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| Chapter XIV.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
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Chapter XIV.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
Such, according to David, “rest in the holy
hill of God,”3389
in the Church far on high, in which are gathered
the philosophers of God, “who are Israelites indeed, who are pure
in heart, in whom there is no guile;”3390
who do not remain
in the seventh seat, the place of rest, but are promoted, through the
active beneficence of the divine likeness, to the heritage of beneficence
which is the eighth grade; devoting themselves to the pure vision3391
| 3391 έποπτεία,
the third and highest grade of initiation of the Eleusinian mysteries
(Liddell and Scott’s Lexicon). | of insatiable
contemplation.
“And other sheep there are
also,” saith the Lord, “which are not of this
fold”3392
—deemed worthy of another fold and mansion, in
proportion to their faith. “But My sheep hear My voice,”3393
understanding gnostically the commandments. And this is to be taken in
a magnanimous and worthy acceptation, along with also the recompense
and accompaniment of works. So that when we hear, “Thy faith hath
saved thee,”3394
we do not understand Him to say absolutely that those
who have believed in any way whatever shall be saved, unless also works
follow. But it was to the Jews alone that He spoke this utterance,
who kept the law and lived blamelessly, who wanted only faith in the
Lord. No one, then, can be a believer and at the same time be licentious;
but though he quit the flesh, he must put off the passions, so as to be
capable of reaching his own mansion.
Now to know is more than to believe, as to be
dignified with the highest honour after being saved is a greater thing
than being saved. Accordingly the believer, through great discipline,
divesting himself of the passions, passes to the mansion which is
better than the former one, viz., to the greatest torment, taking with
him the characteristic of repentance from the sins he has committed
after baptism. He is tortured then still more—not yet or not
quite attaining what he sees others to have acquired. Besides, he is
also ashamed of his transgressions. The greatest torments, indeed,
are assigned to the believer. For God’s righteousness is good,
and His goodness is righteous. And though the punishments cease in
the course of the completion of the expiation and purification of
each one, yet those have very great and permanent grief who3395
| 3395 The text here has ὄτι,
for which has been substituted (Potter and Sylb.) οί,
as above; τήν after αὐλῆς
(fold) requires to be omitted also in rendering the sentence as we have
done. | are found worthy of the other fold, on account of not
being along with those that have been glorified through righteousness.
For instance, Solomon, calling the Gnostic,
wise, speaks thus of those who admire the dignity of his mansion:
“For they shall see the end of the wise, and to what a degree
the Lord has established him.”3396
And of his glory they will
say, “This was he whom we once held up to derision, and made a
byword of reproach; fools that we were! We thought his life madness,
and his end dishonourable. How is he reckoned among the sons of God,
and his inheritance among the saints?”3397
Not only then the believer, but even the heathen,
is judged most righteously. For since God knew in virtue of His prescience
that he would not believe, He nevertheless, in order that he might receive
his own perfection gave him philosophy, but gave it him previous to
faith. And He gave the sun, and the moon, and the stars to be worshipped;
“which God,” the Law says,3398
made for the nations, that
they might not become altogether atheistical, and so utterly perish. But
they, also in the instance of this commandment, having become devoid of
sense, and addicting themselves to graven images, are judged unless they
repent; some of them because, though able, they would not believe God;
and others because, though willing, they did not take the necessary pains
to become believers. There were also, however, those who, from the worship
of the heavenly bodies, did not return to the Maker of them. For this was
the sway given to the nations to rise up to God, by means of the worship
of the heavenly bodies. But those who would not abide by those heavenly
bodies assigned to them, but fell away from them to stocks and stones,
“were counted,” it is said, “as chaff-dust and as a
drop from a jar,”3399
beyond salvation, cast away from the body.
