History of the Orthodox Church before the division of churches began

Contents Preface Contents of the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles Chapter I. The command of the Lord Jesus Christ Chapter II. Pentecost Chapter III. The first miracle: healing of a man lame from birth Chapter IV. The malice and annoyance of the Sadducees Chapter V. The Apostle Peter denounces Ananias and Sapphira for lying. God's punishment befalls them Chapter VI. The murmur of the Hellenists, dissatisfied with the distribution of benefits distributed daily by the apostles from the common treasury Chapter VII. Stephen's Speech Chapter VIII. There stood a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58). Saul approved of his murder (Acts 8:1) Chapter IX. Saul Chapter X. Vision of the Roman centurion Cornelius: He clearly saw in a vision about the ninth hour of the day the Angel of God, who came to him and said to him: Cornelius!.. your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God... call Simon, who is called Peter... he will tell you the words by which you and your whole house will be saved (Acts 10:3-6) Chapter XI. The apostles, upon Peter's return to Jerusalem, reproach him for his communication with the pagans Chapter XII. The persecution of the apostles is intensifying Chapter XIII. Barnabas and Saul, by the revelation of God, are appointed to a great service: The Holy Spirit said: Set apart Barnabas and Saul for Me for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2) Chapter XIV. Miracle in Lystra: Paul heals a man lame from birth with his word Chapter XV. The Jews are raising the question of circumcision and submission to the Law of Moses of pagans who accept Christianity. To clarify and finally resolve this important issue, a Council is convened Chapter XVI. Paul, taking with him Silas and his new disciple Timothy, continues the work of evangelizing in Asia Minor until they are called by the Lord in a night vision to evangelize in Macedonia Chapter XVII. Paul preaches the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea: And many of them believed, and of the Greeks there were honorable women and not a few of the men (Acts 17:12) Chapter XVIII. Paul in Corinth Chapter XIX. Paul again in Ephesus Chapter XX. In Troas he resurrects the young man Eutyches Chapter XXI. All along the way, in different cities, Paul's disciples beg him not to go to Jerusalem Chapter XXII. Paul, standing on the stairs, gave a sign to the people with his hand; and when there was deep silence, he began to speak in the Hebrew language like this (Acts. 21:40): Hear now my justification before you (Acts 22:1) Chapter XXIII. Paul, fixing his gaze on the Sanhedrin, said: Men and brethren! I have lived with all my good conscience before God until this day... I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; for the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am judged (Acts 23: 1, 6) Chapter XXIV. Paul's accusers also rush to Caesarea Chapter XXV. Felix's successor, ruler Festus Chapter XXVI. Paul's speech to King Agrippa. He finds out the reasons for the persecution of the Jews against him: And now I stand before judgment for the hope of the promise given from God to our fathers (Acts 26: 6), points to the visions and revelations by which he was called to his great ministry: “...I now send you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and through faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a lot with those who are sanctified” (Acts. 26: 17, 18) Chapter XXVII. Paul is entrusted with other prisoners to the centurion Julius and sails to Italy Chapter XXVIII. The ship runs aground I. Rome First persecution. Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul II. Holy Apostles III. Holy Apostolic Men IV. The Fall of Jerusalem V. The Fight against Paganism Apologists VI. Persecution Holy martyrs and martyrs VII. Emperor Constantine the Great VIII. First Ecumenical Council of Arius IX. The fight against Arianism Death of Constantine X. Continuation of the fight against Arianism St. Athanasius XI. Churches and worship XII. Monasticism XIII. The youth of Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian XIV. Julian the Apostate XV. Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian Second Ecumenical Council XVI. Saint John Chrysostom XVII. Ecumenical Councils Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth XVIII. Fathers of the Western Church Saint Ambrose, Blessed Augustine and Blessed Jerome XIX. Mohammedanism XX. Iconoclasm Seventh Ecumenical Council. John of Damascus XXI. The spread of Christianity outside the Roman Empire XXII. Fall of the Western Roman Empire XXIII. Rise of papal power Beginning of the division of churches The task of this work is simple and will be understandable to every truly Christian soul; This task is to instill in students a love for the Church, to teach them to love her consciously because she has overcome everything and preserved within herself that holy fire that the Savior Himself came to bring down to earth! This fire burns to this day, and, God willing, even this small book will be able to ignite it in young hearts, when after reading it they will understand the feeling of tenderness and gratitude for the fact that our Church has been preserved to us in all its beauty! It is sad and offensive if, when thinking about the “History of the Church,” one comes up with the idea of ​​memorizing well-known facts arranged in a certain order, such as: a sequential listing of the seven Ecumenical Councils, indicating the purpose of each, etc. The history of the Church must be imprinted not in just one memory, but in the heart of everyone, as a mysterious story of suffering for the sake of great endless love. We must remember that all those who endured to the end in struggle and suffering endured not only for the sake of the name of God, but inseparably for the sake of His Church: just as in pagan times the most terrible persecutions could not eradicate the open confession of the Lord, so in the times of iconoclasm no terrible persecutions could force one to renounce the holy icons, when the Church consecrated them, could not silence those wonderful hymns, which, precisely during the persecution, were composed with such love in honor of these icons. With the proper attitude to the history of the Church, the great significance of the Church itself will be reflected in its entirety and it will become clear that nothing can crush it and that it is now the same as it was in those distant times - the source of our best joy and our only earthly treasure. Our story begins with a description of Rome at the time when the holy Apostle Paul arrived in Rome for the last time, and ends at the time when our newly enlightened country was first mentioned in history, and the history of the Russian Orthodox Church immediately becomes identical and inseparable with the history of the Russian people. In our story we do not touch upon the history of the Apostolic Church, the very first years of the ministry of the apostles, without considering ourselves entitled to paraphrase the stories of the apostles themselves. Our book is intended for teachers' schools: the children of these schools are already familiar with the book of Acts, let them get used to finding a simple inspired story right in this holy book about how the history of the Church developed from the very moment it received the Holy Spirit. Let the idea of ​​these first years of the growth of the Church remain in all its purity, without the admixture of our words... What can we subtract or add, for example, in the majestic picture of the conversion of Saul? It is better to preserve sacred words for the mind, the heart, and the ear in the inviolable holiness of the “Word of God,” in the entire composition of that book in which they “shine with radiant beauty.” Contents of the book of Acts of the Holy Apostles Chapter I. Command of the Lord Jesus Christ He commanded them: do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what was promised from the Father... for John baptized with water, and a few days after this you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,5). And you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. Having said this, He rose up in their sight, and a cloud took Him out of their sight (Acts 1:8, 9). Waiting in prayer and praying for the promise to be fulfilled. Election of a new apostle to the apostolic ministry: the lot falls on Matter. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. And suddenly there was a sound from heaven, as if from a rushing strong wind... And divided tongues, as if of fire, appeared to them, and one rested on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:2-4). Peter's powerful word: he gives a whole series of prophecies that clearly point to the events that have just happened, and in conclusion calls the people to repentance: repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call (Acts 2:38, 39). The people are touched in their hearts: on this very day about 3,000 souls are baptized. Believers remain in love and prayer, and every day those who are saved are added to the Church. Chapter III. First miracle: healing of a man lame from birth Amazement and fear of the people. Peter again turns his speech to the people: why are you amazed at this, or why do you look at us, as if we had done by our strength or piety that he walks?.. And for the sake of faith in His name, His name strengthened this one whom you see and know, and the faith that came from Him granted him this healing before you all, and again ends this speech with a call to repentance of those who, out of ignorance, crucified Christ: God, having raised the Son He sent His Jesus to you first to bless you, turning everyone away from your evil deeds... Repent therefore and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3: 12, 16, 19,20,26). Chapter IV. The anger and frustration of the Sadducees The apostles are taken into custody. The high priests Annas, Caiaphas and others, calling the apostles, demand that they confess by whose authority they performed the miracle. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, gives the answer: then let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him he has been set before you in health (Acts 4:10). The high priests, perplexed by the courage of these simple, unlearned people and unable to refute the obvious miracle, decide to release the apostles, forbidding them to teach about the name of Jesus. But Peter and John unanimously raised their voices to God and said: Sovereign God, who created heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them! And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness (Acts 4:24, 29). A great multitude of people believed, and those who believed had one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). Chapter V. The Apostle Peter denounces Ananias and Sapphira for lying. God's punishment befalls them Miracles of healing continue, the people glorify the apostles. The envy of the high priests and Sadducees increases. The apostles, by their order, were imprisoned. The angel of the Lord leads them out of prison at night: he said: go, and stand in the church, speak to the people all these words of life (Acts 5: 19, 20). The Sanhedrin was surprised and furious when they learned that the imprisoned apostles were free and preaching in the church. Apostles before the Sanhedrin. Bold answers of Peter and the other apostles to the question of the high priest: have we not firmly forbidden you to teach about this name? - bring the anger of the Sanhedrin to its extreme limits. They are planning to kill them. The famous teacher of the law Gamaliel, with his reasonable speech, rejects the members of the Sanhedrin from their intention to lay hands on the apostles. The apostles joyfully endure the dishonor of beatings in the name of the Lord Jesus. Released with a repetition of the prohibition to speak about Christ, they continue to openly preach the word of God, and the number of believers is increasing. Chapter VI. The murmur of the Hellenists, dissatisfied with the distribution of benefits distributed daily by the apostles from the common treasury The apostles decide to appoint 7 deacons to this particular ministry, so that they themselves can remain in prayer and the ministry of the word. Ordination of Stephen, Philip and five other deacons. Stephen, by the power of his preaching, captivates many: and of the priests, very many submitted to the faith (Acts 6:7). False witnesses accuse him of blasphemy. Stephen before the Sanhedrin: And all who sat in the Sanhedrin, looking at him, saw his face like the face of an angel (Acts 6:15). In this famous, inspired speech, he consistently, accurately restores the entire history of the Old Testament, starting with the promise of God to Abraham, and with the sayings of the prophets themselves, proving that the entire Old Testament is, as it were, a preparation for the acceptance of that New Testament, which Israel did not want to know; he ends his speech with a menacing accusatory word: Stiff-necked! people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! you always resist the Holy Spirit, just like your fathers and you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now become traitors and murderers (Acts 7:51, 52). As Stephen speaks, the indignation grows and the rage of the Sanhedrin intensifies; but when Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and exclaimed: Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55, 56), everyone rushed at him in unanimous horror and dragged him out of the city to put him to death: they stoned him... And, kneeling down, he exclaimed in a loud voice: Lord! Do not impute this sin to them. And having said this, he rested (Acts 7:59, 60). Chapter VIII. There stood a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58). Saul approved of his murder (Acts 8:1) Persecution of the Jerusalem Church. The apostles remain in Jerusalem; their disciples, scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, preach the Word. Philip's sermon in Samaria: And there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:8). An angel tells Philip to follow the road leading to Gaza. Meeting with the royal eunuch riding a chariot and perplexedly reading the book of the prophet Isaiah. Philip, prompted by the Spirit, approaches the chariot: Philip opened his mouth and, beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus (Acts 8:35). The eunuch expresses a desire to be baptized, confessing his faith: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37). While still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1), Saul asks the high priests for permission to go to the city of Damascus, in which there were many followers of the teachings of Christ, and there to establish persecution. As he walked and approached Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? He said: Who are you, Lord? The Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It's hard for you to go against the grain. He said in awe and horror: Lord! what do you want me to do? and the Lord said to him: Arise and go into the city; and it will be told to you what you must do (Acts 9:3–6). Saul loses his sight from the shine of the snow, and he is brought blind to Damascus. Vision of Ananias, command to heal Saul. Confusion and objection of Ananias. Ananias heals Saul: and laying his hands on him, he said: Brother Saul! The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the path you walked, sent me so that you could receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately, as if scales fell away from his eyes, and suddenly he received his sight; and stood up and was baptized (Acts 9:17, 18). Saul's first sermon in Damascus. And immediately he began to preach in the synagogues about Jesus, that He is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). The bewilderment and amazement of the Jews, their anger at Saul; intend to kill him. Arrival of Saul in Jerusalem. The distrust and confusion of the apostles when meeting Saul, Barnabas tells the apostles about everything that happened with Saul. And he remained with them, going in and out, in Jerusalem, and preached boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:28). The Church is prospering throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria. Peter heals the paralytic in the city of Lydda, resurrects the maiden Tabitha in Joppa. Chapter X. Vision of the Roman centurion Cornelius: He clearly saw in a vision about the ninth hour of the day the Angel of God, who came to him and said to him: Cornelius!.. your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God... call Simon, called Peter... he will tell you the words by which you and your whole house will be saved (Acts 10: 3-6) Mysterious, threefold vision of Peter. Arrival of Cornelius' messengers in Joppa. At the inspiration of the Spirit, Peter follows them to Caesarea. Cornelius and his entire household meet Peter. Peter said to them: you know that it is forbidden for a Jew to communicate or become close to a foreigner; but God has revealed to me that I should not consider any person base or unclean... But in every nation, whoever fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:28, 35). The Holy Spirit descends on all who believe even during the gospel of Peter. They are all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The bewilderment of the Jews who came with Peter was that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were poured out on the pagans. Chapter XI. The apostles, upon Peter's return to Jerusalem, reproach him for his communication with the pagans Peter tells them about his mysterious vision, during which there was a voice from heaven to him: what God has cleansed, do not consider unclean, about the appearance of the Angel of God to Cornelius and about the sending of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the newly believing pagans. Having heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying: it is clear that God has given the Gentiles repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18). Barnabas was sent to preach in Antioch, and quite a number of people came to the Lord (Acts 11:24). Arrival of Saul also in Antioch; For more than a year both apostles taught in the Antioch Church. In Antioch, for the first time, their disciples began to be called Christians. Chapter XII. The persecution of the apostles is intensifying By order of King Herod (the grandson of the one who beat the babies in Bethlehem), Jacob (John's brother) was put to death, Peter was imprisoned and the day of his execution was set. The miraculous appearance of the Angel of God to Peter on the night before his execution: And behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison... and awakened him... Peter went out and followed him (Acts 12: 7, 9). Having passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gates leading into the city, which opened to them of their own accord (Acts 12:10). The apostles all together that night fervently prayed to the Lord for Peter. Their joy and amazement when Peter suddenly appeared before them and told them how the Lord had sent His Angel to deliver him from the hand of Herod. Herod's wrath, soon his terrible death. The Word of God grew and spread (Acts 12:24). Chapter XIII. Barnabas and Saul, by the revelation of God, are appointed to a great service: The Holy Spirit said: Set apart Barnabas and Saul for Me for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2) Both accept ordination. Saul preaches for the first time as Paul. Sermon on the island of Crete. Address of Proconsul Sergius Paulus. Magus Elimas, his punishment. Arrival of Barnabas and Paul in Antioch of Pisidia. It was Saturday, they went straight to the synagogue. At the end of the service in the synagogue, the rulers of the synagogue send to tell them: if you have a word of instruction for the people, speak (Acts 13:15). Paul, in an inspired word, proclaims to them about the Lord Jesus: Be it known therefore to you, men and brethren, that for his sake the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; and in everything in which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified by Him (Acts 13:38, 39). The Jews, seeing the impression that Paul's words made on the people, were filled with envy and contradicted him with blasphemy and slander. Barnabas and Paul, indignant, boldly turn their speech to them: you should have been the first to preach the word of God, but because you reject it and make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the pagans (Acts 13:46). The joy of the pagans. The Word of God is spreading rapidly throughout the country. The Jews expel the apostles from their borders. The apostles were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52). Chapter XIV. Miracle in Lystra: Paul heals a man lame from birth with his word The delight of the people who exclaim: the gods have come to us in human form (Acts 14:11). As a sign of gratitude, the entire people, led by the priests, strive to make a sacrifice before them, as before their gods. The horror of the apostles. Their appeal to the people: why are you doing this? And we are people like you, and we preach the gospel to you, so that you will turn from these false ones to the living God, who created heaven and earth and the sea and everything that is in them (Acts 14:15). Some Jews, coming from Antioch, stir up the people against the apostles. Sudden senseless rage of the people. Pavel is terribly stoned. The people, considering him dead, throw him out of the city. The apostles preach the gospel in Iconium, Perga and Attalia, ordain elders in every church and strengthen the souls of their disciples with their words: exhorting them to continue in the faith and teaching that through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Returning to Antioch, from where they were sent to preach: Arriving there and gathering the church, they told everything that God had done with them and how He had opened the door of faith to the pagans (Acts 14:27). Chapter XV. The Jews are raising the question of circumcision and submission to the Law of Moses of pagans who accept Christianity. To clarify and finally resolve this important issue, a Council is convened First Council in Jerusalem. The speech of the Apostle Peter: he recalls how he was the first chosen by the Lord to attract the pagans to Him: and God, the Knower of the Heart, gave them a testimony, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and made no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith... We believe that by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved, just as they were (Acts 15:8, 9, 11). Speech of the Apostle James. He points to significant prophecies: Then I will return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, and what is destroyed in it I will rebuild, and I will repair it, so that other people and all the nations among whom My name will be proclaimed may seek the Lord, says the Lord (Acts 15: 16, 17), and invites the Council to come to a decision not to burden the pagans converted to Christianity with the observance of the Law of Moses, and their inform about this decision in writing. The Council accepts the proposal of the Apostle James. The first conciliar letter written to the pagan brothers. It ends with the following words: For it pleases the Holy Spirit and us not to place any more burden on you than this necessary: ​​to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and blood, and things strangled, and fornication, and not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself. If you observe these things, you will do well (Acts 15:28, 29). Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas, sent to Antioch, present the letter. Having read it, they rejoiced at this instruction (Acts 15:31). Barnabas separates from Paul. Chapter XVI. Paul, taking with him Silas and his new disciple Timothy, continues the work of evangelism in Asia Minor until they are called by the Lord in a night vision to preach the gospel in Macedonia Arrival in the city of Philippi. Lydia's conversion, and the Lord opened her heart to listen to what Paul said (Acts 16:14). The expulsion of an evil spirit from a maidservant-soothsayer is a cause for unrest among the people. Paul and Silas are dragged to the square to the leaders. By order of the governor, they are given many blows and thrown into prison, their legs being driven into blocks. The apostles spend the whole night singing prayers. At midnight there is an earthquake, doors open, bonds fall apart. The horror of the prison guard: he fell in trepidation to Paul and Silas, and, leading them out, said: my lords! what should I do to be saved? They said: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:29–31). That same night he takes them into his house and is baptized himself and all his household. The governors, having learned that the apostles are Roman citizens, are afraid, apologize to them and ask them to leave Philippi. Chapter XVII. Paul preaches the gospel in Thessalonica and Berea: And many of them believed, and of the Greeks there were honorable women and not a few men (Acts 17:12) The Jews never ceased to incite the people against Paul. Paul must also leave Berea. Paul in Athens: he was troubled in spirit at the sight of this city full of idols (Acts 17:16). He teaches daily in the synagogues of the Jews and in the marketplaces. Philosophers of different philosophical schools enter into bickering and quarrels with him. They bring him to the Areopagus, saying: For you are putting something strange into our ears. Therefore, we want to know what it is (Acts 17:20). Paul before the Areopagus. His speech. In an inspired, fiery word, in the face of the entire educated world, he confesses his God: For, passing and examining your shrines, I also found an altar, on which it is written “to an unknown God.” This, which you honor without knowing, I preach to you. God, who created the world and everything in it, He, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in churches made by hands and does not require the service of human hands, as if He needed anything, Himself giving to all life and breath and everything (Acts 17: 23 - 25). The Athenians listen with attention, but treat everything they hear lightly, and talk mockingly about the resurrection of the dead. So Paul went out from among them (Acts 17:33). Chapter XVIII. Paul in Corinth Aquila and Priscilla; With them, Paul is engaged in a craft: making tents. Paul preaches to both Greeks and Jews. The Jews continue to angrily blaspheme the teachings of Christ in every possible way. Paul's terrible word to them: your blood is on your heads; I am clean; From now on I go to the Gentiles (Acts 18:6). Address of Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, and many others. The Jews bring Paul to trial before the governor Gallio. Gallio does not accept their complaints, not wanting to be a judge in a dispute concerning doctrine and faith. Vision of Paul: The Lord in a vision at night said to Paul: Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will harm you (Acts 18:9, 10). Paul remained in Corinth for a year and six months, continually teaching the word of God. Chapter XIX. Paul is back in Ephesus For two years he preached the gospel in Ephesus, performing many miracles: God performed many miracles through the hands of Paul (Acts 19:11). With such power the word of the Lord grew and became powerful (Acts 19:20). Having established the Church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul decides to first visit Jerusalem and then go to Rome. Rebellion in Ephesus. Serebryanik Dimitry. The Apostle Paul leaves Ephesus. Chapter XX. In Troas he resurrects the youth Eutyches At Miletus, before sailing to Palestine, Paul summons the elders of the Ephesian Church from Ephesus. His last conversation with them. This farewell word of his is an expression of his love for the Church of Christ, his concern for the children of this Church and also his complete, joyful devotion to the service that he accepted in the name of the Lord Jesus: I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will meet me there; only the Holy Spirit testifies in all cities, saying that bonds and sorrows await me. But I do not look at anything and do not value my life, if only I could finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus with joy (Acts 20:22-24). Stay awake, remembering that for three years I taught each of you day and night without ceasing with tears. In everything I have shown you that, while working in this way, you must support the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:31,35). Common kneeling prayer. With tears they escorted the Apostle to the ship. Chapter XXI. Along the way, in different cities, Paul's disciples beg him not to go to Jerusalem. Mysterious words of the prophet Agave. Paul said: ...I not only want to be a prisoner, but I am ready to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13). The disciples stopped persuading him: they calmed down, saying: the will of the Lord be done (Acts 21:14). Arrival of Paul in Jerusalem. The Apostle James advises Paul, in the hope of rapprochement with the Jews, to take part in the fulfillment of the rites of the Law of Moses. The Jews, at the sight of Paul in their church, fly into uncontrollable rage. Instantly, excitement covers the entire city: that all Jerusalem was indignant (Acts 21:31). With shouts and beatings, the angry crowd rushes towards Paul and drags him to execution. The commander of the army frees him from the hands of the mob, orders him to be chained and taken to the fortress. Upon entering the fortress, Paul asks permission to speak to the people. Chapter XXII. Paul, standing on the stairs, gave a sign to the people with his hand; and when there was deep silence, he began to speak in Hebrew like this (Acts 21:40): Hear now my justification before you (Acts 22:1) In brief outlines, he reproduces before them the story of his entire life: how he was a strict zealot of the law of Moses and cruelly, mercilessly persecuted the followers of Christ, how on his way to Damascus a wonderful vision opened his spiritual eyes, and he immediately called on the name of that Jesus whom he persecuted, how, finally, standing at prayer in the temple of Jerusalem, he fell into a frenzy: and he saw Him, and He said to me: hasten and come out quickly from Jerusalem, because your testimony about Me will not be accepted here... And He said to me: go; I will send you far to the Gentiles (Acts 22:18,21). The Jews interrupt his words with furious shouts. The commander of the soldiers orders him to be scourged, but upon learning that he is a Roman citizen, he cancels the execution and, having convened the entire Sanhedrin, brings Paul to trial. Chapter XXIII. Paul, fixing his gaze on the Sanhedrin, said: Men and brethren! I have lived with all my good conscience before God until this day... I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; I am being judged for hoping for the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:1, 6) Fierce strife between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The commander of the soldiers is afraid that the Sadducees will tear Paul to pieces. Pavel is taken back to the fortress. Paul's vision. The next night the Lord appeared to him and said: Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome (Acts 23:11). Secret plot of the Jews to kill Paul on the way from the fortress to the Sanhedrin. At night, under the strong guard of horse and foot soldiers, Paul is led to Caesarea to the ruler Felix. Chapter XXIV. Paul's accusers also rush to Caesarea Paul on trial before Governor Felix. Paul's justification speech apparently makes a deep impression on the ruler Felix. He postpones the decision of the case. However, to please the Jews, he kept Paul in prison for two more years. Chapter XXV. Felix's successor, ruler of Festus Again the Jewish high priests demand a trial of Paul so that he can be brought from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Paul said: I stand before the judgment of Caesar, where I should be judged. I did not offend the Jews in any way (Acts 25:10). Then Festus decides to send him to Rome: you demanded the judgment of Caesar, and you will go to Caesar (Acts 25:12). Solemn reception of King Agrippa and Queen Bernice. Festus informs them of Paul's case. The next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the courtroom... by order of Festus, Paul was brought in (Acts 25:23). Chapter XXVI. Paul's speech to King Agrippa. He finds out the reasons for the persecution of the Jews against him: And now I stand before judgment for the hope of the promise given from God to our fathers (Acts 26: 6), points to the visions and revelations by which he was called to his great ministry: “...I now send you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and through faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a lot with those who are sanctified” (Acts. 26: 17, 18) Agrippa listens to Paul with deep, focused attention. Agrippa said to Paul: you are not convincing me to become a Christian (Acts 26:28). The king and everyone who listened to Paul’s acquittal speech find that he did nothing worthy of death or chains. The king cannot free him with his authority, since Paul has already demanded trial from Caesar. Chapter XXVII. Paul is entrusted with other prisoners to the centurion Julius and sails to Italy A terrible storm, fear and horror of Paul's companions. Paul encourages them, saying that none of them will perish: For the angel of God, whose I belong and whom I serve, appeared to me this night and said: “Do not be afraid, Paul! you must appear before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who sail with you” (Acts 27:23, 24). Chapter XXVIII. The ship runs aground Everyone is saved on the shore of the island of Melita (Malta). Residents greet you compassionately and friendly. The echidna's bite does not harm Paul; the inhabitants imagine that he is a god. Healing Publius and many others from various ailments. The gratitude of the island's inhabitants. The brothers there, hearing about us, came out to meet us... When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged (Acts 28:15). Pavel is allowed to live separately from other prisoners. He convenes the noble Jews living in Rome and explains to them why he was seeking the judgment of Caesar. The Jews express a desire to hear from Paul himself about his teaching, which everywhere arouses so much controversy. Some accept this teaching, others do not believe it and leave. Paul's last word to the Jews: Well the Holy Spirit spoke to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah: Go to this people and say: You will hear with your ears and not understand, and with your eyes you will see and will not see. For the hearts of this people are hardened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, that I might heal them. So let it be known to you that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles: they will hear (Acts 28:25–28). The Apostle Paul openly preached the word of God in Rome for two years and received everyone who came to him (Acts 26:30). I. Rome First persecution. Holy Chief Apostles Peter and Paul When the apostles of Christ appeared in the world preaching the Gospel, the people of the pagan world, who were sitting in darkness, for the first time saw the great light (Isa. 9: 2; Matt. 4: 16) and heard the word of truth and salvation. The entire known world at that time was under the rule of Rome, but neither the people nor their rulers had faith, and without faith, humanity is corrupted and perishes. True, all the large cities of the Roman Empire were filled with magnificent churches dedicated to false gods, artistic statues of them rose everywhere and sacrifices were made, but learned and educated people no longer believed in their gods, and for the common people, the rituals of serving these gods served only as a spectacle, giving no consolation and no hope. But since a person cannot be without any faith, instead of true faith, superstitions of all kinds have spread. The whole life of the Romans was full of rituals performed out of superstitious fear of mysterious hostile forces, spells, fortune telling and magic. The priests who performed all these rituals did not believe in them themselves, but diligently performed them, deceiving the people. With all this, the pagan religion was revered by the state and supported by the state; with the fall of faith in idols, their number not only did not decrease, but was also multiplied by those false gods that the conquered peoples brought with them to Rome. The servile fear of the emperors led to the idolization of the villains who succeeded on the throne: altars were erected in honor of Tiberius and Caligula, sacrifices were offered, incense was burned, and performing a ritual in their honor was considered evidence of loyalty and love for the fatherland, and evasion of this was treason. Rome enriched itself with treasures plundered from all conquered peoples; but these treasures were not used for the benefit of the people and did not constitute the people's wealth. They served only to the exorbitant enrichment of rulers and noble dignitaries, spreading everywhere the greed for acquiring new wealth from popular oppression, extreme luxury and general debauchery. With the increase in luxury and debauchery, cruelty spread among nations and a passion for spectacles that aroused passions. A favorite popular spectacle was gladiatorial games, in which wrestlers fought each other to the death and wild animals tormented people thrown to them to be devoured, or theatrical performances in which the most immoral actions and disgusting vices were exposed. Slaves, collected in countless numbers from all over the world, bore all the labor in public life and in the home life of their owners. Being people, having, like everyone else, an immortal soul, often education and art, they were considered not as people, but as a thing, had no rights and were in complete freedom - life, torment and death - with their inhuman and depraved masters. This terrible state of society in ancient Rome reached such a level that there was no longer, as it seemed to many, a place for truth, virtue and purity. One of the best Romans, the philosopher Seneca, wrote about his fatherland: “The world is full of crimes and vices - and there is no way to get rid of this evil. Vice, trampling all that is good and sacred, prowls everywhere at its own will and no longer hides from anyone. Vicious malice has become so shameless, has penetrated so deeply into all hearts that it is no longer possible to look for purity and innocence: you will not find it anywhere.” But, according to these best people of antiquity, humanity was powerless to get out of such a bleak state. For this, they argued, supernatural Divine help was needed, that heavenly Messenger was needed, about whom was spoken in the sacred books of the Jewish people and with whose expectation the entire Jewish world was then filled. Indeed, all the hopes of Judea enslaved by Rome were turned to the future Messiah. When John the Baptist preached, an embassy was sent to him from Jerusalem to ask if he was the Messiah? Simple women, fishermen, Samaritans, people from the rough people, knew all the prophecies that proclaimed Jesus Christ, the Savior of people... all of Judea languished in anticipation of its Savior. But the Jews, who always considered themselves a chosen people, the people of God, could not allow themselves to remain forever enslaved by other peoples, and in the promised Messiah they were waiting for a conquering king who would give an earthly kingdom of glory to the Jewish people alone. Proud of their true religion, which was theirs alone, the Jewish people expected the Messiah only for themselves as the chosen people. The signs of the appearance of the Messiah, indicated in the books of the prophets, now seemed close to everyone - everything was waiting for renewal - and among this darkness, a quiet ray of Divine light suddenly shone and the grace of the teaching of Christ for the first time touched humanity, mired in idolatry, in delusions, vices and disasters of all kinds. All the hearts in which there was still a desire to feel the purpose of their disastrous life and the truth, which was nowhere to be found in the midst of it, all satiated with the pleasures of vice, as well as all those who labor and are burdened (Matthew 11:28), with all the fervor of faith, accepted into the soul the new word of love preached by the apostles. The new faith revealed to them for the first time God - the Father of every living soul, created by Him in His image and likeness, God, who, out of love for fallen man, came down to earth in the person of the Son of God and raised man with Him to eternal life. The preachers of the Gospel were living witnesses of Christ, who lived with Him and were sent into the world by Him, and according to their fiery words, the hearts of the elders and youths, wives and virgins and little children lit up with love for Christ, a love stronger than death. The Christian faith first spread among poor and insignificant people and did not attract the attention of the government and pagan society for quite a long time. It was as if the Lord Himself protected the beginning of His Holy Church: in silence, as if in the mystery of His face, it grew and became stronger, changing both the lives and hearts of those who believed, preparing them to accept the feat that lay ahead of them. In the magnificent palaces of Rome, libations were still being poured out in honor of the pagan idols, and in its dark dungeons a new life was already emerging... Christians flocked there in large numbers to pray, to listen to the Word of God, and as soldiers of Christ they waited for the call, remembering in their hearts the word of the Savior, spoken in view of the upcoming persecution of His teaching: I came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matt. 10:34). When the hour came, the entire Jewish and pagan world began to persecute Christians. The Jews hated Christians as followers of Him whom they themselves did not want to know, and expressed their irreconcilable anger towards them by the murder of the First Martyr Stephen, who, in a menacing, inspired speech, having announced to them the fall of the Old Testament, accused them of opposing the Holy Spirit Himself for the fact that they did not want to accept the New Testament. The pagans, who had long looked at Christianity as a Jewish sect, hated it when, realizing their mistake, they realized that this new teaching was not addressed to just one people, but was striving to embrace the whole world, and they saw how much it, almost unnoticed by anyone, had already spread, undermining the foundations of popular religion, threatening to shake the entire structure of pagan life! The Roman government considered it its duty to prevent the spread of this new faith, and joining this faith from then on was considered high treason. The persecution of Christians by pagans begins under Emperor Nero. Until that time, if there were persecutions, it was only private and random. The monster emperor, who ruined the lives and well-being of his subjects for his own pleasure, once burned more than half of Rome for his own amusement. The people's voice blamed him for this fire; In order to divert suspicion from himself and calm the worried people, Nero blamed Christians for the arson. The people easily believed this slander; Incited by the priests, he had long looked with disgust at Christians as atheists, at criminal and most vicious people. The rage of the mob knew no bounds... denunciations and executions began - and the government launched a persecution that spread throughout all regions of the Empire and lasted about four years, until the death of Nero. In Rome the persecution was especially severe. Christians were sewn into animal skins and thrown to be torn to pieces by dogs, crucified on crosses; others were coated with a resinous composition and, tied to poles, were set on fire. The pagans themselves, accustomed to bloody spectacles, shuddered in horror at the sight of the suffering of Christians. It was during this cruel persecution that the holy apostles Peter and Paul were in Rome. Despite the danger, they fearlessly preached the gospel. Irritated by the spread of the teachings of Christ, Nero began to look for the holy apostles in order to put them to death. Soon both Peter and Paul were imprisoned. Here, as legend says, the holy apostles stayed for about nine months, converted the prison guards and performed miracles. In his last Epistle to Timothy, written from prison, the Apostle Paul says: I am already becoming a sacrifice, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; and now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:6–8). The apostles were sentenced to death. Peter first witnessed the execution of his wife, and then he himself suffered death on the cross, which was considered the most shameful by the Romans. The Holy Fathers of the Church indicate that the Lord predicted his death on the cross, telling him the famous words: when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and lead you where you do not want (John 21:18). The Holy Apostle Paul, as a Roman citizen protected from shameful execution, was beheaded by the sword. It is believed that Christians buried the bodies of holy teachers in catacombs or dungeons, of which there were many in Rome. Believers often gathered for prayer at the tombs of the great apostles and reverently honored their memory. This is what Saint Clement, who lived in Rome at the same time as them and shared their apostolic labors, writes about the holy apostles. “Peter suffered much from human unrighteousness, and thus, having completed his martyrdom, he reached the place of glory prepared for him. Paul, in his struggle with anger, set an example of long-suffering and won an incorruptible crown. Seven times he was in chains, endured exile, was stoned, but he carried the word of God to the east and to the extremes of the west, preaching righteousness throughout the whole world; finally, having suffered martyrdom among the rulers of the earth, he departed from this world to a holy place.” The Holy Apostle Peter was primarily the “apostle of circumcision”, the apostle for the Jews, and both of his Council Epistles were addressed to the chosen aliens of the dispersion (1 Pet. 1: 1), i.e. to the Jewish believers, scattered among the pagans, in Asia Minor, in Syria, in Babylon. His main work, according to the covenant of the Lord, was in Jerusalem, where at first he was the main character and truly served as a stone for the creation of the Church, and he was destined to be the first to open the doors of the Kingdom, first to the Jews, then to the pagans. Paul was the “apostle of the uncircumcision,” the apostle to the Gentiles. The Lord Himself appeared to Saul in a wonderful vision and said to him: go; I will send you far to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). And Saul, under the name of Paul, carried the name of God to distant countries, proclaiming to people that the New Testament has abolished the distinction between Jew and pagan, that even without the ritual law of Moses, grace is available to everyone through faith, that not the letter of the law, but the spirit of faith and love is the foundation of Christian life, that all Christians: Jew, Greek, slave and free, still and equally constitute one Body, One Church, whose Head is Christ. He worked more than all the other apostles, he suffered more than all the others... He himself burned in spirit, was a great preacher of Christian love, and in his inspired messages, in fiery, mysterious words, he outlined for us what the life of those who accepted the title of followers of the Lord Jesus Christ should be like. The Lord Jesus, when He commanded His apostles to preach the Gospel, predicted to them that for this they would be persecuted by people, that they would be hated for His name’s sake and accused before rulers and kings. But at the same time, the Lord promised them all-powerful help; promised to always be with His Church; promised that the Holy Spirit would instill in them wisdom and firmness and the power of speech; that in the name of Christ they will do signs and wonders. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles at first preached the gospel in Jerusalem, where, according to the covenant of Christ, they were to first of all testify to the Resurrection. Here, in a corporate meeting, by inspiration from above, they composed the first “Creed,” known as the Apostolic Creed and consisting of twelve members. 1. I believe in God the Father Almighty; 2. Creator of heaven and earth. 3. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; 4. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; 5. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; 6. descended into hell, rose from the dead on the third day; 7. ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 8. Ottol will come to judge the living and the dead. 9. I also believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church; 10. communion of Saints; 11. resurrection of the flesh; 12. eternal life. Then they dispersed according to the same word even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), preaching the Gospel, performing Baptism, establishing churches. Hunger and cold, persecution, prison, death - nothing stopped them; with a verb they burned the hearts of people; wherever they appeared, new churches arose. According to contemporaries, Christianity penetrated everywhere like an infection - not only into cities, but also into villages and hamlets, so that pagan temples were empty, and pagan festivals naturally ceased. It is impossible to explain by any reason the rapid spread of the Gospel over a vast area among many thousands of people: this spread is a miracle in itself. The Holy Apostle James was the bishop of the Jerusalem Church, and one of the apostles lived permanently in Jerusalem. With his righteous life, strict asceticism, fasting, and unceasing prayer in the temple, he gained the respect of even non-believing Jews and earned himself the special love of all the people because, although he approved the decision of the Apostolic Council, which decided that the rites of the Law of Moses were not obligatory for converts from paganism, he himself strictly observed them. He alone was allowed at all times to enter that part of the Temple of Jerusalem, where even the high priests entered only once a year. Everyone called him righteous and a stronghold of the people. Here is how one historian of that time tells about him: “Many Jews, at his word, believed in Christ - even some of the elders. This alarmed the Pharisees and scribes. Knowing how the people loved Jacob, and thinking that the people were coming to Christ for the sake of his word and his righteousness, they began to persuade him to stop the people and dissuade them from faith in Christ, the Crucified Messiah. So, when many people came to Jerusalem for Easter, they placed Jacob on the church wing so that he could speak to the people. Then Jacob said loudly: “Why do you ask me about Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits in heaven at the right hand of the power of God, and will come again on the clouds of heaven to judge the living and the dead.” Then the believers among the people exclaimed joyfully: “Glory to God! Hosanna to the Son of David! But the irritated Pharisees and scribes began to shout: “The righteous is in error, let us overthrow him - then the people will stop believing him,” and, having overthrown him, they began to stone him. The righteous one, gathering his last strength, knelt down, raised his hands to the sky and prayed loudly, saying: “Lord God, forgive them! They don’t know what they’re doing!” While he was being beaten, someone, a priest from the Rihava tribe, rushed into the people shouting: “What are you doing? The righteous man prays for you, and you beat him!” At this time, one clothier hit Jacob with a heavy roller and broke his head.” Although the Apostle spent his entire life in Jerusalem, he also had ardent concern for Christians scattered in distant countries: to them he wrote the famous Council Epistle, filled with the spirit of love and peace, in which he begs them to prove their love and faith in Christ by good deeds, always remembering that faith without works is dead. Saint James also composed the first order of the liturgy for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. This liturgy is still celebrated in Jerusalem on the day of his memory. The Holy Apostle Matthew first preached in Judea and was the first to write the Gospel in Hebrew. It was almost immediately translated into Greek, believed to be by St. John the Theologian. Saint Luke was the faithful companion of the Apostle Paul, and did not leave him in Rome until his death. About 15 years later, after the Ascension of the Lord, he wrote the Gospel in Greek; He also conveyed to us in the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles the precious story about the spread of the Church of Christ. He preached in different countries and was a bishop in the Greek city of Thessaloniki; He was awarded martyrdom, according to some, in Ephesus, and according to others, in Patras. Saint Luke was a doctor and painter. Saint Mark accompanied the Apostle Peter on his first journey to Rome and, under his leadership, wrote the Gospel there in Greek. He was the first bishop of the Alexandrian Church and in Alexandria he founded a school that later became famous. In the same city, Saint Mark was martyred by the pagans, whom he turned away from idol worship. Before his death, he was honored with the appearance of Christ and joyfully passed on to a better life. Saint Andrew the First-Called preached the gospel in Judea, Greece, and the regions of Asia Minor, which lay near the shores of the Black Sea; in Georgia, Abkhazia, and even penetrated into Russia, which was then called Scythia and was little known. Our ancient chronicles tell us that Saint Andrew preached in Tauride Chersonese (on the present-day Crimean peninsula), and then sailed along the Dnieper to the place where Kyiv now stands; that here on the mountain he erected a cross and said to his companions: “In this place the grace of God will shine, churches to God will be erected, and the true light will come from here to the whole country.” The holy apostle reached Novgorod. Saint Andrew suffered a lot from the pagans in the city of Sinope near the Black Sea. He then founded a church in Byzantium (present-day Constantinople). In the Greek city of Patras, the first-called disciple of Christ was honored to lay down his life for his faith. In this city, his gospel and miracles converted many pagans to Christ, including the brother and wife of the ruler of the region. The commander, having learned about this, ordered the holy apostle to be imprisoned; but the faithful gathered in and around the prison to pray and hear the word; and the number of Christians kept increasing. The boss called Andrei to him and for a long time exhorted him to renounce Christ. “How can you,” he said, “believe in a man who, like a villain, was crucified on the cross?” The holy apostle explained to him that the Lord voluntarily, out of love for people, accepted suffering; that by His death He reconciled people with God and gave them eternal life. The commander did not believe in the saving truth and condemned Saint Andrew to death on the cross. The apostle joyfully welcomed the cross, which was considered by the pagans to be an instrument of the most shameful execution, but sanctified for the Christian by the death of Christ. “Oh, the long-beloved cross! - he exclaimed, - take me from people and give me to my Teacher; let the One who saved me with you accept me with you!” To prolong the torment of the holy apostle, the chief ordered him to be tied to the cross, and not nailed. The people were indignant, for they had come to love the apostle for his holy life and saving teaching. “Why is this holy man, this friend of the Lord, suffering?” - the crowd exclaimed, indignant and worried. Andrei, from his cross, taught the people and exhorted them to meekness, spoke about love for others, about forgiveness of offenses, about eternal life. “Death is not terrible for those who are subjected to it for the truth,” he said, “they achieve blissful peace with it; it is terrible only for those who are slaves of sin in this life, for they are going to eternal execution. Brothers, do not forget my teaching: love the true faith, keep the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The disciple of the Lord had already hung on the cross for two days and two nights; and following the example of the Divine Teacher, he uttered only words of love and forgiveness; On the third day, the people finally, with threats and shouts, demanded from the leader that he be taken down from the cross. The commander, frightened by the excitement, himself came to the place of execution and ordered his soldiers to remove the holy martyr; but Andrei surrendered his soul to God with prayer. Saint John the Theologian, the beloved disciple of the Lord, in fulfillment of the covenant of his Divine Teacher, remained the guardian of His Most Pure Mother and therefore did not leave Jerusalem until Her death, which followed in the year 48, when, according to legend, the apostles, raptured by a cloud, miraculously arrived from different countries to Jerusalem and became witnesses to the heavenly glory of the Most Pure Virgin. Saint John the Theologian enlightened all regions of Asia Minor with his gospel, but his main location was the city of Ephesus. From here, during the great persecution instituted by the Emperor Domitian, he was summoned to Rome, where he was honored to be a confessor for Christ. For a long time they convinced the holy elder to renounce the Christian faith; they beat him cruelly, thinking by torture to force him to renounce; but John, amid the torment, remained faithful to his Divine Teacher. They forced him to drink a drink poisoned with poison; but the poison had no effect on him, according to the word of the Savior, who promised the disciples: and if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them (Mark 16:18). After this they threw the holy apostle into a cauldron of boiling oil; but even here he remained healthy and unharmed. Those present, amazed at the miracle, began to exclaim: “Great is the Christian God!” Then Domitian, convinced that torture was powerless over a man so miraculously protected by an invisible force, ordered John to be taken to imprisonment on the island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor. But even on the distant deserted island, Saint John did not feel lonely - with him was the love of the One for Whom he was ready to give both his life and his soul from a young age - and here this love visited him in a mysteriously wonderful vision, in which he was given the opportunity to behold the heavenly glory of the Lord, to contemplate His goodness, to feel His love for the Church and for His people, and finally, through an unearthly test, to comprehend the beauty of the New Jerusalem, i.e. Kingdom of Heaven! At the command of God, John described this wonderful revelation; it has come down to us in a sacred book called the Apocalypse or Revelation of St. John. Finishing the description of his miraculous vision, he exclaims: Hey, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20). These words expressed how his soul yearned for the One Whom he loved so much on earth! But he still had many years of work ahead of him. Emperor Domitian was killed, his heir, Nerva, summoned all the exiled Christians from exile, and John returned to Ephesus to the great joy of his flock. At this time, terrible heresies or false interpretations of the holy truths of the faith began to creep into Christian societies, and these false teachings spread especially in Asia Minor. False teachers appeared who began to reject the very essence of Christianity - the redemption of man by the death of the Son of God: some rejected His Divinity, others - His humanity and revered Him as a spirit who had only a ghostly image of a person. John was indignant and grieved, trying with all his might to protect his people from the fierce wolves who did not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). Then the elders of the Ephesian Church and many of the Christians approached him with a prayer to present to them the teaching about Christ as he had received it from the Divine Teacher Himself. Tradition says that he imposed a fast on Christians, and he himself, with his disciple Prokhor, retired to a mountain, where he spent three days in fasting and continuous prayer; finally, inspired from above, he ordered Prokhor to write down from his words what the Holy Spirit inspired him with. This is how the Gospel was written, which begins with the majestic confession of the Divinity of Christ God, the Word of One Essence with God the Father, and as He, the Creator of the world. And the Word became flesh,” the inspired evangelist proclaimed in refutation of the heretics, “and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14). Until the end of his life, Saint John continued to attend meetings of believers - he was so weak that the disciples carried him in their arms - he did not have the strength to speak teachings as before - he only lovingly fixed his gaze on those around him, repeating in a quiet voice the word that he received from his Lord: “Children, love one another.” The students asked: “Why do you keep repeating the same word?” “Because,” he answered, “that this one word contains everything.” Saint John rested in the Lord already in the first years of the second century. Throughout his long life, he formed numerous disciples who zealously spread the teachings of Christ and throughout their lives set an example of Christian virtue. The most famous of John's disciples were Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer and Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. III. Holy apostolic men With John the Theologian, the first century of Christianity, the apostolic age, ends. All the eyewitnesses of the Word of life rested in the Lord; but they left the disciples, who were given the authority given to them by the Lord: to preach the word, to perform the sacraments, to knit and loosen, to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). They left the scriptures, a source of joy, consolation and instruction for mankind until the end of time. Numerous disciples of the apostles continued the zealous work of the gospel. Church history calls holy men who received instruction directly from the apostles apostolic men. The following are considered apostolic men: Saints Barnabas, Clement and others. Saint Barnabas, friend and companion of Saint Paul, with whom he founded the Church in Antioch, preached the gospel in Cyprus, in Milan and died a martyr’s death in Salamis. We know that he was one of the first to sell his property in order to distribute money to the needy, and that he was called by the apostles the son of consolation (Acts 4:36), because he had a special gift for comforting those who mourn. Saint Clement was born in Rome, into a rich and noble family, which was related to the emperor himself. The strange fate that befell his family darkened his childhood and his early youth with sadness: when he was still a small child, his mother and two older brothers undertook a long journey, and from that time nothing more was heard about them; the father, overwhelmed with grief, leaving his youngest son in Rome, went to look for his wife and other children and, soon learning that the ship on which they were sailing had crashed on the rocks, did not have the strength to return to his home; For many years, all of them, saved and preserved by the Providence of God, were scattered and mourned each other as if they were dead. Clement grew up alone. Luxury surrounded him; but his young life, which did not know the affection and love of his mother, did not know joy, and was always sad, it is said about him in his life. He carefully studied all the philosophical teachings of that time, but did not find any support or joy in pagan wisdom. Often thinking with anguish about the death of his parents and all his relatives, not finding any sweetness in earthly blessings, he asked himself in confusion: is there another, better life after this short life?.. Every year he became darker and more thoughtful - he was 24 years old when for the first time he heard about Christ’s coming into the world: at once his soul was illuminated with light and inflamed with desire ineffable to learn more closely this teaching about Christ. He left his home, all his wealth, and hurried to Judea, where he heard what the holy apostles were still preaching. He heard the first words of grace from the holy Apostle Barnabas, and received Holy Baptism from the Apostle Peter and from that time on became his disciple. Together with him he headed back to Rome. On the way, the Lord sent him joy: he miraculously found all the members of his family and converted them all to the faith of Christ. In Rome, Clement was a participant in all the labors of the holy Apostle Peter, in patience and love he preached the word of God with him. Before his martyrdom, the Apostle Peter appointed him bishop of the city of Rome, and for a long time he steered the ship of the Church of Christ with an experienced hand amidst unrest and storms. A monument to his activity for the benefit of the Church remained his letter to the Church of Corinth, in which, during the life of the Holy Apostle Paul, various religious parties were formed; some called themselves disciples of Pavlov, others of Peter, others of Christ, and some completely abandoned the hierarchy and refused to recognize its authority. In his letter, Saint Clement, imbued with the spirit of apostolic love and meekness, convinces the willful Corinthians to humble themselves, repent and submit to their hierarchy, proving to them that the entire church structure has a divine origin. This epistle of Saint Clement was held in great esteem in the ancient Church, so that it was read during divine services along with the Books of the Apostles. The moral action of Saint Clement extended not only to the common people, but also to noble and learned people. His frequent conversions of the noblest citizens of Rome to Christianity aroused the wrath of Emperor Trajan: Saint Clement was exiled to Tauride Chersonesus to work in the quarries. Arriving there, he found a ready-made job to which he put his soul: in the mines there were many Christians condemned to hard work, and all these unfortunate, sorrowful, forgotten, grief-stricken people felt the power of his prayer for them. They were not the only ones who were illuminated by his word of love with the joy of hope—many pagans believed and were baptized. To stop this movement, Emperor Trajan ordered to resort to torture and execution, but, seeing the joy with which these people all went to suffer for Christ, he decided not to destroy so many people, but to put one to death. Saint Clement was honored with a martyr's death: they took him far out to sea on a boat and drowned him there. People stood on the shore, admonishing him with prayers and bitter sobs. The Holy Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians, mentioning Saint Clement, ranks him among those whose names are in the book of life (Phil. 4:3). Many centuries later, his holy remains were found by the Slavic enlighteners Cyril and Methodius. After the Apostle Andrew, Saint Clement was the first preacher of the Christian faith in the remote region of our Fatherland, from where the true light subsequently shone throughout all of Russia. Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer. Church tradition, as if with a quiet radiance, illuminated the name of Saint Ignatius, telling the following about him: While yet a child, and Christ the Lord, on earth with living men, teaching the nations about the Kingdom of God, the Lord looked and called to Himself, and volume and, on the hands of all, said: If you do not turn and become like children, do not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: and others If the child receives this in My name, He will receive Me. And for this reason, Saint Ignatius, the God-Bearer, was named, because he carried the hands of God incarnate - and for this reason, because he also carried God in his heart, and in his mouth he carried the name of God before the tongues and kings (Cheti-Minea). From his youth, Saint Ignatius was a disciple of the holy Apostle John the Theologian, a listener of the holy Apostle Peter, and was, as Saint John Chrysostom says about him, “a fellow member of them both in speech and in that which is ineffable.” The Apostle John the Theologian himself ordained him bishop of the Church of Antioch, and he ruled this Church for more than thirty years. The times were difficult: the persecution brought against Christians by Domitian was raging, and heresies arose that could shake faith in the truth of Christ’s teaching. Saint Ignatius, during his great service to God and people, showed, according to Saint John Chrysostom, all the virtues that are possible for a person. Through constant teaching, prayer and love, he protected the flock entrusted to him by God, “so that none of the faint-hearted or inexperienced would drown.” He loved the beauty of church services and took special care of it. He introduced solemn antiphonal singing in two faces into the Antiochian Church and constantly in his teachings pointed to the power of public prayer performed in the spirit of unity, peace and love: “If the prayer of one or the other,” he wrote, “has great power, then even more so the prayer of the bishop and the entire Church.” He taught all his instructions in the spirit of love and extreme humility: “I myself am not perfect in Christ, but I am telling you because my love for you does not allow me to remain silent.” It is touching that in his last letter to the Christians of the Roman Church, he asks them to pray for his Antiochian Church, believing that the One who said: I am the good shepherd (John 10: 11, 14) will Himself visit her and take care of her. In 107, Emperor Trajan, going to war with the Parthians, arrived in Antioch, and it was reported to him that Christians did not take part in the solemn meeting held from the city, and Bishop Ignatius was pointed out as the main culprit in this. An interrogation was made, and the emperor’s decision followed: “Ignatius should be chained to the soldiers and sent to Rome to be devoured by wild beasts for the amusement of the people.” Great and inconsolable was the grief of his flock; they saw him off with tears and sobs. The path of the prisoner in the name of the Lord was difficult, the ten soldiers who accompanied him treated him cruelly, but love and devotion turned this sorrowful path into a majestic procession towards the acceptance of a victorious crown: everywhere crowds of Christians met the holy bishop, wanting to accept his last blessing, to hear his last instruction; many churches sent their representatives to him to welcome him and have the joy of serving him. In response to all these touching expressions of love, Saint Ignatius wrote seven letters during the journey, the most remarkable of which was caused by the fear that at the very place of execution, in Rome itself, Christians would have a desire to save him from the death towards which he walked so joyfully. “I am a prisoner in Christ,” he wrote, “and I pray to God that He will help me to accept my lot to the end... I am afraid of your love... It is good for me to go to the Lord - do not hinder me with your love...” “I desire the Lord, the true Son of God and Father, Jesus Christ. I am looking for Him who died and rose again for us!” “Forgive me, brothers! Don’t stop me from going to life - Jesus is eternal life!” “He who has Christ in himself will understand me.” “I am writing to you full of life, embraced by love for Jesus Christ, with the desire to die for Him! My love is crucified on the cross, and there is no longer in me the fire of love for this world. Pray with me that I may be reached by the Holy Spirit!” Following his letter, the holy bishop himself arrived in Rome. The Christians of the Roman Church greeted him with quiet sorrow - none of them now objected to him... He was right when he wrote that everyone who has Christ in themselves will understand him... All together prayed one kneeling prayer, entrusting each other with the love of God, asking Him to grant peace to His holy Church, to each of them the strength to fight the good fight (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7). “Then, hugging Saint Ignatius with tears, they left him in the hands of the soldiers, who immediately dragged him to execution. It was impossible to delay, the festive games were coming to an end, the circus was crowded with spectators, eagerly awaiting their fun: the spectacle of the execution of the holy elder. With majestic calm, Saint Ignatius turned to the people and said loudly: “Know, Roman citizens, that I was condemned to death not for atrocity and crime, but for faith in my One God, Whom I love! I am His wheat, and I am ground with the teeth of animals in order to become pure bread for Him...” As soon as the martyr had time to utter these words, two released lions pounced on him and instantly tore him to pieces. It was December 20, 107. Christians reverently collected the remaining bones of the martyr and brought them to Antioch, along with the story of his death, written by eyewitnesses Philo and Agathopodes. They conclude their story with the following words: “We, who saw this with our own eyes, then spent the whole night at home in tears and, with kneeling and prayer, asked God to console us about what had happened. When we then fell asleep a little, some of us saw Blessed Ignatius standing near us and hugging us; others saw him praying for us; others drenched in sweat, as if after great labor, and standing before the Lord. With joy when we saw this and compared the dream visions, we sang praises to God.” Saint Polycarp, together with Ignatius the God-Bearer, was a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Having been ordained by the Apostle himself as Bishop of Smyrna, he paternally shepherded the Church for more than forty years and survived several persecutions. At the beginning of the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, the pagan mob became agitated and demanded the execution of the holy bishop. Polycarp at first wanted to stay in the city, but then he bowed to the request of people close to him and retired to one village. Here, during prayer, he had a vision that the head on his bed was burning. He told his companions: “I will be burned alive.” Finally, his hiding place was discovered. With the words: “The will of the Lord be done!” Polycarp himself went out to his pursuers and even ordered them to be given refreshments, asking himself only a little time for prayer, after which he cheerfully went to the place of torment. Near the city, the commanders of the Roman guard met him and began to convince him to renounce Christ: “What harm can I say,” they said, “Lord (domine) Caesar,” in order to save my life?” But Saint Polycarp was adamant. When he appeared in the city square, the mob raised a terrible cry. At these moments, clearly for Saint Polycarp and the Christians around him, the words were heard: “Take courage, be steadfast!” The proconsul said to Saint Polycarp: “Spare your old age, come to your senses, swear by the genius of Caesar, blaspheme Christ, and I will let you go.” Saint Polycarp answered: “I have served Him for eighty-six years and have seen only good from Him: can I blaspheme my King and Savior?” The proconsul began to threaten him with wild animals, fire, etc. Polycarp stood firmly in his confession, and his face shone with joy. Meanwhile, the crowd shouted furiously: “This is the teacher of wickedness, the father of Christians, the blasphemer of our gods - to his lions!” When the manager of the menagerie in the circus announced that the performance was already over, new cries were heard: “Burn Polycarp!”, and the proconsul agreed to this demand. They immediately brought in logs and firewood, and the Jews were especially diligent. According to custom, they wanted to attach Saint Polycarp to the pillar with iron staples; but he began to ask to be left free. “He who will give me the strength to endure burning,” he said, “will help me to be motionless at the stake even without iron bonds!” Therefore, they tied him to the post only with ropes. “With his hands tied behind his back,” eyewitnesses write, “he looked like a lamb chosen as an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. Just before the lighting of the fire, Saint Polycarp said a prayer in which he thanked God for counting him among the host of His martyrs. When the fire was lit, to everyone’s surprise, the flames swollen, as if from a strong wind, and surrounded the martyr like a radiance; the aroma of incense, or fragrant roots, was in the air.” Eyewitnesses of the suffering of the holy martyr, having described in a letter everything we have told, end their message this way: “The pagans do not know that we cannot retreat from Christ, who suffered for the salvation of all, and bow to anyone else. We worship Him as the Son of God; and we worthily love the martyrs as disciples and imitators of the Lord; loved for their unwavering commitment to their King and Teacher. May we also be worthy to be their companions and fellow students!” The days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with trenches and surround you, and press you in from everywhere, and ruin you, and beat your children within you, and will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:43, 44). How accurately and literally these words of Jesus Christ came true over a criminal people! Those who heard Christ the Savior for the last time exclaiming in the church were still alive: Behold, your house is left to you empty (Matthew 23:38), as the disasters already predicted by Him came and broke out. The first and most serious disaster for the Jews were their rulers, the worthy viceroys of the emperors Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. They succeeded one another, intensifying the cruelties and robberies of their predecessor, until finally, in the person of Gessius Florus, the last procurator of Judea, all the base passions were united. Prompted by greed, he robbed and killed citizens with impunity, and finally touched the treasures of the Temple of Jerusalem. Then the people, incited by the Zealots (zealots), in their insane blindness, decided to stand up for themselves and renounced obedience to Caesar: indignation gripped all of Palestine. This was in '67. The disasters predicted by Jesus Christ began, and Providence foreshadowed them with terrible signs in heaven and on earth. Even before the uprising of Judea, terrible earthquakes that destroyed entire cities in Italy and Bithynia, a terrible famine predicted by the prophet Haggai and devastated Rome, Greece and Palestine, plagues and civil strife seemed to foreshadow the approach of the Great Judgment of God. A comet, seen over Jerusalem for a whole year in the form of a sword, a light seen for about an hour at night in the church around the altar, a vision of chariots and troops in the clouds, and finally, on the day of Pentecost, at the entrance of the priests into the church, a noise and a voice: let us go from here, calling Christians from the perishing Jerusalem beyond the Jordan, to Pella, made it known that the execution of God’s judgment was soon to take place (Luke 21:11). The first actions of the Roman army against the besieged city were unsuccessful and only emboldened the rebellious people. But Nero sent his best commander, Vespasian, to Palestine, and the terrible Roman legions were summoned from everywhere to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, after the death of Nero, Vespasian himself became emperor, and the conquest of Palestine was completed by his son Titus. At the first news of the rebellious actions in Judea, the mob throughout the Roman Empire began to exterminate the Jews with terrible executions. Everywhere they died in tens of thousands. Military force took over the entire land of Israel. Anyone who was caught on the roof of a house by the storm of war did not have time to escape if he still went into the house for property; whoever was on the field could no longer return home for clothes. There was no mercy for anyone; whoever avoided the sword was sold into slavery. Clouds of disaster hung over Jerusalem itself, even at a time when more than two million people gathered there on the occasion of Easter. In Jerusalem, surrounded on all sides by the Roman army, terrible disasters began: food supplies were soon destroyed, and such a terrible famine occurred that one mother, tormented by hunger, stabbed and ate her newborn child. Diseases developed, people died in such numbers that there was no one and nowhere to bury them. More than 150,000 corpses were thrown out of just one of the city gates. Many of the Jews fled out of the city, straight into the hands of the enemy, and they were crucified on crosses. More than 500 crosses stood around the city with crucified Jews, and apparently their insane spell was fulfilled: “His blood be on us and on our children.” Finally, there was not enough wood for the crosses. After a long siege and useless negotiations on surrender, Titus ordered an attack, ordering the soldiers to protect the church, which was considered a miracle of art. After bloody attacks, the Roman legions overcame the triple row of walls with 90 towers that protected Jerusalem, and the pagans entered the sanctuary of the God of Israel. But the “abomination of desolation” had long stood in this place, and the magnificent church was not destined to survive. A Roman soldier, defending himself from the enemy, threw a flaming brand at him; it set the church on fire, and the entire building perished with all its treasures. Jerusalem was destroyed with all its strongholds. Some 70 years have passed since this terrible devastation; the songs of the Levites had long since ceased, and the sacrifices had ceased, but the Jews still harbored hopes of renovating the ruins of Jerusalem and the church. Seduced by the appearance of a new false messiah, they again raised the banner of rebellion against the Romans, and again rivers of blood flowed. Emperor Hadrian decided to completely destroy the Jewish people. Jerusalem was retaken by the Romans; 580 thousand Jews died, the city was completely destroyed, and, by order of the emperor, a plow passed through the ruins of the church. Here is the final fulfillment of the Savior’s words about the Temple of Jerusalem: not one stone will remain here upon another; everything will be destroyed (Matthew 24:2). A new city with new inhabitants, with a new name and gods arose on the ruins of Jerusalem, and the Jews were forever expelled from it; they are forbidden to even approach it, but are allowed only on one certain day, from afar, from the Mount of Olives, to look at the city of their fathers. “On this day,” says Blessed Jerome, “crowds of elders, covered in rags, women dressed in mourning, with great effort climbed the Mount of Olives, and when they fixed their gaze from there on the magnificent city of Hadrian, tears flowed in streams from their eyes; only sobs and groans were heard on this sacred mountain, and for this permission to cry in sight of Jerusalem they had to pay the soldiers and tribunes in gold! Thus, those who once bought the blood of Jesus Christ from Pilate were now, by the law of terrible retribution, buying from the Romans permission to shed tears! Thus the ancient prophecies about the Jewish people were fulfilled. This is what was written about him in the Old Testament books of the prophet Moses: Because you did not serve the Lord your God... you will serve your enemy... in hunger and thirst and nakedness and in every lack (Deut. 28:47, 48). The Lord will send a people against you from afar, from the ends of the earth: a people whose language you do not understand will swoop down like an eagle, an insolent people who will not respect the old man and will not spare the young man (Deut. 28:49, 50). And the Lord your God will scatter you among all nations from one end to the other of the earth... but even among the nations you will not rest, and there will be no rest for your feet (Deut. 28:64, 65). V. The fight against paganism Apologists The words of the Savior came true: the time is coming when everyone who kills you will think that he is serving God (John 16:2). Joyfully and enthusiastically, old and young, rich and poor, went to their death, since death was life for them. The persecution of Christians, as mentioned above, began with the reign of Emperor Nero. In subsequent times, the degree of persecution depended either on arbitrariness, or on the views and character of the sovereigns. Emperor Trajan was a just and wise ruler, but he looked at Christians from the point of view of a pagan, and he was the first to issue a positive law about them. According to this edict, all those accused of accepting Christianity were subject to severe punishment. But searches and denunciations were prohibited by this law. Under Emperor Hadrian, this law was not changed, with the only peculiarity that attacks on Christians became more frequent and fierce; Often even trying the accused became difficult, as the furious crowd demanded their immediate execution! The emperor, outraged by such unrest, issued an additional law that protected Christians, at least, from the arbitrariness of the mob. During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a significant change occurred in the relations of the Roman government towards Christians: hitherto the government did not search for or persecute them, only tried them when they were accused and brought before the court; now it itself begins to persecute them, and the new edict of the emperor commands: to search for Christians everywhere, convince them to renounce their errors, and if they remain adamant, subject them to torture, which will stop only when they worship the gods. The persecution during this reign was cruel and terrible!.. Then follows a whole series of emperors, some of whom, out of indifference, others out of conviction, did not renew the consistent persecution of Christians. But even if some sovereigns were personally favorable to Christians and tried not to give free rein to the hatred of the people, this hatred became stronger and stronger and was waiting for an opportunity to manifest itself. This opportunity presented itself when the Roman throne was occupied by Emperor Decius, a man capable of any atrocity. He was a true hater of Christians and decided to destroy them completely. In 250, a terrible edict was issued and sent to all regional rulers, according to which at a certain time all Christians of a certain region were to appear at a designated place and immediately make a sacrifice to the gods... The persecution that began from the day this edict was promulgated surpasses in its cruelty all previous persecutions. Christians went in crowds to the designated places of torment, others endured terrible torture and remained alive, but the majority were tortured to death... Despite all the enemies, the Church grew and multiplied, its fighters did not become exhausted, and after each new attack of the enemy they seemed to gain strength... And the learned pagan world, which in turn rebelled against them, could not defeat them. Not limiting themselves to ridicule and abuse of Christianity, many famous scientists of various philosophical schools undertook the work in scientific writings to scientifically prove its inconsistency, and with a crude interpretation of what was cherished and dear to a Christian, to undermine the foundations of the Church. Then converted scholars and gifted men came out in defense of the Church from among paganism itself. Having learned the truth of the teachings of Christ, they undertook to justify it both before the Roman government and before pagan society from the slander brought against it by their enemies. These Christian writers are called apologists, and their writings bear the general name of apologia (which means defense, justification). The most remarkable of them: Justin the Philosopher and Martyr, Origen and Tertullian. Saint Justin and Tertullian were born pagans and remained pagans for a long time, but when they learned the teachings of Christ, just like Origen, they loved this teaching and devoted their whole lives to its fearless, firm defense. Saint Justin was born around the year 105. His parents were pagans, and therefore he was raised in an environment alien to Christianity. Extensive scientific education did not satisfy Justin - his soul thirsted for God, and in philosophical teachings he sought in vain the answer to questions about faith. His attention was first drawn to Christian teaching by the courage with which Christians went to death. He heard and partly believed the accusations leveled against Christians; but when he began to look deeper and more attentively, he realized that Christians are not afraid not only of death, but also of everything that people usually fear - he realized that Christianity in the hearts of these people created a new image of beauty and perfection, an image accessible not only to scientists and reasonable people, but also to