defile the spirit. When, therefore, it had
lived nobly and purely, and had laboured with the Spirit, and worked
with it in every deed, behaving with power and bravery, he chose it as
companion with the Holy Spirit; for the conduct {114} of this flesh
pleased him, because it was not defiled while it was bearing the Holy
Spirit on earth. Therefore he took the Son[10] and the glorious angels
as counsellors, that this flesh also, having served the Spirit
blamelessly, should have some place of sojourn, and not seem to have
lost the reward of its service. For all flesh in which the Holy Spirit
has dwelt shall receive the reward if it be found undefiled and
spotless. You have the explanation of this parable also."

These passages clearly represent God as having a Son who is the
pre-existent Spirit. This Spirit is sent into human beings but leaves
them if they are guilty of any misconduct. In the case of one man,
however, who is not named but is obviously intended to be Jesus, the
Spirit found complete obedience. The result was that the Father
proposed to the Son, that is the Spirit, and to the counsellors, that
is the angels, that this human being or flesh as Hermas calls it,
should be exalted and glorified and put on an equality with the Son.
This was done, and the implication of the book is that the same
opportunity is offered to all others who are willing to follow their
Lord. It is interesting to notice that, though it would be an abuse of
language, it might be said that Hermas has a doctrine of the Trinity,
but that his Trinity does not consist of Father, Son, and Spirit, {115}
but of Father, pre-existent Son, that is the Spirit, and adopted Son,
that is Jesus. The exact details, however, of the relations subsisting
between those three is a question more easily asked than answered, and
the next investigator of Hermas will have to consider it very
carefully. It is at present only possible to define the problem. As
was said above, Hermas seems to imply that the Spirit existed from the
beginning alongside of the Father, but he also implies the existence of
many other good spirits opposed to the army of demons who people the
world. These good spirits seem at times to be identified with angels,
and the question will have some day to be discussed afresh of the
relation of these spirits to the Spirit who is the Son of God and of
both to the angels. Moreover, the question cannot be solved without
taking into account