Page 163 - Books of the Saviour-ebook_NoPassword
P. 163

149


               CHAPTER 107
                   1.  And when the Saviour had said this, John continued again and said: "My Lord, bear with
                       me, if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, for I question concerning all things
                       with surety and certainty for knowledge of the manner, how we are to herald it to the
                       men of the world."

                   2.  And the Saviour answered and said unto John: "Question concerning all things on which
                       thou questionest, and I will reveal them unto thee, face to face in openness without
                       similitude, or with surety."
                   3.  And John answered and said: "My Lord, if we go forth and herald it and come into a city
                       or a village, and if the men of that city come forth to meet us without our knowing who

                       they are, and if they receive us unto themselves in great deceit and great play-acting
                       and bring us into their house, desiring to make trial of the mysteries of the Light-
                       kingdom, and if they play-act with us in submission and we suppose that they long after
                       God, and we give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and if we thereafter know
                       that they have not done what is worthy of the mystery, and we know that they have
                       play-acted with us, and have been deceitful against us and that they have also made a

                       show of the mysteries region by region, making trial of us and also of our mysteries,--
                       what is then the thing which will befall such?"
                   4.  And the Saviour answered and said unto John: "If ye come into a city or a village, where
                       ye enter into the house and they receive you unto themselves, give them a mystery. If

                       they are worthy, ye will win their souls and they will inherit the Light-kingdom; but if
                       they are not worthy but are deceitful against you, and if they also make a show of the
                       mysteries, making trial of you and also of the mysteries, then invoke the first mystery of
                       the First Mystery which hath mercy on every one, and say: Thou Mystery, which we
                       have given unto these impious and iniquitous souls who have not done what is worthy
                       of thy mystery but have made a show of us, turn back [then] the mystery unto us and

                       make them for ever strangers to the mystery of thy kingdom. And shake ye off the dust
                       of your feet as a witness against them, saying: May your souls be as the dust of your
                       house. And amēn, I say unto you: In that hour all the mysteries which ye have given
                       unto them, will return unto you, and all the words and all the mysteries of the region up

                       to which they have received figures, will be taken from them.
                   5.  "Concerning such men, therefore, have I aforetime spoken unto you in similitude,
                       saying: 'Where ye enter into a house and are received, say unto them: Peace be with
                       you. And if they are worthy, let your peace come upon them; and if they are not worthy,
                       let your peace return unto you,'--that is: If those men do what is worthy of the
                       mysteries and in truth long after God, give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom; but

                       if they play-act with you and are deceitful against you, without your having known it,
                       and if ye give them the mysteries of the Light-kingdom, and again thereafter they make
                       a show of the mysteries and they make also trial of you and also of the mysteries, then
   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168