De pseudoprophetis

A discourse concerning false prophets, and false teachers, and godless heretics, and concerning the signs of the consummation of this age. It was delivered when he was about to depart from the body. 1. Painful is the discourse, inasmuch as it is also the last, as I have indicated, yet also full of much joy. Painful indeed, because I shall no longer speak to you; but full of much joy, because my time to depart is at hand, and to be with Christ; and as the Lord said, I shall no longer speak with you. Yet even now I shall speak in the pain of my heart concerning the false prophets, and false teachers, and godless heretics, of whom the Apostle said: Evil men and deceivers shall advance to the worse, deceiving and being deceived; concerning whom I have often reminded you. For I have made many discourses by the grace of Christ, as you also know, O lovers of God; and in nearly every discourse we have reminded you concerning these things, if perhaps you remember what was said yesterday; and I know that you remember, especially those who are diligent, and lovers of books, and lovers of Christ. For the lover of books would rightly be called a lover of Christ, according to what was said by the Master, that He who loves me keeps my words; He who loves me shall be loved by my Father. He who loves me shall meditate in the law day and night; clearly in the Gospel and in the remaining Scriptures. For such a one has the remembrance of God indelible in his heart; awaiting him from the heavens, he always keeps watch for the hour of his coming. Always holding the sacred books in his hands, he will not forget those fearful books, concerning which it is written:

A judgment seat was set, and books were opened. See how great a gain it is to search the Scriptures, just as you have often heard. And what is it that we say? That the divine Scripture has left out nothing, nor passed over in silence anything that is for our benefit, but everywhere cries out, through both prophets and apostles, forewarning and forearming each one—loving its own children like a mother who loves her children, it testifies beforehand; and it reminds us concerning things past, and things present, and things to come, overlooking nothing, as has been said, of what is for our benefit; and this it does not speak in secret, nor in a small voice, but everywhere cries out with labor and power, through both the law, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Master himself. For through Isaiah the prophet it says: Cry aloud in strength, and do not spare; lift up your voice like a trumpet; and again it says, Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Zion; and going on it says, Lift up, do not fear. And again David says: I have grown weary crying out; my throat has become hoarse. And John the theologian in his catholic Epistle says: Watch yourselves. And Paul, what? Watch how you walk. And the Lord: I spoke openly to the world, and I spoke nothing in secret. And elsewhere the Evangelist says concerning him, that He stood and cried out, saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Do you see how great a struggle, how great a zeal, how openly he cries out, and there is no one who understands? And again the blessed Paul says: Watch the dogs, watch the evil workers, watch the mutilation. Watch how you walk, because the days are evil. And John:

Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what you have worked for, because many deceivers have gone out into the world. And there are many such things in the divine Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, crying out and rousing us from our sluggishness. But we do the opposite, just as Isaiah the prophet said: They heard heavily with their ears, and they shut their eyes. Oh, how many and how great are the writings we hear and do not understand! Therefore we will be without excuse on the day of judgment, when he comes who illuminates the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the hearts, when the judgment seat is set and the books are opened, which we now mock when we hear them and do not accept. For each of us has wandered in his own way, abandoning the straight path, and we have become as we were from the beginning, when you did not rule over us, O Lord. And truly the prophecy of David was fulfilled in us, saying: And they mingled among the nations, and learned their works. For this reason we are brought low in all the earth because of our sins, and the ends of the ages have come upon us, as it is written: and the shepherds are wolves, and the sheep are crushed; and famine is at the doors—not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of God. Let no one, then, of those who hope in the Lord despair. Do not be discouraged, therefore, always looking to him who said, I am with you.

2. Take courage, then; for the Lord will not starve the souls of the righteous. Concerning this famine the Lord speaks through the prophet: And it shall come to pass in those days that I will bring a famine upon the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of God. And they shall run to and fro from the east to the west, seeking the word of the Lord. Do you see that he is not speaking about bread? For God was not speaking about bread. O dreadful famine, and soul-destroying, and harmful! O famine that brings on eternal punishment! This famine is the provider of every evil thing; this famine is the cause of every evil. The prophet David, foreseeing this famine coming, entreated God, saying: O my God, do not be silent from me. And concerning the earnest faithful he prophesied, saying: To deliver their souls from death, and to nourish them in famine. And elsewhere he says: And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied; and again, The Lord is merciful and compassionate; he has given food to those who fear him. David said these things concerning those who search the Scriptures, that they shall not hunger. Let us search the Scriptures, brothers, so that we may not hunger when the soul-destroying famine comes; let us search, so that we may not be led astray and carried about by every wind. Therefore the Lord says to those who are negligent: You are led astray, not understanding the Scriptures. For truly such people are led astray. For whence did the soul-killing famine come upon us? Was it not from not searching the Scriptures? O how many good things have we deprived ourselves of, by abandoning the divine Scriptures! For the command is the Master's.

Search diligently, search and seek, and you will find the great, incomparable wealth and the treasure hidden in the field; you will understand the divine Scripture. Search, and you will find, and having found, sell all that you have and buy that field, the noble knowledge of the holy Scriptures, in which the Son is hidden, the true Wisdom of the Father; finding whom, you will be blessed, as it is written: Blessed is the man who has found wisdom. Search, beloved, whether you happen to be rich or poor, whether slave or free, whether male or female. Search the Scriptures. For the divine Scripture is a treasury of every good thing. But let us return to what lies before us; for our discourse concerns the consummation, and false prophets, and false teachers, and godless heretics, who have flooded everywhere like winter torrents and have led many astray. And from where has this happened? Clearly from the ignorance and inexperience of those who preside over them; for where there is inexperience of shepherds, there [is also the ruin] of the sheep

Destruction. What then should I speak of first? About our consummation? Or shall I expose the profane doctrines of the godless heretics? If the time permitted, I could triumph over and make public their profane doctrines and their lawless deeds; but great is the struggle, and long is the discourse, to strip bare and expose their impure doctrines. Nevertheless, for the present it is necessary to demonstrate from the holy Scriptures that these men are enemies of Christ and wolves of his flock, driven everywhere and cast out from the sheep of Christ. Therefore they were rightly called wolves by the prophets, by the Master himself, and by the blessed apostles; and not only wolves, but also plagues, and impious, and adversaries, and enemies, and plotters, and blasphemers, and hypocrites, and thieves, and robbers, and abominable, and false prophets, and false teachers, and blind guides, and deceivers, and wicked, and antichrists, and stumbling blocks, and sons of the evil one, and tares, and godless, and fighters against the Spirit, who have blasphemed the Spirit of grace; for whom it shall not be forgiven neither in this age nor in the age to come; on whose account the way of truth shall be blasphemed. And besides these, also children of the evil devil, as the theologian says: The children of the devil are manifest. It is necessary, then, first to occupy ourselves with these matters, and then to speak about the consummation. Since, therefore, the ends of the ages have come upon us, as the Apostle says, and grievous times have arisen, and lawlessness has increased, and the love of many has grown cold, and those who deceive are many, and those who are deceived are more numerous;

Come then, let us open the sacred books, and having found in them the way of truth, let us walk, running up to the holy mountains—I mean the prophets and apostles—so that we may not be led astray and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the sleight of men, in cunning craftiness for the scheming of error. Let us not remain below, but let us go up together with the holy disciples to the blessed mountain, and let us hear our own Shepherd saying: Take heed that you not be deceived; Take heed that no one deceive you; everywhere take heed. And John says the same things: that you may not lose what you have worked for; and Paul: Take heed of the dogs; Take heed how you walk. And this "Take heed," and again "Take heed," is nothing other than something spoken for your own safety concerning those who deceive with their flattery, and who hide the wolf and deceive the more careless. And very necessarily it is said everywhere in the Scriptures: "Take heed," and "See," and "Watch," and "Attend," not only to yourselves, but also to all the flock. For divine Scripture has passed over nothing of what is profitable for us.

3. But it comes upon me to weep when I hear some from our Church saying that these things have not been spoken in the divine Scriptures—and this not only from laypeople, but also from those who seem to be shepherds, and who hold the places of apostles and prophets, but not their ways. To whom it is timely to say: Woe to you, blind guides, and ignorant, and unstable; adorners of garments, and not of books; who have abandoned the word of God, and serve the belly; whose God is their belly, and their glory is in their shame; who consume the milk and the wool and the meat of the flock, but do not care for the sheep? How then will you escape, having neglected so great a salvation? I, having been stirred by the word, will add more testimonies in the midst, demonstrating from the holy Scriptures—both Gospels and prophets and apostles, with Christ providing—how the mouth of those who speak unjust things is stopped, and the heart of those who long for the word is enlightened. But from where shall we begin, if not from the

when he said, I am the beginning and the end? Let each one apply his own mind, having laid aside every worldly care. The Lord said: Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ; and they will deceive many. And again: Take heed to yourselves from the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; but by their fruits you shall know them, he says; that is, by their words, by their false prophecy, by their hypocrisy, by their evil doctrine, by their blasphemy you shall know them. For a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruits. For every tree is known by its own fruit. So also you shall know such men by their own fruits; and having known them, do not receive them into your house, do not submit to them, do not deem them worthy of a word, do not cast your pearls before them; but take heed of their leaven, that is, of their heresy. Let no one of you grow weary, or hear carelessly; for it is God who speaks. Hear, you shepherds, the voices of the Chief Shepherd; hear how he exposes and triumphs over the hidden wolves; hear and take heed both to yourselves and to all the flock. Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the thieves. For he who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but climbs in from another way, is a thief and a robber. And again he says concerning them: He who is not with me is against me. And again he said to them: You are of your father the devil.

Woe to you, for you shut the kingdom of heaven. For you neither enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. And again elsewhere: You are not of my sheep. Do you see how everywhere the Master exposes and triumphs over the ungodly, so that we may not be deceived? O the inexpressible condescension; O the incomparable goodness. What shall we render to the Lord for all these things? What defense shall we make to the Chief Shepherd? O shepherds and fellow shepherds; for behold, these are a few out of many. How everywhere the Master, securing us, cries out through the undefiled Gospels: Watch, be vigilant, take heed, be zealous, strive? And not only does he cry out through the Gospels, but through the God-bearing prophets and the theologian disciples he speaks the same things; for in all of them he speaks as he wills; and Paul bears witness to me, saying: Christ speaking in me. Come then, let us bring the theologians into the midst, and let us hear from them what they command us concerning heretics. Speak, blessed Peter, whom our Lord God Jesus Christ blessed; speak to us concerning those who deceive and are about to deceive the flock of Christ, which the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls handed over and entrusted to you; speak, as much as the Holy Spirit supplied to you, and strengthen your flock; show us the hidden wolves, just as your teacher Christ the Lord did. Peter said: This first know, that in the last days mockers will come, walking according to their own desires. And again he says:

