barlaam and ioasaph-第16章

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nd　after　his　holy　resurrection　Christ　made　good　this　three…fold　denial　with　the　three…fold　question；　‘Peter；　lovest　thou　me？'；　the　Apostle　answering；　‘Yea；　Lord；　thou　knowest　that　I　love　thee。'

〃So　from　all　these　and　many　other　examples　beyond　count　we　learn　the　virtue　of　tears　and　repentance。　　Only　the　manner　thereof　must　be　noted　it　must　arise　from　a　heart　that　abominateth　sin　and　weepeth；　as　saith　the　prophet　David；　‘I　am　weary　of　my　groaning：　every　night　will　I　wash　my　bed　and　water　my　couch　with　my　tears。'　Again　the　cleansing　of　sins　will　be　wrought　by　the　blood　of　Christ；　in　the　greatness　of　his　compassion　and　the　multitude　of　the　mercies　of　that　God　who　saith；　‘Though　your　sins　be　as　scarlet；　I　will　make　them　white　as　snow；'　and　so　forth。

〃Thus　therefore　it　is；　and　thus　we　believe。　　But　after　receiving　the　knowledge　of　the　truth　and　winning　regeneration　and　adoption　as　sons；　and　tasting　of　the　divine　mysteries；　we　must　strive　hard　to　keep　our　feet　lest　we　fall。　　For　to　fall　becometh　not　the　athlete；　since　many　have　fallen　and　been　unable　to　rise。　　Some；　opening　a　door　to　sinful　lusts；　and　clinging　obstinately　to　them；　have　no　more　had　strength　to　hasten　back　to　repentance；　and　others；　being　untimely　snatched　by　death；　and　having　not　made　speed　enough　to　wash　them　from　the　pollution　of　their　sin；　have　been　damned。　　And　for　this　cause　it　is　parlous　to　fall　into　any　kind　of　sinful　affection　whatsoever。　　But　if　any　man　fall；　he　must　at　once　leap　up；　and　stand　again　to　fight　the　good　fight：　and；　as　often　as　there　cometh　a　fall；　so　often　must　there　at　once　ensue　this　rising　and　standing；　unto　the　end。　　For；　‘Turn　ye　unto　me；　and　I　will　turn　unto　you；'　saith　the　Lord　God。〃


XII。

To　this　said　Ioasaph；　〃But　how；　after　baptism；　shall　a　man　keep　himself　clear　from　all　sin？　　For　even　if　there　be；　as　thou　sayest；　repentance　for　them　that　stumble；　yet　it　is　attended　with　toil　and　trouble；　with　weeping　and　mourning；　things　which；　methinks；　are　not　easy　for　the　many　to　accomplish。　　But　I　desired　rather　to　find　a　way　to　keep　strictly　the　commandments　of　God；　and　not　swerve　from　them；　and；　after　his　pardoning　of　my　past　misdeeds；　never　again　to　provoke　that　most　sweet　God　and　Master。〃

Barlaam　answered；　〃Well　said；　my　lord　and　king。　　That　also　is　my　desire；　but　it　is　hard；　nay　quite　impossible；　for　a　man　living　with　fire　not　to　be　blackened　with　smoke：　for　it　is　an　uphill　task；　and　one　not　easy　of　accomplishment；　for　a　man　that　is　tied　to　the　matters　of　this　life　and　busied　with　its　cares　and　troubles；　and　liveth　in　riches　and　luxury；　to　walk　unswervingly　in　the　way　of　the　commandments　of　the　Lord；　and　to　preserve　his　life　pure　of　these　evils。　　　‘For；'　saith　the　Lord；　‘no　man　can　serve　two　masters；　for　either　he　will　hate　the　one　and　love　the　other；　or　else　he　will　hold　to　the　one　and　despise　the　other。　　Ye　cannot　serve　God　and　Mammon。'　　So　also　writeth　the　beloved　Evangelist　and　Divine　in　his　Epistle；　thus　saying；　‘Love　not　the　world；　neither　the　things　that　are　in　the　world。　　If　any　man　love　the　world；　the　love　of　the　Father　is　not　in　him。　　For　all　that　is　in　the　world；　the　lust　of　the　flesh；　and　the　lust　of　the　eyes；　and　the　pride　of　life；　is　not　of　the　Father；　but　is　of　the　world。　And　the　world　passeth　away；　and　the　lust　thereof；　but　he　that　doeth　the　will　of　God　abideth　for　ever。'

