forth by two and two through the region of Israel, saying: “Go and preach even as you have heard.” Then they bowed themselves and he laid his hand upon their heads, saying: “In the name of God, give health to the sick, cast out the demons, and undeceive Israel concerning me, telling them that which I said before the high priest.”

They departed therefore, all of them save him who writes, with James ;and John;; and they went through all Judea, preaching penitence even as Jesus had told them, healing every sort of sickness, insomuch that in Israel were confirmed the words of Jesus that God is one and Jesus is prophet of God, when they saw such a multitude do that which Jesus did concerning the healing of the sick.

But the sons of the devil found another way to persecute Jesus, and these were the priests and the scribes. Whereupon they began to say that Jesus aspired to the monarchy over Israel. But they feared the common people, wherefore they plotted against Jesus secretly.

Having passed throughout Judea the disciples returned to Jesus, who received them as a father receives his sons, saying: “Tell me, how has wrought the Lord our God? Surely I have seen Satan fall under your feet and you trample upon him even as the vinedresser treads the grapes!” The disciples answered: “O Master, we have healed numberless sick persons, and cast out many demons which tormented men.”

Jesus said: “God forgive you, O brethren, because you have sinned in saying “We have healed,’ seeing it is God that has done all.” Then said they: “We have talked foolishly; wherefore, teach us how to speak.” Jesus answered: “In every good work say ‘God has wrought’ and in every bad one say ‘I have sinned.” “So will we do,” said the disciples to him.

Then Jesus said: “Now what says Israel, having seen God do by the hands of so many men that which God has done by my hands?” The disciples answered: “They say that there is one God alone and that you are God’s prophet.” Jesus answered with joyful countenance: “Blessed be the holy name of God, who has not despised the desire of me his servant!” And when he had said this they retired to rest.

Chapter 127

Jesus departed from the desert and entered into Jerusalem; whereupon all the people ran to the Temple to see him. So after the reading of the psalms Jesus mounted up on the pinnacle where the scribe used to mount, and, having beckoned for silence with his hand, he said : “Blessed be the holy name of God, O brethren, who has created us of the clay of the earth, and not of flaming spirit. For when we sin we find mercy before God, which Satan will never find, because through his pride he is incorrigible, saying that he is always noble, for that he is flaming spirit.

Have you heard, brethren, that which our father David says of our God, that he remembers that we are dust and that our spirit goes and returns not again, wherefore he has had mercy upon us? Blessed are they that know these words, for they will not sin against their Lord eternally, seeing that after the sin they repent, wherefore their sin abides not. Woe to them that extol themselves, for they shall be humbled to the burning coals of hell. Tell me, brethren, what is the cause for self-exaltation? Is there, perhaps, any good here upon earth? No, assuredly, for as says Solomon, the prophet of God: “Everything that is under the sun is vanity.” But if the things of the world do not give us cause to extol ourselves in our heart, much less does our life give us cause; for it is burdened with many miseries, since all the creatures inferior to man fight against us. O, how many have been slain by the burning heat of summer; how many have been slain by the frost and cold of winter; how many have been slain by lightning and by hail; how many have been drowned in the sea by the fury of winds; how many have died of pestilence, of famine, or because they have been devoured of wild beasts, bitten of serpents, choked by food!

O hapless man, who extols himself having so much to weigh him down, being laid wait for by all the creatures in every place! But what shall I say of the flesh and the sense that desire only iniquity; of the world, that offers nought but sin; of the wicked, who, serving Satan, persecute whosoever would live according to the Law of God? Certain it is, brethren, that if man, as says our father David, with his eyes should consider eternity, he would not sin.

To extol oneself in one’s heart is but to lock up the pity and mercy of God, that he pardon not. For our father David says that our God remembers that we are but dust and that our spirit goes and returns not again. Whoever extols himself, then, denies that he is dust, and hence, not knowing his need, he asks not help, and so angers God his helper. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, God would pardon Satan if Satan should know his own misery, and ask mercy of his Creator, who is blessed for evermore.

