The Shepherd of Hermas

But after they entered in together and became one body, some of them defiled themselves and were cast out from the family of the righteous, and became again what they had been before, or rather even worse.

How, Sir, said I, did they become worse, after they had attained to the knowledge of God? He who does not know God, said he, and does[*](Why the backsliders are worse than the unconverted) wickedly, incurs some punishment for his wickedness, but he who has knowledge of God, is bound no more to do wickedly, but to do good.

If then he who is bound to do good do wickedly, does he not seem to do more wickedly than he who does not know God? For this reason, those who have no knowledge of God and do wickedly, are condemned to death, but those who have knowledge of God and have seen his great deeds, and do wickedly, shall be punished doubly, and shall die for ever. Thus therefore the Church of God shall be cleansed.

But just as you saw that the stones were taken from the tower, and handed over to the evil spirits and cast out from it (and there shall be one body of those who are purified, just as also the tower became as if it were made of a single stone, after it was purified), so the Church of God also shall be, after it

After these have been rejected the Church of God shall be one body, one mind, one spirit, one faith, one love, and then the Son of God shall rejoice and be glad in them, when he has received his people in purity.All this, Sir, said I, is great and wonderful.

Yet, Sir, said I, explain to me the power and the action of each one of the mountains, that every soul that has believed on the Lord, may hear and glorify His great and wonderful and glorious name. Listen, said he, to the variety of the mountains and the twelve nations.

From the first mountain, the black one, are such believers as these: apostates and blasphemers[*](The characteristics of the mountains) against the Lord, and betrayers of the servants of God. For these there is no repentance, but there is[*](The first mountain) death, and for this cause they also are black, for their race is lawless.

And from the second mountain,[*](The second mountain) the bare one, are such believers as these: hypocrites and teachers of wickedness. These then also are like unto the first, having no fruit of righteousness, for just as their mountain is unfruitful, so also such men have the name, but are devoid of faith, and there is no fruit of truth in them. For these then repentance is ready if they repent quickly, but if they delay their death will be with the former ones.