And among you there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them. And many will follow their licentious ways; for them judgment is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber; children of cursing, who forsake the straight way. These things Peter uttered—Peter, truly blessed, the rock of the faith on which Christ built the Church, Peter who holds the keys of the heavens, Peter who walked upon the waves, the fervent lover of the Master Christ, who cast down Simon the magician in Rome, as the chief and leader casting down the first robber and disciple of the devil amid the heresies. John said: The children of the devil are manifest. Do you see how in all these things Christ speaks? For in the Gospels too he said similar things to them: You are of your father the devil. I know that many say that God also formed them; for, they say, without God nothing came into being—not understanding either what they say or about what they make confident assertions. For that God created me, I too agree; but he created me for good works, that we might follow after them and become children of God through right faith.

But let us return to the matter at hand. John says: And now many antichrists have arisen; and again, Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what you have worked for; because many deceivers have gone out into the world. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are from God; because many false prophets have entered into the world. And again he says: If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching with him, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice. For the one who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works. And again, Everyone who transgresses and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. These things John exhorts us, John the son of thunder, the one loved above all the saints, the one who strengthened the Church from the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth, and stopped the mouths of the heretics by his theology. James said: Whoever appears to be a friend of them becomes an enemy of God. Hear, all you who eat with heretics, a painful sentence: that you are enemies of Christ. For neither can the one who makes peace with the enemies of the king be a friend of the king; but neither is he deemed worthy of life, but he will perish with the enemies, and will endure worse things. Jude the brother of James said: Certain men have crept in, who were long ago marked out beforehand for this condemnation, impious men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny the only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. And again he says:

In the last times there will be mockers, walking according to their own desires of ungodliness. These are they who fearlessly shepherd themselves, waterless clouds, carried about by every wind, wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. These things and more than these Jude the good exhorts us. Come now, Paul, vessel of election, tell us also yourself according to the grace given to you by God, tell us about the present evil age; make plain the hidden wolves, triumph and publicly expose the thieves of the holy flock of God. Paul said: I know that after my departure grievous wolves will enter among you, not sparing the flock. Do you see everywhere the theologians agreeing with the Teacher about the godless heretics, calling them dogs and wolves? As Paul also says elsewhere: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the mutilation. Beware lest anyone take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit. See carefully how you walk, because the days are evil. Who will have an excuse for negligence, hearing so many commandments? And again elsewhere: Do not receive a heretical man after a first and second admonition; and again, Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; and again, Heretical men will advance to the worse, deceiving and being deceived; and elsewhere, To those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is clean. Hear again, you who make love-feasts with them:

How will you escape the wrath that is coming upon you, you who defile yourselves with these in food and drink? How do you dare to approach the divine and awe-inspiring mysteries of Christ? Or have you not heard the blessed Paul crying out, that You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing. Shall we then entreat you? Or do we labor in vain and speak to the air? Nevertheless, for the sake of those who wish and are eager to hear the word and to do it, I will not shrink back, we will not withdraw from the words of Paul, but I will say the same things again: hear, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has light with darkness? Where are the bold-mouthed, who say that these things have not been spoken in the divine Scriptures: Whose God is their belly, and their glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things? These things Paul exhorts and teaches and admonishes—Paul, the vessel of election, the anchor of the Church, the much-contested and noble, Paul the God-voiced lyre, the herald of Christ, the writer of the doctrines, the trumpet of the Word, the orator of piety, the net of the nations. And the blessed theologians spoke these things and more than these concerning the godless and unbelievers; and the prophets before them from of old spoke similar things; for it is necessary to bring these also into the midst. The prophet David said: There is no truth in their mouth. And again he says: Lord, have I not hated those who hate you, and have I not utterly consumed myself against your enemies?

I hated them with a perfect hatred, and they became enemies to me. And Solomon says that the impious feign piety. And again he says: My son, let not impious men deceive you, nor walk in the way with them. And Isaiah the prophet—or rather the Lord through the prophet—says: I have begotten sons and raised them up, but they have set me at nought; and again: There is no rejoicing for the impious, says the Lord. 5. Are these things then sufficient? Or shall I bring forward all the prophets as well? But these things are sufficient for those who are willing to hear. For he who does not attend to what has been said will not be persuaded even by more. But let us linger a little longer on the words of the prophet David, and see how he pillories and triumphs over the deceit hidden among them, and says: There is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain, and the rest. Observe the prophet's understanding, how he publishes abroad and reveals, triumphing over the heterodox, so that we may not be deceived. Listen, you orthodox, and do not yield to the heretics; listen, you shepherds, and shudder, and do not be silent, but proclaim the word; do not give place to the devil, do not give prey to the wolves. Imitate the blessed apostle Peter: when the thrice-accursed Simon was blaspheming in Rome and saying that he himself was the power of God, he did not keep silent even for an hour, nor did he delay, but having convicted him and shown him to be a liar and a robber and an adversary of God, he cast him down and delivered him to destruction.

