Chapter 33

But the king, when matters had turned out thus, being at a loss on every side, was plainly tormented strongly and bearing a great storm in his soul. And calling together again all who belonged to the council of the senate, he considered what he should now do with his own son. And when the many had put forward many counsels, that Arachis mentioned above, who was more eminent in command and first in the council, said to the king: "What ought we to have done with your son, O king, and have not done, to persuade him to follow our teachings and worship our gods? But, as I see, we are attempting the impossible; for his contentiousness and implacability are his by nature, or perhaps by fortune. If, then, you should wish to give him over to tortures and punishments, you will be an enemy of nature and will no longer be called father, and you will lose him, since he is ready to die for Christ. It remains, then, to do this one thing only: to divide the kingdom with him, and to entrust to him the rule over the portion that falls to him. And if the nature of affairs and the cares of daily life draw him to embrace our purpose and way of life, the matter will go according to our aim; for habits firmly established in the soul are hard to erase, and are changed by persuasion rather than by force. But if he remains in the religion of the Christians, this very thing—that you have not lost your son—will be some consolation to you in your despondency." When Arachis had said this, all bore witness, approving the counsel. The king, then, agreed that these things should be so arranged. And so, summoning his son at dawn, he said to him:

"This is now my last word to you, my son; and if you are not at once obedient to it, and do not in this at least comfort my heart, then, be assured, I shall no longer spare you." And when the son asked what the meaning of the word was, he said, "Since, after much toil, I have found you unyielding in everything against being persuaded by my words, come, then; dividing the kingdom, I will make you ruler in your portion and king; and for the rest you shall be free to go whatever road you desire." And that divine soul, knowing that the king put forward even this for the tripping-up of his resolve, nevertheless saw fit to obey, so that, slipping from his hands, he might go the road he desired. He answered, then, and said to the king: "I longed to seek out that divine man who showed me the road of salvation, and, bidding farewell to all, to spend the rest of my life with him; but since, father, you do not allow me to do what is dear to my heart, I obey you in this. For in matters where there is no plain ruin and estrangement from God set before one, it is good to obey one's father." So the king, filled with the greatest joy, divided all the land subject to him into two, and appointed his son king, adorned him with the diadem, and, making him resplendent with all royal glory, sent him off to the kingdom marked out for him with a splendid bodyguard. And to the rulers and governors, the generals and satraps, he gave leave for anyone who wished to go away with his son and king. And he marked out for his

kingdom a certain great and populous city, and gave him everything befitting kings. Then indeed, when Josaphat had received the authority of the kingdom, as soon as he reached the city where the things of the kingdom had been prepared for him, he set the sign of the Master's passion, the venerable cross of Christ, upon every tower of the city; and besieging the temples and altars of the idols, he shook them down, dug up their ground, laid bare their foundations, leaving no remnant of the impiety. And in the midst of the city he raised up a great and very beautiful church to the Master, Christ. And he commanded the multitude, frequenting it continually, to bring their worship to God through the veneration of the cross, himself coming forward into their midst before all and giving himself to most fervent prayer. And all who came under his hand he admonished, exhorted, and did everything to draw away from their superstitious error and to bring near to Christ; he exposed the deceit of the madness for idols and proclaimed the preaching of the Gospel; he set forth the things concerning the condescension of the Word of God, proclaimed the wonders of his coming, made known the passion of the cross by which we have been saved, the power of the resurrection and the ascent into the heavens; and besides these he announced that dread day of his fearful second coming, and the good things laid up for the faithful and the punishments that await sinners. All these things he set forth with a kindly disposition and gentle words; for he did not so much wish, from the weight of his authority and royal magnificence,

to be venerable and feared, as from his humility and gentleness—by which he the more drew all to himself, being in his deeds wonderful, but in his mind mild and moderate. Hence his authority, taking moderation and mildness as a great helper, made all yield to his words. So indeed, in a little time, all the people subject to him, citizen and native alike, were initiated by his God-speaking words, so as to renounce the error of many gods and break away from the libations and abominations of the idols,

