τηρήσαντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐν φωτὶ γενήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ δι' ἀγάπην Χριςᾶ ἐξελθόντες τοῦ σχήματος τε κόσμε, ὅτι αὐτ τοὶ ἀγέλες κρινᾶσιν, καὶ ἐν δεξιᾷ τὸ Χρισέ καθήσονται, καὶ ἐκ ὄψονται ἡμέραν κρίσεως · πικράν. CAP. VII. Μακάρια τα σώματα τῶν CHAP. VII. 'Bleffed are the bodies and παρθένων καὶ τὰ πνεύματα, fouls of virgins; for they ὅτι αὐταὶ εὐαρεσήσεσι τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐκ απολέσεσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν τῆς ἁγνείας· ὅτι ὁ λόγος τε πατρὸς ἔργον αὐτοῖς γενήσεται σωτηρίας εἰς ἡμέραν τε υἱδ αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν ἕξεσιν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος. CAP. VIII. επι Καὶ ταῦτα αὐτὰ λέγοντος εἰς μέσον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν τῷ Ονησιφόρα οἴκῳ, ΘΕΚΛΑ τις παρθένος, θυγάτηρ Θεοκλίας μητρὸς, μεμνηςευμένη ἀνδρὶ Θαμύριδι, αὕτη ἐπὶ τῆς θυ ρίδος τῇ οἴκε αὐτῆς καθεστ θεῖσα ἀπὸ τῆς σύνεγους θυρίδος ἤκεεν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας τὸν περὶ Θεῖ λόγον λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τῇ Παύλε, καὶ τὸν περὶ ἀγά * are acceptable to God, and fhall not lofe the reward of • their virginity; for the word of their (heavenly) • Father fball prove effectual 'to their falvation in the day • of his Son, and they Chall ' enjoy reft for evermore.' CHAP. VIII. While Paul was preaching this fermon in the church which was in the houfe of O nefiphorus, a certain virgin named THECLA (whofe mother's name was Theoclia, and who was betrothed to a man named Thamyris) fat at a certain window in her houfe, from whence, by the advantage of a window in the houfe where Paul was, the both night and day heard A a 3 Paul's εν πης, καὶ τῆς ἐν Χρισῷ πίσεως, καὶ προσευχῆς· καὶ ἐκ απένευσεν ἀπὸ τῆς θυρίδος, αλλὰ τῇ πίσει ὑπήγετο ὑπερευφραινομένη. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ βλέπεσα πολλὰς γυναῖκας καὶ παρθένες εἰσπορευομένας πρὸς· τὸν Παῦλον, ἐπεπόθει καὶ αὐτη καταξιωθῆναι καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον εῆναι Παύλε, καὶ ακέειν τὸν τῇ Χριςᾶ λίγον ἐδέπω γὰρ ἀκμὴν τὸν χαρακτῆρα Παύλε ἑωράκει, ἀλλὰ τὰς λίγες αὐτῇ ήκειν, καὶ μόνον. Paul's fermons concerning God, concerning charity, concerning faith in Chrift, and the depart from the window, concerning prayer; nor would till with exceeding joy the was fubdued to the doctrines of faith. At length, when the faw many women and virgins going in to Paul, the earneftly defired that the might be thought worthy to hear the word of Chrift; for appear in his prefence, and the had not yet feen Paul's perfon, but only heard his fer mons, and that alone. CHAP. IX. But when she would not be prevailed upon to depart from the window, her mo ther fent to Thamyris, who came with the greatest pleafure, as hoping now to marry her. Accordingly he faid to Theoclia, Where is my Thecla ? Theoclia replied, Tbamyris, I have famething very Atrange to tell you; for Thecla, for the face of three days, will not move from the window, not fo much as to eat or drink, but is fo intent in hearing the artful and delufive difcourfes of a certain foreigner, that I perfettly admire, Thamyris, that a young woman of her known Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ με Θέκλα, ὡς ἀράχνη ἐπὶ τῆς θυρίδος δεδεμένη, τοῖς Παύλος λόγοις κρατεῖται, ἐπιθυμίᾳ δεινῇ καὶ πάθει δεινῷ. Ατενίζει γὰρ τοῖς λεγομένοις υπ' αὐτῶ, καὶ ἑάλω παρθένος. ̓Αλλὰ πρόσελθε, καὶ λάλησον αὐτῇ· σοὶ γάρ ἐσιν ἡρμοσμένη. Καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Θάμυρις, ἅμα μὲν φιλῶν αὐτὴν, ἅμα δὲ φοβέμενος τὴν ἔκπληξιν αὐτῆς, εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτ τήν· Θέκλα, ἐμοὶ μνηςευθεῖ τί τοιαύτη κάθησαι κάτω βλέπεσα; καὶ ποῖόν σε πά θος κατέχει ἔκπληκτον ; ἐπισράφητι πρὸς τὸν Θάμυριν, καὶ αἰσχύνθητι. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγεσα Τέκνον, τί τοιαύτη κάτω βλέ σα, εκ known modefty, will fuffer herSelf to be fo prevailed upon, For that man has difturbed the whole city of Iconium, and even your Thecla, among others. All the women and young men flock to him to receive his doctrine; who, befides all the reft, tells them, that there is but one God, who alone is to be worthipped, and that we ought to live in chastity. CHAP. X. Notwithstanding this, my daughter Thecla, like a pider's web faftened to the window, is captivated by the difcourfes of Paul, and attends upon them with prodigious eagernefs, and vafi delight; and thus, by attending on what he Jays, the young woman is fea duced. Now then do you go, and Jpeak to her, for fe is betrothed to you. Accordingly Thamyris went, and having faluted her, and taking care not to furprize her, he faid, Thecla, my fpoufe, why fitteft thou in this melancholy pofture? What frange impreffions are made upon thee ? Turn mother allo fpake to her after to Thamyris, and blu/h. Her A a 4 the fame manner, and faid, Child, why doft thou fit fo melancholy, πεσα κάθησαι, μηδὲν ἀποκρινομένη, ὡς παραπλήξ; Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔκλαιον δεινῶς· Θάμυεις μὲν, γυναικὸς ἀποχῶν, Θεοκλία δὲ τέκνε, αἱ δὲ παι δίσκαι κυρίας· πολλὴ ἦν συγχυσις ἦν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ πένθες. Καὶ τέτων πάντων γενομένων, Θέκλα ἐκ απετράφη, ἀλλ ̓ ἦν πρὸς τὸν λόγον Παύλο αποβλέπεσα. Ὁ δὲ Θάμυρις ἀναπηδήσας, ἐξῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ἄμφοδον, καὶ παρετήρει τις εἰσερχομένες πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον, καὶ τὰς ἐξερχομένες· καὶ ἴδεν δύο άνδρας πρὸς αὐτὲς μαχομένες πικρῶς· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· CAP. XI. *Ανδρες, τί ἔχετε; εἴπατέ μοι· καὶ τίς ἔτος, ὁ ἔσω μεθ' ὑμῶν, πλανῶν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων, νέων καὶ παρθένων, ἵνα γάμοι μὴ γένωνται, ἀλλὰ ἔτως μένωσιν ; ὑπισχνᾶμαι. ὑμῖν δέναι χρήματα πολλά, ἐὰν εἴπητέ μοι περὶ αὐτά· εἰμὲ γὰρ πρῶτος τῆς πόλεως. Δημᾶς δὲ καὶ Ἑρμογένης εξ παν πρὸς αὐτόν· Τίς μέν melancholy, and, like one aftos nifhed, makeft no reply ? Then they wept exceedingly; Tha myris, that he had loft his fpoufe; Theoclia, that the had loft her daughter; and the maids, that they had loft their miftrefs; and there was an univerfal mourning in the family. But all there things made no imprefion upon Thecla, fo as to incline her fo much as to turn to them, and take notice of them; for the fill regarded the dif courfes of Paul. Then Thamyris ran forth into the ftreet, to obferve who they were that went in to Paul, and came out from him; and he faw two men engaged in a very warm difpute, and faid to them; σερεῖ παρ ἐσιν, ἐκ οἴδαμεν ἔτως CAP. XII. To exactly tell who he is ; but this we know, that he deprives young men of their (intheir (intended) hußbands, by tended) wives, and virgins of teaching, There can be no future refurrection, unless ye continue in chastity, and do not defile your flesh. CHAP. XII. Then faid Thamyris, Come along with me to my houfe, and refrefh your felves. So they went to a very splendid entertainment, where there was wine in abundance, and very rich provifion. They were brought to a table richly fpread, and made to drink plentifully by Thamyris, on Ὁ δὲ Θάμυρις εἶπεν αὐτ τοῖς· Δεῦτε, ἄνδρες, μετ' ἐμὲ εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μας καὶ ἀναπαύσασθε πρός με. Καὶ ἀπῆλ Τον εἰς πολύτιμον δεῖπνον, καὶ εἰς οἶνον πολύν, καὶ πλᾶτον πολύν· καὶ τράπεζαν λαμπρᾶν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτὲς ὁ Θάμυρις, φιλῶν τὴν Θέκλαν, καὶ θέλων τυχεῖν γυναικός. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θάμυρις• "Ανδρες, εἴπατέ μοι, τίς ἐσιν ἡ διδασκαλία αὐτῆ, ἵνα καγω ἴδω· ἐ γὰρ μικρῶς ἀγωνιῶ περὶ τῆς Θέκλας, ὅτι φιλεῖ τὸν ξένον, καὶ σερᾶμαι γυναικός. danger of lofing my intended wife. CAP. XIII. Εἶπαν δὲ Δημᾶς καὶ Ἑρ μογένης, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς σόματος· Θάμυρι, προσάγαγε αὐτὸν account of the love he had for Thecla, and his defire to marry her. Then Thamyris faid, I defire ye would inform me what the dotirines of this Paul are, that I may understand them; for I am under no fmall concern about Thecla, feeing fhe fo delights in that ftranger's difcourfes, that I am in CHAP. XIII. Then Demas and Hermogenes anfwered both together, and faid, Let him be brought before |