Likewise also his son—or rather the son of the devil—Montanus, the foul and unclean and godless one, together with the two adulteresses, the Apostle rebuked with great zeal, and having shown him to be opposed to God and a false Christ and a false prophet, he silenced him and stopped up his foul mouth in the name of Christ, not being long-suffering, not delaying because of his blasphemy. So then do you also, shepherds, and do not share in the unclean works of darkness; rather, rebuke them also, just as both the apostles and David, the father of God, brought down many toils and many struggles concerning them, rebuking and reproving, pillorying them and entreating God against them, and saying: How long, O Lord, shall sinners, how long shall sinners boast? Scatter them in your power. Give them, O Lord, according to their works, for they have not understood your works, O Lord. O Lord, in your city you will despise their image. And again David entreats, bringing petitions to the Master, that he himself, having come down by himself, might fulfill his request, crying out and saying: O Lord, bow the heavens and come down; O Lord, do not delay. Let your compassions quickly come to meet us, O Lord. And what does the man-loving God, who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, since he is near to all who call upon him in truth? He did not disregard nor overlook the petition of the saints, but he bowed the heavens and came down, and ordered all things for the salvation of our race, and showed all things, doing and teaching.

Then, wishing to teach that those who are about to preside over the Churches should thus drive out the heretics, he made a whip of cords, and entering, he cast them all out of the temple, and drove them away, and expelled them, saying: My house is a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers. Hear, you who preside over the Churches. For he showed you the good, that you should follow in his footsteps, watching carefully on every side, and driving out the wolves, and guarding the flock. Then, having cast everyone outside—clearly those who hold contrary opinions—and finally foretelling their desolation and destruction, he said to those who hold contrary opinions that it would come upon generation after generation: Behold, your house is left to you desolate. See how his words became deed; for the enemies and plotters against the Church, that is, the heretics, are handed over to destruction in every generation, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke, that Every plant which my Father has not planted will be uprooted; and so it has happened. For he himself first did this and showed the way; and after his ascension into the heavens, the blessed apostles arrayed themselves against them. And after these, their divine teachings and the teachers of the Church, and the holy synods that took place at various times, uprooted those who remained unrepentant and handed them over to destruction, according to what is written: You will destroy all who speak falsehood. Therefore all have failed and perished because of their lawlessness. For where are those who once warred against the Church—kings and potentates and wise men?

Were they not scattered and destroyed, and did they not come to nothing? 6. For where is the boasting and the audacity of the Jews? Where is Simon the magician, the first in heresy, the disciple and forerunner of the antichrist? Where is his evil offspring, and the successor of his madness and licentiousness, Montanus, the leader of evils with the two adulteresses, and their so-called mysteries, which are worthy of deep silence, the abominable and unclean things, about which even the Apostle said: For the things done by them in secret, it is shameful even to speak of? Where is Marcion? Where is Valens? Where is Manes? Where is Basilides? Where is Nero? Where is Julian? Where is Arius? Where is Nestorius? Where are all who oppose the truth, about whom the Church cried out: Many dogs have surrounded me? Were they not all destroyed? For they were scattered because of their blasphemy, and were driven out as wolves. For they found adversaries and noble warriors and truly shepherds, the blessed men who then presided over the Churches.

But I see a great difference between the shepherds of that time and those of now. Those were warriors, these are fugitives; those were adorners of books and doctrines, these of garments and trinkets. These, like hirelings, abandon the sheep and flee; those laid down their own lives for the sheep, imitating the good Shepherd. O the blessed men, whose names are in the book of life; whom demons shuddered at, and heretics trembled before; and the mouth of those who speak unjust things was stopped. I too, then, will utter words like David's, who in lamentation said: Where are your ancient mercies, O Lord? Let me also say with tears: Where is that blessed choir of bishops and teachers, who shone as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life? And what prevents us from bringing them also into our midst, even if only a few out of many? For even to remember them is a sanctification of the soul. Where is Evodius, the fragrance of the Church, and successor and imitator of the holy apostles? Where is Ignatius, the dwelling-place of God? Where is Dionysius, the bird of heaven? Where is Hippolytus, the sweetest and most kindly? Where is Basil the Great, and all but equal in rank to the apostles? Where is Athanasius the holy, and covetous of the virtues? Where is Gregory, the second theologian, and unconquered soldier of Christ, and his namesake? Where is Ephrem the great, the consolation of the despondent, the instruction of the young, the guiding hand of the repentant, the sword against heretics, the vessel of the Spirit, the instrument of the virtues?

Do you see how great the difference is, and how great the distinction between those blessed and holy men and those of today? I know of other God-bearing teachers too, but for the present this is enough for now. Those men, as has been said before, laid down their own souls for the sheep; but these, abandoning the sheep, fled. Those were mighty both in word and in deed; but these are mighty in money and possessions, in horses and mules, in fields and flocks, in cooks and a splendid table. There is much talk among them about these things every day and night; but about the rational flock there is no word at all, the flock for which they will be required to give an account on the great day of judgment. Then if anyone asks them about books, they answer, saying: I am a poor man, and I have no means to acquire books. Then they come forward not as poor men, but wearing resplendent garments, possessing stout purses, and necks like those of fattened bulls, dragging along a crowd of disciples—or rather of cooks. Some things are shameful even to mention, for out of their excessive wealth they have acquired concubines under the pretext of female slaves. O deep shame! O wretched prosperity! O bitter love of money! O insatiable belly! From that source come scandals, whisperings, reproaches, revilings, tumults. Then, when accused, they answer: I wrong no one; I have authority over my own money. Then if any of the godless heretics raves and speaks perverse things, there is no one to contradict, no one anywhere to fight against them; then all become poor, all become silent, all become fugitives. O the evil root of all evils, the love of money! Do you wish to be saved by your wealth?

