The teacher was sorry to lose a pupil who was doing him credit, Juvenal too was sorry, but sorriest of all was Julius. But nothing would induce Pamphilius to remain, and after thanking his friends for their love and care, he took his leave.
Two years passed. Julius had finished his studies and during all that time had not once seen his friend.
One day however he met him in the street, invited him to his home, and began asking him how and where he was living. Pamphilius told him that he and his mother were still living in the same place.
‘We are not living alone,’ said he, ‘but among many friends with whom we have everything in common.’
‘How “in common”?’ inquired Julius.
‘So that none of us considers anything his own.’
‘Why do you do that?’
‘We are Christians,’ said Pamphilius.
‘Is it possible?’ exclaimed Julius. ‘Why, I have heard that the Christians kill children and eat them! Is it possible that you take part in that?’
For to be a Christian in those days was the same thing as in our days to be an anarchist. As soon as a man was convicted of being a Christian he was immediately thrown into prison, and if he did not renounce his faith, was executed.
‘Come and see,’ replied Pamphilius. ‘We do not do anything strange. We live simply, trying to do nothing bad.’
‘But how can you live if you do not consider anything your own?’
‘We manage to live. If we work for our brethren they do the same for us.’
‘But if your brethren take your labour and do not give you theirs – how then?’
‘There are none of that sort,’ said Pamphilius. ‘Such people like to live in luxury and will not come to us. Our life is simple and not luxurious.’
‘But there are plenty of lazy people who would be glad to be fed for nothing.’
‘There are such, and we receive them gladly. Lately a man of that kind came to us, a runaway slave. At first, it is true, he was lazy and led a bad life, but he soon changed his habits, and has now become a good brother.’
‘But suppose he had not improved?’
‘There are such, too, and our Elder, Cyril, says that we should treat these as our most valued brethren, and love them even more.’
‘How can one love a good-for-nothing fellow?’
‘One cannot help but love a man!’
‘But how can you give to all whatever they ask?’ queried Julius. ‘If my father gave to all who ask he would very soon have nothing left.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ replied Pamphilius. ‘We have enough left for our needs, and if it happens that we have nothing to eat or to wear, we ask of others and they give to us. But that happens rarely. It only once happened to me to go to bed supperless, and then only because I was very tired and did not wish to go to ask for anything.’
‘I don’t know how you manage,’ said Julius, ‘but my father says that if you don’t save what you have, and if you give to all who ask, you will yourself die of hunger.’
‘We don’t! Come and see. We live, and not only do not suffer want, but even have plenty to spare.’
‘How is that?’
‘Why, this way. We all profess one and the same faith, but the strength to fulfil it differs in each of us. One has more and another less of it. One has advanced much in the true path of life, while another is only just beginning it. In front of us all stands Christ with his life, and we all try to emulate him and see our welfare in that alone. Some of us, like the Elder Cyril and his wife Pelagia, are leaders, others stand behind them, others again are still farther behind, but we are all following the same path. Those in front already approach a fulfilment of Christ’s law – self-renunciation and readiness to lose their life to save it. These desire nothing. They do not spare themselves, and in accord with Christ’s law are ready to give the last of their possessions to those who ask. Others are feebler, they weaken and are sorry for themselves when they lack their customary clothing and food, and they do not give away everything. There are others who are still weaker – such as have only recently started on the path. These still live in the old way, keeping much for themselves, and only giving away their superfluities. And it is these hindmost people who give the largest material assistance to those in the van. Besides this, we are all of us entangled by our relationships with the pagans. One man’s father is a pagan who has property and gives to his son. The son gives to those who ask, but then the father again gives to him. Another has a pagan mother who is sorry for her son and helps him. A third is the mother of pagan children, who take care of her and give her things, begging her not to give them away, and she takes what they give her out of love for them, but still gives to others. A fourth has a pagan wife and a fifth a pagan husband. So we are all entangled, and the foremost, who would gladly give away their all, are not able to do so. That is why our life does not prove too hard for those weak in the faith, and why it happens that we have much that is superfluous.’
To this Julius said:
‘But if that is so, then you fail to observe Christ’s teaching and only pretend to do so. If you do not give up everything there is no difference between you and us. To my mind if a man is a Christian he ought to fulfil Christ’s whole law – give up everything and become a pauper.’
‘That would be best of all,’ said Pamphilius. ‘Why do you not do it?’
‘Yes, I will when I see you do it.’
‘We don’t want to do anything for show. And I don’t advise you to come to us and renounce your present way of life for the sake of appearances. We act as we do not for appearances, but according to our faith.’
‘What does “according to our faith” mean?’
‘ “According to our faith” means that salvation from the evils of the world, from death, is only to be found in a life according to the teaching of Christ. We are indifferent to what people may say of us. We act as we do not for men’s approval, but because in this alone do we see life and welfare.’
‘It is impossible not to live for oneself,’ said Julius. ‘The gods themselves have implanted it in us that we love ourselves more than others and seek pleasure for ourselves. And you do the same. You yourself say that some among you have pity on themselves. They will seek pleasures for themselves more and more, and will more and more abandon your faith and behave just as we do.’
‘No,’ said Pamphilius, ‘our brethren are travelling another path and will not weaken but will grow ever stronger, just as a fire will never go out when more wood is laid on it. That is our faith.’
‘I don’t understand what this faith of yours is!’
‘Our faith consists in this, that we understand life as Christ has explained it to us.’
‘How is that?’
‘Christ once told this parable. Certain men kept a vineyard and had to pay rent to its owner. That is, we men who live in the world must pay rent to God by doing His will. But these men, in accord with their worldly belief, considered that the vineyard was theirs and that they need pay no rent for it, but had only to enjoy its fruits. The owner sent a messenger to them to collect the rent, but they drove him away. Then the owner sent his son, but him they killed, thinking that after that no one would disturb them. That is the faith of the world by which all worldly people live who do not acknowledge that life is only given us that we may serve God. But Christ has taught us that this worldly belief – that it is better for man if he drives the messenger and the owner’s son out of the vineyard and avoids paying the rent – is a false one, for there is no avoiding the fact that we must either pay the rent or be driven out of the garden. He has taught us that all the things we call pleasures – eating, drinking, and merry-making – cannot be pleasures if we devote our lives to them, but are pleasures only when we are seeking something else – to live a life in conformity with the will of God. Only then do these pleasures follow as a natural reward of the fulfilment of His will. To wish to take the pleasures without the labour of fulfilling God’s will – to tear the pleasures away from duty – is the same as to tear up a flower and replant it without its roots. We believe this, and so we cannot follow error when we see the truth. Our faith is that the good of life is not in its pleasures but in the fulfilment of God’s will, without any thought of present or future pleasures. And the longer we live the more we see that the pleasures and the good come in the wake of a fulfilment of God’s will, as a wheel follows the shafts. Our Teacher said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ ”