" 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. "
Cbapter n&& ©f Cosmas wbo was in /IDount 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, "Abbi 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
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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 re- 11 main 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!
Cbapter jt. ©f Hbba /Iftacarius wbo was accused of committing fornication
" And so he departed from them. Behold, how temptations come upon holy men! Cbapter jt. ©f Hbba /Iftacarius wbo 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 athim 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
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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 11 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 pro- " 'vide 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 suffer ings, 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
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Grace of God came to them and spake, saying, "Wherefore 14 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."
Cbapter £lj. <s>f a certain ©l& /I&an wbo in bfs stmpli* cft$ satfc tbat /Ifcelcbisefcefe was tbe Son ot (Bob
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. "
Cbapter £lj. <s>f a certain ©l& /I&an wbo in bfs stmpli* cft$ satfc tbat /Ifcelcbisefcefe was tbe Son ot (Bob
AND Abba 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 manTheo- philus, 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 every thing 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, en- " treat thou God [for me], because my thoughts tell me that " Melchisedek was the Son of God." And he said to him like wise, "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, be cause 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 Melchise- " dek 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.
Cbapter jlij. ©t Hbba /Ifcacarfus tbe JE^pttan, tbe H>isciple ot /Ifcar Hntbonp
ABBA Macarius used to dwell by himself in the desert, and there was below him another desert wherein many dwelt; and the old man was himself watching the road one day, and saw Satan travelling on it in the form of a man,
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Cbapter jlij. ©t Hbba /Ifcacarfus tbe JE^pttan, tbe H>isciple ot /Ifcar Hntbonp
ABBA Macarius used to dwell by himself in the desert, and there was below him another desert wherein many dwelt; and the old man was himself watching the road one day, and saw Satan travelling on it in the form of a man,
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and he came along with the intention of passing- him; and he was arrayed in a garment, which was full of holes, and various fruits were hanging about him. And the old man Macarius said unto him, " Whither goest thou?" And he said, "I am going to ' ' visit the brethren, and to make them mindful [of their work]. " And the old man said to him, "For what purpose are the vari- " ous fruits which are on thee required?" And Satan answered and said, "I am carrying them to the brethren for food." And the old man said, "All these?" And Satan said, "Yea. For it " one pleaseth not a brother, I hand him over another; and if " that pleaseth him not, I give him another, and one or other "of these must certainly please him." And having said these things Satan went on his way.
Then the old man continued to watch the road until Satan came along to return, and when he saw him, he said unto him, "Hast thou been successful?" And Satan said, "Whence am I to obtain help?" And the old man said, " For what purpose?" Then Satan said, "They have all forsaken me, and have re- " belled against me, and not one of them will allow himself to * ' be overpersuaded by me. " And the old man said, ' * Hast thou 4 ' not then one friend left there? " And Satan said to him, ( ' Yea, " I have one brother, but one only who will be persuaded by me, " although whensoever he s'eeth me he turneth away his face "as from that of an adversary." The old man saith to him, "What is the name of this brother?" And Satan saith, "Theo- "pemptus"; and having said these things he departed and went on his way.
" And Satan said to him, ( ' Yea, " I have one brother, but one only who will be persuaded by me, " although whensoever he s'eeth me he turneth away his face "as from that of an adversary. " The old man saith to him, "What is the name of this brother? " And Satan saith, "Theo- "pemptus"; and having said these things he departed and went on his way.
Then Abba Macarius rose up and went down to the lower desert, and the brethren heard [of his coming], and they brought palm leaves, and went out to meet him, and every monk pre pared and made ready his abode, thinking that he would come and dwell there; but the old man [only] asked for the brother whose name was Theopemptus, and he received him joyfully. Now when the brethren began to speak among themselves, the old man said unto him, "What hast thou to say, O my brother, " and how are thine own affairs?" And Theopemptus said to him, "At the present moment matters are well with me," for he was ashamed to speak. The old man said unto him, "Be- " hold, I have now lived a life of stern asceticism for many "years, and I am held in honour by every man, nevertheless, "even though I am an old man, the spirit of fornication dis- " turbeth me." And Theopemptus answered and said, "Believe " me, father, [it disturbeth] me also"; and the old man, like one who was vexed by many thoughts, made a reason for talking, and at length he led the brother to confess the matter. And afterwards he said unto him, "How long dost thou fast?" And
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the brother said unto Macarius, "Until the ninth hour." And the old man saith, "Fast until the evening, and continue to do "so, and thou shalt repeat passages from the Book of the "Gospels, and from the other Scriptures. If a thought riseth "in thy mind let not thy mind look downwards, but always " upwards, and the Lord shall help thee." Thus having made the brother reveal his thoughts, and having given him encou ragement, he departed to go to his own desert, and he travelled along the road and watched according to his custom.
