Advice and wishes to those who stand true for the fatherland and, on the contrary, to those who have censure

1. Then the good and all-good God, by his one goodness, created all creation and finally man, then from the beginning the apostate and leader of evil the devil, envious of man, used many intrigues against him, first deceiving him under the guise of friendship, and removed him from God’s common submission and grace; and immediately death came to him, driven out from the former beauty and first fatherland of Eden and its divine sweetness. After he removed him from God, his protector in thousands of other misfortunes, he became his enemy, as always hating and slandering and (never) satisfied with human misfortunes. And he encourages him to kill his brother, who did not offend [him] at all; he teaches him and pushes him to murder; then he desecrated it with all sorts of iniquities, because of which floods, fires, drownings, captivities, famine and disease and all kinds of wrath and sorrow came to people; and there was not one to help, neither from the righteous, nor from the patriarchs, nor the law, nor the teachings and sufferings of the prophets. 2. When, by his great (his) goodness, the Only Begotten Word of God came to us and was visible as one from us and, because of superior love, gave Himself up in our place to insults and dishonor, lashes and, finally, accepted death on the cross and through suffering and death He offered His all-holy soul and body as a gift to the Father, and by His resurrection He gave us perfect life and rescued us from slavery to the devil and idolatrous flattery, and brought through Himself those removed from God back to the Father, and previously alienated by mankind He made His own sons of God and gods by grace, then from the beginning the murderer again did not cease to envy these our blessings; which is why, raging in every possible way against our salvation, on all sorts of convenient occasions he raised up many enemies against us and sometimes the leaders of heresies, sometimes he raised up tyrants against piety. But not one of them prevailed: for Jesus Christ, the mighty God, the Living Power of the Father, laid Himself as the foundation of His Church, and He always preserved and preserves this unharmed, and “the gates of hell,” as He said, did not prevail against this and “will not prevail” (Matthew 16:18). 3. However, the enemy of Him and us who are His does not always cease to be an enemy, “like a lion roaring” against us, as Peter said. And after numerous terrible (acts) against us, as we have already said, he finally raised his stronger war in many madness and found the wicked and nasty people of the godless Hagarians, rejoicing in unbridledness and mired in foul language and therefore corresponding (to him) and worthy of his madness, bloodthirsty wickedness, will and wickedness, over which he voluntarily became contrary to his nature, since he fell from heaven and through pride has fallen from divine glory - he is miserably mocked. Therefore, he, who enjoys robberies, murders, robberies and blood in accordance with the very first murderer, raised him up against us. And now, in recent times, when, as it is written, love has cooled and the fruit of virtue has diminished, a stronger war...; and against us, Christians, he breathes daily and often, enslaving us, violently killing and persecuting, using all his rage towards the Creator against us, and destroying almost everything. Just as He left him to the evil one, who from the beginning was not such, but was voluntarily revealed by self-will, so that only evil would remain and the glorious would be revealed by self-will, becoming against the evil one, and so that they would actually become righteous and justly justified, so now, so that Christ’s elect would appear rewarded among the wicked, they would turn out to be martyrs and confessors according to their rank. 4. But this is also why he is allowed, because (some) of us pious and wonderful Christians have abandoned everything useful and especially the peace and beauty of love and even more zeal for Christ and His people. And now there is almost no one to stand up for the piety and faith of Christ our God and there is no one brave enough to fight or endure torment or any kind of carnal sorrow, as initially true and real Christians, persecuted, “sorrowfully, embittered,” as Paul said, consumed by famine and, enduring daily and almost killed, rejoiced in persecution for Christ. But now everyone has loved earthly wealth and carnal food, defilement and abomination, the cursed pagan life that abhors purity, and also the transient and fleeting prosperity and sweetness of the infidels. And the worst thing is that for the sake of this relief to the decaying and mortal body, or better yet, the fierce and corruptible, they, oh madness, completely insane, please the pagans, the atheists, the nasty, and love these essences of unclean life and consider it best to eat their cattle food, and, oh, woe! turn out to be their friends, slaves and helpers. And they act against their fellow tribesmen, most of all against piety itself, and those who are called Christians persecute Christ, and are not ashamed, calling themselves Christians, to speak out against fellow Christians and rush against the saints of Christ and, more than the infidels, to commit lawlessness and to do what is hated by God and to insult what is sacred and pertaining to the faith more than the enemies of Christ. 