My LORD’s BibleShepherd of Hermas: Similitudes 6
1Sitting in my house, and glorifying the Lord for all that I had seen, and reflecting on the commandments, that they are excellent, and powerful, and glorious, and able to save a man’s soul, I said within myself, “I shall be blessed if I walk in these commandments, and every one who walks in them will be blessed.” While I was saying these words to myself, I suddenly see him sitting beside me, and hear him thus speak: “Why are you in doubt about the commandments which I gave you? They are excellent: have no doubt about them at all, but put on faith in the Lord, and you will walk in them, for I will strengthen you in them. These commandments are beneficial to those who intend to repent: for if they do not walk in them, their repentance is in vain. You, therefore, who repent cast away the wickedness of this world which wears you out; and by putting on all the virtues of a holy life, you will be able to keep these commandments, and will no longer add to the number of your sins. Walk, therefore, in these commandments of mine, and you will live unto God. All these things have been spoken to you by me.” And after he had uttered these words, he said to me, “Let us go into the fields, and I will show you the shepherds of the flocks.” “Let us go, sir,” I replied. And we came to a certain plain, and he showed me a young man, a shepherd, clothed in a suit of garments of a yellow colour: and he was herding very many sheep, and these sheep were feeding luxuriously, as it were, and riotously, and merrily skipping hither and thither. And the shepherd himself was merry, because of his flock; and the appearance of the shepherd was joyous, and he was running about amongst his flock. [And other sheep I saw rioting and luxuriating in one place, but not, however, leaping about.]
[Παραβολὴ «"΄.] I, Καθήμενος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ δοξάξων τὸν Κύριον περὶ πάντων ὧν ἑωράκειν, καὶ συζητῶν περὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν, ὅτι καλαὶ καὶ δυναταὶ καὶ idapal καὶ ἔνδοξοι καὶ Suvdpevas cf. James σῶσαι ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου, ἔλεγον ἐν ἐμαυτῷ: Μακάριος ἔσομαι" Ἶ" ἐὰν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ταύταις πορευθῶ, καὶ ὃς ἂν ταύταις πορευθῇ, μακάριος ἔσται. ws ταῦτα ἐν ἐμαυτῷ ἐλάλουν, βλέπω αὐτὸν ἐξαίφνης παρακαθήμενόν μοι καὶ λέγοντα ταῦτα" Τί δειψυχεῖς περὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν ὧν σοι ἐνετειλάμην ; καλαί εἶσιν" ὅλως μὴ διψυχήσῃς, ἀλλ᾽ ἔνδυσαι τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς πορεύσῃ" ἐγὼ yap σε ἐνδυναμώσω ἐν αὑταῖς. αὗται αἱ ἐντολαὶ σύμφοροί εἰσι τοῖς μέλλουσι μετανοεῖν" ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ πορευθῶσιν ἐν αὐταῖς, εἰς μάτην ἐστὶν ἡ μετάνοια αὐτῶν. οἱ οὖν μετανοοῦντες ἀποβάλλετε τὰς πονηρίας τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τὰς ἐκτριβούσας ὑμᾶς" ἐνδυσάμενοι δὲ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν δικαιοσύνης δυνήσεσθε τηρῆσαι τὰς ἐντολὰς «αἱ ζφσεσθε τῷ Θεῷ. ταῦτα [πάντα παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ λελάληται opis. ς, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ταῦτα λαλῆσαε αὐτὰν per epee, λόγαι pes’ !Ἄγωμεν εἰς ὠγρόν, καὶ δείξω ous τοὺς πειρμένας τῶν προβάτων. Ἄγωμεν, Gans, axpee. wal ἤλθομεν εἷς τε πεδέον, ἑκματίων, τῷ χρώματι κροκεύδη. 