shame with shame (in return): "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me before men, of him will I also be ashamed before my Father who is in heaven." For He was aware that denial is produced even most of all by shame, that the state of the mind appears in the forehead, and that the wound of shame precedes that in the body.
CHAP. X.
But as to those who t'nink that not here, that is, not within this environment of earth, nor during this period of existence, nor before men possessing this nature shared by us all, has confession been appointed to be made, what a supposition is theirs, being at variance with the whole order of things of which we have experience in these lands, and in this life, and under human authorities! Doubtless, when the souls have departed from their bodies, and begun to be put upon trial in the several stories of the heavens, with reference to the engagement (under which they have come to Jesus), and to be questioned about those hidden mysteries of the heretics, they must then confess before the real powers and the real men, — the Teleti,^ to wit, and the Abascanti,- and the Acineti* of Valentinus!
For, say they, even the Demiurge himself did not uniformly approve of the men of our world, whom he counted as a drop of a bucket,' and the dust of the threshing-floor, and spittle and locusts, and put on a level even with brute beasts. Clearly, it is so writ- ten. Yet not therefore must we understand that there is, besides us, another kind of man, which — for it is evidently ilnis (in the case proposed) — has been able to assume without invalidating a comparison between the two kinds, both the characteristics of the race and a unique property. For even if the life was tainted, so that condemned to contempt it might be likened to objects held in contempt, the nature was not forthwith taken away, so that there might be supposed to be another under its name. Rather is the nature pre- served, though the life blushes; nor does Christ know other men than those with refer- ence to whom He says, " Whom do men sav that I am? do And, ., 'As ye would that men should do to you, do ye likewise so to them. ' ' ' Consider whether He may not have preserved a race such that He is looking for a testimony to Himself from them, as well as ■c-onsisting of those on whom He enjoins the interchange of righteous dealing. But if I ,should urgently demand that those heavenly men be described to me, Aratus will sketch more easily Perseus and Cepheus, and Erigo- ne, and Ariadne, among the constellations. But who prevented the Lord from clearly prescribing that confession by men likewise has to be made where He plainly announced that His own would be; so that the statement might have run thus: ' ' Whosoever shall confess in me before men in heaven, I also will con- fess in him before my Father who is in hea- ven? " He ought to have saved me from this mistake about confession on earth, which He would not have wished me to take part in, if He had commanded one in heaven; for I knew no other men but the inhabitants of the earth, man himself even not having up to that time been observed in heaven. Besides, what is the credibility of the things (alleged), that, being after death raised to heavenly places, I should be put to the test there, whither I would not be translated without being already tested, that I should there be tried m reference to a command where I could not come, but to find admittance? Heaven lies open to the Christian before the way to it does; because there is noway to heaven, but to him to whom heaven lies open; and he who reaches it will enter. What powers, keeping J Matt. vii. 12 and Luke vi. 31.
guard at the gate, do I hear you affirm to exist in accordance with Roman superstition, with a certain Carnus, Forculus, and Limentinus? What powers do you set in order at the rail- ings? If you have ever read in David, " Lift up your gates, ye princes, and let the ever- lasting gates be lifted up; and the King of glory shall enter in;" * if you have also heard from Amos, " Who buildeth up to the heavens his way of ascent, and is such as to pour forth his abundance (of waters) over the earth;" 5 know that both that way of ascent was there- after levelled with the ground, by the foot- steps of the Lord, and an entrance thereafter opened up by the might of Christ, and that no delay or inquest will meet Christians on the threshold, since they have there to be not discriminated from one another, but owned, and not put to the question, but received in. For though you think heaven still shut, re- member that the Lord left here to Peter and through him to the Church, the keys of it, which every one who has been here put to the question, and also made confession, will carry with him. But the devil stoutly afifirms that we must confess there, to persuade us that we must deny here. I shall send before me line documents, to be sure,* I shall carry with me excellent keys, the fear of thero who kill the body only, but do nought against the soul: I shall be graced by the neglect of this com- mand: I shall stand with credit in heavenly places, who could not stand in earthly: I shall hold out against the greater powers, who yielded to the lesser: I shall deserve to be at length let in, though now shut out. It read- ily occurs to one to remark further, " If it is in heaven that men must confess, it is here too that they must deny." For where the one is, there both are. For contraries always go together. There will need to be carried on in heaven persecution even, which is the' occasion of confession or denial. Why, then, do you refrain, O most presumptuous heretic, from transporting to the world above the whole series of means proper to the intimida- tion of Christians, and especially to put there the very hatred for the name, where Christ rules at the right hand of the Father? Will you plant there both synagogues of the Jews — fountains of persecution — before which the apostles endured the scourge, and heathen assemblages with their own circus, forsooth, where they readily join in the cry. Death to the third race? ^ But ye are bound to pro- 4Ps. xxiv. 7.
o In support of my cause. * 7 More literally, " How loni; shall we suffer the third race! " The Christians are meant; the first race being the heathen, and the second the Jews. — Tk.
