Demonstrations 14.38–14.44

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

Dearest friends, sons of peace, and … of Christ. You are wise architects, digging the foundation and uncovering the rot. You are skilful farmers, filling the barns and gathering the fruits. You are prudent merchants, bringing back with profit the money you received. You are hired labourers, who, having received your wages, ask for more. You hold the keys; you are faithful ambassadors; you are those who sound the trumpet. You are stewards and managers of the house, new wineskins, glorious garments. You are apostles, who betroth the adorned bride, and light in darkness. You are sons of peace, brothers of Christ and temples of the Spirit. You run in the contest, strive in the stadium, and carry off the crowns. You are vines in the vineyard, the seed of good wheat that bears fruit a hundredfold. You light lamps and enter by the narrow gate of the kingdom. You are children of the right hand, walking on the small and narrow way. You are saved by the cross and redeemed by the Blood and Body of Christ. You are messengers of Christ, true preachers, who beget [children] from the water. You are a sweet savour, and your fragrance spreads in every place. You are the new lump, and the old leaven is not in you. You are the Bridegroom's guests, clothed in garments fit for the feast. You bear the yoke, sit in silence, and are the captives of the Church. You are children of the Church, bringing up its children and gathering the flock.

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

You are renowned shepherds, who lead your flocks into good pastures; and Jesus our Savior is the Chief of the shepherds, the light in darkness, the lamp on the lampstand, which has lit up the world and cleansed its sins. He is also the good pearl, and we are the merchants who sold our possessions to buy it. He is the treasure in the field, and when we found it we rejoiced and bought it. He is the fountain of life, and we who were thirsty drank from it. He is the table full of richness and plenty, and we who were starving ate and were delighted. He is the gate of the kingdom opened before all who enter. He is the wine that gladdens, and when mourners drink it all their sorrows are quenched. He is the garment and the robe of glory with which the victors are clothed. He is the true vine, and his Father is the vinedresser, and we are the branches planted in it. He is the tower on which many build; let us count its cost, so that we may build and finish. He is the Bridegroom, the apostles are those who betroth, and we are the bride; let us then prepare gifts for ourselves. He is the ladder set up on high; let us labour and strive to climb by it to the Father. He is the strait and narrow way; let us follow his footsteps, so that we may reach the harbour. He is the priest, the holy minister; let us try to become children of his fold. He is the King's Son, sprung from a noble stock, who set out to receive a kingdom; let us revere his lowliness, so that he may make us sharers in his greatness. He is the herald and ambassador of the Most High; let us listen to his words, so that we may become partakers of his mysteries. He is the grain bearing much fruit, which, when it was very small, was sown and became a mighty tree. He is the firstborn Son born of Mary; let us accept his abasement, so that we may rejoice in his greatness. He is the one who suffered and lived again and ascended on high; let us believe in him firmly, so that we may receive his coming. He is the judge of the dead and the living, who, seated on the throne, will judge the tribes. He is the one who will give the kingdom as an inheritance or send to punishment; he will not respect persons nor take gifts. Through him, then, let us give thanks to him who sent him; through him let us sanctify him who commissioned him, who was well pleased in us and through him chose us, through him also gladdened us, through him called us, and reconciled our lowliness to his majesty. For we have nothing at all to repay these mercies except thanksgiving, adoration, and love for one another. Let us therefore give our effort to these fruits, which lead to eternal life.