simple, humble and poor in spirit, and that thousands and tens of thousands are ready to die for faith in Christ, “Who is the power of the ineffable God.” Gradually gaining inspiration, his soul was preparing to accept the highest truth. Justin himself, in one of his books, talks about his mysterious meeting with an unknown old man on a deserted seashore, where he once retired to indulge in his thoughts in silence. At the first meeting with him, this elder of a stately but meek appearance seemed to take possession of his soul: their conversation lasted a long time, and the elder ended it with the following words: “In times distant from us, before all philosophers, there lived holy and righteous men and pleasing to God, who were called prophets. They spoke, being taught by the Holy Spirit, and predicted what has now come true. They proclaimed the truth to the people; not knowing fear, not seeking glory for themselves, they spoke what they heard and saw when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Their writings exist to this day and contain what a true philosopher should know... They glorified the Creator of all, God and the Father, and proclaimed Christ, His Son, sent from Him... Only first of all, pray to the true God, may He open the doors of light for you - He alone can open them and does open them to those who turn to Him with prayer and love.” Having said these words, the elder disappeared, and Justin never saw him again. “But immediately,” he continues, “as if a fire had kindled in me, I fell in love with the prophets and all those who were close to Christ, I realized that everything in the words of Christ is true, and that their great power brings terror to those who retreat from them and gives peace and joy to those who fulfill them.” At the thirtieth year of his life, Justin received Holy Baptism. In Rome, he opened a school and devoted all his knowledge, all his strength to serving the teachings of Christ. “Whoever can proclaim the truth and does not proclaim it will be condemned by God,” he wrote. When Emperor Antoninus opened the persecution of Christians, Justin personally submitted to him his famous “Apology” or defense of Christian teaching against pagan accusations. “To you (the emperor, his son, the Senate and the Roman people), he says, “I address my word and petition for people from all nations, unjustly hated and persecuted... We are called atheists - we confess that we are atheists in relation to imaginary gods, but not in relation to the Most True God, the Father of truth and all virtues and pure from all evil... We honor with reverent worship Him and His Son, as well as the Spirit of the Prophet, we render this honor in word and truth, openly teaching to everyone who wants to learn what we ourselves have been taught. It is our will to renounce during interrogation, but we do not want to live in deception. We desire eternal and pure life, we strive to be with God. When you hear that we are waiting for the Kingdom, then in vain you believe that we are talking about some kind of earthly kingdom, while we are talking about reigning with God; this is clear from the fact that during interrogation we admit that we are Christians, although we know that for this we are subject to the death penalty. Know that only what we say is true, having learned from Christ, from the prophets who preceded Him, who are older than all your writers. We must believe our words, not because we say similar things to them, but because we speak the truth, as Jesus Christ, the One and Only Son of God, the Firstborn and Power, taught us, who became man by the will of God.” Christians could not feel safe anywhere; however, Justin continued to openly teach and preach. Soon, Justin and five other people with him were accused of professing the Christian faith and brought to trial before the prefect Rustic. The trial was short... Rusticus addressed the following words to Justin: “Listen, you who call yourself a scientist and think that you have found true wisdom: if they beat you all over your body with whips and then cut off your head, are you sure that you will ascend to heaven?” “Yes, I hope to receive what Christ promised,” Justin answered, “for I know that He is merciful to all who keep His commandments to the end.” Then Rustic pronounced the death sentence. Before execution, all Christians were brutally beaten, and then their heads were cut off with a sword. Believers buried the bodies of the holy martyrs. Saint Justin had long expected such a death. He had repeated to his persecutors more than once before: “Know that you can kill us, but you cannot destroy us.” Origen (c. 185 – 254) was the son of a Christian martyr and, therefore, a Christian by his very origin. From an early age, both his heart and mind were directed to what later gave meaning and purpose to his life: as a small child, he daily memorized passages of the Holy Scriptures, amazed his father with his questions about the inner meaning of the stories he had learned - as if from then on his soul learned to understand the beauty of the mysterious and find satisfaction in precisely what was hidden in the Holy Word. Origen's entire life was spent studying the Word of God. Constant communication with the spiritual world, the proximity of what is sacred, left the imprint of some special purity on the image of this great teacher of the first centuries of Christianity. His teaching career began at the age of seventeen. At first, he gave private lessons in verbal sciences only in order to save his family from poverty, which after the martyrdom of his father remained in his care. Then, when many pagans who wanted to accept Christianity turned to him so that he could teach them the truth, he became a catechumen. Soon, his great talents and his zeal for the faith were noticed by Bishop Demetrius of Alexandria, who entrusted him with the position of catechist and head of the Alexandria Catechetical School. Origen devoted himself entirely to his new ministry. Students flocked to the brilliant young teacher in droves, and their numbers were constantly increasing. Those who were looking for a way out of the errors of paganism, and those who fiercely defended the correctness of their beliefs came to listen to him; heretics, and philosophers, and people of idle curiosity came, and everyone felt the power of his convinced word - many from him accepted the very teaching that they came to refute and blaspheme... In this way he converted the noble learned heretic Ambrose, who from that time became his closest friend. Wherever the name of Origen is revered, the name of Ambrose is remembered with gratitude: he devoted all his enormous wealth to facilitating the learned works of Origen, when, prompted by him, Origen decided to undertake his great, immortal work - the interpretation and study of the text of the Holy Scriptures. Origen began this work, which required the study of the Hebrew language, with a feeling of deep humility and with the consciousness that God alone could enlighten his mind to the understanding of Scripture. This is what he wrote to Ambrose, who constantly encouraged him to engage in the interpretation of the Bible: “You brought me to this, while I, aware of the danger, for a long time refused to reason about the Holy Scriptures. So, you will be my witness before God when He tests my life and the Scriptures, with what disposition I accepted this upon myself... Since without God there can be nothing good, especially the understanding of Holy Scripture, I again and again ask you to pray for me and ask God, the Father of all, through our Savior and High Priest of the Begotten God, so that I can truly investigate.” For 27 years, Origen studied the Old Testament and wrote an interpretation of almost all of the Holy Scriptures. In addition, he wrote many essays on various theological and philosophical issues and apologia in defense of the teachings of Christ. The most remarkable of them is his response to the famous scientist Celsus, who in his essay “The True Word” systematically, using scientific methods, tried to prove the illusory nature of everything on which the Christian beliefs were built. With his extensive knowledge of pagan philosophy and deep understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Origen, with a calm consciousness of his strength and the insignificance of the arguments of his opponent, refuted everything that was raised against Christianity by malice and slander, and in conclusion pointed out that the spread of Christianity throughout the world, in spite of everyone and everything, is not a ghost, but a fact recognized even by the pagans - a loud testimony of the truth of Christ's teaching. Origen had to suffer a lot from the envy and misunderstanding of his contemporaries... The storm of their indignation often raged around him, but he, studying the Scriptures (John 5:39), in majestic calm, accomplished his great feat of labor and patience, trusting in the One who calmed both the winds and the sea... His whole life was, as it were, one continuous prayer, one incessant desire for communication with the Invisible! From a young age, Origen longed for martyrdom for the name of Christ; in the persecution instituted by the emperor Decius, he was honored to accept great suffering. They tortured him terribly for a long time... He overcame everything, but, exhausted by torture, he died soon after he was released from prison. He is known in the history of the Church under the glorious nickname Dzamantova, which means: invincible. Tertullian is considered one of the famous writers of the Western Church. He was the son of a Roman centurion and received an excellent education. Passionate and impressionable by nature, from early youth he devoted himself entirely to the hobbies of the noisy, depraved life of that time. Finally, anxiety, despondency, self-loathing prompted him to seek in Christianity that peace that the world could neither give him nor take from him. Everything that was pure and good in him seemed to immediately be resurrected in that feeling of repentance that led him to the foot of the Throne of God. The consciousness of his own weakness did not leave him: in prayer and patience he saved his soul (Matthew 10:39). His conversion was soon followed by his baptism. He had deep, unshakable faith in the power and reality of Baptism and prepared for it with fear and great joy. After receiving Baptism, Tertullian devoted all his rich talents, brilliant mind, energy, and education to the service of Christian teaching, in which he found revival. In his famous apologies, Tertullian explains and defends with fascinating eloquence the teachings of Christ and the moral beauty of the Christian life. Just as in the heat of his youth he could not resist temptations, so in his old age he could not resist his hobbies and fell into some errors condemned by the Church. However, the Church treated him condescendingly and, despite his error, considers him one of its teachers. VI. Persecution Holy martyrs and martyrs I send you out as sheep among wolves: therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matt. 10:28). In the world you will have tribulation; but take heart: I have overcome the world (John 16:33). In these words of the Lord the entire history of martyrdom is precisely foreshadowed. In 284, Diocletian ascended the imperial throne, with whose name the last great persecution of Christians is associated. Realizing how difficult it was for one to rule the vast Roman Empire, on the outskirts of which barbarian peoples were constantly raiding, Diocletian chose one of his generals Maximus as his co-ruler and entrusted him with the western half of the Empire, giving him the title of Augustus. He then elected two more assistants to the administration, giving them the titles of Caesars - Constantius Chlorus for the Western Empire, Galerius for the Eastern. The cruel Caesar Galerius was the worst enemy of Christianity. Under the influence of his mother, a rude and superstitious woman, he was stubbornly devoted to paganism and hated Christians with his whole being. As a subordinate Caesar, he himself could not initiate a general, open persecution, but soon managed to completely subordinate the sick, elderly emperor to his influence and aroused in him the same feeling of hatred, exposing Christians to him as rebels, despisers of religion and royal power, ready for arson and any crime. It was decided to eradicate Christianity with all its institutions and churches by the due date, and the following edict was promulgated: “All liturgical gatherings of Christians are prohibited. Christian churches must be destroyed; copies of Holy Scripture must be taken away and burned; all Christians are deprived of their dignity and civil rights; Christian slaves are forever deprived of hope of liberation; During the trial of Christians, all kinds of torture are allowed without accepting complaints from them...” In 303, on February 23, on the day of the great pagan holiday, this edict came into force - on the same day the magnificent Nicomedia Temple was destroyed to the ground, the holy books were taken away and burned... Following this, horrors began that are difficult to depict. “If I,” writes one of my contemporaries, “had a hundred lips and an iron chest, then even then I could not count all the types of torment endured by believers.” The ferocity reached such an extent that the mutilated were treated only to be tortured again; ten to a hundred people were tortured in one place a day, without distinction of gender and age. “I myself was an eyewitness to this,” says the historian Eusebius, “so that the iron became dull and broke, and the murderers themselves, tired, took turns replacing each other.” Both in the East and in the West, in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Asia Minor, Africa and Italy, everywhere the newly erected churches of God were destroyed, sacred books were burned, and the number of holy martyrs increased terribly. From the countless number of Christian martyrs and martyrs during the times of persecution, let us present at least a few examples. The holy martyrs Perpetua and Felicity suffered in Carthage. They were preparing to receive Holy Baptism when they were captured and brought to trial. Vivia Perpetua was a noble and rich widow, only 22 years old: her Christian mother taught her the faith; Felicity is her maid. Perpetua herself described her interrogations and imprisonment in prison. Her father was a pagan and, together with the judges, begged her to renounce Christ; but his pleas, like the threats of the judges, were in vain. The interrogations continued for several days, and during this time all the accused found a way to accept baptism. This filled them with even greater jealousy; they only prayed to God to grant them the strength to endure everything for His name. Soon they were all imprisoned. “I was horrified,” says the holy confessor, “I have never been in such terrible darkness. Tough day! The languid stuffiness from the multitude of prisoners, the cruel treatment of the guards and, finally, the painful longing for the child...” The believers, having bribed the guards, found it possible to somewhat alleviate the suffering of the young confessor. She hastened to take advantage of the privilege given to her to feed her child. Finally she was allowed to take him to her prison. “The dungeon has now become a palace for me,” says the delighted mother, caressing her little one. An elderly father came to Perpetua in prison, and cruel trials began for her. The father did not order his daughter, but asked her, begged her, fell on his knees in front of her, convincing her to renounce her faith, kissed her hands and wet them with tears. “Have mercy on my gray hair,” he told his daughter, “don’t make me an object of reproach. Look at your mother, brothers, son; he can’t live without you!” Saint Perpetua looked at her father with inexpressible longing and, remaining adamant in the truth of her confession, was exhausted in her efforts to somehow moderate his grief. “Don’t grieve, father,” she said, “what pleases God will happen; we depend not on ourselves, but on His will.” This is what she herself writes about the public interrogation. “A lot of people gathered for this spectacle. They brought us and placed us on some kind of eminence. First they started asking my comrades. When it was my turn, my father came up to me with my infant child in his arms and, taking me aside, began to say: “Have mercy on the child!” The proconsul also began to say: “At least have mercy on your child, make a sacrifice for the health of the emperor.” “I can’t,” I answered. “So are you a Christian?” “Yes, I am a Christian.” My father did not want to leave me for anything and constantly tried to persuade me to renounce my faith: the proconsul ordered him to be pushed down and punished with rods. I couldn’t stand this - it would be better if they beat me and not him. Finally, the proconsul pronounced his sentence: we were condemned to be thrown to the beasts to be devoured. We returned joyfully to our prison." Three days before her execution, Felicity gave birth to a daughter in prison and suffered severe labor. “You are suffering now,” the jailer told her, “what will happen when the animals begin to torment you?” “Now,” the martyr told him, “I suffer alone and scream in pain, and then I will not be the only one who will endure the torment: He for Whom I will suffer will strengthen me.” “Finally,” the story continues, “the victorious day came, they led the martyrs from prison to the amphitheater. They walked as if on a holiday. Perpetua, the last, quietly, majestically, like a Christian matron, beloved by God, walked with her eyes downcast, and the whole crowd fixed their gaze on her.” Perpetua and Felicitata were stripped naked and wrapped in a net, but the people stood up for them and demanded that they be clothed. They released a mad bull on them - it picked up Perpetua on its horns and threw it far away. She stood up and, preparing to meet the beast again, hurried to cover her nakedness with torn rags and tie her hair, “in order,” the story explains, “that the martyr should be tidied up and decorated, and should not, going to his victorious glory, be in a torn state, characteristic of funeral mourning.” Perpetua, already wounded, forgetting about her pain, began to raise the lying Felicity, and both wives embraced tenderly in the middle of the arena. The spectators were touched, so the martyrs were taken away at the request of the people, but only so that they could recover for the decisive execution. They were taken again with the others to the middle of the arena, and then the gladiators stabbed them with spears. A young warrior, very beloved by the king, named George, fearlessly denounced the vanity of idolatry, and the most cruel tortures could not persuade him to renounce Christ, as Diocletian demanded. God helped the young Christian, miraculously healing his wounds and giving him the power to perform miracles. These wondrous manifestations of the power of God amazed the pagans, and many of them were converted. Diocletian's wife, Queen Alexandra, amazed by the wondrous power of God, loudly confessed that she too was a Christian; she was condemned to execution, but betrayed her soul to God before the sword touched her. The young warrior suffered execution and is glorified in our Church under the name of the Great Martyr George the Victorious. Another young warrior named Sebastian, from the palace guard, visited the dungeons where Christians were kept, encouraged the prisoners and glorified their feats. Two brothers, condemned to execution for confessing the faith of Christ, were inclined to renounce, seeing the tears of their parents and wives. Sebastian, with his admonitions, returned them to duty and, having converted many to Christ, he himself was awarded martyrdom: he was pierced with arrows and then beaten to death with sticks. A great many Christians suffered along with him. Saint Potamiena, a young slave of rare beauty, was handed over to execution by her master, who denounced her that she was a Christian. She was tortured horribly and was finally slowly lowered into a cauldron of boiling tar. During the interrogation and torture, the people present showered the girl with curses; but one warrior named Basilides, touched by her patience and meekness, tried as much as he could to protect her from the insults of the angry crowd. Potamiena thanked him and promised that after death she would pray to the Lord for his salvation. Some time passed. One day, on some occasion, Basilides’s comrades demanded an oath from him. He said that he could not swear because he was a Christian. They didn’t believe him - they thought he was joking; but he repeated his confession, and he was taken to the judge. And then Basilides continued to claim that he was a Christian, and the judge ordered him to be imprisoned. Some Christians, hearing about this, visited him and asked him about the reason for such a sudden conversion. Basilides told them that, three days after the execution of Potamiena, the maiden appeared to him and, placing a crown on his head, said that she had fulfilled her promise, and that he would soon die for the name of Christ. Basilides received Holy Baptism in prison and was soon executed as a Christian. Here is another touching story about the miraculous conversion of a comedian named Genes. Ridiculing Christians, he presented the sacraments of Christian worship on stage for the amusement of the king and the people; everyone laughed, marveling at his art. Suddenly, by the mercy of the Lord, a ray of heavenly grace touched his soul; he exclaimed: “I believe and desire to be baptized.” The audience continued to laugh; but Genes repeated his confession and, turning to his comrades, told them that he was not joking at all, but wanted to accept Holy Baptism, because he had learned the truth of the Christian faith. They took the comedian to the king; and he again said that he believed in Christ; that while he ridiculed the mysteries of faith, he had a wonderful vision; that he saw an Angel washing a book in the water of Baptism in which all his sins were written, and that he wants to be a Christian. Neither admonitions, nor threats, nor torture shook his firmness, and he was executed. Saint Anastasia the Pattern Maker. I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matthew 25:36): this word penetrated deeply into the soul of Saint Anastasia. She quenched all the grief of her shattered young life, associated with a cruel and rude man, to whom she was forcibly married, in a feeling of love and compassion for those “forgotten” people with whom the stinking and terrible dungeons of the then Rome were overflowing. Cheerful, bright, filled with the joy she gave to others, she walked around the prisons every day, and everywhere she was greeted as an Angel of God. But the grace of this consolation did not last long with her: her husband was indignant at her and, fearing that she would waste all her wealth on prisoners, began to keep her locked up and assigned guards to her. She reached despair and wrote to her former teacher: “Pray to God for me, for whose love I suffer to the point of exhaustion...” The elder answered her: “Do not forget that Christ who walks on the waters is able to calm every storm: But He stood up and rebuked the wind and the disturbance of the water; and they stopped, and there was silence (Luke 8:24). You now stand as if among the waves of the sea, patiently wait for Christ - He will come to you... Light is always preceded by darkness; life is promised after death; The end is coming for earthly sorrow, as well as for earthly joy. Blessed by God is he who trusts in Him.” Soon Saint Anastasia became a widow and received the freedom to give all her wealth and her whole life to the ministry that she loved so much. Now she was no longer limited to the dungeons of Rome alone, she moved from city to city, from country to country - she delivered food and clothing to the prisoners, washed their wounds, bribed the prison guards with big money so that they freed the sufferers from the iron shackles that were rubbing their wounds. For these deeds she was given the title of Pattern Maker. How many her love brought comfort, how many she gave strength to endure to the end! Working day and night, she completely forgot that she herself could be subject to persecution: one day, having come to the prison to the prisoners whom she had served the day before, she did not find them in place, since at night they had all been executed in order to make room in the prison for many other newly captured Christians. She cried bitterly and asked everyone through her tears: “Where are my fellow prisoners?” Concluding from this that she was also a Christian, they took her and brought her to trial before the ruler: they crucified her between four pillars and lit a fire to burn her, but before the flames flared up, she died in agony. Saint Barbara. The Lord Himself put into our souls the desire for beauty, and in nature it finds satisfaction, because nature is the highest expression of infinite beauty - God. Nature mysteriously teaches us to contemplate the invisible through the visible, and in nature the simple and believing soul hears the call in that heavenly joy, which the beauty of nature tells us about. The story preserved by the Church is touching about how “this call to the heavenly” was heard by the young pagan, the youth Varvara. According to legend, she was of wondrous beauty and, at the request of her father Dioscorus, she lived away from all her relatives and peers, with one mentor and several slaves, on a high tower, which her father specially built for her. She was surrounded by every luxury; one thing was strictly required - that no one should disturb her privacy. The tower in which she lived stood on a high mountain, and wonderful pictures spread out far around in continuous beauty. Varvara loved to sit by the window and silently look at “the creatures of God above and below” for hours at a time. Her soul listened and matured in silence. The sunshine, the flow of the moon, countless stars, fields, forests, flowers - all this heavenly light and earthly beauty seemed to mysteriously look at her, and she peered... and her soul became trembling. “Who created all this?” - she finally asked her mentor and the slaves assigned to her. “Our gods,” they answered. Saddened, she did not ask them anymore. One day, when, as usual, she sat at her window and looked at the sky for a long time, thinking with longing: “Who created this expanse of heaven, this blue mysterious distance,” suddenly an inexplicable sweetness filled her soul: the light of grace touched her, she understood, and through creation she came to know the Creator. From that time on, Varvara’s entire desire was directed towards one thing - to quickly learn the teachings of God. But she could not find a mentor for herself, since no one could get to her. She lived, like a pure dove, on her high tower away from everything earthly, not attaching her heart to anything earthly and feeling the closeness of the Living God, who contains everything, arranges everything, revives everything, provides for everyone. Finally, the bright day came when she heard the name of Jesus Christ for the first time. When her father's absence on a long trip gave her the opportunity to leave her tower, she met Christian women who explained to her the teachings of Christ. With inexpressible joy she accepted Christ’s teaching: it revealed to her a new life, which her heart had long anticipated and foreseen. She secretly received Holy Baptism from a priest traveling from Alexandria and thereby prepared herself to receive fiery Baptism through suffering. Soon her father found out that she had converted to Christianity. His anger was terrible, and it’s terrible to read to what torments human malice condemned this pure young life! With prayer for those who suffer, she departed into the joy of her Lord (Matthew 25:21, 23). The Holy Church celebrates on December 4 the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara and praises her in the following way: Rejoice, Varvaro, kindly dove! Rejoice, for you have seen ecu in creation as if in the mirror of the Creator Himself! Rejoice, for in the created luminaries the uncreated Light was seen by ecu! What struck the pagans outside the Church most of all was the mutual love of Christians, that love which, in its endless sympathy and pity for all its neighbors, was something completely new for the pagan world. The power of this love was especially manifested in times of social disasters: famine, plagues, etc., when believers, suffering along with everyone else, with amazing selflessness went after the dying and sick who were abandoned by the people closest to them. Persecution was directed at such and such people; all sorts of tortures and torments were invented for them, which eventually tired the torturers themselves. On May 1, 305, Diocletian abdicated the throne. For several years, imperial power was in the hands of six emperors, who disputed it with each other. And the position of Christians in the empire was not the same, depending on the character of the various rulers. Constantius Chlorus in Britain and Gaul, although a pagan, respected Christians and secretly patronized them. But in the East, under Galerius, a terrible persecution continued until God struck him with a terrible, painful disease. Then his conscience spoke in him: in horror, he stopped the persecution and issued a decree that allowed Christians to openly profess their faith and restore their churches. But superstitious fear inspired the pagan to end his decree with a request to Christians to pray for his recovery! After the death of Galerius, Maximinus, cruel, rude and superstitious, hastened to cancel Galerius' decree, and persecution resumed in the East with renewed vigor. At the same time, in the West, Maxentius persecuted Christians in Africa and Italy. Meanwhile, those great events were being prepared that led to the triumph of the Christian faith: in the West, the future patron of Christians, Constantine, was growing in power and strength. VII. Emperor Constantine the Great While the pagan world, armed against Christianity with fire and sword, dreamed of completely erasing it from the face of the earth, God’s Providence prepared for His Church, in the very court of the Caesars, a royal patron in the person of the great and Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine. Constantine was raised in the beliefs of his father Constantius Chlorus, who was a pagan, but deeply sympathized with Christianity and in it, more than in paganism, found satisfaction for his religious feeling. Under the influence of impressions received from his earliest youth, Constantine had the opportunity to impartially follow the course of events in the pagan world and the Christian world. He witnessed the promulgation of the Edict of Diocletian and the horrors that followed, he saw the cruelty of the Roman rulers, the cunning of the pagan priests, he saw the meekness and fidelity of Christians, the invincibility of the Church of Christ amid all its disasters, and finally saw the plight of paganism itself, which vainly sought help from non-existent gods. All these impressions were also formed in his thoughts: he himself was not yet aware of what was happening in the recesses of his soul, but the hand of God was gradually preparing him and purifying him through various means into the chosen vessel of His glory. After the death of Constantius Chlorus, Constantine was proclaimed emperor. Even more than his father, he provided patronage to Christians, often giving them preference over pagans, but he himself continued to take part in all public rituals of paganism. The decisive event in the spiritual life of Constantine took place in 312, when he launched a campaign against Emperor Maxentius. This emperor, the worst enemy and persecutor of Christians, had enormous military forces and did not fear for the outcome of the struggle. Constantine, who in this struggle saw a struggle not for power, but for truth, felt the need for supernatural help. “He remembered,” says the historian Eusebius, “that the God of Christians was secretly also the God of his father, and to this God he now turned with the following prayer: God! Appear to me, enlighten me about Yourself, and stretch out Your right hand to me in the task ahead.” When he prayed like this, he saw a radiant cross in the sky with the inscription: “By this victory.” Struck by the vision, the emperor suddenly fell into a deep sleep, and then the Savior appeared to him and, holding in His hand the same symbol that was shown in heaven, commanded him to use it as a banner in war and gave him confidence in victory. When Constantine woke up from sleep, he drew the sign that had been shown to him in the dream, and immediately turned to the Christian priests for an explanation of this mysterious phenomenon. From them he received instruction about the meaning of the wonderful vision, “which the Lord vouchsafed to him.” From that time on, Constantine's troops never went on a campaign except under the cover of a labarum, that is, a banner on which a cross was connected with the first letters of the name of the Redeemer. Victory remained with Constantine: Maxentius’s army, despite its large numbers, was defeated, Maxentius himself drowned in the Tiber River, and Rome for the first time opened its gates to the image of the Cross! Immediately after the victory, a statue of the emperor was erected in Rome with a cross in his right hand and an inscription in which the victory was attributed not to him, but to the power of “this saving banner.” After the death of Maxentius, Constantine was left alone as ruler in the West, while in the East at the same time, after the death of Emperor Maximinus, Licinius became ruler. The first decree promulgated by the emperor was a decree proclaiming complete religious tolerance to all his people: pagans were left with the right to perform the rites of their worship, Christians were allowed to freely openly worship the one true God. Celebrations of renovation and consecration of churches began in all cities, songs of praise were heard everywhere, and prayers of thanks were offered. The emperor not only returned to the Christians their tombs, taken away by the persecutors, but he himself generously contributed to the construction of new churches: magnificent churches were erected everywhere. Constantine himself diligently attended church services and carefully studied the Holy Scriptures. The bishops were his favorite interlocutors; he always stood and listened to their longest speeches, deeply appreciated their advice, and was guided by them, although he himself delved deeply into all issues related to faith. He exempted the clergy from taxes and from all compulsory extraneous activities, so that they could completely devote themselves to serving God. All Christians who were in exile or in the mines were returned to them; those of them who were deprived of public positions due to their faith were restored to them. The property of the martyrs was returned by their heirs and, if there were no such, then they were given to the Church. He also eased the lot of slaves by allowing their liberation to take place in churches. He took the orphans, the poor, the crippled, the sick, all these unfortunates who inspired only horror and disgust in the pagan world, under his protection. In 315 he abolished the execution of crucifixion. With his statesmanship, he comprehended that in Christianity alone there was the power of life, that it alone could bring renewal, restore the power of the empire. The teaching of Christ apparently left its mark on all the activities of the ruler of the West, while in the East the cruel ruler Licinius did not cease to oppress and persecute all those who followed this teaching. “The Roman Empire,” wrote Eusebius, “divided into two parts, seems to everyone to be divided into day and night: those who inhabit the East are enveloped in the darkness of the night, while the inhabitants of the other half of the state are illuminated by the light of the clearest day.” Relations between Licinius and Constantine gradually turned into open struggle. This struggle was to decide the fate of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Both emperors prepared for a decisive battle, each in accordance with his faith. Oracles foreshadowed the victory of Licinius; Christians prayed for Constantine. God granted victory to Constantine, Licinius lost his throne and his life. Constantine became autocratic - Christianity triumphed. After his victory, Constantine hastened to extend to Christians in the eastern regions the same rights that they enjoyed in the West. In his decree to the regional leaders of the eastern countries, Constantine, exhorting all his subjects to voluntarily accept the Gospel, ends this word with a prayerful appeal to God, by which one can judge the care that filled his soul. “Now,” he writes, “I pray to You, great God! Be merciful to Your eastern peoples too! Under Your leadership, I began and completed the work of salvation, presenting Your banner everywhere, and led my victorious army behind it. That is why I gave You my soul, strongly tested in love and fear, because I sincerely love Your name and revere Your power, which You have shown to me. I want Your people to enjoy peace and tranquility; I want those who are in error to enjoy peace and quiet, just like believers, for such a restoration of communication can lead them to the path of truth.” Constantine, as an obvious patron of Christians, was little loved in Rome, where many pagan customs and morals still remained; Therefore, he rarely and reluctantly visited the ancient capital. He decided to found a new capital, a new Rome, a Christian city that would have nothing to do with paganism. He fell in love with the position of Byzantium, an ancient small city on the banks of the Bosphorus, and he chose it as the new capital of the empire. A new capital, named after the emperor, was erected with miraculous speed: palaces, aqueducts, baths, theaters decorated it, and it was filled with treasures of art brought there from Greece, Italy and Asia. The gladiatorial battle and other barbaric spectacles that constituted the delight of the Romans did not desecrate it, and temples to the pagan gods were never erected in it. The first church of the new city was dedicated to Sophia the Wisdom of God. VIII. First Ecumenical Council of Arias Christian teaching turned from persecuted to triumphant, and the Christian Church enjoyed the outside world. But there was no inner peace in her. Heresies, or false teachings about objects of faith, which appeared since the times of the apostles, multiplied and aroused enmity between followers of different teachings. The Fathers of the Church and local councils denounced false teachings, but on behalf of the entire Church of Christ it was not proclaimed what the true Orthodox teaching should consist of, according to which the right faith should be distinguished from the wrong. During the reign of Constantine, a new heresy, which had not existed before, appeared in the Church - Arianism. Arius, an Alexandrian presbyter, a gifted man, but proud of his intelligence and learning, having formed according to his reasoning the concept of the persons of the Holy Trinity, began to teach and preach that Jesus Christ is not consubstantial with God the Father and is not without beginning, but was created by the Father, and there was a time when He did not exist. This error of Arius could have remained his personal error and not caused disturbances in the Church if he had not been such a proud and ambitious man. He hoped to be a bishop in Alexandria, but it was not he who was chosen by the clergy and the people, but Alexander. Having heard from Arius his blasphemous opinion, arrogantly expressed, Alexander was horrified; but Arius, not heeding any admonitions, began to call all those who disagreed with him heretics, and, not submitting to the bishop’s court, began to spread his teaching. He did not submit to the council in Alexandria, which condemned him, but began to preach his heresy in Egypt and Palestine and spread it among the people through poems, hymns and songs. Arius himself attracted many followers: his haggard, almost wild appearance, impetuous, nervous movements, often insanely excited speech made a strange impression, and his quiet, melodious voice and something soulfully affectionate in his address had an amazing effect on everyone who came closer to him. Soon the Arian heresy swept the entire East. Heated, seductive disputes arose everywhere about the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only among the clergy, but also among the people, disputes that aroused hatred to the point of fights and bloodshed. Many of the bishops, carried away by the teachings of Arius, took his side. A terrible heresy was growing, which led to the rejection of the redemption of the human race, and consequently of all Christianity. Constantine, traveling around the East, heard with sorrow and surprise about a dispute about which the West knew almost nothing. At first, since he was not yet sufficiently initiated into questions of church theology, it seemed to him that this whole dispute was nothing more than a vain debate of words. In the hope of reconciling the warring parties, he sent a letter to Alexander and Arius, urging them to end the dispute amicably and to calm him, the emperor. In this letter, Constantine testifies with an oath that he considers it his calling and the goal of his life to unite the whole world in one government and in one faith. “With what hopes,” he says, “I traveled from the West, troubled by the wars, to the eastern borders, from where the Divine light shone, and - oh, Divine Providence! - what an ulcer has struck my ears here, or rather my heart! Leave your empty, endless disputes, return to the agreement of a single, common faith! Give me back my serene days and good nights - give me light and joy instead of sighs and tears.” This letter was brought to Alexandria by Hosea, Bishop of Corduba, one of the most respected shepherds in the entire West, a close friend and adviser to Constantine himself. But it was too late to hope for reconciliation when the heresy had spread so far. Hosea, having listened to Arius at the new council in Alexandria, together with other bishops, condemned his false teaching. Arius did not yield. Then the emperor looked at the whole matter differently. He realized how great and essential the doctrine in question was. It was necessary to restore peace to the troubled Church: it was impossible to allow the eternity and Divinity of Christ the Savior to remain a controversial issue for believers. The whole Church, through its primates, had to set forth the faith handed down to it by Christ and His apostles. Constantine settled on the idea of ​​convening all the bishops of the Christian world for an Ecumenical Council in the city of Nicaea, the capital of the Bithynia region. Until now there has not yet been and could not be an Ecumenical Council; it became possible only now, when the entire vast Roman state, from East to West, was united for the first time under the rule of one Christian king. The call to the council necessarily had to come from the imperial authority, as the only authority that was indisputably recognized by all Christians of the empire. The emperor sent letters of conscription to bishops throughout the universe. Bishops from all countries eagerly rushed to Nicaea. All expenses of their journey and stay in Nicaea were borne by the emperor. Bishops arrived from Egypt and Palestine, from Syria and Mesopotamia, Africa, the regions of Asia Minor, Greece, from Persia, Armenia, Moesia and Dacia, from the Transdanubian Goths, recently converted to Christianity: all 318; They were accompanied by other clergy, elders and deacons. There were scholars here, and illiterate, and noble, and poor, and old, and young, elderly bishops who were already standing on the edge of their graves, young, newly appointed deacons who had barely entered into their ministry. In this meeting, the division into old and new generations was of particular importance, because it seemed to personify the events of the history of the Church of Christ: the new generation grew up in times of peace and silence, it vaguely remembered the joy excited by the first edict of the great emperor, but it itself did not go through suffering... The old generation, which made up the most significant part of the congregation, on the contrary, was honored with this great suffering... These were all soldiers of Christ, they all went through warfare, which left on them traces of terrible injuries, the imprint of severe torment. The decisions of this Council are enshrined forever, both due to the fact that it was Ecumenical, and due