SCORPIACE.
[chap. XI.
duce in the same place both our brothers, fathers, children, mothers-in-law, daughters- in-law and those of our household, through whose agency the betrayal has been appointed; likewise kings, governors, and armed authori- ties, before whom the matter at issue must be contested. Assuredly there will be in heaven a prison also, destitute of the sun's rays or full of light unthankfully, and fetters of the zones perhaps, and, for a rack-horse, the axis itself which whirls the heavens round. Then, If a Christian is to be stoned, hail-storms will be near; if burned, thunderbolts are at hand; if butchered, the armed Orion will exercise his function; if put an end to by beasts, the north will send forth the bears, the Zodiac the bulls and the lions. He who will endure these assaults to the end, the same shall be saved. Will there be then, in heaven, both an end, and suffering, a killing, and the first con- fession? And where will be the flesh re- quisite for all this? Where the body which alone has to be killed by men? Unerring reason has commanded us to set forth these things in even a playful manner; nor will any one thrust out the bar consisting in this objec- tion (we have offered), so as not to be com- pelled to transfer the whole array of means proper to persecution, all the powerful instru- mentality which has been provided for deal- ing with this matter, to the place where he has put the court before which confession should be made. Since confession is elicited by persecution, and persecution ended in con- fession, there cannot but be at the same time, in attendance upon these, the instrumentality which determines both the entrance and the exit, that is, the beginning and the end. But both hatred for the name will be here, perse- cution breaks out here, betrayal brings men forth here, examination uses force here, tor- ture rages here, and confession or denial com- pletes this whole course of procedure on the earth. Therefore, if the other things are here, confession also is not elsewhere; if con- fession is elsewhere, the other things also are not here. Certainly the other things are not elsewhere; therefore neither is confession in heaven. Or, if they will have it that the manner in which the heavenly examination and confession take place is different, it will certainly be also incumbent on them to devise a mode of procedure of their own of a very dif- ferent kind, and opposed to that method which is indicated in the Scriptures. And we may be able to say, Let them consider (whether what they imagine to exist does so), if so be that this course of procedure, proper to exam- ination and confessfon on earth — a course which has persecution as the source in which it originates, and which pleads dissension in the state — is preserved to its own faith, if so be that we must believe just as is also written, and understand just as is spoken. Here I endure the entire course (in question), the Lord Himself not appointing a different quarter of the world for my doifig so. For what does He add after finishing with con- fession and denial? "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth, but a sword," — undoubtedly on the earth. " For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."' For so is it brought to pass, that the brother delivers up the brother to death, and the father the son: and the chil- dren rise up against the parents, and cause them to die. And he who endureth to the end let that man be saved. ^ So that this whole course of procedure characteristic or the Lord's sword, which has been sent not to heaven, but to earth, makes confession also to be there, which by enduring to the end is to issue in the suffering of death.
CHAP. XI.
CHAP. XI.
In the same manner, therefore, we maintain that the other announcements too refer to the condition of martyrdom. " He," says Jesus, "who will value his own life also more than me, is not worthy of me," ^ — that is, he who will rather live by denying, than die by con- fessing, me; and " he who findeth his life shall lose it; but he who loseth it for my sake shall find it."* Therefore indeed he finds it, who, in winning life, denies; but he who thinks that he wins it by denying, will lose it in hell. On the other hand, he who, through confessing, is killed, will lose it for the present, but is also about to find it unto everlasting life. In fine, governors themselves, when they urge men to deny, say, " Save your life; " and, " Do not lose your life." How would Christ speak, but in accordance with the treat- ment to which the Christian would be sub- jected? But when He forbids thinking about what answer to make at a judgment-seat,^ He is preparing His own servants/c'r what awaited them, He gives the assurance that the Holy Spirit will iu\?,\\er by them; and when He wishes a brother to be visited in prison,* He is com- manding that those about to confess be the object of solicitude; and He is soothing their CHAP. XII.]
