barlaam and ioasaph-第8章

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nd；　eternal　and　everlasting；　increate；　immutable　and　incorporeal；　invisible；　infinite；　incomprehensible；　alone　good　and　righteous；　who　created　all　things　out　of　nothing；　whether　visible　or　invisible。　　First；　he　made　the　heavenly　and　invisible　powers；　countless　multitudes；　immaterial　and　bodiless；　ministering　spirits　of　the　majesty　of　God。　　Afterward　he　created　this　visible　world；　heaven　and　earth　and　sea；　which　also　he　made　glorious　with　light　and　richly　adorned　it；　the　heavens　with　the　sun；　moon　and　stars；　and　the　earth　with　all　manner　of　herbs　and　divers　living　beasts；　and　the　sea　in　turn　with　all　kinds　of　fishes。　　‘He　spake　the　word　and　these　all　were　made；　he　commanded　and　they　were　created。'　　Then　with　his　own　hands　he　created　man；　taking　dust　of　the　ground　for　the　fashioning　of　his　body；　but　by　his　own　in…breathing　giving　him　a　reasonable　and　intelligent　soul；　which；　as　it　is　written；　was　made　after　the　image　and　likeness　of　God：　after　his　image；　because　of　reason　and　free　will；　after　his　likeness；　because　of　the　likeness　of　virtue；　in　its　degree；　to　God。　　Him　he　endowed　with　free　will　and　immortality　and　appointed　sovran　over　everything　upon　earth；　and　from　man　he　made　woman；　to　be　an　helpmeet　of　like　nature　for　him。

〃And　he　planted　a　garden　eastward　in　Eden；　full　of　delight　and　all　heart's　ease；　and　set　thereto　the　man　whom　he　had　formed；　and　commanded　him　freely　to　eat　of　all　the　heavenly　trees　therein；　but　forbade　him　wholly　the　taste　of　a　certain　one　which　was　called　the　tree　of　the　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　thus　saying；　'In　the　day　that　ye　eat　thereof　ye　shall　surely　die。'　　But　one　of　the　aforesaid　angel　powers；　the　marshall　of　one　host；　though　he　bore　in　himself　no　trace　of　natural　evil　from　his　Maker's　hand　but　had　been　created　for　good；　yet　by　his　own　free　and　deliberate　choice　turned　aside　from　good　to　evil；　and　was　stirred　up　by　madness　to　the　desire　to　take　up　arms　against　his　Lord　God。　Wherefore　he　was　cast　out　of　his　rank　and　dignity；　and　in　the　stead　of　his　former　blissful　glory　and　angelick　name　received　the　name　of　the　‘Devil'　and　‘Satan'　for　his　title。　　God　banished　him　as　unworthy　of　the　glory　above。　　And　together　with　him　there　was　drawn　away　and　hurled　forth　a　great　multitude　of　the　company　of　angels　under　him；　who　were　evil　of　choice；　and　chose　in　place　of　good；　to　follow　in　the　rebellion　of　their　leader。　　These　were　called　Devils；　as　being　deluders　and　deceivers。

〃Thus　then　did　the　devil　utterly　renounce　the　good；　and　assume　an　evil　nature；　and　he　conceived　spite　against　man；　seeing　himself　hurled　from　such　glory；　and　man　raised　to　such　honour；　and　he　schemed　to　oust　him　from　that　blissful　state。　　So　he　took　the　serpent　for　the　workshop　of　his　own　guile。　　Through　him　he　conversed　with　the　woman；　and　persuaded　her　to　eat　of　that　forbidden　tree　in　the　hope　of　being　as　God；　and　through　her　he　deceived　Adam　also；　for　that　was　the　first　man's　name。　　So　Adam　ate　of　the　tree　of　disobedience；　and　was　banished　by　his　maker　from　that　paradise　of　delight；　and；　in　lieu　of　those　happy　days　and　that　immortal　life；　fell　alas！　　into　this　life　of　misery　and　woe；　and　at　the　last　received　sentence　of　death。　　Thenceforth　the　devil　waxed　strong　and　boastful　through　his　victory；　and；　as　the　race　of　man　multiplied；　he　prompted　them　in　all　manner　of　wickedness。　　So；　wishing　to　cut　short　the　growth　of　sin；　God　brought　a　deluge　on　the　earth；　and　destroyed　every　living　soul。　But　one　single　righteous　man　did　God　find　in　that　generation；　and　him；　with　wife　and　children；　he　saved　alive　in　an　Ark；　and　set　him　utterly　desolate　on　earth。　　But；　when　the　human　race　again　began　to　multiply；　they　forgat　God；　and　ran　into　worse　excess　of　wickedness；　being　in　subjection　to　divers　sins　and　ruined　in　strange　delusions；　and　wandering　apart　into　many　branches　of　error。