Chapter 128

Accordingly, brethren, I, a man, dust and clay, that walk upon the earth, say to you: Do penance and know your sins. I say, brethren, that Satan, by means of the Roman soldiery, deceived you when you said that I was God. Wherefore, beware that you believe them not, seeing they are fallen under the curse of God, serving the false and lying gods; even as our father David invokes a curse upon them, saying: The gods of the nations are silver and gold, the work of their

hands; that have eyes and see not, have ears and hear not, have noses and smell not, have a mouth and eat not, have a tongue and speak not, have hands and touch not, have feet and walk not. Wherefore said David our father, praying our living God, Like to them be they that make them and they that trust in them.

O pride unheard of, this pride of man, who being created by God out of earth forgets his condition and would fain make God at his own pleasure! Wherein he silently mocks God, as though he should say: There is no use in serving God. For so do their works show. To this did Satan desire to reduce you, O brethren, in making you believe me to be God; because, I not being able to create a fly, and being passable and mortal, I can give you nothing of use, seeing that I myself have need of everything. How, then, could I help you in all things, as it is proper to God to do? Shall we, then, who have for our God the great God who has created the universe with his word, mock at the Gentiles and their gods?

There were two men who came up here into the Temple to pray: the one was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee drew near to the sanctuary, and praying with his face uplifted said: “I give you thanks, O Lord my God, because I am not as other men, sinners, who do every wickedness, and particularly as this publican; for I fast twice in the week and give tithes of all I possess.’ The publican remained afar off, bowed down to the earth, and beating his breast he said with bent head: ‘Lord, I am not worthy to look upon the heaven nor upon your sanctuary, for I have sinned much; have mercy upon me!’ Truly I say to you, the publican went down from the Temple in better case than the Pharisee, for that our God justified him, forgiving him his sin. But the Pharisee went down in worse case than the publican, because our God rejected him, having his works in abomination.

Chapter 129

Shall the axe, perhaps, boast itself at having cut down the forest where a man has made a garden? No, assuredly, for the man has done all, yes and [made] the axe, with his hands. And you, O man, shall you boast yourself of having done anything that is good, seeing our God created you of clay and works in you all good that is wrought? And why do you despise your neighbour? Do you not know that if God had not preserved you from Satan you would be worse than Satan?

Do you not know that one single sin changed the fair angel into the most repulsive demon? And that the most perfect man that has come into the world, which was Adam, it changed into a wretched being, subjecting him to what we suffer, together with all his offspring? What decree, then, have you, in virtue whereof you may live at your own pleasure without any fear? Woe to you, O clay, for because you have exalted yourself above God who created you you shall be abased beneath the feet of Satan who lays wait for you.”

And having said this, Jesus prayed, lifting up his hands to the Lord, and the people said: “So be it! So be it!” When he had finished his prayer he descended from the pinnacle. Whereupon there were brought to him many sick folk whom he made whole, and he departed from the Temple. Thereupon Simon, a leper whom Jesus had cleansed, invited him to eat bread. The priests and scribes, who hated Jesus, reported to the Roman soldiers that which Jesus had said against their gods. For indeed they were seeking how to kill him, but found it not, because they feared the people.

Jesus, having entered the house of Simon, sat down to the table. And while he was eating, behold a woman named Mary, a public sinner, entered into the house, and flung herself upon the ground behind Jesus’ feet, and washed them with her tears, anointed them with precious ointment, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Simon was scandalized, with all that sat at meat, and they said in their hearts: “If this man were a prophet he would know who and of what sort is this woman, and would not suffer her to touch him.” Then Jesus said: “Simon, I have a thing to say to you.” Simon answered: “Speak, O Master, for I desire your word.”

Chapter 130

Jesus said: “There was a man who had two debtors. The one owed to his creditor fifty pence, the other five hundred. Whereupon, when neither of them had wherewithal to pay, the owner, moved with compassion, forgave the debt to each. Which of them would love his creditor most?” Simon answered: “He to whom was forgiven the greater debt.” Jesus said: “You have well said; I say to you, therefore, behold this woman and yourself; for you were both debtors to God, the one for leprosy of the body, the other for leprosy of the soul, which is sin. God our Lord, moved with compassion through my prayers, has willed to heal your body and her soul.

You, therefore, love me little, because you have received little as a gift. And so, when I entered your house you did not kiss me nor anoint my head. But this woman, lo! straightway on entering your house she placed herself at my feet, which she has washed with her tears and anointed with precious ointment. Wherefore truly I say to you, many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much.” And turning to the woman he said: “Go your way in peace, for the Lord our God has pardoned your sins; but see you sin no more. Your faith has saved you.”

