entertaining

After I had written down the commandments and similitudes of the Shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said, “I wish to explain to you what the Holy Spirit that spake with you in the form of the church showed you, for that Spirit is the Son of God. For, as you were somewhat weak in the flesh, it was not explained to you by the angel. When, however, you were strengthened by the Spirit, and your strength was increased, so that you were able to see the angel also, then accordingly was the building of the tower shown you by the church. In a noble and solemn manner did you see everything as if shown you by a virgin; but now you see [them] through the same Spirit as if shown by an angel. You must, however, learn everything from me with greater accuracy. For I was sent for this purpose by the glorious angel to dwell in your house, that you might see all things with power, entertaining no fear, even as it was before.” And he led me away into Arcadia, to a round hill; and he placed me on the top of the hill, and showed me a large plain, and round about the plain twelve mountains, all having different forms. The first was black as soot; and the second bare, without grass; and the third full of thorns and thistles; and the fourth with grass half-withered, the upper parts of the plants green, and the parts about the roots withered; and some of the grasses, when the sun scorched them, became withered. And the fifth mountain had green grass, and was rugged. And the sixth mountain was quite full of clefts, some small and others large; and the clefts were grassy, but the plants were not very vigorous, but rather, as it were, decayed. The seventh mountain, again, had cheerful pastures, and the whole mountain was blooming, and every kind of cattle and birds were feeding upon that mountain; and the more the cattle and the birds ate, the more the grass of that mountain flourished. And the eighth mountain was full of fountains, and every kind of the Lord’s creatures drank of the fountains of that mountain. But the ninth mountain [had no water at all, and was wholly a desert, and had within it deadly serpents, which destroy men. And the tenth mountain] had very large trees, and was completely shaded, and under the shadow of the trees sheep lay resting and ruminating. And the eleventh mountain was very thickly wooded, and those trees were productive, being adorned with various sorts of fruits, so that any one seeing them would desire to eat of their fruits. The twelfth mountain, again, was wholly white, and its aspect was cheerful, and the mountain in itself was very beautiful.

T tell you therefore how the sanctuary ought to be; then I will make known the holy rule of the priests of the Church. Let the church then be thus: let it have three entrances as a type of the Trinity. Let the diaconicum be on the right of the right hand entrance, that the eucharists,' or offerings which are offered, may be seen. Let there be a fore-court, with a portico going round, to the diaconicum. Then within the fore-court let there be a place [to serve] for a baptistery, its length twenty-one cubits as a general type of the prophets, and its width twelve cubits as a type of those who have been determined to preach the Gospel,’ with one entrance and three exits. Let the Church have a house of the catechumens, which shall be also the house of the exorcists. Let it not be de- tached from the Church, but so that those who enter and are in it may hear the lections and spiritual hymns of praise and psalms. Let there be a throne by the altar; on the right and on the left [let there be] the places of the presbyters, so that on the right may sit those who are more exalted and honoured, and those who labour in the word’; but those who are of middle age on the left hand. But that place where the throne is, let it be raised three steps, for there the altar ought to be. Let that house have two porches, on the right and on the left, for men and for women. Let all the places be lighted, both for a type, and also for reading. Let the altar have a veil of pure linen, for it is without spot. Also the baptistery likewise, let it be under a veil. Let a place be built as for commemoration, so that the priest and chief deacon sitting with the readers may write the names of those who offer the oblations, or of those for whom they have offered [them], so that when the holy things are offered by the bishop, the reader or chief deacon may name them by way of commemoration, which the priests’ and people offer for them with supplication. For there is this- type also in heaven. Let the place of the. presbyters be within the veil, beside that place of commemoration. Let the house of the offering and the treasury be quite ” beside the diaconicum. But let the place of the lection 3 be a little outside the altar. Let the house of the bishop be beside that place which is called the fore-court. Also that of those widows who are called “those that sit in front.” Also let that of the presbyters and deacons be behind the baptistery. Let the deaconesses abide beside the door of the Lord’s house. Let the Church have a house for entertaining near by, where the chief deacon shall entertain strangers.