Chapter 8

When the king's son heard these words, a light flashed about his soul; and, rising from his throne in his great joy, and embracing Barlaam, he said: "Perhaps this, as I conjecture, most honoured of men, is that priceless stone which you fittingly keep in secret, not showing it to everyone who wishes, but to those whose senses of the soul are in vigour.

For behold, as I received these words with my ears, a most sweet light entered into my heart, and that heavy veil of grief, which has now for a long time lain about my heart, was swiftly taken away. If, then, I conjecture rightly, tell me; and if you know anything better than what has been said, do not delay to reveal it to me at once." Again, then, Barlaam answered: "Yes indeed, my lord and king, this is the great mystery, hidden from the ages and from the generations, but in the last times made manifest to the race of men, whose manifestation many prophets and righteous men of old foretold by the grace of the divine Spirit, being initiated in many parts and in many ways; and, proclaiming it with a loud voice, and all foreseeing the salvation that was to come, they longed to behold it, and did not behold it; but this last generation was counted worthy to receive the salvation. He, then, who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned." And Josaphat said: "I believe without doubt all that you have said, and I glorify the God whom you proclaim.

Only make these things clear to me without error, and teach me exactly what I must do; and what baptism is, which you said believers receive, make known to me, with all that follows from it in due order." And he answered him: "The root, and as it were the secure foundation, of this holy and faultless faith of the Christians is the grace of divine baptism, which has the cleansing of all sins from birth, and the complete washing away of the defilements that have come upon us from evil. For so the Saviour commanded that we be born again through water and the Spirit, and led back to the ancient dignity — through prayer, that is, and the saving invocation, when the Holy Spirit comes upon the water. We are baptized, then, according to the word of the Lord, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and so the grace of the Holy Spirit dwells in the soul of the baptized, making it bright and rendering it godlike, and renewing in it that which is according to the image and likeness. And thereafter, casting off all the old works of evil, we make a covenant with God of a second life and a beginning of a purer way of living, that we may become also fellow-heirs with those who have been born again to incorruption and have laid hold of eternal salvation. But without baptism it is not possible to attain that good hope,

even if one should become more godly than all the godly. For thus the Word of God, made man for the salvation of our race, said: 'Truly I say to you, unless you are born again through water and the Spirit, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' Therefore, before all things, I beg you to receive the faith in your soul, and to come at once to baptism with the most fervent longing, and by no means to put it off; for delay is full of peril, since the appointed time of death is uncertain." And Josaphat said to him: "And what is that good hope, which you said cannot be attained without baptism? And what is it that you call the kingdom of heaven? And whence have you heard the words of the God made man? And what is the uncertain appointed time of death, the great anxiety about which, settling upon my heart, consumes my flesh in griefs and pains and lays hold even of my very bones? And shall we men, when we die, be dissolved into non-being, or is there some other life after the departure from here? These things and what follows on them I have longed to learn."

And Barlaam gave to these such answers: "The good hope of which I spoke is the kingdom of heaven; and this is altogether inexpressible by a mortal tongue. For the Scripture says: 'Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him.' And when we are counted worthy, having laid aside this coarse flesh, to attain that blessedness, then he himself, who has counted us worthy not to fail of the hope, will teach and make known the glory of those good things, which surpasses all understanding, the unspeakable light, the life that is not cut short, the manner of life with the angels. For if we are counted worthy to be with God, so far as is attainable by human nature, we shall know from him all things which now we do not know. For this I, instructed by the teaching of the God-inspired Scriptures, set above all things as the kingdom of heaven: to come near to the contemplation of the holy and life-giving Trinity, and to be illumined by its unapproachable light,

and more clearly and purely, with unveiled face, to behold as in a mirror its unspeakable glory. And if it is not possible to set forth in words that glory and that light and those secret good things, it is no marvel; for they would not be great and surpassing, if they were grasped by reason and set forth in words to us, who are earthly and corruptible and clothed about with this heavy and passible flesh. Knowing these things, then, by faith alone, receive them without doubt, holding that they have nothing feigned, and hasten through good works to lay hold of that immortal kingdom, which, when you attain it, you will learn in its perfection. And as to what you asked, how we have heard the words of the God made flesh, know that through the sacred Gospels we have learned all the things of the divine-human dispensation. For so that holy book is called, inasmuch as it brings the good news of immortality and incorruption and eternal life and the forgiveness of sins and the kingdom of heaven to us who are mortal and corruptible and earthly — which the eyewitnesses