to the fact that almost all its members belonged to the holy army of martyrs and confessors. The cathedral opened in June 325 in a vast chamber of the royal palace. All those present with the elders and deacons were more than 2000 people; bishops - 318. Around there were seats and benches for bishops and presbyters; in the middle, on the throne, lay the books of the Holy Scriptures, as faithful evidence of the truth, with which the decision of the Council should have been consistent. Everyone waited with intense attention - everyone felt the approach of what they had long desired... A restrained noise was heard from outside - the imperial procession was approaching, and one after another the faces of the emperor's retinue began to appear in the hall. The squires and warriors were absent. They were not admitted to this great Christian meeting, which had already sanctified the place where it was meeting. Of the royal entourage, only those who converted to Christianity received permission to accompany their ruler. Finally, the doors of the hall opened wide, the entire assembly instantly rose from their seats, and for the first time the emperor appeared to his rapturous gaze. His majestic posture, beautiful, regular, expressive features fully corresponded to the greatness of his rank. There was something bright in his gaze, some amazing combination of strength and meekness in his entire appearance, to which the splendor and splendor of the royal clothes gave even more brilliance and beauty. Many of the bishops gathered here had the opportunity to be in the presence of a king for the first time in their lives... At the sight of the royal greatness and royal beauty, with the consciousness of what this particular king had done for them and for their Church, they all looked with trepidation at Constantine passing by them, seeing in him not a man, but an Angel of God, a heavenly messenger. For the first time, Constantine saw himself among the representatives of the Church into which the grace of God had brought him: standing before him were people who, through suffering, almost all had managed to confess their strong, youthful faith before God and people, and they all looked at him with delight as their patron. In awe of them, the emperor himself became embarrassed - color spread over his face, he walked with uneven steps, with a downcast gaze, to the chair that was prepared for him, and stood motionless until the bishops themselves invited him to sit down. This was the beginning of the great Ecumenical Council, which established the firm, indisputable law of our Orthodox faith both in the East and in the West. Arius stubbornly defended his teaching; up to seventeen bishops openly supported his side, but the Orthodox disputed them forcefully. Particularly attracted the general attention was the young deacon who arrived with the Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, who was destined to become famous for his firmness and constancy in the fight against the Arians. No one surpassed him in power of eloquence; the accuracy of his objections surprised his opponents, but all efforts to reason with the Arians were in vain: the longer the debate continued, the more obvious it became how far the Arians were from the truth. Arius did not yield, his false teaching was solemnly condemned, and he was expelled with some of his followers. Having resolved the main subject of the dispute, the Council began discussing other issues. The question of when to celebrate Easter has still remained unresolved; and Easter in some Churches was celebrated at the same time as the Jewish one. The Fathers of the Council decided to celebrate Easter everywhere at the same time, namely on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. In all the resolutions of the Council, severity was softened by the spirit of Christian love, condescending to human weakness. Some bishops have proposed celibacy for the clergy; but the confessor and hermit Paphnutius, Bishop of Thebaid, rebelled very strongly against this. Although he himself was celibate, he did not consider it necessary to impose on the clergy the indispensable duty of celibacy, and with the words of the Apostle Paul he proved the honesty of marriage. His opinion prevailed. Dismissing the bishops from the Council, Constantine, in his farewell words addressed to them, begged them to have peace among themselves. “Beware,” he said, “of your bitter disputes between parties. And let no one have envy towards the bishops who have shown special wisdom: consider the dignity of each as the common property of the entire Church. Higher and superior, do not look arrogantly at the inferior: God alone knows who is superior. Perfection rarely exists anywhere, and one must have leniency towards the weakest brothers; Cover everything unimportant with forgiveness, take into account human weaknesses: peaceful agreement is more valuable than anything else. And save the unbelievers - remember that not everyone can be converted by scientific reasoning: sincere lovers of truth are rare. We must be like doctors and adapt our medicines to diseases, and our teachings to the different dispositions of each.” The council dispersed, having accomplished its great work of establishing for eternal times the dogma of the incarnation of the Son of God, Christ the Savior, the main dogma of Christianity. The faith of the Universal Church is unanimously expressed as follows in the Nicene Creed: We believe in One God the Father, Almighty, Creator of everything visible and invisible; And in the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father, that is, from the essence of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things came into being both in Heaven and on earth. For the sake of us men and for the sake of our salvation, who descended, became incarnate and became man, suffered and rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven and will come to judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit. IX. Fight against Arianism Death of Constantine The Arian heresy was solemnly condemned at the Council of Nicea, but this false teaching was destined to cause unrest in the Church for a long time. Disputes between Arians and Orthodox about the face of the Lord Jesus Christ soon arose again, and arose with even greater bitterness. For the first time, the history of the Church presented a strange phenomenon: the persecution of Christians against Christians. It is significant and instructive that this first persecution came not from the faithful against heretics, but from heretics against the faithful. The Arian party was not slow to find access to the imperial court: Constance, the emperor’s sister, on her deathbed begged her brother to bring her confessor, who had unlimited influence over her, closer to her. This presbyter, an Arian by conviction, managed to shake Constantine’s opinion regarding the correctness of the condemnation of Arius, and Arius was summoned from exile to Constantinople. Here he himself presented to the emperor a written confession of his faith, outlining in it the doctrine of the Divinity of the Son of God and His birth from the Father before all ages. Constantine, being insufficiently knowledgeable in matters of theology, assumed on the basis of this confession that Arius had abandoned his errors, and as a result freed him from imprisonment. Almost simultaneously, Bishops Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognius of Nicaea, both ardent supporters of Arianism, were returned from exile to their former sees. Having importance and influence at court, the Arians now boldly opposed the Orthodox; all the defenders of Orthodoxy at the Council of Nicea were attacked by them. But most of all they hated the Bishop of Alexandria, Saint Athanasius, and their anger was mainly directed at him. A few months after his return from the Council of Nicaea in Alexandria, the elderly Bishop Alexander died, pointing to Saint Athanasius as his successor. Athanasius, despite his young years, was unanimously elected bishop. For 46 years he occupied the chair of Alexandria, devoting all his strength to establishing the true teaching. The Eastern Church, and of course the entire Church, owes its preservation from the Arian heresy to his unyielding striving for one good goal, his strong will and ability to deal with people. The Arians hated him not only because of his high talents, but also because he was the bishop of the very Church from which Arius was expelled. They wanted this Church to immediately restore Arius to his former rank, and they persuaded the emperor himself to write a letter to Athanasius asking him to accept Arius and his followers into communion with the Church - the letter ended with the threat of deposition and exile in case of refusal. Afanasy refused. He firmly stated that he could not recognize persons who were condemned by the determination of the entire Church. Konstantin did not insist. It seemed that that was the end of the matter. But the opponents of Athanasius understood well that Constantine’s restrained anger was ready to flare up at every convenient minute: the ground was prepared for the acceptance of all lies, all slander! Indeed, one accusation followed another, and finally, with the consent of the emperor, a council was convened in the city of Tire, to which Athanasius was ordered to appear. Athanasius appeared accompanied by fifty bishops. When, having entered the meeting hall, he went to the place that belonged to him according to the seniority of his department, he was ordered by the chairman of the council, Eusebius of Caesarea, to stand as an accused person. Every single accusation turned out to be false. But so great was the rage of Athanasius’ enemies that the emperor, although perhaps in his soul he was outraged by their slander, considered it necessary, in order to protect the Church from great unrest, to remove Athanasius from the place where he could become dangerous. Athanasius was exiled to Trevas, the main city of Gaul. There, the great champion of Orthodoxy found an honorable reception at the court of the emperor's son, the younger Constantine. Arius was allowed to return to Alexandria. But the spirit of the great bishop continued to animate the Church of Alexandria: Arius's attempt to achieve communion was firmly rejected, and he was forced to retire again. For the See of Alexandria, despite the insistent demands of the Arians, Constantine refused to appoint a successor to Athanasius, and this refusal could not but confuse the triumphant Arians... It was hard for Saint Athanasius to live far from his beloved flock, from everything that was familiar and dear to him from childhood. The news that reached him from Alexandria and Constantinople worried and deeply outraged his soul... With a sinking heart, he learned that Eusebius of Caesarea had finally managed to finally convince the emperor that Arius was right and of the need, in order to avert new terrible troubles, to publicly return him to communion with the Church. The emperor again took upon himself the interrogation of Arius, again he was satisfied with his answers... Then, recognizing the teachings of Arius as free from all heresy, the emperor called Bishop Alexander of Constantinople and ordered him to solemnly introduce Arius into the church the next morning. Bishop Alexander, a timid man, was unable to object to the emperor. Realizing with deep humility that he did not have the strength that could resist the will of the king, he hurried to the church in which he was ordered to receive Arius the next morning, and with tears he prayed to God, saying: “If Arius comes to this church tomorrow, take me from here! But if You have pity on Your Church, then take Arius from here, so that when he enters, heresy does not enter with him!..” The fateful morning arrived. Crowds of excited people filled the streets. Arius, surrounded by his followers, was solemnly heading to the church when he suddenly felt ill and suddenly died on the way... It was impossible not to recognize in this death the visitation of God, the miraculous manifestation of God’s power, which protected His Church from terrible false teaching, when all human intervention turned out to be in vain. The life of one of the most important figures of the Council of Nicaea had ended, and the end of the emperor who convened the Council was approaching. Constantine was preparing for a long journey to Palestine. It had been his cherished desire to visit this country ever since Jerusalem had been restored through his care and the Holy Land had become an object of general reverence. At his request, his mother, Queen Helena, made her famous journey through Palestine in 336 and was honored to miraculously find the Holy Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord on Golgotha ​​itself. During her reign, the magnificent Church of the Resurrection was founded in Jerusalem and churches were built on the Mount of Olives and over the Cave of Bethlehem, and for the first time a bloodless sacrifice was made in the very places where the Savior was born, lived, suffered and was resurrected. Pilgrims began to flock in large numbers to worship the great shrine: Constantine also mentally strove for it. Easter 337 has arrived. This holiday was always celebrated with the greatest triumph: tall wax pillars were lit along all the streets of the city, which turned the dark night into a bright day; They prayed all night in the churches, and when morning came, the king distributed gifts to all the people as a sign of the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. For the last time Konstantin was a participant in this bright joy! He prayed long and earnestly throughout the holy night in the Church of the Holy Apostles, calling on God’s blessing for the journey he was undertaking, and then suddenly fell ill. His health deteriorated at an astonishing rate. Doctors sent him to warm mineral waters; relief did not follow, and the disease became threatening. Feeling the approach of death, Constantine moved to the outskirts of Nicomedia. Here he called the Bishop of Caesarea Eusebius and other bishops, told them his grief that the will of God did not allow his desire to receive Holy Baptism in the holy streams of the Jordan to come true, and asked them to immediately perform the Holy Sacrament on him. Not only in the time of Constantine, but also long after him, it was the custom of many to postpone Baptism for many years. Some did this out of a humble consciousness of their sinfulness and out of reverence for the Great Sacrament, for which they considered it necessary to prepare for years of prayer and repentance; others did not dare to suddenly abandon their former life and be reborn into a new life, spiritual and holy, especially since the Church was strict with sins committed after Baptism; Believing that Baptism washes away sins, they thought that it was best to accept this sacrament just before death, in order to appear cleansed at judgment. Having prepared himself with prayer and confession, Constantine accepted Holy Baptism with tenderness and deep faith, seeing in it the guarantee of his rebirth. Dressed in the white vestments of the person being baptized, he lay down on a bed covered with a white veil, and thus awaited the call of his Lord. Great was his joy upon receiving the Holy Sacrament: when the soldiers and his neighbors entered his room and, weeping bitterly, began to say goodbye to him, he smiled at them enthusiastically and persuaded them to rejoice that he would so soon reach his heavenly homeland. At noon, on the very day of the great feast of Pentecost, May 20, 337, the emperor died. A terrible cry of grief arose among the army and people when the news of the death of Constantine spread. His body was placed in a golden coffin and, in a solemn procession in which the entire army took part, was transferred to Constantinople, where it was laid in the Church of the Holy Apostles, in a tomb prepared in advance by the emperor himself. The Church, gratefully remembering his zeal for the Christian faith, names both him and his mother, Queen Helena, equal to the apostles and celebrates the memory of both of them together on May 21. Having seen the image of Your Cross in Heaven, and like Paul, the title is not received from man, but is Your Apostle as king. Lord, place the reigning city in Your hand, and always save it in the world through the prayers of the Mother of God, the only Lover of mankind. X. Continuation of the fight against Arianism Saint Athanasius Constantine the Great was succeeded by three sons: Constantine, Constance and Constantius. Their accession was accompanied by a terrible thing - the complete extermination of the imperial family: Constantine's brothers, his nephews, all his closest relatives were killed by soldiers, only two of his young nephews were saved: one of them, Gall, did not survive long, the other, Julian, was destined to become the avenger of this terrible atrocity. The eldest of the emperors, Constantine, who received Gaul, Britain and Spain as his share, was killed in war already in 340. Emperor Constance, who inherited Italy and Africa, took possession of the entire West after the death of his brother. Emperor Constantius reigned in the East. A weak and suspicious man, implacable in his enmity, he caused a lot of trouble to the Church with his unreasonable interference in its affairs. He completely mistakenly considered himself a profound theologian, and his ignorance and vanity made him a blind tool of those who knew how to approach him. It is significant that Constantine the Great, being on his deathbed, remembered Saint Athanasius, and as if in order to personally attest to his correctness, he ordered to immediately return him from exile to his Alexandrian See. Constantine’s successors hastened to fulfill this will of his, and after two and a half years of separation, Athanasius returned to his beloved flock, who firmly guarded his teaching and became even more firmly attached to him during these years of sorrows and persecution. However, the Arians could not come to terms with the return of Athanasius and began to use every effort to finally overthrow him. They finally managed to convene a council against him in Antioch, at which the Arians condemned and deposed him, and sent a new bishop, the Arian Gregory, to Alexandria. The Alexandrian Church indignantly rejected him, citing its ancient right of election, which was violated by the false council. Then it was decided to install Gregory by force. During the very days of Great Lent, Gregory appeared in Alexandria. Seeing that the Orthodox were ready to stand for their bishop to the last extreme, the eparch of Egypt, taking the pagans and Jews to his aid, forcibly brought Gregory into the church, expelling the Orthodox from it, insulting the monks and virgins dedicated to the Lord. One church was completely plundered, and then torture and torture of Orthodox Christians began. Athanasius, convinced that his presence in Alexandria only further irritated his enemies and endangered his followers, decided to secretly leave the city. In the East, the Arians took possession of the Church: he decided to look for support in the West, where Arianism was powerless, and went to Rome. In Rome, Pope Julius convened a council that solemnly restored Athanasius. Then Emperor Constance appeared as his intercessor and urgently demanded from his brother that he return Athanasius from exile, threatening, in case of refusal, by force of arms to restore the shepherd desired by the entire flock. Meanwhile, false bishop Gregory also died. Then only Athanasius went to Alexandria. His return was a real triumph: the people crowded with joyful exclamations around the courageous sufferer, who had wandered in exile for more than seven years; the congregation rejoiced. In Antioch, Athanasius saw the emperor, and the favor shown to him by Constantius frightened his enemies for a time. Out of fear of Constance, even the leaders of Arianism renounced their previous actions and condemned in writing the teaching for which they had previously stood. But this triumph of Athanasius was short-lived. In 350, the patron of Orthodoxy, Constance, died in a war with Magnetius, who took possession of his entire region. Soon after, Constantius, having defeated Magnetius, became the sole sovereign of the entire empire. Constantius hated Athanasius all the more because for so long, out of fear, he had to hide his feelings and show him feigned favor. As soon as he achieved full power, a council was convened in Milan in 355, no longer to consider the accusations against Athanasius, but directly to condemn him; Western bishops were ordered to accept the condemnation pronounced by the Eastern ones, and those who did not agree were sent to prison. Everything submitted to the will of Caesar in matters of faith and conscience... Athanasius alone stood like a stronghold: the whole world was against him - and he alone was against the world. For half a century this unequal struggle continued between those who had everything earthly for themselves, and those who had only God and death for themselves: God as the Defender of his righteousness, death as deliverance from sorrows. Energetic and strict, but at the same time full of sympathy and tender compassion, Athanasius attracted people to himself like a magnet and, knowing how to maintain in them firmness of spirit and unshakable trust in the omnipotence of God, he could calmly rule the Alexandrian Church. Constantius's hatred of this inflexible Christian bishop increased day by day, and finally it was ordered to deal him a decisive blow. A royal dignitary arrived in Alexandria demanding that Athanasius leave his Church; but did not present a written command from the emperor. Athanasius had several letters in which Constantius, while still under the fear of his brother, assured him that he would remain in Alexandria for the rest of his life. Athanasius replied that he could not leave the flock without a written order. The whole city was in anxious anticipation. Once, when the bishop was serving the all-night vigil, at midnight, up to five thousand armed soldiers surrounded the church, which was full of people. Afanasy realized that they had come for him, but was not afraid. Standing in the altar, on a high place, he ordered the deacon to read Psalm 135: Confess to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever, and for the people to repeat the refrain and at the same time go home. But the people did not want to leave him. The soldiers burst into the church, began to crush and beat the worshipers and rob the church. A terrible commotion occurred, but in the midst of it the inspired words of the psalm were still heard, proclaiming the triumph of victory over the enemies and the eternal mercy of the Lord, who performed great miracles, brought Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand and a high arm, who remembers the humiliated and delivers them from their enemies, for His mercy endures forever! Finally, the bishop said a prayer of dismissal, and the people began to disperse. Athanasius waited until the people left, and then only the clergy carried him along. The darkness of the night and the crowded streets helped him escape from the pursuing soldiers, who were ordered to capture him alive or dead. He hid for some time in the city itself, in the surrounding area, and finally, with the help of friends, he reached the desert. Athanasius was safe in the harsh desert; he was protected by the love and devotion of hermits. The vast Egyptian deserts, mountains and barren plains, the environs of Alexandria itself were at that time inhabited by many monks and hermits; all of them were ardently devoted to Athanasius and were ready even to death to stand for the firm defender of the truth, whose glory thundered in the desert. The soldiers searched monasteries and hermitage cells in vain; all the monks were on guard: as soon as danger appeared, Athanasius was immediately notified of it and escorted further into the desert. Thus, he could hide from his pursuers for six whole years. The great bishop loved desert life with its hardships and labors; with his feats of self-denial he surprised the most severe hermits and inspired them with deep respect. Meanwhile, in Alexandria an order was received from the emperor to give all the churches to the Arians; they took out the utensils, the holy altar, the veil, the bishop's throne, and burned everything in front of the church gates as unclean. The Orthodox, deprived of churches, gathered at night in cemeteries for Divine services, as during persecution from the pagans; but even here they attacked them with military force and then tortured and executed whomever they could capture. Meanwhile, Athanasius did not cease to monitor the affairs of the Church, about which he received news through friends, and responded to all questions that arose from the desert. Believers joyfully accepted his every word, as a victorious weapon against false teachings. Thus, in the depths of the desert, he lived and worked for the benefit of the Church, and the truth, despite measures of violence, spread and strengthened. The Old Testament law forbade the Jews to perform their divine services except in the temple of Jerusalem. But the word of the Savior announced to people that worship of God is possible in every place: The time is coming when you will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem... But the time will come and has already come when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth... (John 4: 21, 23). For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). Therefore, in the very first days of Christianity, the apostles and believers gathered for prayer not only in the Jerusalem temple, but also in private homes. In these latter they gathered mainly to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which they were not allowed to perform in the Jerusalem Temple. Usually one spacious upper room, separated from the rest of the room, was dedicated to prayer in the house. These upper rooms, in which believers gathered, formed the first Christian churches. During the apostolic times, they did not learn the name of the temple, which also had a pagan meaning; They were usually called: the house of God, the house of the Lord, the house of prayer. When the persecution began, it became dangerous to perform divine services in houses already known under this Christian name; Christians began to gather for prayer in dungeons, in secluded cemeteries, and finally in dungeons, the so-called catacombs. The catacombs, in their symbolic images and gravestone inscriptions, appear to us as a mysterious expression of what Christianity was for the Christians of the first centuries. These gloomy dungeons consisted of long galleries, on the sides of which there were recesses hollowed out in the walls to receive the coffins of the dead. A great many martyrs were buried in these caves, which also served as tombs for the pagans. The pagans burned the bodies of their dead, but kept their ashes in urns that were placed in tombs. These tombs, as well as the tombs of Christians, were covered with images and inscriptions, which all testify to the great revolution produced by the teaching of Christ in the concepts and feelings of his followers. Fear of death, endless despair before eternal separation, impotent anger at the gods, bitter reproaches are expressed on pagan monuments, while nearby, on the tombs of the newly converted, the quiet word is repeated with touching monotony: “in peace!” Tears of love are felt in such inscriptions: “my little gentle dove”, “innocent little lamb”; but one also feels that the sorrowful heart has been illuminated by hope, that farewell forever is incomprehensible to him... The short inscription: “Cornelius, bishop, martyr,” proclaims comprehensive forgiveness: there is no complaint, not even a hint of the suffering of the martyr, everything is covered with love in anticipation of a bright, near future. How simply it was believed in this future is evident from the following inscription: “Clement lives!” Favorite symbols that are most often repeated in the catacombs: a deer thirsty for a source of water; leaf, ever green; white dove; vine, symbol of joy, etc. New Testament frescoes are few in number; Old Testament frescoes are more common, which serve as a prototype of New Testament truth. But the most expensive image was the image of the Good Shepherd. The image of the crucifixion is not found in the catacombs. Ancient Christians shied away from depicting the deceased Christ. For them He was alive, and death seemed to them to be life because through death they became involved in His life. In general, the ancient Christians shied away from any direct depiction of Jesus Christ, daring only to express the inexpressible feeling of their soul in a mysterious symbol. From the monuments of the catacombs we can form a true idea of ​​the life of the ancient Church, of the childlike simplicity with which the newly converted accepted its promises. With strong faith they walked along the sorrowful path leading to the “Kingdom,” sacredly preserving the memory of the first word spoken by the Lord after His resurrection: rejoice! (Matthew 28:9). These countless tombs of martyrs loudly testify to the great suffering endured by Christians of the first centuries, while the symbols and inscriptions of these tombs testify to the joyfully bright mood of their pure life. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, when from time to time there were gaps in persecution and Christians slightly recovered from persecution, their love for their Church found expression in the construction of special buildings dedicated exclusively to the service of the Lord. The desire to decorate the house of God with beauty became inherent in everyone who loved this village of God, whose soul recognized that one day in Your courts is better than a thousand (Ps. 83:11). Many times, with the resumption of persecution, temples, erected with love, became victims of the fury of paganism, but love did not become scarce, and when days of calm came again, temples were again erected through the zeal of Christians. When, under Emperor Constantine, the Christian faith became the dominant faith, churches were built with special splendor: cedars of Lebanon, gold, marble, everything that was most precious served as material for their construction. Paintings depicting various events of the Old and New Testaments adorned their walls, but most often the image of the Cross was repeated, formerly an instrument of shameful execution, now a symbol of boundless love... Usually the church building was given an oblong shape like a ship, and the internal structure was applied to the structure of the Jerusalem Temple, and the church was divided into three parts. The first part at the entrance to the church was the vestibule. The catechumens were supposed to stand in this part during the service. Following the vestibule was the second part, a place for believers - the church itself. The third part of the church was the altar, separated from the middle part of the church by a partition (iconostasis) and covered with a curtain during the celebration of the Eucharist. Three doors led into the altar; The middle one was called the holy gate, and now it is called the royal gate. Opposite this door stood a throne on which the Sacrament of the Eucharist was celebrated. Behind the throne there was an elevated place on which at certain times, during divine services, the bishop sat. On both sides of the bishop's seat, somewhat lower, there were seats for the presbyters. Lamps, lamps, censers, sacred clothes, sacred vessels - all these necessary accessories for worship were the same as those that are now in use in our Church. The Holy Apostles commanded Christians to pray unceasingly (1 Thess. 5:17). But since church services were performed for the whole community, it was necessary to determine the times and designate the hours at which the faithful were called to prayer. For the daily prayer, the apostles themselves marked the third, sixth and ninth hours, connecting with each hour a memory from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ: with the third - the condemnation of the Savior to death and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, with the sixth - the crucifixion of the Savior on the Cross and with the ninth - His saving death. During these hours the service was performed. When the times of persecution came, Christians began to gather for prayer at night or late in the evening. At night before dawn the Sacrament of the Eucharist was celebrated. Also, the days marked by the suffering, death and resurrection of the Savior were especially dedicated to the service of God: Wednesday, on which it was decided to put the Savior to death, Friday, on which He was crucified, were days of sadness and fasting, and the day following Saturday, the day of the Resurrection, was a day of joy, a day of prayer, on which divine services were performed with special triumph. The celebration of two great holidays of the Old Testament Church: Easter and Pentecost, passed into the New Testament Church, receiving a different meaning and meaning. Passover in the Jewish Church is a holiday established in memory of deliverance from Egyptian slavery. Easter in the Church of Christ is a holiday of feasts, a non-evening day of joy and light, which announced to us the joy of the general resurrection! The Church prepared for this Holy Feast by fasting for forty days, commemorating the forty days of fasting of the Lord Jesus Christ in the desert. In the Jewish Church, the feast of Pentecost is established in memory of the Sinai Legislation or the organization of the sub-legal Church. In the Christian Church, this holiday is associated with the remembrance of the organization of the Church of Christ by the Lord Himself, who sent the Holy Spirit on the apostles. Days dedicated to the memory of various events in the earthly life of the Lord have formed holy holidays since ancient times: Ascension, Baptism, Transfiguration, Nativity of Christ. The establishment of the feasts of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Presentation of the Lord, the Entry into Jerusalem and holidays in honor of the holy martyrs date back to these same times. In the first years of the ministry of the apostles, the believers who formed the Church of Christ, according to the holy apostles, had one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32). Every day they remained in the church with one accord and, breaking bread in their homes, took food with joy and simplicity of heart, praising God. At the conclusion of the meal, which was called the supper of love, or agape, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was performed - performed as it was established by the Lord Himself. But at the end of the 1st century, the celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was separated from the supper of love and was already added to the divine service, because as believers multiplied, it became inconvenient to perform the sacrament along with an ordinary meal. The service at which the Sacrament of the Eucharist was celebrated began to be called the liturgy. Then, as now, the liturgy was divided into the liturgy of the catechumens and the liturgy of the faithful, the deacon pronounced petitions on behalf of all those present, the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles, selected passages from the Old Testament were read; During the Liturgy of the faithful, with the repetition of the words spoken by the Lord Himself at the Supper of His Mystery, and the invocation of the Holy Spirit on the Holy Gifts, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was performed. In the 2nd century, the beginning of that rite of worship was already laid, which was finally approved in the 4th century and is now accepted by our Church. In apostolic times, all believers usually sang during divine services, but choirs of singers appeared very early. The Sixth Ecumenical Council expressed the desire that “those who come to church to sing with great attention and tenderness bring psalmody to God, for the Word taught the children of Israel to be reverent.” Since the very first centuries of Christianity, the following prayers have already come into use: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Lord, have mercy, the angelic song: Hallelujah, another angelic song: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts and the third: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Even during the time of the apostles, or soon after the apostles, this third song was spread by the appeals: Lamb of God, take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us; take away the sins of the world, accept our prayer; sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. Very early in the course of the service, the songs of Simeon the God-Receiver entered: Now you let go, O Mother of God: My soul magnifies the Lord; especially the Lord's Prayer “Our Father.” Most of the sequences of the service were the psalms of David; Jewish Christians, like the apostles themselves, especially loved them; one, two, three, six at a time, psalms were sung at once in research. In addition to the psalms, the first Christians also used other Old Testament songs, such as: two songs of Moses for crossing the Red Sea, the song of Anna, the mother of Samuel, the songs of Isaiah and Jonah and the song of the three youths of Babylon. Since the 4th century, the all-night vigil was introduced into use in Constantinople, Antioch, etc. It was observed that the service was performed according to rite. In all places, believers tried to use the same prayers. The doctrine of the Sacraments, revealed by the Church in the first centuries of Christianity, is the same as that contained by the Orthodox Church at the present time. The reverence of entire centuries has sanctified those prayers, those chants, all that poetry and beauty, the combination of which constitutes the wonderful harmony of the worship of our Orthodox Church. In the 1st and 2nd centuries, asceticism was a solitary phenomenon. The ascetics did not form separate societies with definite rules of life, but took upon themselves, according to their own choice, various kinds of vows: some took upon themselves the vow of virginity, others the vow of poverty, others constantly remained in prayer and fasting, and some combined all these vows together: such ascetics are known as ascetics. Then, during the terrible times of persecution, many began to seek oblivion of the horrors they had seen in an ascetic life far from the world. Thus was the beginning of monastic life, which in the 4th century received its full development. The purity of life of Christians of the first centuries began to be eclipsed little by little as pagans adopted Christianity en masse, introducing into it much that was alien to it, and then many had an irresistible desire to seek outside human society the realization of Christian ideals... Moreover, at that time persecution ceased - but the thirst for achievement remained... Life away from the world, in unbreakable communion with the heavenly, the difficulty of unconditional obedience, the hardships and sorrows of a life of renunciation, all this, taking the form of a feat, attracted to itself with an irresistible force... On the tops of mountains, in wild gorges, in harsh deserts, monasteries began to be erected: “They were,” says Saint Athanasius with tenderness, “like churches filled with Divine faces, people whose lives were spent in the singing of psalms, in reading, prayers, fasting and vigil, people who placed all their hope in future blessings, lived in humility and amazing love. They did not know grumbling and bickering, they did not know the desire to do evil to others, they only competed to precede each other in virtues.” The Monk Anthony is revered as the founder of monasticism and desert living. He was born in Egypt in 251, into a rich and noble family. His parents themselves were zealous Christians and tried in every possible way to preserve in him pure faith and purity of heart: reading Divine books and prayer were the only sources of his enlightenment and prepared his soul to receive grace. He was about 20 years old when his parents died. He was left alone as the heir to their wealth, having in his care his only little sister. All those joys and entertainments that usually captivate youth had no meaning for him; his imagination painted before him pictures of a completely different life: this life, still unknown to him, attracted him with an attractive force. All his thoughts and desires were directed toward asceticism in the desert. One day he was going to church and thinking about the holy apostles, how they left everything to follow the Lord. He enters the church and hears the Gospel words: if you want to be perfect, go, sell your property and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me (Matthew 19:21). The grace of God touched his heart. It seemed to him that these words were spoken by the Lord personally to him, and, following the attraction of his soul, which had long been burning with love for God, he immediately upon returning from church began to sell his property and distributed it to the poor. The words follow me (Matthew 9:9, etc.) remained a holy call for him; but the thought of his little sister embarrassed him. He enters the church another time and again hears the word of the Gospel, and again he feels an answer to himself and an instruction: do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing: enough for each day is its own care (Matthew 6:34). Anthony accepted these words into his soul, entrusted his sister to good Christian wives known to him, left his home and devoted his entire life and service to the Lord alone. Pre-elected to be the founder of monasticism, the Monk Anthony, before appearing as a great mentor to monks, himself went through all the degrees of spiritual life. At first he entered under the guidance of an elder and was a humble student in order to learn to be a teacher. Then, for 20 years, he lived alone in the desert, learning through experience to recognize both human weaknesses and the nearness of God’s help. It is impossible to imagine what the great ascetic endured during these 20 years. He suffered from hunger, and from thirst, and from cold and heat. But the most terrible temptation for the hermit, according to Anthony himself, is in the heart: this is longing for the world and agitation of thoughts. Often it seemed to him that he no longer had the strength to continue this internal struggle: he was exhausted - and then in wonderful visions the Lord showed him His help. “Where have you been, good Jesus? Why didn’t you come to end my suffering at the beginning?” - Anthony cried when the Lord, after one grave temptation, appeared to him. “I was here,” the Lord told him, “and waited until I saw your feat.” Once, in the midst of a terrible struggle with a thought, Anthony cried out: “Lord! I want to be saved, but my thoughts won’t let me..." Suddenly he sees someone similar to him sitting at the table and working; then, getting up, he begins to pray, through prayer he gets to work again, then he prays again... It was the Angel of the Lord sent to instruct and strengthen Anthony. And the Angel said to him: “Do this and you will be saved.” All his life, Anthony remembered this wondrous inspiration and in it he found a source of spiritual vigor. He himself experienced all the difficulties of spiritual achievement, but also all the joy of the closeness of the Lord; he comprehended all the inexpressible sweetness of perfect prayer and came out of his retreat with a wealth of spiritual treasures and with a great calling to show the way to others. Appearing to the people, he amazed everyone with his appearance: it seemed that time had not touched him, no traces of exhaustion were noticeable in him, his face seemed to shine with lightness and beauty, as if a pure soul, illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit, was reflected in it. Long-term alienation from people did not make him rude and harsh; With a quiet, clear gaze and gentle greeting, he greeted all those who flocked to him in crowds. There was something special in his entire appearance, and those who, having not seen him before, came to look for him in the desert, recognized him right among the multitude of monks. With the miraculous power of faith, he healed, and with words he consoled the sad, taught the foolish, tamed the angry, and inspired everyone to love the Lord Jesus above all else. Anthony’s word, dissolved with the salt of Divine grace, had such a strong effect on the hearts of those who came to him in the desert that many of them, despising worldly life, immediately decided to go through desert life with Anthony. The constantly increasing number of Anthony's