(Continuation: The Commandments in general)

[2] It is said by some that he who sins against one commandment of the Decalogue sins also against the rest, thus that he who is guilty of one is guilty of all. It shall be told how far this is in harmony with the truth. When a man transgresses one commandment, by confirming with himself that it is not a sin, thus without fear of God, he commits it; because he has thus rejected the fear of God he does not fear to transgress the rest of the commandments, although he may not do this in act. [3] For example, when one does not regard frauds and illicit gains, which in themselves are thefts, as sins, neither does he regard as a sin adultery with the wife of another, hating a man even to murder, lying about him, coveting his house and other things belonging to him; for when he rejects from his heart in any one commandment the fear of God he denies that anything is a sin; consequently he is in communion with those who in like manner transgress the other commandments. He is like an infernal spirit who is in a hell of thieves; and although he is not an adulterer, nor a murderer, nor a false witness, yet he is in communion with such, and can be persuaded by them to believe that such things are not evils, and can be led to do them. For he who has become an infernal spirit through the transgression of one commandment, no longer believes it to be a sin to do anything against God or anything against the neighbor. [4] But the opposite is true of those who abstain from the evil forbidden in one commandment, and who shun and afterwards turn away from it as a sin against God. Because such fear God, they come into communion with the angels of heaven, and are led by the Lord to abstain from the evils forbidden in the other commandments and to shun them, and finally to turn away from them as sins; and if perchance they have sinned against them, yet they repent and thus by degrees are withdrawn from them.

APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 17. 1. And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven vials and spoke with me, saying unto me, Come, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters;

2. With whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom. 3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom. 5. And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth. 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; and when I saw her I wondered with great wonder. 7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns. 8. The beast that thou sawest was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast that was and is not, and yet is. 9. This is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sitteth upon them. 10. And they are seven kings; the five have fallen, and the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he is come he must remain a short time. 11. And the beast which was and is not is himself the eighth, and is of the seven, and he goeth into perdition. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom; but they receive authority as kings one hour with the beast. 13. These have one mind, and shall give over their power and authority unto the beast. 14. These shall fight with the Lamb; but the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; also those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. 15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her up with fire. 17. For God gave into their hearts to do His mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be consummated. 18. And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which hath a kingdom over the kings of the earth.