St. Athanasius: The Paradise of the Holy Fathers

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CHAPTER XXX

OF EUCARPUS

AND there was also in the desert a certain man whose name was Eucarpus, who had passed eighteen years shut up in his cell; and the food which was necessary for his wants was brought by others. He had lived in seclusion for fifteen years, and he never spoke to any man [during that period] except when he was in need of something. He used to write upon paper [what he wished to say], and would give it to those who ministered unto him, and he also did thus when any man asked him a question or spoke to him; his food consisted of vegetables soaked in water, and pounded garden herbs, and he carried out his rule of life with infinite labour. Finally, however, the devils made him a laughing-stock also, because of the vain opinion which he had concerning himself. First of all he separated himself from mingling with the brethren and conversing with them, and next he ceased to meditate on the Holy Scriptures, and he did nothing except pray continually; for he was proud and haughty in his mind, and he thought that he was perfect, and that on account of the purity of his heart, forsooth, he was always seeing God in his mind, for he that tempteth tempted him also, even as he had tempted the blessed man Job. And one night Satan appeared unto him in the form of an angel of light, and said unto him, “I am Christ”; and when Eucarpus saw him, he thought that the appearance was a real person, and he fell down, and worshipped him, and said unto him, “Master, what commandest thou thy servant [to do]?” And he who had appeared unto him said unto him, “Since thou hast excelled many in thy works, and hast kept all my commandments, I desire greatly to make my abode with thee; but since thou art perfect, it is not necessary for thee to shut thyself up, and it is no longer right that thou shouldst live in seclusion, but thou must teach all the brethren not to destroy their souls with the reading of the Scriptures and the reciting of the Psalms. And they must not labour in the toil of the body, and they must not vex their souls with fasting, and hunger, and thirst, but they must labour with the labour of the soul, for by these means they shall be able speedily to be lifted up to the highest grade, and they must always look at me with their minds, and I will shew them my glory. And as for thee, since thou hast raised thyself above all the monks by thy works, behold, I make thee this day a chief and a governor over all the monks who dwell in Scete. For Macarius is not of as much use as a governor as thou art.” Then Eucarpus was more lifted up in his mind than before, and he was far more proud, and he believed truly the error of the Crafty One, and his understanding was taken away from him, and he was smitten in his mind immediately he had worshipped the Calumniator.

Now on another day there was a congregation in the church, and Satan appeared unto Eucarpus a second time, and said unto him, “Go thou this day, for all the brethren are gathered together, and teach them everything which I commanded thee yesterday in the night season.” Then Eucarpus opened the door of the house wherein he secluded himself, and departed to go to the church; and it happened that Abbâ John was sitting by the side of the church, and the brethren were round about him, and were asking him about their thoughts. And when Eucarpus came, and saw John with the brethren surrounding him, he was filled with envy of him, and he answered and said unto John with haughtiness and wicked wrath, “Why dost thou adorn thyself and dost sit down, like a whore, who wisheth to multiply her friends? Or, who commanded thee to be a corrector of others, seeing that it is I who am the governor of the monastery?” Now when the brethren heard [these words], they were greatly moved, and said unto him, “And who made thee a governor in Scete?” And Eucarpus said unto them, “Yesterday in the night I was made governor by Christ, therefore turn ye to me, and I will teach you the way, whereby ye shall easily ascend to the high grade of the vision of glory; and moreover, go not ye astray after the writings of Evagrius, neither hearken ye unto the words of John, for ye have wandered far enough into error already.”

Then he began to revile the fathers, and he called Macarius a “painted idol” whom those who err worship, for he knoweth not how to lead the brethren on the path towards heavenly things; and Evagrius he called “a hewer of words” who hath led the brethren into error by following his writings, and hath made them to cease from spiritual service. And the devils made a mock of Eucarpus until they were able to lift him up and to dash him down upon the earth, but all these things which fell upon him took place because he condemned the brethren, and because through his pride and arrogance he held them in contempt, and because he did not desire to meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, and on the docrtrine of the fathers. And finally, when the fathers saw that he was smitten in mind, they threw iron fetters on him and bound him therewith, and he lived with them upon him; and the holy fathers offered up prayer on his behalf for eleven whole months, and then his mind returned to him, and he was so thoroughly cured of his pride that he perceived his weakness, and recognized his disease whereby he had been made a mock of by the devils. And in him was fulfilled that which was said, “Old blains (or wounds) are cured by burnings,” and, “Thou who didst exalt thyself to heaven shalt be brought down even unto Sheol” (Isaiah 14:13–15). Now Eucarpus lived after he had been cured of his arrogance one year and one month; and the fathers commanded that he should minister unto the sick, and that he should wash the feet of strangers, and thus he died.

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CHAPTER XXXI

OF A CERTAIN FAMOUS DEACON WHO DWELT IN A COENOBIUM IN EGYPT

ACERTAIN brother asked an old man and said unto him, “If it should happen that a man fell into temptation, by the permission of God, for the benefit of his soul, what is it right for those to do who are made to stumble by the same temptation?” The old man answered and said unto him, “If he repent in very truth, and with all his heart, and make confession unto God in his repentance, [saying,] ‘I have been rightly humbled,’ and shall say unto God, ‘It is good for me that I have been humbled, so that I might learn Thy commandments,’ God is able to heal the consciences of those who have already offended Him.” And the old man spake and narrated the following:

There was a certain deacon in a coenobium in Egypt, and a rich man, who had been driven out and had departed from the presence of a governor who had dominion over him, came with his household to that coenobium; and the deacon stumbled and fell into adultery with the wife of one of those who were with him, and he became a laughing-stock unto every man. And he went to a certain man who was his friend, and revealed unto him the matter, and he said unto him, “Let no man know where I am”; for he hid himself in a secret part of the cell of him that loved him, and he said unto him, “Here bury thou me during my lifetime”; and having gone down into the darkness of that hidden place he repented unto God in very truth. And after a certain time, the river, which was nigh unto the place in the region wherein the deacon had hidden himself, did not rise according to its wont, and the people of the country having prayed and made supplication it was revealed unto one of the saints that, “Unless that deacon who is hidden among us come forth, the waters will not rise.” So they went and brought him out from the place where he was hidden, and when he had come, and had made a prayer, straightway the river rose, and those who had been formerly offended by him were now edified the more, and they profited through him greatly and glorified God.