But it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Do you, living in luxury, drunkenness, and vanity, wish to conquer heresies? But woe to you who live in luxury and vanity, adorning yourselves in gold and varied garments: how will you show to others the noble poverty of Christ, who for our sake became poor, who commanded his disciples not to have bronze in their belts? Truly you are deceived, not understanding the Scriptures. Do you not hear the Lord saying, "Blessed are the poor," and again, "Woe to you who are rich," and, "Do not store up treasures on earth"? Your wealth has multiplied, and your word has failed; your garments have become moth-eaten; for these you will give an account to Christ, the chief Shepherd. For you are not unaware that each of us will give an account of himself to God; and you will give an account both for yourselves and for the sheep, chief priests and priests and deacons, each according as he was entrusted. But see that you do not forget the talents. Take heed to yourselves and to all the

with the flock: See that no sheep leaves the flock. For you know this, that if one sheep perishes, having become prey to wild beasts through your negligence, it has destroyed your whole life; for its blood will the Judge require at your hands. 7. So then, awake from now on, preach the word, cast off every worldly care, see carefully how you walk: Beware of the dogs. Again I say "beware," and in saying it I do not cease. Beware of the thieves, beware that many deceivers have gone out into the world. Be watchful and sober, you who have been entrusted with the master's gift, and keep watch, and observe the hour of the Master's fearful coming, when he comes to settle accounts with you, to whom he entrusted the talents. Therefore, keeping these things in mind, O beloved, Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, as the Apostle says, not under compulsion, but willingly, nor for shameful gain, but eagerly, nor as lording it over the clergy, but becoming examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Again, then, I will say the same things: hear, priests of the Lord, kings of the earth, and all peoples, rulers and all judges of the earth; young men and virgins, old men with the younger. Give ear, all you who dwell in the inhabited world, small and great, whether male or female, rich and poor alike; attend to what is being said, I beseech you:

For I wish to demonstrate and assure you from the Holy Scriptures that not all who are called Christians are Christians, but those called Christians in name only are deceived by the mere appellation. In word, many are Christians; in manner, few and rare. In appearance, they are as Christians and as disciples of Christ; in manner, traitors. In word, pious and compassionate; in manner, impious and merciless. In name, Christians; in deeds, pagans, just as the prophet David foretold: They mingled among the nations and learned their works. And truly this prophecy has been fulfilled among us. What sort of Christians are those who attend to Jewish and Greek myths, and genealogies, and divinations, and astrology, and sorceries, and amulets; and observations of days and years, omens and dreams, and the voices of birds; and who light lamps at springs and bathe themselves, and watch for chance meetings, and eat things sacrificed to idols, and the blood of strangled and beast-caught animals, and birds killed by hawks, and many other things like these? How can those who do such things be found to be Christians? With what boldness do they dare to name themselves Christians? How do they dare to approach the divine mysteries, being worse than the Greeks? Again hear what sort of Christians are those who adopt the customs of the nations: disfigurement of faces, or shouts, or dances, or clapping of hands, or the adornment of women upon men? For those who do such things, being called Christians is of no benefit.

For just as a girl or a virgin, as long as she guards her virginity, is reasonably and worthily called a virgin, and is one; but when she has been deceived by someone, and corrupted, and has lost her virginity, she is no longer a virgin; so too the one called a Christian, if he transgresses the agreements, and tramples on the promises, and sets aside the word of the Gospel, and does the deeds of the Gentiles, there is no benefit in his being called a Christian, as was said before. Understand, then, all of you, beloved, that with few words we renounced all those things, saying: I renounce Satan, and all his works. Consider what you said: All his works. See with whom you made your covenant—not with an angel, not with an earthly king, not with a ruler of this age, but with the King of kings and Ruler of rulers; it was with him you made your covenant and confession, and you arranged it before many witnesses; henceforth both you and your words are in his hand. For the rest, receive him coming from the heavens, bringing your document, the words from your mouth, before angels and men. See, brother, and guard yourself henceforth from the deeds of the Gentiles. Hear the Apostle saying: This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding. But you did not so learn Christ. Pay attention to what is said, beloved, and do not mix with those who do such things. For many are disciples of perdition, and they will increase still more.

See that the days are evil, and the time appoints its own servants. 8. And do not marvel if the shepherds become wolves. For Paul the apostle, speaking to bishops and presbyters, said, "From among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things." So let no one deceive you, having outwardly an angelic form and inwardly a diabolical one. For this reason Jesus said, "See that no one deceives you." And I too will say the same again: see that no one deceives you, neither from among those within nor from among those without—not a bishop, not a presbyter, not a deacon, not a reader, nor anyone who speaks perverse things; who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; who have a form of godliness but have denied its power. But you, beloved, do not be deceived, but as you received our Lord Jesus Christ, walk in him; and the God of peace will be with you. And concerning these matters I will give the account here; but after speaking briefly about the signs of the consummation, I will stop. For when I begin to speak about the consummation, trembling comes upon me, and I am beside myself. All the things of the Lord are wonderful, great and fearful and glorious; but the end of the consummation and the mystery of his second coming, beyond word and mind and thought, surpasses every narration and astonishes every hearing. And great is the struggle and much the longing of the disciples to hear from the teacher signs concerning the consummation.