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sufferings when He asserts that God will avenge His own elect." In the parable also of the withering of the word = after the green blade had sprung up, He is drawing a picture with reference to the burning heat of persecu- tions. If these announcements are not un- derstood as they are made, without doubt they signify something else tlian the sound indi- cates; and there will be one thing in the words, another in their meanings, as is the case with allegories, with parables, with rid- dles. Whatever wind of reasoning, therefore, these scorpions may catch (in their sails), with whatever subtlety they may attack, there is now one line of defence:^ an appeal will be made to the facts themselves, whether they occur as the Scriptures represent that they would; since another thing will then be meant in the Scriptures if that very one (which seems to be so) is not found in actual facts. For what is written, must needs come to pass. Besides, what is written will then come to pass, if something different does not. But, lo! we are both regarded as persons to be hated by all men for the sake of the name, as it is written; and are delivered up by our nearest of kin also, as it is written; and are brought before magistrates, and examined, and tortured, and make confession, and are ruthlessly killed, as it is written. So the Lord ordained. If He ordained these events other- wise, why do they not come to pass otherwise than He ordained them, that is, as He or- damed them? And yet they do not come to pass otherwise than He ordained. Therefore, as they come to pass, so He ordained; and as He ordained, so they come to pass. For neither would they have been permitted to occur otherwise than He ordained, nor for His part would He have ordained othenvise than He would wish them to occur. Thus these passages of Scripture will not mean ought else than we recognise in actual facts; or if those events are not yet taking place which are announced, how are those taking place which have not been announced? For these events which are taking place have not been announced, if those which are announced are different, and not these which are taking place. Well now, seeing the very occurrences are met with in actual life which are believed to have been expressed with a different mean- ing in words, what would happen if they were found to have come to pass in a different manner than had been revealed 1 But this will be the waywardness of faith, not to believe what has been demonstrated, to assume the I Luke xviii. 7. ^ Matt. xiii. 3. 3 See note i, cap. iv. p. 637, supra.
truth of what has not been demonstrated. And to this vvaywardness I will offer the fol- lowing objection also, that if these events, which occur as is written, will not be the very ones which are announced, those too (which are meant) ought not to occur as is written, that they themselves also may not, after the example of these others, be in danger of ex- clusion, since there is one thing in the words and another in the facts; and there remains that even the events which have been an- nounced are not seen when they occur, if they are announced otherwise than they have to occur. And how will those be believed (to have come to pass), which will not have been announced as they come to pass? Thus here- tics, by not believing what is announced as it has been shown to have taken place, believe what has not been even announced.
CHAP. XII.
Who, now, should know better the marrow of the Scriptures than the school of Christ it- self? — the persons whom the Lord both chose for Himself as scholars, certainly to be fully instructed in all points, and appointed to us for masters to instruct us in all points. To whom would He have rather made known the veiled import of His own language, than to him to whom He disclosed the likeness of His own glory — to Peter, John, and James, and afterwards to Paul, to whom He granted par- ticipation in (the joys of) paradise too, prior to his martyrdom? Or do they also write differently from what they think — teachers using deceit, not truth? Addressing the Chris- tians of Pontus, Peter, at all events, says, " How great indeed is the glory, if ye suffer patiently, without being punished as evil- doers I For this is a lovely feature, atid even hereunto were ye called, since Christ also suffered for us, leaving you Himself as an ex- ample, that ye should follow His own steps." ♦ And again: " Beloved, be not alarmed by the fiery trial which is taking place among you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. For, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, do ye rejoice; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; because glory and the Spirit of God rest upon you: if only none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters; yet (if any man suffer) as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf." ^ John, 5 I Pet. iv. la.