5. Therefore, we have diminished in all and are the most miserable on earth today because of our lawless deeds and sins and other sins. And if God, who is always slow to suffer, had not been patient, they would have perished completely and become like Sodom and Gomorrah. However, for the sake of one more correct confession of ours, the Lord unites us and for our sake preserves the high priesthood and the pious Kingdom, expecting for the sake of our right faith and some fruit. For it is not faith alone that saves, as the Brother of God teaches us, saying that “faith without works is dead.” Therefore, the two chosen cities themselves, with a few others - I mean Constantinople and Thessalonica - were enclosed for us in the repository of piety and are preserved to this day by the grace of God. And he did not submit to the enemies of Christ at all, being saved by the All-Tsarina, the Ever-Virgin Mother of God; This same one, having been together in small slavery for education and testing [and as] payment [for our sins], for we had sinned, again through the fervent prayers of his great guardian Demetrius threw off slavery, and having escaped the hands of tyrants, he saw the free light and openly proclaimed piety. And this was a great miracle. For just as God had previously saved the Israelites through Moses, so He saved this city through Demetrius. 6. And may he preserve him to the end, although the common enemy, always raging against us, rages against him and terribly rebels and raises temptations, wanting to enslave him and not bearing the success of us - the pious and the Orthodox confession and a clean life. From where thousands of misfortunes came to us, from that our enemies withdrew from us, God allowed their continuous attacks and hunger and illness, groaning, imprisonment and myriads of other misfortunes, that we irritate the good God and are ungrateful to the benefactor, exalting ourselves with gifts and using for evil what was given to us by the Lord of all. However, my brothers, I ask you to show our steadfastness and strength in faith, and to endure sickness and cramped need and any insult for Christ, just as the first (Christians) endured for Him “the plunder of your goods with joy,” as Paul testifies. Therefore, even now, endure with joy, waiting, as Paul again says, “to have for yourself the best and abiding possessions in heaven” for the divine gifts and charisms. “Do not put off your confidence” and praise in Christ, both now and in the future. After all, many times in experience you have endured unshakably many sorrows for piety and seemed motionless, and to this day, I hope, you are like that by the power of Christ. 7. So, all of you remain in the same thought and be ready, I ask, at a convenient time, if possible, to shed your blood for our piety and not fall into slavery to wicked enemies. And none of you will, I trust in Christ, think anything other than this. If there are some who have a different opinion, when the enemy and slanderer fights with reproach - as I pray - and wickedly accept and consider it good the slavery of Christians to the enemies of Christ and our God, and this multitude is so great and the city is so great and populous, in which there are so many sacred churches, as many holy dwellings of priests and monks and Christians - men and women and children, an innumerable collection through which cities and many of the enslaved the wicked are freed through torment and the gift is offered to Christ, many come from unbelief to faith and come to know the true faith and recognize Christ as God. However, some also consider the betrayal of this city to be a good thing and they want and absolutely strive to enslave this city to the wicked. They are not Christians, but apostates from God, worse than the wicked and more vile and crafty than the traitor Judas himself. After all, Judas physically betrayed the Savior, and the passion of the Lord and death became our salvation, and the Savior became even more glorified and exalted, having conquered for us in suffering and giving us resurrection; and those who betray Christians to wicked and godless enemies betray their souls into destruction and wickedness, doing worse than Judas. For they, because of their devoted brothers, often betray Christ and grieve Him even more, who does not want to perish even one of the little ones. And they are worse than all the godless tyrants who kill saints, because tyrants take revenge on saints, unable to persuade them to wickedness, and by killing martyrs they fulfilled their duty; These same Christians are betrayed into slavery, and their souls are enslaved to atheism and are guilty of ruined souls. And if the one who betrays one and the one who seduces one is guilty of such an important punishment, then the one who betrays the city and so many souls to wickedness, what kind of retribution is not worthy? Therefore, those guilty of this reject Christ and act against His holy sacraments and blaspheme everything Christian. 