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First Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 12

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Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter XII.—Rules for Visits, Exorcisms, and How People are to Assist the Sick, and to Walk in All Things Without Offence.

Moreover, also, this is comely and useful, that

‹ Chapter 11 Chapter 13 ›

a

man

“

visit

orphans

and

widows

,

”

and

especially

those

poor

persons

who

have

many

children

.

These

things

are

,

without

controversy

,

required

of

the

servants

of

God

,

and

comely

and

suitable

for

them

.

This

also

,

again

,

is

suitable

and

right

and

comely

for

those

who

are

brethren

in

Christ

,

that

they

should

visit

those

who

are

harassed

by

evil

spirits

,

and

pray

and

pronounce

adjurations

over

them

,

intelligently

,

offering

such

prayer

as

is

acceptable

before

God

;

not

with

a

multitude

of

fine

words

,

well

prepared

and

arranged

,

so

that

they

may

appear

to

men

eloquent

and

of

a

good

memory

.

Such

men

are

“

like

a

sounding

pipe

,

or

a

tinkling

cymbal

;

”

and

they

bring

no

help

to

those

over

whom

they

make

their

adjurations

;

but

they

speak

with

terrible

words

,

and

affright

people

,

but

do

not

act

with

true

faith

,

according

to

the

teaching

of

our

Lord

,

who

hath

said

:

“

This

kind

goeth

not

out

but

by

fasting

and

prayer

,

”

offered

unceasingly

and

with

earnest

mind

.

And

let

them

holily

ask

and

beg

of

God

,

with

cheerfulness

and

all

circumspection

and

purity

,

without

hatred

and

without

malice

.

In

this

way

let

us

approach

a

brother

or

a

sister

who

is

sick

,

and

visit

them

in

a

way

that

is

right

,

without

guile

,

and

without

covetousness

,

and

without

noise

,

and

without

talkativeness

,

and

without

such

behaviour

as

is

alien

from

the

fear

of

God

,

and

without

haughtiness

,

but

with

the

meek

and

lowly

spirit

of

Christ

.

Let

them

,

therefore

,

with

fasting

and

with

prayer

make

their

adjurations

,

and

not

with

the

elegant

and

well

-

arranged

and

fitly

-

ordered

words

of

learning

,

but

as

men

who

have

received

the

gift

of

healing

from

God

,

confidently

,

to

the

glory

of

God

.

By

your

fastings

and

prayers

and

perpetual

watching

,

together

with

your

other

good

works

,

mortify

the

works

of

the

flesh

by

the

power

of

the

Holy

Spirit

.

He

who

acts

thus

“

is

a

temple

of

the

Holy

Spirit

of

God

.

”

Let

this

man

cast

out

demons

,

and

God

will

help

him

.

For

it

is

good

that

a

man

help

those

that

are

sick

.

Our

Lord

hath

said

:

“

Cast

out

demons

,

”

at

the

same

time

commanding

many

other

acts

of

healing

;

and

,

“

Freely

ye

have

received

,

freely

give

.

”

For

such

persons

as

these

a

goodly

recompense

is

laid

up

by

God

,

because

they

serve

their

brethren

with

the

gifts

which

have

been

given

them

by

the

Lord

.

This

is

also

comely

and

helpful

to

the

servants

of

God

,

because

they

act

according

to

the

injunctions

of

our

Lord

,

who

hath

said

:

“

I

was

sick

,

and

ye

visited

Me

,

and

so

on

.

”

And

this

is

comely

and

right

and

just

,

that

we

visit

our

neighbours

for

the

sake

of

God

with

all

seemliness

of

manner

and

purity

of

behaviour

;

as

the

Apostle

hath

said

:

“

Who

is

sick

,

and

I

am

not

sick

?

who

is

offended

,

and

I

am

not

offended

?

”

But

all

these

things

are

spoken

in

reference

to

the

love

with

which

a

man

should

love

his

neighbour

.

And

in

these

things

let

us

occupy

ourselves

,

without

giving

offence

,

and

let

us

not

do

anything

with

partiality

or

for

the

shaming

of

others

,

but

let

us

love

the

poor

as

the

servants

of

God

,

and

especially

let

us

visit

them

.

For

this

is

comely

before

God

and

before

men

,

that

we

should

remember

the

poor

,

and

be

lovers

of

the

brethren

and

of

strangers

,

for

the

sake

of

God

and

for

the

sake

of

those

who

believe

in

God

,

as

we

have

learnt

from

the

law

and

from

the

prophets

,

and

from

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

,

concerning

the

love

of

the

brotherhood

and

the

love

of

strangers

:

for

ye

know

the

words

which

have

been

spoken

concerning

the

love

of

the

brotherhood

and

the

love

of

strangers

;

powerfully

are

the

words

spoken

to

all

those

who

do

them

.

Notes

1
Jas. i. 27.
2
Or “exorcisms.”
3
Lit. “elegant and numerous words.”
4
1 Cor. xiii. 1.
5
Matt. xvii. 21. [Or Mark ix. 29; the verse in Matthew is of doubtful genuineness.—R.]
6
Or “in.”
7
1 Cor. vi. 19.
8
Matt. x. 8.
9
Lit. “and things similar to these,” Matt. xxv. 36.
10
2 Cor. xi. 29.
11
Lit. “let us be.”
12
Beelen here omits, as spurious, the words, “because this same thing is pleasant and agreeable to you: because ye are all taught of God.”