barlaam and ioasaph-第26章

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commands？　　As　many　as　have　done　so；　have　come　to　a　miserable　end。　　But　be　not　thou；　my　son；　one　of　their　number。　　Rather　do　that　which　is　well　pleasing　to　thy　sire；　and　so　mayest　thou　obtain　all　happiness　and　inherit　my　blessing　and　my　kingdom！〃

The　high…minded　and　noble　youth　listened　to　his　father's　windy　discourse　and　foolish　opposition；　and　recognized　therein　the　devices　of　the　crooked　serpent；　and　how　standing　at　his　right　hand　he　had　prepared　a　snare　for　his　feet；　and　was　scheming　how　to　overthrow　his　righteous　soul；　and　hinder　him　of　the　prize　laid　up　in　store。　　Therefore　the　prince　set　before　his　eyes　the　commandment　of　the　Lord；　which　saith；　〃I　came　not　to　send　peace；　but　strife　and　a　sword。　　For　I　am　come　to　set　a　man　at　variance　against　his　father；　and　a　daughter　against　her　mother；　and　so　forth；　and　〃He　that　loveth　father　or　mother　more　than　me　is　not　worthy　of　me〃；　and　〃Whosoever　shall　deny　me　before　men；　him　will　I　also　deny　before　my　Father　which　is　in　heaven。〃　　When　he　had　considered　these　things；　and　fettered　his　soul　with　divine　fear；　and　strengthened　it　with　longing　desire　and　love；　right　opportunely　he　remembered　the　saying　of　Solomon；　〃There　is　a　time　to　love；　and　a　time　to　hate；　a　time　of　war；　and　a　time　of　peace。〃　First　of　all　he　prayed　in　silence；　and　said；　〃Have　mercy　of　me；　Lord　God；　have　mercy　of　me；　for　my　soul　trusteth　in　thee；　and　under　the　shadow　of　thy　wings　I　shall　hope　till　wickedness　overpass。　　I　shall　cry　to　the　highest　God；　to　God　that　did　well　to　me；〃　and　the　rest　of　the　psalm。

Then　said　Ioasaph　to　the　king；　〃To　honour　one's　father；　and　to　obey　his　commands；　and　to　serve　him　with　good　will　and　affection　is　taught　us　by　the　Lord　of　us　all；　who　hath　implanted　in　our　hearts　this　natural　affection。　　But；　when　loving　devotion　to　our　parents　bringeth　our　soul　into　peril；　and　separateth　her　from　her　Maker；　then　we　are　commanded；　at　all　costs；　to　cut　it　out；　and；　on　no　account；　to　yield　to　them　that　would　depart　us　from　God；　but　to　hate　and　avoid　them；　even　if　it　be　our　father　that　issueth　the　abominable　command；　or　our　mother；　or　our　king；　or　the　master　of　our　very　life。　　Wherefore　it　is　impossible　for　me；　out　of　devotion　to　my　father；　to　forfeit　God。　　So；　prithee；　trouble　not　thyself；　nor　me：　but　be　persuaded；　and　let　us　both　serve　the　true　and　living　God；　for　the　objects　of　thy　present　worship　are　idols；　the　works　of　men's　hands；　devoid　of　breath；　and　deaf；　and　give　nought　but　destruction　and　eternal　punishment　to　their　worshippers。

〃But　if　this　be　not　thy　pleasure；　deal　with　me　even　as　thou　wilt：　for　I　am　a　servant　of　Christ；　and　neither　flatteries　nor　torments　shall　separate　me　from　his　love；　as　I　told　thee　yesterday；　swearing　it　by　my　Master's　name；　and　confirming　the　word　with　surest　oath。　　But；　whereas　thou　saidest　that　thou　didst　neither　wilfully　do　wrong；　nor　didst　fail　of　the　mark　through　ignorance；　but　after　much　laborious　enquiry　hadst　ascertained　that　it　was　truly　a　good　thing　to　worship　idols　and　to　be　riveted　to　the　pleasures　of　the　passions　　that　thou　art　wilfully　a　wrong　doer；　I　may　not　say。　　But　this　I　know　full　well；　and　would　have　thee　know；　O　my　father；　that　thou　art　surrounded　with　a　dense　mist　of　ignorance；　and；　walking　in　darkness　that　may　be　felt；　seest　not　even　one　small　glimmer　of　light。　　Wherefore　thou　hast　lost　the　right　pathway；　and　wanderest　over　terrible　cliffs　and　chasms。　Holding　darkness　for　light；　and　clinging　to　death　as　it　were　life；　thou　deemest　that　thou　art　well　advised；　and　hast　reflected　to　good　effect：　but　it　is　not　so；　not　so。　　The　objects　of　thy　veneration　are　not　gods　but　statues　of　devils；　charged　with　all　their　filthy　power；　nor　is　the　life；　which　thou　pronouncest　sweet　and　pleasant；　and　thinkest　to　be　full　of　delight　and　gladness　of　heart；　such　in　kind：　but　the　same　is　abominable；　according　to　the　word　of　truth；　and　to　be　abhorred。　　For　for　a　time　it　sweeteneth　and　tickleth　the　gullet；　but　afterwards　it　maketh　the　risings　more　bitter　than　gall　（as　said　my　teacher）；　and　is　sharper　than　any　two…edged　sword。