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CHAPTER XXXII

OF A CERTAIN EXCELLENT BISHOP WHO FELL INTO FORNICATION, AND THE PEOPLE HAVING WALKED UPON HIM HE WAS FORGIVEN

THERE was a certain bishop in one of the cities, who through the working of the Calumniator fell into fornication; and one day when the congregation was in the church, although no one knew of the Bishop’s sin, he voluntarily confessed it before all the assembly, and said, “I have fallen into fornication.” Then he took off the vestments which were on him, and laid them upon the altar, and said, “I cannot, henceforward, be your Bishop.” And all the people cried out with tears, saying, “Let this sin be upon us; only remain thou in thine episcopate.” And he answered and said unto them, “If ye wish me to remain in my episcopate, do ye that which I shall say unto you”; and he commanded, and all the doors of the church were shut with the exception of one, and he threw himself down upon his face, and said, “The man who goeth out from the church without walking upon me shall have no portion with God”; and they did according to his word, and when the last man had gone out, a voice was heard which said, “Because of his great humility I have forgiven him his sin.”

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CHAPTER XXXIII

OF A CERTAIN BROTHER WHO WAS A NEIGHBOUR OF ABBA POEMEN

WHEN Abbâ Poemen came into the countries of Egypt to dwell there, it happened that he took up his abode by the side of a brother who had a wife, and though the old man knew of this he did not rebuke him. And when the time had come for the woman to bring forth, and this was known to the old man, he cried out to a younger brother, and said unto him, “Arise, take this jar of wine and carry [it] to our neighbour, for he will have need thereof this day.” Now the matter was not known to that brother, but he did as the old man commanded him. And the brother [who had a wife] groaned and repented in his mind, and after a few days he dismissed the woman, and gave her whatsoever he happened to have by him; then he came to Abbâ Poemen, and said unto him, “Behold from this day onwards I repent, O father, but I entreat thee to pray to God on my behalf so that He may receive my repentance.” And Abbâ Poeman said unto him, “If thou repentest with all thy heart, I believe that God will bestow forgiveness upon thee; and do not despair of thy redemption.” And the brother went and built for himself a place of retreat, and he made therein an entrance through which he used to come to visit the old man; and he would go to Abbâ Poemen thereby, and the old man would reveal unto him the way of God, and thus he profited spiritually. And the brother laboured in fasting, and in prayer, and he wept and sighed, and grieved sorely for his sin; and [at length] it was revealed unto the old man on behalf of the brother that God had accepted his repentance.

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CHAPTER XXXIV

OF A CERTAIN BROTHER WHO DENIED [CHRIST] BECAUSE OF THE DAUGHTER OF A HEATHEN PRIEST

ONCE a certain brother was engaged in a war against fornication, and he happened to pass through a village in Egypt where he saw the daughter of a heathen priest, and he loved her, and he said to her father, “Give her to me to wife.” And the priest answered and said unto him, “I cannot give her to thee before learning from the god [his will in the matter]”; and he went to his devil, and said unto him, “Behold, a certain monk wisheth to take my daughter to wife; shall I give her to him or not?” And the devil made him answer, saying, “Seek out and enquire if he will deny his God, and his baptism, and the vows which he made before entering the monastic life.” And having gone to the brother the priest told him that he would accept him [as his daughter’s husband] if he would deny both these things (sic), and the priest also said unto him, “Wilt thou deny the baptism wherewith thou wast baptized?” And the brother answered and said, “Yea, I will”; and straightway he saw the Spirit of God go forth from his mouth in the form of a dove, and ascend into heaven. Then the priest went to the devil and told him what the brother had said, “Behold, he hath promised to deny all three things”; and the devil answered and said unto him, “Thou shalt not give [him] thy daughter, for his God hath not departed from him, for He is still helping him, and will accept him if he repenteth.” And the priest came and said to that brother, “I cannot give her to thee, for thy God is with thee, and He will not leave thee, but will help thee.” Now when the brother heard this he said within himself, “So God keepeth such great grace as this for thee, and will still help thee!”

Then that brother, having come back to his senses, made strong his mind, and fortified his will, and went forth to a certain old man in the desert, and related the matter unto him. And the old man answered and said unto him, “Sit thou down here with me in [this] cave, and fast for three weeks, only eating once every two days, and I will make supplication on thy behalf unto God.” And the old man laboured with the brother, and he made entreaty and supplication unto God, saying, “I beseech Thee, O Lord God, to grant me the soul of this brother, and to accept his repentance.” And when the first week was fulfilled, the old man came to the brother, and asked him, saying, “Hast thou seen anything?” and the brother answered and said, “Yes, I have seen a dove flying about in the heights of heaven, and standing before my head,” and the old man said unto him, “Take heed to thyself, and pray unto God with groans and sighs”; and the following week he came again to the brother, and asked him the same question, saying, “Hast thou seen anything?” And the brother made answer, saying, “I saw a dove which came and drew near to my head,” and the old man admonished him, saying, “Rouse up and pray unto God with abundant supplication.” And when the third week was fulfilled the old man came to the brother and said unto him, “What hast thou seen?” And he answered and said unto him, “I saw a dove which came and stood upon my head, and I stretched out my hand and took hold of it, but it fled away and entered into my mouth.” Then the old man gave thanks unto God, and said unto the brother, “God hath accepted thy repentance; henceforward watch thyself and take heed to thyself.” And the brother answered and said, “Behold, from this day onwards I shall live with thee, O father, even to the day of my death.”

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CHAPTER XXXV

OF A CERTAIN OID MAN IN SCETE

THERE was a certain old man in Scete who, having become very sick indeed, was ministered to by the brethren, and he thought in his mind that they were tired of him, and he said, “I will go to Egypt, so that the brethren may not have to labour on my account.” And Abbâ Moses said unto him, “Thou shalt not go, for if thou goest, thou wilt fall into fornication”; and the old man was grieved and said, “My body hath long been dead, and sayest thou these things unto me?” So he went up to Egypt, and men heard about him, and they brought many offerings unto him, and a certain believing virgin came in faith to minister unto him. And after a time, when the old man had been healed, the young woman lay with him, and she conceived, and folk asked her, saying, “Whence hadst thou that which thou hast conceived?” And she said unto them, “From the old man,” and they believed her not. Now when the old man heard that they would not believe her, he said, “Yea, I have done this thing; but protect ye for me the child which shall be born.” And when the child had been born and was weaned, there was a congregation in Scete, and the old man went down carrying the child on his shoulder, and he went into the church before all the people; and when they saw him they all wept. Then the old man said unto the brethren, “Observe ye, O my brethren, this is the child of disobedience; take heed, then, unto yourselves, for I have committed this act in my old age, and pray ye for me”; and the old man went to his cell, and dismissed the things wherewith he hath lived, and returned to his former deeds, and after a time he arrived [once more] at his old measure of ascetic excellence.