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

It is fitting for us, dearest friends, to turn to God and offer repentance of heart before him, not to share the hardness of Pharaoh or the folly of Rehoboam, and to keep away from quarrels and divisions, which fulfil Satan's will. For he enters people cunningly, lifts them up too much above their life, and solicits them with his countless desires; he comes into people through the desire for anything at all, and drains them like empty vessels. So he began with their first parent, before he knew any one of his desires and could flee from it. For the deceiver's arts are many. By desire for food [the enemy] cast Adam out of paradise. By desire for murder he separated Abel from Cain his brother. Because of the desire for mockery, Ham became a servant of servants to his two brothers. The desire of gluttony removed Esau from the blessings and the rights of the firstborn. Through desire of lust Shechem son of Hamor fell by the sword with all his people. Through the desire of envy and spite the sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph to the Arabs. Through the desire of lust his master's wife enticed Joseph, and he fled from her service. Through the desire of impurity again the Sodomites perished: they threw themselves into the fire and were consumed and burned up by the blaze. Pharaoh king of Egypt, through the desire of fury, was drowned in the sea with his army. Because of the desire for the savoury [foods] of the land of Egypt, the sons of Jacob perished in the dry wilderness; and because of the sordid desire for possessions, the sons of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were kept from entering the land of promise with their brothers. Through the desire of greed and drunkenness Nadab and Abihu were burned in the tabernacle. Again, because of the desire of greed and theft the Lord drove out Achan by the hands of Joshua. Because of the desire of the lust of Zimri son of Salu, twenty-four thousand of Israel fell in one hour. Because of provocation and iniquity Abimelech son of Gideon killed his seventy brothers. By desire for Delilah, a harlot, Samson was cast down from his strength and lost his consecration. Because of the desire for the shameful deed of the men of Gibeah, sixty-five thousand of Israel and Benjamin fell by the sword. And the sons of Eli, because of the desire of greed, were rejected and thrust out of the priesthood of the Holy One. Because of the desire to spare and his clemency toward Amalek, [God] cut off Saul's kingdom. Because of desire for Tamar, Absalom's sister, Amnon, David's firstborn, was killed. Through the desire of exaltation Adonijah son of Haggith did not obtain the kingdom of the house of David. The desire for many women turned Solomon's heart away from his God. Because of the desire of folly of Rehoboam, the Lord divided and cut off his kingdom. Because of the desire of provocation of Jeroboam son of Nebat, five hundred thousand of Israel fell in one day under the hand of Abijah son of Rehoboam. Because of desire for the vineyard of Naboth, which Ahab coveted, he went up and fell in battle at Ramoth-gilead. Because of the desire for Naaman's silver, which Gehazi took, he and his seed put on leprosy for ever. Through the desire for his treasure Hezekiah was exalted; and his possessions were carried off to Babylon with his sons. Because of the desire of blasphemy Sennacherib's army perished by the sword of the Most High. Because of the desire of his heart Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men to the beasts of the field. And Haman, desiring that they hand over their riches, wished to destroy the seed of the Jews. By desire for a covenant of the wicked the Chaldeans slandered Daniel. By desire of theft Judas became the betrayer of the King Christ; and by desire of rebellion Israel rejected Christ and denied his kingdom.

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

And many things like these are written. The snares of the deceitful one are set in various ways; he has spread his net like a cunning hunter. He catches, takes, and leads to ruin as he pleases. His pleasures are sweet. He does not carry off by force but by flattery; and though he is more bitter than wormwood, he shows himself sweet. When a man who is embittered is reconciled with his companion, [the enemy] wails and laments that he has deserted his service; peace seems heavy to him, he loves tumult, and on every occasion he throws out bait for prey. Like a hunter [and] skilful craftsman he hides and casts his snares, and gathers to himself all the men of his house. His roads are broad, his paths open, and all the children of sedition run to him. But the wise see him and flee from him, and do not carry out his will, since they know him to be treacherous; the wise detect his hidden nets and the snares lying before them; they do not believe his flatteries at all, and they turn away from all his baits as most bitter.