Chapter 131

His disciples drew near to Jesus after the nightly prayer, and said: “O Master, how must we do to escape pride?” Jesus answered: “Have you seen a poor man invited to a prince’s house to eat bread?” John answered: “I have eaten bread in Herod’s house. For before I knew you I went to fish, and used to sell the fish to the family of Herod. Whereupon, one day when he was feasting, I having brought thither a fine fish, he made me stay and eat there.” Then Jesus said: “Now how did you eat bread with infidels? God pardon you, O John! But tell me, how did you bear yourself at the table? Did you seek to have the most honourable place? Did you ask for the most delicate food? Did you speak when you were not questioned at the table? Did you account yourself more worthy than the others to sit at table?”

John answered: “As God lives, I did not dare to lift up my eyes, seeing myself, a poor fisherman, ill-clad, sitting among the king’s barons. Whereupon, when the king gave me a little piece of flesh, I thought that the world had fallen upon my head, for the greatness of the favour that the king did to me. And truly I say that, if the king had been of our Law, I should have been fain to serve him all the days of my life.” Jesus cried out: “Hold your peace, John, for I fear lest God should cast us into the abyss, even like Abiram, for our pride!”

The disciples trembled with fear at the words of Jesus; when he said again: “Let us fear God, that He cast us not into the abyss for our pride. O brethren, have you heard of John what is done in the house of a prince? Woe to the men that come into the world, for as they live in pride they shall die in contempt and shall go into confusion. For this world is a house where God feasts men, wherein have eaten all the holy ones and prophets of God. And truly I say to you, everything that a man receives, he receives it from God. Wherefore man ought to bear himself with deepest humility; knowing his own vileness and the greatness of God, with the great bounty by which he nourishes us. Therefore it is not lawful for man to say: ‘Ah, why is this done and this said in the world?’ but rather to account himself, as in truth he is, unworthy to stand in the world at God’s board. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, there is nothing so small received here in the world from [the hand of] God, but that in return man ought to spend his life for love of God.

As God lives, you sinned not, O John, in eating with Herod, for it was of God’s disposition you did so, in order that you might be our teacher and [the teacher] of every one that fears God. So do,” said Jesus to his disciples, “that you may live in the world as John lived in the house of Herod when he ate bread with him, for so shall you be in truth free from all pride.”

Chapter 132

Jesus walking along the sea of Galilee was surrounded by a great multitude of folk, wherefore he went into a little boat which lay a little off from the shore by itself, and anchored so near the land that the voice of Jesus might be heard. Whereupon they all drew near to the sea, and sitting down awaited his word. He then opened his mouth and said:

“Behold, the sower went out to sow, whereupon as he sowed some of the seed fell upon the road, and this was trodden under foot of men and eaten up of birds; some fell upon the stones, whereupon when it sprang up, because it had no moisture, it was burnt up by the sun; some fell in the hedges, whereupon when it grew up the thorns chocked the seed; and some fell on good ground, whereupon it. bare fruit, even to thirty, sixty, and an one hundredfold.”

Again Jesus said: “Behold, the father of a family sowed good seed in his field: whereupon, as the servants of the good man slept, the enemy of the man their master came and sowed tares over the good seed. Whereupon, when the corn sprang up, there was seen sprung up among the corn a great quantity of tares. The servants came to their master and said: “O Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Wherefore then is there sprung up therein a great quantity of tares?” The master answered: ‘Good seed did I sow, but while men slept the enemy of man came and sowed tares over the corn.’

Said the servants: “Will you that we go and pull up the tares from among the corn?” The master answered: “Do not so, for you would pull up the corn therewith; but wait till the time of harvest comes. For then shall you go and pull up the tares from among the corn and cast them into the fire to be burned, but the corn you shall put into my granary.’ ”

Again Jesus said: “There went forth many men to sell figs. But when they arrived at the market-place, behold, men sought not good figs but fair leaves. Therefore the men were not able to sell their figs. And seeing this, an evil citizen said: ‘Surely I may become rich.’ Whereupon he called together his two sons and [said]: ‘Go you and gather a great quantity of leaves with bad figs.’ And these they sold for their weight in gold, for the men were mightily pleased with leaves. Whereupon the men, eating the figs, became sick with a grievous sickness.”