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CHAPTER XXXVI

OF THE HARLOT WHOM SERAPION CONVERTED

ABBÂ SERAPION once came and passed through a certain village in Egypt, and he saw a harlot standing in his cell, and the old man said unto her, “Remain here until the evening, for I wish to come with thee, and to pass this night with thee”; and the harlot said, “It is well, O father.” Then she made ready, and prepared her bed, and she awaited the old man with that which he required. Now when it was evening, Abbâ Serapion came, but he brought nothing with him, and he went into her cell, and said unto her, “Is thy bed ready?” And she said unto him, “Yea, father”; and they shut themselves in. Then the old man answered and said unto her, “Wait a little, because I must perform a certain thing which is a law unto us.” And he began to recite the Book of the Psalms of David from the beginning, and with every Psalm he offered up a prayer on her behalf, and he made supplication before God that she might repent and live, and God hearkened unto him. And the harlot stood up in fear by the side of the old man and prayed also, and when Abbâ Serapion had finished all the Psalms she fell down upon the ground, and he began to repeat many verses from the [books of the] Apostles. When he had finished his service, God having opened the heart of that woman, she knew that Abbâ Serapion had not come unto her for the purposes of sin, but that he might redeem her, and she fell on her face before him, and said unto him, “Perform an act of grace for me, O father, and take me to any place whatsoever wherein I can please God.” And he took her to an abode of nuns and placed her therein and he said to the mistress of the convent, “Take this sister, O mother, and lay not upon her the rules and the yoke like the [other] sisters, but whatsoever she requireth that give her; and in proportion as she findeth rest let her submit to be led.” And when the woman had dwelt in the nunnery for a few days, she said, “I am a sinful woman, and I wish to eat only in the evening”; and after a few days more she said, “Many sins lie to my charge, and I therefore beg that I may eat once every four days,” and she did so; and after a few days more she besought the mistress of the nunnery, saying, “Do an act of grace for me. Since I have made God exceedingly angry, take me into a cell and wall it up, and through a small opening therein give me a little bread and work for my hands [to do].” And the abbess of the nunnery hearkened unto her, and did thus, and in this wise that woman pleased God all the days of her life.

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CHAPTER XXXVII

OF THE HARLOT WHOM A SUBDEACON DROVE OUT OF THE CHURCH

A CERTAIN old man said: There was a harlot who was so beautiful and so rich that all princes flocked unto her. One day she went into the church and desired to pass inside the gates, but a subdeacon who was standing at the door would not allow her to do so, and he said, “Thou art not allowed to enter into the house of God, because thou art an unclean woman.” Now whilst they were striving together, the Bishop heard the sound of the noise, and he went out to see [what was the matter]. And the harlot said unto him, “He would not permit me to go into the church,” and the Bishop said to her, “Thou art not permitted [to do so] because thou art unclean.” Then having repented within herself, she said, “I will never play the whore again.” And the Bishop said unto her, “If thou wilt strip thyself of all thy possessions, I shall know of a certainty that thou dost repent”; then she brought her possessions, and the Bishop took them, and divided them in the fear of God among the needy. And the woman went into the church, and wept and said, “If it hath happened to me thus in this world, what would have happened to me in the next?” And she repented, and became a chosen vessel.

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CHAPTER XXXVIII

OF ABBA APOLLO WHO WAS IN SCETE

THEY say concerning Abbâ Apollo, who lived in Scete, that he was originally a rude and brutish herdsman, and that he [once] saw in the fields a woman who was with child, and that, through the operation of the devil, he said, “I wish to know the condition of the child which is in the womb of this woman,” and that he ripped her open and saw the child in her belly; then straightway he repented, and he purged his heart, and having repented he went to Scete, and revealed unto the fathers what he had done. And when he heard them singing the Psalms, and saying, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten, and with difficulty [we come] to fourscore years” (Psalm 90:10), he said to the old men, “I am forty years old this day, and I have never yet made a prayer; and now, if I live for forty years more, I will never rest, nor cease, nor refrain from praying to God continually that He may forgive me my sins.” And from that time onwards he did even as he had said, for he never toiled with the work of his hands, but he was always supplicating God, and saying, “I, O my Lord, like a man, have sinned, and do Thou, like God, forgive me”; and he prayed this prayer both by night and by day instead of reciting Psalms. And a certain brother who used to dwell with him once heard him say in his prayer, now as he spake he wept, and groaned from the bottom of his heart, and sighed in grief of heart, “O my Lord, I have vexed Thee, have pity upon me, and forgive me so that I may enjoy a little rest.” Then a voice came to him, which said, “Thy sins have been forgiven thee, and also the murder of the woman; but the murder of the child is not yet forgiven thee.” And one of the old men said, “The murder of the child also was forgiven to him, but God left him to work because this would prove beneficial to his soul.”

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CHAPTER XXXIX

OF COSMAS WHO WAS IN MOUNT SINAI

A CERTAIN brother asked an old man, and said unto him, “How is it that Satan bringeth temptations upon holy men?” And the old man said, “I have heard that there was a holy man whose name was Cosmas, who used to dwell in Mount Sinai. And behold, a certain man went to the tabernacle (or tent) of a husbandman, and finding his daughter by herself, he lay with her, and then said to her, When thy father cometh say unto him, “Abbâ Cosmas, the monk, hath lain with me”; and when her father came, she told him [thus]. Then he took his sword, and came against the old man, and when he had knocked at the door, and the old man had gone forth, he lifted up his sword to slay him, but his hand withered straightway; and he went to the church and told the people there what the old man had done. And the fathers sent after him and brought him there, and having upbraided him, and beaten him with many stripes they wished to drive him out of the monastery; but he entreated them, saying, “Allow me [to stay] here that I may repent, for God’s sake,” and they separated him [from the brotherhood] for three years, and they laid down the command that no man was to go to him. And he passed three years in coming [to the church] Sunday by Sunday, and in repenting, and he besought [the fathers] always to pray for him, and at length the devil entered into him that had committed the act of which the old man had been accused, and, being urged by him, he said, “I committed the act.” Then all the people were gathered together, and they went to the old man and expressed their penitence, and said unto him, “Forgive us, O father”; and he said unto them, “I have indeed forgiven you, but it is impossible for me to remain with you henceforth, because I have not found in any one of you discretion sufficient to make him to sympathize with me.” And so he departed from them. Behold, how temptations come upon holy men!

