Demonstrations 14.16–14.25

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

But who at this time is a wise physician, who will stand in the breach and build up the hedge? Lest the word of the prophet be fulfilled upon us too, rebuking the false prophets who were with him and saying to them: "[Your prophets, O Is]rael, were [like foxes in the deserts]. You did not go up into the breach, nor build a hedge around the children of Israel." Happy is that wise physician who, applying medicines, spends his effort on the sick. Let the good watchman warn the people. Let the excellent athlete win in the contest and not be humbled in the struggle. Let the wise architect dig the foundation deep, so that his building is not laid low by the floods. Let the skilful farmer gather his crops from summer on, so that he is not destitute in time of winter. Let the doorkeeper keep watch at the door, not overcome by sleep, so that when his master knocks he may open to him at once. Let the prudent merchant sell his possessions and buy for himself the pearl by which he will become rich. Let the wakeful pilot guard the ship, so that the boat does not sink and ruin his cargo. Let the skilled charioteer hold the chariot together, so that he does not fall and become a laughing-stock. Let the vigorous athlete strive in the contest, so as not to lose the crown and be mocked by his companions. Let the upright steward provide for his fellow servants and not say in his heart, "My master delays his coming." Let the labourers hired for wages work in the vineyard, so that they may confidently ask for more. Let the young men, [friends] of the Bridegroom, prepare their garments, so that when their Lord comes they may enter his bridal chamber. Let those who support the poor pour out their goods generously and send their treasures ahead to the place that is before them. Let the sons of peace quench strife, so that they may be judged worthy to be sons of the Father who is in heaven. Let those who blow the trumpets warn the people, so that the soul that is caught is not required of them. Let the captives of the Church remain in the fortress and wait in silence until redemption arises; and let those who hold the keys open to those who enter, lest the door of the kingdom be shut before them too. Let those who are dead to the world and separated from pleasures abstain from the world and all its disturbances. Let those who have been reborn of water and redeemed by precious blood beware of fire and the outer darkness. Let those who have put on the breastplate gird themselves vigorously, lest they become a mockery to all their companions. Let those who await the cry trim their lamps, so that they do not suffer want like the foolish virgins. Let those who build a tower count its cost, lest they become a jest to those who pass by. Let vigorous shepherds care for their flocks, so that they may obtain a reward from the Chief Shepherd. Let those who have received money bring forth profit, lest they be thrown into darkness with the wicked servants. Let those whose minds are sound throw off disease and not fear the storms or the rising waves. Let those who recline at the banquet prepare gifts and be adorned with garments, so that they may be counted worthy of the bridal chamber. Let those who bear the yoke endure reproach. Let the wise virgins trim their lamps.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Let us humble ourselves, dearest friends, with labour, weariness, vigils, supplication, fasting, prayer, and entreaty with groaning, lest we be suddenly taken from this world and condemned by the just judgment of God. For we must not despise the ministry of the Holy One, lest we too be rejected by him, as he said through the prophet: "Because you rejected the law of God, I will reject you from the priesthood." Again it is written: "Those who glorify me I will glorify; but those who despise me will be put to shame."