〃Some　deemed　that　everything　moved　by　mere　chance；　and　taught　that　there　was　no　Providence；　since　there　was　no　master　to　govern。　　Others　brought　in　fate；　and　committed　everything　to　the　stars　at　birth。　　Others　worshipped　many　evil　deities　subject　to　many　passions；　to　the　end　that　they　might　have　them　to　advocate　their　own　passions　and　shameful　deeds；　whose　forms　they　moulded；　and　whose　dumb　figures　and　senseless　idols　they　set　up；　and　enclosed　them　in　temples；　and　did　homage　to　them；　‘serving　the　creature　more　than　the　Creator。'　　Some　worshipped　the　sun；　moon　and　stars　which　God　fixed；　for　to　give　light　to　our　earthly　sphere；　things　without　soul　or　sense；　enlightened　and　sustained　by　the　providence　of　God；　but　unable　to　accomplish　anything　of　themselves。　　Others　again　worshipped　fire　and　water；　and　the　other　elements；　things　without　soul　or　sense；　and　men；　possest　of　soul　and　reason；　were　not　ashamed　to　worship　the　like　of　these。　Others　assigned　worship　to　beasts；　creeping　and　four…footed　things；　proving　themselves　more　beastly　than　the　things　that　they　worshipped。　　Others　made　them　images　of　vile　and　worthless　men；　and　named　them　gods；　some　of　whom　they　called　males；　and　some　females；　and　they　themselves　set　them　forth　as　adulterers；　murderers；　victims　of　anger；　jealousy；　wrath；　slayers　of　fathers；　slayers　of　brothers；　thieves　and　robbers；　lame　and　maim；　sorcerers　and　madmen。　　Others　they　showed　dead；　struck　by　thunderbolts；　or　beating　their　breasts；　or　being　mourned　over；　or　in　enslavement　to　mankind；　or　exiled；　or；　for　foul　and　shameful　unions；　taking　the　forms　of　animals。　　Whence　men；　taking　occasion　by　the　gods　themselves；　took　heart　to　pollute　themselves　in　all　manner　of　uncleanness。　　So　an　horrible　darkness　overspread　our　race　in　those　times；　and　‘there　was　none　that　did　understand　and　seek　after　God。'

〃Now　in　that　generation　one　Abraham　alone　was　found　strong　in　his　spiritual　senses；　and　by　contemplation　of　Creation　he　recognized　the　Creator。　　When　he　considered　heaven；　earth　and　sea；　the　sun；　moon　and　the　like；　he　marvelled　at　their　harmonious　ordering。　Seeing　the　world；　and　all　that　therein　is；　he　could　not　believe　that　it　had　been　created；　and　was　upheld；　by　its　own　power；　nor　did　he　ascribe　such　a　fair　ordering　to　earthly　elements　or　lifeless　idols。　　But　therein　he　recognized　the　true　God；　and　understood　him　to　be　the　maker　and　sustainer　of　the　whole。　　And　God；　approving　his　fair　wisdom　and　right　judgement；　manifested　himself　unto　him；　not　as　he　essentially　is　（for　it　is　impossible　for　a　created　being　to　see　God）；　but　by　certain　manifestations　in　material　forms；　as　he　alone　can；　and　he　planted　in　Abraham　more　perfect　knowledge；　he　magnified　him　and　made　him　his　own　servant。　Which　Abraham　in　turn　handed　down　to　his　children　his　own　righteousness；　and　taught　them　to　know　the　true　God。　　Wherefore　also　the　Lord　was　pleased　to　multiply　his　seed　beyond　measure；　and　called　them　‘a　peculiar　people；'　and　brought　them　forth　out　of　bondage　to　the　Egyptian　nation；　and　to　one　Pharaoh　a　tyrant；　by　strange　and　terrible　signs　and　wonders　wrought　by　the　hand　of　Moses　and　Aaron；　holy　men；　honoured　with　the　gift　of　prophecy；　by　whom　also　he　punished　the　Egyptians　in　fashion　worthy　of　their　wickedness；　and　led　the　Israelites　（for　thus　the　people　descended　from　Abraham　were　called）　through　the　Red　Sea　upon　dry　land；　the　waters　dividing　and　making　a　wall　on　the　right　hand　and　a　wall　on　the　left。　　But　when　Pharaoh　and　the　Egyptians　pursued　and　went　in　after　them；　the　waters　returned　and　utterly　destroyed　them。　　Then　with　exceeding　mighty　miracles　and　divine　manifestations　by　the　space　of　forty　years　he　led　the　people　in　the　wilderness；　and　fed　them　with　bread　from　heaven；　and　gave　the　Law　divinely　written　on　tables　of　stone；　which　he　delivered　unto　Moses　on　the　mount；　‘a　type　and　shadow　of　things　to　come'　leading　men　away　from　idols　and　all　manner　of　wickedness；　and　teaching　them　to　worship　only　the　one　true　God；　and　to　cleave　to　good　works。　　By　such　wondrous　deeds；　he　brought　them　into　a　certain　goodly　land；　the　which　he　had　promised　aforetime　to　Abraham　the　patriarch；　that　he　would　give　it　unto　his　seed。　　And　the　task　were　long；　to　tell　of　all　the　mighty　and　marvellous　works　full　of　glory　and　wonder；　without　number；　which　he　shewed　unto　them；　by　which　it　was　his　purpose　to　pluck　the　human　race　from　all　unlawful　worship　and　practice；　and　to　bring　men　back　to　their　first　estate。