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CHAPTER XL

OF ABBA MACARIUS WHO WAS ACCUSED OF COMMITTING FORNICATION

ABBA MACARIUS used to tell a story about himself, and to say that when he was a boy he dwelt in a certain cell in Egypt, and that the people came and made him the priest in the village, and that as he did not wish to receive [the office of priest] he fled to another place, and took up his abode in a cell which was not very far from the habitations of man. And a certain young man who feared God used to come and take away the work of the hands of the blessed man, and to minister unto him. And it came to pass that, as a result of temptation, a certain virgin in the village fell into iniquity (?), and conceived a child, and the folk said unto her, “By whom art thou with child?” And she said, “By that monk who liveth in the desert”; and they went out, and brought him into their village, and smote him sorely, and they hung round his neck black pots, and the ears (handles) of empty pans, and they made him to go round about through the markets of their village, and they mocked at him and buffeted him, and said, “This is the monk who hath seduced our daughter! Let him be hanged! Let him be hanged!” And they beat him [nearly] to death.

Then came one of the old men of the village and said [unto them], “How long will ye go on beating this monk who is a stranger?” and the man who ministered unto him came after him, and he was ashamed and pained because of his disgrace; and the people fastened their gaze upon him, and said, “Behold the monk concerning whom thou didst bear witness and say that he was a ‘holy man.’ ” “Consider what he hath done,” said the parents of the young woman, “and unless he giveth us a surety who will provide for her food we will not release him.” Then he said unto the man who ministered unto him, “Give a pledge on my behalf, saying, ‘I will provide for that’ ”; and he gave a pledge for him, and then the monk went to his cell and gave him all the palm-leaf mats thereof, and said to him, “Sell these and give [the money] to my wife that she may eat.” For Macarius said in his mind, “Behold, thou hast found for thyself a wife, and it is necessary for thee to work little or much that thou mayest feed her”; so he worked by night and by day, and sent [the proceeds of his toil] to her.

And it came to pass that, when the time for the woman to bring forth her child arrived, she suffered very severely for many days, and [although] she was in great tribulation she did not give birth to the child; and when her parents saw this they said unto her, “What is this which hath happened unto thee?” Then the woman, by reason of her pains and sufferings, said, “This has happened because I told a lie and falsely accused a monk who never touched me”; now it was such and such a youth who had done this thing to her. And when the man who ministered unto Macarius learned this, he came to him with gladness, and he rejoiced and said unto him, “The virgin was not able to bring forth until she confessed and said, ‘The monk never touched me, and what I have said about him is a falsehood,’ and behold, all the village is preparing to come to thee with repentance so that thou mayest forgive them.” And Macarius, in order that he might not be troubled by them, rose up straightway, and fled, and departed to the place wherein he had his abode at that time, and this is the reason why he came to Scete; and he said, “I hate the love of praise of young men who toil, and who have no reward, because they expect the adulation of the children of men.” Then another well-known old man said unto him, “And it is not greatly acceptable unto me, but it is better that they should work for praise rather than they should despise [it], for it always constraineth those who love praise to lead lives of abstinence, and to keep vigil, and to live in nakedness for the sake of vainglory, and to bear afflictions for the sake of praise.” Then after these things the Grace of God came to them and spake, saying, “Wherefore do ye not toil for My sake? And why do ye toil for the sake of children of men?” And they were convinced that they must not expect the praise of men but that of God, and when the brethren heard [this] they said, “Verily the matter is indeed thus.”

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CHAPTER XLI

OF A CERTAIN OLD MAN WHO IN HIS SIMPLICITY SAID THAT MELCHISEDEK WAS THE SON OF GOD

AND Abbâ Daniel told a story of another old man who used to live in the lower countries of Egypt, and who said in his simplicity that Melchisedek was the Son of God. Now, when this became known unto the blessed man Theophilus, the Archbishop of Alexandria, he sent a message that [the monks] should bring the old man to him, and when he saw him, he perceived that he was a seer of visions, and that everything which he had asked God for He gave him, and that he spake these words in his simplicity. And the Archbishop dealt with him wisely in the following manner, saying, “Father, entreat thou God [for me], because my thoughts tell me that Melchisedek was the Son of God.” And he said to him likewise, “It cannot be thus, for the high priest of God was a man. And now, because I had doubts in my mind concerning this, I sent for thee that thou mightest make supplication unto God that He may reveal to thee the matter.” Then, because the old man had confidence in his labours, he spake unto him boldly, saying, “Wait three days, and I will enquire of God, and then I shall be able to inform thee who Melchisedek was.” So the old man departed, and came [again] after three days, and said unto the blessed Archbishop Theophilus, “Melchisedek was a man”; and the Archbishop said unto him, “How knowest thou, father?” And the old man said, “God showed me all the Patriarchs, one by one, and they passed before me one after the other, from Adam to Melchisedek, and an angel said to me, ‘This is Melchisedek’; know then that of a truth the matter is as it hath appeared unto me.” And the old man departed, and he himself proclaimed that Melchisedek was a man, and the blessed Theophilus rejoiced greatly.

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CHAPTER XLIII

OF ABBA MARK THE LESS, THE DISCIPLE OF ABBA SYLVANUS

THEY used to say concerning Abbâ. Sylvanus that he wished to depart to Syria, and his disciple Mark said unto him, “Not only do I not wish thee to depart from this place, O father, but I will not permit thee to go [now]; wait then here for three days more”; and on the third day Mark died in peace.

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CHAPTER XLIV

OF ABBA PAULE THE SIMPLE, THE DISCIPLE OF MAR ANTHONY

THE blessed man, Paule the Simple, the disciple of the holy man Anthony, used to relate to the fathers the following matter:—I once went to a certain monastery that I might visit the brethren for profit spiritually, and after some conversation on the matter, and the customary talk, they went into the holy church that they might form a congregation as usual, and perform the service of the Holy Mysteries. And the blessed Paule looked at and scrutinized carefully each one of them, so that he might see in what frame of mind he was going, for he had the gift, which had been given unto him by God, of looking into the soul of every man, and of knowing what his soul was like, even as we have the power of looking upon the faces of each other. And he saw that every man was going in with a glorious aspect of soul, and with face full of light, and that the angel of each man was rejoicing in him, with the exception of one whose face was sick and afflicted, and whose whole body was in darkness, and devils had hold upon each of his hands, and they were lifting him up and dragging him towards them, and they had put a ring in his nose; and he saw also that the holy angel of this man was a long way from him, and that he followed after him sadly and sorrowfully.

And when the blessed Paule saw these things he wept, and smote himself upon the breast many times, and he sat down before the church, and he cried unceasingly for the man who had appeared unto him in this state. Now those who saw the old man became greatly astonished suddenly, and especially at his swift change [from happiness] to weeping and tears, and they asked him, and entreated him, and begged him to tell them what he had seen, for they thought that, though blaming them, he would do so, and they besought him also, with one voice, to go into the congregation with them. But Paule drove them away from him, and he would not let himself be persuaded to do this, so he sat down outside the church and held his peace, and he cried aloud and groaned loudly concerning that which had appeared to him.

