Page:Theparadiseoftheholyfathers.djvu/387

 young men, and thou hast gathered together against me a congregation such as thou hast, and hast set for them [as] a wall which shall never fall the fear of God, so that my ministers are not able to approach with boldness and freedom unto anyone of you. Now all these things have happened unto me because of the Word of God Who was made man, for it is He Who hath given you power to trample upon all our might, and to hold us in derision.”

And when the holy man Pachomius asked her, “Hast thou come to tempt me alone according to what thou sayest?” she said unto him, “I have come to tempt thee, and all those who are like thee.” Pachomius said unto her, “So then thou wilt tempt Theodore also?” And she said, “I have received power over thee, and over Theodore, but I am never able to come nigh unto thee.” And when Pachomius had said unto her, “Why?” she said unto them, “If I were to make war with you [two], you would have an occasion for help and not for injury, and especially would it be so in thy case, O Pachomius, who with the eyes of thy body art worthy to be a spectator of the glory of God; but ye will not live for ever for those for whom at present ye make yourselves a wall through your prayers, and whom ye help; and the time will come after your death when I shall have dominion over those whom thou now protectest against me, for ye have made me to be trodden under foot by this multitude of monks.”

Then Rabbâ said unto her, “How knowest thou that those who shall come after us will not serve the Lord more truly than do we, and that they will not be able to confirm and strengthen those who come after us in the fear of God more than do we?” And the phantom said unto him, “I do know this.” And Rabbâ said unto her, “Thou liest by thy wicked head, because thou hast no knowledge whatsoever beforehand of the things which are going to take place, for unto God alone belongeth fore-knowledge; thou art then the chief of falsehood.” And the phantom answered and said unto him, “True, I have no knowledge whatsoever of anything by [the faculty] of fore-knowledge, even as thou sayest, for it belongeth to God alone to know what is going to happen beforehand, but I told thee that I had knowledge because [I judged] by analogy.” And the blessed man said unto her, “How canst thou judge by analogy?” And she said unto him, “By the things which have already taken place I am able to judge of what will take place in the future.” Then Rabbâ said unto her, “How?” And she said unto him, “I know that the beginning of every matter is in love and knowledge, and it receiveth