For freedom is above the law, [p. 449] and therefore it is the same to thee whether thou eatest, or whether thou eatest not, even as Paul spake concerning this freedom of the spirit, saying, "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord, and he that regardeth it not, regardeth it not unto the Lord; and he that eateth not eateth not unto God; and he that eateth, eateth unto God, and giveth thanks unto the Lord;" so then it belongeth unto us by this freedom to eat, or not to eat. And for this reason He did not make a difference between meats severally mentioned by the law, that they might not be distinguished before us by lust or by the absence of lust, and that we should not excuse ourselves from eating that for which we lust as if through uncleanness, whether it be rare or whether it be common, or whether it be permitted to be eaten according to custom or not; so then that from the eating of which lust ariseth not in us we may eat as of that which is clean, without our conscience pricking us during the eating thereof.
The prick of the conscience is the transgression of the |431 law, as hath been said also by the Apostle, for if a man be in doubt, and he eateth, he is condemned. The Jews ate flesh in the wilderness, and it is written concerning them that, ''While the flesh was yet between their teeth the anger of God had dominion over them," not because they had eaten flesh, but because with lust they had asked to eat it, for if the eating of flesh commonly brought anger whenever they ate it, they would have received this penalty, and, moreover, the priests who continually ate [p. 450] flesh in the temple would have deserved also the very same condemnation; but it is not written anywhere that anger had dominion over them because of the eating of flesh except in this place. That they sought flesh lustfully, and asked for it with lust, David testifieth, saying, "They lusted with lust in the wilderness, and they tempted God in the waterless desert, And He gave them their requests, and sent fulness into their souls". And in the place where they required flesh it is written that, "The people said to Moses, It was better for us when we were in Egypt, for we sat by the flesh pots, and did eat, and were filled [with] everything that our soul lusted for." And again when Moses saw that they lusted, and were made unclean by their lust, he said to them, "Sanctify yourselves [against] to-morrow that ye may eat flesh," as if a man were to say, Because your persons have been made unclean by your lusts, and the gift of God draweth not nigh unto the unclean, sanctify yourselves from the lust that ye may be worthy to eat |432 the gift of flesh, for "Ye shall not eat it one day, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it come out from your nostrils, and it become indigestion unto you; because that ye have rejected the Lord Who is among you, and have said, Who will give us flesh to eat?"
Behold then, according to the word of Moses unto the Jews, every one that eateth in lust, [p. 451] rejecteth the Lord Who is in him, and he resteth upon his lust's desire. Well then was indigestion made the limit of the meat which lust required, for need observeth a limit, but lust hath neither limit nor end. Understand then [the matter] from another side also. It was because they lusted that they were condemned and not because they ate flesh, for behold Elijah did not ask for [food] with lust, but the ravens fed him with bread and flesh, evening and morning, and he drank water from the brook; and when flesh was sent unto the prophet by the Giver, he by the power of his freedom received it like a meal of garden herbs. And thou must in another way understand that it is lust which is reprehensible, for every day, morning after morning, the people gathered the manna which came down, and so long as they gathered it according to the command they were not reprehended or condemned; but when they lusted to gather it in too great a quantity, it swarmed with worms and stank, to the shame of the lust which gathered it. And moreover when they ate it formerly, its taste was changed into that of all [kinds of] meats in their mouth, and it is well known that it also took the place of flesh unto |433 them, for it is written, "It was like honey comb, and its taste was as if it had been kneaded in oil." And although it was changed into all these varieties of food the eaters thereof were not condemned thereby, for [p. 452] it was a gift of Grace, and not that which their lust had demanded.
Now that thou mayest understand that it is everything that is eaten with lust, even though it be common, that is reprehensible, set before thine eyes these two examples, the eating of Esau, and the eating of Elijah. Esau, because he ate lentiles, was condemned, and therefore Paul calleth him "dissolute", and "fornicator", because "for one mess of meat he sold his own birthright;" and Elijah, though eating meat, was pure and holy, and a spiritual being, and like a spiritual being was removed unto the place of spiritual beings. Behold then, and understand from the two examples of Elijah and Esau, that it is lust which causeth condemnation and not meat. Seek then to eat everything and not to be condemned, and be above lust in everything, and eat everything; but if thou canst not be superior to lust, everything that thou eatest will be a condemnation unto thee, even though it be a common thing, as Eve was condemned for eating the fruit, and as the Jews were censured for gathering the manna, and as Esau was condemned for eating the lentiles, and as the people also who perished, because they ate and drank with lust before the calf.