disciples reached the point that the hitherto deserted desert was likened to a paradise inhabited by Angels, because the life of hermits was an angelic life, not a human one, in its purity and renunciation of everything earthly. Some of the hermits lived together and formed a community; others scattered in caves and led a hermit life. But all of them, being under the leadership of the Great Anthony, quenched their spiritual thirst for good advice from one source - from his lips. While leading the monks, Anthony did not give them external rules for life; charters were to be formed subsequently as needed; he talked with his brothers like a father with his children; I tried to instill in them humility, love for God and neighbors. Subsequently, he wrote several teachings that have come down to us. “Whoever wants to turn to God with all his heart,” taught the Monk Anthony, “God Himself will teach him how to pray to Him. The Holy Spirit sends down His help according to the degree of zeal for piety, to the degree that a person strongly feels the need for help and desires to receive it.” “Pray as often as possible, sing psalms morning, evening and noon, and have the Holy Scriptures in your hands often.” “Be kind. Gentleness is the source of eternal life.” “Both life and death depend on your neighbor: if you gain a brother, then you gain the love of God...” “The prayer of the one who notices and remembers that he is praying is imperfect. The Lord said: The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21); this means that virtue is in us, it requires only our will, and it consists in preserving the soul in the purity in which the Lord created it... Let us keep the soul to the Lord, as a pledge received from Him - so that He recognizes His creation in it!” The persecution under Maximinus attracted Anthony to Alexandria, where he served the sufferers and exposed himself to mortal danger in every possible way. But when the danger had passed, he concluded that the crown of martyrdom to which he had striven was not destined for him; then he headed into a desert even more remote than the one in which he had lived before. His location was now a cave in a high mountain. He cultivated a piece of land for sowing grain and vegetables, so that he could not only spare others the trouble of getting food for him, but also in order to have some reserve to reinforce visitors. People flocked to him in droves. The oppressed often resorted to his intercession, and it was never in vain. Emperor Constantine and his sons sought communication with him and asked for his prayers. During the Arian disputes and turmoil, Anthony and his monks were staunch and powerful champions of Orthodoxy. The aged hermit of the desert, with the intention of supporting Athanasius and destroying sympathy for the Arian cause, himself visited Alexandria. People flocked in droves to look at this strange stranger, who led a life so different from the lives of other people, and listened with trembling hearts to his simple, fiery word. When Anthony returned to his desert, Athanasius himself accompanied him to the gates of Alexandria, at which the great hermit, teaching his last blessing, performed a miracle of healing on a young man possessed by an evil spirit. The Monk Pachomius the Great is revered as the founder of cenobitic monasticism. The parents of the Monk Pachomius were pagans. Richly gifted by nature, he received a good education in his youth. In 312 he was taken into the army of Caesar Maximin, who rebelled against the emperors Constantine and Licinius. Among the labors and hardships of the campaign, he had the opportunity to recognize Christians, how, according to the commandment of their Teacher, they treated their suffering enemies with mercy and love. He began to pray to the Lord the Savior, not yet knowing Him, and upon returning from the war he was baptized, went into the desert and was saved under the leadership of one ascetic named Polemon. After fifteen years of hidden spiritual exploits, the Lord inspired him to unite the hermits who lived separately under one general rule. On one island of the Nile River (Tavenna) he began to establish a monastery. Soon this monastery could no longer accommodate all those who wanted to be saved under the leadership of Saint Pachomius, and he was forced to found several more monasteries on the banks of the Nile, not far from one another. He even established one convent, where his sister was the first abbess. In his monasteries, he introduced certain rules that were binding on everyone. The foundations of this charter were: chastity, humility, renunciation of everything earthly and unquestioning submission to the Abba. The monks lived in groups of three in each cell, doing handicrafts and eating food together. Several times a day everyone gathered together for prayer. Everyone had the same clothes. Public worship was held twice a day, day and night. At the sound of a trumpet or beating, the monks silently flocked to the church. Here they read the Holy Scriptures, listened to the elder’s instructions, prayed, and sang psalms. On Sunday, a presbyter appeared from a neighboring village, celebrated the liturgy and gave communion to the monks. Everyone went to work in order and in silence, together with their superior. Without the blessing of the elder, no one could start a new job or move from one place to another. The work performed by one or another brother did not belong to him, but to the entire community. Food was taken once - at noon, and consisted of bread, vegetables, fruits; On Sunday there was an evening meal. In order for all these rules to be invariably followed by the monks, the Monk Pachomius decided not to first accept those wishing to enter the monastery, as after a one-year trial. Founded on such principles, the society of monks during the lifetime of Saint Pachomius grew to 7,000, and a hundred years after him - to 50,000 people. One of the disciples of Saint Anthony, Saint Hilarion, transferred monasticism to his homeland, Palestine, and founded a monastery near Gaza. From here monasticism spread throughout Palestine and Syria. Basil the Great, who visited monasteries in Palestine and Egypt at the end of his education, established monasticism in Cappadocia and gave it strictly defined rules, which became universal in the East. One of the ascetics of the 5th century, Savva the Sanctified (i.e., who combined the rank of priest with the title of monk), established a monastery near Jerusalem, in a rock, near the Kidron stream, and introduced here a strictly defined liturgical charter. In Europe, Eastern monasticism found a special refuge on Mount Olympia and Mount Athos. On the latter (over 30 versts in length and 20 in diameter) there are about 20 monasteries, up to 800 hermitages and about 8,000 ascetics. Monasticism spread to the West from the East. Saint Athanasius the Great, during his stay there, described the life of Saint Anthony the Great and aroused in many the desire to imitate his ascetic life. The famous teacher of the Western Church, Blessed Jerome, had the same effect on the zealots of piety with his biography of St. Paul of Thebes. Many of the noble Romans, men and women, abandoned the world for a solitary life in the desert. But in fact, Benedict is revered as the father and organizer of monasticism in the West. He gave Western monasticism a different, more practical direction. He did not demand from his followers those hardships that the monks suffered in the East, but commanded them only order, abstinence and hard work. Among the works convenient for a monk, he pointed to the rewriting of books. Thanks to this, many of the works of the holy fathers and historical monuments of the deepest antiquity were preserved for posterity within the walls of the monasteries founded by Benedict. The importance of monasticism in the history of the Church and in the history of the spiritual growth of mankind is great! Monks indeed retired from the world to achieve the highest moral perfection, but their impact on the world was enormous. Just one glance at the life of the monks, detached from everything earthly, made people feel what his heavenly calling required of a Christian and where his true fatherland was. The glory of the life and deeds of the desert saints attracted many people to them, seeking guidance and consolation. Devotees of piety flocked from all over the Roman world to see this wonderful life of ascetics. Visitors not only learned piety from them, but also told others about them and wrote down their deeds and words. Collections of the deeds and sayings of holy ascetics became educational books and moral guides for all Christians. Helping the spiritual needs of their neighbors, the monks did not refuse, when they had the opportunity, to serve their temporary needs. Earning food for themselves through labor, they shared the surplus with the poor. At the monasteries there were hospices where monks received, fed and gave rest to wanderers. Alms were sent from the monastic monasteries to other places: to prisoners languishing in prison, to those in poverty during times of famine and other misfortunes. By promoting the spiritual and physical well-being of believers, monasticism contributed to the spread of the faith of Christ and the final fall of paganism. The high life of the monks surprised the pagans themselves and was for them proof of the holiness of the Christian religion. The monks appeared at the most necessary time to fight the heretics and fearlessly denounced the powerful of the world for deviating from the Church and Orthodoxy. Seeing the high piety of the monks and their spiritual wisdom, the archpastors began to elevate them to sacred degrees. Subsequently, the importance of monasticism increased even more. Among the monks, they began to predominantly, and then exclusively, elevate bishops to the highest sacred degree. But the main, invaluable merit of monasticism is unceasing prayer: prayer for the Church, the fatherland, for the living and the dead - and observance of the sacred service in all its fullness and beauty. XIII. The early life of Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian were simultaneously called to the great service of the Church. From a very young age, their destinies were mysteriously united by God - that is why their names are inseparable in history. Both were born in Cappadocia. Both began their education at the famous Caesarea School, both graduated from it in Athens, and both experienced the great significance of that educational action that originates in the power of example. The parents of both Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian left a bright mark on their lives: from infancy, children were accustomed, following them, to feel truth and beauty where their parents felt it, to feel that the final goal of life is not here, but where they have laid up for themselves an inexhaustible treasure (Luke 12:23). The entire family of Basil the Great has long been distinguished by its devotion to the Church. His father was a famous teacher of eloquence and a deeply convinced Christian. His mother Emilia, like Saint Nonna, mother of Gregory, and Saint Monica, mother of Augustine, left us a poetic, bright image of what a Christian woman should be. Gregory's family was also known for its piety, although his father was a pagan from a young age. The prayer of his wife Nonna led him to God. He himself did not yet know how to pray and did not know the psalms of David; but then one day in a dream he dreams that he is singing a wonderful song: I rejoiced when they said to me: let us go to the house of the Lord (Ps. 122:1). His soul felt sweet and joyful... With joy and joy he truly entered the house of God and served there until the end of his days, first in the rank of presbyter, and then of bishop. The mother of Saint Gregory, even more than his father, had an influence on the education of the spirit of their great son. Gregory always looked at his mother as the Guardian Angel of his life, and in her prayer he saw that holy power that kept him the way her love wanted him. In prayer she sought refuge in all her trials, and the Lord gave her the great and rare joy of believing in the reality of her prayer. Smart, cheerful, strong in spirit, she did everything she did with all her heart. Always meek and obedient in relation to her husband, she was his leader in all good things, knew how to love everything that suffers, and said that she would be ready to sell herself and her children into slavery in order to have something to help the poor. All these traits of her character are described with amazing tenderness by Gregory himself in one of his sermons. This love of his for his mother, like a quiet ray, shines through all the hardships of his life. “She only touches the earth for this reason,” he said about his mother, “so that with this life she can prepare for the life in heaven.” With two vows, Saint Gregory’s life was dedicated to serving the Lord. The first vow was made in a moment of trembling joy, when his mother’s prayer was fulfilled and the Lord gave her a son: she herself took her child to church, blessed his infant hands by laying them on the Holy Book - thereby predetermining him to be a presbyter... “God gave me,” Gregory later wrote about this, “to my praying bright mother and accepted me from my mother as a gift pleasing to Him.” The second vow was made in a moment of horror, when it seemed that everything that was dear, more expensive than life, was perishing in the depths of the sea: a terrible storm overtook Saint Gregory when he was heading to Athens. This storm lasted 24 days. Everything plunged into darkness, illuminated only by flashes of lightning, which further increased the horror of this darkness... At this time, Gregory had not yet been baptized: he was afraid of the thought of leaving this world unsanctified, only “thirsty for spiritual water.” “Everyone around me,” he says, “was afraid of ordinary death, but the horror of my soul was how much more terrible!” He prayed, shed tears, made a vow to devote his entire life to God alone if He saved his perishing soul. The Lord accepted the gift of this young life, which was so necessary for the establishment of His Church. – And there was great silence (Matthew 8:26). “I suffered,” says Gregory, “and my parents suffered with me: in a night vision they shared my grief with me and from afar gave me help with their prayer.” Gregory believed that it was to this prayer that he owed his salvation. This incident made a deep impression on him: he offered himself as a gift - and felt that from that moment he did not belong to himself. In Athens, Vasily and Gregory met again, their friendship “from a spark turned into a high, burning flame.” This friendship was especially precious in Athens, a city so rich in the temptations of both false wisdom and false beauty. She gave them the strength to firmly and joyfully be and call themselves Christians, preferring this name to any other. They worked with passion, kept their faith, but did not shy away from everything beautiful that they found in the pagan world. “We should not,” says Gregory, “despise the heavens and the earth and the air, because some, out of error, have made them the object of idolization, honoring the creation of God instead of God, but, enjoying everything that is beautiful, we must comprehend the Creator from what has been created and, as the Divine Apostle says, take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.” After a five-year stay in Athens, Vasily returned to his homeland, and Gregory took the place of a teacher of eloquence in Athens itself. Vasily no longer found his father alive; They offered him to take his father's place at the school, but he rejected this offer: he stood, as it were, at a crossroads, not knowing which path to choose for himself. The proud consciousness of his superiority, the pleasure with which he was carried away by eloquence, were the forces that attracted him to a life that was not similar to the ideal that was ripening in his soul. His bewilderment continued until he accepted the Sacrament of Baptism: then the grace of God touched his heart; he surrendered to God and decided to devote himself to monastic life. Monasteries were still almost unknown in Asia Minor, and Vasily undertook a trip to Egypt and Palestine to become familiar with the way of life in the desert. He was deeply impressed by the lives of the ascetics he visited. Returning, he settled in a secluded picturesque place on the banks of the Irisa River and here in silence he devoted himself to the study of the Holy Scriptures. “God has revealed to me,” he wrote from there to his friend Gregory, “a dwelling after my heart: it has been given to me to see in reality what you and I have so often dreamed of.” He enthusiastically calls this peaceful corner of the earth his “ladder ascending to heaven, his Mount of Olives.” However, his life could not be hidden from people for long. At the beginning, it was painful for him to resume communication with the world, but soon his soul was kindled with love for all those people who called to him and, feeling in him a person with authority (Matthew 7:29, etc.), were waiting to hear the word of life from him. Little by little, ascetics began to settle around it, and soon a monastery arose. Then, under his leadership, other monasteries began to be established - male and female. These blessed abodes exuded peace and silence; in difficult times they attracted to themselves, like a source of water in the desert: orphans, homeless people, children, old men, young men, tired of life, and those who enthusiastically renounced joys still unknown to them, all found refuge in these sacred places of solitude. Vasily had special concern for them: he did not choose the “hermit” feat for himself, because his soul was characterized by active love, and on this love he based the rules of monasticism, written for the monasteries he founded. “Having received the commandment to love God, we also acquired the power to love. He who loves God also loves his neighbor. And again, he who loves his neighbor continues his love for God; because God accepts all mercy towards one’s neighbor as mercy towards Himself.” Repeatedly Vasily called his friend, who by this time had also returned from Athens. Having quenched his thirst for knowledge, Gregory now longed for solitude and silence, but before settling on any decision, upon returning to Nazianza, he began to prepare for Baptism. He looked at Baptism as the main event of his life, by which his previous sins would be washed away, and he would be allowed to sacrifice at the foot of the throne of God everything that he had acquired: his knowledge, his learning, his talents, everything that was his. “The word - the gift of expression - is one thing that I value,” he said, “but only as a servant of the Word.” The contemplative life away from the world had long attracted him, and he would undoubtedly have accepted monasticism, but his love for his parents prevailed. “She, like a weight, drew me to the ground,” he says, “not so much love as pity, this blessed feeling of our soul: pity for gray hair, pity for sorrow...” Gregory remained with his elderly parents and was the rod of their old age, believing that by doing this he was doing what was pleasing to God. It was his cherished dream to settle near Vasily; but he brought it as a gift to those who were dear to him, and only a short time did he spend near his friend in the beauty of the forests, hills and streams. For a long time later, they both recalled with delight this happy time of their lives: the inexplicable sweetness of prayer, quiet chants, reading the Holy Scriptures and that unearthly light that illuminated their souls to understand the mysteries of God, and the hard daily work, and voluntary deprivations... But Vasily did not enjoy that life for long, which he called “life according to my heart.” And Gregory and Basil, both were noted people: the words of Christ apply to them and others like them: let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16). With the death of Constantius, the power of the Arians ceased for a time; but a new disaster befell the Church: unexpected persecution from the pagans. It, however, did not last long and only indicated how firmly the Christian faith was established and how futile and insane all attempts to revive dying paganism would be. After Constantine the Great, his surviving young nephews Gallus and Julian were brought up, by order of Constantius, under the supervision of Christian Arian teachers. They were surrounded by honor, but they were kept almost in captivity. Both of them were baptized, then were made readers in the church. They were forced to strictly observe all the rituals of the Christian law: fasting, visiting the tombs of martyrs, making donations to churches, but the spirit of Christ’s teaching did not touch them: the image of Christ was never presented to them in its true light and greatness. The environment in which they were brought up had little influence on the eldest of them, Gall: weak both physically and mentally, he was equally indifferent to everything and, moreover, did not remain alive for long. The younger one, Julian, richly gifted by nature, took into his soul the impressions of everything that surrounded him from childhood. He saw up close the life of those who were entrusted with his Christian upbringing - he saw that this life was filled with anger, enmity, mutual persecution, and he began to look for the cause of evil in Christian teaching. He attributed to the influence of paganism everything beautiful and great that, through the transparency of the mysterious distance, he imagined the life of the heroes of the ancient world, whose memory he treated with nothing other than reverent delight! He did not know real Christianity, and he despised and hated the one that he thought he would see in the lives of people close to him... He thirsted for knowledge; For a long time he was forbidden to communicate with pagan philosophers, and this prohibition gave new attractiveness to their teaching, while the teaching taught to him by people whom he deeply despised could only cool his soul, lively, restless, inquisitive... So he grew, harboring in his soul hatred for the Church of Christ... Finally, Emperor Constantius recognized the need to take care of Julian’s further education, and for this purpose he was ordered to travel through Asia Minor and Greece. In Athens, Julian attended the same school where Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian studied, and completely devoted himself to the study of classical sciences and pagan philosophy. It is remarkable that soon after his first meeting with him, Gregory, who was unpleasantly struck by Julian’s proud, contemptuously mocking expression, exclaimed, talking about him with his friends: “What a curse the empire is preparing for itself in him!” While still in Ephesus, Julian, in his twentieth year, renounced Baptism and was initiated into paganism. In Athens, he performed a pagan rite of purification on himself through the sprinkling of sacrificial blood and was solemnly, albeit secretly, accepted among the servants of the gods. He did not yet dare to directly declare himself a pagan, and the need to pretend and hide his true feelings and beliefs further strengthened his hatred of the Christian faith... Emperor Constantius died suddenly, Julian ascended the throne as the only branch of the house of Constantine; further hypocrisy has now become unnecessary... The pagan party came to life: the overthrow of Christianity and the restoration of paganism became the main goal of Julian’s life. He immediately declared himself a worshiper of the gods of Greece and Rome, ordered the opening of pagan temples in all cities and, where they were destroyed by Christians, to build new ones at the expense of Christians. He himself took an active part in all pagan celebrations and said that the title of high priest was more honorable and precious for him than the title of emperor itself. Surrounding himself with pagan philosophers and sophists and being himself educated and learned, he at the same time indulged in pagan superstitions, believed in fortune-telling and spells, tried to find out the future from the entrails of sacrificial animals, considered it a great honor to take part in all pagan rituals, got up at night to pray to idols, began the day with a sacrifice in honor of the Sun, which was especially honored. Julian understood, however, that paganism could not have power unless it was transformed and purified. The Christian law showed the world a model of moral purity, which inspired respect and surprise even among unbelievers; So, the immorality of paganism must have unpleasantly struck the best people among the pagans. Julian tried to transfer into paganism the spirit of purity and virtue characteristic of Christianity. He forbade the priests to attend public entertainments; demanded that they lead a pure and abstinent life, offer moral teachings to the people; He ordered the establishment of hospice houses and hospitals at the churches, for the maintenance of which money would be given. “We are ashamed,” he said, “that the “Galileans” (as he called Christians) support not only their poor, but also ours.” Wanting to replace Christianity with transformed paganism, Julian, however, did not want to openly persecute Christians: he well understood that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Christian Church,” and hoped in other ways to suppress the faith he so deeply despised... Upon ascending the throne, he declared that each of his subjects was free to worship the deity that he considered true. Then he returned from exile all those expelled for their faith. This deeply considered measure had a twofold purpose: to achieve praise for toleration and to deal a blow to Christianity by returning those exiles who could again instill discord and confusion in the cause of the Church. However, he soon realized his mistake: the common danger from the revival of paganism united all parties, silenced all those disputes that had torn the Church apart for so long... Julian’s hatred now mainly turned not on the mass of the people who professed the Christian faith, but on those leaders and shepherds of the Church whom he himself returned to this people... He was especially afraid of the influence of Athanasius, recognized everywhere as the main support of the faith and the Orthodox Church. The return of Athanasius to the Alexandrian flock was a national celebration, which contemporaries recalled with tenderness, comparing it with the entrance to Jerusalem. The entire city, young and old, came out to meet him with enthusiastic exclamations, songs and prayers of thanks. Athanasius immediately set to work restoring peace in the flock outraged by the discord: knowing how to combine wise severity with meekness, he tried to cover with leniency the guilt of many who retreated from Orthodoxy in troubled times. Julian watched his every action with irritation; less than a year had passed from the return of Athanasius, when an imperial decree ordered him to leave Alexandria due to the fact that the decree that returned the exiles did not mean the restoration of bishops to the sees they occupied before the expulsion. Afanasy immediately left the city; and when the Orthodox turned to the king with a request to return the bishop, this irritated Julian even more, and he ordered Athanasius to be expelled even from Egypt. And this seemed not enough. Soon the order came to destroy the main church in the city and put Athanasius to death if he was found anywhere in Egypt. Christians saw off their beloved bishop with tears; he consoled them and said: “Don’t cry, it’s a small cloud; it will soon pass.” He sailed on a boat along the Nile to Thebaid. The soldiers, who had orders to kill him, followed him. They had almost overtaken him, but Athanasius ordered the boat to be turned and sail towards them. The warriors, who did not expect this, did not recognize him. “Is Afanasy far away?” - they asked. “Catch up soon, if you hurry,” the bishop’s companions answered them. They continued to swim; and Athanasius went ashore and again found refuge with the desert ascetics. Finding every way to humiliate Christians, Julian destroyed all Christian symbols on public buildings and on banners, introducing statues and symbols of pagan gods everywhere, and did not miss opportunities to mock Christianity both in his public speeches and in his writings. He deprived the Christian clergy of all previous benefits and forbade making wills in favor of the Church. In Christian schools he forbade the study of classical writers of antiquity under the pretext that Christians are content with their sacred books, since their teachers themselves boast not of wisdom, but of ignorance and simplicity. Finally, to disgrace their beliefs, he decided, albeit by deception, to involve them in the performance of pagan rites and ordered the blood of idol sacrifices to be sprinkled on the supplies sold in the markets. The Lord did not allow such disgrace of the faithful. Tradition says that in the first week of Great Lent, the holy martyr Theodore Tiron appeared to the Bishop of Constantinople at night and said: “Forbid Christians from eating anything bought at the market; and let those who have no other supplies boil their own wheat with honey.” Since then, the Church has maintained the custom of offering kolivo in the first week of Lent in memory of the holy martyr Theodore Tiron. Knowing the hatred of Jews for Christians, Julian began to provide special patronage to Jews and Jewish beliefs and rituals. He planned to begin the restoration of the Temple of Jerusalem, hoping to deal a sensitive blow to Christianity and prove the falsity of the prophecies about the destruction of the church. The Jews accepted this offer with enthusiasm. The restoration of the church was the favorite dream of the unfortunate people; He pinned his hopes for greatness and glory on the restoration of the ancient shrine. The Jews again dreamed of independence and hurried in droves to Jerusalem. Confident of the king's protection, the Jews began to insult Christians everywhere; in many cities they subjected them to torture, everywhere they cursed their faith with impunity. In Jerusalem especially, the position of Christians became extremely difficult due to the insults inflicted on them by the triumphant Jews. Meanwhile, work began. But they barely had time to clear the place and prepare materials for construction when a terrible earthquake, with a storm and a whirlwind, scattered everything prepared, and many workers were littered with debris and stones. They left work for a while; when they got down to business again, a new earthquake occurred, worse than the first. This time the remains of the still surviving foundation were torn out of the ground, the guns were blown away by the whirlwind; flames flared up from the ground in clouds and scorched the workers. Horror seized the Jews; they left the enterprise, convinced that God Himself was against them; many believed and were baptized. In military affairs with the Germans and Persians, Julian showed himself to be a skilled commander; but the last campaign he planned against Persia was unsuccessful and cost him his life. Moving with considerable forces, along the way he visited the most famous pagan temples, diligently performed sacrifices and questioned the oracles; gave generous benefits for the restoration of destroyed pagan temples, promising to open them solemnly on the return journey. Encouraged by the first successes of his weapons, he went far beyond the Euphrates, burned the fleet behind him, hoping for the sure success of the enterprise, but, suddenly surrounded by the Persians in a dangerous place, he was mortally wounded in battle by an enemy arrow. They say that before his death, in despair, he grabbed a handful of blood flowing from the wound and threw it into the air, exclaiming: “You have won, Galilean!” So he died in 363. He wanted to eliminate the faith that brought the world holy ideals, holy joy, but only managed to temper it with new suffering; with his life the revival of paganism ended. The next day, Jovian, a Christian, was elected emperor. The army declared itself Christian, and on the army’s return journey, the sacred labarum that preceded the troops proclaimed to all peoples what faith the new emperor belonged to. Peace has returned. The Christians rejoiced; the preachers inspired meekness and gentleness, and nowhere was the joy darkened by the persecution of the pagans. But soon this joy was replaced by sadness... Persecution from the pagans passed, persecution from the Arians came again. After the death of Julian, Athanasius returned to his Egyptian see, which he quietly ruled throughout the short reign of Jovian. When the new ruler of the East, the Arian Valens, began to expel all Orthodox bishops, Athanasius was expelled, but the pleas of his devoted flock prompted the emperor to agree to his return. At a time when the cause to which his whole life was devoted was being persecuted in all other parts of the Eastern Empire, the great champion of Orthodoxy was allowed to spend his last years in the peaceful possession of the very pulpit to which the hand of God had placed him from his early youth. He died in May 373. The long struggle of Saint Athanasius with the royal power and the very fact that the emperors were forced to enter into a fight with him so many times testify to the spirit of freedom that in these days of general moral enslavement was preserved in the Christian Church. XV. Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory the Theologian Second Ecumenical Council In the history of the Church’s struggle with Arianism, Basil the Great appears as a strong defender of Orthodoxy at a time when Saint Athanasius of Alexandria was already leaving his career, and is an accomplice and continuer of his great work, first in the rank of presbyter and then archbishop of the vast Caesarea diocese. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, when he felt that he could not manage his vast diocese alone at such a difficult time, called Basil to him, ordained him a presbyter and entrusted him with part of his ministry. He worked tirelessly, and little by little the entire administration of the Church passed into his hands, so that in reality Vasily himself became the bishop. He preached the word of God every day, sometimes even twice a day, morning and evening, and his preaching attracted such a mass of people that he was sometimes forced to shorten his conversations so as not to distract the workers from their work for too long. The name of Saint Basil is famous in the history of church affairs and church administration in the East; but his activity as a people’s preacher is especially close and understandable to the Orthodox heart. Simple and poor people flocked to him in crowds, and with his inspired words he taught them to rise to God through the contemplation of nature, described to them the wonders of the universe and the goodness of the Creator. His thought was directed towards God and eternity; but at the same time he retained both the natural tenderness of his soul and the vividness of his imagination, so that majestic pictures of nature served as a means for him to attract believing souls to God. So, Saint Basil, together with Gregory, left the Church the first example of eloquence, aimed at the spiritual enlightenment of the people, at correcting morals and at consoling the distressed and distressed. The whole life of Saint Basil was, as it were, the fulfillment of the apostolic commandment: rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15). His love was always active, and his mercy extended to all the poor who suffered for whatever reason. All of them, he said, have the same right to regret and look at our hands in the same way as we look at the hands of God when we ask for something. In 368, the vast region of Caesarea suffered from a terrible crop failure. The supply of grain from other places turned out to be unavailable due to the high cost of delivery, so the whole country was subjected to the scourge of famine. The suffering of the people became the suffering of their shepherd - in this difficult time he was everything to everyone (Cor. 9:22). Both by example and by the power of his words, he was able to influence those who could come to the aid of the suffering people. “Farmers,” says Saint Basil in his touching words, “sitting in the fields and folding their hands on their knees, they will look at their little ones and begin to sob... they will fix their gaze on their wives and burst into tears; they will touch and feel the dry leaves of the sprouted stems and sob loudly, like fathers who have lost sons who have reached the blossoming age... What kind of punishment is worthy of the one who passes by?.. What else can be added to such cruelty? Whoever has the opportunity to heal evil, but voluntarily and out of covetousness puts it off, can justly be condemned on a par with murderers!” (Conversations of Basil the Great). He immediately sold all his property in order to feed the starving people with the proceeds. Everyone who came to him received bread without distinction of age or nationality. With a touching and stern word, as well as with this example, he touched the hearts of the rich and prompted them to open their granaries. Thus he became, as it were, a new Joseph for suffering Caesarea. After the death of Eusebius in 371, all of Caesarea wished to have Basil as bishop. Emperor Valens reigned at this time. He was completely blinded by the heresy of Arius and used his power to patronize the Arians in every possible way and oppress the Orthodox. Among the main measures to weaken Orthodoxy was the expulsion of Orthodox bishops from the Church and their replacement by Arian ones. Among all these persecutions of Orthodoxy, the Archbishop of the Caesarea Church, renowned for his intelligence, knowledge and virtues, naturally attracted special attention both from the Orthodox, who hoped to have in him a stronghold of Orthodoxy, and from the Arians, who saw in him the main obstacle to their plans. And indeed, moving such a lamp from its place was not easy for the ruler of the East himself; Therefore, Vasily remained on his throne when many episcopal places around him were already occupied by Arians. Saint Basil was a truly evangelical bishop - a father to the people, a friend to the poor and needy, unyielding in faith, tireless and inexhaustible in charity. Through his care, shelters, hospice houses, and hospitals were established in Caesarea and the surrounding area. In one of the departments of the huge, magnificent Caesarea hospital, an emergency room for lepers was set up for the first time. Lepers aroused the special tenderness of Saint Basil; without tears, he could not look at these sufferers who suffered the greatest evil: they felt hated by everyone simply because they had suffered misfortune... “They are our brothers in God,” says Saint Basil in a touching word spoken here, in this refuge, “brothers who have received the same nature as us, just like us, gifted with the image of God and preserving it, perhaps better than us; although they have decayed in body, they are clothed with Christ as one; for them, as well as for us, Christ died, and they are joint heirs of heavenly life, although alienated from earthly life, and they suffer with Christ in order to be glorified with Him! What are we? Shall we despise them? Shall we run past? Shall we leave them as dead men, as monsters? No, brothers! This is not what the good Shepherd Christ, who converts the lost, seeks the lost, strengthens the weak, teaches us - His sheep... This is not what human nature, which has implanted in us the law of compassion, instills in us.” Saint Basil did not disdain them, often visited them, hugged them, and gave them great joy to feel the closeness of his love. The nickname “Great” given to Vasily is explained by the special impression that he made on his contemporaries... His whole appearance: his posture, his pale, haggard face, his deep gaze, the calm importance of his body movements, aroused a feeling of reverence in everyone... “His one smile was praise, and his silence was reproach.” His enemies could not help but be aware of his moral strength, and his friends enthusiastically obeyed it. Basil's influence on the clergy was so great that under him they reached the highest degree of dignity, and the bishops of foreign dioceses asked him for presbyters for their churches. He himself loved the beauty of the church, the splendor of the church, the harmony in worship, and he instilled this feeling in those around him; twice in his biography his service in the church is mentioned - and both times he speaks of the special impression it made on his soul. Saint Ephraim the Syrian and Emperor Valens, people so dissimilar, both received the same impression at the sight of the solemn grandeur of this service. “I saw on the steps of the altar of the house of God,” says Saint Ephrem, carried away by his delight, “I saw this chosen vessel - standing in front of his flock, adorned and enriched with words shining like precious stones. It seemed to me that a dove, white as snow, was sitting on his shoulder and whispering in his ear, and the whole congregation shone with the divine radiance of grace.” In the church and during the service there was a meeting between the saint and Emperor Valens. When surveying the subject countries, the emperor once had to drive through Caesarea. Not wanting to have a clash and enter into a debate with the bishop, who adhered to a different teaching, and thinking that it would not be difficult to win him over to his side, the king first instructed the prefect Modestus to incite Vasily to communicate with the Arians. Modest, having arrived in Caesarea before the emperor, immediately ordered Saint Basil to be summoned to him. Saint Basil appeared before him with his usual calmness, as if he had come to a holiday, and not to a trial. Modest, surrounded by lictors with rods and axes in their hands, first treated Saint Basil with respect and flatteringly persuaded him to fulfill the will of the emperor and recognize Arianism. But when he saw this remedy unsuccessful, he assumed a menacing look, and in extreme annoyance, not honoring Saint Basil with the name of bishop, he said: “Basily, what is this? How dare you persist against such a great emperor, and alone and so brazenly?” Vasily explained that he could not accept the errors of the Arians. Modest began to threaten him with expulsion, deprivation of property, and death. “Is that all? - said Vasily. “None of this scares me.” He who has nothing cannot be deprived of his property, unless you wish to take away several books that make up my estate. Exile? I have no idea about him. I am not affiliated with any place. The land on which I now live is not mine; and every land into which I can be thrown is all mine, or rather all God’s, on which I am only a wanderer and an alien. And as for death, death is a benefactor, since it will lead me to God, for Whom I live and Whom I serve.” The greatness of Vasily amazed the prefect. “No one has ever spoken to me like that before,” he said. “You probably haven’t had the opportunity to talk to the bishop,” Vasily answered calmly. Meanwhile, Valens arrived in Caesarea, and Modest immediately informed him that the bishop had defeated him; that neither threat nor affection affects him and that therefore only one thing remains - to use violence. Valens, having listened to everything, involuntarily felt in his soul some special attraction to Saint Basil; he, perhaps, even realized that the truth was with him, but he was ashamed to leave Arianism. He began to look for an opportunity to express at least his deep respect to Saint Basil. The opportunity soon presented itself. The solemn holiday of Epiphany has arrived. Valens, accompanied by his bodyguards, entered the church where Saint Basil was performing divine services, and stood between the Orthodox laity, thereby showing, as it were, his communication with the holy archbishop. The church was crowded with people: people, like sea waves, were crowded, leaning on each other, but nothing broke the silence. There was harmonious festive singing; behind the throne, facing the people, stood the archbishop himself: he did not show with either a glance or a sign that he noticed the presence of the emperor. Tall, slender, he stood motionless in all the majesty of his archpastoral vestments, with a staff in his hand; his deep, fiery gaze was fixed on the holy throne. Around him stood the presbyters and deacons in reverent order, looking more like Angels than men. The beauty of holiness left its special imprint on all the servants - and the quiet light of grace fell on those praying. Timid, impressionable Valens was