〃How　shall　I　describe　to　thee　the　evils　of　this　life？　　I　will　tell　them；　and　they　shall　be　more　in　number　than　the　sand。　　For　such　life　is　the　fishhook　of　the　devil；　baited　with　beastly　pleasure；　whereby　he　deceiveth　and　draggeth　his　prey　into　the　depth　of　hell。　　Whereas　the　good　things；　promised　by　my　Master；　　which　thou　callest　‘the　hope　of　some　other　uncertain　life；'　are　true　and　unchangeable；　they　know　no　end；　and　are　not　subject　to　decay。　　There　is　no　language　that　can　declare　the　greatness　of　yonder　glory　and　delight；　of　the　joy　unspeakable；　and　the　everlasting　gladness。　　As　thou　thyself　seest；　we　all　die；　and　there　is　no　man　that　shall　live　and　not　see　death。　　But　one　day　we　shall　all　rise　again；　when　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ　shall　come；　the　Son　of　God；　in　unspeakable　glory　and　dread　power；　the　only　King　of　kings；　and　Lord　of　lords；　to　whom　every　knee　shall　bow；　of　things　in　heaven；　and　things　in　earth；　and　things　under　the　earth。　　Such　terror　shall　he　then　inspire　that　the　very　powers　of　heaven　shall　be　shaken：　and　before　him　there　shall　stand　in　fear　thousand　thousands；　and　ten　thousand　times　ten　thousand　of　Angels　and　Archangels；　and　the　whole　world　shall　be　full　of　fear　and　terror。　　For　one　of　the　Archangels　shall　sound　with　the　trump　of　God；　and　immediately　the　heavens　shall　be　rolled　together　as　a　scroll；　and　the　earth　shall　be　rent；　and　shall　give　up　the　dead　bodies　of　all　men　that　ever　were　since　the　first　man　Adam　until　that　day。　　And　then　shall　all　men　that　have　died　since　the　beginning　of　the　world　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　stand　alive　before　the　judgement　seat　of　the　immortal　Lord；　and　every　man　shall　give　account　of　his　deeds。　　Then　shall　the　righteous　shine　forth　as　the　sun；　they　that　believed　in　the　Father；　Son　and　Holy　Ghost；　and　ended　this　present　life　in　good　works。　　And　how　can　I　describe　to　thee　the　glory　that　shall　receive　them　at　that　day？　For　though　I　compare　their　brightness　and　beauty　to　the　light　of　the　sun　or　to　the　brightest　lightning　flash；　yet　should　I　fail　to　do　justice　to　their　brightness。　　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；　in　the　kingdom　of　heaven；　in　the　light　which　no　man　can　approach　unto；　in　his　unspeakable　and　unending　glory。

〃Such　joys　and　such　bliss　shall　the　righteous　obtain；　but　they　that　have　denied　the　only　true　God　and　not　known　their　Maker　and　Creator；　but　have　worshipped　foul　devils；　and　rendered　homage　to　dumb　idols；　and　loved　the　pleasures　of　this　vain　world；　and；　like　swine；　wallowed　in　the　mire　of　sinful　lusts；　and　made　their　lives　a　headquarters　for　all　wickedness；　shall　stand　naked　and　laid　bare；　downright　ashamed　and　downcast；　pitiable　in　appearance　and　in　fact；　set　forth　for　a　reproach　to　all　creation。　　All　their　life　in　word；　deed　and　thought　shall　come　before　their　faces。　Then；　after　this　bitter　disgrace　and　unbearable　reproach；　shall　they　be　sentenced　to　the　unquenchable　and　light…less　fire　of　Gehenna；　unto　the　outer　darkness；　the　gnashing　of　teeth　and　the　venomous　worm。　　This　is　their　portion；　this　their　lot；　in　the　which　they　shall　dwell　together　in　punishment　for　endless　ages；　because　they　rejected　the　good　things　offered　them　in　promise；　and；　for　the　sake　of　the　pleasure　of　sin　for　a　season；　made　choice　of　eternal　punishment。　　For　these　reasons　　to　obtain　that　unspeakable　bliss；　to　enjoy　that　ineffable　glory；　to　equal　the　Angels　in　splendour；　and　to　stand　with　boldness　before　the　good　and　most　sweetest　Lord；　to　escape　those　bitter　and　unending　punishments　and　that　galling　shame　　time　after　time；　were　it　not　worth　men's　while　to　sacrifice　their　riches　and　bodies；　nay；　even　their　very　lives？　　Who　is　so　cowardly；　who　so　foolish；　as　not　to　endure　a　thousand　temporal　deaths；　to　escape　eternal　and　everlasting　death；　and　to　inherit　life；　blissful　and　imperishable；　and　to　shine　in　the　light　of　the　blessed　and　life…　giving　Trinity？〃