And that even the drinking of cold water with lust is reprehensible David, the wise man of God, shall prove unto thee, for when he lusted to drink water |434 from the great cistern which was in Bethlehem, and those who did hear [him] obeyed and brought [it] to him, he suppressed his lust, and poured it out before the Lord, as if [p. 453] by means, thereof he was pouring out [his] lust; now the nature of water is not such as to cause sin even if he had partaken thereof, for it is cool and pleasant, but he perceived within himself that he had asked for it with lust and he conquered his lust, and did not grant its request. And he did this also that he might vex those who had been ministers unto his lust, by turning back their kindness upon themselves, that he might teach every man not to be in subjection unto his lust, and that we should not make our faces joyful towards those who minister unto our lust. And God permitted Noah also to eat every thing like green herbs, and though Adam was censured because he had eaten the fruit, yet to Noah power was given, as by a covenant of gift, over all meats----now where it was partaken of with lust, there was it reprehended, for having received through the taste of lust the pleasure of wine, he drank thereof inordinately and immoderately, and was in this case laid under sin----for God permitted him to eat every kind of flesh after which his soul lusted. Now although this meat is a burden unto the wise and prudent, yet was it given by promise unto Noah, and it was sent unto Elijah in a gift, and Abraham received God and His angels thereby, and Isaac was pleased to pour out blessings upon Jacob thereby, and Samuel offered this gift beforehand to Saul as to a king, and David and all the righteous |435 kings made use of such meat, and it was employed by all the righteous; [p. 454] and they were not blamed therefor, because they were superior to lust. And they did not eat like slaves with lust, but they made use of every thing with authority like free men, and they in their eating of rare meats were praised, while those who fed themselves upon ordinary and common foods were rejected and reprobated. Now Paul crieth unto us, "Let not your hearts be made heavy through the eating of flesh and the drinking of wine", that he may teach us that meat maketh heavy the heart, but they ate and did not become heavy, and they ate, moreover, that they might show that their lightness was more powerful than the heaviness of meat, and that by that thing which maketh dense the heart their mind became the brighter, and that by that which maketh heavy the body, and darkeneth the mind, the lightness of their understanding became more luminous. For being abstinent, that they should be clean, and pure, and holy, was not accounted by them so great a thing as that they should be purified in the matter of the things which make gross the heart, that is to say, that they should be purified in the matter of the things which are the contrary of purity, that they might overcome like mighty men that which was opposed to them, and that, like men of power and freemen, they might be uninjured by the things which cause injury.
But thou hast not arrived at this point, and to this grade thou hast not yet ascended, therefore it is necessary for thee to abstain from every thing, and to eat in moderation that thou mayest be pure, and |436 to eat and to drink by weight and measure that thou mayest be clean, because according to thy promise thou must run after purity [p. 455] of soul, and thou must seek diligently to arrive at the likeness of the angels. But thou wilt not be able to stand in the freedom of spiritual beings until thou hast cast away entirely the bondage of carnal beings, for when thou hast cast away this bondage like a spiritual being and freeman thou mayest eat of every thing blamelessly, without making thy heart gross by the eating of flesh, and the drinking of wine will not cloud thy thoughts, even as it is written concerning the angels, that "They ate flesh and drank wine with Abraham"; and their spiritualness was not weighed down by this food; moreover, like unto them also are all the righteous whose [names] are written in the Scriptures, who ate, and [whose hearts] neither became heavy nor gross, because they did not eat with a longing desire. Be thou without desire, and eat as did the angels with Abraham, and like all the righteous men who [are mentioned] in the Old Testament, and thou shall not be blamed, that is to say, thou must hold thyself bound to preserve the chastity of thy rule of life because this befitteth thy promise, and because of the benefit [which it will be] unto others, for freedom and power to draw nigh unto everything are not permitted unto us, and although freedom hath power over every thing, yet it may not be exercised in everything lest it destroy its own freedom. That a free man is not fettered by a lust for anything he sheweth by his freedom, and in that he hath the power and doth not make use thereof, he doubleth readily the freedom thereof, and he preserveth it from being dissipated. |437 even as Paul writeth concerning [p. 456] this freedom, saying, "I have power [to do] everything, but not everything edifieth" . And that thou mayest learn that [it is thus] with all other things, and especially in the matter of eating and not eating, he maketh known the power of his freedom and saith immediately after these words, "Meats of the belly, and the belly of meats, but God will bring both of them to nought."
Preserve then, O disciple, the habit of abstinence, that thou mayest also arrive at the power of freedom, and wean thyself, and eat not, that thou mayest draw nigh unto the state of eating without perceiving [it]; abstain from food by the power of thy soul, in order that the lusts which are mingled in thy members may be destroyed. Thou shalt not eat, that thou mayest sin not; thou shalt not drink, that thou mayest not err; be constant in fasting, through which thou mayest become worthy of the purity of prayer; diminish thy food at the time of thy eating, that the wing of thy understanding may be light to soar unto God; reckon with thy body even unto the most minute things, that thy soul may gain the mastery over the abundant riches of Divine knowledge thereby, and that He, who hath revealed unto thee the treasures of His wisdom and of His knowledge, may not make a reckoning with thee; wink thine eyes but little at lusts, and behold thou shalt pass over a difficult place, for the time wherein thou canst make use of them is little and short, but the time of immunity from them is without end. Be not then conquered in the time of victory, and grasp the battle against lust like a discovery, in order that |438 work may be found for thy soul; for so long as lusts perfect their work [p. 457] in thee, thy soul hath no work in thee, and being in thee, it is as though it were not in thee, because it is empty of, and lacketh the works of its nature. When the body hath begun to make its lusts move in thee, leap up, and tarry [not], and abhor the sight of thy lust like a thing of destruction which has found work for itself. And thou shalt say unto thy soul, "Why art thou troubled, O my soul, and why art thou sad because thou art deprived of gain? Behold, work hath fallen into thy hands, do it prosperously. Behold, lust is sent that it may shew itself against thee for the fight, shew forth then the skill of thy athletic art and the might of thy arms. Behold the material for gain, for thou lovest gain! Behold, thine enemies have gathered themselves together in the field of war, cry out against them with thy mighty voice, and rebuke and scatter the hosts of lusts which prosper not in this country, [for] they traffic in losses. Do thou then zealously collect [thy] gains, for thy victory will be the more proclaimed, if where others are conquered thou obtainest the victory. To the sluggish lust is the cause of defeat, but to thee, being diligent, it shall be the cause of triumph, for like the warrior who is confident in his strength, and who relieth upon his skill, and rejoiceth at the sight of [his] enemies, even so also do thou rejoice in the advance of lusts, for without them thy triumph would be empty, and thou wouldst have no material for the fight from which victory is produced." Let these things, then, be said unto thy soul by thee, whenever it happeneth [p. 458] that lusts are stirred up against thee, but especially against this stupid lust of the belly, which is wont to spring from |439 childhood; for it entereth in as a destroyer alone, because it loveth to be seen by itself, and it layeth the foundation of slackness from the beginning of the growth of the stature of the body, so that beginning therefrom it may be found a helpmeet unto all lusts which spring up in every age of life.
