Religion of Fathers to Be Abandoned.
1985.
Others say,
It is wicked if we do not worship those idols which have come down to us from our fathers,
and prove false to the religion bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
1986.
On this principle, if any one's father was a robber or a base fellow, he ought not to change the manner of life handed down to him by his fathers, nor to be recalled from his father's errors to a better way; and it is reckoned impious if one do not sin with his parents, or does not persist in impiety with them.
1987.
Others say,
We ought not to be troublesome to God, and to be always burdening Him
with complaints of our miseries, or with the exigencies of our petitions.
1988.
How foolish and witless an answer!
1989.
Do you think it is troublesome to God if you thank Him for His benefits,
while you do not think it troublesome to Him, if, for His gifts,
you render thanks to stocks and stones?
1990.
And how comes it, that when rain is withheld in a long drought,
we all turn our eyes to heaven, and entreat the gift of rain from God Almighty,
and all of us with our little ones pour out prayers on God and entreat His compassion?
1991.
Yet truly ungrateful souls, when they obtain the blessing, quickly forget:
for as soon as they have gathered in their harvest or their vintage, straightway they offer the first-fruits to deaf and dumb images, and pay vows in temples or groves for those things which God has bestowed upon them, and then offer sacrifices to demons;
and having received a favour, deny the bestower of the favour.
Paganism, Its Enormities.
1992.
Yet some say,
These things are instituted for the sake of joy, and for refreshing our minds;
and they have been devised for this end, that the human mind may be relaxed for a little from cares and sorrows.
1993.
See now what a charge you yourselves bring upon the things which you practise.
1994.
If these things have been invented for the purpose of lightening sorrow and affording enjoyment,
how is it that the invocations of demons are performed in groves and woods?
1995.
What is the meaning of the insane whirlings,
and the slashing of limbs, and the cutting off of members?
1996.
How is it that mad rage is produced in them?
How is insanity produced?
1997.
How is it that women are driven violently, raging with dishevelled hair?
Whence the shrieking and gnashing of teeth?
1998.
Whence the bellowing of the heart and the bowels, and all those things which,
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whether they are pretended or are contrived by the ministration of demons,
are exhibited to the terror of the foolish and ignorant?
1999.
Are these things done for the sake of enlightening the mind, or rather for the sake of oppressing it?
2000.
Do ye not yet perceive nor understand, that these are the counsels of the serpent lurking within you,
which draws you away from the apprehension of truth by irrational suggestions of errors,
that he may hold you as slaves and servants of lust and concupiscence and every disgraceful thing?
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER SIXTY NINE
Divisions 2001-2025
Book 5
RECOGNITIONS 5
True Religion Calls to Sobriety and Modesty.
2001.
Yet I protest to you with the clear voice of preaching, that, on the contrary,
the religion of God calls you to sobriety and modesty;
orders you to refrain from effeminacy and madness,
and by patience and gentleness to prevent the inroads of anger;
2002.
to be content with your own possessions, and with the virtue of frugality;
not even when driven by poverty to plunder the goodsof others, yet in all things to observe justice;
to withdraw yourselves wholly from the idol sacrifices:
2003.
for by these things you invite demons to you,
and of your own accord give them the power of entering into you;
and so you admit that which is the cause either of madness or of unlawful love.
Origin of Impiety.
2004.
Hence is the origin of all impiety;
hence murders, adulteries, thefts; and a nursery is formed of all evils and wickednesses,
while you indulge in profane libations and odours,
and give to wicked spirits an opportunity of ruling and obtaining some sort of authority over you.
2005.
For when they invade your senses, what do they else than work the things which belong to lust and injustice and cruelty, and compel you to be obedient to all things that are pleasing to them?
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2006.
God, indeed, permits you to suffer this at their hands by a certain righteous judgment,
that from the very disgrace of your doings and your feelings you may understand how unworthy it is to be subject to demons and not to God.
2007.
Hence also, by the friendship of demons, men are brought to disgraceful and base deeds;
hence, men proceed even to the destruction of life,
either through the fire of lust, or through the madness of anger through excess of grief,
so that, as is well known, some have even laid violent hands upon themselves.
2008.
And this, as we have said, by a just sentence of God they are not prevented from doing, that they may both understand to whom they have yielded themselves in subjection, and know whom they have forsaken.
Who are Worshippers of God?
2009.
Yet some one will say, These passions sometimes befall even those who worship God.
2010.
It is not true.
For we say, that he is a worshipper of God, who does the will of God, and observes the precepts of His law.
2011.