6 ἔβοσκε δὲ πρόβατα πολλὰ λίαν, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα ταῦτα ὡσεὶ τρυᾷζῶστα ἦν καὶ λίαν σπαταλώητα, καὶ ἱλαρὰ ἦν σκιρτῶντα ὧδε κἀκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ποιμὴν πάνν ihapos ἦν ἐπὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ αὐτοῦ" καὶ βάτοις περιέτρεχε. Καὶ λέγει μοι’ Βλέπεις τὸν ποιρμιίένα τοῦτον ; Βλέπω, φημί, κύριε. Οὗτος, φησίν, ἄγγελος τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης ἐστίν. οὗτος ἐκτρίβεε τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν δούλων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ καταστρέφει αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἁπατῶν αὐτοὺς ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις ταῖς πονηραῖς, ἐν αἷς ἀπόλλυνταε. ἐπι- λανθάνονταε γὰρ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ πορεύονταε ἀπάταις καὶ τρυφαῖς paraias, καὶ ἀπόλλυνται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τούτου, τινὰ μὲν εἰς θάνατον, τινὰ δὲ εἰς καταφθοράν. λέγω αὐτῷ Κύριε, οὐ γινώσκω ἐγὼ τί ἐστιν εἰς θάνατον, καὶ τί εἰς καταφθοράν. Ακονε, φησίν ἃ εἶδες πρόβατα ἱλαρὰ καὶ σκιρτῶντα, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἄπεσπα- σμένοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τέλος καὶ παραδεδωκότες ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς ὠπιθυμέαις τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. ἐν τούτοις οὖν μετάνοια ζωῆς οὐκ ἔστιν᾽ ὅτι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ δὲ’ αὐτοὺς βλασ- φημεῖται. τῶν τοιούτων ἡ ζωὴ θάνατός ἐστιν. ἃ δὲ 5 ἄγωμεν sec.] ἄγομεν A. καὶ ἤλθομεν κ.τ.λ.] From this point to the end of ἄλλα πρόβατα εἶδον (Ms ἰδιὸν) craraduwra καὶ τρυφώντα ἐν τόπῳ ἑνί, οὐ μέντοι σειργῶστα. εἶδες πρόβατα μὴ σκιρτῶντα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ βοσκόμενα, οὗτοί εἰσιν of παραδεδωκότες μὲν ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς τρυφαῖς καὶ awarass, εἰς δὲ τὸν Κύριον οὐδὲν βλασφήμησαν. οὗτοι οὖν κατεφθαρμένοι εἰσὶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας" ἐν τούτοις ἐλπίς ἐστε μετανοίας, ἐν ἡ δύνανται ζῆσαι. ἢ καταφθορὰ οὖν ἐλπίδα . Eyes ἀνανεώσεως τινος, 6 δὲ θάνατος ἀπώλειαν Eye αἰώνιον. τάλιν προέβημεν μικρόν, καὶ δεικνύει por ποιμένα μόγαν ὁσεὶ ἄγριον τῇ ἰδέᾳ, περικείμενον δέρμα αἴγειον λευκόν, καὶ πήραν τινὰ εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῶν ὥμων, καὶ ῥάβδον σκληρὰν λίαν καὶ ὄζους ἔχουσαν, καὶ μάστιγα μεγάλην καὶ τὸ βλέμμα εἶχε περίπικρον, ὥστε φοβηθῆναί με αὐτόν" τοιοῦτον εἶχε τὸ βλέμμα. οὗτος οὖν ὁ ποιμὴν παρελάμβανε τὰ πρόβατα ἀπὸ τοῦ ποιμένος τοῦ νεανίσκου, ἐκεῖνα τὰ σπαταλῶντα καὶ τρυφῶντα, μὴ σκιρτῶντα δέ, καὶ ἔβαλλεν αὐτὰ εἴς τινα τόπον κρημνώδη καὶ ἀκανθώδη καὶ τριβολώδη, ὥστε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκανθῶν καὶ τριβόλων μὴ δύνασθαι ἐκπλέξαι τὰ πρόβατα, ἀλλ᾽ [ἐμπλέκεσθαι ταῖς ἀκάνθαις καὶ τριβόλοις" ταῦτα οὖν) ἐμπεπλεγμένα ἀβόσκοντο ἐν ταῖς ἀκάνθαις καὶ τριβόλοις, καὶ λίαν ἐταλαιπώρουν δαιρόμενα ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ" καὶ ὧδε κἀκεῖ περιήλαυνεν αὐτά, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐδίδου, καὶ ὅλως οὐκ εὐσταθοῦσαν τὰ πρόβατα ἐκεῖνα. Βλέπων οὖν αὐτὰ οὕτω μαστυγούμενα καὶ ταλαιπὼ- ρούμενα ἐλυπούμην ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ὅτε οὕτως ἐβασανίζοντο καὶ ἀνοχὴν ὅλως οὐκ εἶχον. λέγω τῷ ποιμένι τῷ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ λαλοῦντι" Κύριε, τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ [οὕτως] ἄσπλαγ- χνος καὶ πικρὸς καὶ ὅλως μὴ σπλαγχνιζόμενος ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα ταῦτα; Οὗτος, φησίν, ἐστὶν ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς τιμωρίας" ἐκ δὲ τῶν ὠγγέλων τῶν δικαίων ἐστί, κείμενος δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς τιμωρίας. παραλαμβάνει οὖν τοὺς ἀποπλανηθέντας ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πορευθέντας ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἀπάταις τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ τιμωρεῖ αὐτούς, καθὼς ἄξιοί εἰσι, δειναῖς καὶ ποικίλαις τιμωρίαις. Ἤθελον, φημί, κύριε, γνῶναι τὰς ποικίλας ταύτας τιμωρίας, wotawal eicsy. “Axove, φησίν᾽ ai mouwidas τιμωρίαι καὶ βάσανοι βιωτικαΐ εἰσι βάσανοι" τιμω- ροῦνται γὰρ οἱ μὲν ξημίαις, οἱ δὲ ὑστερήσεσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀσθενείαις ποικίλαις, οἱ δὰ [πάσῃ] ἀκαταστασία, οἱ δὲ ὑβριζόμενοι ὑπὸ ἀναξίων καὶ ἑτέραις πολλαῖς πράξεσι πάσχοντες" Κ. πολλοὶ γὰρ ἀκαταστατοῦντες ταῖς βουλαῖς αὐτῶν ἐπιβάλλονται πολλά, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ὅλως προχωρεῖ. καὶ λέγουσιν ἑαυτοὺς μὴ εὐοδοῦσθαι ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἀναβαίνει αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ὅτι ἔπραξαν πονηρά, ἀλλ᾽ αἰτιῶνται τὸν Κύριον. ὅταν οὖν θλιβῶσι πάσῃ θλίψει, τότε ἐμοὶ παραδίδοντας εἰς ἀγαθὴν παιδείαν καὶ ἰσχυροποιοῦνται ἐν τῇ πίστει τοῦ Ἰζυρίου, καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν δουλεύουσι τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδία" | ἐὰν δὲ μετανοήσωσι, τότε ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα ἃ ὄπραξαν πονηρά, καὶ τότε δοξάζουσι τὸν Θεόν, λέγοντες ὅτι δίκαιος κριτής ἐστι καὶ δικαίως ἔπαθον ὅκαστος κατὰ τὰς πράξεις αὐτοῦ" δουλεύουσι δὲ λοιπὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ | αὐτῶν, καὶ εὐοδοῦνταε ἐν πάσῃ πράξει αὐτῶν, λαμβάνοντες παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου πάντα ὅσα ἂν aitavras’ καὶ τότε δοξάξουσι τὸν Κύριον ὅτε ἐμοὶ παρε- δόθησαν, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐδὲν πάσχουσι τῶν πονηρῶν.
2And he said to me, “Do you see this shepherd?” “I see him, sir,” I said. “This,” he answered, “is the angel of luxury and deceit: he wears out the souls of the servants of God, and perverts them from the truth, deceiving them with wicked desires, through which they will perish; for they forget the commandments of the living God, and walk in deceits and empty luxuries; and they are ruined by the angel, some being brought to death, others to corruption.” I said to him, “Sir, I do not know the meaning of these words, ‘to death, and to corruption.’” “Listen,” he said. “The sheep which you saw merry and leaping about, are those which have torn themselves away from God for ever, and have delivered themselves over to luxuries and deceits [of this world. Among them there is no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other sins, and blasphemed the name of the Lord. Such men, therefore, are appointed unto death. And the sheep which you saw not leaping, but feeding in one place, are they who have delivered themselves over to luxury and deceit], but have committed no blasphemy against the Lord. These have been perverted from the truth: among them there is the hope of repentance, by which it is possible to live. Corruption, then, has a hope of a kind of renewal, but death has everlasting ruin.” Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat savage in his appearance, clothed in a white goatskin, and having a wallet on his shoulders, and a very hard staff with branches, and a large whip. And he had a very sour look, so that I was afraid of him, so forbidding was his aspect. This shepherd, accordingly, was receiving the sheep from the young shepherd, those, viz., that were rioting and luxuriating, but not leaping; and he cast them into a precipitous place, full of thistles and thorns, so that it was impossible to extricate the sheep from the thorns and thistles; but they were completely entangled amongst them. These, accordingly, thus entangled, pastured amongst the thorns and thistles, and were exceedingly miserable, being beaten by him; and he drove them hither and thither, and gave them no rest; and, altogether, these sheep were in a wretched plight.