Now this is the first lust which conquered the world, and because of it the first transgression of the law took place; and next Cain also, in turning unto this, meditated the killing of his brother that he might inherit the earth by himself. It laid a blemish upon the righteous man Noah; it dismissed from Esau his birthright and his blessings; it brought the Sodomites unto the work of impurity; and in its train the children of Seth also came to fornication, so that they were rejected from the household of God thereby; it destroyed the people in the wilderness by penalties of all kinds; from the table of lust they rose up and worshipped a dead calf; incited thereby they were ungrateful for all the acts of grace which [had been shewn] unto them, for Israel had waxed fat and kicked through this lust, and it is written of him, that "He forgot God Who made him." And because the priests lusted and drank [wine], and were confused in the place of propitiation, the fire consumed their bodies; through it also the Prophet reproached the people, [p. 459] when he proclaimed, "Woe unto those who rise up early in the morning, and follow quickly thereafter;" and through |440 this lust another Prophet brought accusation against the people, saying, ''They ate fatlings of the flocks, and calves from the herds;" through it the scribes and Pharisees received "Woe" from our Redeemer, because it had taught them to keep festival, and Sabbath, and [to pay tithe of] cummin; it demanded tribute from the priests, who, without right, were taking it away from those who made offerings; it dismissed the sons of Eli from their priesthood; and by its exceeding dainties Solomon also was led into the error of idols. And even to-day it corrupteth every thing, for because of it the world is exhausted, and for its pleasure creation runneth its course; for its sake all the children of men work slavery, and it seemeth as if the door could be shut in the face of all wickedness if it did not exist. Consider too, and observe understandingly the course of every man, and the labour, and fatigue, and the sweat of all those who enter the world, for it is only because of it, and for its sake and need only, that merchants travel on the roads, and sailors go down into terrible seas, and ploughmen and farmers endure labour and fatigue, and workmen toil in the cities, and hirelings run in the market-place, and slaves serve their masters, and masters also sell and buy their slaves; because of it precious things are gathered together and treasure is laid up for years, and gold, and silver, and produce of all kinds are for its sake collected and heaped up. Ascend [p. 460] then, and stand upon the height of knowledge, and look upon all the world from |441 that place, and watch the course, and the activity and the commotion, and the promises made by the inhabitants thereof on all sides. And observe how some ascend, and others descend; how some depart and others come; how one crieth out and another disputeth; how one contendeth, and another fighteth; how one carrieth off that which belongeth not to him, and another spoileth his fellow; how one stealeth like a thief, and how another, like a robber, plundereth on the highways; how battles are set in array in the marches; how kingdoms are divided against themselves; how captains of hosts rebel against kings, and how kings fight that their dominions be not taken away from them; how judges take bribes, and how advocates sell the success of cases iniquitously; and how for lust learners learn, and learned men teach. And when thou hast observed all these things and many others like unto them, and the various kinds of confusion and tumult which fill the world, turn thee and seek the cause of all these, and thou wilt find that it is the lust of the belly; and if it were overcome, everything would become peaceful and quiet, and thou wouldst see nothing in the world which would rebel against the will of God, or lead us to transgress the command, and to tread the law under foot, except this only.