and ministers of the Word wrote, those whom I said above that Christ our Saviour chose as disciples and apostles. And they handed it down to us in writing, after the glorious ascension of the Master into the heavens, delivering in writing, so far as could be, the teachings and miracles of his life upon earth. For thus, toward the end of his account, the most distinguished of those divine evangelists said: 'There are,' he says, 'also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I do not think that the world itself could contain the books that would be written.' In this most divine Gospel, then, is set forth the history of his incarnation, his manifestation, his miracles, and his deeds, written by the Spirit of God; then also of the undefiled passion which the Lord endured for our sake, and of his holy resurrection on the third day, and of his ascension into the heavens, and besides of his glorious and fearful second coming. For the Son of God is to come again upon the earth, with unspeakable glory and a multitude of the heavenly host, to judge our race and to render to each according to his works. For when God in the beginning had fashioned man out of earth, as I told you before too, he breathed into him a breath,

which is called a rational and intelligent soul; and since we have been condemned to death, we all die, and there is none of men who can pass by this cup. Now death is the separation of the soul from the body. That body, then, fashioned out of earth, separated from the soul, returns to the earth from which it was taken, and, decaying, is dissolved; but the soul, being immortal, goes where the Creator commands, or rather as it has itself prepared a dwelling for itself while still joined to the flesh. For as a man lives here, so is he to receive there. Then, after very many years, Christ our God will come to judge the world in fearful and indescribable glory, at the fear of whom the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and all the hosts of the angels stand with trembling before him. Then, at the voice of an archangel and at the trumpet of God, the dead will rise and stand before his fearful throne. Now the resurrection is the joining together again of soul and body. The very body, then, which decays and is dissolved, that same body will rise incorruptible. And let no thought of unbelief about this come upon you; for it is not impossible for him who in the beginning fashioned it out of earth,

and then, when it had returned to the earth from which it was taken, according to the sentence of the Creator, to raise it again. For if you consider how many things God has made out of nothing, this will be sufficient proof for you. For indeed, taking earth, he made man, earth that was not before; how, then, did the earth become man? And how was it brought forth, not existing before? What foundation has it? And how were the countless kinds of the irrational creatures, of the seeds, of the plants, brought forth from it? But consider now even our own birth: is not a small seed cast into the womb that receives it? Whence, then, the so great fashioning of the living creature? For him, then, who fashioned all these things out of nothing, and still fashions them, it is not impossible to raise from the earth the bodies that are dead and corrupted, that each may receive according to his works. For the present time, he says, is a time of work, and the time to come of recompense. For where is the justice of God, if there were no resurrection? For many, being righteous, have been much ill-treated in this present life and put to death violently after torment; while some, being impious and lawless, have spent the present life in luxury and prosperity. But God, since he is good and just, has appointed a day of resurrection and of trial, that each soul, receiving back its own body, the evil man,

having received good things here, may there be punished for the things in which he sinned, and the good man, having been punished here for the things in which he sinned, may there become heir of good things. For 'those in the tombs,' says the Lord, 'will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who have done good will come forth to the resurrection of life, but they who have practised evil to the resurrection of judgement,' when also thrones will be set, and the Ancient of Days and Creator of all will sit in the chief place, and books will be opened, having written in them all our deeds, words, and thoughts, and a river of fire is drawn forth, and all hidden things are uncovered. There no advocate, nor persuasiveness of words, nor false defence, nor power of wealth, nor weight of dignities, nor lavish giving of gifts, will be able to steal away the right judgement; but that incorruptible and true Judge will distinguish all things in the balances of justice — both deed and word and thought. And those who have done good will go to eternal life, into the light unspeakable, rejoicing with the angels, enjoying the secret good things, and purely standing before the

holy Trinity; but those who have practised evil, and all the impious and sinners, to eternal punishment, which is called Gehenna, and outer darkness, and the worm that does not sleep, and the gnashing of teeth, and ten thousand other torments — or rather, the hardest of all, to be estranged from God and cast away from his most sweet face, and to be deprived of that indescribable glory, and to be made a public example before all creation, and to be put to a shame that has no end. For after that fearful sentence is given, all things will remain unchangeable and unalterable, neither the bright manner of life of the righteous having an end, nor the misery and punishment of sinners receiving any limit; for there is no judge higher than him, nor any defence by second deeds, no appointed time of amendment, no other means for those who are punished, the chastisement enduring with them forever. These things being so, what manner of men ought we to be in holy conduct and godly ways of life, that we may be counted worthy to escape the threat to come and to stand at the right hand of the Son of God? For this is the standing of the righteous; but for sinners the most wretched portion at the left hand is allotted.

From there the Master, calling the righteous 'blessed,' brings them into the kingdom that has no end; but the sinners, casting them out with wrath and a curse from his gentle and serene face — which is of all things the bitterest and also the hardest — he sends forth into eternal punishment.