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Consider what retribution the priests received who despised his ministry. Nadab and Abihu, holy priests, wearing the ephod, covered with the breastpiece, girded with fine linen, adorned with purple, bearing crowns, mitres, and turbans, offering sacrifices, making atonement for Israel, teaching the people, and sanctifying the assembly, seized by a brief blindness, despised the ministry of the Holy One and brought strange fire at the wrong time; therefore fire bursting out of their censers devoured them; and they carried them away and threw them outside the camp. Not only Nadab and Abihu, but also Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli the priest, when they honoured themselves more than the ministry entrusted to them, greedily snatched the offering from the people, and disgraced the women who prayed at the tabernacle; yet Eli their father did not rebuke them sharply and forcefully, but reproved them weakly and slackly, hearing the whole people complain that the priests and teachers behaved very badly; and he called them and said: "Sons, what is this report that I hear about you from all the people, that you insult the people of God? No, my sons; the report I hear of you is not good. If a man sins against a man, he will entreat the Lord; but if a man sins against the Lord, whom will he entreat?" This was the slack rebuke Eli used with his sons, and afterwards he was silent; and they received no amendment from his reproof. O Eli, high priest of the people! when your sons, worthless men, did not obey you, it was utterly unfitting for the priesthood you exercised that you should share in the crimes your sons committed! It is clear that he rebuked them out of regard for the people, not from his heart.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Therefore our Savior warned us: "If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you"; and likewise your hand or your foot, which are the most excellent members in the body: the eye that sees, the hand that works, and the foot that walks; if these very members cause you to stumble, cut them off and throw them from you, only so that you are not kept from life. Moses too gave the same commandment as the Savior: "If your son or your daughter, or the wife of your covenant, or the friend who is to you as your own soul, if, I say, one of these entices you, saying to you, Forsake the Lord; come, let us go and serve other gods; do not listen to them, nor consent, nor spare, nor hide them; but let them be overwhelmed with stones and perish." Now son and daughter and the wife of one's youth are precious members, that is, the eye, the hand, or the foot, most excellent and dearest in the whole body. Again our Savior taught us: "Whoever does not love me more than his father or his mother, or more than his own soul, cannot be my disciple." Again Moses says: "Love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your power." The holy Scriptures teach us these things, so that by their help we may strive to be loved by God and brought into his most excellent kingdom.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

For because of their sins the sons of Aaron, clothed in sacred [garments], were thrown without mercy outside the camp into an unclean place. Because of the sins of Eli's sons the people of Israel fell by the sword of the Philistines, the ark of the covenant was carried off and brought to Ashdod, into the temple of Dagon, an unclean seat. Again, the Lord struck Uzzah the priest with a blow when he had despised the ministry of the ark of the Lord, and he died. What was this contempt of Uzzah, dearest friends? Only that he carried the ark on a cart, transgressing the law and acting against the command of Moses. For when the princes of Israel had offered gifts at the dedication of the tabernacle, namely oxen and carts, the Lord commanded Moses his servant, saying: "Take them from them and give them to the Levites, to use the carts in the service of the tabernacle," to carry all the service of the tabernacle on them. And he said to him: "Give them to the sons of Gershon according to the need of their service; but you shall not give them to the sons of Kohath, who will carry the service of the sanctuary, laid on them, on their own shoulders, for honour, dignity, and glory." You know, brothers, that the ark of the covenant had never yet been carried on a cart when the lords of the Philistines, sending it back, put it on a cart to which they yoked two cows, whose weaned calves followed them. And when the children of Israel received the ark, the Levites took it down from the cart on which the Philistines had sent it back, and placed it in the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. But those men too wished to carry it in the same way, not on their own shoulders as the Most Holy had commanded Moses and Moses had handed on to the priests. Uzzah also did not notice that God had commanded Joshua the son of Nun when he crossed the Jordan: "The priests shall carry the ark and go before the people, and the Jordan will be divided"; and all the people went across. From this at least Uzzah should have learned, and therefore he rightly bore the judgment of wrath. And David, seeing that the Lord had struck Uzzah with that blow, was afraid to bring the ark of God to himself; so they brought it into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, because Obed-edom was from Gath of the Philistines, from a defiled people, not from Israel; and he knew that a man who did not honour the ark of God would be punished with severe pains and grievous blows, as the Philistines were struck with tumours, and the people of Ekron wailed, saying: "Let the ark go back to Gath." From this Obed-edom knew that the Philistines had given a gift when they sent the ark away. Eli's sons, the priests Hophni and Phinehas, despisers of the ministry, were killed; but the Philistines feared and honoured the ark of God; and when they sent it back they escorted it with gifts; and it was reckoned in their eyes as a great divinity. For earlier, seeing it come into the camp, they said: "Woe to us, for see, God has come into the camp of the Hebrews. Be strong, Philistines, for this is the God who struck Egypt with all the plagues." See too, dearest friends, that Obed-edom the Gittite obtained a blessing because the ark of God entered his house. And when David brought it from the house of Obed-edom into the city of Zion, he prescribed that the priests should carry it on their shoulders. And when he went on foot shouting for joy and dancing before the ark, Michal the daughter of Saul despised him.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

These things, dearest friends, we had to write out, to recall to our memory and yours alike that all these things have happened to us at this time because we despised the ministry of the Holy One. Because we did not honour it, he has given us over to the mockery of our enemies and brought us into contempt, as he said: "Those who despise me will become of no account."