Now if any man shall say there are other causes for all the things which are ministered unto in the world, [p. 461] let him that sayeth this know that the lust of the belly is also the primary cause of the other evils. And although passions are many and diverse, and they move themselves in various ways in the children of men, whereby the world is disturbed and creation troubled, yet the great fountain, from which these troubled streams |442 flow down on all sides, is the lust of the belly. And if a man stoppeth up this spring by the might of his patient endurance, he will straightway see that all the streams of wickedness, which are poured out therefrom, will dry up, and there will be quietness over everything, and peace will rule over all flesh, and there shall be abundant rest in troubled places, and all minds will be filled with happiness and joy, and so to say, if lust were not in the midst thou wouldst not see one vice in the world; for all wickednesses gather together thereunto, and all labours and wearying works hasten thereafter. That man should eat bread by the sweat of his face hath been born of lust, and it hath made brambles and briars to spring up, and through the ruin thereof the penalty of death ruleth over all; for it is the captain of the host of the left side, and to it are fettered all the hosts of sin, and as captains of hosts go forth to war at the head of their companies against the enemy, even so also doth it, as the captain of the host of all wickedness, go forth to war against that which is good. And thoughts and deeds of iniquity accompany it, and the motions and acts of sin, and all the deliberations of evil march at its perverse heel, [p. 462] and all the works of sin become unto it as members, and from it they receive their power, and they obtain their nourishment therefrom. As the senses are bound up with the head, even so in the lust of the belly are bound up error, and idolatry, and division, and suspicion, and falsehood; and as all the members of the body receive power and sustenance from the head, even so also are strengthened by the lust of the belly all wickednesses, which are:----fornication, and adultery, and other corrupt passions; the adornment of the person with fine apparel; the empty pleasures |443 of the lust of the belly; and grief, and vain-glory, and pride; and wrath and despair, and bitterness; and wicked intent, and hatred, and enmity; and unrelenting anger, and burning wrath, and indignation; and violent rage, and envy, and bitterness; and sedition, and a deceitful face; and rule and dominion, and calumny, and whispering, and the tongue which continually smiteth in secret; and mocking, and scoffing, and fraud; and oppression, and murder, and soothsaying; and drunkenness, and blows; together with all other such like abominable passions, all of which are bound up with the lust of the belly. And I permit myself to say that of labours, and afflictions, and diseases, and sicknesses, and all such like things which afflict us in the body, lust is the cause.
And whosoever fighteth by the power of forbearance, and conquereth this first evil, is able thereby to conquer all sin, and well [p. 463] have divine men also handed down to us the tradition, that whosoever wisheth to be perfect in the way of Christ must first of all fight against this passion; therefore also if those who go forth from the world seeking perfection do not first of all begin by abstinence, they will not begin in the way of the commandments according to the law, and consequently they cannot finish [therein] because the lust of the belly carrieth them off like a thief. And although it may happen that at the beginning they make use thereof in a fitting manner, yet will it bring them to longings and desires of the thoughts, and to fantasies of the mind, and to that covering which standeth in front of the understanding, and darkeneth it to the sight of God, and maketh it especially dense, and until it be rent asunder from before |444 the face of the mind, a man will not be able to look at the Holy of Holies of the knowledge of Christ, even though he bear afflictions and labours. For if the covering of grossness of heart be not rent asunder, the heavenly light cannot be seen by him, and he is not able to serve the rule of Christ with his soul's perception; but when this hath been rent asunder, a man then beginneth to perceive the renewing of his soul, and to know by the knowledge of his mind that he is something else besides that which can be seen and touched, and he receiveth also the perception of the things which are above the world, and wonderings and living motions concerning God, in order that he may be moved in a living manner like unto God Himself, and not in the manner of a dead man according to the nature of his body, [p. 464] and briefly, after the victory over this lust, a man is worthy of every spiritual vision.
Now if those who are in the world and who work righteousness have need of fasting and abstinence, how much more do those need them who have gone forth therefrom for the practice of a spiritual rule and conduct? For the limit of abstinence is that we should fight against all the meats which are made use of by the body, not with the forbearance of the members only, but also with the endurance of the thoughts; and if a man be constrained by his needs, let him eat the things which are of no account or value, and are common, and are both cheap and easily obtained. And let us be also watchful against the fulness of the belly, for as hath been said by one of the spiritual teachers, "A fat belly cannot produce a refined mind." For the overfulness of the stomach without doubt darkeneth the |445 mind; therefore none of those who have had experience of knowledge can have any doubt about it, and if fools do doubt, they doubt because they have not experienced it, or if they do know it, because it is hard for them to depart from their lusts. Now therefore, what I now say shall shew thee a complete testimony. As the body is nourished, so the soul becometh enfeebled, and as the body becometh gross, and addeth body unto body by the food [which it taketh], the soul dwindleth and disappeareth, and although the soul existeth, it might be thought that it existed not in the body; and as the body addeth unto the strength and vigour of its stature, the stature of the soul boweth down, [p. 465] and its members----which are the thoughts----pine away, and its knowledge dwindleth, and the light of instruction is withheld from it; and so long as the body is found, the soul is lost, and so long as the body enjoyeth health, the soul is sick.
Whosoever, then, seeketh to find his soul, must deliver his body unto the destruction of all afflictions, and behold, he will find his soul in the destruction of his body, and the health of the man of the spirit in the sickness of the carnal man, even as Paul also testifieth, saying, "When I am sick, it is then that I am strong."
Now when two opposing parties are engaged in battle with each other, so long as their hosts are equal in number and are equally skilled in the art of war, there will be fighting between them continually, for they will always be conquered and conquering, and taking and giving the victory to each other, and plucking triumphs each from each, and giving them back each |446 to each, and by reason of their equality constant war will be produced between them. In this manner then are also the soul and body towards each other, and as their natures are contrary to each other, even so also are their wills, and concerning this hath Paul also said, "The body lusteth after that which will harm the spirit, and the spirit lusteth after that which will harm the body, and both are contrary, each to each." And so long as they stand in this measure of equality, they will be at constant and unceasing war, and at one time the body will conquer the soul, and at another the soul will overcome the body; and [p. 466] whosoever fighteth thus must stand in his place, for although he step forward even so little towards that which belongeth to the soul, the body hangeth on to him and turneth him back, and, moreover, it will even thrust him from his position, and drag him down into the abyss of sin And during these ascents and descents, and goings and comings, a man must not depart from his place, or he will not be able to grow in the stature which hath been given unto him by God that he may increase unto spiritual life thereby.
