{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">“And the tower,” I asked, “what does it mean?” “This\r\ntower,” he replied, “is the church.” “And these virgins, who\r\nare they?” “They are holy spirits, and men cannot otherwise\r\nbe found in the kingdom of God unless these have put\r\ntheir clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only,\r\nand do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no\r\nadvantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the\r\nSon of God. If you bear His name but possess not His\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_417\">417</span>power, it will be in vain that you bear His name. Those\r\nstones,” he continued, “which you saw rejected bore His\r\nname, but did not put on the clothing of the virgins.” “Of\r\nwhat nature is their clothing, sir?” I asked. “Their very\r\nnames,” he said, “are their clothing. Every one who bears\r\nthe name of the Son of God, ought to bear the names also\r\nof these; for the Son Himself bears the names of these\r\nvirgins. As many stones,” he continued, “as you saw [come\r\ninto the building of the tower through the hands<a id=\"r1757\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1757\"><sup>[1757]</sup></a>] of these\r\nvirgins, and remaining, have been clothed with their strength.\r\nFor this reason you see that the tower became of one stone\r\nwith the rock. So also they who have believed on the\r\nLord<a id=\"r1758\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1758\"><sup>[1758]</sup></a> through His Son, and are clothed with these spirits,\r\nshall become one spirit, one body, and the colour of their\r\ngarments shall be one. And the dwelling of such as bear\r\nthe names of the virgins is in the tower.” “Those stones,\r\nsir, that were rejected,” I inquired, “on what account were\r\nthey rejected? for they passed through the gate, and were\r\nplaced by the hands of the virgins in the building of the\r\ntower.” “Since you take an interest in everything,” he\r\nreplied, “and examine minutely, hear about the stones that\r\nwere rejected. These all,” he said, “received the name of\r\nGod, and they received also the strength of these virgins.\r\nHaving received, then, these spirits, they were made strong,\r\nand were with the servants of God; and theirs was one spirit,\r\nand one body, and one clothing. For they were of the same\r\nmind, and wrought righteousness. After a certain time,\r\nhowever, they were persuaded by the women whom you saw\r\nclothed in black, and having their shoulders exposed and\r\ntheir hair dishevelled, and beautiful in appearance. Having\r\nseen these women, they desired to have them, and clothed\r\nthemselves with their strength, and put off the strength of the\r\nvirgins. These, accordingly, were rejected from the house\r\nof God, and were given over to these women. But they who\r\nwere not deceived by the beauty of these women remained\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_418\">418</span>in the house of God. You have,” he said, “the explanation\r\nof those who were rejected.”</p>","headings":["The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers","THE PASTOR OF HERMAS.","BOOK THIRD.—SIMILITUDES. SIMILITUDES WHICH HE SPAKE WITH ME.","SIMILITUDE NINTH. The great mysteries in the building of the militant and triumphant church."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg77576-paragraph-755"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"8e76983e9528a036b82f9c7d2baa7b2f9a836ef17a53956b8ae989700898232f","edition_title":"The writings of the Apostolic Fathers","edition_translators":["Alexander Roberts","James Donaldson","Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1870,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg77576-f1758","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Historical 1870 English edition; electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1758","source_ebook":77576,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1758\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1758\">1758</a>. </span><i>Lord.</i> God.—<i>Vat.</i></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"5cef11d737d7f5d65aa99f44ca2d8e967d725f3bed872960330e88c0905597a9","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/77576/pg77576-images.html#f1758","text_sha256":"c8ed3063ead157786ce6031382e1c6ea5618bbf59a7ecc3cb6e57280c9cf86fe","verified":false,"work_id":null}