As, then, to be simply saved is the result of
medium3400
| 3400 The author reckons three
kinds of actions, the first of which is κατόρθωμα,
right or perfect action, which is characteristic of the
perfect man and Gnostic alone, and raises him (εἰς
τὴν ἀνωτάτω
δόξαν) to the height
of glory. The second is the class of τῶν
μέσων, medium, or
intermediate actions, which are done by less perfect
believers, and procure a lower grade of glory. In the third
place he reckons sinful actions (ἀμαρτητικάς),
which are done by those who fall away from salvation
(Potter). | actions, but to be saved rightly and
becomingly3401
is right action, so also all action of the
Gnostic may be called right action; that of the simple believer,
intermediate action, not yet perfected according to reason, not
yet made right according to knowledge; but that of every heathen
again is sinful. For it is not simply doing well, but doing
actions with a certain aim, and acting according to reason, that
the Scriptures exhibit as requisite.3402
| 3402 To produce this sense, καθῆκεν
of the text is by Potter changed into καθῆκειν. |
As, then, lyres ought not to be touched by
those who are destitute of skill in playing the lyre, nor flutes
by those who are unskilled in flute-playing, neither are those
to put their hand to affairs who have not knowledge, and know
not how to use them in the whole3403
| 3403 On the authority of one of the ms., Sylburgius reads ὄλον
instead of λόγον in the
text. | of life.
The struggle for freedom, then, is waged not alone
by the athletes of battles in wars, but also in banquets, and in bed,
and in the tribunals, by those who are anointed by the word, who are
ashamed to become the captives of pleasures.
“I would never part with virtue for
unrighteous gain.” But plainly, unrighteous gain is pleasure and
pain, toil and fear; and, to speak comprehensively, the passions of the
soul, the present of which is delightful, the future vexatious. “For
what is the profit,” it is said, “if you gain the world and
lose the soul?”3404
It is clear, then,
that those who do not perform good actions, do not know what is for their
own advantage. And if so, neither are they capable of praying aright,
so as to receive from God good things; nor, should they receive them,
will they be sensible of the boon; nor, should they enjoy them, will they
enjoy worthily what they know not; both from their want of knowledge how
to use the good things given them, and from their excessive stupidity,
being ignorant of the way to avail themselves of the divine gifts.
Now stupidity is the cause of ignorance. And
it appears to me that it is the vaunt of a boastful soul, though of
one with a good conscience, to exclaim against what happens through
circumstances:—
“Therefore let them do what they may;3405
| 3405 From the Acharneis of Aristophanes, quoted also by Cicero; with various readings in each. Heinsius substitutes παλαμάσθων for παλαμᾶσθαι of the text. |
For it shall be well with me; and Right
Shall be my ally, and I shall not be caught doing evil.”
But such a good conscience preserves
sanctity towards God and justice towards men; keeping the soul pure with
grave thoughts, and pure words, and just deeds. By thus receiving the
Lord’s power, the soul studies to be God; regarding nothing bad
but ignorance, and action contrary to right reason. And giving thanks
always for all things to God, by righteous hearing and divine reading,
by true investigation, by holy oblation, by blessed prayer; lauding,
hymning, blessing, praising, such a soul is never at any time separated
from God.3406
| 3406 [Bunsen,
Hippol., iii. p. 141.] | Rightly then is it said,
“And they who trust in Him shall understand the truth, and those
faithful in love shall abide by Him.”3407
You see what statements
Wisdom makes about the Gnostics.
Conformably, therefore, there are various
abodes, according to the worth of those who have believed.3408
To the point Solomon says, “For there shall be given to him
the choice grace of faith, and a more pleasant lot in the temple
of the Lord.”3409
For the comparative shows that there are lower
parts in the temple of God, which is the whole Church. And the superlative
remains to be conceived, where the Lord is. These chosen abodes, which
are three, are indicated by the numbers in the Gospel—the thirty,
the sixty, the hundred.3410
And the perfect inheritance belongs to those
who attain to “a perfect man,” according to the image of the
Lord. And the likeness is not, as some imagine, that of the human form;
for this consideration is impious. Nor is the likeness to the first
cause that which consists in virtue. For this utterance is also impious,
being that of those who have imagined that virtue in man and in the
sovereign God is the same. “Thou hast supposed iniquity,”
He says, “[in imagining] that I will be like to thee.”3411
But
“it is enough for the disciple to become as the Master,”3412
saith the Master. To the likeness of God, then, he that is introduced
into adoption and the friendship of God, to the just inheritance of the
lords and gods is brought; if he be perfected, according to the Gospel,
as the Lord Himself taught.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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