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[chap. XIII.
in fact, exhorts us to lay down our lives even for our brethren,' affirming that there is no fear in love: " For perfect love casteth out fear, since fear has punishment; and he who fears is not perfect in love."'' What fear would it be better to understand (as here meant), than that which gives rise to denial? What love does he assert to be perfect, but that which puts fear to flight, and gives cour- age to confess? What penalty will he appoint as the punishment of fear, but that which he who denies is about to pay, who has to be slain, body and soul, in hell? And if he teaches that we must die for the brethren, how much more for the Lord, — he being sufficiently prepared, by his own Revelation too, forgiv- ing such advice! For indeed the Spirit had sent the injunction to the angel of the church in Smyrna: " Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." ^ Also to the angel of the church in Pergamus (mention was made) of Antipas, * the very faithful martyr, who was slain where Satan dwelleth. Also to the angel of the church in Philadelphia ^ (it was signified) that he who had not denied the name of the Lord was delivered from the last trial. Then to every conqueror the Spirit promises now the tree of life, and exemption from the second death; now the hidden manna, with the stone of glistening whiteness, and the name unknown ( to every man save him that receiveth it); now power to rule with a rod of iron, and the brightness of the morning star; now the being clothed in white raiment, and not having the name blotted out of the book of life, and being made in the temple of God a pillar with the inscription on it of the name of God and of the Lord, and of the heavenly Jerusalem; now a sitting with the Lord on His throne, — which once was persistently refused to the sons of Zebedee. * Who, pray, are these so blessed conquerors, but martyrs in the strict sense of the word? For indeed theirs are the victories whose also are the fights; theirs, however, are the fights whose also is the blood. But the souls of the martyrs both peacefully rest in the meantime under the altar, ^ and support their patience by the assured hope of revenge; and, clothed in their robes, wear the dazzling halo of brightness, until others also may fully share in their glory. For yet again a countless throng are revealed, clothed in white and distinguished by palms 3 Rev. ii. lo.
of victory, celebrating their triumph doubtless over Antichrist, since one of the elders says, " These are they who come out of that great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. " * For the flesh is the clothing of the soul. The uncleanness, indeed, is washed away by bap- tism, but the stains are changed into dazzling whiteness by martyrdom. For Esaias also promises, that out of red and scarlet there will come forth the whiteness of snow and wool. 9 When great Babylon likewise is rep- resented as drunk with the blood of the saints, '° doubtless the supplies needful for her drunkenness are furnished by the cups of mar- tyrdoms; and what suffering the fear of mar- tyrdoms will entail, is in like manner shown. For among all the castaways, nay, taking pre- cedence of them all, are the fearful. " But the fearful, " says John — and then come the others — "will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone." " Thus fear, which, as stated in his epistle, love drives out, has pun- ishment.
CHAP. XIII.
CHAP. XIII.
But how Paul, an apostle, from being a per- secutor, who first of all shed the blood of the church, though afterwards he exchanged the sword for the pen, and turned the dagger into a plough,beingyfr.f/araveningwolf of Benjamin, then himself supplying food as did Jacob," — how he, (I say,) speaks in favour of martyr- doms, now to be chosen by himself also, when, rejoicing over the Thessalonians, he says, " So that we glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your perse- cutions and tribulations, in which ye endure a manifestation of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of His kingdom, for which ye also suffer! "'' As also in his Epistle to the Romans: " And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, being sure that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed." '^ And again: "And if children, then heirs, heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."'* And therefore he afterward says: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall CHAP. XIV.]
SCORPIACE.
tribulation, or distress, or famine, or naked- ness, or peril, or sword? (As it is written: For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we have been counted as sheep for the slaugh- ter.) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. For we are persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."' But further, in recounting his own sufferings to the Corinthians, he certainly decided that suffering must be borne: " In labours, (he says,) more abundant, in prisons very frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes, save one; thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned," " and the rest. And if these severi- ties will seem to be more grievous than mar- tyrdoms, yet once more he says: " Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake." ' He also says, in verses occurring in a previous part of the epistle: " Our condition is such, that we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; and are in need, but not in utter want; since we are har- assed by persecutions, but not forsaken; it is such that we are cast down, but not de- stroyed; always bearing about in our body the dying of Christ."* "But though," says he, "our outward man perisheth" — the flesh doubtless, by the violence of persecutions — " yet the inward man is renewed day by day " — the soul, doubtless, by hope in the promises. " For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal" — he is speaking of trou- bles; " but the things which are not seen are eternal" — he is promising rewards. But writing in bonds to the Thessalonians, ^ he certainly affirmed that they were blessed, since to them it had been given not only to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for His sake. "Having," says he, "the same con- flict which ye both saw in me, and now hear to be in me."^ " For thou grh I am offered upon the sacrifice, I joy and rejoice with you