For as you often heard the Gospel saying, that when Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us, what is the sign of your coming, and of the consummation of the age. Observe the wisdom and understanding of the disciples. When they wished to ask something great, they do not all approach him, but privately, and they say: Tell us, Master, and that "Tell us, good one"; tell us, knower of hearts; tell us, you who know the last things and the first things; tell us, you who know all things before their coming to be; tell us, maker of the ages; tell us, Father of the age to come; tell us, What is the sign of your coming and of the consummation of the age, when you are about to come to judge the living and the dead of the whole inhabited world; when you abolish every rule and every authority and power; when every knee bows to you of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth; Tell us, what is the sign of your coming, so that we too may teach all the nations your wondrous coming. And the Lord said to them: See that you are not deceived; for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ. See that no one deceives you; for the time is near. What we now behold with our eyes, he then said: For the time is near; now it has come, and we all behold it. Do you see how great the zeal of the Master concerning false teachers and heretics, to strip bare and to show us the hidden

Is there deceit among them? Therefore also before the signs, in the question of the disciples, he brought these forward as wolves of the flock and forerunners of the Antichrist; then he foretold the things that follow: wars and tumults, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; which seeing now, we do not understand—seeing wars in various places, and famines, and terrors, and signs from heaven, and the rest which he has spoken, seeing most of them, we do not understand. Then, he says, many will be scandalized, and will betray one another. And where now is there no betrayal? Have not almost all become against one another, and do they not hate one another? And this has been fulfilled, as we see. Have not all become against one another—nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, rulers against their equals, bishops against bishops, presbyters against presbyters, and deacons against deacons, readers against one another, laypeople against laypeople? For because lawlessness has increased, the love of many will grow cold. Therefore the Master foretold: Search the Scriptures, and, You will not be deceived. And again he set forth another sign, saying: And this Gospel will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited world as a testimony to all the nations. And then expect the end; expect to see the abomination of desolation, the son of perdition, through whom there will be great and mighty tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world. And again he says: False Christs and false prophets will arise, and will give signs and wonders, so as, if possible, to deceive even the elect.

See how, over and over, he speaks of the false prophets and false teachers and false apostles of the Antichrist, the son of perdition, who, being appointed through the unclean spirits and energized by them, become forerunners of the Antichrist and the adversary; and through their own doctrines they will deceive and prepare a people fit for the reception of the son of perdition. 9. For this reason, brothers, the divine Scripture cries out over and over that many deceivers have gone out into the world. For this reason also the Master added, “Behold, I have foretold it to you.” But we must understand the meaning of each word. “Behold, I have foretold it to you”—that is, from now on you have no excuse. “Behold, I have foretold it to you”—if they deceive any of you, he will be without pardon. “Behold, I have foretold it to you”—no one has a reasonable excuse. “Behold, I have foretold all things to you: Watch, lest you be deceived. See that you do not receive another false christ in place of me, the true one. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will deceive many; and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not therefore go after them.” See how great is the testimony in the holy Scriptures concerning such men. For this reason I have often reminded you concerning the godless heretics, and now I exhort you not to go along with them in any matter—neither in foods nor in drinks, nor in friendship nor in association, nor in love nor in peace.

For the one who is deceived by these men and yields to them makes himself a stranger to the catholic Church. But the true and guileless disciple of God cries out with boldness: If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed; and he sings the words of David: Lord, did I not hate those who hate you, and was I not consumed with grief over your enemies? I hated them with perfect hatred. Tremble and shudder, you who make loving agreements with them, and correct yourselves, lest you perish in their impieties. And here too the saying fits: Behold, I have foretold it to you. But let us return to what lies before us, completing the matters concerning the consummation. And to speak briefly: the signs foretold have been fulfilled; for the rest, one must be ready and prepared, and not busy oneself beyond what is written. Many ignorant and unstable men have arisen who distort the divine Scriptures; but see to it that you do not believe them. Great wickedness, great malice has been poured out upon the earth, many stumbling blocks; but see to it that you are not deceived; do not turn aside to the right nor to the left, but walk in the royal road. You have many faithful ones, beloved, even if not on earth, yet in heaven, with whom strive always to be present. You have there the festal assemblies of angels, you have patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists; you have martyrs, holy confessors, and those who shone brightly in the monastic life, a great multitude, whose names are in the book of life.

Desire these men, imitate these men, do not separate yourself from these men, keep the memory of these men in your heart night and day, always holding their books in your hands, read them, so that you may find great benefit. Become a merchant of the word of righteousness, so that you may be able to convict those who contradict, and to rebuke the tellers of myths, and to stop the mouths of heretics, and to admonish and turn back those who fall away. Search the divine Scriptures, so that when you see disorder and confusion, you may not fall down, but may flee for refuge to the divine Scripture. But see that you are not made slack, nor shaken from your mind. When you see many who are senseless, do not be surprised; these things must happen. When you see many false prophets, remember the Master saying, that false Christs and false prophets will arise. When you see deceivers, remember the prophet saying: Woe to those who write wickedness. When you see the devout and faithful and wise treated with contempt, while the accursed and arrogant and traitors and fornicators are appointed to office, remember the Apostle saying, that evil men and impostors will advance to the worse, deceiving and being deceived. When you see the holy Scripture abhorred by those who seem to be Christians, and those who speak the word of God hated, remember the Lord saying: If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

