The Shepherd of Hermas

And who are they which have the cracks?These are they who bear malice in their hearts against one another, and are not at peace among themselves, but maintain the appearance of peace, yet when they depart from one another their wickednesses remain in their hearts. These are the cracks which the stones have.

And those which are too short are they which have believed, and they live for the greater part in righteousness, but have some measure of wickedness. Therefore they are short and not perfect.

But who. Lady, are the white

And I answered and said to her, Lady, but then when will they be useful for the building? When, she said, their wealth, which leads their souls astray, shall be cut off from them, then they will be useful to God. For just as the round stone cannot become square, unless something be cut off and taken away from it, so too they who have riches in this world cannot be useful to the Lord unless their wealth be cut away from them.

Understand it first from your own case; when you were rich, you were useless, but now you are useful and helpful for the Life. Be useful to God, for you yourself are taken from the same stones.[*](This appears to be the meaning; but the Greek is obscure and the early translations all paraphrase it so freely that they cannot be used to suggest any emendation.)

But as for the other stones which you saw[*](The stones thrown away from the tower) being cast far from the tower, and falling on to the road, and rolling from the road on to the rough ground; these are they who have believed, but because of their double-mindedness leave their true road. They think that it is possible to find a better

And they who are falling into the fire and are being burnt, these are they who finally apostatise from the living God, and it no longer enters into their hearts to repent because of their licentious lusts, and the crimes which they have committed.

But do you wish to know who are the others which are falling near the water and cannot be rolled into the water? These are they who have heard the Word, and wish to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Then, when the purity of the Truth comes into their recollection they repent and go again after their evil lusts.

So she ended the explanation of the tower.

I was still[*](The end of the rejected stones) unabashed and asked her whether really all these stones which have been cast away, and do not fit into the building of the tower,—whether repentance is open to them, and they have a place in this tower. Repentance, she said, they have, but they cannot fit into this tower.

But they will fit into another place much less honourable, and even this only after they have been tormented and fulfilled the days of their sins, and for this reason they will be removed,[*](I.e. from their punishment.) because they shared in the righteous Word. And then[*](Apparently the meaning is Then, i.e. if they repent, but the text is obscure, and probably some words have been lost.) it shall befall them to be removed from their torments, because of the wickedness of the deeds which they committed. But if it come not into their hearts they have no salvation, because of the hardness of their hearts.