The Shepherd of Hermas

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.