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Hymns on Faith
St Ephrem the Syrian, tr. Morris, 1847; selections
68. Rhythm the Sixty-eighth
The Scriptures are agreed, men are divided, seeing that it is about the one truth1, that strifes have risen from free-will. Under the pretext of truth vile men have designed the obtaining the mastery, after having called men to their side2. The congregations chose their masters, captains of thousands3 and of hundreds, and captains of tens: because there was abundance of peace, all the spoilers that spoiled by troops every man his neighbour, were vehement at disputing as at a contest, so that brothers cast their darts against brothers. Mighty sorrow! The vile drew4 their tongues; they smote, and were smitten: and without blood or danger that sword though feeble raged. The tongue as a murderer scorneth, because it is blinded!
Vain-glory troubleth the disputants, as the crown causeth sighs to the wrestlers who smite and are yet overcome5. They are much overcome even by that wherewith they conquered, since their excuse was rash boldness. Mighty woe! In what sense has he conquered, who in having conquered, hath yet been the more overcome, whom his own pride hath conquered? How doubly great is the loss of him also that loseth his suit, who by disputing loseth it and by envy too, with perfect loss! Whoso hath entangled his fellow by searchings, him hath haughtiness entangled as in a pit-fall6. O great humiliation!
One is filled with wrath, another with strife, which [leads to] endless evils7. And what hope is there for them that have lost all hope? Let us weep that they have been daring against God and against men, that they may hoodwink them by vain babbling. The headiness on earth goeth into heaven; the earth is disturbed8: disputation fumeth up as a smoke. The Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens9 are unproductive of disputation, and the caverns of earth are full of the blasphemy. The Heaven distributeth over things beneath dew and rain, streams that are full of all good things. The earth hangs the things above with all sorts of questionings, with disputation that is full of all blasphemies. The things of clay have clashed, by their disputings, with their handiworks, and have fallen upon the earth and become dust!
Ten thousand times ten thousand Angels10 are still, and two are prying; the soul and the body are in disturbance. Still is Michael and Gabriel too, and dust disputeth and ashes too. O heavy wrath! Sicknesses pressed on us: their words ceased, as by the prospect of death11 have their scrutinizings and disputings also. Praise12 be to Thee, Lord, because that Thou hast restrained me from such scrutinizing as all the bold disputers use, that I may live before Thee.
Notes
- R. lix. §. 5.
- R. xxxviii. §. 2.
- See 1 Sam. 22, 7. and on Athan. p. 190. n. c. R. lxiv. §. 1.
- comp. R. lvi. §. 2.
- p. 325, n. b.
- R. xliv. §. 6.
- R. lviii. §. 5.
- R. liii. §. 2.
- p. 242, n. e. and R. lii. §. 2.
- R. iv. and v.
- S. by means of their end
- See p. 228, n. c. Vol. iii. p. 521. “O Lord my God, whom I have confessed, do not Thou deny me in that fearful day, when each man will need forgiveness! O do not say unto me, I know thee not, in that fearful time in the which Thou art to judge me! Have mercy on me, O Lord, after Thy goodness, and make me to stand at Thy right hand with the just that have loved Thee!”