And he saw the devil again, and said unto him, "Whither " goest thou?" And he answered and said unto him, "I go to " remind the brethren [of their work]." And having departed and come back again, the holy man said unto him, "How are "the brethren?" and the devil said, "They are in evil case." And the old man said, "Why?" and the devil said, "Because "they are all [like] savage animals, and they are rebellious. " But the worst thing of all is that even the one brother who " used to be obedient to me hath turned, through what cause " I know not, and he will not be in any way persuaded by me, " and he is the most savage of them all against me; I have on " this account taken an oath that I will never again go to that " place, at least, only after a very long time."
Now this Abba Macarius was marvellous in his life and deeds. Once as he was travelling along in the inner desert, he looked, and, behold, there was an old man coming towards him, and he was arrayed in apparel which was very old, and over his whole body there were hung very many things which were like unto pots, each one being provided with rings, and he was covering them over as it were with a covering. And he drove his staff into the ground, and though he was as timid and as terrified as a fugitive slave, he pretended to be bold, and stood up like a brave man, and spake to the blessed Ma carius, face to face, saying, "What dost thou in this wilder- " ness, and why art thou wandering hither and thither herein?" And the blessed Macarius answered and said unto him, "I wish " to find God, for I am fleeing from error. But who art thou, " O old man? Tell me, for I observe that thy raiment is very "different from that of the children of men. Tell me, now, "what are these things which thou hast upon thee? "Then the old man, though unwilling, confessed and said, "I am he " whom thou callest by the name of 'Calumniator,' and these " things which thou seest upon me are those wherewrith I draw 1 ' towards myself the children of men, and with each one of these, " according as it befitteth and is suitable for a man, I take care * * to fulfil the work of error; and by means of their lusts, as with " wings, I make to turn backwards those who are obedient unto
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"me, and I have great happiness in those who, through my 44 crafts and wiles, stumble and fall."
And when the blessed Macarius had heard these things, he plucked up courage, and said unto Satan, "By Christ, Who " caused thee to make a mockery of the holy angels, explain 44 to me, one by one, each and all of the things which thou 4 'earnest, for by this thou shalt be revealed, so that a man 44 may see the insidiousness of thy arts and wiles, and may 4 'learn thy hidden snares, and may recognize the multitude " of the burning arrows of thine error, and may flee from the 4 4 performance of thy will." Then the Calumniator answered and said, "I must reveal unto thee my craftiness, even though 44 1 be unwilling so to do, for it is impossible for me to hide 44 from thee any of the things which thou seest; learn thou the 44 use (or reason) of each pot. If I find a man who meditateth "continually on the Law of God, I pour out upon him from 44 the pot which is on my head dizziness and headache, and 44 1 restrain him [from this work] thereby. On the man who 4 'hath chosen to watch by means of [the recital of] prayers 44 and psalms I pour out from the pot which is on my eyelids " a disposition to sleep, and I lead and drive him along by 44 main force into slumber. These which thou seest that I have 4 4 on my ears are prepared for disobedience and the transgres- 44 sion of the Commandments, and by their means I trap those 44 who wish to lead a good life to disobey the word of truth. 4 'From those which hang from my nose I sprinkle on the 44 young the sweet smell of happiness, and lead them into for- 4 ' nication. From those which are on my mouth I throw out 4 'flowers (?), and I incite the ascetic by means of blandish- 44 ments, and I make to sin those who live a life of abstinence 44 and self-denial by means of such dainty meats and foods ac- " cording to my desire; and by means of those which are on 44 my mouth I also draw many into the utterance of calumnies, 44 and into filthy talk, and to speak briefly, in each one of these 44 pots is the seed which is most useful for increasing the fruits 44 which are worthy of me, and which may be gathered from " the labours of the husbandmen who labour in my vineyard. 44 And from the pots which are hung about my neck I pour out 44 pride, and I enclose with my nets those who are haughty in 44 their minds; and so by means of all these I possess in the 44 world multitudes of subjects who love the things which are 44 mine, that is to say, worldly praise and wealth, which are 44 the things that, by those who are remote from God, are be- 44 lieved to be good things in the world.
"And the pots which thou seest hanging from my breasts "are full of my imaginings, and with some of these I water
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44 the hearts of the children of men, and by means of the drunk-
** enness of the passions I dissipate and destroy the mind which
44 feareth God; and through my error I confound the memory
4 of those men who wish to meditate upon and to think about
4 the things which concern the world to come. And those which
' hang upon my body are full of want of feeling and percep-
4 tion, and by their means I prepare those who are without
4 understanding to live in a savage and animal manner a life
4 which is characterized by various kinds of brutish habits.