Again Jesus said: “Behold a citizen has a fountain, from which all the neighbouring citizens take water to wash off their uncleanness; but the citizen suffers his own clothes to putrefy.”

Again Jesus said: “There went forth two men to sell apples. The one chose to sell the peel of the apple for its weight in gold, not caring for the substance of the apples. The other desired to give the apples away, receiving only a little bread for his journey. But men bought the peel of the apples for its weight in gold, not caring for him who was fain to give them, no even despising him.”

And thus on that day Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables. Then having dismissed them, he went with his disciples to Nain, where he had raised to life the widow’s son; who, with his mother, received him into his house and ministered to him.

Chapter 133

His disciples drew near to Jesus and asked him, saying: “O Master, tell us the meaning of the parables which you spoke to the people.” Jesus answered: “The hour of prayer draws near; wherefore when the evening prayer is ended I will tell you the meaning of the parables.” When the prayer was ended, the disciples came near to Jesus and he said to them: ‘The man who sows seed upon the road, upon the stones, upon the thorns, upon the good ground, is he who teaches the word of God, which falls upon a great number of men.

It falls upon the road when it comes to the ears of sailors and merchants, who by reason of the long journeys which they make, and the variety of nations with whom they have dealings, have the word of God removed from their memory by Satan. It falls upon the stones when it comes to the ears of courtiers, for by reason of the great anxiety these have to serve the body of a prince the word of God to does not sink into them. Wherefore, albeit they have some memory thereof, as soon as they have any tribulation the word of God goes out of their memory: for, seeing they serve not God, they cannot hope for help from God.

It falls among the thorns when it comes to the ears of them that love their own life, whereupon, though the word of God grow upon them, when carnal desires grow up they choke the good seed of the word of God, for carnal comforts cause [men] to forsake the word of God. That which falls on good ground is when the word of God comes to the ears of him who fears God, whereupon it brings forth fruit of eternal life. Truly I say to you, that in every condition when man fears God the word of God will bear fruit in him.

‘Of that father of a family, I tell you truly that he is God our Lord; father of all things, for that he has created all things. But he is not a father after the manner of nature, for that he is incapable of motion, without which generation is impossible. It is, then, our God, whose is this world; and the field where he sows is mankind, and the seed is the word of God. So when the teachers are negligent in preaching the word of God, through being occupied in the business of the world, Satan sows error in the heart of men, whence are come countless sects of wicked doctrine.

‘The holy ones and prophets cry: “O Sir, gave you not, then, good doctrine to men? Wherefore, then, be there so many errors?” God answers: ‘I have given good doctrine to men, but while men have been given up to vanity Satan has sowed errors to bring to nothing my Law.’ The holy ones say: ‘O Sir, we will disperse these errors by destroying men.”

God answers: ‘Do not so, for the faithful are so closely joined to the infidels by kinship that the faithful will be lost with the infidel. But wait until the Judgment, for at that time shall the infidels be gathered by my angels and shall be cast out with Satan into hell, while the good faithful ones shall come to my kingdom.’ Surely, many infidel fathers shall beget faithful sons, for whose sake God waits for the world to repent.

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They that bear good figs are the true teachers who preach good doctrine, but the world, which takes pleasure in lies, seeks from the teachers leaves of fine words and flattery. The which seeing, Satan joins himself with the flesh and the sense, and brings a large supply of leaves; that is, a quantity of earthly things, in which he covers up sin; the which receiving, man becomes sick and ready for eternal death. The citizen who has the water and gives his water to others to wash off their uncleanness, but suffers his own garments to become putrefied, is the teacher who to others preaches penitence and himself abides still in sin. O wretched man, because not the angels but his own tongue writes upon the air the punishment that is fitting for him!

If one had the tongue of an elephant, and the rest of his body were as small as an ant, would not this thing be monstrous? Yes, surely. Now I say to you, truly, that he is more monstrous who preaches penitence to others, but himself repents not of his sins. Those two men that sell apples are the one, he who preaches for love of God, wherefore he flatters none, but’ preaches in truth, seeking only a poor man’s livelihood. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, such a man is not received by the world, but rather despised. But he who sells the peel for its weight in gold, and gives the apple away, he it is who preaches to please men: and, so flattering the world, he ruins the soul that follows his flattery. Ah! how many have perished for this cause!’ Then answered he who writes and said: “How should one listen to the word of God; and how should one know him that preaches for love of God?”

