barlaam and ioasaph-第13章

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the　Prophets　inspired　by　the　Holy　Ghost；　concerning　the　judgement　and　the　recompense　to　come。　　Their　words　also　have　been　most　surely　confirmed　by　the　Saviour　who　hath　taught　us　to　believe　the　resurrection　of　the　dead；　and　the　recompense　of　the　deeds　done　in　the　flesh；　and　the　unending　life　of　the　world　to　come。〃

X

But　Ioasaph　was　filled　hereby　with　deep　compunction；　and　was　melted　into　tears；　and　he　said　to　the　elder；　〃Thou　hast　told　me　everything　plainly；　and　hast　completed　unerringly　thy　terrible　and　marvellous　tale。　　With　such　truths　set　before　us；　what　must　we　do　to　escape　the　punishments　in　store　for　sinners；　and　to　gain　the　joy　of　the　righteous？〃

Barlaam　answered：　〃It　is　written　of　Peter；　who　was　also　called　chief　of　the　Apostles；　that　once　when　he　was　preaching　the　people　were　pricked　in　their　heart；　like　thyself　to…day：　and　when　they　asked；　‘What　shall　we　do？'；　Peter　said　unto　them；　‘Repent；　and　be　baptized　every　one　of　you　for　the　remission　of　sins；　and　ye　shall　receive　the　gift　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　　For　to　you　is　the　promise；　and　to　your　children；　and　to　all　that　are　afar　off　even　as　many　as　the　Lord　our　God　shall　call。'　　Behold　therefore　upon　thee　also　hath　he　poured　forth　the　riches　of　his　mercy；　and　hath　called　thee　that　wert　afar　off　from　him　in　heart；　and　didst　serve　others；　not　Gods；　but　pernicious　devils　and　dumb　and　senseless　wooden　images。　　Wherefore　before　all　things　approach　thou　him　who　hath　called　thee；　and　from　him　shalt　thou　receive　the　true　knowledge　of　things　visible　and　invisible。　　But　if；　after　thy　calling；　thou　be　loth　or　slack；　thou　shalt　be　disherited　by　the　just　judgement　of　God；　and　by　thy　rejection　of　him　thou　shalt　be　rejected。　　For　thus　too　spake　the　same　Apostle　Peter　to　a　certain　disciple。　　But　I　believe　that　thou　hast　heard　the　call；　and　that；　when　thou　hast　heard　it　more　plainly；　thou　wilt　take　up　thy　Cross；　and　follow　that　God　and　Master　that　calleth　thee；　calleth　thee　to　himself　from　death　unto　life；　and　from　darkness　unto　light。　　For；　soothly；　ignorance　of　God　is　darkness　and　death　of　the　soul；　and　to　serve　idols；　to　the　destruction　of　all　nature；　is　to　my　thinking　the　extreme　of　all　senselessness。

〃But　idolaters　　to　whom　shall　I　compare　them；　and　to　what　likeness　shall　I　liken　their　silliness？　　Well；　I　will　set　before　thee　an　example　which　I　heard　from　the　lips　of　one　most　wise。

〃'Idol　worshippers；'　said　he；　‘are　like　a　fowler　who　caught　a　tiny　bird；　called　nightingale。　　He　took　a　knife；　for　to　kill　and　eat　her；　but　the　nightingale；　being　given　the　power　of　articulate　speech；　said　to　the　fowler；　‘Man；　what　advantageth　it　thee　to　slay　me？　　for　thou　shalt　not　be　able　by　my　means　to　fill　thy　belly。　　Now　free　me　of　my　fetters；　and　I　will　give　thee　three　precepts；　by　the　keeping　of　which　thou　shalt　be　greatly　benefited　all　thy　life　long。'　　He；　astonied　at　her　speech；　promised　that；　if　he　heard　anything　new　from　her；　he　would　quickly　free　her　from　her　captivity。　　The　nightingale　turned　towards　our　friend　and　said；　‘Never　try　to　attain　to　the　unattainable：　never　regret　the　thing　past　and　gone：　and　never　believe　the　word　that　passeth　belief。　　Keep　these　three　precepts；　and　may　it　be　well　with　thee。'　　The　man；　admiring　the　lucidity　and　sense　of　her　words；　freed　the　bird　from　her　captivity；　and　sent　her　forth　aloft。　　She；　therefore；　desirous　to　know　whether　the　man　had　understood　the　force　of　her　words；　and　whether　he　had　gleaned　any　profit　therefrom；　said；　as　she　flew　aloft；　‘Shame；　sir；　on　thy　fecklessness！　　What　a　treasure　that　hast　lost　to…day！　　For　I　have　inside　me　a　pearl　larger　than　an　ostrich…egg。'　　When　the　fowler　heard　thereof；　he　was　distraught　with　grief；　regretting　that　the　bird　had　escaped　out　of　his　hands。　　And　he　would　fain　have　taken　her　again。　　‘Come　hither；'　said　he；　‘into　my　house：　I　will　make　thee　right　welcome；　and　send　thee　forth　with　honour。'　　But　the　nightingale　said　unto　him；　‘Now　I　know　thee　to　be　a　mighty　fool。　Though　thou　didst　receive　my　words　readily　and　gladly；　thou　hast　gained　no　profit　thereby。　　I　bade　thee　never　regret　the　thing　past　and　gone；　and　behold　thou　art　distraught　with　grief　because　I　have　escaped　out　of　thy　hands　there　thou　regrettest　a　thing　past　and　gone。　　I　charged　thee　not　to　try　to　attain　to　the　unattainable；　and　thou　triest　to　catch　me；　though　thou　canst　not　attain　to　my　path。　　Besides　which；　I　bade　thee　never　believe　a　word　past　belief；　and　behold　thou　hast　believed　that　I　had　inside　me　a　pearl　exceeding　the　measure　of　my　size；　and　hadst　not　the　sense　to　see　that　my　whole　body　doth　not　attain　to　the　bulk　of　ostrich　eggs。　　How　then　could　I　contain　such　a　pearl？〃'

〃Thus　senseless；　then；　are　also　they　that　trust　in　idols：　for　these　be　their　handiwork；　and　they　worship　that　which　their　fingers　made；　saying；　‘These　be　our　creators。'　　How　then　deem　they　their　creators　those　which　have　been　formed　and　fashioned　by　themselves？　　Nay　more；　they　safeguard　their　gods；　lest　they　be　stolen　by　thieves；　and　yet　they　call　them　guardians　of　their　safety。　　And　yet　what　folly　not　to　know　that　they；　which　be　unable　to　guard　and　aid　themselves；　can　in　no　wise　guard　and　save　others！　　‘For'　saith　he；　‘why；　on　behalf　of　the　living；　should　they　seek　unto　the　dead？'　　They　expend　wealth；　for　to　raise　statues　and　images　to　devils；　and　vainly　boast　that　these　give　them　good　gifts；　and　crave　to　receive　of　their　hands　things　which　those　idols　never　possessed；　nor　ever　shall　possess。　　Wherefore　it　is　written；　‘May　they　that　make　them　be　like　unto　them；　and　so　be　all　such　as　put　their　trust　in　them；　who；'　he　saith；　‘hire　a　goldsmith；　and　make　them　gods；　and　they　fall　down；　yea；　they　worship　them。　　They　bear　them　upon　the　shoulders；　and　go　forward。　And　if　they　set　them　in　their　place；　they　stand　therein：　they　shall　not　remove。　　Yea；　one　shall　cry　unto　them；　yet　call　they　not　answer　him；　nor　save　him　out　of　his　trouble。'　　‘Wherefore　be　ye　ashamed　with　everlasting　shame；　ye　that　trust　in　graven　images；　that　say　to　the　molten　images；　Ye　are　our　gods。'　　‘For　they　sacrificed；'　he　saith；　‘unto　devils；　and　not　to　God；　to　gods　whom　their　fathers　knew　not。　　There　came　new　and　fresh　gods；　because　it　is　a　froward　generation；　and　there　is　no　faith　in　them。'

〃Wherefore　out　of　this　wicked　and　faithless　generation　the　Lord　calleth　thee　to　him；　saying；　‘Come　out　from　among　them；　and　be　thou　separate；　and　touch　no　unclean　thing；'　but　‘save　thyself　from　this　untoward　generation。'　　‘Arise　thou；　and　depart；　for　this　is　not　thy　rest；'　for　that　divided　lordship；　which　your　gods　hold；　is　a　thing　of　confusion　and　strife　and　hath　no　real　being　whatsoever。　　But　with　us　it　is　not　so；　neither　have　we　many　gods　and　lords；　but　one　God；　the　Father；　of　whom　are　all　things；　and　we　unto　him：　and　one　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　by　whom　are　all　things　and　we　by　him；　‘who　is　the　image　of　the　invisible　God；　the　first　born　of　every　creature'　and　of　all　ages；　‘for　in　him　were　all　things　created　that　are　in　the　heavens　and　that　are　upon　the　earth；　visible　and　invisible；　whether　they　be　thrones；　or　dominions；　or　principalities；　or　powers。'　　‘All　things　were　made　by　him；　and　without　him　was　not　anything　made　that　was　made：'　and　one　Holy　Ghost；　in　whom　are　all　things；　‘the　Lord　and　Giver　of　life；'　God　and　making　God；　the　good　Spirit；　the　right　Spirit；　'the　Spirit　the　Comforter；'　‘the　Spirit　of　adoption。'　　Of　these　each　person；　severally；　is　God。　　As　the　Father　is；　so　also　is　the　Son；　and　as　the　Son；　so　also　the　Holy　Ghost。　　And　there　is　one　God　in　three；　one　nature；　one　kingdom；　one　power；　one　glory；　one　substance；　distinct　in　persons；　and　so　only　distinct。　　One　is　the　Father；　whose　property　it　is　not　to　have　been　begotten；　one　is　the　only…begotten　Son；　and　his　property　it　is　to　have　been　begotten；　and　one　is　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　his　property　it　is　that　he　proceedeth。　　Thus　illuminated　by　that　light；　which　is　the　Father；　with　that　light；　which　is　the　Son；　in　that　light；　which　is　the　Holy　Ghost；　we　glorify　one　Godhead　in　three　persons。　　And　he　is　one　very　and　only　God；　known　in　the　Trinity：　for　of　him　and　through　him；　and　unto　him　are　all　things。

〃By　his　grace　also；　I　came　to　know　thy　ease；　and　was　sent　to　teach　thee　the　lessons　that　I　have　learned　and　observed　from　my　youth　even　to　these　grey　hairs。　　If　then　thou