and their faith became one, and their love one, and with the name they bore also the spirits
of the virgins.375 On this account the building of the tower became of one colour, bright as
the sun. But after they had entered into the same place, and became one body, certain of
these defiled themselves, and were expelled from the race of the righteous, and became again
what they were before, or rather worse.”
Chap. XVIII.
“How, sir,” I said, “did they become worse, after having known God?”376 “He that does
not know God,” he answered, “and practices evil, receives a certain chastisement for his
wickedness; but he that has known God, ought not any longer to do evil, but to do good. If,
accordingly, when he ought to do good, he do evil, does not he appear to do greater evil
than he who does not know God? For this reason, they who have not known God and do
evil are condemned to death; but they who have known God, and have seen His mighty
works, and still continue in evil, shall be chastised doubly, and shall die for ever.377 In this
way, then, will the Church of God be purified. For as you saw the stones rejected from the
tower, and delivered to the evil spirits, and cast out thence, so [they also shall be cast out,
and378] there shall be one body of the purified; as the tower also became, as it were, of one
stone after its purification. In like manner also shall it be with the Church of God, after it
has been purified, and has rejected the wicked, and the hypocrites, and the blasphemers,
and the waverers, and those who commit wickedness of different kinds. After these have
been cast away, the Church of God shall be one body, of one mind, of one understanding,
of one faith, of one love. And then the Son of God will be exceeding glad, and shall rejoice
over them, because He has received His people pure.”379 “All these things, sir,” I said, “are
great and glorious.”
“Moreover, sir,” I said, “explain to me the power and the actions of each one of the
mountains, that every soul, trusting in the Lord, and hearing it, may glorify His great, and
marvellous, and glorious name.” “Hear,” he said, “the diversity of the mountains and of the
twelve nations.”
Chap. XIX.
“From the first mountain, which was black, they that believed are the following: apostates
and blasphemers against the Lord, and betrayers of the servants of God. To these repentance
is not open; but death lies before them, and on this account also are they black, for their
race is a lawless one. And from the second mountain, which was bare, they who believed
375 [Rev. xiv. 4.]
376 God in Pal.; Lord in Vat. and Æth.; Christ in Lips.
377 [Luke xii. 47, 48.]
378 Omitted in Vat., Æth., Lips.
379 [Eph. v. 27.]
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Similitude Ninth. The Great Mysteries in the Building of the Militant…