Jesus answered: “He that preaches should be listened to as though God were speaking when he preaches good doctrine; because God is speaking through his mouth. But he that reproves not sins, having respect of persons, flattering particular men, should be avoided as an horrible serpent, for in truth he poisons the human ear.” Understand you? Truly I say to you, even as a wounded man has no need of fine bandages to bind up his wounds, but rather of a good ointment, so also has a sinner no need of fine words, but rather of good reproofs, in order that he may cease to sin.’

Chapter 135

Then said Peter: “O Master, tell us how the lost shall be tormented, and how long they shall be in hell, in order that man may flee from sin.” Jesus answered: ‘O Peter, it is a great thing that you have asked, nevertheless, if God please, I will answer you. Know you, therefore, that hell is one, yet has seven centres one below another;. Hence, even as sin is of seven kinds, for as seven gates of hell has Satan generated it: so are there seven punishments therein.

For the proud, that is the loftiest in heart, shall be plunged into the lowest centre, passing through all the centres above it, and suffering in them all the pains that are therein. And as here he seeks to be higher than God, in wishing to do after his own manner, contrary to that which God commands, and not wishing to recognize anyone above him: even so there shall he be put under the feet of Satan and his devils, who shall trample him down as the grapes are trampled when wine is made, and he shall be ever derided and scorned of devils.

‘The envious, who here chaffs at the good of his neighbour and rejoices at his misfortune, shall go down to the sixth Centre, and there shall be chafed by the fangs of a great number of infernal serpents. And it shall seem to him that all things in hell rejoice at his torment, and mourn that he be not gone down to the seventh centre. For although the damned are incapable of any joy, yet the justice of God shall cause that it shall so seem to the wretched envious man, as when one seems in a dream to be spurned by some one and feels torment thereby even so shall be the object set before the wretched envious man. For where there is no gladness at all it shall seem to him that every one rejoices at his misfortune, and mourns that he has no worse.

The covetous shall go down to the fifth Centre, where he shall suffer extreme poverty, as the rich feast suffered. And the demons, for greater torment, shall offer him that which he desires, and when he shall have it in his hands other devils with violence shall snatch it from his hands with these words: “Remember that you would not give for love of God; so God wills not that you now receive. Oh unhappy man! Now shall he find himself in that condition when he shall remember past abundance and behold the penury of the present; and that with the goods that then he may not have he could have acquired eternal delights!

To the fourth centre shall go the lustful, where they that have transformed the way given them by God shall be as corn that is cooked in the burning dung of the devil. And there shall they be embraced by horrible infernal serpents. And they that shall have sinned with harlots, all these acts of impurity shall be transformed for them into union with the infernal furies; which are demons like women, whose hair is serpents, whose eyes are flaming sulphur, whose mouth is poisonous, whose tongue is gull whose body is all girt with barbed hooks like those wherewith they catch the silly fish, whose claws are like those of gryphons, whose nails are razors, the nature of whose generative organs is fire. Now with these shall all the lustful enjoy the infernal embers which shall be their bed.

To the third centre shall go down the slothful who will not work now. Here are built cities and immense palaces, which as soon as they are finished must needs be pulled down straightway, because a single stone is not placed aright. And these enormous stones are laid upon the shoulders of the slothful, who has not his hands free to cool his body as he walks and to ease the burden, seeing that sloth has taken away the power of his arms. and his legs are fettered with infernal serpents. And, what is worse, behind him are the demons, who push him, and make him fall to earth many times beneath the weight; nor does any help him to lift it up: no, it being too much to lift, a double amount is laid upon him.

To the second centre shall go down the gluttonous. Now here there is dearth of food, to such a degree that there shall be nought to eat but live scorpions and live serpents, which give such torment that it would be better never to have been born than to eat such food. There are offered to them indeed by the demons, in appearance, delicate meats; but for that they have their hands and feet bound with fetters of fire, they cannot put out a hand on the occasion when the meat appears to them. But what is worse, those very scorpions which he eats that they may devour his belly, not being able to come forth speedily, rend the secret parts of the glutton. And when they are come forth foul and unclean, filthy as they are, they are eaten over again.