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

While we write these things to you, dearest friends, we are reminding ourselves of them too; for you have no need to be taught by us, but you are like counsellors and helpers, as it is written: "A brother helped by a brother is like a city [fortified] by its citadel." The Apostle also says: "We are helpers of your joy." And again: "These have been helpers to us in the kingdom of God." And again in another letter it is written: "Is there not even one wise man among you who can settle [a dispute] between a brother and his brother?" For wise men who fear God, wise helpers, I say, receive a word even if it comes from an unlearned man, and they are not ashamed. Moses, the prophet, the supreme leader of the whole people of Israel, accepted good counsel from Jethro, the priest of Midian; and so the name of Jethro was written in his holy book, and his counsel was confirmed in Israel for ever. But if anyone raises a dispute against this counsel [of ours] and does not seek peace, let him note that such things have happened in the past: in every generation foolish people have been found who would not accept good counsel, and in the end it went badly for them. When Adam sinned, the Lord called him to repent; but he did not consent, covering himself with the excuse "Eve deceived me"; nor did he then come to his senses or repent. To Cain too, after he had killed his brother, he spoke so that he might repent and turn. But he defended himself with a lie and said: "I did not see him." He also tested the Sodomites through his angels, that they might quickly repent. But they persisted in their boldness and perished; for they were consumed, burned up with fire and brimstone. His princes gave King Pharaoh counsel, saying: "Egypt has perished by your contentions." But he did not obey the counsels of his wise men. The elders who had governed the kingdom with his father also gave counsel to Rehoboam; but he spurned [the counsel] of those wise men and took advice with the young men; and his kingdom was divided and fell into reproach. But you, brothers, are wise, taught by God. Let us not, then, be afraid or ashamed to ask for tranquillity and pursue peace.

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

For envy and quarrelling have thrown kingdoms into confusion, laid waste cities, ruined nations, overthrown towns, shed much blood, and through them destruction has multiplied. Envy and quarrelling have divided brothers from their dearest; they have driven them from city to city and made them strangers, thrust out of their homes. Living and walking on the earth, they have been reckoned as dead by their kin. Envy has separated wives from husbands; through it sons have risen against fathers; it has separated friends from friends and made the beloved enemies of their dearest. It has confused people and set them against their brothers. It has divided two against three and three against two. One kills another with the tongue and destroys him mercilessly with his mouth. Envy breeds groans among people every day. In those who love strife evil thoughts are fixed; the old leaven ferments in them and grows old. Such a man conceives shameful things in his mind and brings forth very bitter fruits. Sleep flees through long nights, and a friend is so changed that he insults his beloved. If a good thought comes and falls on his heart, the evil one upsets it and drives it out of his mind. He plants his roots in the recesses of his heart and drives his nails among the thoughts of his mind. He gathers and brings him many thoughts, which enter his mind and settle there. What the evil one has brought forth falls into him and is sown; the conversation of the wise becomes strange to him; the good seed is choked in him, as wheat is choked by thorns; the good fruits fail in his mind; and [the evil one] roots out and casts the good seed from his heart. The evil one sets his guards at the doors of the soul, to trouble his mind with many enticements. Little by little they get into him and soak him like water. His heart is like solid rock: when good seed falls on it, it receives it quickly; but its roots dry up and it bears no fruit. This man stands and prays out of daily habit; he begins his prayer, finishes it, completes it; but his heart does not attend to what his lips utter. He exercises his mouth in its usual practice, but has a heart empty of all good. He removes the teaching of the Spirit from his soul, and his thought forgets what he learned yesterday; [or] when his mind remembers [something], he groans at each point, and the evil one stirs him up and fills his heart. The thought of fraud is fixed in him, and his heart tosses as on the waters of a deep lake. He has a dark mind, an understanding covered with gloom, a blind thought; he gropes and stumbles. Then the evil one takes his hand and drags him into his paths, the pathless ways of error. He wears down and throws away from him every right thought and suggests his own foulness to him. He urges him: "Do not, please, listen to persuasion and impose on yourself the humiliation of making a reconciliation." And while he flatters him, the evil one laughs that he has gained a slave obedient to his wishes. But the man does not notice that he has been bought for the smallest price, nor does he detect the blindness of his mind. The evil one flatters him craftily and entices him with every kind of trick; he throws him bait as to a bird; and the inexperienced little bird, as soon as it sees the food hidden in the mouth of the snare, rejoices in its heart, comes nearer unwarily to take the bait, and is caught in the net; it tries to escape, but it is taken; and the skilful hunter rejoices in his luck, that his waiting was not in vain. So too the man who loves quarrelling and envy: the evil one puffs him up and fills him with his bitter fruits. He draws and entices him like a bird, throws him bait, and the snare falls on him; and when he has caught him with the sweetness of flatteries, he teaches him persuasions he had never heard; he learns judgment, is overwhelmed by words, and gathers the worst persuasions into his mind. The good things he may have learned he forgets; they pass from his memory; the evil one's own things are kept in him like a hidden treasure; evil roots grow strong in his mind, and with the greatest labour his claws will scarcely be pulled out, like those of a lion [rushing] on its prey; [scarcely] with many remedies will the wise physician root those claws out of his heart. As the days go on, when evil thoughts are in a man, his heart brings forth evil fruits, and his tongue nourishes seditious persuasion. The desire of the evil one is sweet, the mind is enticed, and its end becomes more bitter than serpent's venom. And for every man who keeps a grudge there is no remedy of healing except that he [pursue] peace, submit himself to his brother, bear injury from his friend, and, until the fruits of peace draw near, let the thoughts of envy pass away, not turn over in memory, and not come into the mind.