Λέγω αὐτῷ" Κύριε, ἔτι μοε τοῦτο δήλωσον. Ti, φησίν, ἐπιζητεῖς; Et ἄρα, φημί, κύριε, τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον βασανίζονται οἱ τρνφῶντες καὶ ἀπατώμενοι, ὅσον τρυφῶσι καὶ ἀπατῶνται; λέγει pot’ Τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον βασανίζονται. | ᾽Ἔλαχιστον, φημί, κύριε, βασανίζονται" | ἔδει γὰρ τοὺς οὕτω τρυφῶντας καὶ ἐπιλανθανομένους τοῦ Θεοῦ ἑπταπλασίως βασανίζεσθαι. λέγει pote ΓΑφρων εἶ καὶ οὐ νοεῖς τῆς βασάνον τὴν δύναμιν. Ei γὰρ ἐνόουν, φημί, κύριε, οὐκ ἂν ἐπηρώτων ἵνα μοι δηλώσῃς. “Axove, φησίν, ἀμφοτέρων τὴν δύναμιν, [τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ τῆς βασάνου] τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης ὁ χρόνος dpa ἐστὶ μία" τῆς δὲ βασάνου ἡ ὥρα τριά- κοντὰ ἡμερῶν δύναμεν ἔχει. ἐὰν οὖν μίαν ἡμέραν τρυφήσῃ τις καὶ ἀπατηθῇ, μίαν δὲ ἡμέραν βασανισθῇ, ὅλον ἐνιαυτὸν ἰσχύει ἡ ἡμέρα τῆς βασάνου. ὅσας οὖν ἡμέρας τρυφήσῃ τις, τοσούτους ἐνιαυτοὺς βασανίζεται. βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης 6 χρόνος ἐλάχιστός ἐστι, τῆς δὲ τιμωρίας καὶ βασάνου πολύς.
3Seeing them, therefore, so beaten and so badly used, I was grieved for them, because they were so tormented, and had no rest at all. And I said to the Shepherd who talked with me, “Sir, who is this shepherd, who is so pitiless and severe, and so completely devoid of compassion for these sheep?” “This,” he replied, “is the angel of punishment; and he belongs to the just angels, and is appointed to punish. He accordingly takes those who wander away from God, and who have walked in the desires and deceits of this world, and chastises them as they deserve with terrible and diverse punishments.” “I would know, sir,” I said, “of what nature are these diverse tortures and punishments?” “Hear,” he said, “the various tortures and punishments. The tortures are such as occur during life. For some are punished with losses, others with want, others with sicknesses of various kinds, and others with all kinds of disorder and confusion; others are insulted by unworthy persons, and exposed to suffering in many other ways: for many, becoming unstable in their plans, try many things, and none of them at all succeed, and they say they are not prosperous in their undertakings; and it does not occur to their minds that they have done evil deeds, but they blame the Lord. When, therefore, they have been afflicted with all kinds of affliction, then are they delivered unto me for good training, and they are made strong in the faith of the Lord; and for the rest of the days of their life they are subject to the Lord with pure hearts, and are successful in all their undertakings, obtaining from the Lord everything they ask; and then they glorify the Lord, that they were delivered to me, and no longer suffer any evil.”
“Ore, φημί, κύριε, ov νενόηκα ὅλως περὶ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς ἀπάτης καὶ τρυφῆς καὶ βασάνου, τηλαυγέστερόν μοι δήλωσον. ἀποκριθείς μοι λέγει" Ἣ ἀφροσύνη σον παρά- μονός ἐστι, καὶ οὐ θέλεις σου τὴν καρδίαν καθαρίσαι καὶ δουλεύειν τῷ Θεῷ. βλέπε, [φησί,) μήποτε 6 χρόνος πληρωθῇ, καὶ σὺ ἄφρων εὑρεθῇς. ἄκουε οὖν, [φησί,) καθὼς βούλει, ἵνα νοήσῃς αὐτά, ὁ τρυφῶν καὶ ἀπατώμενος μίαν ἡμέραν καὶ πράσσων ἃ βούλεται πολλὴν ἀφροσύνην ἐνδέδυται καὶ οὐ νοεῖ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἣν ποιεῖ" εἰς τὴν αὔριον ἐπιλανθάνεται γὰρ τί πρὸ μιᾶς ἔπραξεν" ἡ γὰρ τρυφὴ καὶ ἀπάτη μνήμας οὐκ ὄχει διὰ τὴν ἀφροσύνην ἣν ἐνδέδυται" ἡ δὲ τιμωρία καὶ ἡ βάσανος ὅταν κολληθῇ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ μίαν ἡμέραν, μέχρις ἐνιαυτοῦ τιμωρεῖται καὶ Bacavileras’ μνήμας γὰρ μεγάλας ἔχει ἡ τιμωρία καὶ ἡ βάσανος. βασανιζόμενος οὖν καὶ τιμωρούμενος ὅλον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν μνημονεύει ποτὲ τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ ἀπάτης, καὶ γινώσκει ὅτι δι’ αὐτὰ πάσχει τὰ πονηρά. πᾶς οὖν ἄνθρωπος ὁ τρυφῶν καὶ ἁἀπατώμενος οὕτω βασανί- Gerat, Sts ἔχοντες ζωὴν εἰς θάνατον ἑαυτοὺς παραδεδώκασι. Ποῖαι, φημί, κύριε, τρυφαί εἰσι βλαβεραί; Πᾶσα, φησί, πρᾶξις τρυφή ἐστι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃ ἐὰν ἡδέως ποιῇ" καὶ γὰρ ὁ ὀξύχολος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ πάθει τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῶν τρυφᾷ᾽ καὶ ὁ μοιχὸς καὶ ὁ μέθυσος καὶ ὁ κατάλαλος καὶ ὁ ψεύστης καὶ ὁ πλεονέκτης καὶ ὁ ἀποστερητὴς καὶ ὁ τούτοις τὰ ὅμοια ποιῶν τῇ ἰδίᾳ νόσῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιεῖ" τρυφᾷ οὖν ἐπὶ τῇ πράξει αὐτοῦ. αὗται πᾶσαι αἱ τρυφαὶ βλαβεραί εἰσι τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ. διὰ ταύτας οὖν τὰς ἁπάτας πάσχουσιν οἱ τιμωρούμενοι καὶ βασανιζόμενοι. εἰσὶν δὲ καὶ τρυφαὶ σώζουσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους" πολλοὶ γὰρ ayaba ἐργαζόμενοι τρυφῶσι τῇ ἑαυτῶν ἡδονῇ φερόμενοι. αὕτη οὖν ἡ τρυφὴ σύμφορός ἐστι τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ζωὴν περιποιεῖται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τοιούτῳ’ αἱ δὲ βλαβεραὶ τρυφαὶ αἱ προειρη- μέναι βασάνους καὶ τιμωρίας αὐτοῖς περιποιοῦνται" ἐὰν δὲ Φπιμένωσι καὶ μὴ μετανοήσωσι, θάνατον δαυτοῖς περι- “τοιοῦνται.
4I said to him, “Sir, explain this also to me.” “What is it you ask?” he said. “Whether, sir,” I continued, “they who indulge in luxury, and who are deceived, are tortured for the same period of time that they have indulged in luxury and deceit?” He said to me, “They are tortured in the same manner.” [“They are tormented much less, sir,” I replied;] “for those who are so luxurious and who forget God ought to be tortured seven-fold.” He said to me, “You are foolish, and do not understand the power of torment.” “Why, sir,” I said, “if I had understood it, I would not have asked you to show me.” “Hear,” he said, “the power of both. The time of luxury and deceit is one hour; but the hour of torment is equivalent to thirty days. If, accordingly, a man indulge in luxury for one day, and be deceived and be tortured for one day, the day of his torture is equivalent to a whole year. For all the days of luxury, therefore, there are as many years of torture to be undergone. You see, then,” he continued, “that the time of luxury and deceit is very short, but that of punishment and torture long.”
5“Still,” I said, “I do not quite understand about the time of deceit, and luxury, and torture; explain it to me more clearly.” He answered, and said to me, “Your folly is persistent; and you do not wish to purify your heart, and serve God. Have a care,” he added, “lest the time be fulfilled, and you be found foolish. Hear now,” he added, “as you desire, that you may understand these things. He who indulges in luxury, and is deceived for one day, and who does what he wishes, is clothed with much foolishness, and does not understand the act which he does until the morrow; for he forgets what he did the day before. For luxury and deceit have no memories, on account of the folly with which they are clothed; but when punishment and torture cleave to a man for one day, he is punished and tortured for a year; for punishment and torture have powerful memories. While tortured and punished, therefore, for a whole year, he remembers at last his luxury and deceit, and knows that on their account he suffers evil. Every man, therefore, who is luxurious and deceived is thus tormented, because, although having life, they have given themselves over to death.” “What kinds of luxury, sir,” I asked, “are hurtful?” “Every act of a man which he performs with pleasure,” he replied, “is an act of luxury; for the sharp-tempered man, when gratifying his tendency, indulges in luxury; and the adulterer, and the drunkard, and the backbiter, and the liar, and the covetous man, and the thief, and he who does things like these, gratifies his peculiar propensity, and in so doing indulges in luxury. All these acts of luxury are hurtful to the servants of God. On account of these deceits, therefore, do they suffer, who are punished and tortured. And there are also acts of luxury which save men; for many who do good indulge in luxury, being carried away by their own pleasure: this luxury, however, is beneficial to the servants of God, and gains life for such a man; but the injurious acts of luxury before enumerated bring tortures and punishment upon them; and if they continue in them and do not repent, they bring death upon themselves.”