shocked to the core by the greatness of this picture. His excitement was noticed by everyone when he moved forward and with a trembling hand wanted to present his offering to the altar; none of the clergy, not knowing the will of the archbishop, dared to accept him from the emperor; Valens staggered and would certainly have fallen if one of the presbyters had not supported him. Then Saint Basil, seeing that the emperor offered the offering not with pride, but with humility, wanted to slightly weaken the severity of church decrees rather than shame him in front of all the people. He accepted his offering himself. A few days after this, the emperor again came to the church of Saint Basil and listened to his teaching; then he begged his permission to enter the altar, where he entered into the desired conversation with him. Saint Basil spoke to him for a long time and with extreme force about the true teaching of the faith. The emperor listened to him very carefully, and seemed to undoubtedly recognize the side of St. Basil as truly orthodox. He became favorable to the Orthodox and ordered to stop the persecution of them. This royal favor did not last long. Barely a few days had passed before the humiliated pride of the courtiers and the cunning of the Arian bishops managed to again arouse anger in the emperor against Saint Basil, and, without hesitation, he signed the exile of the holy archpastor. Great was the triumph of the Arians, deep was the sadness of the Orthodox. Probably, in order to avoid indignation among the people, Saint Basil had to leave the city before dawn on the first night after receiving the verdict. But God obviously stood up for the saint and, with His omnipotence, immediately gave the whole course of affairs a completely different look. That very night the emperor's six-year-old son became dangerously ill. The emperor called upon the most skilled doctors; but the doctors gave up hope. He himself fervently prayed to God, repeatedly throwing himself on the ground, but in vain. At the same time, the empress suddenly entered, alarmed by a terrible dream; Tormented by grief over the loss of her son, she told her husband that her son’s illness was sent as punishment for insulting the archbishop; The emperor, ashamed of his action with Saint Basil, gradually canceled the sentence and sent the bishop to ask for prayers. The child recovered. Valens no longer bothered Vasily; and persecution, strong in all regions, passed over Cappadocia. The holy Bishop of Caesarea did not enjoy the restoration of peace for long: in the constant struggle with the opponents of Orthodoxy, his soul grew weary. The labors and hardships of life broke him. He died on January 1, 379. His friend Gregory could not be present at his death, because he himself was dangerously ill at that time. The last words of Saint Basil were: into Your hands I commend my spirit (Ps. 30:6; Luke 23:46). Having great concern for the dignity and splendor of worship, Saint Basil worked hard for it. He composed the majestic order of the liturgy known by his name. Taking into account the weakness of those praying and relying on the zeal of the elected presbyters, he shortened the general prayers at the liturgy, while at the same time expanding the prayers of the clergy. The composition of the morning service is arranged according to his instructions and instructions. Many of the most famous Orthodox prayers in the Book of Hours and Psalms, as well as in the rules for communion, were compiled by him. Finally, the wonderfully mysterious prayers for the sending down of the Holy Spirit to us and for the repose of the departed, which are read with kneeling on the day of Holy Pentecost, are also his creation. In his writings, Saint Basil left the Church a treasure of wisdom, eloquence and sacred poetry. This is what St. Gregory says about them: “When I pick up and read the “Six Days,” I come into communion with the Creator... When I read the books he wrote about the Holy Spirit, I find God... When I read his other interpretations, I hear as if it were one deep call from one to another, I see light striving for light - and I comprehend the meaning of the Holy Scriptures. Saint Basil was born to be a ruler; the feeling of Christian humility hardly suppressed in him the consciousness of his superiority over people. “Basily,” says Rufinus, one of his contemporaries, “was humble before God; but Gregory was humble before people too.” Gregory himself does not defend him from this accusation, but proves that even if his pride was great, it was lost in the abyss of love, mercy and tenderness for the lesser brethren. During the entire reign of Emperor Valens, i.e. for about 40 years, only Arian bishops were installed in Constantinople. Both bishops and civil authorities patronized all kinds of false teachings in spite of the Orthodox; all kinds of heresies were spread freely, and the passion for theological disputes and debates gripped the entire population; incessant debates were heard in the streets; artisans and shopkeepers argued about the Divinity of Christ, about His relationship to God the Father, affirmed or rejected the Divinity of the Holy Spirit. While all false doctrines were freely confessed, the Nicene creed was constantly persecuted. The Orthodox did not have a single church in Constantinople; they gathered in secret for worship, sometimes in the mountains and forests, where they were often attacked by enemies. Never before has the Orthodox Church endured such oppression or been in such need of strong protection. After the death of Emperor Valens, inspired by a glimmer of new hope, the Orthodox turned their gaze to Gregory of Nazianzus as the only person who could gather the Orthodox flock around him and recreate their devastated Church from the ruins. They hastened to write to him, begging him to come to Constantinople and take the small Orthodox Church into his care. Saint Gregory, by the will of his father and against his own will, was ordained a presbyter; against his will, at the will of his friend Vasily, he was elevated to the rank of bishop. He looked in trembling horror at the sacrament of the priesthood and did not consider himself entitled to serve at the altar of “the great God of our sacrifice and our High Priest.” That he, however, accepted this ministry placed a heavy burden on his painfully sensitive soul. His mood was never cheerful; nevertheless, he was exhausted and was forced to seek peace in the quiet of rural solitude. But life had never seemed darker to him than at this very time: “I have lost Vasily,” he wrote to one of his friends, “I have lost my spiritual brother, and I can say with David: my father and my mother have left me (Ps. 27:10). My health is weak, my friends are not faithful. A church without shepherds, everything that is good perishes, evil appears naked. We are floating in darkness, and there is no lighthouse to be seen anywhere... Christ rests.” In the call of the Church of Constantinople, Gregory felt the determination of the will of God. The most active time of his life had now arrived, although it was destined to be limited to only three memorable years. Gregory accomplished the entire task of reviving the Church in Constantinople with the spiritual power and amazing eloquence of his preaching. In all external respects he fell far short of the expectations of those who called him. They had heard in absentia about his great fame and expected to see a man who would immediately amaze with his greatness and brilliance. Instead, they saw a man of small stature, skinny, sickly. His face, exhausted by care, which was so often watered with tears, bore the imprint of ordinary sadness, his poor attire was more like the clothes of a beggar than the clothes of a bishop. And yet, Gregory soon made everyone forget all these first unfavorable impressions, fulfilled everything and even more than was expected of him. He gave his pure soul to the service of the Church, and the holiness of his meek, humble life, like a ray of sunshine, warmed the seedlings in that stalled field of God, which he patiently began to cultivate again. Arriving in Constantinople, he stayed with relatives; and a church was soon established in their house, in which he began to perform divine services and preach. He named this church Anastasia, which means resurrection, hoping that Orthodoxy would be resurrected here. At first few listeners attended his poor church; but after each sermon their number increased. Soon the small church became crowded; never before had such a powerful, convincing word been heard in Constantinople; pagans, heretics, indifferent laymen, who came out of curiosity to listen to the new preacher, were carried away by his eloquence. At that time, preachers usually began their sermons with the words “peace to all,” and the people answered: “And to your spirit.” Gregory took advantage of this to deliver his famous sermon on the spirit of the world. “God,” he says, “with special favor reveals Himself as Love, and we, idolizing the One who is Love, why do we hate each other? We preach peace: why are we waging a furious war?” He fought against the errors of heresy with energy, firmness and sincere seriousness, but in general his mode of action was distinguished by his unusually meek treatment of everyone: little by little he won the hearts of people. When his lofty conversations about theology were heard from Anastasia’s pulpit, many of his most notorious opponents were finally defeated; loud applause and exclamations often interrupted his speech; and the title of Theologian was forever established behind him. However, he had to speak out against a whole storm of hatred and malice. I had to constantly hear mockery and ridicule from the Arians. When they met him, they showered him with curses about his poor, humble appearance, often threw stones at him, and even his life was in danger more than once. His strength had already begun to fail him; Once in his conversation he hinted that he might have to leave Constantinople. Then there was sobbing in the church, and one of the listeners loudly exclaimed: “If you expel yourself, you will expel the doctrine of the Trinity from our Church!” These words had such an effect on Gregory that he immediately promised not to leave his flock. His cherished desire was to return to the people the Orthodox teaching about the Holy Trinity that he had lost; in one of his conversations, in a fit of enthusiasm, he exclaims: “I dare to say with the Apostle: I love you so much that I am ready to be excommunicated from Christ (Rom. 9:3), if only you would stand with us and together we glorify the Holy Trinity.” Gregory, like Basil the Great, enthusiastically loved nature. He could find real peace in faith and prayer, but faith and prayer flared up in him in communication with the beauty of nature. In his conversations, he joyfully talks about the light of the sun, and about the radiance of the moon, about green grass, about the fragrance of flowers, about the murmuring of streams, about the chirping of birds, about all the beauty of God’s world, praising God with ineffable voices. After a short absence, Gregory returned to his ministry, and his return was soon marked by the final triumph of the Church for which he was the main support. Around this time, the newly elected young emperor Theodosius the Great arrived in Constantinople. For the last time, in his person, autocracy was restored in the great Roman Empire. Wise, full of energy and strength, he proved in practice what the power of the Christian moral law can do; hot-tempered and passionate by nature, he tried to curb the impulses of his anger and not succumb to his passions, knew how to feel repentance, bring repentance, was merciful and generous. The decrees he issued dealt the final blow to paganism. He received baptism from the Orthodox Bishop of Thessalonica, recognized the Nicene religion as the only true one, and declared all those who rejected it to be heretics. At the same time, he ordered that the churches taken from them by the Arians be returned to the Orthodox. The Arian bishop left Constantinople, and Gregory was solemnly introduced into the cathedral church by the emperor himself, with the Orthodox shouting: “Gregory bishop!” This solemnity was painful for the humble Gregory, as can be seen from his own words. He walked reluctantly, with his head bowed, and saw crowds of Arians around him, dissatisfied, silent, yielding only to strength. The sky itself seemed not to be conducive to celebration; the weather was cloudy, the sky was covered with clouds; but as soon as Gregory entered the sanctuary, the bright rays of the sun flashed from behind the clouds. The people recognized this as a happy omen and greeted the new Orthodox bishop with loud, joyful exclamations. Gregory continued to act personally with remarkable meekness towards heretics. In his sermon, he denounced them with strong words, but in every possible way restrained the emperor from strict measures of persecution. Meanwhile, Arianism, under the strong patronage of the imperial power, managed to take deep roots in the Empire and itself gave rise to many different rumors that quarreled with each other. The most important of these sects was the Doukhobor sect. Arianism, which denied the Divine essence of Jesus Christ as the person of the Holy Trinity, naturally came to deny the Divine essence of the Holy Spirit. This false teaching, which began with the Arian Eunomius, acquired particular strength and spread under the patronage of the Bishop of Constantinople Macedonius, by whose name it is known. No less than 36 bishops belonged to this false teaching in 380. So, 55 years after the Council of Nicaea, it turned out to be necessary to reaffirm the truth of Orthodox teaching at the Ecumenical Council. This council was convened by Emperor Theodosius in Constantinople in 381. Up to 150 bishops from the East gathered, and the Council opened under the chairmanship of Meletius of Antioch, who, however, soon died; then Gregory took his place as chairman at the Council. The Macedonian bishops, having arrived when summoned, refused to take part in the Council and left. Then the fathers of the Council, having considered in aggregate all the heresies that arose in connection with Arianism, condemned them, then confirming the Nicene Creed invariably, added to it an explanation of the right faith about the Holy Spirit, the Church, Baptism, resurrection and the future life. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke the prophets. Into One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. This is how the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed was completely compiled. The canons of this Council, of which there are seven in all, resolved disputes about the rebaptism of heretics and legitimized for the first time the distribution of church authorities and administrations in relation to the distribution of civil regional administration in the Roman Empire. Patriarchates were established in the capital cities, namely: in Rome for the West, in Constantinople for the East, in Alexandria for Africa, in Antioch for Asia; Jerusalem, although it was not considered the capital, but in terms of the sacred significance of this city its bishop was equal to the patriarchs. Rome, according to the seniority of antiquity, was given first place, and Constantinople, the second Rome, was given second place. The patriarchate included bishops of large and small cities and their districts. This distribution of control remains in force to this day; but at that time some important cities were given control independent of the patriarchs, under the authority of exarchs. Saint Gregory did not remain at the Council until the end. He was tired of the endless disputes and disagreements of the bishops, his strength was exhausted, and he asked to be released into desert solitude. The council ended under the chairmanship of the new Patriarch Nektarios. His farewell to his flock, which he was leaving forever, was touching, and his farewell speech to the people serves as a famous monument to his eloquence. His great concern at that moment was about who would be his successor, who would continue his work. “Give me,” he exclaimed, “a successor who has clean hands, is educated, and is worthy to walk in his rank.” This behest of Gregory was destined to come true only in 398, when, after Nektarios, Saint John Chrysostom assumed the see of Constantinople. Gregory spent the last six years of his life in the quiet refuge of his dacha near Nazianza, left behind by his father. They often turned to him with requests to come in person to church councils, but Gregory, weak and sick, could only take part in the affairs of the Church by letter. He led a strict ascetic life; prayer and activities, beloved from his youth, delighted his lonely old age. He loved to express his memories of his past life in sonorous verses: he described his happy childhood in his parents’ home, his tender friendship with Vasily, his desert labors, the sorrows and infirmities of his soul amid the storms of life. “Exhausted by illness,” he wrote, “he found consolation in poetry, like an elderly swan retelling to itself the sounds of its wings.” The great saint departed to the Lord in 387. He is one of the few who was touched early by grace, and his pure life from childhood was entirely intertwined, as with one inextricable thread, with a feeling of love for the Church and for everything holy. XVI. Saint John Chrysostom John, “the lamp of the world, the teacher of the universe, the pillar and foundation of the Church,” represents the most majestic image of the preacher of the first centuries of Christianity. His formidable, fiery word both exposed and illuminated the ancient world, called Christian, but immersed in the abyss of depravity and all kinds of lawlessness: it caused an upsurge of its spiritual powers and led it to the path of revival. But human anger rose up against John, and, condemned by it, he had to end his glorious life in severe exile. He was born in Antioch in 347, into a rich and noble family. His father died when he was a baby in the cradle; and his mother Anfusa was not yet 20 years old at that time. With all the fervor of her passionate and mournfully lonely soul, she became attached to her child; in his features she thought she could see, as it were, a reflection of another dear image; she forgot her beauty and youth, and her whole life seemed to go into the life of her son. She educated his soul; what her love gave him remained for him that pure source from which he drew joy and strength until the end of his life. John received his education in pagan schools, since, by order of Emperor Julian, the teaching of all higher sciences was prohibited in Christian schools. With his brilliant abilities and equally brilliant successes, he amazed both his comrades and teachers. Gifted with the ability to perceive everything beautiful, he could not help but succumb to the charm of pagan philosophy, but resisted its influence on the beliefs already perceived by his soul. He also resisted the temptations of the world, which surrounded him on all sides upon leaving school. Enthusiastic, impressionable, he was looking for constant excitement in life, and the social life of Antioch with its noisy entertainment, with those delights that aroused his amazing eloquence, immediately gave him what his young soul thirsted for... But these hobbies could not last; his soul was accustomed, as he himself put it, to quenching its thirst at the clear waters of another Source, and to this Source it soon returned: everything that began to captivate him - suddenly he became tired of it... More and more he withdrew into himself, into his inner world and wished to accept Holy Baptism. He was baptized by the Bishop of Antioch, Meletius, who, recognizing him, fell in love with him and appointed him a reader at the church. This was the lowest of church positions and gave him only the right to read the Holy Scriptures from the pulpit, but it definitely dedicated him to the service of God. After Baptism, he considered himself reborn... again the ardent soul spoke in him: before it thirsted for pleasure, now it thirsted for achievement. He began to be attracted to the monastic life with its endless self-denial, and he decided to retire to the desert forever. But the same love that raised him for God now kept him from this decision. Anfusa was a Christian, but first of all she was a mother: she was not able to voluntarily give up the “joy” of her whole life. The story of John himself is touching. “When my mother found out about my intention, she silently came up to me, took me by the hand and led me to her room: we both sat down near the bed on which I was born, and she began to cry quietly... then she began to speak words even sadder than tears... “My son,” she said, “my only consolation in these long, lonely years was to look at you, to recognize in your features the one who was no longer with me. From your very infancy, when you still could not speak, at that time in life when children give the most joy, I found all my consolation in you alone. Now I ask you one thing: have pity on me, don’t force me to experience the horror of loneliness a second time, to shed those bitter, already cried tears again! Wait a little; perhaps I will soon be recalled from here, then do as you know; in the meantime, bear with me, don’t be bored of living with me any longer; do not offend the one who has never offended you in any way - by doing this you will anger our God! " How much sorrow and how much prayer there are in these simple words! They reveal the whole secret of this poor maternal heart, which did not have the strength even for God to renounce his love! John heeded his mother’s plea and remained with her until her death. When she was gone, the longed-for desert life opened up for him. Many monasteries rose on the wooded hills surrounding Antioch, and to John they seemed unearthly abodes. He retired to one of these monasteries. He was happy because he completely believed in the ideal of monastic life that was preserved in his soul. When the time of temptation came, and the imperturbable silence of the desert, its indestructible solitude suddenly filled his soul, full of life, with horror, he did not lose heart: in order to protect himself from himself, he found in himself the strength to subjugate his will to the will of another - he gave himself to the spiritual guidance of an old man, known for his unusually strict self-mortification, and under this guidance he lived for four years in incessant labor, enduring extraordinary hardships. Then, not content with this feat, he retired to a secluded cave and there, devoting all his time to prayer and deep theological studies, for two years he led the most severe, strictly hermit life. His health could not stand it, his strength broke down... then, not feeling the right to continue self-mortification, which could interrupt the life given to him by God, he, in order to preserve this gift of God, decided to leave the desert he loved and return to his homeland - Antioch. From his six-year monastic life, John brought out a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, a fiery faith in the reality of everything invisible, and that clear insight that was inherent in all the great saints who emerged into the world from the depths of the desert, where they spent many years, as if hidden in the “mystery of the face of God.” Soon after his return to Antioch, Saint Meletius ordained him as a deacon; and in 386 Flavian, the successor of Meletius, elevated him to the rank of priest, entrusting him with the duty of preaching lessons to the people of Antioch. Remarkable for its deep humility is the first word with which the newly ordained presbyter addressed his flock: “Is the present not night and not a dream? And who would believe that a poor and rejected young man was elevated to such a height of power... Pray that great reinforcements will come to me from above! Now I need countless prayers, so that I can return intact the deposit that I have now received from the Lord!” In his book On the Priesthood, John painted a magnificent picture of what an elder should be. “When we need,” he wrote, “people who can govern the Church and take so many souls into their care, let those heroes appear to us who surpass all others in great measure and exceed everyone in the perfection of their souls as much as Saul exceeded the entire Jewish people in the height of his body, or even much more!” (About the priesthood). He considered himself completely unworthy of this service; if he dared to accept it, it was only because he placed all his trust in the One who accepted the confession of love of a trembling soul, embarrassed by the memory of his threefold renunciation: Lord! You know everything; You know that I love you! (John 21:17). Since the time when the great Apostle first heard the command to shepherd Christ’s sheep and the question that preceded the command, “this love for Christ,” says John, “became the first condition of shepherding, and shepherding itself its highest expression.” He sanctified his soul to her, and she gave him the strength to firmly and wisely, with patience and unceasing care, guard his verbal flock. For 12 years, John preached in Antioch. Since the time of the apostles, such a powerful call to repentance, to God, has not been heard. There were 100,000 Christians alone in Antioch, but both Jews and pagans flocked in droves to listen to his word, which aroused the delight of even those whose souls remained insensitive. Like the once great prophets, he “burned the hearts of people with his words,” and loud sobs were the answer to his fiery words. The Church of the Apostles, in which he preached, became the center of Antiochian life. In the excess of their feelings, the people called him either sweet-talking, or honey-drenching, or the mouth of God. One simple woman called him Chrysostomed, who, once listening to him and captivated by the impression of something beautiful, exclaimed: “Teacher of our souls, John of golden lips, your teaching is profound, but our weak mind cannot comprehend everything!” From that time on, all the people began to call him Chrysostom, and the Church itself retained this name for him. The image of Chrysostom appears especially majestic in the history of the Antioch rebellion. The people, irritated by the new tax due to military circumstances, made an open indignation: the mob, driven to fury by various instigators, overthrew the imperial statues, dragged them through the streets and finally smashed them into pieces with impudent ridicule and curses. By evening, this popular storm subsided and an ominous silence reigned. Having come to their senses, the rebels were horrified, realizing what they had done and what they must now expect. Messengers were already rushing from Antioch with a report to the emperor... John was silent. In the first days of these terrible events, grief did not allow his word to flow freely from his heart, and the despondency that enveloped the souls of the Antiochians did not even allow them to remember the word of the teacher. After several days, when their hearts humbled and softened, John realized that they needed him, and from his pulpit he addressed his word of repentance and consolation to them. “What should I say and what should I talk about? - he began. – Now is the time for tears, not words; sobs, not speeches, prayers, not sermons... The crime is so grave, the ulcer is so great... they are beyond any medicine and require help from above. But, beloved, hand over your souls to me,” he hastens to encourage the discouraged, “let us return to our former custom: just as we are accustomed to always being here with complacency, so now let us entrust everything to God. Let's not lose heart. It is not so much we ourselves who care about our salvation as He who gave us a soul! Let us inspire ourselves with hope and wait with love for what will please the Lord to do with us!” To the horror of the people, rumors spread that the angry emperor had vowed to destroy Antioch to the ground and put to death all its inhabitants. The elderly Bishop Flavian decided to go to Constantinople himself to beg the emperor for pardon for the guilty but repentant Antiochians. Many days had to pass before the people learned of the emperor's decision; the fear of death took possession of everyone. And it was precisely this hour of horror that John took advantage of to attract the people to the only quiet refuge - to the Church. Lent has begun. John preached every day. Never, probably, has Lent had such an imprint of holy solemnity in Antioch: the circuses and theaters were empty, no songs could be heard on the streets, even the shops were closed, everyone was in a prayerful mood - the whole city turned into just one great church. “All of you, and our conscience,” said John, “are witnesses to how much benefit we have already received from this temptation! Those who had never seen a church came to it; the square was empty, but the church was filled; people realized that this one arouses sadness, and this one gives joy.” Meanwhile, Flavian came to the emperor. Without justifying the terrible crimes of the people, he begged the emperor, following the example of Christ, to forgive the guilty - and thereby glorify the Christian faith, which gives the power to forgive enemies! And he forgave Theodosius. “Go, comfort me,” the emperor said to Flavian, “when they see the helmsman, they will forget the horror of the past storm!” Just before Easter, Flavian returned with a message of mercy. The whole city gathered in the church: an inexplicable, bright joy, in which the feeling of repentance, love, and gratitude merged, gripped everyone. “Rejoicing with all our being on the day of joy,” says John, “let us continually thank the Lord not only for the end of our troubles, but also for the fact that He sent them to us.” All this significant event served to the glory of the faith of Christ. No one consoled, inspired, or supported the people in their hour of trial, except Chrysostom. No power other than the Church of Christ could dare to petition the emperor for forgiveness of the terrible crime. And the emperor of the then Rome could forgive only because he was a Christian. This event made a deep impression on the pagans, and an extraordinary number of them wished to enter that Church, into which they were first attracted by simple curiosity and in which they were kept by the fiery word that revives life. Chrysostom worked in Antioch for many more years, and the people’s enthusiastic love for him increased every day. A great many conversations remained from him, recorded by listeners, and most of them date back to the time of his ministry in Antioch. “Not knowing these wonderful creations,” says Saint Isidore, “is the same as not seeing the sun at noon!” Chrysostom's conversations remain forever a model for all preachers; They acted so powerfully because they came from a heart filled with fiery and simple faith, ardent love for Christ and pity for the people. In that same Antioch, where for the first time the disciples began to be called Christians (Acts. 11:26) and where the simplicity of Christian morals later dried up in the exorbitant bustle and luxury of metropolitan life - the word of Chrysostom returned listeners to the spirit of the first times of Christianity, calling on them not only to profess faith in word and ritual, but also to actively implement it throughout their lives. He was especially a living preacher of love and mercy. Like the Apostle Paul, whom he tried to imitate in everything, he did not tire of doing good to everyone and tried to bring every soul to God in order to “win everyone for Christ.” No matter how ardently he was attached to his Antiochian flock, he had to suddenly leave it: God was pleased to call him to a new difficult struggle. John's fame thundered throughout the empire. When Archbishop Nektarios died in Constantinople, Emperor Arcadius, son of Theodosius the Great, chose John. So, according to the unanimous desire of the emperor and all the people, John was called to occupy the see of the capital. To avoid resistance, John was summoned from Antioch by deception. In Constantinople, he was enthusiastically welcomed by the people and gloomily met by opponents of his election. At the head of the dissatisfied was Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who, with malice in his soul, had to obey the order of the emperor and recognize John as patriarch, but from that very time his hatred did not weaken, and it brought many troubles and sorrows upon the saint. On February 26, 398, John ascended the patriarchal throne and understood from the very first day how difficult the feat ahead of him was. Strengthened by the new gifts of the Holy Spirit, he entered into his new activity with authority. The state of the Church was deplorable, desolation was felt in everything, and the debauchery of morals was terrifying. From the first time, Chrysostom made an unfavorable impression. Like Gregory the Theologian, he lacked that impressive appearance that immediately affects the imagination of the people: he was short and haggard in appearance; Only his amazingly penetrating eyes gave a special expression to his pale features. Accessible to the poor and suffering, he could appear arrogant and harsh in his attitude towards noble and idle visitors. His strict lifestyle, filled with incessant labor from morning to night, could not please him amid the debauchery of the luxurious capital. Accusations arose; but strong in the consciousness of his rightness, John proudly remained silent, not responding to the attacks directed personally against him. In the work of God, he could not yield to anyone - and like thunder from heaven, his terrible word burst out; nothing could be hidden from him. The capital was not accustomed to such a word, and it seemed unbearable to all those to whom the accusation applied: the rich, drowning in luxury and debauchery, rulers who had forgotten the duty of power, predators and unrighteous judges. Meanwhile, he multiplied his labors, and little by little the dawn of a new day began to illuminate the Church. New churches were built in villages; Calling the people to prayer, John tried in every possible way to restore worship in all its beauty. He paid special attention to singing: “Nothing excites and inspires the soul so much,” he wrote, “nothing with such force tears it away from the earth, nothing so disposes to holy love as harmonic verse and sacred song. Our nature is so delighted by chants and verses that even infants, when they cry, are lulled to sleep by them. The nurses, carrying them in their arms, walk back and forth, and singing children's songs to them, thereby calming their crying; the song delights all work, and the soul, at the sound of a holy song, can more easily endure everything - both melancholy and sadness. Spiritual song is a source of sanctification, its words cleanse the soul, and the Holy Spirit descends into the souls of those who sing, since those who sing psalms with consciousness really call on His grace.” All of John’s love for the church is reflected in his conversations. Acting by his example, he also convinced all his listeners: “From example,” he says, “the most effective teaching comes. Leaving the church, a person does not teach, does not preach; but the calmness in his facial features, but his look, his very voice reveal to those who were not in church what joy he tasted, what good he received for his soul: what is better than such an admonition, such a call? We must leave here, as initiates leave the sanctuary - so that, looking at us, everyone clearly feels what good we bring from here.” He protected his Church with liturgical regulations, set out in writing the order of the liturgy, reducing the hitherto used composition of the liturgy of Basil the Great; established all-night vigils and religious processions with the singing of antiphons. Acting both by word and by example, he again taught the clergy to fulfill the duty of holy service, and the Church seemed to be erected again, and the people flocked to it in droves. He tried in every possible way to attract numerous Arians to Orthodoxy, most of whom were among the Goths. For this purpose, he dedicated priests from their tribe to them, gave them a church to worship in their native language, and he himself often preached there, and his words were translated into Gothic by a special translator. He also had an ardent concern for spreading the Gospel in distant countries, sending preachers to the Scythians, Goths, and Slavs. Little by little, the enthusiastic love that he managed to arouse in Antioch kindled towards him among his new Constantinople flock. And he himself became attached with all his soul to those whom the power of his love brought to the world: “You,” he said to his people, “you are my fathers, my brothers, my sons, my members, my body, my life, my crown, my consolation, my light!” It is difficult to dwell on the last years of the life of the great saint, to see how baseness and violence triumphed, how holy virtue suffered. Empress Eudoxia, eunuch Eutropius and Theophilus of Alexandria - these are the names of the wicked who could not tolerate the righteous and destroyed him. The eunuch Eutropius, Arkady's favorite, first pointed the emperor to John - in the hope that the patriarch, who owed him his rise, would serve as his support; but he soon became convinced of his mistake and saw in John a formidable accuser of his iniquities. Theophilus of Alexandria initially opposed the election of John to the patriarchal throne and could not forgive him for his elevation. The malice hidden in his soul was waiting for an opportunity to be revealed. Empress Eudoxia, trying to get rid of the hated dominance of Eutropius, who had completely taken possession of the feeble-minded Arkady, thought to find herself a powerful ally in the new patriarch and tried in every possible way to gain his favor and assistance. She endowed richly to the churches, helped the poor, and with her piety tried to attract the sympathy of the patriarch. In 398, when the relics were being transferred to the tomb outside the city walls, she humbly followed the religious procession, barefoot, with her head uncovered, and this touched the heart of John so much that he, carried away by both imagination and his own eloquence, depicted this luminous procession in fiery words: “Humble, like the servant of the Lord, bright, like one of His Angels!” When, through her own efforts, she managed to arrange the fall of Eutropius and became the leading authority in the empire, her relationship with John changed. John's enemies successfully took advantage of her pride, transmitting to her rumors about the allusions to her that the patriarch allegedly allowed himself to make in his sermons. This was enough to arouse a feeling of revenge in the proud, power-hungry soul of the queen; and in her conscience she had to realize that she was not alien to those vices that John denounced, threatening God’s judgment for them. Eudoxia complained to the emperor; John was reprimanded for his bold speeches, and he replied: “I am a bishop, and I have been entrusted with the care of many souls. If the queen does not know evil behind herself, then she has nothing to be angry about: I expose lawlessness, I don’t name anyone, but I teach everyone not to do evil.” Irritated by the dignity of the bishop, Eudoxia could no longer control herself - she brought his enemies closer to her, and together with Theophilus of Alexandria they decided to convene a council and present for its discussion the accusations brought against Chrysostom. The council, composed of 36 bishops, torn from among the enemies of John, opened at Duba, in a village near Chalcedon, on the opposite bank of the Bosphorus from Constantinople. There were 29 accusations - and all of them were based on the most blatant slander. John was accused, among other things, of insulting the empress, whom he allegedly dared to publicly compare to Jezebel. The lawless council deposed the patriarch, sentenced him to exile, and the sentence was approved by the emperor. When the news of this spread, the whole people became excited. From all ends of Constantinople he rushed to the cathedral church of St. Sophia and the bishop's house, connected to it by a gallery, and day and night he surrounded them as if with a living wall. The most alarming rumors began to circulate in the city; they were talking not only about expulsion, but even about a death sentence. The people, excited by such rumors, filled the churches, praying for John, or crowded into the cathedral square in order to see the archbishop at least from afar or hear the sound of his voice. Amidst the general confusion, John alone was calm. “No one and nothing can separate us,” he said to his flock, “we will be separated by place, but we will remain united by love; even death cannot separate us: although my body dies, my soul will live and will never forget about this people. Do not be disturbed by present events, show me your love in one thing - in unshakable faith. But I have a pledge from the Lord and do not rely on my own strength. I have His Scripture; it is my support, it is my fortress, it is my calm haven; the words in it are a shield and a fence for me. What words? – I am with you until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Christ is with me: whom should I fear? Whatever God pleases, let it be done. If it pleases Him to leave me here, I thank Him; take it from here - I thank Him again.” The next day, around noon, one of the emperor’s courtiers brought John an order to immediately leave the city. “I am obliged to obey the emperor,” he said, “and I do not want a single drop of blood to be shed because of me.” He hastily stepped onto the ship, which was already ready to receive him, and soon the darkness of the night hid the retreating saint from the eyes of the people. But in the morning the confusion was still growing. People filled the churches, crowded the streets and squares, sending up fervent prayers for their beloved shepherd, indignant at his enemies. The night brought with it new horrors: a strong earthquake occurred. The underground shocks were especially strong near the royal palace and in the palace itself. In the middle of the night, Empress Eudoxia, terrified and in tears, ran to the emperor. “We drove out the righteous,” she exclaimed, “and the Lord is punishing us for this. We must return him immediately, otherwise we will all perish.” Eudoxia herself wrote a letter to John, in which, assuring him that she was innocent of his conviction, she begged him in the name of God to return. The first messenger was followed by a second, a third: the frightened empress was so impatiently awaiting John's return. The people learned about what had happened, and soon the entire Gulf of Constantinople was covered with boats. Some hurried to meet the saint, some were waiting for him at the pier to greet him; towards night the boats were illuminated with torches; lights came on all along the shore; and the archbishop returned amid the joyful cries of the people. John refused to enter the city until his deposition was canceled by a new council. The mood of the people was so rebellious that the empress begged him to arrive immediately: for the sake of general peace, he fulfilled her wish. Preceded and accompanied by a crowd of people at the sound of solemn chants, he entered the city and entered his church. In the church, he blessed his people, loudly exclaiming: “Blessed be God who removed me! Blessed is He who brought me back! Blessed is God who allowed the storm, and blessed is He who calmed it!” A new council of 65 bishops declared the Council of Dub illegal, and John again took charge of his flock. But after this light that illuminated Chrysostom’s life, dark clouds began to accumulate above him again. Less than two months passed before the empress managed to recover from her superstitious horror. Bewildered by the height of power to which she had now reached, she wished that a statue be erected to her in the middle of the city. The statue was placed on the square opposite the Church of St. Sophia, and its opening was marked by noisy festivities of a completely pagan nature: screams, loud songs, and the sounds of music reached the temple and during the service drowned out church readings and singing. John then made a strong speech in the church against spectacles. The Empress was informed that in this speech there were the words: “Again Herodias is dancing, again Herodias is worried; again demands the head of John!..” Her hatred against the patriarch flared even more fiercely. The Easter holiday was approaching, which nowhere in the Christian world was celebrated with such solemnity as in Constantinople, in the cathedral church of St. Sophia. The emperor, wanting to show that he recognized Chrysostom’s