4 And in the pots which I carry below my body will be found
4 all things which are useful and suitable for union with women
44 in fornication, and for filthy wantonness. Those which are on
44 my hands are useful in the committal of murders, and by their
44 means, as by hands, is carried out and performed the work
44 of those who are subject unto me voluntarily. And the pots
44 which thou seest hanging from my neck and back have in
4 them the thick darkness of my temptations, wherewith I am
4 able to vanquish those who are so bold as to contend against
4 me; and I lay ambushes behind me, and I rush out to over-
4 throw those who depend upon and who boast in their own
4 strength. And the pots which thou seest hanging on my
44 loins and thighs, and which are arranged downwards to my
44 feet, are full of the snares and nets which I pour out, and
44 with which I make crooked and confound the ways of those
44 who wish to journey in the narrow path of the fear of God ;
44 and I impede thereby the goings of those who cultivate asce-
4 tic excellence, and I make them to journey on my way which
4 is easy to travel. For I take my seat between the two ways
4 of life and death, and whilst I confound and lead astray
4 those who wish to journey in the way of life, I lead and
4 help on their way those who are travelling on the road of
4 death, and I strengthen them also, and I make them valiant
4 so that they may go forward easily in my paths. And when
4 they are bowed down and labour under my yoke I sow evil
4 and abominable vices among them like thorns and brambles,
4 and having gathered in from seed of this kind the fruit of
44 such crops which they believe to be pleasant, they deny the
And when
4 they are bowed down and labour under my yoke I sow evil
4 and abominable vices among them like thorns and brambles,
4 and having gathered in from seed of this kind the fruit of
44 such crops which they believe to be pleasant, they deny the
44 way of truth, because evil men are taken in the snares of the
44 filthiness of abominable things. But thou, O Macarius, hast
44 never once inclined thyself to obey me, so that by thine obedi-
44 ence I might be able to find even a little consolation; but thou
44burnest me up wholly by means of the mighty armour of
44 the humility which thou bearest, and for this reason I haste
44 to depart to mine own subjects. For thou possessest a good
44 Lord, and thou hast mighty companions, who tranquilly and
44 happily serve God, and who protect thee as a beloved son."
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And when the chosen athlete had heard these things, he made the sign of the Cross over himself, and said, " Blessed " be God, Who hath made those who have put their hopes in " Him to make thee a mockery and a laughing-stock, and Who " hath preserved me wholly and completely from thy error, so " that whilst turning aside from the same I was able to advance " in the good fight; and having fought and conquered I shall " receive a crown from the good Lord Whom I possess. Flee " then, and get thee afar off, O thou who art envious of the " things which are good, for Christ will make an end of thee, 4 * so that thou mayest not dare to attack any of those who "worship Him. For sufficient for thee are those whom thou "hast drawn unto thyself by flattery, through thy evil wiles " and their own sluggish will, and made to travel on the flat, " wide road of destruction. Thou shalt not then dare to draw 11 nigh unto those who of their own will have elected to travel 41 in the narrow, and straight, and troubled, and vexatious way " of life, but have fear, and depart from those who dwell in "waste places and in deserts." Now when the blessed man had said these things, straightway the Calumniator disap peared, and the holy man Macarius bowed the knee, and prayed, saying, "Glory be unto Thee, O Christ, Thou Who " art the Refuge of those who are overtaken by storms, Thou * ' Who art the straight way of those who err, Thou who art " the Redeemer of those who flee unto Thee for refuge, now, " always, and for ever and ever! Amen."
Gbapter rliij, <W Hbba /Ifoarfe tbe OLess, tbe Disciple of Hbba S^lvanus
Amen. "
Gbapter rliij, <W Hbba /Ifoarfe tbe OLess, tbe Disciple of Hbba S^lvanus
THEY used to say concerning Abba 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.
Cbapter £li\>. ®f Hbba paule tbe Simple, tbe Disciple of /IDar Hntbong
THE blessed man, Paule the Simple, the disciple of the holy man Anthony, used to relate to the fathers the fol lowing 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
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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 especi ally 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 him self 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 ot 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 41 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
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" 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 gath ered 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 say- " ing, 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] sen- " tences 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 acknow- " ledge [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 forth- 1 ' with from all sin. Therefore with such promises and cove- " nants as these I came forth from the church, and I determined " in my soul that I would never again do anything which
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" 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."
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 44 Lord, I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he "should turn from his evil way and live" (Ezekiel xxxiii, n).