Now therefore if these, the motions of whose lives stand in equality of soul and body, are not able to grasp the victory and to go forth unto the end of the journey of their life and conduct, how can those who live in the body, and who feed it continually, and give it the fulness of its wants, and feed it as it were to transgress, and give it as much drink as it desireth, and make it to sink under the weight of sleep, be able to grasp the victory against the passions, and to arrive |447 at the end of the Christian path along which they travel? For those who thus feed themselves, and who take care for their bodies in this manner, are not only unable to conquer sin, but their soul dieth and perisheth wholly and entirely, and their bodies become graves unto their souls, and their souls are buried within them like bodies in a grave, and they perceive not at all the life which is in them, [p. 467] and if there be in them the movement of life it is all on the behalf of the body. Now when the soul killeth the body, the work belongeth unto the soul in every particular, but if the body kill the soul, it thinketh, and acteth, and speaketh like a living being, and the soul dwelleth within it like a dead thing which perceiveth not at all; and if it thought that it liveth----because the nature of the soul is immortal----it liveth to the body and not to itself.
Take away then from the body, and give to the soul, but take not away from the soul that thou mayest give to the body, and according to that which was promised should happen unto thee by thy Creator, so do thou thyself unto thyself. For this hope, that thy body should be exalted unto the grade of thy soul by the resurrection, was given unto thee, and not the expectation that the soul should be brought down to the deadness of the body and the corruption thereof, for it hath been said unto thee, "One half of thee shall live with the other half," and not "The portion which is superior in thee shall not perish with that which is inferior." So then lift thou up the power of thy body upon thy soul, and change and mingle the life thereof with the life of the soul, that its mortal life may be preserved with its immortal life, and its feeble power may be mingled with the might of its spiritual power. And instead of |448 allowing the grave to bring thy body to an end, and to dissolve and scatter the constitution of thy members, take thou the portions of its members through the common labours of all the members, and lay them upon the soul, and when it goeth forth from thee through the dissolution of death, it shall not [p. 468] depart by itself, but shall bear upon itself all that belongeth unto the body, the strength of the body in its strength, the life of the body in its life, the carnalness of the body in its spirituality, and the members and senses of the body, together with all the labour of their ministration, in all the spiritual members of the soul.
Now this strife is of use unto us----especially to conquer therewith----from the beginning of our youth. for from the beginning of the foundation of the childhood of the children of men this passion cleaveth unto their lives, and maketh to shoot up in all stages of their growth the passions which are peculiar unto them. In children, and in gray-haired men, in youths and in old men this passion begetteth wrath, and indignation, and constant annoyance, and rage; but in the other periods which fall between [youth and age], of young manhood, and the prime of life, it begetteth fornication, and empty pleasures, and the lust for money, and the lust for power, and other such like things, and according to the order of the periods [of life] it is meet that the forms of fighting should be changed. In the period of childhood, since it is below the knowledge of the prudent, it is meet that children should be restrained from the service of this lust by the power of the law, and they should be instructed by teachers and masters to perform the practice of abstinence----even though it be heavy upon them, and they be not |449 pleased therewith----and they should be constrained to perfect it that they may acquire a good habit, and be trained to endure patiently from [p. 469] their youth up; and when they have arrived at the age which begetteth knowledge, they will feel the experience of their patient endurance, and will taste the sweetness of this victory. And the childhood which hath from the beginning been accustomed to learn that which is good, and hath been exercised in the training of patient endurance, is like a field which hath been cultivated and sown from its earliest times, that at the fitting season it may yield the fruits of knowledge.
And what shall I say in respect of children? Unto those of all ages, and even also unto perfect and fullgrown men, the knowledge of contests appeareth not at the times when their thoughts are disturbed by fighting in the contests, but when they have ceased to war then they perceive [their] knowledge; if then the knowledge be found with them at the time when they are fighting, how they shall fight belongeth unto their knowledge, that is to say, the knowledge of the delivery of the law, which is established by hearing, and by tradition, and by doctrine, and by word, and not that knowledge of the spirit which shineth naturally upon the soul, and bringeth forth words without the remembrance of the tradition. And as the eye by its activity receiveth the vision of the clearness of light, even so also doth the sight of the soul receive, after the conquest of the carnal passions, the purity and simplicity of the knowledge of the spirit; and as the simple sun shineth upon things in nature, and upon diverse bodies, and he seemeth to them [p. 470] divisible and separate, although he is of one single nature, and there is no division in him, |450 even so also is it with the knowledge of the spirit when it shineth upon the rule, and conduct, and labours of life, for it seemeth to them separate and divisible, although in itself it is simple. Now the soul is not worthy to receive the brilliance of this light, except a man be first of all born from carnality to spirituality, the birth itself being perfected by labours and afflictions, for, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven," the blessed Paul teacheth us, or as a man might say, "So long as the motions of a man are established by flesh and blood he is unable to inherit the spiritual knowledge of Christ," which, as in a parable, he calleth the kingdom of heaven; and although this verse hath other meanings in respect of other passions, yet as regardeth the matter which is under discussion we may suitably apply it with this meaning. For the true kingdom is the knowledge which erreth not, and doubteth not, but seeth everything in its proper place distinctly, as well as things which are above nature, according to the capacity which is given unto created beings; and he whose life is established by means of motions of flesh and blood is unable to become the heir of this knowledge, and if it happen that he receive it by the tradition of words, he heareth the words from others, and it is not that [p. 471] knowledge which itself hath revealed itself in his soul, for this knowledge is beyond words, and beyond appellations and names, as the demonstration of the Holy Children who were reared in Babylon testifieth unto us. Now those children, although they acquired human learning by the word of instruction, yet longed earnestly to |451 receive the divine knowledge, which was above oral tradition, and which revealed itself unto them at the fitting season, and that which human learning could not know this knowledge taught unto those children, and it was shewn unto them because they travelled towards it in the way of this knowledge according to the law. For although their food was allowed them from the royal table, and they were ordered to take the meat which befitted those who received royal instruction, they rejected it because they perceived that it gave increase unto worldly knowledge, and that clean and pure meats were necessary for those who received human instruction, that their bodily senses might be pure and active according to the purity of their food. Now spiritual knowledge hath no need of these things, because it holdeth nothing of the perspicacity of carnal senses in the soul, but when all parts of the soul have been purified and cleansed from evil passions, then this knowledge riseth therein.
Now pure meats are helpful and beneficial in no slight degree to the activity of the senses of those who receive the knowledge of the soul, but spiritual beings [p. 472] have no need of anything thereof, and that thou mayest know that this is so, accept the testimony of these pure children, who instead of the royal, pure, and clean meats which give to the body solid and substantial nourishment, chose pulse and the drinking of water, for the might of the former food is a hindrance unto those who receive human learning. And because they were not refined in their bodies, but in their souls, they chose vegetable food that their bodies might become meagre, and the strength and the natural power of their members might be reduced, and |452 that after these things the living parts of the soul might be revealed unto the perception and sight of divine knowledge. And this actually took place, for after they had eaten pulse and drunk water for three years this knowledge was revealed unto them, not that which is born of words, but that which is born of deeds, for they were doing the works which gave birth unto the knowledge of the spirit, while they were learning the words which gave birth unto human knowledge; but because their expectation was directed unto the revelation of that knowledge which ariseth from works and not unto that which ariseth from words, where they looked they saw, and where they expected they received, and they became a medium for words, and receptive vessels of the knowledge of the spirit. And thou must understand from this matter that not merely did they eat pulse and drink water only, but they took this abstemious food after prolonged fasting, for whosoever eateth pulse is constant [p. 473] in fasting also, and whosoever drinketh water is clean for pure prayer at all seasons, if the object of his abstinence be therefor. And thou must understand from the passage that when the time arrived in which that knowledge was to shew itself in them, they clave to abstinence, and fasting, and prayer, and then the revelations for which they asked were shewn unto them, for Daniel told his companions to entreat the God of heaven to reveal this mystery unto them in order that he and his brethren might not perish, together with all the other wise men of Babylon; and then unto Daniel, in a vision of the night, was the mystery revealed. This then is the gift which abstinence gave unto the Children, and this |453 is the harvest which they gathered in from the fields which had been sown with pulse and which had drunk in water. Run thy course then, O disciple, as did they, that like them thou mayest be able to restrain thyself and to go forth into a wide place; make thyself little that thou mayest be able to go through the narrow gate; drink water that thou mayest drink knowledge; feed upon pulse that thou mayest become wise in mysteries; eat by measure that thou mayest overcome without measure; fast that thou mayest see; this is the meat which belongeth to thee, because it is also thy dis-cipleship, for according to this [hast thou] promised. For dainty meats and fulness of the belly belong not to thee, but unto those who live in wickedness in the world, and who at all seasons produce the brambles and thorns of sin, for the person who is sown with dainties and who drinketh wine is accustomed to yield fruit like unto these things; but of the eating of pulse and of the drinking [p. 474] of water the harvest is heavenly visions and revelations, and the knowledge of the spirit, and divine wisdom, and the interpretation of hidden things, and that which human knowledge perceiveth not, but the soul which laboureth in such like things perceiveth it. And moreover from thy youth up abide in the rule of labours, and say not, "I am a child," because thou wilt be taken as an example of what children [can do]. And besides, according to the indication of the history of the Book those beloved ones were only children of a few years of age when they began this divine service, and they found it out without being taught,----do thou, since thou hast teachers, practise this [habit]----for their teachers were persuading them to do the contrary, that is to say, to eat and to drink----now the |454 divine doctrine counselled! thee, on the contrary, to love the rule of abstinence, and to lay hold upon patient endurance----and those children, without being obliged or required to do so, by their own discernment chose these things. And thou, if thou wilt do as they did, wilt pay what is due from thee, and thou wilt fulfil thy promise by the word of God which thou hast.
Rouse thyself then, and observe these children of the Old Testament, who being born of one mother sucked the milk of another, for while the Old Testament brought them forth to the belief of God, they fulfilled the rule of life of the New Testament, and the milk of their mother was not sweet unto them, but they longed earnestly to suck from the breasts which suckle thee, [p. 475] and they lusted for the meat of thy table. And thou, when thou doest these things, wilt do that which belongeth unto thee to do, and where thou wast produced there wilt thou be reared, and the laws which thou art bound to keep thou wilt keep----for thy choice itself proclaimeth labours, and afflictions, and abstinence, and the subjugation of the body----and after these things there will come upon thee the pleasures which are born therefrom, happiness, and joy, and confidence, and all these are above the world, and before the coming of the kingdom thou wilt inherit the kingdom. For whosoever purifieth and cleanseth his body by affliction and severe labours, and also his soul from wickedness, shall inherit the kingdom before the time of the kingdom, and before the coming of the glorious and universal revelation the glory thereof will be revealed unto him by his soul, and he himself will become the fountain of his knowledge, because he is about to be held worthy in heaven of the kingdom, and because he will find in |455 himself the kingdom. For behold, "The kingdom of God is within you, " and in another place [the Book] saith, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, " and two things are certain: the kingdom of heaven which the righteous shall inherit at the end of the world, above the heavens, and the kingdom which is in you, which is the knowledge of the spirit which is revealed unto spiritual beings, and as it were, we have already been in the kingdom of heaven in unspeakable happiness. Now neither of these can be found without afflictions and labours of the body, for those who bear labours in the body are heirs of the kingdom of heaven, [p. 476] and those who, together with labours, possess innocency of soul also, become the discoverers of the kingdom which is in them, and in its blessings they fare luxuriously and revel in continual joy, over which sorrow ruleth not, because at all times they rejoice in the gladness which is born of them, even as Paul also said, "Rejoice at all times," and in another place he also said, "Rejoice in your hope, and endure patiently your tribulations; for from the patient endurance of tribulations the hope concerning the things which are to come increaseth in us," even as he said in another place, "Tribulation perfecteth patience in us; and patience, probation, and probation, hope; and patience putteth not to shame."
Whosoever beareth not tribulations by his own constancy, in him it is evident that the remembrance of hope is not, for if he had hope, he would also be in tribulation because of his hope, even as all the |456 righteous who have come into the world were in tribulation with all kinds of labours, and in many afflictions they trod this path which leadeth to the kingdom of God; and because they trod it in hope the experience of the afflictions was pleasant unto them. Now the beginning of the way of tribulations unto them all was abstinence, even as the greed of the belly is the beginning of all wickedness, for from this very place two paths begin; from the love of the belly the path [which goeth to] the left, and from the hatred of the belly [p. 477] the path [which goeth to] the right. And whosoever wisheth to begin the path of discipleship in good order, must start herefrom, afflicting and buffeting his body, and reducing its meat and drink, and loading it with the toils of vigil, and with the tribulations of fasting; and when its lusts are cut off it will become light and active for the business of the soul. Now the work of afflictions is not so hard as report saith, for a report from afar usually terrifieth every man, but when he hath tried and hath had experience of the matters in very deed, they become easy unto those who do them.
To thee then, O thou who hast cast off the world, belong the things which will help thee greatly, and which will give thee power [to lead] the good life, for the fact of being removed from the affairs of the world, and from the sight and hearing thereof, keepeth thy life holy in no small degree. The beloved Children , the example of whom I have brought before thee, although the royal table was set before their sight, rejected its pleasures, and chose tribulations instead of delights. |457 And herefrom consider the power of their patient endurance, for having no teacher to admonish, and none to help or encourage, nor the pattern of others who were before them, nor the fear of the law upon them, nor want and need, nor fear and terror which restrained them, nor being removed from the sight of meats----which also is helpful to patient endurance----having [p. 478] none of these [reasons, I say], they filled themselves with the power of their patient endurance. Do thou then, even though all these things help thee, persevere in the patience which befitteth thy discipleship, and conquer the wicked mistress of all iniquity, and subdue thy body and afflict thy members, even as Paul also said, "I subdue my body, and bring it into subjection, lest peradventure I, who have preached to others, am myself rejected ." And if Paul, although he, by the power of Grace, gained the victory over the passions, still had need to subdue his body, how much more have those, in whom there still live the lusts of the flesh, need to subdue their bodies by fasting and abstinence, and to fight and to overcome!
Unto thee then, O disciple, if thou wishest thy discipleship to be good, let the table, which unto others is a place of pleasure, be a place of fighting, and set in array thereupon the battle against all meats, whether they be great or little, or rare or common, and despise not lust, because it is laid hold upon by small matters, and think [not] that it is not worthy of blame, for thou wilt be especially blameworthy if it happen that thou art overcome by small things, even more so than if thou wert conquered by great things, for if lust can |458 vanquish thee by little things, how much more shall it defeat thee by great? [p. 479] And if it conquereth thee by garden herbs, how much more shall it overcome thee by the meat of flesh? Whosoever will commit iniquity in a small thing will also commit iniquity in a great thing. Now with that with which lust doeth battle with thee must thou overcome it: if it be with the meat of flesh, and the various preparations of meat and dainty foods, fight therewith and vanquish the lust of the belly, and if it be with pulse, and garden herbs, and valueless and common fruits, with that very thing with which lust fighteth do thou oppose victory. And say not, "To conquer these things is no victory at all," but consider that if thou be vanquished by these things the defeat will be great. What then? And if it be that that lust which is wont at all times to lust after great things, abaseth itself and lusteth after small things in order that it may subdue thee, do not thou abase thyself with it, but conquer it wherever it seeketh to conquer thee. For wherever it calleth there art thou bound to follow after it, and against that thing which it lusteth after, do thou set in array the battle against the incentives thereto, being in this respect like unto Christ thy Lord, Who, wherever the Tempter sought to tempt Him, was found present with him, and wherever he wished to enter into battle with Him, there did He respond unto him. And He began first of all the war which was against the greediness of the belly, and He overcame this lust by the patient endurance of fasting, that He might give unto us also an example, and lay down for us the law, so that we, if we desired to enter upon a spiritual rule of life and conduct [p. 480] might begin with fasting, and after |459 that, little by little, we might advance unto all triumphs. For also our Lord first of all vanquished the lust of the belly, and after it the love of money, and the empty boasting of the world, and dominion and power ----which things are born therefrom----and after these He conquered vain-glory----an abominable passion which is born of fine things----and by these three He overcame and brought to nought all the passions which cleave unto them, and then He began to preach the kingdom of His Father with power, and to deliver the doctrine of perfection unto the children of men.
