5 Let us therefore without ceasing hold steadfastly to him who is our hope, and the earnest of our righteousnes, even Jesus Christ; Who, his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; but suffered all for us that we might live through him.
6 Let us therefore imitate his patience; and if we suffer for his name, let us glorify him; for this example he has given us by himself, and so have we believed.
7 Wherefore I exhort all of you that ye obey the word of righteousness, and exercise all patience; which ye have seen set forth before your eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, and Zozimus, and Rufus; but in others among yourselves; and in Paul himself, and the rest of the Apostles:
8 Being confident of this, that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and righteousness; and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord; with whom also they suffered.
9 For they loved not this present world; but him who died, and was raised again by God for us.
10 Stand therefore in these things, and follow the example of the Lord; being firm and immutable in the faith, lovers of the brotherhood, lovers of one another: companions together in the truth, being kind and gentle towards each other, despising none.
11 When it is in your power to do good defer it not, for charity delivered from death.
12 Be all of you subject one to another, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that by your good works, both ye yourselves may receive praise, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe be to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed.
13 Therefore teach all men sobriety; in which do ye also exercise yourselves.
CHAP. IV.
Valens, a presbyter, having fallen into the sin of covetousness, he exhorts them against it.
I am greatly afflicted for Valens, who was once a presbyter among you; that he should so little understand the place that was given to him in the church, wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain from covetousness; and that ye be chaste, and true of speech.
2 Keep yourselves from all evil. For he that in these things cannot govern himself, how shall he be able to prescribe them to another?
3 If a man does not keep himself from covetousness, he shall be polluted with idolatry, and be judged as if he were a Gentile.
4 But who of you are ignorant of the judgment of God? Do we not know that the saints shall judge the world, as Paul teaches?
5 But I have neither perceived nor heard anything of this kind in you, among whom the blessed Paul laboured; and who are named in the beginning of his Epistle.
6 For he glories of you in all the churches who then only knew God; for we did not then know him. Wherefore, my brethren, I am exceedingly sorry both for him and for his wife; to whom God grant a true repentance.
7 And be ye also moderate upon this occasion; and look not upon such as enemies, but call them back as suffering and erring members, that ye may save your whole body: for by so doing, ye shall edify your own selves.