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

For pride has darkened our minds, desire has routed us and defiled the fountains of wisdom. The roots of teaching have been killed by greed and exaltation. By the allurement of desire unclean sin entered, when Adam ate of the tree, transgressed, and went out of paradise. The Most Holy had left all the trees of paradise before Adam, bearing blessed fruits, and had said to him: "You shall eat of all; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, lest you die." Yet the whole of paradise did not satisfy his desire, though it is more spacious and excellent than the whole earth, in which the sons of Adam are now scattered; but at the end, when the dominion of desire has been taken away, the righteous who are in it will obtain rest, as the Savior said to the one on his right: "Amen, I say to you: Today you will be with me in paradise." Again it is written in the prophet: "The righteous will inherit the earth and dwell on it for ever." Yet they will not inherit it for everlasting generations, since it will pass away at some time, as it is written: "The heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment." Again our Lord says: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." This heaven above us, which is called the firmament, will pass away, and this earth, which is called dry land, will pass away; but the land of life and the heavens that are above the firmament will not wear out or pass away.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

So this whole earth and all that paradise did not satisfy the desire that came upon Adam, so that against the commandment he desired to take and eat. Likewise for desire's sake Esau sold his birthright, and he was also rejected from the blessing. Because of Pharaoh's desire the land of Egypt was laid waste; for the whole people he ruled was not enough for his desire, but he wished also to oppress Israel with slavery. The sons of Aaron too conceived desire; and they were rejected from the priesthood. On the Israelites who greedily craved food again and again deadly wrath fell, with serpents and other plagues of various kinds. Achan also was overwhelmed with stones because of the lust of greed and perished from the midst of his people. And desire took the life of Eli's sons, the wicked priests. Saul likewise, chosen king of the people, because he coveted the devoted things of the Amalekites, fell from his high place, and his kingdom was cut off. Likewise Ahab son of Omri, king of Israel, coveted and seized Naboth's vineyard; but he fell in battle at Ramoth-gilead. Gehazi too, Elisha's disciple, was covered with leprosy by his desire. Desire has killed many and robbed them of life. The greed of Judas Iscariot, [one] of the Twelve, was not satisfied with thefts until he also stole the price of the Most Precious One, and by his desire he was separated from the disciples his companions. Greed also overcame Ananias, and a wonder was shown in him at the feet of the apostles.

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

The whole world is not enough for greed. For to each of the kings who rule every nation and tongue their own lands are not enough. They gather forces, join battle, lay waste cities and plunder regions; they seize and collect and never have enough. They are harassed with work and toil, learn war, overthrow towns, organize hunts. They go up, reach the heights, then go down to the depths, in case perhaps their desire may be satisfied; but it is never filled. As abundance grows desire increases, and as riches increase the proud eye grieves. Daily bread is enough for the poor man; the rich man thinks of years he will not complete. A torn garment is enough for the poor; but greed remains naked in the most delicate clothes [brought] from every place. The ground is the needy man's bed, and he is content with it; but the rich man's bedding is the softest couches and beds of every kind, and these seem little to desire. The needy man drinks water and quenches his thirst; the rich man drinks old [wine] and is thirsty. The rich man gathers gold and silver; they become a stumbling-block to him and destroy him. Sleep flees all who follow greed; but the rest of the poor is gentle and most peaceful. The poor man has it in mind to break his bread for the needy; but the rich man thinks how to devour one humbler than himself. Happy is he who has not served the rule of the belly, or whom desire has not overcome. Blessed is he who meditates on knowledge, by which the roots of greed are rooted out …

Translated by Claude from Jean Parisot's Latin translation (1894) of the Syriac; neither is shown

