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The Pastor of Hermas
Chap. XXVIII.
"And from the eleventh mountain, where were trees full of fruits, adorned with fruits of various kinds, they who believed were the following: they who suffered for the name of the Son of God, and who also suffered cheerfully with their whole heart, and laid down their lives." "Why, then, sir," I said, "do all these trees bear fruit, and some of them fairer than the rest?" "Listen," he said: "all who once suffered for the name of the Lord are honourable before God; and of all these the sins were remitted, because they suffered for the name of the Son of God. 1 And why their fruits are of various kinds, and some of them superior, listen. All," he continued, "who were brought before the authorities and were examined, and did not deny, but suffered cheerfully--these are held in greater honour with God, and of these the fruit is superior; but all who were cowards, and in doubt, and who reasoned in their hearts whether they would deny or confess, and yet suffered, of these the fruit is less, because that suggestion came into their hearts; for that suggestion--that a servant should deny his Lord--is evil. Have a care, therefore, ye who are planning such things, lest that suggestion remain in your hearts, and ye perish unto God. And ye who suffer for His name ought to glorify God, because He deemed you worthy to bear His name, that all your sins might be healed. [Therefore, rather deem yourselves happy], and think that ye have done a great thing, if any of you suffer on account of God. The Lord bestows upon you life, and ye do not understand, for your sins were heavy; but if you had not suffered for the name of the Lord, ye would have died to God on account of your sins. These things I say to you who are hesitating about denying or confessing: acknowledge that ye have the Lord, lest, denying Him, ye be delivered up to prison. If the heathen chastise their slaves, when one of them denies his master, what, think ye, will your Lord do, who has authority over all men? Put away these counsels out of your hearts, that you may live continually unto God."
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[This passage (with Vision iii. 2, and especially Similitude v. 3) has been pressed into the service of those who seek to find "super-erogatory merit" in the Fathers. See 1 Cor. vii. 38. But why not begin with the Scriptures which Hermas doubtless has in mind, such as Rev. iii. 4, 5, "They are worthy"? Does this ascribe to them any merit apart from ("worthy is the Lamb") the only meritorious cause of salvation? So also Rev. vii. 14, xiv. 4, 5. The primitive Fathers accepted such truths like innocent children, and loved them. They believed St. Paul as to degrees of glory (1 Cor. xv. 41), and our Lord Himself as to the awards (Matt. xx. 21-23) of mercy to fruits of grace: and they are no more responsible for forced constructions that have been put upon them by afterthought and subsequent heresy, then our blessed Lord can be charged with all that has overloaded His precious sayings (Matt. xix. 12 or xiv. 18). The principle of deficient works of faith, which is the corresponding idea of the negative side, appears in St. Paul (1 Cor. iii. 13-15), and has been abused to sustain the whole system of creature merit, and the monstrous atfterthought of purgatory. Those, therefore, who read such ideas into "The Ante-Nicene Fathers," to diminish their credit, often, unintentionally (1) help the perverters of truth to claim the Fathers, and (2) give them the like aid in claiming the Scriptures. See p. 34, supra, note 3.] ↩
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Der Hirte des Hermas (BKV)
28. Kap. Der elfte Berg.
1. „Mit den Gläubigen vom elften Berge, wo die mit Früchten beladenen Bäume, jeder mit anderen Früchten geschmückt, standen, verhält es sich so: 2. das sind die, welche für den Namen des Gottessohnes gelitten, und zwar aus ganzem Herzen gerne gelitten und ihr Leben hingegeben haben1.“ 3. „Weshalb, o Herr, tragen zwar alle Bäume Früchte, während einige von ihnen wieder schönere Früchte haben?“ „Höre“, erwiderte er; „in Ansehen sind bei Gott alle, die einmal wegen des Namens gelitten haben; die Sünden von allen diesen wurden getilgt, weil sie wegen des Namens des Gottessohnes gelitten haben. Höre auch, warum ihre Früchte verschieden, teilweise sogar hervorragend sind. 4. Wer vor die Obrigkeit geführt und untersucht wurde, aber nicht leugnete, sondern bereitwillig litt, der steht in größerem Ansehen bei dem Herrn; seine Frucht ist hervorragend. Wer aber feig und zögernd in seinem Herzen überlegte, ob er leugnen oder bekennen sollte und so litt, dessen Früchte sind geringer, weil dieser Gedanke in seinem Herzen aufstieg; denn das ist ein schlechter Gedanke, dass ein Diener seinen Herrn verraten solle. 5. Sehet also ihr, die ihr solche Erwägungen heget, zu, dass nicht ein solcher Gedanke in euren Herzen wohne, und ihr für Gott sterbet. Ihr aber, die ihr um des Namens willen gelitten habt, seid Gott zu Dank verpflichtet, dass er euch gewürdigt hat, diesen Namen zu tragen und Heilung aller eurer Sünden zu erlangen. 6. So preiset euch also glücklich; glaubet aber ein großes Werk vollbracht zu haben, wenn einer aus euch Gottes wegen gelitten hat. Das Leben schenkt euch der Herr, und ihr sehet es nicht ein; eure Sünden waren S. 282 nämlich schwer geworden, und wenn ihr nicht um des Herrn Namen willen gelitten hättet, wäret ihr wegen eurer Sünden tot gewesen für Gott. 7. Das sage ich euch, die ihr unschlüssig seid, ob ihr leugnen oder bekennen sollet; bekennet, dass ihr einen Herrn habet, damit ihr nicht, wenn ihr leugnet, in das (ewige) Gefängnis überliefert werdet. 8. Wenn die Heiden ihre Sklaven strafen, wenn einer seinen Herrn verleugnet hat, was meinet ihr, dass der Herr, der die Herrschaft über alles [hat], euch tun wird? Bannet also solche Gedanken aus euren Herzen, auf dass ihr für immer in Gott lebet.“
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Apg 15:26. ↩