(22) This is because men have more likeness to the Evil Spirit than to God. For the Self, the I, the Me and the like, all belong to the Evil Spirit, and therefore it is, that he is an Evil Spirit. Behold one or two words can utter all that hath been said by these many words: “Be simply and wholly bereft of Self.” But by these many words, the matter hath been more fully sifted, proved, and set forth. Now men say, “I am in no wise prepared for this work, and therefore it cannot be wrought in me,” and thus they find an excuse, so that they neither are ready nor in the way to be so. And truly there is no one to blame for this but themselves. For if a man were looking and striving after nothing but to find a preparation in all things, and diligently gave his whole mind to see how he might become prepared; verily God would well prepare him, for God giveth as much care and earnestness and love to the preparing of a man, as to the pouring in of His Spirit when the man is prepared. Yet there be certain means thereunto, as the saying is, “To learn an art which thou knowest not, four things are needful.”29 The first and most needful of all is, a great desire and diligence and constant endeavour to learn the art.

(46) And they persecute the houses of His congregations, And the faithful who hang upon the name of the Lord of Spirits.

(41) And he received forgiveness because he turned from his ' Ci. Gen. xli. 53. sin and from his ignorance, for he transgressed greatly before our God; and every one that acteth thus, every one who lie t li with his mother-in-law, let them burn him with fire thathe may burn therein, for there is uncleanness and pollution upon them ; with fire let them burn them.

(11) For he is an atheist who thinks that God does not exist. And he is superstitious who dreads the demons; who deifies all things, both wood and stone; and reduces to bondage spirit, and man who possesses the life of reason.

(16) But why does God so? Of his great love and mercy towards all people and nations, and to shew hereby that now is near at hand the time of the restitution of all whatsoever is lost, wherein men shall behold and enjoy the perfection, and move in the pure light and deep knowledge of God.

(43) His disciples said to him, "Who are You, that You should say these things to us?" I say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they (either) love the tree and hate its fruit or love the fruit and hate the tree."

(67) For the judgement shall come upon them, because they believe in the lust of their body and deny the Spirit of the Lord.

(89) And they all feared and trembled because of Him, and they cried to that sheep with them [which was amongst them]: "We are not able to stand before our Lord or to behold Him."

(2) Because, likewise, they are excluded, through certain defilements, from an association with pure spirits, they become connected with evil spirits, are filled from them with the worst kind of inspiration, are rendered depraved and unholy, become replete with intemperate pleasures, and every kind of vice, are emulous of manners foreign to the Gods, and, in short, become similar to the depraved dæmons, with whom they are connascent. These, therefore, being full of passions and vice, attract to themselves, through alliance, depraved spirits, and are excited by them to every kind of iniquity. They are also increased in wickedness by each other, like a circle conjoining the beginning to the end, and similarly making an equal compensation. Hence deeds which are the nefarious offences of impiety, which are introduced into sacred works in a disorderly manner, and which are also confusedly performed by those who betake themselves to such works, and at one time, as it seems, cause one divinity to be present instead of another, and again, introduce depraved dæmons instead of Gods, whom they call equal to the Gods ( αντιθεους )—such deeds as these you should never adduce in a discourse concerning sacerdotal divination. For good is more contrary to evil than to that which is not good.

(4) And again, those also are likewise unclean that part the hoof, but do not ruminate. For these point out the heretics, who indeed go upon the name of the Father and the Son, but are in capable of triturating and grinding down the clear declaration of the oracles, and who, besides, perform the works of righteousness coarsely and not with precision, if they perform them at all. To such the Lord says, "Why will ye call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

(67) Because these waters of judgement minister to the healing of the body of the kings and the lust of their body; therefore they will not see and will not believe that those waters will change and become a fire which burns for ever.

(13) For from thenceforward they could not speak (with Him) nor lift up their eyes to heaven for shame of their sins for which they had been condemned.

(29) Because essence and its deepest secrets Negation and affirmation of one proposition are lawful; "Thou castest not when thou castest" shows such relation, Thou castest it, since it is in thy hand, Thou castest not, since 'tis God who affords the strength. The might of the sons of Adam is limited, How can a handful of sand shatter an army? The sand was in man's hands, the casting was God's. The infidels know the prophets,

(21) For it was full of idolatry, and was a house of demons, through doing what was opposed to God."

(32) And he tithed all t lie clean animals, and made a burnt sacrifice, but ic unclean animals he gave (not) to Levi his son, and he gave him all the souls of the men.

(43) But seeing in nature they are found to be murderers, and malefactors against the law and right of God and nature, therefore the spirit, which qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with God, does not justify them in their murderous way.

(13) And thou shalt not have toleration nor †request† granted to thee, because of the unrighteousness which thou hast taught, and because of all the works of godlessness and unrighteousness and sin which thou hast shown to men.'

(59) But that which is not good the Holy Ghost speweth out, as a loathsome abomination, as it is written in the Apocalypse [Rev. iii 16]; and as he spewed out the great prince Lucifer in his pride and perdition; for the Holy Ghost could no more endure to taste the fiery proud stinking quality. And thus it happens to all proud stinking men.

(10) And he prayed before the Lord his God, and said : " God of the spirits of all flesh, who hast shown mercy unto me, And hast saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood, And hast not caused me to perish as Thou didst the sons of perdition ; * For Thy grace hath been great towards me, And great hath been Thy mercy to my soul ; Let Thy grace be lift up upon my sons, And let not wicked spirits rule over them Lest they should destroy them from the earth.

(4) And the Lord reproved Cain because of Abel, because he had slain him, and he made him a fugitive on the earth because of the blood of his brother, and he cursed him upon the earth.