position as illegal, refused to accept the Holy Mysteries from him and ordered the saint to be told not to appear at the cathedral. Meanwhile, on Holy Saturday, more than three thousand converts were to receive Holy Baptism in the Church of St. Sophia. John arrived there in the morning; The sacred service began, and the Sacrament of Baptism was already in progress, when suddenly a crowd of armed soldiers noisily burst into the church and forcibly removed the archbishop from it. The people began to defend him, many were wounded and killed; dispersed the converts preparing for Baptism; Screams of horror, the sound of weapons, the crying of women, the groans of the wounded and dying filled the church. John was taken to his house, and the converts rushed to country baptismal centers and even baths, where, having blessed the water with prayer, the clergy began to complete the interrupted Sacrament of Baptism. But warriors invaded there too. By nightfall, Constantinople was empty. The people, alienated from the churches where the enemies of the saint were in charge, gathered on the plain outside the city to listen to the solemn Easter service. John was kept in the bishop's house as if in captivity: around the feast of Pentecost, he was sentenced to exile. Just like the first time, he had to leave secretly. He wished to once again be in the Church of St. Sophia and there to say goodbye to the clergy faithful to him and other friends. Meanwhile, the people, having learned that the saint was in the church, gathered in large numbers in the square, expecting him to leave by the main door. But the saint, having said goodbye to the clergy and clergy, having given them his instructions and blessing, went out by the opposite door and, together with those sent for him, headed to the pier. The people waited for a long time; Finally, suspecting what had happened, some hurried to the sea, but saw a ship already leaving; others began to break into the church, but the soldiers drove them away. There was again a terrible commotion; the doors were broken down, people poured into the church; again the swords flashed, again the groans of the wounded and dying filled the church. Meanwhile, a storm arose, and that night a fire broke out in the Hagia Sophia, which destroyed the church, the Senate building, the rich houses surrounding the square, and threatened the royal palace. John's enemies were not ashamed to point to him as the culprit of this disaster. Meanwhile, the sick and lonely saint continued his journey to the place of his exile. Everywhere he was greeted with love, but the journey itself was deliberately arranged to cause him the greatest suffering. Sick, exhausted by fever, after a seventy-day painful journey, he finally reached the village of Kukuz in the mountains of Armenia. Here, in a miserable village, he met so much cordiality and sympathy that his weary heart began to come to life. Everything that was possible was done by Bishop Adelphius and the residents to alleviate the situation of the great sufferer. Amidst his deep deprivations and grave infirmities, Chrysostom continued to write and work for the Holy Church for three years. The nearness of God and the sympathy of the whole Christian world sustained his strength, and in Kukuza he continued to be what he had been in Constantinople: the lamp of the universe. He corresponded with many bishops of the West and East, with various monastic communities, and had conversations with numerous visitors who came to him from Antioch and even from Constantinople. His growing influence soon began to terrify his enemies. It was decided to deal the final blow to the great saint. In June 407, an order was issued that Chrysostom should be taken with all possible speed by two soldiers to the town of Pitya (present-day Pitsunda) on the far shore of the Black Sea, where the last limit of the Empire was. The soldiers were apparently given orders to drag the great martyr forward with all possible insults and cruelties in the hope that he would die during the journey, unable to endure the torment. This order was carried out with brutal cruelty. After a three-month journey, near the city of Comana, John was so exhausted that he had to stop. We stopped near the crypt at the grave of the martyr Basilisk. This tortured bishop appeared to Chrysostom in a vision to console him with the promise of a speedy deliverance from suffering. The next morning, despite John’s pitiful state, he was again mercilessly dragged forward. But soon the approach of death became so obvious that they hastened to bring him back to the martyr’s grave. Here his last request was fulfilled: he was clothed in white baptismal robes, and, having received Holy Communion, he died with significant words on his lips: “Glory to God for everything! Amen". Thirty years after the death of the saint, Patriarch Proclus convinced Emperor Theodosius the Younger to transfer the relics of the holy sufferer to Constantinople. This was accomplished with great triumph: the emperor went to meet him in Chalcedon and, throwing himself to the ground, begged the saint to forgive his parents, Arkady and Eudoxia; the entire Gulf of Constantinople was again covered with illuminated boats, and the people greeted the remains of the great shepherd with reverent joy. XVII. Ecumenical Councils Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Christian enlightenment spread and strengthened in both the East and the West. In the East, the word of God, through the works of holy evangelists and ascetics, penetrated into the most remote places, into the wildest and harshest deserts. Saint John Chrysostom zealously cared about the translation of Scripture into various dialects and the enlightenment of barbarian tribes. The Church of the East sent evangelists to distant countries; holy ascetics fearlessly settled among the barbarians and, through the gospel and example of pious life, converted them to Christ. In desert cells, holy hermits worked on studying and interpreting the Word of God. The East, with its spiritual activity, attracted many pious men from the West and thus, for several centuries, had a strong influence on the church life of Western Christians. The entire mental movement of that time was concentrated in the Church. Paganism was completely collapsing, and the few remaining pagan writers and philosophers were unable to continue the struggle with the Church, which, especially in the 4th century, attracted great mental forces, people of high spirit, deep knowledge and amazing eloquence to serve itself; these were in the East: Basil the Great, his brother Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Epiphanius of Cyprus and many others. But at the same time, questions of faith and the Church, with which all minds were occupied, served as the subject of great controversy and unrest, and instead of the previous weakened heresies, new ones arose, spreading with renewed vigor. The condemned and deposed Arianism did not dare to come into the world in its former form, but its seed remained, and the same error arose in other forms. They no longer dared to assert that Jesus Christ is not the true Son of God; but, entering into a daring study of the properties of the God-Man, some began to see in His face one Divinity only with the ghost of humanity, others exposed His human nature with only the influx of Divinity; others, finally, distinguishing in His face the nature of God and the nature of man, divided it, as it were, into two persons and, as a result, associating the Most Holy Virgin, by birth, with the human nature of the God-man, they refused to recognize and call Her the Mother of God. The leader of this last heresy was Nestorius, who was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople from among the Antioch presbyters with the assistance of Emperor Theodosius the Younger, whom he immediately managed to subordinate to his influence. Nestorius was known for his strict life, learning and eloquence, and at the beginning showed great zeal for the eradication of all heresies. Pronouncing one of his first sermons, he turned to the king with the words: “Give me a country clean of heretics, and I will give you the Kingdom of Heaven.” The Arians and other false teachers were severely persecuted by Nestorius; the slightest deviation from church rules met him with an inexorable accuser; and yet, he himself was a terrible heresiarch. Concealing his error at the beginning, he left it to one of the elders of his clergy, Anastasius, to express it first of all. Once in church, in the presence of the bishop, Anastasius, preaching about the incarnation, began to assert that the Most Holy Virgin should not be called the Mother of God, for the Creator could not be born of His creation. The indignant listeners turned to the patriarch, but the patriarch also expressed a similar opinion. This heretical opinion, already condemned by the Church in the first centuries, aroused general indignation; Presbyter Proclus with great force denounced Nestorius’s wrong-headedness. Nestorius, however, not only did not resign himself, but, irritated by the resistance among the people, began, using his power, to persecute and persecute everyone who dared to refute him. Unfortunately, he had support in the emperor himself. Imperial power was then in the hands of the incapable: Theodosius II was in no way like his great grandfather. Weak, spineless, impersonal, he continued to be under the influence of Nestorius, who, knowing how to use the royal favor, continued to preach his teaching without hindrance not only in Constantinople, but also spread it to other distant places through written conversations, which he sent to churches and monasteries. These conversations reached Egypt and created excitement among the monks. Then Patriarch Kirill of Alexandria appeared as the defender of his flock and the entire Orthodox world from false teaching. He began to denounce him in his district messages and in correspondence with Nestorius himself. Pope Celestine joined Cyril in his denunciations, so that Nestorius himself, in view of the general excitement, began to demand the convening of a council, to which the emperor and his pious sister Pulcheria persuaded him. This is how the Third Ecumenical Council opened in the city of Ephesus, on June 7, 431, in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The false teaching of Nestorius was condemned, and more than two hundred bishops expressed their agreement with the definitions of the Council. Nestorius was declared deposed and deprived of his bishopric. The dogma of the Church about the incarnation of the Son of God was expressed in the following words: We confess that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, with a rational soul and body; that before the ages He was born of the Father according to Divinity, and in recent times He Himself, for our sake and for our salvation, was born of the Virgin Mary according to humanity, so that the unity of two natures was accomplished, for the sake of which we confess one Christ and one Lord. Saint Cyril, returning to Alexandria, continued to rule the Church until his death in 444. Full of zeal for the true faith, he cared about eradicating the remnants of paganism in Egypt. His theological works are of great value for the Church: their main subject was the dogma of the incarnation and the refutation of false teachings regarding this dogma. He wrote interpretations of all the books of Holy Scripture. He is credited with composing the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, Virgin Mary, Rejoice, and composing the order of the hours for Great Heel. Nestorius lived for several years in a monastery near Antioch, but was then exiled to a desert place in Egypt. His heresy, however, took root in Asia, especially in Persia and Armenia. Soon new unrest arose in Constantinople. Pious bishops, who truly desired the good and peace of the Church, were afraid to initiate theological disputes, so dangerous for Christian love; they knew how much these disputes, so dangerous for Christian love, arouse mutual enmity, how often they serve as a pretext for selfish goals, an instrument of hatred and ambition. But this was not the case with Cyril of Alexandria’s successor, Dioscorus, an ambitious and proud man; From his personal views, he became the patron of the new heresy of Eutyches. Eutyches was the archimandrite of one of the Constantinople monasteries - and a zealous opponent of Nestorius. But, refuting the false teaching of Nestorius, he fell into a new heresy - a modification of Nestorianism. He argued that in the Lord Jesus Christ human nature was completely absorbed by the Divine, and therefore only one Divine nature should be recognized in Him (hence the name of this heresy Monophysite). Some bishops accused Eutyches of heresy before Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, and one of them demanded that the opinions of Eutyches be subjected to consideration by a local council, which was taking place at that time in Constantinople. The peace-loving Flavian did not want to raise a dispute; he knew how easy it was in such an abstract question to give every thoughtless expression the meaning of heresy; and, fearing to disturb the newly established peace, he tried in every possible way to privately bring Eutyches to the consciousness of his wrong-headedness; but everything was in vain, and the council had to accept the accusations and call Eutyches to account. Eutyches refused to appear several times; and only at the third call did he appear with armed guards. He answered the bishops' questions ambiguously and showed disdain for Flavian; but he was convicted of heresy and, by the decision of the council, was deprived of his church degree. Eutyches did not submit to this decision and demanded a review of the case. He had strong patrons at the court of the weak Theodosius; they accused Flavian of heresy and persuaded the king to convene a council at Ephesus in 449. Dioscorus presided over it: he recognized the presentation of the teachings of Eutyches as correct and pronounced the deposition of Flavian. A crowd of monks, fanatically devoted to Eutyches, together with armed soldiers called by Dioscorus, attacked Flavian: he was inflicted so many serious wounds that he died a few days later. Amid the noise and confusion, this lawless cathedral, rightly branded with the name of the Robber Cathedral, ended. The then Pope Leo and many eastern bishops began to insistently demand that the emperor again convene an Ecumenical Council; but Theodosius suddenly died, and already his sister Pulcheria and her husband, Emperor Marcian, convened the Fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon in 451. The meetings of the Council took place in the Church of the Holy Martyr Euphemia with the participation of 630 bishops, in the presence of the Emperor and Empress; the chairman was Patriarch Anatoly, Flavian's successor. The heresy of Eutyches was condemned; Eutyches and Dioscorus are deposed and expelled; the condemnation of the heresy of Nestorius was repeated, and after reading the letter of Pope Leo, the dogma was stated that Jesus Christ is true God and true man; according to Divinity, He is eternally born from the Father and is like Him in everything; in terms of humanity, He was born in time from the Most Holy Virgin Theotokos and is like us in everything, except for sin; after the incarnation He has one person and two natures, united in Him unmergedly, unchangeably, inseparably, inseparably. The Council of Chalcedon confirmed the definitions of the former three Ecumenical Councils and seven Local Councils and the equality of the See of Constantinople with the Roman See, to which it was only inferior in place. A century passed after the Council of Chalcedon, but disputes and unrest did not cease between fierce parties, one of which adhered to Nestorianism, the other to Eutychianism; both of them tried to justify their opinions with references to the writings of the Church Fathers, interpreting their expressions in their own way. These disputes, spreading confusion in the minds, reached such irritation that a new Ecumenical Council, the Fifth, became necessary. It was convened in 553 in Constantinople by Justinian I. He was an emperor famous in both civil and ecclesiastical history; delving deeply into all the issues of his time, he set the goal of his life to pacify the Church. The Fifth Ecumenical Council, without proclaiming any new dogmas, solemnly confirmed the creed of all previous Ecumenical Councils and repeated the condemnation of both Nestorius and Eutyches. Emperor Justinian himself set out the confession of the Divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ in a prayer, which at the same time became part of the liturgy: The only begotten Son and Word of God, immortal, and desiring for our salvation to be incarnate from the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably made man, crucified Christ our God, having trampled down death by death, the only one of the Holy Trinity, glorified to the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us. However, theological disputes did not stop then. To the previous subjects of controversy, new ones were added - about the unity of the will, united with nature in the person of Christ the Savior. In 648, Emperor Constance II, at the instigation of the then Patriarch Theodore, issued a decree known as the model of faith (tipos), in which he forbade, under pain of severe penalties, to talk about controversial issues, ordering him to adhere to the decisions of the five Ecumenical Councils in everything. Leaning neither to the side of truth nor to the side of error, the decree prescribed one thing - silence; but the storm did not subside. Then persecution began against those who disobeyed the royal decree, and direct defenders of Orthodoxy also suffered from the hatred of their enemies: such were Martin, the Pope, and Maxim the Confessor - saints honored by the Church. After the death of Constance, whose authority approved all the barbarities of the last persecution, his son and successor, Constantine IV, deeply grieving the division in the Church, decided to convene the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople (680). 170 fathers participated; after long debate, it is necessary: ​​to recognize in Jesus Christ, without confusion and division, two wills, in accordance with two natures. After 11 years, this Council again opened its meetings in the royal chambers, called Trullo, to revise some of the rules relating to church deanery. The Council adopted the 85 Apostolic Rules as church law, rules Ecumenical Councils and seven Local Councils. This cathedral is called Trullo and also the Fifth-Sixth, because it was, as it were, an addition to the fifth and sixth. The Sixth Council was attended by one of the zealous defenders of the truth, Saint Andrew of Crete, syncellus (household secretary) of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Subsequently, he was archbishop on the island of Crete and was famous for his piety and zeal in the faith. The Church owes him the Great Canon of Repentance, which is read in the first days of Great Lent and is known under his name. The Irmos of this canon were compiled later by John of Damascus. XVIII. Fathers of the Western Church Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome Saint Ambrose was to the West what Basil the Great was to the East. Basil the Great himself recognizes in Ambrose a character akin to his own: both were able to subjugate the will of people by mysterious power, and both left a deep mark on the history of the Church of the 4th century. Ambrose was born around 340. He came from a famous family; his father was a Roman, and, occupying the important position of prefect of Gaul, had almost supreme power over a vast region. Neither in the works nor in the biography of Ambrose is it clear that he was ever proud of his noble origin and the high position of his ancestors and his entire family - but there is no doubt that the environment in which he grew up left its mark on him: he was used to commanding, used to feeling equal in status with the powers that be; he did not shy away from them, was not timid in front of them, but, in the consciousness of his moral superiority, treated everyone as if he had authority. He received his education in Rome. That seriousness and that moral purity, which served as the basis of his character, kept him from any contact with that dissolute life of the capital, which destroyed so many young forces. After completing his education, Ambrose, thanks to his connections and his brilliant talents, quickly moved forward in his career. The Prefect of Italy, Probus, brought him closer to him and was so impressed by his administrative abilities that he pointed him out to Emperor Valentinian I for appointment to the important post of ruler of Liguria. When Ambrose went to his destination, Probus, bidding him farewell, said to him: “Go and rule not as a judge, but as a bishop.” These words were definitely a prediction. Twice more in the life of Ambrose there are tales of miraculous signs of his fate. The first of them, deeply poetic, dates back to his infancy. One day, when he was sleeping in his cradle in the garden, a swarm of bees suddenly flew in and began to circle above him. The nurse, in fright, wanted to drive away the bees, but the baby's father, as if anticipating something miraculous in this phenomenon, stopped her; the swarm descended onto the cradle; the bees landed on the baby's face, on his eyes, on his lips, crawled into his open mouth and crawled out, but did not cause him any harm; then they flew away and rose higher and higher into the sky, until in the blue of the sky they disappeared completely from sight. “Doesn’t this mean, the father thought with trepidation, that in due time the words of the Holy Scripture will be fulfilled over the child: Pleasant speech is honey of the honeycomb, sweet to the soul (Prov. 16:24); and that, just as the bees rose high to the sky, his inspired thought, delighting the hearts of people, will raise them from the earthly to the heavenly? The second legend refers to the fourth year of his reign over Liguria. The capital of the region was Milan, whose episcopal see was considered independent of Rome, and the emperors, preferably before Rome, had their residence in Milan. After the death of the Arian bishop Auxentius, the inhabitants of Mediolan petitioned the emperor to appoint a successor, but the emperor left the choice of bishop to the people themselves. Naturally, both the Arians and the Orthodox made every possible effort to elect a bishop from among themselves. The elections took place in the cathedral church. Debate began, excitement grew and had already reached its extreme limit when the ruler of Liguria himself appeared in the church. He addressed the indignant congregation with a pacifying word, but had barely finished it when, in the deep silence throughout the church, a child’s voice was heard, clearly saying: “Ambrose is a bishop!” This childish voice was accepted by everyone as a Divine suggestion - instantly both Arians and Orthodox Christians exclaimed in unanimity: “Ambrose is a bishop! Ambrose is a bishop!” Ambrose stood silently, amazed, but the screams intensified: the enmity of the parties was forgotten, everything merged into one desire, into one feeling of love and respect for the person to whom the Lord Himself was pointing precisely with this miraculous election. The idea of ​​being a bishop never occurred to Ambrose; Not only did he not receive a theological education, but at that very time he was only a member of the catechumens and had not yet been baptized. However, the desire of the people overcame everything - Ambrose had to give in. He received baptism from an Orthodox bishop; then, having passed successively through all church positions, he was installed as a bishop 8 days after his baptism. Both warring parties called Ambrose to this service because, feeling his moral strength above them, they firmly believed in him. Upon accepting the high episcopal rank, Ambrose immediately entered into a life that had hitherto been completely alien to him, and strictly fulfilled his new episcopal duties every day: in the morning, after prayers at home, he celebrated daily divine services and the Holy Eucharist. Then he zealously began studying the Holy Scriptures with the help of Greek interpreters and especially Origen, “in order to learn for himself what he had to teach others.” His doors were always open, everyone could see him and everyone could consult with him. When someone came to him asking for help, he immediately stopped reading, devoted all his attention to the petitioner's case, and then began reading again. The poor found a friend in him, but he did not push away the noble and rich either; in the interests of the Church itself, he maintained friendly relations with the most important dignitaries of the Empire. He spent all his time, and even part of the night, in studies, preparing those teachings that he spoke to the people on all Sundays and holidays. The people loved him and found tender reciprocal love in his soul. But in all the greatness of his moral strength, Ambrose appears in the field of political activity. He was a statesman before he became a bishop, which gave a special flavor to his episcopal activity. He waged his struggle powerfully and calmly, looking at earthly greatness from the spiritual heights on which he established his soul. Already in the first years of his episcopate, he showed his fearless independence when, turning to Emperor Valentinian I himself, in church he denounced to him the iniquities of his ministers who abused imperial power. During the reign of Valentinian II, he is a formidable destroyer of paganism: paganism took root much more strongly in the West than in the East. The most noble Romans still adhered to their old religion - not out of conviction in its truth, but out of a proud feeling they did not want to deviate from the tradition of their ancestors. Paganism did not serve as an obstacle to appointment to the highest positions. In the Senate itself, the Roman nobility was divided into two parties, Christian and pagan, and between them there was a fierce struggle over the altar of the golden statue of Victory, which had stood in the Senate from time immemorial, but was destroyed by order of Emperor Constantine. The pagan party petitioned in every possible way to the new emperor Valentinian II for the restoration of the altar. Then Ambrose said his word, imbued with the consciousness of the ultimate triumph of that truth, in defense of which he menacingly raised his voice. “The bishop,” he wrote to the emperor, “cannot allow a decision that is contrary to the Church. If you give in to their request, you will already be excommunicated from the Church. You can go to church, but you won’t find a priest there, or you’ll find one who will oppose you!” The emperor did not accept the petitions of the pagans. Paganism was not destroyed, but apparently died out. The fight against paganism did not require much effort from Ambrose, but he had to wage a long and difficult struggle against the Arian court. Empress Justina was a convinced, passionate Arian. She surrounded herself with Arian clergy and viewed with indignation the gradual disappearance of Arianism in Italy under the influence of the great Bishop of Milan. In 385, on Easter, she demanded from the bishop that he cede first the country basilica to the Arians, and then the largest church in the city. Ambrose calmly but decisively refused. Twice messengers from the empress told him that he could not help but yield to imperial power. Ambrose replied that he was ready to part with everything that belonged to him personally, even his life, but that it was not in his will to give up the shrine. “The church of God cannot be abandoned by the priest, and the emperor has no power over what belongs to God.” The population of the city became extremely excited; the people grabbed one Arian presbyter on the street and probably would have killed him if Ambrose himself had not stood up for him. The soldiers sent to occupy the church by force showed a disposition to go over to the side of the Orthodox: many of them directly stated that they came to the church only to join the prayers of the bishop. The Empress had to give in; but Ambrose felt that the struggle was not over yet. The very next year, the Orthodox world was plunged into horror by an imperial decree, which granted the Arians complete freedom to have their own worship in all churches, and any opposition was threatened with death. Following this, the demand for the transfer of the Milan Basilica to the Arians was repeated. Without fear, the bishop entered into the struggle with the formidable force of the imperial unlimited power: he remained steadfast in his decision, repeating that he would not renounce the legacy of his fathers. He was ordered to leave the city, but he firmly refused to leave his flock. At the request of the people, who feared for his life, he spent several days and nights hopelessly in the church among the crying and praying crowd: its prayer, as he himself said, was his protection. The military guards stationed around the church allowed everyone to enter the church, but did not allow anyone to leave it. Finally, the empress realized her powerlessness. The bishop's victory was complete. In 390, a famous event took place, with which the names of Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius are forever linked in the history of the Church. There was a popular riot in Thessaloniki. Theodosius, in a fit of unbridled anger, which, with strong irritation, gripped his passionate soul, disposed towards goodness and prone to compassion, ordered the beating of the rebellious Thessalonians, without distinguishing the instigators and the perpetrators. The bishop tried to win him over to mercy, but the court advisers, inclined to flatter every move of the king, dissuaded him from mercy. A few days later the emperor repented, but the decree had already been sent. In order to lure the people, a big performance was scheduled at the circus; people flocked there in the thousands; Then the gates were locked, and the armed soldiers rushed to beat anyone they could find. A terrible massacre began, in which more than 4,000 people of all genders and ages died within 3 hours. When the news of this massacre spread throughout the empire, cries of indignation were heard everywhere. The Orthodox emperor was likened to Nero. All eyes were fixed on the Church - on Ambrose. The Church was expected to expose and take revenge, and Ambrose acted as a champion of offended humanity. The arrival of the emperor was expected in Milan. Seeing the emperor as if still at the very hour of his crime was unbearably difficult for Ambrose - both men of strong will, strong faith, were friends, loved and understood each other. Ambrose left Milan, and wrote his famous letter to the emperor, filled with the spirit of Old Testament prophecy. “I dare not remain silent or be lenient towards the crime,” he wrote. – I call you to repentance. You are a man, and as a man you must repent, remaining in tears and humiliation before your God. I ask, I convince, I conjure - remove this sin from your kingdom! Remember: no Angel, no Archangel can remove it - only the Lord of the penitent can forgive you! I love you. I pray for you, but know that in your presence I do not dare to make a bloodless sacrifice. If you believe me, accept what I tell you; If you don’t believe, forgive me for choosing God over you.” Ambrose's first meeting with the emperor was at the gates of the Milan Cathedral. Despite the bishop's letter, the emperor, according to established custom, appeared at the church; Ambrose stopped him with a threatening word right on the porch of the church. “You have sinned before the Lord,” he said. - With what feet will you ascend into His courts? With what eyes will you look at His beauty? How will you raise your blood-stained hands in prayer? Get away! Do not add sin to sin...” “And David sinned,” the emperor objected, “but David was forgiven.” “You followed him in your sin,” answered Ambrose, “follow him also in his repentance.” The Emperor reconciled himself. He sinned before the whole world - his repentance was as open as his sin: for eight months, obeying the steady will of Ambrose, the emperor did not dare to enter the Church of God; expelled from it, he felt as if expelled from the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, he received an order from the bishop, along with other penitents, to appear in the church. The Emperor stood in the midst of them and openly confessed his sin, with tears and sobs begging the Lord for forgiveness, repeating in the contrition of his soul: Oh, God, revive me according to Your word! (Ps. 119:107). The proud, invincible ruler of the universe recognized the power of the servant of God to raise his hand to bless or curse in the name of the Living God, from whom no one can evade. The friendly feeling between the great emperor and the great saint was expressed for the last time in the farewell word that Ambrose said over the tomb of Theodosius, who died in 395: “I loved him, this man, merciful and humble, pure in heart and meek in soul. I loved this man who, preferring denunciation to flattery, managed, putting aside his royal greatness, to publicly mourn his sin in church. What a private person would be ashamed of - national repentance - did not embarrass this emperor... I loved him - I admit it - and that’s why I mourn him from the depths of my heart. I hope in my Lord that He will accept the prayer with which I admonish this gentle soul!” In 397, on Holy Saturday, the “great priest of God” himself reposed peacefully and joyfully. Saint Ambrose introduced antiphonal singing into the Western Church, which had long been used in the East. He introduced it during the persecution of Justina, when the Orthodox Christians filled the church in despondency: then, to encourage the people, the singing of psalms and hymns was established antiphonally, in the choirs. And after the complete victory over the Arians, Ambrose composed a solemn song of thanksgiving “We praise God to you” - a common legacy from him to both the Eastern and Western Churches to this day. He gave the entire divine service of the Milan Church a new look, in relation to Eastern custom, and composed a special rite of liturgy for it. Blessed Augustine was born in 354 in the African city of Tagaste. His mother, Monica, in her early youth was married to a pagan, an unbridled and deeply immoral man. Meek and loving, she managed to make him respect those holy rules that guided her life, and by the power of her example she led him to Christ. Constantly trying in both small and great ways to pacify all enmity, all irritation, she was a quiet angel of peace not for her family alone, but for the entire environment in which she lived. She raised her children for God; but the eldest of them, Augustine, cost her many sufferings and tears, whom she, as he himself says, revived to life a second time with prayer and tears when he was wandering in the darkness of unbelief. “From my earliest childhood,” writes Augustine, “I heard about eternal life, bestowed upon us by the humility of Thy Son, O Lord, Who was pleased to condescend to us. Soon after my birth, my mother, for whom You were the only hope, inscribed the sign of the Cross on my forehead; gave me to taste Your mysterious salt.” But this preparation for Holy Baptism was not followed by the performance of the Sacrament itself, which at that time was often postponed until adulthood. Augustine earnestly asked for Baptism during an illness that happened to him in childhood; the illness passed and Baptism was postponed. Augustine's parents sent him to study in the city of Madavre; He quickly progressed in the sciences, but was carried away by the example of his comrades and from the age of sixteen led a chaotic life. The father rejoiced at his success in eloquence, but the mother deeply grieved over her son’s vices. When Augustine returned from school to his parents' home for a while, she felt with sadness that he had neither firm faith nor firm moral rules, that the purity of his heart had been lost. She let him go to Carthage with fear, and after her husband’s death she herself moved there so as not to be separated from her beloved son. But for a long time this beloved son was only a cause of bitter tears for her. He led a sinful, depraved life, giving full rein to his passions; finally, he completely surrendered to false teaching, and his blasphemous opinions inspired such horror in his unfortunate mother that she forbade him to live in her house. She spent days and nights in tears, begging the Lord God to return her son, whom she mourned as dead, for his life and the salvation of his soul were most precious to her. “But even then, from the heights of heaven, Your hand stretched out to me, Lord! - Augustine exclaims in his Confessions. – You were touched by the prayers and tears of Your faithful servant. She mourned me more than a mother weeps over her dead child, for she saw me dead to You. You heard her, Lord! You did not reject her tears, which flowed in an abundant stream every time she offered her prayer to You. Was it not You, Lord, who sent her this soothing dream, after which she again allowed me to live in her house and eat food at her table, which she had not allowed since I became carried away by beliefs so contrary to her! She once dreamed that she was standing on a long narrow strip, as always, depressed by her sadness, and suddenly she saw that an Angel was approaching her - joyful, all in radiance! He tenderly asked her why she sheds such tears every day? “I cry for the dying soul of my boy,” she answered sadly. The angel smiled brightly and said: “Do not be afraid! Look around - where you are standing, you see, he is standing too!” She looked around in her dream and with trembling joy she actually saw that Augustine was right there next to her. “When my mother told me this dream,” writes Augustine, “I tried to explain it by saying that she would accept my beliefs; but she answered: no, this cannot be; he did not tell me that I would stand where you stand, but that you would stand next to me.” This joyful hope was not soon realized. For nine whole years Augustine wandered in the darkness of vice and lies. Monica asked a holy bishop to speak to her son in order to convert him. “It’s not time yet,” he answered, “leave him and pray for him.” Monica continued to plead with the bishop in tears. “Calm down,” he told her, “just continue to pray; It is impossible for the child of so many tears to die.” Against his mother's will, Augustine went to Rome, where he began teaching eloquence. Soon he became dangerously ill. Now he did not ask for Baptism, but, on the contrary, mocked the Holy Sacrament, for he had already lost all faith. But His destinies are incomprehensible and His ways unsearchable (Rom. 11:33)! A teacher of eloquence was needed in Milan; They turned to the Roman prefect Symmachus, and he gave this position to Augustine. Arriving in Milan, Augustine took the first opportunity to hear the sermon of the great Ambrose. “I was brought to him,” he says, “unknown by God, in order to be knowingly brought from him to God.” The bishop received him with his usual kindness, and Augustine immediately felt his conquering power over him. For hours at a time he stood in the basilica crowded with people and listened to his words with pleasure: at first it was pleasant for him to listen because the speech was eloquent and fascinating, and that the very majestic appearance of Ambrose irresistibly attracted him to himself; but little by little the influence of this strong soul began to influence his soul, and he, perhaps still unconsciously, began to believe in the meaning of what Ambrose was talking about. He wished to be accepted among the catechumens. In quiet joy, Monica heard about her son’s desire - she herself almost lived in the Basilica of Ambrose - she kept praying and waiting. Meanwhile, a difficult struggle was taking place in Augustine’s soul; Christian teaching seemed to him as a single path to light and salvation, but passions and habits of sinful life fought against it, which he was sorry to leave. “Save me, Lord, but not yet,” he sometimes cried from the depths of his soul, tormented by both the desire for truth and attachment to error. The study of the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul made a deep impression on his soul - it expanded his heart, humbled his pride. The dawn of his new life was already close. “Your words, Lord, penetrated deeply into my heart,” he wrote. - From all sides I was, as it were, besieged by You; There was no longer any doubt in me about eternal life, although I saw it only as if through a dark glass, fortune-telling; I already understood that You are the only Source of all things; There was no other desire left in me than to establish myself in You... But as far as Christian life is concerned, I still hesitated; my heart has not been cleansed of the old leaven; I rejoiced that I had found the Savior, that I knew the true path, but I did not dare to step on this narrow path.” One day one of their compatriots, Pontinian, a Christian, came to Augustine and his friend Alypius. While talking with them, he accidentally took a book lying on the table, and with joyful amazement he saw that this book was the Epistles of the Apostle Paul; he did not expect to find this book in Augustine. He began to talk about the Lord, about the power of faith; told how in Egypt Anthony, having heard the gospel word about voluntary poverty, immediately left everything to give himself to God; then he began to talk about the multitude of people of all ranks, of all conditions, who, overcome by love for Christ, leave the world and, retiring to deserts and monasteries, serve the Lord with prayer, hardship and labor. Augustine was shocked to the core; the changed sound of his voice, his facial expression - everything revealed his emotional agitation. He went out into the garden; his soul was full of horror; so he hated himself for his indecision to surrender to the One to Whom all the powers of his soul were calling him. “To go to You, Lord,” he wrote, “there was no need for chariots or ships; all that was needed was will; but the will is complete, firm, unlike those painful and wavering impulses that, in a tedious struggle, either elevate the soul to heaven or drag it to the ground.” Tired and exhausted by the internal struggle, feeling that a terrible storm was rising within him, which was about to burst into tears, he fell to the ground and gave his tears complete freedom. “They flowed in streams, and You, Lord, accepted them as a sacrifice pleasing to You,” he says. - I cried to You: how long, O Lord, how long will Your wrath be against me? Forget the lies of my former life! “I felt that these untruths were oppressing me, and I repeated in my mind: when, Lord? Is it tomorrow? Is it the day after tomorrow? Why won't my reproach end now? While I was repeating this, sobbing and shedding hot tears, I suddenly heard a melodious voice, as if of a child or a young girl, repeating several times: “Take it, read it!” Take it and read it!” “I changed my face and began to remember if there was any game in which children repeat this refrain; but I did not remember anything of the kind and came to the conclusion that I was commanded to open the Holy Scriptures and read what appeared to my eyes. So Anthony, as they told me, heard the words in the church: go, sell your property and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven (Matthew 19:21) - accepted them as a commandment from God. I got up and went to the place where I had left the book of Epistles. I took it, opened it and read the following words with my eyes: not indulging in feasting and drunkenness, nor in voluptuousness and debauchery, nor in quarrels and envy; But put on our Lord Jesus Christ, and do not turn the cares of the flesh into lusts (Rom. 13:13, 14).” He did not read further, and there was no need to: light was already illuminating the darkness of his soul. He went to his mother. Looking at him, Monica understood everything: in response to her prayer, the Lord gave her more even than she dared to ask - in the joy of his quiet gaze, she felt that “the sweetness of God’s love entered his heart forever.” Augustine wrote a letter to Ambrose, in which he outlined the entire story of his life and asked permission to prepare for Holy Baptism. In the silence of solitude, in the mountains of Italy, for several months he prepared his soul for the transition to a new life. “The house of my soul is too small for You to enter into it; but may it be expanded by You! It's in ruins, restore it. He will greatly offend Your eyes, I know this - but who will cleanse