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

Dearest friends, our own sins are enough for us; let not many more be shaken by our stumbling-blocks. For a brother meets his friend but, lowering his face, denies him a greeting; but if he happens to meet a wicked heathen, he greets him first. Alas for the blindness that dulls the mind! Alas for the sleep and slumber of death! … What answer will be left to us? For if a wicked and criminal but wealthy man meets us, we honour him with a greeting; but the evil one with his envy forbids us to greet our brothers and friends. The Lord gave the commandment: "Love one another"; the blessed Apostle gave a warning about love; Moses too, the foundation of the prophets, says: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart, lest you sin." Yet some of us hate in the heart and chatter with the lips. The Lord has opened his vast treasure before us, full of all good things: there is love, there is peace, there is affection, there is healing, there is purity, there is whatever is good, pleasant, and splendid. Over his whole treasure he set stewards, to whom he also handed over bonds, prisons, and captives, entrusting them with the power of binding and loosing. But the stewards have abandoned love, peace, affection, and the whole treasure with the rest, and have preferred to take bonds and chains and to become prison officers, searchers, or executioners, no longer stewards of the treasure of all good things. Whoever goes in is bound; whoever comes out is in prison. If someone has sinned and offended God, but has done a favour to the prison officers, they will loose him from his bonds with these words: "God is merciful and forgives your sins; come in, come to prayer." But to one who has offended them even slightly they say: "You are bound and cursed from heaven and earth; and woe also to the one who talks with him." But we trust, brothers, that the King, when he sees that his stewards have transgressed the law and changed the commands he gave them, hardening their own wills, will bind them with the very bonds they loved; he will require the blood of his servants from their hands, and will deprive of his treasure those who do not love him. The Lord taught: "If your brother sins against you, rebuke him between you and him; and if he turns back, forgive him; but if he does not listen to you, take one or two, so that every word may stand on the testimony of two or three witnesses. And if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector," since he will not accept persuasion. But we do not rebuke one another, neither before two or three, nor even in the church; there is no judgment or correction, but only ["You are] bound and accursed." … "[Even if] the wrongdoer sins against you seventy times seven, forgive him in one day." Who is there who so multiplies his offences that he wrongs his brother four hundred and seventy times in one day? But even if someone has done all this, the Lord still commanded that he be forgiven. But we do not forgive a single offence even after four hundred and seventy days. While we keep our anger, we are dead in our sins, besides our other offences.