His teaching concerning the scriptures
727.
Then Peter:
As to the mixture of truth with falsehood, I remember that on one occasion He,
finding fault with the Sadducees, said,
728.
'Wherefore ye do err, not knowing the true things of the Scriptures;
and on this account you are ignorant of the power of God.'
729.
But if He cast up to them that they knew not the true things of the Scriptures,
it is manifest that there are false things in them.
730.
And also, inasmuch as He said,
'Be ye prudent money-changers,' it is because there are genuine and spurious words.
731.
And whereas He said,
'Wherefore do ye not perceive that which is reasonable in the Scriptures?'
732.
He makes the understanding of him stronger who voluntarily judges soundly.
His teaching concerning the law of God
733.
And His sending to the scribes and teachers of the existing Scriptures,
as to those who knew the true things of the law that then was, is well known.
734.
And also that He said,
'I am not come to destroy the law,' and yet that He appeared to be destroying it,
is the part of one intimating that the things which He destroyed did not belong to the law.
735.
And His saying,
'The heaven and the earth shall pass away,
yet one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the law,'
intimated that the things which pass away before the heaven and the earth do not belong to the law in reality.
The Book of Preachings CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Divisions 736-760
PREACHINGS 3
Other sayings of Christ
736.
Since, then, while the heaven and the earth still stand, sacrifices have passed away, and kingdoms,
and prophecies among those who are born of woman, and such like, as not being ordinances of God;
hence therefore He says,
737.
'Every plant which the heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.'
738.
Wherefore He, being the true Prophet, said,
'I am the gate of life;
he who enters through me enters into life,' there being no other teaching able to save.
739.
Wherefore also He cried, and said,
'Come unto me, all who labour,'
that is, who are seeking the truth, and not finding it;
740.
and again, 'My sheep hear my voice;'
741.
and elsewhere, 'Seek and find,' since the truth does not lie on the surface.
742.
But also a witnessing voice was heard from heaven, saying,
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'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him.'
743.
And in addition to this, willing to convict more fully of error the prophets from whom they asserted that they had learned, He proclaimed that they died desiring the truth, but not having learned it, saying,
744.
'Many prophets and kings desired to see what ye see, and to hear what you hear;
and verily I say to you, they neither saw nor heard.'
745.
Still further He said,
'I am he concerning whom Moses prophesied, saying,
A prophet shall the Lord our God raise unto you of your brethren, like unto me:
Him hear in all things; and whosoever will not hear that Prophet shall die.'
[or, be cut off from the people]
746.
Whence it is impossible without His teaching to attain to saving truth,
though one seek it for ever where the thing that is sought is not.
747.
Yet it was, and is, in the word of our Jesus.
748.
Accordingly, He, knowing the true things of the law,
said to the Sadducees, asking on what account Moses permitted to marry seven,
'Moses gave you commandments according to your hard-heartedness;
for from the beginning it was not so:
for He who created man at first, made him male and female.'
Teaching of Christ
749.
But to those who think, as the Scriptures teach, that God swears, He said,
'Let your yea be yea, and nay, nay; for what is more than these is of the evil one.'
750.
And to those who say that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are dead, He said,
'God is not of the dead, but of the living.'
751.
And to those who suppose that God tempts, as the Scriptures say, He said,
'The tempter is the wicked one,' who also tempted Himself.
752.
To those who suppose that God does not foreknow, He said,
'For your heavenly Father knows that ye need all these things before ye ask Him.'
753.
And to those who believe, as the Scriptures say, that He does not see all things, He said,
'Pray in secret, and your Father, who sees secret things, will reward you.'
754.
And to those who think that He is not good, as the Scriptures say, He said,
'From which of you shall his son ask bread, and he will give him a stone;
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or shall ask a fish, and he will give him a serpent?
755.
If ye then, being evil, know to give good gifts to your children,
how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him,
and to those who do His will!'
756.
Yet to those who affirmed that He was in the temple, He said,
'Swear not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet.'
757.
And to those who supposed that God is pleased with sacrifices, He said,
'God wishes mercy, and not sacrifices' —the knowledge of Himself, and not holocausts.
758.
But to those who are persuaded that He is evil, as the Scriptures say, He said,
'Call not me good, for One only is good.'
759.
And again,
'Be ye good and merciful, as your Father in the heavens,
who makes the sun rise on good and evil men, and brings rain upon just and unjust.'
760.
But to those who were misled to imagine many gods, as the Scriptures say, He said,
'Hear, O Israel; the Lord your God is one Lord.'
The Book of Preachings CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Divisions 761-785
PREACHINGS 3
Flight of Simon
761.
Therefore Simon, perceiving that Peter was driving him to use the Scriptures as Jesus taught,
was unwilling that the discussion should go into the doctrine concerning God,
even although Peter had changed the discussion into question and answer, as Simon himself asked.
762.
However, the discussion occupied three days,
And while the fourth was dawning, he set off darkling as far as Tyre of Phœnicia.
763.
And not many days after, some of the precursors came and said to Peter:
Simon is doing great miracles in Tyre, and disturbing many of the people there;
and by many slanders he has made you to be hated.
Peter's resolution to follow
764.
Peter, hearing this, on the following night assembled the multitude of hearers;
and as soon as they had come together, he said:
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765.
While I am going forth to the nations which say that there are many gods,
to teach and to preach that God is one, who made heaven and earth, and all things that are in them,
in order that they may love Him and be saved,
766.
evil has anticipated me, and by the very law of conjunction has sent Simon before me,
in order that these men, if they shall cease to say that there are many gods,
disowning those upon earth that are called gods, may think that there are many gods in heaven;
so that, not feeling the excellency of the monarchy, they may perish with eternal punishment.