8. Therefore, our moderation, thinking about the piety and salvation of Christians, and having an inevitable concern for this city and the souls in it, and being ardently jealous for all its saints, calls on everyone to nobly endure the coming torment for the glory of Christ, and so that no soul-destroying traitor is discovered [among you], to fight for each of you and for the freedom of your homes and for all your brothers in the love of Christ. If anyone is found to have given himself over to the enemy and become his instrument, plotting or scheming in favor of the wicked, considering their power and dominion to be good, and desiring to betray this city and the faithful in it to the wicked, trying or willing or facilitating this, whether in this city or outside, if in any rank or position or honorable degree, let him be anathema, and let part of him be with the traitor Judas and those who crucified the Lord, and from above may wrath and sorrow come upon him, rage and great retribution and a bodily scourge and his family will always be despised. But our measuredness in the Holy Spirit reminds him, whoever he is, [that he will be] under endless and terrible excommunication from the holy and consubstantial Trinity as a traitor of souls, a murderer and an attacker; and will never find this deliverance if he does not first abandon such an abominable attempt. 9. Now our measure, for the sake of caution and attention, has set out in writing (all this) for this sacred flock of Christ and the faithful everywhere, whom I call and ask to stand up and be steadfast for the truth and our only Christian faith to defend to death for the sake of the souls of our children and the homes of our children and for the sake of the glory of Christ, Who, I hope, will accept (you) as His martyrs and fighters, and will crown you with His confessors and show you His kingdom as heirs with those who fought for Him, by His grace and mercy. 10. And this is now the end. Advice is equally about standing for Christ and the fatherland, and reproach for those who think in favor of the wicked 1. To all who live in this Christ-loving city of Thessalonica, most faithful servants of Christ, beloved children in the Lord of our measure, may grace, peace and blessing be upon you, freedom from all temptation and deliverance from all sorrow and need and circumstance; and may the giving of every good thing to you be multiplied from the consubstantial and indivisible and unmerged Trinity, our one God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2. I thank for you, brothers, the One God Himself in the Trinity, seeing your zeal and pure faith in Christ our God and perseverance and patience in many circumstances. So, rejoice in the Lord, rejoice and be glad that you endure and endure everything for Christ and that you will gain much reward for this. And let no one catch you in this, nor let anyone deceive you, that you who remain have no reward. For I assure you that you will have the same reward as the martyrs. After all, just as they fought and disobeyed so as not to blaspheme Christ, so you also testify with your conscience and patience of sorrows, so that the name of Christ is not blasphemed in your city. And just as many of the saints suffered disasters, fought, teaching piety, and made many of the unbelievers pious, so you also strive so that none of the pious husbands or wives or children perish or be in danger because of the faith. And just as many of the saints laid down their souls for their brothers and did not give up those hiding, while others betrayed themselves instead of those who were persecuted or in danger, so you also lay down your souls for the Christians hiding in this city, [after all] many of the captives are freed and many receive weakening, since you suffer and grieve. And many of the saints destroyed idol churches and the tyrants did not want to restore [them], nor demand an obol for it, and they disobeyed in this and are martyrs; You have preserved your fatherland not destroyed by the enemies of Christ and our God, and the sacred churches and holy monasteries and all their sacred things, keep them undefiled from the godless. And equal reward will be given to you and to the fighters; and blessed are you, suffering for Christ. 