torture on those who served God with a holy and blameless purpose [of heart], not knowing that the Most High is the Defender and Protector of all such as with a pure conscience venerate[1] His all-excellent name; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. But they who with confidence endured [these things] are now heirs of glory and honour, and have been exalted and made illustrious[2] by God in their memorial for ever and ever. Amen.
Chap. xlvi.—Let us cleave to the righteous: your strife is pernicious.
Such examples, therefore, brethren, it is right that we should follow;[3] since it is written, "Cleave to the holy, for those that cleave to them shall [themselves] be made holy."[4] And again, in another place, [the Scripture] saith, "With a harmless man thou shalt prove[5] thyself harmless, and with an elect man thou shalt be elect, and with a perverse man thou shalt show[6] thyself perverse."[7] Let us cleave, therefore, to the innocent and righteous, since these are the elect of God. Why are there strifes, and tumults, and divisions, and schisms, and wars[8] among you? Have we not [all] one God and one Christ? Is there not one Spirit of grace poured out upon us? And have we not one calling in Christ?[9] Why do we divide and tear in pieces the members of Christ, and raise up strife against our own body, and have reached such a height of madness as to forget that "we are members one of another?"[10] Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, how[11] He said, "Woe to that man [by whom[11] offences come]! It were better for him that he had never been born, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before one of my
- ↑ Literally, "serve."
- ↑ Or, "lifted up."
- ↑ Literally, "to such examples it is right that we should cleave."
- ↑ Not found in Scripture.
- ↑ Literally, "be."
- ↑ Or, "thou wilt overthrow."
- ↑ Ps. xviii. 25, 26.
- ↑ Or, "war." Comp. James iv. 1.
- ↑ Comp. Eph. iv. 4–6.
- ↑ Rom. xii. 5.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 This clause is wanting in the text.