And after a short time, when the service was ended, and all the fathers were coming out, Paule scrutinized carefully each one of them, so that he might see in what manner would come out those whom he had seen go in, and whether it would be with the same countenance as that wherewith they had gone in, or otherwise. And he saw again that man whom he had seen go in, and whose body before he had entered into the church was in darkness, and behold, he came forth from the church with his face full of light, and his body was white, and the devils followed him at a great distance, and his guardian angel was quite close to him, and walked with him; and he was glad and rejoiced greatly over that man. Then the holy man Paule leaped up, and stood there glad and rejoicing, and he cried out and blessed God, saying, “Hail to the overflowing mercy of God! Hail to the immeasurable goodness! Hail to His rich treasuries! Hail to His pleasure, which is beyond measure!” And he ran up and stood upon a lofty platform, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Come ye, and see how awful are the works of God, and how greatly they are worthy of admiration! Come ye, and see Him Who wisheth that all the children of men should live, and should turn to the knowledge of the truth! Come, let us kneel and worship Him, and say, ‘Thou art He Who alone is able to forgive ‘sins.’ ” Therefore all the fathers ran diligently so that they might hear what he was saying. And when they had all gathered together, the holy man Paule related unto them the things which he had seen both when they went into the church, and when each one of them came out; and they entreated that brother [to tell them] what was the reason of that complete change, and of the gladness which God bestowed upon him [so] quickly.

And the man, being afraid lest he might be rebuked by the blessed Paule, related the following things concerning himself before them all, and without any concealment whatsoever, and said, “I am a sinful man, and for a long time past, even unto the present day, I lived in fornication. When I went into the church, I heard the [Book of] the Prophet Isaiah read, that is to say, I heard God speaking through him, and saying, Wash, and be clean, and remove your evil deeds from “before Mine eyes. Hate the things which are evil, and learn to do good, seek out judgement, and pass [righteous] sentences upon those who are afflicted. And if your sins be red like crimson, they shall become white as snow. And if ye are willing to hearken unto Me, ye shall eat of the good things of the earth.”

“Now when I had heard read [these] words from the Prophet, that is to say, had heard God Who was speaking by him, I forthwith repented in my soul sincerely, and sighing in my heart I said unto God, Thou art the God Who didst come into the world to make sinners to live, do Thou then make manifest in me the things which Thou hast promised in Thy Prophet, and fulfil them in me, even though I be unworthy of the same, for I am a sinner. For behold, I promise, and I enter into a covenant with Thee, and I will thrust this promise down into my soul, and will acknowledge [it], that from now and henceforth I will never commit such wickedness as this, but I will keep myself remote from all iniquity, and I will serve Thee from this day onwards with a clean conscience. Therefore, O Master, from this day, and from this hour, accept me, for I am penitent; and I will make supplication unto Thee, and will remove myself forthwith from all sin. Therefore with such promises and covenants as these I came forth from the church, and I determined in my soul that I would never again do anything which would injure [my] fear of Him”; and when all the fathers heard [this], they all cried out with a loud voice, and said unto God, “O Lord, how great are Thy works! Thou hast created all of them in wisdom.”

Now therefore, O Christians, since we know from the Holy Scriptures and from divine revelations how great is the grace which God dispenseth to those who truly run to Him for refuge, and who blot out their former sins by means of repentance, and also how, according to His promise, He rewardeth with good things, and doth neither take vengeance according to what is just, nor bring upon men a punishment for their former sins, let us not be in despair of our lives. For, even as He promised by the hand of Isaiah the Prophet, He will make clean those who have toiled in sin, and will make them bright and white like clean wool and snow, and will make them to be happy with the blessings of heaven. And moreover, God asserteth with oaths by the hand of the Prophet Ezekiel that He doth not desire their destruction, for He saith, “As I live, saith the Lord, I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should turn from his evil way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

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THE RULE OF PACHOMIUS AT TABENNA

CHAPTER I

BY THE MIGHT OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WE BEGIN TO WRITE THE “ASKETIKON,” THAT IS TO SAY,
THE HISTORY OF THE MONKS OF TABENNA, WHO WERE, FOLLOWERS OF ABBA PACHOMIUS

IN my opinion, the things which I am now about to write are able to assist [us] greatly if we indeed follow after them, and they will, moreover, make the hearer more vigilant in respect of the contemplation of the things which have been said. And if we were to excuse ourselves through negligence from writing them down this act would bring danger upon him that made such an excuse, and therefore, although we can only advance from the beginning but a very little way with the living word, we will declare a few of the earlier things.

It was a custom with the God-loving brother, the holy man Abbâ Pachomius, to gather together the brethren every evening in a duly appointed place in the monastery that they might hear his doctrine, and once when they were all assembled according to their wont in order to hear Rabbâ, he commanded Theodore, a man who had lived in the monastery for twenty years, to speak to the brethren, and straightway he spake unto them concerning the things which were to be employed as helpers, but made no mention of not stumbling. And some of the aged sages who saw what had taken place did not wish to listen to him, and they said within themselves, “What he is teaching us is for novices, and we [need not] listen unto him,” and they left the congregation of the brethren and departing from that place went to their cells.

And when the brethren had been dismissed from the hearing [of the sermon] Rabbâ sent and called those who had departed and who did not wish to hear Theodore, and when they had come into the presence of the holy man he asked them, “Why did ye leave us and depart to your cells?” And they said, “Because thou hast made a young man our teacher, and although all the old men were standing [there], and other brethren who were much older [than he], thou didst command a young man to speak unto us.” Now when Rabbâ had heard these things he groaned, and said, “Do ye know by what means wickedness first began to take hold in the world?” And they said unto him, “What were they?” And he answered and said unto them, “By pride, and it began when that bright star which used to shine (or rise) in the morning fell [from heaven] (Isaiah 14:12), and was dashed in pieces on the earth. Or, have ye never heard that which is written, ‘The man who is haughty in heart is an abominable thing before the Lord?’ (Proverbs 16:5.) For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, but he that abaseth himself shall be exalted (St. Matthew, 23:12). Therefore deliver ye yourselves from your false superiority, for do ye not know that the mother of the beginning of wickednesses is pride? Ye did not only leave Theodore and depart from him, but ye fled and departed from the Word of God, [and] ye fell away from the Holy Spirit. O ye truly wretched men, who deserve sorrow of every kind, how is it that ye cannot understand that it was Satan who was working in you, and that, because of this, ye made yourselves to be remote from God? Oh, what a great and wonderful thing it is that God humbled Himself, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and put on his body and dwelt in him, and became obedient even unto death for our sakes! And yet we who are by nature low puff ourselves up with pride! He Who is high above all things, and exceeding great, turned from the ordinary course [of His greatness] and in humility fashioned the world, although He was able to destroy everything which existeth by a glance! And yet we who are nothing make ourselves proud, being ignorant that in thus doing we are sinking ourselves into the depths of the earth! Do ye not observe that I stand and incline my ear to the teaching [of Theodore]? Verily I say unto you, that I have been greatly helped by him. For I did not ask him to address you because I thought lightly of him, but because I expected to be helped myself by his words; how very much more, then, is it right that ye should hearken unto his words with a ready mind and absolute humility? Verily I, who am your father in the Lord, am as one who knoweth not his right hand from his left, and therefore I listen unto him with all my soul. Therefore before God I say unto you that, if ye shew great repentance for this folly which ye have committed, and if ye weep and mourn for yourselves because thereof in such wise that ye be edified thereby, that which hath happened shall be forgiven you, and if not, then ye will go to perdition.”

