THE CATHOLIC EPISTLE OF ST. BARNABAS. 3033000 PPINESS TO YOU MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS, IN THE LE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO LOVED US, IN CE. VING perceived abundance of knowledge of eat and excellent laws of God to be in you, I dingly rejoice in your blessed and admirable because ye have so worthily received the grace was grafted in you.(d) For which cause I am joy, hoping the rather to be saved; inasmuch uly see a spirit infused into you, from the pure in of God: having this persuasion, and being convinced thereof, because that since I have be o speak unto you, I have had a more than ordigood success in the way of the law of the Lord, is in Christ.(g) For which cause brethren, (h) think verily that I love you above my own soul: se that therein dwelleth the greatness of faith marity, as also the hope of that life which is to Wherefore considering this, that if I shall Natural : Gr. ἔμφυτον. See Chap. xix. ἔμφυλον δορεὰν : which the Lat. Int. renders naturale donum doctrinæ. Jam. i. 21. Comp. Psal. 119, 33. viz. either by preaching, or fulfilling ne. Vid. Annot. Vos. in loc. take care to communicate to you a part of what I have received, it shall turn to my reward, that I have served such good souls; (i) I gave diligence to write in a few words unto you; that together with your faith, your knowledge also may be perfect. There are therefore three things ordained by the Lord; the hope of life; the beginning and the completion of it. For the Lord hath both declared unto us, by the prophets, those things that are past; and opened to us the beginning of those that are to come. Wherefore, it will behove us, as he has spoken, to come more holily, and nearer to his altar. I therefore, not as a teacher, but as one of you, will endeavour to lay before you, a few things by which you may on many accounts become the more joyful. 2. Seeing then the days are exceeding evil, and the adversary has got the power of this present world; we ought to give the more diligence to inquire into the righteous judgments of the Lord. Now the assistants of our faith are fear and patience: our fellow combatants, long-suffering and continence. Whilst these remain pure in what relates unto the Lord, wisdom, and understanding, and science, and knowledge rejoice together with them. For God has manifested to us by all the prophets, that he has no occasion for our sacrifices, or burnt offerings, or oblations; saying thus, "to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord. I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me; who hath required this at your hands? ye shall no more tread my courts. Bring no more vain oblations, incense is an abomination unto me: your new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting: your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth," [Isaiah i. 11-14.] These things therefore hath God abal ished whic migh For "did out o or sa "let his ne 23.witho desig being ror at appro us, " and c Wher inquir that t and d 3. ing th hat the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, s without the yoke of any such necessity, ave the spiritual offering of men themselves. the Lord saith again to those heretofore ; at all command your fathers when they came he land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings ices: but this I commanded them," saying, ne of you imagine evil in your hearts against hbour, and love no false oath," [Jer. vii. 22, ch. viii. 17.] Forasmuch then as we are not understanding, we ought to apprehend the of our merciful Father. For he speaks to us, illing that we who have been in the same erat the sacrifices, should seek and find, how to h unto him. And therefore he thus bespeaks Le sacrifice of God is a broken spirit, a broken trite heart God will not dispise," [Psal. l. 19.] Tore, brethren, we ought the more diligently to after those things that belong to our salvation, adversary may not have an entrance into us, rive us of our spiritual life. (i) 'Talibus Spiritibus servienti. Usser. to ma fast th soul? to spr call th But to that I to un go fre deal t poor the na thyse break spring befor Therefore he again speaketh to them, concernthings: "ye shall not fast as ye do this day, e your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a t I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and ad sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou s a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?" us he saith on this wise. "Is not this the fast ave chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, the heavy burthens, and to let the oppressed ; and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to y bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the at are cast out, to thy house? when thou seest ced that thou cover him, and that thou hide not from thine own flesh? then shall thy light forth as the morning, and thy health shall forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer: thou shalt cry and he shall say, here I am. If thou put away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity: and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry; and satisfy the afflicted soul," [Isaiah lviii. 4-10.] In this therefore, brethren, God has manifested his fore-knowledge and mercy to us; because the people which he has purchased to his beloved Son were to believe in sincerity; and therefore he has shewn these things to all of us, that we should not run as proselytes to the Jewish law. 4. Wherefore it is necessary that searching dili. gently into those things which are near to come to pass, we should write to you what may serve to keep you whole. To which end let us flee from every evil work, and hate the errors of the present time, that we may be happy in that which is to come : let us not give ourselves the liberty of disputing with the wicked and sinners, least we should chance in time to become like unto them. For the consummation of sin is come, as it is written, as the prophet Daniel says, [Dan. ix.] And for this end the Lord hath shortened the times and the days, that his beloved might hasten his coming to his inheritance. For so the prophet speaks; "there shall ten kings reign in the earth, and there shall rise last of all another little one and he shall humble three kings," [Dan. vii.] And again Daniel speaks in like manner concerning the kingdoms; " and I saw the fourth beast dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another little horn, before which were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots," [Dan. vii. 7, 8.] We ought therefore to understand this also: and I beseech you, as one of your own brethren, loving you all beyond my own life, that you look well to yourselves, and be not like to those who add sin to sin, and say, that their covenant is ours also. Nay, that w ture; forty nant f by the turnec 7.] as quickl out of aside f Χ. 12, his ha love of hope o the las our fai hate w tions. iniquit of the others, but co! is agre For th in thei Let us much God; his co teous withou ceive his rig it is ours only; for they have for ever lost Moses received. For thus saith the Scripnd Moses continued fasting forty days and its in the mount; and he received the cove! the Lord, even two tables of stone written nd of God," [Exod. xxxi. 34.] But having hemselves to idols they lost it; [Exod. xxxii. Lord also said to Moses; "Moses, go down for thy people which thou hast brought forth gypt, have corrupted themselves, and turned n the way which I commanded them," [Deut. 9.] And Moses cast the two tables out of s and their covenant was broken, that the esus might be sealed in your hearts, unto the his faith. Wherefore let us give heed unto imes. For all the time past of our life, and will profit us nothing, unless we continue to at is evil, and to withstand the future temptaSo the Son of God tells us; let us resist all and hate it. Wherefore consider the works wil way. Do not withdraw yourselves from s if you were already justified, [Hebr. x. 15.] ing all together into one place, inquire what able to, and profitable for the beloved of God. scripture saith; "wo unto them that are wise own eyes, and prudent in their own sight."* ecome spiritual, a perfect temple to God. As s in us lies let us meditate upon the fear of nd strive to the utmost of our power to keep nandments; that we may rejoice in his righadgments. For God will judge the world respect of persons, and every one shall recording to his works. If a man shall be good, Ceousness shall go before him: if wicked, the of his wickedness shall follow him. Take erefore, lest sitting still now that we are callfall asleep in our sins; and the wicked one rewar heed 1 ed, w *Vi |