Now as Christ our Lord, when He had finished the service of the Law and had begun the rule of the spirit, began with fasting, even so also like Him art thou bound to make the beginning of thy discipleship, which is above the world therewith. For what abstinence could be as perfect as that of Jesus? Who not only made himself a stranger unto the taste of meats, but also unto the smell and sight thereof, in that He forsook the peaceful state in which these are found, and went forth into the wilderness, and deprived Himself of everything, in order that He might cut off and cast out from all the senses this abominable lust; for except a man go forth from the world he cannot tread the path of perfection. And consider also that our Redeemer protracted His fast unto the last limit to which our nature could attain! Now Moses and Elijah did also tread [that path], and attain to this number [of days], and if our nature had been able to go beyond it, our Redeemer would have fasted more, and also if [p. 481] its strength had been insufficient to arrive at this number [of days], He would have diminished the number of the days which He fasted, |460 and would have limited Himself to the time up to which human nature could endure. For our Lord did not fast according to His strength, but according to our strength, for if He had fasted according to His own strength He would never have hungered at all, for the nature of His spirituality was not to hunger; but He fasted according to the body according to the capacity of the power of carnal beings, and He brought Himself down to us, and revealed unto us the limits of His natural endurance.
Now the power of endurance hath become weak in us by reason of a multitude of dainties, and we think that without these our nature cannot live, and that if we diminish these dainties and supports of meat it will perish. Our Lord fasted forty days, and hath [thus] taught us that the power of our natural endurance can be prolonged unto this point, if the barriers of lust be not placed in the way to cut off the way of endurance; but our Redeemer broke through and passed over all the barriers of lusts and the endurance of sicknesses and diseases, and arrived at the end of the forty days, therefore unto this point have very many arrived, but beyond the limit which our Redeemer fixed hath no man passed, because it is the natural one. If then it hath been heard or said that a man hath passed this limit, it is beyond the power of human nature to do so, and it hath been performed solely by Grace, [p. 482] because of many reasons, some of which are hidden from us, and some of which are manifest unto us.
Now therefore it is meet that the disciple should place this example before his eyes, if he wisheth to be prosperous in the spiritual life, and as our Lord |461 overcame the other passions, even so also for thee after abstinence will it be easy to vanquish the other lusts. And as after all lusts had been overcome Jesus began the teaching of authority, and the life of freedom, to eat with all men, to be invited by all men, and to mix with, and to talk with all [kinds of] people, which things are a sign of absolute freedom, even so also shalt thou stand in the freedom of Christ, when thou hast mastered the lust of the belly, and the other passions which follow in its train thereby, and shalt mingle with and talk to every one with authority, and thou shalt eat and drink with tax-gatherers and whores, and thou shalt converse fearlessly with women, thy freedom making no distinction between male and female, because thou hast cast off that thought which by reason of the passions seeth the difference between them; for when the mind is not goaded by passion it distinguished not between the person of a man or woman, nor between a beautiful face and an ugly one, but without passion it meeteth all and regardeth all alike. And without fear thou shalt enter into every [house], and thou shalt salute every man, and thou shalt be all things unto all men, being thyself without change, for the benefit of all. Now the patterns of these things [p. 483] have been seen in Christ and in His disciples. And thou must observe that unto these and such like things our Redeemer arrived through abstinence, and not only Himself, but also the holy Apostles, and the divine Prophets, and also John the Baptist who came between the two Covenants. And remember how the Holy Book recounteth unto thee concerning his abstinent rule of life, which was new and different from that of all the other children of men, for his clothing was of |462 camel's hair, and skin girded his loins, like the prophets, and his food was locusts and wild honey, and his dwelling-place was the desert wilderness which was destitute of peace, and he lived among the beasts of the wilderness. And from his youth up he fulfilled all this stern life of abstinence, and after these things he was held to be worthy of the revelation, and to become a herald of the advent of the Highest, and before the Crucifixion to be equal unto those who were after the Crucifixion; and although as yet human nature was not born unto spirituality he alone was born thereto before the birth of all other men. And of this sight which is above speech, and the change which is to be wondered at and admired, together with the power of that Grace unto which everything is easy, he was held to be worthy by reason of his strict abstinence; for it is the nature of this rule of life that when purity of the soul is nigh thereunto, it giveth birth unto man that he may be in the world of the spirit, and a counterpart of the angels, although he still sojourneth in the world of the body.