Chapter IV.—The Golden Rule.

“Wherefore, as then ye were deceived by the forerunner Simon, and so became dead in your souls to God, and were smitten in your bodies; so now, if you repent, as I said, and submit to those things which are well-pleasing to God, you may get new strength to your bodies, and recover your soul’s health.  And the things which are well-pleasing to God are these:  to pray to Him, to ask from Him, recognising that He is the giver of all things, and gives with discriminating law; to abstain from the table of devils, not to taste dead flesh, not to touch blood; to be washed from all pollution; and the rest in one word,—as the God-fearing Jews have heard, do you also hear, and be of one mind in many bodies; let each man be minded to do to his neighbour those good things he wishes for himself.  And you may all find out what is good, by holding some such conversation as the following with yourselves:  You would not like to be murdered; do not murder another man:  you would not like your wife to be seduced by another; do not you commit adultery:  you would not like any of your things to be stolen from you; steal nothing from another.  And so understanding by yourselves what is reasonable, and doing it, you will become dear to God, and will obtain healing; otherwise in the life which now is your bodies will be tormented, and in that which is to come your souls will be punished.”^10811081    [With this discourse respecting Simon, compare Recognitions, ii. 6–18.  But the statements respecting Simon’s power and the design of it are much stronger than here.—R.]