and to attach themselves to the unerring faith, and, transformed by his teachings, to be brought near to Christ. And all who, through fear of his father, had been shut up in mountains and caves—priests and monks and a few of the bishops—coming out of their hiding-places, went to him rejoicing. And he himself, going to meet those who for Christ's sake had fallen into such troubles and so suffered hardship, received them with honour, and brought them into his palace, washing their feet, cleansing their soiled hair, and tending them in every way. Then he enthroned the church newly built by him, and one of the bishops, who had suffered much hardship for the faith in Christ and had lost his own episcopal throne, he set up as high priest in it—a holy man, skilled in the canons of the Church, and his soul filled with divine zeal. And at once, improvising a font, he commanded that those who turned to Christ be baptized. And so the rulers are baptized first, and all who were in office, then those in the army, and the rest of the crowd. And those who were baptized received not only health of soul, but indeed all who were oppressed by bodily diseases and infirmities, laying all these aside, clean in soul

and whole in body, came up from the divine font, having reaped healing of souls and bodies together. Hence, then, the multitudes streamed to king Josaphat from every side, seeking to be initiated by him in true religion. And all the objects of idol-worship were torn down, and all the wealth and the moneys laid up in the idol-temples were taken away; and holy precincts were built up to God in their stead. And that wealth and the costly garments and the treasures, king Josaphat dedicated to them, thus making that dishonoured and superfluous material useful and profitable. But the foul demons that dwelt in those altars and temples were driven out by a most grievous persecution, and cried aloud the calamity that had come upon them in the hearing of many. And all that surrounding country was freed from their gloomy deceit, and shone round about with the light of the blameless faith of the Christians. So indeed the king was a good example to all, and inflamed and kindled many to a like resolve. For such is authority: the subject is always conformed to it, and loves to desire the same things, and to pursue those things in which it perceives the ruler to delight.

Hence, with God working together with them, true religion increased and made progress among them. And the king was wholly devoted to the commandments of Christ and to his love, a steward of the word of grace, and a pilot of many souls, bringing them to harbour in the haven of God. For he knew that this was, above all things, the work of a king: to teach men to fear God and to keep what is just. And this indeed he did, both fitting himself to reign over the passions, and holding firmly, like the best of pilots, the tillers of good order for those under him. For this is the mark of true kingship: to reign over and master the pleasures; which this man did. Yet he in no way prided himself on the nobility of his ancestors or on the royal glory that was about him, knowing that we all have a forefather of clay, and that rich and poor are of the same lump; but, casting his mind always into the abyss of humility, and remembering the blessedness of that other world, he reckoned himself a sojourner among the things here, and knew that those things were his own which he might obtain after his departure hence. And since all things stood well with him,

and, having freed all who were under his hand from the old error handed down from their fathers, he had made them servants of him who ransomed us from wicked slavery by his precious blood, he turns his mind to a second work: the virtue of well-doing. For self-control and righteousness had already been achieved by him beforehand, since he had bound on the crown of self-control and clothed himself in the purple of righteousness. He considered, then, that the instability of earthly wealth imitates the course of river waters. There, therefore, he hastened to lay it up, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break through or steal. And so he began to distribute all his moneys to the poor, in no way sparing them. For he knew that one who has laid hold of great authority ought to imitate the giver of that authority as far as he is able, and that in this above all he will imitate God: in considering nothing more to be preferred than showing mercy. Above gold, then, and precious stones, he was gathering for himself the wealth of well-doing—the wealth that gladdens here in the hope of future enjoyment, and there sweetens by the experience of the blessedness that was hoped for. Hence prisons were searched out by him, those shut up in the mines, those choked by creditors; and, ungrudgingly supplying all things to all, he was a father to all the orphans and widows and poor,

a tender and good father, thinking that he benefited himself by the benefit done to them. For being rich-souled and truly most kingly, he gave generously to all in need; for he hoped to receive infinitely multiplied recompense for these things when the time should come for the repayment of works. And as such a fame of him spread everywhere in a little time, all streamed to him daily, as if moved by some fragrance of perfume, laying aside the poverty of bodies and souls alike, and he was on the lips of all. For it was not fear and tyranny that drew the people, but longing and the love for him from the heart, which was planted in the souls of all by God and by his most excellent way of life. Then indeed even those subject to his father attached themselves rather to him, and, laying aside all error, received the good news of the truth. And the house of Josaphat increased and grew strong, while the house of Abenner was diminished and grew weak, just as the book of

Kingdoms tells concerning David and Saul"