For in God's estimation he is not a Jew who is called a Jew among men
(nor is he a Gentile that is called a Gentile),
but he who, believing in God, fulfils His law and does His will, though he be not circumcised.
2012.
He is the true worshipper of God, who not only is himself free from passions,
yet also sets others free from them;
though they be so heavy that they are like mountains,
he removes them by means of the faith with which he believes in God.
2013.
Yea, by faith he truly removes mountains with their trees, if it be necessary.
2014.
Yet he who seems to worship God,
and yet is neither fortified by a full faith, nor by obedience to the commandments,
yet is a sinner,
has given a place in himself, by reason of his sins, to passions,
2015.
which are appointed of God for the punishment of those that sin,
that they may exact from them the fruition of their sins by means of punishments inflicted,
and may bring them purified to the general judgment of all,
provided always that their faith do not fail them in their chastisement.
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2016.
For the chastisement of unbelievers in the present life is a judgment,
by which they begin to be separated from future blessings;
yet the chastisement of those who worship God,
while it is inflicted upon them for sins into which they have fallen,
exacts from them the due of what they have done, that, preventing the judgment,
they may pay the debt of their sin in the present life,
and be freed, at least in half, from the eternal punishments which are there prepared.
Judgment to Come.
2017.
Yet he does not receive these things as true who does not believe that there is to be a judgment of God,
and therefore, being bound by the pleasures of the present life, is shut out from eternal good things;
2018.
and therefore we do not neglect to proclaim to you what we know to be necessary for your salvation, and to show you what is the true worship of God, that, believing in God,
you may be able, by means of good works, to be heirs with us of the world to come.
2018.
Yet if you are not yet convinced that what we say is true, meantime, in the first instance,
you ought not to take it amiss and to be hostile to us because we announce to you the things which we consider to be good, and because we do not grudge to bestow also upon you that which we believe brings salvation to ourselves, labouring,
as I have said, with all eagerness,
that we may have you as fellow-heirs of the blessingswhich we believe are to befall ourselves.
2019.
Yet whether those things which we declare to you are certainly true,
you shall not be able to know otherwise
than by rendering obedience to the things which are commanded,
that you may be taught by the issue of things, and the most certain end of blessedness.
Conclusion of Discourse.
2020.
And, therefore, although the serpent lurking within you occupies your senses
with a thousand arts of corruption, and throws in your way a thousand obstacles,
by which he may turn you away from the hearing of saving instruction,
all the more ought you to resist him, and despising his suggestions,
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to come together the more frequently to hear the word and receive instruction from us,
because nobody can learn anything whom is not taught.
2021.
And when he had done speaking, he ordered those to be brought to him who were oppressed by sickness or demons, and laid his hands upon them with prayer; and so he dismissed the crowds, charging them to resort to the hearing of the word during the days that he was to remain there.
2022.
Therefore, when the crowds had departed, Peter washed his body in the waters which ran through the garden, with as many of the others as chose to do so;
and then ordered the couches to be spread on the ground under a very shady tree,
and directed us to recline according to the order established at Cæsarea.
2023.
And thus, having taken food and given thanks to God after the manner of the Hebrews, as there was yet some portion of the day remaining, he ordered us to question him on any matters that we pleased.
2024.
And although we were with him twenty in all, he explained to every one whatever he pleased to ask of him; the particulars of which I set down in books and sent to you some time ago.
2025.
And when evening came we entered with him into the lodging,
and went to sleep, each one in his own place.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER SEVENTY
Divisions 2026-2055
Book 6
RECOGNITIONS 6
Diligence in Study.
2026.
Yet as soon as day began to advance the dawn upon the retiring darkness,
Peter having gone into the garden to pray, and returning thence and coming to us,
by way of excuse for awaking and coming to us a little later than usual, said this:
2027.
Now that the spring-time has lengthened the day, of course the night is shorter;
if, therefore, one desires to occupy some portion of the night in study,
he must not keep the same hours for waking at all seasons,
yet should spend the same length of time in sleeping, whether the night be longer or shorter,
and be exceedingly careful that he do not cut off from the period which he is wont to have for study,
and so add to his sleep and lessen his time of keeping awake.
2028.
And this also is to be observed, lest haply if sleep be interrupted while the food is still undigested,
the undigested mass lead the mind,
and by the exhalation of crude spirits render the inner sense confused and disturbed.
2029.
It is right, therefore, that that part also be cherished with sufficient rest,
so that, those things being sufficiently accomplished which are due to it,
the body may be able in other things to render due service to the mind.
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