767.
And what is most dreadful, since true doctrine has incomparable power,
he forestalls me with slanders, and persuades them to this, not even at first to receive me;
lest he who is the slanderer be convicted of being himself in reality a devil,
and the true doctrine be received and believed.
768.
Therefore I must quickly catch him up, lest the false accusation, through gaining time,
wholly get hold of all men.
Successor to be appointed
769.
Since, therefore, it is necessary to set apart some one instead of me to fill my place,
let us all with one consent pray to God, that He would make manifest who amongst us is the best,
that, sitting in the chair of Christ, he may piously rule His Church.
770.
Who, then, shall be set apart?
771.
For by the counsel of God that man is set forth as blessed,
'whom his Lord shall appoint over the ministry of his fellow-servants,
to give them their meat in their season, not thinking and saying in his heart,
My Lord delays His coming, and who shall not begin to beat his fellow-servants,
eating and drinking with harlots and drunkards.
772.
And the Lord of that servant shall come in an hour when he does not look for Him,
and in a day when he is not aware, and shall cut him in sunder,
and shall assign his unfaithful part with the hypocrites.'
Monarchy
773.
Yet if any one of those present, being able to instruct the ignorance of men,
shrink from it, thinking only of his own ease, let him expect to hear this sentence:
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774.
'O wicked and slothful servant, you ought to have given my money to the exchangers,
and I at my coming should have got my own.
775.
Cast out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.'
776.
And with good reason; 'for,' says He, 'it is yours, O man,
to prove my words, as silver and money are proved among the exchangers.'
777.
Therefore the multitude of the faithful ought to obey some one, that they may live in harmony.
778.
For that which tends to the government of one person, in the form of monarchy,
enables the subjects to enjoy peace by means of good order;
779.
yet in case of all, through desire of ruling, being unwilling to submit to one only,
they must altogether fall by reason of division.
Obedience leads to peace
780.
But, further, let the things that are happening before your eyes persuade you;
how wars are constantly arising through there being now many kings all over the earth.
781.
For each one holds the government of another as a pretext for war.
782.
But if one were universal superior,
he, having no reason why he should make war, would have perpetual peace.
783.
In short, therefore, to those who are thought worthy of eternal life,
God appoints one universal King in the world that shall then be,
that by means of monarchy there may be unfailing peace.
784.
It behooves all, therefore, to follow some one as a leader, honouring him as the image of God;
and it behooves the leader to be acquainted with the road that enters into the holy city.
Zacchæus appointed
785.
Yet of those who are present, whom shall I choose but Zacchæus,
to whom also the Lord went in and rested, judging him worthy to be saved?
The Book of Preachings CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Divisions 786-820
PREACHINGS 3
786.
And having said this, he laid his hand upon Zacchæus, who stood by,
and forced him to sit down in his own chair.
787.
Yet Zacchæus, falling at his feet, begged that he would permit him to decline the rulership;
promising, at the same time, and saying,
788.
Whatever it behooves the ruler to do, I will do;
only grant me not to have this name;
for I am afraid of assuming the name of the rulership, for it teems with bitter envy and danger.
The bishopry
789.
Then Peter said:
If you are afraid of this, do not be called Ruler, but The Appointed One,
the Lord having permitted you to be so called, when He said,
790.
'Blessed is that man whom his Lord shall Appoint to the ministry of his fellow-servants.'
791.
Yet if you wish it to be altogether unknown that you have authority of administration,
you seem to me to be ignorant that the acknowledged authority of the president has great influence as regards the respect of the multitude.
792.
For every one obeys him who has received authority, having conscience as a great constraint.
793.
And are you not well aware that you are not to rule as the rulers of the nations,
yet as a servant ministering to them, as a father to the oppressed,
visiting them as a physician, guarding them as a shepherd,
—in short, taking all care for their salvation?
794.
And do you think that I am not aware what labours I compel you to undertake,
desiring you to be judged by multitudes whom it is impossible for any one to please?
795.
Yet it is most possible for him who does well to please God.
796.
Wherefore I entreat you to undertake it heartily, by God, by Christ,
for the salvation of the brethren, for their ordering, and your own profit.
Nolo episcopari
797.
And consider this other thing, that in proportion as there is labour and danger in ruling the Church of Christ, so much greater is the reward.
798.
And yet again the greater is also the punishment to him who can, and refuses.
799.
I wish, therefore, knowing that you are the best instructed of my attendants,
to turn to account those noble powers of judging with which you have been entrusted by the Lord,
in order that you may be saluted with the Well done, good and faithful servant,
and not be found fault with, and declared liable to punishment, like him who hid the one talent.
800.
Yet if you will not be appointed a good guardian of the Church,
point out another in your stead, more learned and more faithful than yourself.
801.
But you cannot do this;
for you associated with the Lord, and witnessed His marvellous doings,
and learned the administration of the Church.
Danger of disobedience
802.
And your work is to order what things are proper;
and that of the brethren is to submit, and not to disobey.
803.
Therefore submitting they shall be saved, but disobeying they shall be punished by the Lord,
because the president is entrusted with the place of Christ.
804.
Wherefore, indeed, honour or contempt shown to the president is handed on to Christ,
and from Christ to God.
805.
And this I have said,
that these brethren may not be ignorant of the danger they incur by disobedience to you,
because whosoever disobeys your orders, disobeys Christ;
and he who disobeys Christ offends God.
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