XXVI。

When　the　king　heard　these　words；　and　saw　the　steadfastness；　and　unbuxomness　of　his　son；　who　yielded　neither　to　flattery；　nor　persuasion；　nor　threat；　he　marvelled　indeed　at　the　persuasiveness　of　his　speech　and　his　irrefutable　answers；　and　was　convicted　by　his　own　conscience　secretly　assuring　him　that　Ioasaph　spake　truly　and　aright。　　But　he　was　dragged　back　by　his　evil　habit　and　passions；　which；　from　long　use；　had　taken　firm　grip　on　him；　and　held　him　in　as　with　bit　and　bridle；　and　suffered　him　not　to　behold　the　light　of　truth。　　So　he　left　no　stone　unturned；　as　the　saying　is；　and　adhered　to　his　old　purpose；　determining　to　put　into　action　the　plot　which　he　and　Araches　had　between　them　devised。　　Said　he　to　his　son；　〃Although；　child；　thou　oughtest　in　all　points　simply　to　give　in　to　my　commands；　yet；　because　thou　art　stubborn　and　disobedient；　and　hast　thus　stiffly　opposed　me；　insisting　that　thine　own　opinion　should　prevail　over　all；　bid　we　now　farewell　to　vain　insistance；　and　let　persuasion　be　now　our　policy。　　And；　forasmuch　as　Barlaam；　thy　deceiver；　is　here；　my　prisoner　in　iron　chains；　I　will　make　a　great　assembly；　and　summon　all　our　people　and　your　Galileans；　to　one　place；　and　I　will　charge　heralds　to　proclaim　expressly　that　none　of　the　Christians　shall　fear；　but　that　all　shall　muster　without　dread；　and　we　will　hold　debate　together。　　If　your　side　win；　then　shall　ye　and　your　Barlaam　gain　your　desires；　but　if　ye　lose；　then　shall　ye　with　right　good　will　yield　yourselves　to　my　commands。〃

But　this　truly　wise　and　prudent　youth；　forewarned；　by　the　heavenly　vision　sent　him；　of　his　father's　mischief；　replied；　〃The　Lord's　will　be　done！　　Be　it　according　to　thy　command！　　May　our　good　God　and　Lord　himself　vouchsafe　that　we　wander　not　from　the　right　way；　for　my　soul　trusteth　in　him；　and　he　shall　be　merciful　unto　me。〃　　There　and　then　did　the　king　command　all；　whether　idolaters　or　Christians；　to　assemble。　　Letters　were　despatched　in　all　quarters：　heralds　proclaimed　it　in　every　village　town　that　no　Christian　need　fear　any　secret　surprise；　but　all　might　come　together　without　fear；　as　friends　and　kindred；　for　the　honest　and　unrestrained　enquiry　that　should　be　held　with　their　chief　and　captain；　Barlaam。　　In　like　manner　also　he　summoned　the　initiate　and　the　temple…keepers　of　his　idols；　and　wise　men　of　the　Chaldeans　and　Indians　that　were　in　all　his　kingdom；　beside　certain　augurs；　sorcerers　and　seers；　that　they　might　get　the　better　of　the　Christians。

Then　were　there　gathered　together　multitudes　that　held　his　loathly　religion；　but　of　the　Christians　was　there　found　one　only

that　came　to　the　help　of　the　supposed　Barlaam。　　His　name　was　Barachias。　　For　of　the　Faithful；　some　were　dead；　having　fallen　victims　to　the　fury　of　the　governors　of　the　cities；　and　some　were　hiding　in　mountains　and　dens；　in　dread　of　the　terrors　hanging　over　them；　while　others　had　feared　the　threats　of　the　king；　and　durst　not　adventure　themselves　into　the　light　of　day；　but　were　worshippers　by　night；　serving　Christ　in　secret；　and　in　no　wise　boldly　confessing　him。　　So　noble…hearted　Barachias　came　alone　to　the　contest；　to　help　and　champion　the　truth。

The　king　sat　down　before　all　on　a　doom…stool　high　and　exalted；　and　bade　his　son　sit　beside　him。　　He；　in　reverence　and　awe　of　his　father；　consented　not　theret