Chapter X.—“Whatsoever Things are Honest.”

“Let the brethren who have causes to be settled not be judged by the secular authorities; but let them by all means be reconciled by the elders of the church, yielding ready obedience to them.  Moreover, also, flee avarice, inasmuch as it is able, under pretext of temporal gain, to deprive you of eternal blessings.  Carefully keep your balances, your measures, your weights, and the things belonging to your traffic, just.  Be faithful with respect to your trusts.  Moreover, you will persevere in doing these things, and things similar to these, until the end, if you have in your hearts an ineradicable remembrance of the judgment that is from God.  For who would sin, being persuaded that at the end of life there is a judgment appointed of the righteous God, who only now is long-suffering and good,⁸⁹⁷⁸⁹⁷    The common reading would give “who alone is now long-suffering;” but the change of a letter gives the reading which we have adopted. that the good may in future enjoy for ever unspeakable blessings; but the sinners being found as evil, shall obtain an eternity of unspeakable punishment.  And, indeed, that these things are so, it would be reasonable to doubt, were it not that the Prophet of the truth has said and sworn that it shall be.