LIB. III, SIMILITUDO IX, SEC. XVI.

Et dixi: "Etiamnunc, domine, demonstra mihi.” "Quid quæris?" inquit. "Quare," inquam, "de profundo hi lapides ascenderunt et positi sunt in structuram turris hujus, quum jampridem portaverint spiritus justos?" "Necesse est," inquit, "ut per aquam habeant ascendere, ut requiescant. Non poterant enim in regnum Dei aliter intrare, quam ut deponerent mortalitatem prioris vitæ. Illi igitur defuncti, sigillo Filii Dei signati sunt, et intraverunt in regnum Dei, Antequam enim accipiat homo nomen Filii Dei, morti destinatus est; at ubi accipit illud sigillum, liberatur a morte et traditur vitæ. Illud autem sigillum aqua est, in quam descendunt homines morti obligati, ascendunt vero vitæ assignati; et illis igitur prædicatum est illud sigillum, et usi sunt eo, ut intrarent in regnum Dei." Et dixi, "Quare ergo, domine, et illi quadraginta lapides ascenderunt cum illis de profundo, jam habentes illud sigillum ?" Et dixit, "Quoniam hi apostoli et doctores, qui prædicaverunt nomen Filii Dei, quum habentes fidem ejus et postestatem defuncti essent, prædicaverunt illis, qui ante obierunt, et ipsi dederunt eis illud signum. Descenderunt igitur in aquam cum illis, et iterum ascenderunt. Sed hi vivi ascenderunt : at illi, qui fuerunt ante defuncti, mortui quidem descenderunt, sed vivi ascenderunt. Per hos igitur vitam receperunt et cognoverunt Filium Dei; ideoque ascenderunt cum eis, et convenerunt in structuram turris; nec circumcisi, sed integri ædificati sunt, quoniam æquitate pleni cum summa castitate defuncti sunt; sed tantummodo hoc sigillum defuerat eis. Habes horum explanationem."

WAKE's translation of the above passage is as follows:

In the fourth Precept or Commandment is the following: And I said unto him, "I have even now heard from certain teachers, that there is no other repentance, besides that of Baptism; when we go down into the water, and receive the forgiveness of our sins; and that, after that, we must sin no more; but live in purity." And he said unto me, "Thou hast been rightly informed; nevertheless I will manifest this also unto you, yet not so as to give any occasion of sinning, either to those who shall hereafter believe, or to those who have already believed in the Lord. For neither they who have newly believed or those who shall hereafter believe have any repentance of sins, but forgiveness of them. But as to those who have been called to the faith, and since that, have fallen into any gross sin, the Lord hath appointed repentance, because God knoweth the thoughts of all men's hearts, and their infirmities, and the manifold wickedness of the Devil, who is always contriving something against the servants of God, and maliciously lays snares for them. Therefore our merciful Lord has compassion towards his creatures, and appointed that repentance; and gave unto me the power of it. And therefore I say unto thee, if any one, after that great and holy calling, shall be tempted of the Devil, and sin, he has one repentance. But if he shall often sin, and repent, it shall not profit such a one, for he shall hardly live unto God." And I said, "Sir, I am restored again to life, since I have thus diligently hearkened to these commands: for I perceive that, if I shall not hereafter add any more to my sins, I shall be saved; and he said, "Thou shalt be saved;" &c.

In the ninth Similitude is the following:

And I said, "Sir, show me this farther": he answered, "What dost thou ask?" "Why did these stones come out of the deep, and were placed in the building of this tower; seeing that they long ago carried those holy spirits?" "It was necessary," said he, "for them to ascend by Water, that they might be at rest. For they could not otherwise enter into the kingdom of God, but by laying aside the mortality of their former life. They therefore, being dead, were nevertheless sealed with the seal of the Son of God and so entered

into the kingdom of God. For before man receives the name of the Son of God, he is ordained unto death; but when he receives that seal he is free from death, and assigned unto life. Now that seal is the water of Baptism, into which men go down under the obligation unto death, but come up unto life. Wherefore to those also was this seal preached; and they made use of it that they might enter into the kingdom of God." And I said, "Why then, Sir, did these forty stones also ascend out of the deep, having already received that seal?" He answered, " Because these apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the son of God, dying after they had received his faith and power, preached to them who were dead before, and they gave this seal to them. They went down therefore into the water with them, and again came up. But these went down whilst they were alive, and came up again alive: whereas those who were before dead went down dead, but came up alive. Through these therefore they received life, and knew the Son of God; for which cause they came up with

them, and were fit to come into the building of the towers; and were not cut but put up entire; because they died in righteousness, and in great purity; only this seal was wanting to them. Thus you have the explanation of these things."

The original Greek of part of this extract, from the words et ipsi dederunt to the end, has been preserved, and runs as follows:

Καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτοῖς τὴν σφραγίδα τοῦ κηρύγματος. Κατέβησαν οὖν μετ ̓ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ πάλιν ἀνέβησαν. ̓Αλλ ̓ οὗτοι ζῶντες κατέβησαν, καὶ πάλιν ζῶντες ἀνέβησαν· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, οἱ προκεκοιμημένοι, νεκροὶ κατέβησαν, ζῶντες δὲ ἀνέβησαν. Διὰ τούτων οὖν ἐζωοποιήθησαν, καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συνανέβησαν μετ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ συνήρμοσαν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου, καὶ ἀλατόμητοι συνῳκοδομήθησαν· ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ ἐν μεγάλῃ ἁγνείᾳ· μόνον δὲ τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην οὐκ ἔσχον.

In Book III, Simil. 8, Sec. 6, Hermas, in writing on Sinning and Repenting after baptism, says

ut... qui... dissipaverunt sigillum quod acceperunt, agnitis suis factis, pœnitentiam agant, et accepto a te sigillo, &c.

In English thus:

that those who destroyed the seal which they received, gaining a knowledge of their deeds, might show repentance, receiving again the seal from you, &c.

This, in the Index to the Bibliotheca Veterum Patrum, &c., cura Gallandii &c., 14 vols. fol., Venet., 1765, is supposed to mean Baptism.

In a work entitled "Codicis Apocryphi Novi Testamenti, curante J. Alberto Fabricio, Hamburg, 1719," mentioned in this Synopsis at the end of the 2nd century, are some Testimonies and Judgements on Hermas: and some Notes on his work.

VIII. POLYCARP.

Another of the Apostolical Fathers was Polycarp, a disciple, as it is said, of Saint John. He is thought to have lived to a very advanced age, and to have terminated his life by martyrdom.

He became bishop of Smyrna, and is the reputed writer of an epistle to the Philippians.

MOSHEIM, in his Ecclesiastical History, [vol. i, p. 100] says that this production

is considered by some as genuine; by others as spurious; and it is no easy matter to determine this question.

DUPIN says that Polycarp abhorred heretics: that

he took much delight in telling over the discourses he had with St John, and with others, that had seen Jesus Christ in the flesh; and related every thing, whereof he had been informed by them, concerning his doctrine and miracles.

DUPIN says that we have at present but one single epistle written by him to the Philippians, full of admirable counsels, precepts and exhortations; but he adds there are several other works atttributed to him, and some notes on the Gospels, but probably fictitious.