290 



Life and Writings of Father Bescht 



[APRIt 



** As the wealth of the rich is necessary to the poor and as the industry 

 of these is necessary to those, so wealth and poverty resemble the two 

 hands, uniting the several classes of mankind ; if the virtuous ivere always 

 seen rejoicing in prosperity and sinners weeping in adversity ^ they looxdd 

 then deny the retribution for good and evil at the last day. 



" That we might understand that the prosperity of this world is not 

 constant and that the felicity of heaven is eternal, we know not, said Jo' 

 seph, at our birth whether we are born to high rank and fortune, hut, if 

 desirous of attaining the unequalled joys of heaven, we know at our death 

 that they will be in proportion to the works we have performed during life^"* 



" O learned man worthy of all praise,'' said Sivasiven, " as the wise 

 assure zis that unavoidable effects proceed from the deeds of former births., 

 can it be said that thei^e is not an inevitable destiny f Then Joseph, de- 

 sirous to satisfy all his doubts, however difficult to clear up, answered thus ; 



" When the nature of that which the wise have called the effect of former 

 acts is rightly perpended, can it, as thou hast affirmed, be considered as 

 proceeding from a prescribed destiny ? Listen sedulously to the explication 

 of the exalted faith taught by the Lord. 



" If there be a prescribed destiny it is impossible to avoid it; all crooked 

 actions, therefore, must be considered as the fault of destiny, not the fault 

 of the mind which it affects; all virtuous actions, also, must be referred to 

 destiny and cannot be considered as virtues of the mind; consequently^ 

 neither virtue, nor vice can be attributed to men. 



" To demonstrate that which is called the effect of former acts not to he 

 destiny as thou thinkest it, I will declare, as it is stated in the scriptures of 

 the true religion, what occurred, when the impartial God created mankind^ 

 to those who had forfeited their lives'' 



iVo^e.— Here follows an account of the fall of Adam and Eve, which 

 eoncludes with the two following verses. 



" As poison swallowed by the mouth spreadeth agony through all the limbs, 

 so we, their children, are born to the evils arising from sin, by which we are 

 afflicted in consequence of the acts of our common parents, and to the pains 

 caused by mental confusion proceeding from an overclouded undei^standing ; 

 vexed by the hand of sorrow, we receive the whole fruit of their acts. 



" The period of the creation of our common parents, here mentioned, 

 the illustrious sages have called the former birth, and the acts done by them 

 in ancient time, the evil effects of which we experience, they have called the 

 effects of former acts ; besides that which is here stated, there is no prescrib- 

 ed destiny, nor effects from former acts, nor, after men have been horn 

 and have died, are they liable to any future birth." 