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THE RULE OF PACHOMIUS AT TABENNA

CHAPTER II

OF SYLVANUS THE ACTOR

ONCE there was a man among the brethren whose name was Sylvanus, who for a period of twenty years had worn the garb of a monk; now he was originally an actor, and at the beginning of his life as a monk he was exceedingly anxious about his soul, but after a short time had elapsed he began to be so negligent about his redemption, that he wanted to make merry and to enjoy himself, and besides this he used to sing fearlessly among the brethren snatches or the lewd and ribald songs which he used to hear in the theatre. Then Abbâ Pachomius, the holy man, called this brother before the brethren, and commanded him to strip off the garb of a monk, and having received such apparel as was worn in the world, to go forth from among the brethren and from the monastery. And that brother fell down at the feet of Pachomius and entreated him, saying, “O father, if thou wilt forgive me this once, and wilt not cast me forth, thou hast it from me that from this time forward I will repent of those things wherein I have hitherto shown negligence, in such a manner that thou shalt be able to see the change which hath taken place in my soul.”

And the holy man answered and said unto him, “Dost thou know how much I have borne from thee, and how many times I have admonished thee, and how many times I have beaten thee? I am a man who hath no wish to stretch out my hands in a matter of this kind, because when, of necessity, I was obliged to act thus in respect of thee, [my] soul suffered far more by the mention of association with passion than thou didst, although the stripes were laid upon thee. I beat thee for the sake of thy salvation in God, so that by that means I might be able to correct thee of thy folly; but since, even though I admonished thee, thou didst not change [thy course of life], and didst not follow after spiritual excellence, even though I entreated thee so to do, and since even when beaten thou wast not afraid, how is it possible for me to forgive thee any more?”

But when Sylvanus multiplied his entreaties, and begged for his forgiveness long and earnestly, and promised that he would amend his life henceforward, Rabbâ demanded a surety from him that after he was forgiven he would no more continue his evil behaviour; and when the venerable man Petronius had made himself a surety for him concerning the things which Sylvanus had promised the blessed man forgave him. Then Sylvanus, having been held worthy of forgiveness, contended with all his soul, and to such good purpose, that he became the pattern of all excellence of the fear of God, both among all the younger and all the elder brethren. Now the virtue which surpassed all the other virtues which he possessed was that of absolute humility, and tears flowed from his eyes so unceasingly that even when he was eating with the brethren he was not able to restrain his weeping, and his tears were mingled with his food. And when the brethren told him that he should not behave thus before the face of strangers (i.e., visitors), or before any people, he took an oath, saying, “I have sought many times to restrain [my] tears for this reason, but I have never been able [to do so].” Then the brethren said, “Is it not possible for him that repenteth to seek to be alone? And would it not be better for him to act thus when he was praying with the brethren than when he was eating at the table with them? And is it not possible for the soul to weep continually with tears other than those which are visible?” [Then turning to him, they said,] “We wish to know what thou hast to say on the matter. For thou art so overwhelmed with [thy] tears that many of us who see thee in this state are ashamed to eat and take our fill.”

Then Sylvanus said unto those who had asked him [those questions], “Do ye not wish me to weep when I see holy men waiting upon me, men, the dust of whose feet I am unworthy [to sweep away]? Is it not proper that I should weep over myself? I weep then, O my brethren, because a man from the theatre is ministered unto by such holy men as these, and I am afraid lest I be smitten even as were Dathan and Abiram. And I weep especially because, being in ignorance, I cared so little at the beginning about the redemption (or salvation) of my soul, that I came in danger of being expelled by the brethren from the monastery, and I was obliged to give surety [for my better behaviour], and to take awful oaths that I would never again treat my life with contempt. For this reason I am not ashamed [to weep], and I have turned away from such things; for I know my sins and that if I was obliged to deliver up my soul I should find no happiness [in heaven].”

And as this man strove nobly in this manner Rabbâ himself bore testimony before all the brethren, and spake thus: “Behold, I bear testimony before God that, from the time when this monastery came into existence, among all the brethren who have lived with me therein, there hath been none who hath resembled completely the example [which I have conceived in my mind] with the exception of one.” Now when the brethren heard these things some of them thought that the one man of whom he spake was Theodore, and others thought he was Petronius, and others thought he was Arsenius, and at length Theodore asked the holy man of which monk he had spoken when he said this thing; but Rabbâ did not wish to say. But because Theodore and the other great fathers continued to entreat him [to tell them], for they wished to learn who he was, Rabbâ answered and said, “If I knew that vainglory would come to him of whom I am about to speak, and that he would be greatly praised, I would not shew [you] who he is; but, because I know that the more he is praised, the more humble he will become, and the more he will think scorn of himself, and because [I wish] you to emulate his example, I will, before you all, fearlessly ascribe blessing to him. Thou, O Theodore, and all those, who like thee, strive in the fight, have bound the Calumniator with fetters like a kid of the goats, and have placed him under your feet, and daily ye trample upon him as ye trample upon dust; but if ye are the least unmindful of yourselves, the Calumniator, who hath been cast under your feet, will rise up again, and will set himself against you like an armed man. But this young man Sylvanus, who but a short time since was about to be expelled from the monastery, hath, by his strenuousness, so completely subjugated the Calumniator, and slain him, that he will never again be able to approach him, for he hath vanquished him utterly by his exceedingly great humility. Ye have humbled yourselves as if ye possessed works of righteousness, and the addition which ye would make to your spiritual excellence is reduced, for ye rely upon the things which have already been performed by you; but this young man, however much he striveth, never sheweth himself to the gaze [of his fellows], and he thinketh with all his mind and soul that he is a useless and contemptible being. And tears are always nigh unto him because he is always belittling himself, and because he saith that he is unworthy of the things which are visible. Ye, in your knowledge, and in your patient endurance, and in your strivings against the Calumniator, which cannot be measured, are better than he is, but he hath surpassed you in humility, because he, in this manner, cutteth off for the Calumniator nothing but humility, and the power of action which ariseth from the whole soul.” Now therefore when Sylvanus had striven in this manner for eight years, he completed his fight, and laid down his life in such wise that his servant, a mighty man of God, testified concerning his departure, and said that an endless throng of holy angels, with great rejoicing and singing, received his soul as a choice sacrifice, and that they offered it up unto God like the marvellous incense which is found among the children of men.

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THE RULE OF PACHOMIUS AT TABENNA

CHAPTER III

OF A CERTAIN SINNER WHO DIED

AND it came to pass once that Abbâ Pachomius went to another monastery to visit the brethren who were there, and as he was on his journey he met the funeral of a certain brother of the monastery who was dead, and [the monks] were going to the funeral and were singing as they went; and there were also among them the parents of the man who had died. Now the brethren saw from a distance the holy man coming towards them, and they set down the bier upon the ground so that he might come and pray over him. And when the blessed man had come, and had said a prayer, he commanded the brethren not to sing any more psalms and hymns over him; and he also commanded them to bring the garments of him that had died, and they brought them, and in the presence of them all he ordered the men to burn them; then, when they had been burned he commanded that the dead body should be taken and buried without any further singing. Then the brethren, and the parents, and kinsfolk of him that was dead threw themselves down at his feet and entreated him to permit them to sing over him, but he remained unmoved; and the parents of the dead man said unto Abba Pachomius, “What hast thou done, O father? This is a new thing, and thou art sending away our son in an unlawful fashion. It befitteth not thy holiness to display such a want of compassion unto this dead man, and moreover, this savage cruelty is like to bring about sorrow. Even an enemy who seeth the dead body of his adversary knoweth how to shew pity many times over, although his disposition be unutterable and immovable. We have seen a new sight with you, O Christians, the like of which hath never been seen, even among the barbarians. Through this want of compassion [on thy part] thou hast made to cling to the family [of the dead man] a disgrace which shall never be blotted out. Would that we had never seen thee this day! For then our house, which hath ever possessed an untarnished name, would not have inherited disgrace. Would that our poor son had never come into thy savage hands! For then he would not have bequeathed unto us this everlasting sorrow. We beseech thee now, since thou hast caused even his clothes to be burned, to allow a Psalm to be said over him.”

Then Abbâ Pachomius answered and said unto them, “O my brethren, in very truth I have more compassion upon him that lieth here than ye have, and because, like a father, I am shewing exceedingly great care on his behalf, I have commanded these things to be done. Ye would take care of the body which is visible, but I strive for his soul [which is invisible]; for if ye sing Psalms over him he will receive the greater torments, and a reckoning will be demanded from him because of the Psalms which have been sung, for he departeth not with the power of the Psalms upon him. If then ye wish to make an addition to his everlasting sufferings, sing Psalms; but I tell you, of a truth, that if ye do indeed sing Psalms over him, he will certainly suffer more pain because of them, and he will curse you. And because I know what will benefit his soul I take no care for his dead body whatsoever; for if I permit ye to sing Psalms, I shall be found to be in the sight of God as one who [striveth to] please the children of men, because for the sake of gratifying men I have treated with contempt that which will benefit the soul which is about to be punished in judgement. For because God is a fountain of grace He seeketh excuses upon which He can lay hold in order to pour out upon us the abundant streams of His grace; if then, we, who have been held to be worthy by God to become acquainted with the art of divine healing, do not apply the binding up which is suitable to the wound, we shall, like those who despise [God], hear that which is written, ‘Those who despised [God] saw, and marvelled at the wonderful thing, and were destroyed.’ For this reason then, that is to say, that we may lighten his punishment, I entreat you to bury the dead man without any singing of Psalms; for the good God knoweth that in return for this slight which hath come upon him, we are giving him rest and are calling him to life. Had he listened unto me on the several occasions on which I admonished him, he would never have come to this pass.”

And when the blessed man had said these things they carried him to the mountain without the singing of Psalms, and he was buried. And the holy man passed several days in that monastery in admonishing and teaching each one of the brethren the fear of God, and the way to strive rightly against the Calumniator, and against his arts, and wiles, and guile, and how in a short time, by the might of the Lord, we shall be able to bring to naught beforehand the things which are cared for by him.

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THE RULE OF PACHOMIUS AT TABENNA

CHAPTER IV

OF THE FUNERAL OF A CERTAIN HOLY MAN WHO DIED

NOW whilst Abbâ Pachomius was still there he heard that a certain brother from the monastery of Beth Râyâ was sick, [and it was said to him], “He wisheth to see thee and to be blessed by thee before he dieth.” And when the man of God heard these things he rose up, and departed on the journey, but when he was about two miles from the monastery, the holy man heard a holy voice in the air, and he lifted up his eyes and saw the soul of the sick brother with the holy angels, singing hymns, and being borne aloft to a blessed and divine life; now the brethren who were accompanying him neither heard nor saw anything. And when the holy man had stood there and gazed for a long time towards the East, they said unto him, “Why standest thou [here], O father? Let us hurry on so that we may reach him whilst he is still alive.” And he said unto them, “We shall not reach him there, for I have just seen him ascending to everlasting life; depart ye then, O my children, to your monastery.” And when those brethren entreated him [to tell them] in what [form] he had seen the soul of the brother who had died, he said unto them, “In a certain form”; and when they had heard this they departed to their monastery. And they [enquired], and ascertained exactly from the brethren who were in the monastery, concerning the hour whereof Rabbâ had spoken to them, and then they recognized that the things which had been said unto them about the brother who had died were true.

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CHAPTER V

OF THE THINGS WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS HEARD SAID IN THE AIR BY THE DEVILS AS HE WAS JOURNEYING IN THE DESERT TO HIS MONASTERY

NOW when the holy old man was journeying to his monastery, and was by the side of the desert which is called “Ammon,” certain legions of devils rose up against him, and thronged him, both on his right hand and on his left, and others ran in front of him, saying, “Behold the blessed man of God”; and they acted in this wise because they were plotting to sow the seeds of vainglory in him. Now he knew the evil character of their cunning, and as they cried out these things he cried out to God, and made confession of his sins; then, having brought to naught the evil cunning of these wicked devils, he answered and said unto them, “Ye are not able to persuade me to [indulge in] vainglory. O ye wicked ones, well do I know mine iniquities, and well do I know that it is right for me to weep concerning them continually, and concerning the punishment which is for ever. I have no need of fluent words and cunning error from you, for your work is the destruction of souls. I am not to be carried away therefore by your praisings, for I know well your cunning minds, O evil ones.” And though the holy man Pachomius spake these words unto them, their audacious acts did not cease, for they clung round and about the blessed man until he drew nigh unto his monastery.