〃These　things　were　well　understood　by　our　holy　and　inspired　fathers；　and　mindful　of　the　Apostle's　word　that　we　must　through　much　tribulation　enter　into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven；　they　strove；　after　holy　baptism；　to　keep　their　garment　of　immortality　spotless　and　undefiled。　　Whence　some　of　them　also　thought　fit　to　receive　yet　another　baptism；　I　mean　that　which　is　by　blood　and　martyrdom。　For　this　too　is　called　baptism；　the　most　honourable；　and　reverend　of　all；　inasmuch　as　its　waters　are　not　polluted　by　fresh　sin；　which　also　our　Lord　underwent　for　our　sakes；　and　rightly　called　it　baptism。　　So　as　imitators　and　followers　of　him；　first　his　eyewitness；　disciples；　and　Apostles；　and　then　the　whole　band　of　holy　martyrs　yielded　themselves；　for　the　name　of　Christ；　to　kings　and　tyrants　that　worshipped　idols；　and　endured　every　form　of　torment；　being　exposed　to　wild　beasts；　fire　and　sword；　confessing　the　good　confession；　running　the　course　and　keeping　the　faith。　Thus　they　gained　the　prizes　of　righteousness；　and　became　the　companions　of　Angels；　and　fellow…heirs　with　Christ。　　Their　virtue　shone　so　bright　that　their　sound　went　out　into　all　lands；　and　the　splendour　of　their　good　deeds　flashed　like　lightning　into　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　Of　these　men；　not　only　the　words　and　works；　but　even　the　very　blood　and　bones　are　full　of　all　sanctity；　mightily　casting　out　devils；　and　giving　to　such　as　touch　them　in　faith　the　healing　of　incurable　diseases：　yea；　and　even　their　garments；　and　anything　else　that　hath　been　brought　near　their　honoured　bodies；　are　always　worthy　of　the　reverence　of　all　creation。　　And　it　were　a　long　tale　to　tell　one　by　one　their　deeds　of　prowess。

〃But　when　those　cruel　and　brutal　tyrants　brought　their　miserable　lives　to　a　miserable　end；　and　persecution　ceased；　and　Christian　kings　ruled　throughout　the　world；　then　others　too　in　succession　emulated　the　Martyrs'　zeal　and　divine　desire；　and；　wounded　at　heart　with　the　same　love；　considered　well　how　they　might　present　soul　and　body　without　blemish　unto　God；　by　cutting　off　all　the　workings　of　sinful　lusts　and　purifying　themselves　of　every　defilement　of　flesh　and　spirit。　　But；　as　they　perceived　that　this　could　only　be　accomplished　by　the　keeping　of　the　commandments　of　Christ；　and　that　the　keeping　of　his　commandments　and　the　practice　of　the　virtues　was　difficult　to　attain　in　the　midst　of　the　turmoils　of　the　world；　they　adopted　for　themselves　a　strange　and　changed　manner　of　life；　and；　obedient　to　the　voice　divine；　forsook　all；　parents；　children；　friends；　kinsfolk；　riches　and　luxury；　and；　hating　everything　in　the　world；　withdrew；　as　exiles；　into　the　deserts；　being　destitute；　afflicted；　evil　entreated；　wandering　in　wildernesses　and　mountains；　and　in　dens　and　caves　of　the　earth；　self…banished　from　all　the　pleasures　and　delights　upon　earth；　and　standing　in　sore　need　even　of　bread　and　shelter。　　This　they　did　for　two　causes：　firstly；　that　never　seeing　the　objects　of　sinful　lust；　they　might　pluck　such　desires　by　the　root　out　of　their　soul；　and　blot　out　the　memory　thereof；　and　plant　within　themselves　the　love　and　desire　of　divine　and　heavenly　things：　and　secondly；　that；　by　exhausting　the　flesh　by　austerities；　and　becoming　Martyrs　in　will；　they　might　not　miss　the　glory　of　them　that　were　made　perfect　by　blood；　but　might　be　themselves；　in　their　degree；　imitators　of　the　sufferings　of　Christ；　and　become　partakers　of　the　kingdom　that　hath　no　end。　　Having　then　come　to　this　wise　resolve；　they　adopted　the　quiet　of　monastic　life；　some　facing　the　rigours　of　the　open　air；　and　braving　the　blaze　of　the　scorching　heat　and　fierce　frosts　and　rain…storms　and　tempestuous　winds；　others　spending　their　lives　in　the　hovels　which　they　had　builded　them；　or　in　the　hiding　of　holes　and　caverns。　　Thus；　in　pursuit　of　virtue；　they　utterly　denied　themselves　all　fleshly　comfort　and　repose；　submitting　to　a　diet　of　uncooked　herbs　and　worts；　or　acorns；　or　hard　dry　bread；　not　merely　saying　good…bye　to　delights　in　their　quality；　but；　in　very　excess　of　temperance；　extending　their　zeal　to　limit　even　the　quantity　of　enjoyment。　　For　even　of　those　common　and　necessary　meats　they　took　only　so　much　as　was　sufficient　to　sustain　life。　　Some　of　them　continued　fasting　the　whole　week；　and　partook　of　victuals　only　of　a　Sunday：　others　thought　of　food　twice　only　in　the　week：　others　ate　every　other　day；　or　daily　at　eventide；　that　is；　took　but　a　taste　of　food。　　In　prayers　and　watchings　they　almost　rivalled　the　life　of　Angels；　bidding　a　long　farewell　to　the　possession　of　gold　and　silver；　and　quite　forgetting　that　buyings　and　sellings　are　concerns　of　men。

〃But　envy　and　pride；　the　evils　most　prone　to　follow　good　works；　had　no　place　amongst　them。　　He　that　was　weaker　in　ascetic　exercises　entertained　no　thought　of　malice　against　him　of　brighter　example。　　Nor　again　was　he；　that　had　accomplished　great　feats；　deceived　and　puffed　up　by　arrogance　to　despise　his　weaker　brethren；　or　set　at