The wrathful goes down to the first centre, where he is insulted by all the devils and by as many of the damned as go down lower than he. They spurn him and smite him, making him lie down upon the road where they pass, planting their feet upon his throat. Yet is he not able to defend himself, for that he has his hands and feet bound. And what is worse, he is not able to give vent to his wrath by insulting others, seeing that his tongue is fastened by a hook, like that which he uses who sells flesh. In this accursed place shall there be a general punishment, common to all the centres, like the mixture of various grains make a loaf. For fire, ice, thunderstorms, lightning,

sulphur, heat, cold, wind, frenzy, terror, shall all be united by the justice of God, and in such wise that the cold shall not temper, the heat nor the fire the ice, but each shall give torment to the wretched sinner.

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In this accursed spot shall abide the infidels for evermore: insomuch that if the world were filled with grains of millet, and a single bird once in a hundred years should take away a single grain to empty the world if when it should be empty the infidels were to go into paradise, they would rest delighted. But there is not this hope, because their torment cannot have an end, seeing that they were not willing for the love of God to put an end to their sin. But the faithful shall have comfort, because their torment shall have an end.’ The disciples were affrighted, hearing this, and said: ‘So then the faithful must go into hell?’

Jesus answered: ‘Every one, be he who he may, must go into hell. It is true, however, that the holy ones and prophets of God shall go there to behold, not suffering any punishment and the righteous, only suffering fear. And what shall I say? I tell you that thither shall come [even] the Messenger of God, to behold the justice of God. Thereupon hell shall tremble at his presence. And because he has human flesh, all those that have human flesh and shall be under punishment, so long as the Messenger of God shall abide to behold hell, so long shall they abide without punishment. But he shall abide there [only] so long as it takes to shut and open the eyes. And this shall God do in order that every creature may know that he has received benefit from the Messenger of God.

When he shall go there all the devils shall shriek, and seek to hide themselves beneath the burning embers, saying one to another: “Fly, fly, for here comes Muhammad ;our enemy!” Hearing which, Satan shall smite himself upon the face with both his hands, and screaming shall say: “You are more noble than I, in my despite, and this is unjustly done!” As for the faithful, who are in seventy-two grades, those of the two last grades, who shall have had the faith without good works, the one being sad at good works, and the other delighting in evil, they shall abide in hell seventy thousand years.

After those years shall the angel Gabriel ;come into hell, and shall hear them say: “O Muhammad, where are your promises made to us, saying that those who have your faith shall not abide in hell for evermore?” Then the angel of God shall return to paradise, and having approached with reverence the Messenger of God shall narrate to him what he has heard. Then shall his Messenger speak to God and say: “Lord, my God, remember the promise made to me your servant, concerning them that have received my faith, that they shall not abide for evermore in hell.” God shall answer: “Ask what you will, O my friend, for I will give you all that you ask.”

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Then shall the Messenger of God say: “O Lord, there are of the faithful who have been in hell seventy thousand years. Where, O Lord, is your mercy? I pray you, Lord, to free them from those bitter punishments.”

Then shall God command the four favourite angels of God; that they go to hell and take out every one that has the faith of his Messenger, and lead him into paradise. And this they shall do.

And such shall be the advantage of the faith of God’s Messenger;, that those that shall have believed in him, even though they have not done any good works, seeing they died in this faith, shall go into paradise after the punishment of which I have spoken.’

Chapter 138

When morning was come, early, all the men of the city, with the women and children, came to the house where Jesus was with his disciples, and sought him saying: “Sir, have mercy upon us, because this year the worms have eaten the corn, and we shall not receive any bread this year in our land.” 2. Jesus answered: “O what fear is yours! Do you not know that Elijah, the servant of God, while the persecution of Ahab continued for three years, did not see bread, nourishing himself only with herbs and wild fruits? David our father, the prophet of God, ate wild fruits and herbs for two years, [while] being persecuted [by] Saul, [and] twice only did he eat bread.” 3. The men answered: “Sir, they were prophets of God, nourished with spiritual delight, and therefore they endured well; but how shall these little ones fare?” and they showed him the multitude of their children. Then Jesus had compassion on their misery, and said: “How long is it until harvest?” They answered: “Twenty days.” 4. Then Jesus said: “See that for these twenty days we give ourselves to fasting and prayer; for God will have mercy upon you. Truly I say to you, God has caused this dearth because here began the madness of men and the sin of Israel when they said that I was God, or Son of God.” 5. When they had fasted for nineteen days, on the morning of the twentieth day, they beheld the fields and hills covered with ripe corn. They ran to Jesus, and recounted everything to him. And when he had heard it Jesus gave thanks to God, and said: “Go, brethren, gather the bread which God has given.” They gathered so much corn that they did not know where to store it; and this thing was cause of plenty in Israel.