When you see crowds running together to the myth-mongers and amulet-writers, and to genealogies, and divinations, and teachings of demons, and consultations of unclean spirits, do not be disturbed, nor fall down. And even if you see those who seem to be shepherds doing these things, do not despair, but weeping, remember the Apostle saying, that In the last times some will depart from the faith, attending to spirits of error, and to teachings of unclean demons. And again he says: There will be a time when they will not endure sound teaching, but according to their own desires they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they will turn away their ear from the truth, and will be turned aside to myths. 10. When you see costly banquets, and dinners, and luxury, and deceit, and uproar, and disorderly voices, remember the Lord saying: Woe to those who are filled, for you will hunger; woe to those who laugh now, for you will mourn. When you see people dancing, and playing, and reciting the songs of demons, groan, and weeping remember David saying: They did not know nor understand, they walk in darkness; and the prophet Isaiah saying: Woe to those who rise early and pursue strong drink, who stay late, with lyres and harps and tambourines and flutes, drinking wine; but the works of God they do not see, and the works of his hands they do not consider. And simply, when you see any scandal happening, remember the Master saying: Woe to the world because of scandals; but it is impossible that scandals should not come.

But woe to him through whom it comes. But what do the hard-hearted say, those who seek falsehood? They say, "It is no evil to be lifted up in the air; for what harm does the lyre and the rest of the instruments do?" O utmost folly; O the wicked device of the devil. "An evil and adulterous generation," do you repay these things to the Lord? The undefiled Master commanded everywhere that a Christian should not be lifted up in the air at all, and you say, "What harm do these things do?" Woe to those who call the bitter sweet; woe to those who put darkness for light. But let the uneducated tell us: from what sacred Scripture can they show that a Christian ought to do these posturings? What book of the saints, what Gospels taught Christians thus to behave shamefully? Behold, the catholic and apostolic Church, from the rising of the sun to its setting, and from the ends of the world, cries out, and teaches, and exhorts, through both the law and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Master himself, and nowhere has anyone found that a Christian was permitted to do these posturings. How many kings and rulers, and wise men, and nobles, and illustrious men, and lawyers, and slaves and free, and poor and rich, and old and young? Who among all these can demonstrate or show concerning these things that a Christian was permitted to play the lyre, or to dance, or to do any other such thing of those we have mentioned? No one can show it. Let no one deceive you; these things are not for Christians; these things are alien to the catholic Church; all the nations of the world do all these things. Let no one, my brothers, deceive you; as many of you as are led astray in these things have fallen away from grace.

Christ will profit you nothing. But let us return again to the first and noble confession, to which we were called, before many witnesses, before angels and men and the Creator of all things; for he himself holds the record of our confession in heaven, to repay each one according as he has done and has kept the confession. For each of us has written down both the covenants and the renunciation of the devil and the enlistment to Christ, and our works and our deeds, and our words, and our thoughts, and our lofty imaginings, and our jests; and Christ comes having all things written. What then do you wish? To lie to him? But it is not possible; for in his hand are both you and your words. But do you wish to hide? But it is not possible, since in his hand are the ends of the earth, and there is no creature hidden before him; but all things are naked and laid bare to his eyes, and you shall not be hidden from his face. If you go up to heaven, he is there; if you go down to the abyss, he is present there. For it is written, that all things, as many as the Lord willed, he made in heaven and on earth, in the seas, and in all the abysses. What then shall we do, brothers? We are hemmed in on every side; for he himself knows the hidden things of the heart and the reins. To flee is not possible; for there is no one who shall deliver out of his hands. To hide is impossible; for he holds the circle of the earth, and those who dwell in it, as grasshoppers. To resist is not possible, as it is written, that you are fearful, and who shall resist you?

For he himself is Lord of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, he who is to abolish every rule and authority and power. There is no defense, no excuse, no thought. Therefore from the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth the divine Scripture cries out, and exhorts, and convicts, and admonishes, and solemnly testifies, and threatens. Therefore our Master says: He who rejects me and does not receive my words, I do not judge him; the word that I spoke, that will judge him on the last day. And again he says: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but now they have no excuse concerning their sin. You have heard that no one has an excuse. Truly, brothers, we are hemmed in on every side. 11. But surely someone replies: Behold, you have rebuked us sufficiently through your word, and you have pointed out the gloomy things, and you have reminded us of the punishments, and you have described the penalties, and you have exceedingly struck us with dismay and frightened us. And I know truly that this is so; and I know that each of you will give an account of himself to God, and each will reap what he has sown, and each will bear his own burden. But since you have announced these things, and brought them into the midst, and struck us with dismay and frightened us, show us from now on also the way of salvation, give also the healing of the wound; just as you spoke the terrifying things, speak also the joyful things. Behold, I wish to be saved; what shall I do? How shall I be saved? What course shall I take? To whom shall I flee? For I have sinned much, in deeds and in words, both willingly and unwillingly, both by night and by day, and at every hour. What then shall I do? How shall I be saved? To whom shall I flee?