3. And those who don’t think like that are pathetic. If anyone considers the life of the wicked and the food of the flesh to be good, he falls away from the blessings of heaven. There is no inheritance for us in this life, brothers, no. Our Lord was crucified and was despised for us and endured unspeakable trials, reproaches and sorrows and innocent death. And he says about us: “in this world you will have sorrow” and “if they persecute Me, they will persecute you too” and “you will be hated by everyone for My name’s sake” and “save your souls through your patience.” So, when we suffer, we are not surprised, because we are Christians, and just as Christ suffered, [so] we also need to suffer so that we may be glorified with Him; as the divine Paul writes, “before we have suffered with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him” and “we are not worthy of the passions of this present time for the glory that desires to be revealed in us” and “rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven,” said the Lord. 4. And who is worthy of these? for we endure most of our sins for our own sake and even more because of cowardice, since because of our negligence we endure all these sorrows. Or don’t you know that because of negligence, this city was almost in danger of being attacked by the wicked Musa, and when the need came, because of negligence they sent envoys to the godless, which was an even greater guilt, why are we now suffering? Therefore, negligence, cowardice and careless tongues are not stopped by the multiplication of sorrows and the daring actions of our enemies and take away all hope from us and hinder the good of the world. Let's see it this way. After all, if cowardice or negligence were in pious Constantinople in those greatest long-term dangers, where would [the stronghold] of our piety be? Isn’t the strength of our Orthodoxy damaged, diminished, or abandoned? Will not the [stronghold] of the Church submit, as in Egypt and Jerusalem, and Antioch and other places? How many Christians are there now, how many bishops and priests and monastics? Have we not become greatly humbled and despised by the godless? We also see all the eastern cities that have become devastated and completely uninhabited by Christians; and where are some Christians, ridiculed, despised every day and belittled. And in the West we see cities disappearing little by little. After all, the persecution continues, and this wicked people is truly the forerunner of the Antichrist and portrays the serpent who deceived Adam. On the one hand, he pretends to be a friend and falsely promises sweetness and freedom; on the other hand, it enslaves, kills and completely corrupts and, finally, forces God to blaspheme. 5. Therefore, let us nobly stand up for Christ. This city from the beginning is the head of piety after the first and reigning: it preserves Christians here, preserves them in the West - for due to some weakening they rejoice - preserves them on the islands, protects the queen of cities, and is the hand of Orthodoxy and a good helper. Therefore, we will take care of him with all our might and lay down our souls for him; and we will fight for ourselves and the brothers around us. 6. So, now I am confident in Christ, as all of you are extremely right, to remain around the fatherland and the unshakable good and not one of you will want, even if someone were passionate, to betray this God-saved and Christ-loving city of yours to the wicked and enemies of Christ. And to those who stand so beautifully, I promise earthly and heavenly blessings from the most good Lord. If anyone, through the malice of a lying and crafty demon, thinks and desires anything else about this, or tries to betray this pious and great city to the wicked, let this city be alien to God and be reckoned with the wicked. And our moderation exposes this one, whoever he is, to a terrible and impenetrable separation from the Holy Trinity, and his fate with the traitor Judas and those who crucified Christ. And so I speak and declare how I am appointed by Christ’s mercy to be the shepherd of this flock of His and having the need to take care of it and enduring for its sake many sufferings and sorrows and not wanting to harm anyone, even the least of them, in any way completely and to anyone else from all sorts of Christians who seem most insignificant or from outside this [city] - for what? – wherever you are. After all, the whole world is not worthy of one soul. Therefore, all of you, brothers, stand in the faith and defense of your pious fatherland in Christ. Take heart, be strong, may God’s blessing and mercy, resolution of fears and complete salvation come to you. 7. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and love and peace and rich mercy for the sake of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Ever-Virgin Mary and our defender and guardian of the city, myrrh-streaming in torment and chosen among the saints and great in miracles, Demetrius, be with you all. Amen. You might be interested in: