Chapter VIII.—Be on your guard against the snares of the devil.

Not that I know there is anything of this kind among you; but I put you on your guard, inasmuch as I love you greatly, and foresee the snares of the devil. Wherefore, clothing⁷⁷⁵⁷⁷⁵    Literally, “taking up.” yourselves with meekness, be ye renewed⁷⁷⁶⁷⁷⁶    Or, “renew yourselves.” in faith, that is the flesh of the Lord, and in love, that is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let no one of you cherish any grudge against his neighbour. Give no occasion to the Gentiles, lest by means of a few foolish men the whole multitude [of those that believe] in God be evil spoken of. For, “Woe to him by whose vanity my name is blasphemed among any.”⁷⁷⁷⁷⁷⁷    Isa. lii. 5.

Now I write these things unto you, not that I know there are any such persons among you; nay, indeed I hope that God will never permit any such report to reach my ears, He “who spared not His Son for the sake of His holy Church.”⁷⁷⁸⁷⁷⁸    Rom. viii. 32. But foreseeing the snares of the wicked one, I arm you beforehand by my admonitions, as my beloved and faithful children in Christ, furnishing you with the means of protection⁷⁷⁹⁷⁷⁹    Literally, “making you drink beforehand what will preserve you.” against the deadly disease of unruly men, by which do ye flee from the disease⁷⁸⁰⁷⁸⁰    Or, “from which disease.” [referred to] by the good-will of Christ our Lord. Do ye therefore, clothing⁷⁸¹⁷⁸¹    Literally, “taking up.” yourselves with meekness, become the imitators of His sufferings, and of His love, wherewith⁷⁸²⁷⁸²    Comp. Eph. ii. 4. He loved us when He gave Himself a ransom⁷⁸³⁷⁸³    Comp. 1 Tim. ii. 6. for us, that He might cleanse us by His blood from our old ungodliness, and bestow life on us when we were almost on the point of perishing through the depravity that was in us. Let no one of you, therefore, cherish any grudge against his neighbour. For says our Lord, “Forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you.”⁷⁸⁴⁷⁸⁴    Matt. vi. 14. Give no occasion to the Gentiles, lest “by means of a few foolish men the word and doctrine [of Christ] be blasphemed.”⁷⁸⁵⁷⁸⁵    1 Tim. vi. 1; Tit. ii. 5. For says the prophet, as in the person of God, “Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.”⁷⁸⁶⁷⁸⁶    Isa. lii. 5.