{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">“Hear the similitude which I am about to narrate to you\r\nrelative to fasting. A certain man had a field and many\r\nslaves, and he planted a certain part of the field with a vineyard,<a id=\"r1704\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1704\"><sup>[1704]</sup></a>\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_382\">382</span>and selecting a faithful and beloved and much valued\r\nslave, he called him to him, and said, ‘Take this vineyard which\r\nI have planted, and stake<a id=\"r1705\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1705\"><sup>[1705]</sup></a> it until I come, and do nothing else\r\nto the vineyard; and attend to this order of mine, and you\r\nshall receive your freedom from me.’ And the master of the\r\nslave departed to a foreign country. And when he was gone,\r\nthe slave took and staked the vineyard; and when he had\r\nfinished the staking of the vines, he saw that the vineyard was\r\nfull of weeds. He then reflected, saying, ‘I have kept this order\r\nof my master: I will dig up the rest of this vineyard, and it\r\nwill be more beautiful when dug up; and being free of weeds,\r\nit will yield more fruit, not being choked by them.’ He took,\r\ntherefore, and dug up the vineyard, and rooted out all the\r\nweeds that were in it. And that vineyard became very beautiful\r\nand fruitful, having no weeds to choke it. And after\r\na certain time the master of the slave and of the field returned,\r\nand entered into the vineyard. And seeing that the\r\nvines were suitably supported on stakes, and the ground,\r\nmoreover, dug up, and all the weeds rooted out, and the\r\nvines fruitful, he was greatly pleased with the work of his\r\nslave. And calling his beloved son who was his heir, and\r\nhis friends who were his councillors, he told them what orders\r\nhe had given his slave, and what he had found performed.\r\nAnd they rejoiced along with the slave at the testimony which\r\nhis master bore to him. And he said to them, ‘I promised\r\nthis slave freedom if he obeyed the command which I gave\r\nhim, and he has kept my command, and done besides a good\r\nwork to the vineyard, and has pleased me exceedingly. In\r\nreturn, therefore, for the work which he has done, I wish\r\nto make him co-heir with my son, because, having good\r\nthoughts, he did not neglect them, but carried them out.’\r\nWith this resolution of the master his son and friends were\r\nwell pleased, viz. that the slave should be co-heir with the\r\nson. After a few days the master made a feast,<a id=\"r1706\"></a><a class=\"c009 pginternal\" href=\"#f1706\"><sup>[1706]</sup></a> and sent\r\nto his slave many dishes from his table. And the slave receiving\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_383\">383</span>the dishes that were sent him from his master, took\r\nof them what was sufficient for himself, and distributed the\r\nrest among his fellow-slaves. And his fellow-slaves rejoiced\r\nto receive the dishes, and began to pray for him, that he\r\nmight find still greater favour with his master for having so\r\ntreated them. His master heard all these things that were\r\ndone, and was again greatly pleased with his conduct. And\r\nthe master again calling together his friends and his son,\r\nreported to them the slave’s proceeding with regard to the\r\ndishes which he had sent him. And they were still more\r\nsatisfied that the slave should become co-heir with his son.”</p>","headings":["The Writings of the Apostolic Fathers","THE PASTOR OF HERMAS.","BOOK THIRD.—SIMILITUDES. SIMILITUDES WHICH HE SPAKE WITH ME.","SIMILITUDE FIFTH. Of true fasting and its reward: also of purity of body."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg77576-paragraph-720"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"d6f79698cb1911e4d73172f90bd11e15dd0d7855bfaa774733434743cf02b68d","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-f1706","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":"f1706","source_ebook":77576,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1706\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1706\">1706</a>. </span>The Vatican adds, “Having called together his friends.”</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"5cef11d737d7f5d65aa99f44ca2d8e967d725f3bed872960330e88c0905597a9","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/77576/pg77576-images.html#f1706","text_sha256":"1e350233ecb8cd44f0d5887f23f40ce28f9b7957ed8bd795184c47cafa52c0d0","verified":false,"work_id":null}