Moreover, concerning what we have written to you, dearest friends, you know that those who hold the law and [wield] authority among our people have been taken captive by envy and hatred because of greed. Our teaching agrees with our conduct: we have walked openly, and we have been chastised openly. For when people receive from us the holy laying on of hands, they look only to the laying on; and in our time a man is not readily found who asks, "Who fears God?", but rather, "Who is senior in ordination?" And as soon as it is heard, "This one is the elder," they say to him: "[You] must sit in the first place." And there is no one who reflects on the words of the Savior, who cursed the scribes and Pharisees: "Woe to you who love the first seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at suppers; and you love to be called by men Rabbi, Rabbi." Brothers, names neither bring to life nor deliver from death, as they did not save Nadab and Abihu nor rescue Hophni and Phinehas; but besides names good works are also required; for works without names deliver those who devote themselves to them; but names without good works help nothing and profit nothing, as we wrote to you above. Our brothers are proud of the titles they have received, so that through them they may bind, or flatter, or be honoured: "I too have authority." But today the word of the prophet has been fulfilled: "The great man speaks the desire of his soul." He also said: "My sheep are scattered, because there was no shepherd." Again he says: "The shepherds fed themselves, and did not feed my flocks." And again: "O shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture!" He also said to the shepherds: "You feed on good pasture, and whatever you leave you trample with your feet; you drink the sweetest water, and the rest you muddy with your feet. And my sheep have grazed on what your feet trampled and drunk the muddied water you left." Again he says to the shepherds: "You eat the fat of the flock and clothe yourselves with the wool; but you do not feed the flock; you have ruled it with violence."

[26] O shepherd who does not know your own dignity! "Who are you to judge another's servant? If he stands, he stands to his own master; and if he falls, he falls to his own master; but he will stand." And if you cannot be justified, why do you multiply sins? And if you exalt yourself above me in your heart and say, "I, the teacher and leader, am over you; I do not receive you", and you load me with chains: how can you command humility to me, when you show yourself lifted up, proud, and arrogant? How will you teach me "Love one another", when you are full of hatred and anger? How will you hand on to me "If anyone takes what is yours, do not ask it back", when you ask back what is yours and take interest? How will you bid me remain chaste, when you show yourself lustful, garrulous, and fierce? How will you command me to leave this world, when you have fallen into it and are choked? How will you say to me, "Refresh the needy", when you persecute your poor companions? How will you also say, "Forgive what you keep in your heart", when you hold the old leaven hidden in you? How will you command me, "Be reconciled with your brother", when you yourself throw the whole world into confusion? For if I find unseemly fruits in you, you will say to me, though you are a sinner and wicked: "Walk according to my words." "Whoever teaches and does will be called great; but whoever loosens [a commandment] and teaches so will be called least." You received money and hid it. The key was handed to you, but you shut the door; you did not go in yourself, nor do you let those who come go in. You are the eye of the body, but you have become blind; and the body, when the eye fails, is dark. You have become blind, and the body is in darkness. A blind man has undertaken to lead the blind, and you wish to throw your whole body into the pit. "Salt, if it has lost its savour, will be thrown out." The servant who hid the money will be sent into darkness. The servant who strikes his fellow servants will pay the penalty to his master. "The foolish shepherd's eye will be blinded, and his arm will wither." "The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? And those who hold the law did not know him; and the shepherds lied against him"; and "from the prophets of Jerusalem defilement has gone out into all the land." "The rulers of his people [mock] him, and women have ruled over them." "Because we did not fear the Lord, what will the King do to us?" Woe to us! What has happened to us, because the law has been forsaken and some of us glory in iniquity? We ought to sit in silence and astonishment. You say to me: "Come and be our partner in all that I do." Upon you then, O teacher, the word of the Lord has been fulfilled: "You travel over sea and dry land to make one proselyte; and when he has been made, you make him a son of Gehenna." A prophet deceived his companion and lied; and the other, because he believed his words, was handed over to a lion, which tore him. And when many priests and prophets went astray in the days of Ahab, seven thousand were left to God who had not bowed the knee nor worshipped Baal (and Elijah is not to be counted among them), and they did not follow the wicked and blind priests who lead to destruction. If Rehoboam divided the kingdom, shall I follow him? Far from it! If Jeroboam forsook his God, shall I keep to his footsteps? Keep me from them, my God!