I tell you to whom you should flee for refuge. The blessed David showed to whom one must flee, saying: "Our God is a refuge and strength." John also showed this, the greatest of all the prophets, saying: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The angel also announced this, saying: "For he himself will save his people from their sins"; and again the prophet David says: "O Lord, to you I have fled for refuge." Flee also to this one who said: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners"; who said: "Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick"; who said: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"; who says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest"; who said: "The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"; who says that "the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out"; who said through the prophet: "As I live, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he turn back and live"; who said that "he will bring about the vengeance of those who cry out to him night and day"; who said: "There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

Flee to him in repentance and tears. Repent, and do not waver; repent, and do not lose heart, nor despair of yourself, since you have the medicines of salvation. There is joy in heaven when you repent, and are you idle? The angels leap for joy, and do you slumber? For your sake the physician of souls has come, and do you hide your wound? He himself cries out: "Turn to me, O sons of men; come to me" — and are you not eager? He himself cries out: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." O the incomparable love of the Master for humanity! "I did not come," he says, "to call the righteous, but sinners." Take courage, then, sinner, and do not lose heart. For the good Shepherd came to call you; for your sake he bowed the heavens and came down, saying: "Come to me, all you who are burdened." For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. But see that you do not grow slack at this word, hearing of his ineffable love for humanity; for he did not state the call alone, but added, "to repentance." For I did not come, he says, to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance — not to laughter, but to tears; not to shameful speech, but to glorification; not to banquets and dinners and drunkenness, but to fasting and vigil and tears; not to dances and lyre-playing and revels, but to mourning and affliction and distress, saying: "Blessed are those who mourn and weep" — clearly, for their sins. Begin, then, to repent; only make a beginning, and the God of those who repent will work with you and strengthen you, and you will find much grace, and it will become in you sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

Many are the ways of life, as it is written, and many are the modes of salvation. In whatever way you wish, be saved—only be saved. If you have means, show mercy; but if you do not have, God does not demand it. You have no bread, you have no garment. Bend your knees, strike your breast, bring down tears, groan, mourn, stretch out your hands to heaven, lift your eye to the Master, fast, keep vigil. Every man has these things, and he cannot deny it; strive to offer these to God always. But these things must be done with purpose and discernment, so that you do not run to no profit and labor in vain. 12. Therefore, doing these virtues and offering repentance to God, keep watch carefully and examine, lest you hold enmity against anyone, and your purpose at the same time become vain; but as the apostle Paul said, working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and keeping the commandment of Christ which says: If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses. If, then, you pray to God with your whole heart, and not mocking and being puffed up, keep this commandment of his, and forgive, if you have anything against anyone. Do you wish your own trespasses to be forgiven you? Forgive also those of your neighbor. But if you do not forgive the trespasses of your brother, neither will the Master forgive yours; for he said, that If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive yours. And we all know that he does not lie; for he is truthful, and faithful in all his words.

Be ready, therefore, to receive each day the one who demands your soul. Do not repent today and forget tomorrow; do not weep today and dance tomorrow; do not fast today and come out drunk tomorrow, carried about by many things; do not keep vigil today and recline tomorrow; but take thought for your salvation, so that you may be crowned. Do not adulterate virtue, do not shun toil, so that you may not be deprived of the crowns. Hate all the joy of this world, and its glory. And say with David: I have hated and abhorred iniquity, but your law I have loved; and, I have restrained my feet from every evil way. I have sworn and have stood firm to keep your commandments. Be diligent, then, to be always ready, so that when the one who demands your soul comes, he may find you ready in repentance; and I pledge to you that he will not separate you from those who are saved. Always keep the Lord's commandment, Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. And again he says: Be ready, for in the hour you do not expect, the Son of Man comes. Hear the Apostle also saying: Pray without ceasing. Understand what without ceasing means: that is, always, at every time, both by night and by day, and in the evening and in the morning and at midday, and at every hour, both working and walking, and shepherding and plowing, and sleeping and rising. Do not wait for the Lord's Day, or a feast, or a difference of place. For the Divine is not circumscribed in a place; for in his hand are the ends of the earth.

For this reason the prophet David also, praying every day and night, did not wait for a day, nor for a difference of place, but said with tears, exhorting his own soul: In every place of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul. And you, beloved, do not wait for an hour, or a day, or a difference of place; but as has been said before, pray in every place, and pray in your house, and when you are in the church, pray, and wherever you may happen to be, pray, in every place of God's dominion. Give ear, all you who dwell in the inhabited world, rich and poor together, whether male or female, whether of mixed descent, young men and virgins, old men and youths, kings of the earth, and all judges of the earth, hear what is written: The time is shortened, so that even those who have wives may be as though they had none. Let us renounce ungodliness and worldly desires, and live soberly and righteously and godly in the present age, awaiting in the age to come the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember me always, brothers, and hold fast to the traditions which you received from the blessed men, both prophets and apostles, and from the Master of all. And as an example of hardship and patience, you have the prophets; of endurance, Job; of chastity, Joseph; of discernment, Daniel; of love, our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us; of repentance, you have David, the God-bearing forefather.

For this man has become a type of repentance for us, exhorting us and entreating us and saying, Come, children, hear me, and I will show you the manner of repentance; since I too was once scandalized, but through repentance I rose again; and I know the loving-kindness of the Master; I know how genuinely he receives those who repent, with hands outstretched; for it is impossible for my Master to lie. For I heard him saying, The things that proceed through my lips I will surely not set aside. For heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will surely not pass away. Once I swore in my holy one. As I live, I who do not desire the death of the sinner. You have heard that the lover of mankind swore by himself. For this reason I exhort all: Come, children, hear me; and while we have time, let us make haste with swift feet, before the great day of the Lord comes; let us come before his face with confession. Come, let us worship and fall down before the Lord who made us. For he himself made us, he himself will have pity on us and bless us, make his face shine upon us and have mercy on us; for he himself is the God of those who repent, he himself receives us when we repent, he himself will also shepherd us; to him be the glory and the might and all thanksgiving, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.