The citizens took council to set up Jesus as their king knowing which he fled from them and the disciples strove fifteen days to find him.

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Jesus was found by him who writes, and by James with John. And they, weeping, said: “O Master, why did you flee from us? We have sought you mourning; yes, all the disciples seek you weeping.” Jesus answered: “I fled because I knew that a host of devils is preparing for me that which in a short time you shall see. For, the chief priests with the elders of the people shall rise against me and [they] shall wrest authority to kill me from the Roman governor, because they shall fear that I wish to usurp kingship over Israel. Moreover, I shall be sold and betrayed by one of my disciples, as Joseph was sold into Egypt. 2. But the just God shall make him fall, as says the prophet David: He shall make him fall into the pit who spreads a snare for his neighbour. For God shall save me from their hands, and shall take me out of the world.” The three disciples were afraid; but Jesus comforted them saying: “Do not be afraid, for none of you shall betray me.” [And the three disciples] received some consolation [from this].

The day following there came, two by two, thirty-six of Jesus’ disciples; and he abode in Damascus awaiting the others. And they mourned every one, for they knew that Jesus must depart from the world. Wherefore he opened his mouth and said: “He who walks without knowing where he goes is surely unhappy; but more unhappy is he who is able and knows how to reach a good hostelry, yet desires and wills to abide on the miry road, in the rain, and in peril of robbers.

Tell me, brethren, is this world our native country? Surely not, seeing that the first man was cast out into the world into exile and there he suffers the punishment of his error. [Is there] an exile who does not aspire to return to his own rich country when he finds himself in poverty? Assuredly reason denies it, but experience proves it, because the lovers of the world will not think upon death. No, when one speaks to them [of death] they will not [heed] his speech.

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Believe, O men, that I [have] come into the world with a privilege which no man has had, nor will even the Messenger of God have it; seeing that our God did not create man to set him in the world, but rather to place him in paradise. It is certain that he who has no hope of receiving anything from the Romans, because they are of a law that is foreign to him, is not willing to leave his own country with all that he has, never to return, and go to live in Rome. And much less would he do so when he found himself to have offended Caesar. Even so I tell you truly, and Solomon, God’s prophet, cries with me: O death, how bitter is the remembrance of you to them that have rest in their riches! 2. I do not say this because I have to die now, for I am sure that I shall live even near to the end of the world. But I will speak to you of this [matter] in order that you may learn to die. As God lives, everything that is done amiss, even once, shows that to work a thing well it is necessary to exercise oneself in that [thing]. Have you seen the soldiers, how in time of peace they exercise themselves with one another as if they were at war? How shall a man who has not learned to die well die a good death? 3. The death of the holy is precious in the sight of the Lord, said the prophet David. Do you know why [such a death is precious]? I will tell you. It is because, even as all rare things are precious, so the death of them that die well, being rare, is precious in the sight of God our creator. Whenever a man begins anything, not only is he [aiming] to finish [it], but he takes pains that his design may have a good conclusion. 4. O miserable man, that prizes his [clothes] more than himself; for when he cuts the cloth he measures it carefully before he cuts it; and when it is cut he sews it with care. But his life – which is born to die, since [only he] who is not born does not die – [why] will men not measure their life by death? 5. Have you seen them that build [and] how they lay every stone with the foundation in view, measuring if it is straight [so] that the wall will not fall down? O wretched man! for the building of his life will fall with great ruin because he does not look not to the foundation of death!

2:1 ال
2:2 ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِين
2:3 الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُون
2:4 وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُون
2:5 أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُون
2:6 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُون
2:7 خَتَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ أَبْصَارِهِمْ غِشَاوَةٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيم
2:8 وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِين
2:9 يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُون
2:10 فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُون