barlaam and ioasaph-第10章

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cast　away　all　the　old　works　of　wickedness；　and　we　make　covenant　with　God　of　a　second　life　and　begin　a　purer　conversation；　that　we　may　also　become　fellow…heirs　with　them　that　are　born　again　to　incorruption　and　lay　hold　of　everlasting　salvation。　　But　without　Baptism　it　is　impossible　to　attain　to　that　good　hope；　even　though　a　man　be　more　pious　than　piety　itself。　　For　thus　spake　God；　the　Word；　who　was　incarnate　for　the　salvation　of　our　race；　‘Verily　I　say　unto　you；　except　ye　be　born　of　water　and　of　the　Spirit；　ye　shall　in　no　wise　enter　into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven。'　　Wherefore　before　all　things　I　require　thee　to　receive　faith　within　thy　soul；　and　to　draw　near　to　Baptism　anon　with　hearty　desire；　and　on　no　account　to　delay　herein；　for　delay　is　parlous；　because　of　the　uncertainty　of　the　appointed　day　of　death。〃

Ioasaph　said　unto　him；　〃And　what　is　this　good　hope　whereto　thou　sayest　it　is　impossible　without　baptism　to　attain？　　And　what　this　kingdom　which　thou　callest　the　kingdom　of　Heaven？　　And　how　cometh　it　that　thou　hast　heard　the　words　of　God　incarnate？　　And　what　is　the　uncertain　day　of　death？　　For　on　this　account　much　anxiety　hath　fallen　on　my　heart；　and　consumeth　my　flesh　in　pain　and　grief；　and　fasteneth　on　my　very　bones。　　And　shall　we　men；　appointed　to　die；　return　to　nothing；　or　is　there　some　other　life　after　our　departure　hence？　　These　and　kindred　questions　I　have　been　longing　to　resolve。〃

Thus　questioned　he；　and　Barlaam　answered　thus：　〃The　good　hope；　whereof　I　spake；　is　that　of　the　kingdom　of　Heaven。　　But　that　kingdom　is　far　beyond　the　utterance　of　mortal　tongue；　for　the　Scripture　saith；　‘Eye　hath　not　seen；　nor　ear　heard；　neither　have　entered　into　the　heart　of　man　the　things　which　God　hath　prepared　for　them　that　love　him。'　　But　when　we　have　shuffled　off　this　gross　flesh；　and　attained　to　that　blessedness；　then　will　that　Master；　which　hath　granted　to　us　not　to　fail　of　this　hope；　teach　and　make　known　unto　us　the　glory　of　those　good　things；　whose　glory　passeth　all　understanding：　　that　light　ineffable；　that　life　that　hath　no　ending；　that　converse　with　Angels。　　For　if　it　be　granted　us　to　hold　communion　with　God；　so　far　as　is　attainable　to　human　nature；　then　shall　we　know　all　things　from　his　lips　which　now　we　know　not。　　This　doth　my　initiation　into　the　teaching　of　the　divine　Scriptures　teach　me　to　be　the　real　meaning　of　the　kingdom　of　Heaven；　to　approach　the　vision　of　the　blessed　and　life…giving　Trinity；　and　to　be　illumined　with　his　unapproachable　light；　and　with　clearer　and　purer　sight；　and　with　unveiled　face；　to　behold　as　in　a　glass　his　unspeakable　glory。　　But；　if　it　be　impossible　to　express　in　language　that　glory；　that　light；　and　those　mysterious　blessings；　what　marvel？　　For　they　had　not　been　mighty　and　singular；　if　they　had　been　comprehended　by　reason　and　expressed　in　words　by　us　who　are　earthly；　and　corruptible；　and　clothed　in　this　heavy　garment　of　sinful　flesh。　　Holding　then　such　knowledge　in　simple　faith；　believe　thou　undoubtingly；　that　these　are　no　fictions；　but　by　good　works　be　urgent　to　lay　hold　on　that　immortal　kingdom；　to　which　when　thou　hast　attained；　thou　shalt　have　perfect　knowledge。

〃As　touching　thy　question；　How　it　is　that　we　have　heard　the　words　of　the　Incarnate　God；　know　thou　that　we　have　been　taught　all　that　appertaineth　to　the　divine　Incarnation　by　the　Holy　Gospels；　for　thus　that　holy　book　is　called；　because　it　telleth　us；　who　are　corruptible　and　earthly；　the　‘good　spell'　of　immortality　and　incorruption；　of　life　eternal；　of　the　remission　of　sins；　and　of　the　kingdom　of　heaven。　　This　book　was　written　by　the　eyewitnesses　and　ministers　of　the　Word；　and　of　these　I　have　already　said　that　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ　chose　them　for　disciples　and　apostles；　and　they　delivered　it　unto　us　in　writing；　after　the　glorious　Ascension　of　our　Master　into　Heaven；　a　record　of　his　life　on　earth；　his　teachings　and　miracles；　so　far　as　it　was　possible　to　commit　them　to　writing。　　For　thus；　toward　the　end　of　his　volume；　saith　he　that　is　the　flower　of　the　holy　Evangelists；　‘And　there　are　also　many　other　things　which　Jesus　did；　the　which；　if　they　should　be　written　every　one；　I　suppose　that　even　the　world　itself　could　not　contain　the　books　that　should　be　written。'