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CHAPTER VI

OF THE THINGS WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS DID WHEN HE ARRIVED AT HIS MONASTERY

AND when the brethren went forth to meet the holy man and to salute him, a certain young man also went out with them to salute Abbâ Pachomius, and he began to make a complaint to him, saying, “Verily, O father, from the time when thou didst depart to visit the brethren until this present they have not cooked either vegetables or crushed peas”; and the old man answered and said unto him readily and pleasantly, “My son, grievenot, for from this time forward I will make them to cook these things for thee.” And having gone round about through the monastery Abbâ Pachomius went to the place where the food was [kept], and he found him that did the cooking plaiting a mat of palm leaves, and he said unto him, “How long is it since thou hast cooked vegetables for the brethren?” and he answered, “Two months.” And Rabbâ said unto him, “Hast thou acted thus in spite of the command and ordinances of the holy fathers which enjoin that vegetables shall be cooked for the brethren every Saturday and every Sunday?” And the cook answered and said unto him, “Truly, O father, I wanted to cook some vegetables on each of these days, but because I saw that when they were cooked they were not eaten (for all the brethren, so to speak, were restraining themselves, and were not eating cooked food), except by the young men who usually ate them, and when I saw that when they were not eaten they were thrown away, [I cooked] no more so that all the expense and all the trouble might be avoided. Now we pour into the cooked food of the brethren forty boxes of oil daily. And when I saw that the food was not eaten I did not cook it, for I did not consider it to be right that we should throw away and waste such costly things. And moreover, because I could not sit idle I began to plait a mat with the brethren, for I thought that one man would be sufficient in the kitchen to prepare the less important meals for brethren, that is to say, chopped garlic, and mountain herbs [mixed with] vinegar and olive oil, and herbs from the garden.”

And when the holy man had heard these things he said unto the cook, “How many mats have ye made? Ye who belong to the kitchen must have been continually at this work”; and the cook said, “Five hundred.” And Abbâ Pachomius said unto him, “Bring them here, for I wish to count them”; and having brought the mats he ordered them to be thrown into the fire. Then, when they had all been consumed, Abbâ Pachomius said unto them, “Why have ye forsaken the ordinance which hath been given unto you for the government of the brethren through [your] Satanic minds? I have destroyed pitilessly the labour of your hands, and have burned it in the fire, so that ye may learn what it is for a man to treat lightly the laws of the fathers, which have been given for the benefit of souls. How great is the help which ye have removed from the brethren through your not having cooked food for them! Have ye forgotten that a man hath power over a desire for food, and that he who restraineth himself from such and such a food, for God’s sake, shall obtain from God wages which are not small? while he who hath not received authority, and who denieth himself by force or necessity will seek for wages in return for this in vain? And do ye not know that, if cooked meat be placed upon the table, and the brethren eat it not because they restrain themselves therefrom for God’s sake, they shall receive abundant wages? But if cooked meats be not given unto them, because they have not seen them abstinence and self-denial can never be reckoned unto them. For the sake of eighty boxes of oil, for such is the excuse [which ye have made], ye have cut off all the preparation of all the brethren; I would rather that all the world should be wasted than that one small spiritual virtue should be cut off from [their] soul[s]. I therefore truly wish to have food in abundance cooked daily and set before the brethren, so that in practising abstinence every day, and in restraining themselves from partaking of what hath been given to them, they may make an addition daily to their spiritual excellence. For if a man should happen to fall sick, and did not desire to go to the hospital, if he should come to the common table in order to partake of the vegetables which are usually given to the brethren, and should not find any there, what would happen to me? Would not a brother be offended in not finding at the common table that of which he was in need? And do ye not know that young men especially [cannot] continue in spiritual excellence unless they enjoy some small gratification or a little consolation from their food?”

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THE RULE OF PACHOMIUS AT TABENNA

CHAPTER VII

OF THE REVELATION WHICH ABBA PACHOMIUS RECEIVED FROM GOD CONCERNING CERTAIN HERETICS WHO HAPPENED TO VISIT HIM

AND it came to pass that when the old man had said these things to the brethren, the doorkeeper came to him, and said, “Certain travellers, who are men of importance, have come hither, and they wish to meet thee”; and he said, “Call them hither,” and when they had entered into the monastery he saluted them with the brethren. And after they had seen all the brotherhood, and had gone round about among all the cells of the brethren they wanted to hold converse with him by themselves. Now when they had taken their seats in a secluded chamber, there came unto the old man a strong smell of uncleanness, but he knew not whence came such uncleanness, though he thought that it must arise from them because he was speaking with them face to face; and he was not able to learn the cause of the same by the supplication which [he made] to God, for he perceived that their speech was fruitful [of thought], and that their minds were familiar with the Scriptures, but he was not acquainted with their intellectual uncleanness. Then, after he had spoken unto them many things out of the Divine Books, and the season of the ninth hour had drawn nigh meanwhile, they rose up that they might come to their own place, and Rabbâ entreated them to partake of some food there, but they did not accept [his petition, saying,] that they were in duty bound to arrive home before sunset; so they prayed, and they saluted us, and then they departed

And Rabbâ, in order to learn the cause of the uncleanness of those men, went into his cell, and prayed to God, and he knew straightway that it was the doctrine of wickedness which arose from their souls that sent forth such an unclean smell. Thereupon he went forth from his cell immediately and pursued those men, and having overtaken them, he said unto them, “I beg of you to allow me to ask you one question”; and they said unto him, “Speak.” And he said unto them, “Do ye call that which is written in the works of Origen heresy?” And when they had heard this question they denied and said that they did not. Then the holy man said unto them, “Behold, I take you to witness before God, that every man who readeth and accepteth the work of Origen, shall certainly arrive in the fire of Sheol, and his inheritance shall be everlasting darkness. That which I know from God I have made you to be witnesses of, and I am therefore not to be condemned by God on this account, and ye yourselves know about it. Behold, I have made you to hear the truth. And if ye believe me, and if ye wish truly to gratify God, take all the writings of Origen and cast them into the fire; and never seek to read them again.” And when Abbâ Pachomius had said these things he left them.