Didascalia Apostolorum

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4 DIDASCALIA. death by fire shall come upon thee by decree from God, even that which is everlasting in the cruel and bitter fire. Thou shalt know and understand when thou art cruelly tormented. But, if thou doest not this abomination, but removest her from thee, and refusest her, in this alone thou hast sinned, that by means of thine adornment thou hast caused a woman to be held by desire of thee ; for thou hast done this to her so that it has happened thus to her because of thee, and that by means of her desire she committeth adultery. But thou art not so much under sin, because thou hast not lusted after her. Mercy from the Lord shall be upon thee because thou hast not delivered thy soul unto her, and hast not been persuaded by her when she sent unto thee ; not even in thy mind hast thou turned to this woman, who was held by desire of thee ; but she suddenly met with thee, she was wounded in her mind, and she sent unto thee, but thou like a God-fearing man didst refuse her and remove thyself from her and hast f. 4 a not sinned with her. She in truth was struck in her heart because thou art a youth, beautiful and good, and thou didst adorn thyself and make her desire thee. And thou art found guilty, that she hath sinned in regard to thee ; for because of thine adornment it hath thus happened to her. But seek from the Lord God, that no sin may be written against thee on her account. If thou wishest to please God, and not men, and hopest for life and everlasting rest, do not adorn the beauty of thy nature which hath been given to thee by God, but with the humility of neglect, make it poor before man. Thus again also let not the hair of thy head grow, nor comb it nor dress it ; but shave it, and anoint it not, that it may not attract to thee such women as snare or are snared by lust. Also wear no beautiful garments nor even put on shoes of lustful and contemptible workmanship, nor set signet-rings encased in gold upon thy fingers, because that all these things are works of harlotry, and everything that thou doest which is beyond nature. For to thee, a man who believes in God, it is not allowed to let the hair on thy head grow, to comb it and make it even, which is this voluptuousness of desire, and thou must not put it in order and dress it, nor arrange it so as to be beautiful ; nor must thou destroy the hairs of thy beard, nor the likeness of the nature of thy face, nor change it to something outside of what God has created, because thou wishest to please men. If thou doest these things, thou deprivest thyself of life, and thou art rejected from the presence of Ap. Con. i. the Lord God. As a man therefore who wishes to please God, be watchful iv. and do nothing like these things, keep away from everything which the Lord hates, and do not be wandering and turning vainly about in market-