〃So　in　this　heavenly　Gospel；　written　by　the　Spirit　of　God；　is　recorded　the　history　of　his　Incarnation；　his　manifestation；　his　miracles　and　acts。　　Afterward；　it　telleth　of　the　innocent　suffering　which　the　Lord　endured　for　our　sake；　of　his　holy　Resurrection　on　the　third　day；　his　Ascent　into　the　heavens；　and　of　his　glorious　and　dreadful　second　coming；　for　the　Son　of　God　shall　come　again　on　earth；　with　unspeakable　glory；　and　with　a　multitude　of　the　heavenly　host　to　judge　our　race；　and　to　reward　every　man　according　to　his　works。　　For；　at　the　beginning；　God　created　man　out　of　earth；　as　I　have　already　told　thee；　and　breathed　into　him　breath；　which　is　called　a　reasonable　and　understanding　soul。　　But　since　we　were　sentenced　to　death；　we　die　all：　and　it　is　not　possible　for　this　cup　to　pass　any　man　by。　　Now　death　is　the　separation　of　the　soul　from　the　body。　　And　that　body　which　was　formed　out　of　earth；　when　severed　from　the　soul；　returneth　to　earth　from　whence　also　it　was　taken；　and；　decaying；　perisheth；　but　the　soul；　being　immortal；　fareth　whither　her　Maker　calleth；　or　rather　to　the　place　where　she；　while　still　in　the　body；　hath　prepared　for　herself　lodgement。　　For　as　a　man　hath　lived　here；　so　shall　he　receive　reward　there。

〃Then；　after　long　seasons；　Christ　our　God　shall　come　to　judge　the　world　in　awful　glory；　beyond　words　to　tell；　and　for　fear　of　him　the　powers　of　heaven　shall　be　shaken；　and　all　the　angel　hosts　stand　beside　him　in　dread。　　Then；　at　the　voice　of　the　archangel；　and　at　the　trump　of　God；　shall　the　dead　arise　and　stand　before　his　awful　throne。　　Now　the　Resurrection　is　the　re…uniting　of　soul　and　body。　　So　that　very　body；　which　decayeth　and　perisheth；　shall　arise　incorruptible。　　And　concerning　this；　beware　lest　the　reasoning　of　unbelief　overtake　thee；　for　it　is　not　impossible　for　him；　who　at　the　beginning　formed　the　body　out　of　earth；　when　according　to　its　Maker's　doom　it　hath　returned　to　earth　whence　it　was　taken；　to　raise　the　same　again。　　If　thou　wilt　but　consider　how　many　things　God　hath　made　out　of　nothing；　this　proof　shall　suffice　thee。　　He　took　earth　and　made　man；　though　earth　was　not　man　before。　　How　then　did　earth　become　man？　　And　how　was　earth；　that　did　not　exist；　produced？　　And　what　foundation　hath　it？　　And　how　were　countless　kind　of　things　without　reason；　of　seeds　and　plants；　produced　out　of　it！　　Nay；　now　also　consider　the　manner　of　our　birth。　　Is　not　a　little　seed　thrown　into　the　womb　that　receiveth　it？　　Whence　then　cometh　such　a　marvellous　fashioning　of　a　living　creature？

〃So　for　him；　who　hath　made　everything　out　of　nothing；　and　still　doth　make；　it　is　not　impossible　to　raise　deadened　and　corrupt　bodies　from　the　earth；　that　every　man　may　be　rewarded　according　to　his　works；　for　he　saith；　‘The　present　is　the　time　for　work；　the　future　for　recompense。'　　Else；　where　were　the　justice　of　God；　if　there　were　no　Resurrection？　　Many　righteous　men　in　this　present　life　have　suffered　much　ill…usage　and　torment；　and　have　died　violent　deaths；　and　the　impious　and　the　law…breaker　hath　spent　his　days　here　in　luxury　and　prosperity。　　But　God；　who　is　good　and　just；　hath　appointed　a　day　of　resurrection　and　inquisition；　that　each　soul　may　receive　her　own　body；　and　that　the　wicked；　who　received　his　good　things　here；　may　there　be　punished　for　his　misdeeds；　and　that　the　good；　who　was　here　chastised　for　his　misdeeds；　may　there　inherit　his　bliss。　　For；　saith　the　Lord；　‘They　that　are　in　the　graves　shall　hear　the　voice　of　the　Son　of　God；　and　shall　come　forth；　they　that　have　done　good　unto　the　resurrection　of　life；　and　they　that　have　done　evil　unto　the　resurrection　of　doom。'　　Then　also　shall　thrones　be　set；　and　the　Ancient　of　days　and　Maker　of　all　things　shall　sit　as　Judge；　and　there　shall　be　opened　books　with　records　of　the　deeds　and　words　and　thoughts　of　all　of　us；　and　a　fiery　stream　shall　issue；　and　all　hidden　things　shall　be　revealed。　　There　can　no　advocate；　no　persuasive　words；　no　false　excuse；　no　mightiness　of　riches；　no　pomp　of　rank；　no　lavishment　of　bribes；　avail　to　pervert　righteous　judgement