him, and to whom will I call except You: cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret sins! Finally, the time came for which he had been awaiting in trembling delight: on the eve of Easter 387, Augustine received Holy Baptism from the hand of Ambrose himself. Dressed in white robes, he sang a solemn hymn, shortly before composed by Ambrose - “We praise God to you,” which at that time was sung by both the baptized and the baptized. The wonderfully mysterious chant evoked the grace of tears in him, inspired quiet joy in him, and his heart calmed in God. “You created us,” he wrote, “for Yourself: that is why our hearts are troubled until they find You!” Soon after Baptism, Augustine and Monica decided to return to their homeland. Before sailing to Africa, they spent several days in Ostia, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Augustine, like Basil the Great, loved nature and found deep pleasure in communicating with its beauties. The sight of the sea always brought him special delight, but never before had he looked at its shimmering waves with such deep feeling as on that memorable evening: both he and his mother thought that this was the last evening of their stay in Ostia. Augustine's description of this conversation is touching. They sat together by the window: above them was the dark abyss of a cloudless starry sky; in front of them is the sparkling abyss of the boundless sea, and around them is the silence of a mysterious night. All her greatness was reflected in the souls of both of them with an uncontrollable desire for the heavenly. Their speech flowed quietly, everything earthly receded far away, only the invisible became close, and the unearthly joy touching them was, as it were, a premonition of that blissful hour in which the calling voice is heard: enter into the joy of your Lord! “My son,” said Monica, preparing to part with him, “I wanted to live in order to beg you for true joy,” my God has given me more than I asked of Him: I see you as His servant and I know where your treasure is; Now I can die joyfully.” The next day, the proposed departure had to be postponed: Monica fell ill, and after a few days she was no longer alive. She did her job and showed Christian mothers how powerful the prayers and tears of a mother are, how much a weak woman, inspired by faith and love, can do! Augustine realized that it was a sin to shed tears for this pure, blessed soul that had passed into Life; but at the thought that there was no longer that wonderful life near him that had protected him since his infancy, he could not restrain his crying. Returning to his homeland, Augustine sold his estate and distributed the money to the poor, and he himself became a monk and spent three years in complete solitude and in strict labors. In 395 he was elected Bishop of Ippona. From Ambrose he received a lofty concept of the episcopal rank and of episcopal power, but due to the softness of his character and the tenderness of his soul, he could not exercise the power that he valued so highly in his teacher Ambrose. Augustine wanted to be a teacher of the poor. As a bishop, he did not change his usual simplicity either in his lifestyle or in his treatment of people. He served as a bishop for thirty-five years, and during all this time his preaching was the delight of those poor, simple inhabitants of the Ippon region, to whom he was addressed exclusively. In this sermon there was neither high eloquence nor deep theological reasoning, but there was something that deeply touched the hearts of people, there was love - and an ardent desire to instruct his flock in a good Christian life. He had a fiery heart, and deep faith permeated his entire life. That is why his word illuminated and strengthened many in Christian love, and his works are precious for all pious Christians, although not all of his theological opinions are approved by the Church. Jerome (340 - 387), one of the most famous fathers of the Western Church, originally from Stridon, on the borders of Pannonia and Dalmatia, became famous for his ascetic life and struggle against heretical teachings, and especially for his writings, which constitute the precious property of the Church. Ardent by nature, with a vivid imagination, in his youth he was carried away by the temptations of the luxurious life of Rome - but soon overcame himself and devoted himself to learned works and solitary prayer. After spending several years in harsh desert life, he experienced a difficult struggle with passions before he managed to achieve the desired peace. Then in Rome he appeared as a stern denouncer of the licentious morals of the local clergy and, having gathered around him a squad of noble wives and girls, inspired by the desire to correct the morals of Roman society and the desire for an ascetic life, he began to fight against the evil customs that had taken root in Rome. This aroused the anger against him of everyone whom he did not spare in his conversations and messages, so that he was forced to leave Rome and go to Palestine, where he visited all the holy places, and finally chose a place of desert living near the Bethlehem cave. Here, shortly after the fall of Rome, which struck the entire Christian world with extreme despondency, Jerome died. Both in Rome and in Palestine he wrote famous works, which together constituted a whole library. His extensive correspondence has reached us and presents a vivid picture of Christian society and morals of that time. But most valuable of all are his works on the translation and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. A deep knowledge of both Greek and Hebrew gave him the opportunity to research and compare the lists of holy books of both the Old and New Testaments with the originals and prepare a Latin translation of the entire Bible, which served as the basis for the text accepted by the Western Church and still used in it. The Arabians, or Saracens, considered the descendants of Shem and Ishmael, settled throughout the Arabian Peninsula of Asia since ancient times, were distinguished by their patriarchal way of life and independence, which they were able to maintain for many centuries under the authority of their clan elders, emirs and sheikhs. Their original religion, which consisted in the worship of the sun, moon and stars, degenerated over time into crude idolatry, each clan having and honoring its own gods; However, from ancient times, a legend similar to the Jewish one about the one God, whose name was Alla, was hidden between them. The Arabian Mohammed managed to unite these wild and warlike sons of the desert, separated by various pagan superstitions, in the new religion he founded. Mohammed was born in 570 in Mecca, where the main idol sanctuary of the Arabians was located. His father was an idolater, his mother was a Jew, and one of his close relatives was a Christian. By nature thoughtful and dreamy, Mohammed spent his youth on trade travels and had the opportunity to see and observe a lot. Church unrest in the East gave rise to many heretics and fanatical sectarians who traveled far and spread rumors about faith and stories about sacred events everywhere. Copies of the Holy Scriptures were rare, but instead of them, the people circulated fabulous tales about Christ the Savior. From these sources, Mohammed, in all likelihood, drew his ideas about Christianity. By marrying a rich widow, Mohammed had the opportunity not to work, but to indulge in his dreams in his spare time. Having reached the age of forty, he completely gave up trading, spent some time in a secluded cave and came from there to Mecca, declaring himself a prophet who had received a heavenly revelation through the Archangel Gabriel: a command to destroy paganism and restore the right faith - the faith of Noah, Abraham and other prophets, allegedly distorted by Jews and Christians. He revered Jesus Christ as a great prophet. “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet!” This common Mohammedan appeal expresses the essence of Mohammed's teachings; he expressed it in short sayings, which, when subsequently collected, made up the book Alkoran. He preserved many Jewish customs and prescribed some rules of Christian morality: almsgiving, fasting, frequent prayer; He allowed polygamy, promised the faithful paradise and eternal pleasures and, as a holy cause, called them to spread Islam and eradicate the enemies of God, that is, Christians and idolaters, throughout the entire universe, which, according to his word, the Arabians were called upon to conquer for the new faith. The natural eloquence of Mohammed, the poetic gift of speech expressed in his Koran, the fairy tales that he knew how to convey as true stories, some of his personal qualities, and finally, the favorable conditions of that time - unrest among Christians due to heresies, religious enmity that divided the pagan Arabs - all this contributed to the fact that the false teaching of Mohammed quickly spread and the number of his followers multiplied every day with the assistance of his disciples, whom he gathered around him. Mohammed knew how to inspire the people with boundless trust and ardent affection for himself; knew how to direct the warlike fervor of the Arabians to a cause that he considered sacred; taught them to despise danger and death, presenting to them that it was impossible to avoid the fate determined for each. Soon he took possession of Mecca, and then all of Arabia recognized his teachings and power. In his person he united both spiritual and civil power. Having established himself in power, Mohammed sent envoys to all neighboring nations - Abyssinia, Egypt, Persia, Constantinople - with an invitation to submit to Islam. When Emperor Heraclius rejected this proposal, Mohammed with significant forces prepared to go to war against him - but soon (in 632) he died, and the war was continued by his successor Abubekr, the first caliph, or vicegerent of the prophet. The successes of Abubekr and his heir Omar were so rapid that after a few years the teachings of Mohammed spread in Syria, Egypt, and Palestine, and all these countries recognized the power of the caliph. In 637, Omar besieged Jerusalem; the inhabitants defended themselves for two months with desperate courage, but were forced to surrender. Patriarch Sophrony negotiated and surrendered the city to Omar on the condition that the Holy Sepulcher and Christian churches be preserved intact. This condition was met; on the site where the Temple of Solomon stood, Omar founded a mosque: this is the name of the Mohammedan prayer house. During the 7th century, the caliphs conquered Persia, Armenia, Cappadocia and part of Africa, but failed in the siege of Constantinople and were forced to pay tribute to the Byzantine Empire. Considering it their sacred duty to spread Islam, the caliphs, after victory, always demanded that the vanquished recognize Mohammed as a prophet; imposed a tribute on them, from which only those who agreed to convert to Islam were exempt; They often subjected Christians to persecution and severe torture, cursed their faith, reproached them for polytheism and idolatry, pointing out that they worshiped the Holy Trinity and honored icons. In many countries, Christianity became very scarce, and with this, education also fell: schools and libraries were destroyed. Having captured Alexandria in 638, Caliph Omar ordered the burning of the library there, the most significant in the world, filled with treasures of knowledge and literature collected by the Ptolemies. “If these books contain the same thing as the Koran, then they are not needed,” he said, “if otherwise, then they are harmful.” Thus, the precious manuscripts of the Library of Alexandria, founded almost three hundred years before the birth of Christ, perished irretrievably. While persecuting Christians, the victors provided patronage to various sects - Nestorians and others - in Egypt, Syria and Mesopotamia. This protection did not relate to their faith; but the sectarians who hated the Orthodox turned out to be useful allies and loyal subjects of the Mohammedans. Thus, by the will of God, it was destined for many Orthodox Churches, once prosperous and great, to go bankrupt and fall under unfaithful authority. Pious contemporaries recognized this disaster as God's punishment for Christians for their mutual strife, for the impoverishment of love and faith and the decline of good morals. XX. Iconoclasm Seventh Ecumenical Council. John of Damascus As soon as the Orthodox Church in the East began to calm down from the heresies that outraged it, a new cruel turmoil arose in it from violence against its ancient pious custom - to pray, looking at the icons of the Savior, the Mother of God and the holy saints of God. This custom, which has come into use since ancient times and served as a great consolation for believers, sometimes gave rise to abuse. People who had recently been pagans, not unaccustomed to the age-old traditions of idolatry, fell into superstition and were inclined to connect concepts characteristic of paganism with holy icons, that is, when worshiping icons, they foolishly honored a non-sacred person, to whom a prayerful thought is raised from the image, but the image itself was made an object of adoration. The Church always rebelled against this gross superstition, but at the same time reverently preserved the ancient custom. Even in the 4th century, Saint Gregory the Theologian, speaking about this custom, advises preserving it and not abolishing it because of accidental superstition, reminding scientists and noble people that for many unlearned, illiterate and simple people, sacred images serve instead of books, arousing a sense of faith and teaching in faith. In the 8th century, learned people launched fierce attacks on this ancient custom, demanding its abolition: without a doubt, with the then frequent relations with the Mohammedan world, Muslim concepts also influenced them, since Islam decisively rejects all sacred images. This party of iconoclasts was joined passionately by the then emperor Leo the Isaurian, famous for his successes in the war with the Muslims; he dreamed that, by destroying the veneration of icons, he would attract both Muslims and Jews to Christianity. The king declared his will to the people, but the mood of the people was gloomy - deep displeasure was felt. Then he turned to the patriarch. The Patriarch of Constantinople at that time was Herman, a man of strong faith and holy life. He announced to the Tsar that he would not give up the holy icons and was ready to suffer for them with the people, and he wrote letters to the bishops, convincing them not to change the Church and explaining to them the true meaning of icon veneration. The Tsar, seeing that neither threat nor flattery could persuade the saint, decided to do without the consent of the Church and issued a decree in 728 prohibiting the installation of icons not only in churches, but also in private houses. Then the patriarch resigned his rank and went into exile. Anastasius was appointed in his place, who obeyed the orders of the emperor in everything. In fulfillment of the royal decree, it was ordered that icons be taken out from everywhere and burned in the square. We started with the icon of Christ the Savior, placed by Constantine above the gates of the royal court. But when the groom, having climbed up the stairs, began to break the face of Christ with a crowbar, the people were indignant and, taking away the ladder, beat the groom to death. A rebellion broke out, and brutal executions of rebels and disobedient people began. In his bitterness, the tsar ordered the destruction of schools in which the teachers did not accept his opinion about icons; He burned twelve librarians in Constantinople, along with a huge library, because one of them indicated in the manuscripts opinions contrary to iconoclasm. Monasteries and deserted cells were destroyed, icons were desecrated; icon painters were persecuted. Then many, persecuted in the East, found refuge in Italy, where they introduced the beginnings of painting; many Orthodox Christians sought salvation in flight, but could not always hide from the fury of the persecutors who pursued them in foreign countries; the dungeons were full of prisoners: the Orthodox loudly declared that they would rather endure all kinds of torment than not honor the Lord and His saints in their images. The people showed contempt for those bishops who, out of servility to the Tsar, accepted iconoclasm, and honored the sufferers for their icons as holy martyrs. The emperor tried to win over the Roman Church to his side, but Pope Gregory II, as well as his successor Pope Gregory III, in their letters to him denounced the madness of the iconoclastic heresy and even threatened that if he insisted on the destruction of icon veneration, Rome would leave his power. This firmness of the Roman high priests in a time of troubles for the Church contributed greatly to the exaltation of the papacy in the West. In the East, the strongest denouncer of iconoclasm is John of Damascus, famous in both the Christian and Muslim worlds. A Christian Arab, he gained universal love and respect and held the important position of first minister of the Caliph of Damascus. His studies in government affairs did not prevent him from indulging in the study of theological and philosophical sciences, so that when a new heresy broke out, he not only as a believer, but as a theologian and scientist, spoke out against it. Living in a country ruled by Muslims, John could easily fight the emperor - and in defense of the holy icons he wrote three epistles, which are recognized by the Orthodox Church as a confession of the true faith. In the first message, he boldly addresses the emperor himself with the following words: “Sovereign! We will obey you in all cases concerning the affairs of life; but in religious convictions and responsibility for them in the future life, we will listen to the apostles and teachers of Christ’s Church. We will not shake the foundations of the ancient pillars erected by the holy fathers, but we will follow exactly the traditions received from them. As for me, I cannot obey a ruler who steals sacred power from the Church by violence...” Then his word is addressed to believers to strengthen them in the faith. “Brethren,” he says, “let us stand on the rock of faith and tradition of the Church, without crossing the limits set by the holy fathers, not allowing innovations and not allowing the building of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of God our Savior to be destroyed. For if everyone who wants is allowed to dare to do anything, then little by little the entire body of the Church will collapse. Let us worship and serve the One Creator, as by His nature the One, worthily worshiped God; Let us worship the Most Holy Theotokos not as God, but as the true Mother of God according to the flesh; Let us also worship His saints, as the chosen servants of God, who have boldness towards God. Brethren! A Christian is recognized by faith: whoever comes with faith receives great benefit, but he who doubts will receive nothing, for all the saints were pleased by faith.” These messages passed from hand to hand, serving as a source of consolation for those who suffered for their shrine, and made a deep impression in Constantinople and throughout the East. The king's power was powerless against the formidable accusatory word that was heard from outside his domain, and he, burning with anger, decided to resort to slander in order to destroy John. He composed a forged letter on his behalf, in which John allegedly proposed to betray Damascus to the king. The caliph believed the slander and was angry with John. The life of the saint tells that the caliph ordered his right hand to be cut off, but with the miraculous help of the Most Holy Theotokos, the severed hand grew together with the composition; John's innocence was revealed, and the caliph returned to him his former boundless trust. After the death of Saint John, iconoclasm, intensifying, engulfed the entire Eastern Church. In 741, Leo died, leaving the kingdom to his son Constantine Copronymus, an even more fierce iconoclast, an evil, cruel, crafty and depraved man, from whom the Church suffered for thirty-four years. In 753, he assembled a false council of 330 iconoclast bishops to condemn icons and all those who honor icons. Then the most fierce and merciless persecution began, and the number of martyrs for the holy icons increased. Constantine's son, Leo, was also an iconoclast, but after his death his widow, the pious Queen Irina, a devotee of icons, stopped the persecution. A new right-believing Patriarch Tarasius was elected to the See of Constantinople, and according to his inspiration, it was decided to convene an Ecumenical Council to pacify the Church. But it turned out to be impossible to gather it in Constantinople, in the midst of an army infected with stubborn iconoclasm, and so it gathered in 788 in Nicaea under the chairmanship of Tarasius and with the participation of 367 bishops, among whom were representatives of the Roman Church. This was the Seventh of the Ecumenical Councils on which the confession of the Holy Orthodox Church is based. The Council, on the basis of the Holy Scriptures and evidence from the writings of the holy fathers, approved the veneration of icons, expressing that the holy icons should be honored and worshiped not as God, but as Him and His saints in His memorial mark. The Council refuted all points of the iconoclastic heresy. The Council's definitions were communicated to all Churches. The Roman Church accepted them completely. But this Council did not yet end the iconoclastic turmoil. Irina did not reign for long. The emperor who replaced her and his successors were unsteady in the right faith, and from 813, under Leo the Armenian and then under Michael and Theophilus, the persecution of icons and all champions of icon veneration resumed with a ferocity reminiscent of the times of Kopronym. The struggle was renewed, in which new martyrs for the Church and zealots of the law were glorified: among the latter, the Church especially glorifies Saint Theodore the Studite. Finally, in 842, the orthodox Queen Theodora came to power. The Local Council, assembled at her command, again and finally condemned the iconoclastic heresy and established the Triumph of Orthodoxy, which is celebrated to this day in the Orthodox Church on the first Sunday of Great Lent. Thus ended the insane iconoclasm, which for a whole century tormented the Church, brutally violated freedom of conscience, in fits of wild ignorance destroyed monasteries, burned precious manuscripts, destroyed monuments of art and brought irritation and discord into human life. But brute force cannot force the believing people to renounce what holy tradition has sanctified, what has become cherished: it was in these difficult times, in honor of the desecrated holy icons, that church hymns were composed that are still sung in church, constituting the beauty and poetry of our worship. The most inspired hymnist of this time was the great denouncer of iconoclasm, Saint John of Damascus. The story of how he sacrificed the bright joy of his life to the Lord and how he later received it again through the intercession of the Most Pure Virgin brings the soul to inexplicable tenderness... Disdaining greatness and honor, John, as the legend tells about him, left the magnificent court of the Damascus caliph. Amid the glitz and noise of social life, his soul languished... it needed space, communication with the invisible world. He distributed all his great wealth to the poor and alone, with a staff in his hands, he headed his way to the monastery of Saint Sava. For a long time he had looked at this holy monastery as a desired refuge, a storm-free home in which he hoped to find what his soul was looking for. His path was difficult, he walked alone and poor, but grace descended on his soul in the feeling of endless love for the whole of God’s world, the power of inspiration grew in it - and one after another, enthusiastic songs of praise flowed in wonderful sounds. When he reached the holy monastery, the abbot and the brethren, who had already heard a lot about the great defender of Orthodoxy, marveling at his humility, received him with delight; but none of the monks dared to take him, as the charter required, under their spiritual leadership. Finally, one elder, known for his strict life, expressed a desire to accept him as his student. When the delighted John approached him to receive a blessing from him, the elder, fixing his inquisitive gaze on him, said: “From now on, put a seal of silence on your lips... this is my first obedience to you.” John was struck like a thunderbolt by this word, which immediately took away from him all the beauty, all the joy, all the light of his life. He renounced wealth and honors without regret, he was not afraid of labor and deprivation, for a long time his soul was indifferent to everything earthly and lived only in the delights of holy inspiration. Then John realized where real renunciation was hidden for him, and meekly, humbly gave God his wonderful gift - his song. At once everything in him and around him seemed to plunge into darkness; days after days dragged on in tedious monotony; with horror he listened to the silence: it seemed to him that the silenced sounds were awakening again in his soul - and he watched himself with fear... But his strong will was broken by a feeling of pity for the grief of others: one day a young monk came to him, weeping inconsolably about the death of his brother, and begged him with tears to heal his suffering soul with a touching funeral song. John could not resist his tears - and wonderful sounds flowed from his soul, a wonderful funeral song took shape. What everyday sweetness of sorrow is not involved? - this song even now brings into sorrowful souls the joy and peace that it brought to the poor, lonely monk at that time. The elder’s anger for violating the obedience assigned to him was great: he expelled John from the monastery; however, having heeded the requests of all the brethren, he agreed to leave him, but so that, as a sign of his repentance, he would cleanse with his own hands all the impurities of the monastery. John with deep humility began to fulfill this new obedience; he felt guilty, measuring the degree of his guilt with the all-encompassing joy that filled his soul when he heard his song again! That same night, the legend says, the Lady of the world, the Blessed Virgin, appeared to the elder in a dream vision and, looking at him, said to him with quiet reproach: “Why did you block the source of living water, the water that David thirsted to drink, which Christ promised to the Samaritan woman? Leave his song to John, may it spread widely throughout the entire universe, transforming sadness into sweetness, proclaiming with a prophetic voice the joy of the Resurrection of Christ!” In the morning the elder woke up and immediately sent for John. Having told him his vision, he said to him: “Forgive my ignorance, you are the son of the obedience of Christ, from now on proclaim with your lips what your heart has received from God!” And from that time on, the wondrous hymns of John flowed in sweet streams and the word of the Most Pure Virgin was fulfilled: they transform sorrow into sweetness for many, and on the mysterious Easter night they miraculously express in our church service the triumph of heaven and earth, united in one perfect joy - the joy of the common Resurrection! In addition to the Easter service, John composed many kontakia and irmos for the great feasts of the Lord. By special grace, he adorned our Divine services with majestic “dogmatists” who, in mysteriously poetic images, preach dogmas - about the Holy Trinity, about the two natures of Christ, about the veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos, and are, as it were, a refutation of all the heresies that worried the Church. Slender, melodic church singing had already come into use earlier, but the final definition of church melodies belongs to John: he established 8 harmonies, or voices, on which he based the Sunday services he composed, and thus the Octoechos was compiled, which serves as the basis of all our church music. Saint John of Damascus was the first to compile a basic guide to theology: in his writings he is a great teacher of both East and West. He wrote a history of all heresies that arose in the Church, from the first century to his time, as well as many individual works denouncing them. He wrote especially a lot against iconoclasm, which so offended his soul, grossly trampling on his shrine - the image of those to whom he flowed with love. For many years in his solitary cell he worked for the benefit of the Church of Christ, until he came to Christ and to His Most Pure Mother, and no longer in images, but in the sight of Their very face in heavenly glory, worshiped Them. Herman, the Monk Theodore the Studite, Cosmas of Maium were also inspired hymns of this time, and they all composed those church hymns full of high beauty that are so familiar and dear to every Orthodox Christian! Here are two more names that cannot but be mentioned among the great singers, although they do not belong to this century: nun Cassia and Saint Roman the Sweet Singer. This short story about Saint Roman is not difficult, but deeply touching. Humble, meek, and kindly, he found special delight in church services, loved to pray in the Church of God and often stood there in prayer for entire nights. The Patriarch, noticing his zeal for church services, made him a reader, although he knew little about reading. For this difference, other clergy hated him and tried in every possible way to insult him: once, in the presence of the king, they forced him to read and sing on the pulpit in the middle of the church, but having started, he could not finish... He wept bitterly and for a long time in front of the image of the Mother of God; there was no malice in his soul, there was only sadness that he did not know how to express everything that his soul understood, that she loved so much. That same night in a dream he saw the Mother of God, who quietly, smiling tenderly, put a small scroll into his mouth... Waking up, he remembered his dream and at this memory his heart was filled with inexplicable sweetness. He felt a surge of unknown strength within himself and, tremblingly rejoicing, hurried to the church, where Matins was already underway. When the time came to sing the canon, Saint Romanus entered the pulpit and sang a mellifluously inspired song, hitherto unheard by anyone: The Virgin today gives birth to the Most Essential... Quiet tenderness seized all those present, and from then on Saint Romanus became known as the Sweet Singer. He composed many inspired kontakia for the feasts of the Lord, for the feasts of the Mother of God, for the weeks of Great Lent. The wonderful gift of singing never left him, and now, in the villages of heaven, his pure soul with the faces of angels continues to praise the Lord in wondrous songs. Cassia, who lived in the 9th century under Emperor Theophilus, from a noble family, was famous for her intelligence, beauty and education. In her life it is written that, due to her beauty, she was chosen among the eleven maidens presented to the emperor when he was looking for a bride. Approaching Cassia and marveling at her beauty, he said to her: “Every evil has come from the wife.” But the girl, blushing, answered him: “Everything good came from the wife.” Then the emperor, irritated by the boldness of this answer, moved away from her and chose another. Cassia, devoting herself to God, founded a monastery near Constantinople. The canons and stichera composed by her are full of inspiration. Two of them are especially remarkable: one we hear at the eve of the Nativity of Christ: Augustus is the only ruler on earth; another - on Wednesday of Holy Week, about the woman who poured out the ointment on the Savior’s feet: Lord, even the woman has fallen into many sins. This wonderful stichera is an expression of trusting love in the soul, selflessly believing in Holy Love and in the goodness of Him Whom it itself calls “the Joy of Angels” - in Him it feels the Savior of sinners and therefore goes to Him. After the 9th century, several more chants were composed, some holidays were established, but there were no longer any significant additions to church services. The main thing, the most essential, has not changed, so that when our Russia accepted the Christian faith, it accepted with it the precisely stated dogmas of the faith, explained by the Ecumenical Councils and Holy Fathers and brought into the system by the great Damascene, and the circle of liturgical books, which contains the order and order of performing all our church services - a precious heritage, a treasure of spiritual consolation and edification, firmly preserved by us from generation to generation. gen. XXI. Spread of Christianity outside the Roman Empire When the Roman state became a Christian state, the Church was able to extend its concern to the pagan countries lying outside the Empire: regular missions were organized for the conversion of the pagans, and zealous preachers of the Gospel went to the savage barbarians with apostolic fearlessness. But in other ways, in the most varied ways, the word of God was planted, even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8; 13:47): Christians who fall into captivity to the pagans bring to them the light of the teachings of Christ; pagans who are captured by Christians, upon returning to their homeland, themselves sow the seed of holy enlightenment in their people; monks and ascetics, settling in deserts in pagan countries, with their holy lives attract many, many to the Source of true light; finally, Christian women, marrying pagan kings, with their influence lead both their husbands and their subjects to the holy faith, which they themselves profess... So, the gospel, and peace, and war, and persecution, and trade - all the ways brought the light of the faith of Christ to the pagans; it seemed to surround them from all sides, spreading its saving rays ever wider. Abyssinia. In the first half of the 4th century, the Abyssinians, or Ethiopians, adopted Christianity. Around 316, a Christian scientist with his relatives, still young men, Edessius and Frumentius, traveled for scientific purposes to the countries south of Egypt along the Red Sea. It happened that the ship on which he was sailing landed on the shores of Abyssinia. The Abyssinians attacked the sailors, beat and drowned them all, except Edessius and Frumentius, who were presented as gifts to their king. The Abyssinian king found them fit for his service and gave them positions at his court. Soon Edessius and Frumentius became influential persons; After the death of the king, Frumentius even became the educator of the young heir to the throne, Aizan. Taking advantage of this importance in the country, Edessius and Frumentius could freely practice their faith. They met Roman merchants who came to Abyssinia on trade matters, organized liturgical meetings with them, and even built a small church. When Aizan grew up, Edessius and Frumentius asked him to let them go home. Edessius went to Tire to visit his relatives, and Frumentius to Alexandria, where Athanasius the Great was then bishop. Frumentius told him how easily the Abyssinians could be enlightened with Christianity, and asked him to send a bishop and clergy to them. Saint Athanasius considered it best to appoint Frumentius himself as bishop for the Abyssinians, who went back to them. The young king of Abyssinia, according to the conviction of Frumentius, was baptized; many of his subjects were baptized after him. Frumentius was an Abyssinian bishop for a long time, built many churches for converts, and after his death left the Abyssinian Church firmly established; he also gave her a translation of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament into the Abyssinian language. Iveria. The sacred legend that says that the land of Iveron was given by the Lord Himself as the inheritance of the Most Pure Virgin Mary is deeply poetic: when the holy apostles cast lots to find out which countries they were to go to preach, the Most Pure Virgin also wished to be involved in the holy work of evangelism, and the lot fell to Her to be the enlightener of Iberia. In a mysterious and miraculous way, Her concern for that country was reflected in the educational works of a weak, young maiden, whom She Herself chose and, in a dream vision, blessed for a great feat, handing her a cross made of vines, and giving her a promise to always invisibly be with her. For a long time now, Nina’s heart had been drawing her exactly to where the Most Pure One had shown her the way. All her thoughts were directed to Iberia - to the poor, wild people sitting in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:79). Without fear, without a doubt, with a cross in her hands, she went to them. On the way, a new wonderful vision strengthened her soul, and during sleep she was given a wonderful scroll, covered with Gospel sayings, at the head of which was inscribed: Truly I say to you: wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, it will be said in her memory about what she did (Matthew 26:13). And one more thing: teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). In Iberia, Nina soon became known for the miraculous help she provided to the suffering and sick: the sick were brought to her from all sides, and with prayer she healed them. When they blessed her with tears of gratitude, she pointed to the One Whom she served, whose love sympathized with the suffering, healing their infirmities... Her quiet word, bright, pure life awakened and revived the seed of goodness in hardened hearts, and many believed. The Queen of Iveron, also healed of a serious illness, became a zealous Christian and encouraged her husband to accept the faith of Christ. Then, on the advice of Saint Nina, an embassy was sent to Constantine the Great, expressing the desire of all Iberia to accept Christianity. The Bishop of Antioch, Saint Eustathius, arrived in Iberia in 326, baptized the believers and installed a bishop for the newly converted country. Through the efforts of Saint Nina, churches and monasteries were erected, and apparently her apostolic labors were overshadowed by the blessing of the Mother of God. Armenia. In the first centuries after Christ, Armenia often fell under the rule of the Romans. Through this, the possibility of communication between Roman Christians and the inhabitants of Armenia opened up, and at the same time the way for Christianity to Armenia opened up. The Apostle of Armenia (in the 3rd – 4th centuries) was Gregory, who received the title of Enlightener for his preaching activities. He was the son of the Armenian prince Anak. During the extermination of the entire house of Anak, Gregory, while still a two-year-old child, was saved from death by his nurse, a Christian, and sent to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he received a Christian upbringing. Having then returned to his homeland, Armenia, he entered the service of the king and managed to convert him to Christianity. Wanting to establish the Armenian Church on solid foundations, he went again to Caesarea, received the rank of bishop from the local metropolitan and, returning to Armenia, with extraordinary zeal set about converting his compatriots. The king and the court were baptized, and many people followed them. Instead of pagan temples, Christian churches appeared in large numbers, church education and an enlightened clergy appeared. After the death of Gregory the Illuminator, care of the Armenian Church passed to his descendants, many of whom were bishops. At the beginning of the 5th century, one of these descendants, Isaac the Great, completely completed the work of Gregory. He founded many churches and monasteries, trained a whole generation of enlightened clergy, established Christian schools for the people and laid the foundation for Armenian theological literature. Under him, the Armenian alphabet was invented and the Holy Scriptures were translated into Armenian. Then the religious war between the Armenians and Persians began and continued for more than two hundred years; but, despite all efforts, the Persians failed to eradicate Christianity in Armenia. During the struggle of the Church against heresies in the 4th century and in the first half of the 5th century, the Armenian Church remained faithful to Orthodoxy; but in the second half of the 5th century it separated from the Universal Church over the Monophysite heresy. Gaul. Subjugated under Julius Caesar, Gaul was one of the regions of the Roman Empire. The first preacher of the Gospel there was the disciple of the Apostle Paul, Criscentius. Around the middle of the 2nd century, Saint Polycarp of Smyrna sent preachers to Gaul. Among them, his disciple, Irenaeus, is especially famous, who labored a lot for the faith of Christ, which under him was finally established in Gaul. Another disciple of Saint Polycarp, Pothinus, was the first bishop installed in Gaul; During the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he suffered for Christ along with many other martyrs, whose names are famous in the history of the Church. In the 5th century, Gaul already had many churches and monasteries, and in all the main cities there were bishops appointed by Rome. But at this time Gaul suffered terrible devastation, for through Gaul the barbarian hordes passed further to Spain, Italy and Africa. Part of Gaul was conquered by the Goths. The Goths were Arians, but did not disturb the Orthodox bishops, who continued to freely rule over the affairs of the Church. However, as the Goths conquered new areas, the power of the Arians grew stronger, and the Orthodox became accustomed to looking at the pope as the only strong representative of the Nicene faith in the West. The other part of Gaul was conquered by the Franks. These idolaters were distinguished by the same courage in battle as they were by ferocity, treachery and cruelty, but they found support and allies in the clergy, who saw the opportunity through this to strengthen their importance and crush the heretics with the power of the Franks. The wild Franks adopted Christianity and recognized the power of the pope over themselves under their leader Clodwick. Clothwick was married to a Christian woman, Clotilde; she spent a long time and unsuccessfully convincing him to abandon idolatry and turn to the true God; but one day, during a battle, when victory was already leaning on the side of the enemies, Clodwick vowed to be baptized if the God of Clodilda would help him. Victory remained with him, and he fulfilled his promise. The Bishop of Reims solemnly performed Holy Baptism on him; 3,000 people from his squad followed the example of the leader. The pope was notified of the conversion of the king of the Franks, who, as a sign of his filial obedience, sent rich gifts to Rome. Clodwick's successors, Christians by name, remained barbarians in their way of life, but had zeal for the Church and generously shared with it their spoils: lands and riches obtained by force and untruth; willingly donated estates and treasures to the Church, “for the remission of sins and the salvation of the soul.” The skillful policies of the popes were able to keep them in obedience, and the Gallo-Frankish Church became the main support of papal power in the West and the protection of the right faith from heresies held by other barbarian tribes. Among the Gallic bishops there were many people distinguished by both learning and piety, so that in the 6th century the Gallo-Frankish Church was famous throughout the Christian world. Britannia. Conquered by the Romans, Britain heard the gospel of the word of God even in the first centuries of Christianity. The first preachers of the faith in Britain came from the East, and the British Church long preserved the customs of the ancient Church of Ephesus. Subsequently, when it fell under the rule of the wild warlike tribe of the Anglo-Saxons, Britain began to be called England. The Anglo-Saxons were idolaters. The enmity of the conquered tribe towards foreign rulers for a long time prevented the spread of the Christian faith among them, and in the British themselves it apparently became scarce, and soon it was difficult to find even a trace of it among the savage people. At the end of the 6th century, Pope Gregory the Great laid the foundation of the Christian Church in England. They say that, while still a monk, he once met in Rome captive young men of extraordinary beauty who were being sold into slavery; their clear blue eyes, long blond hair, delicate complexion struck him, and, learning that they were called Angles, that they were brought from a distant island and did not know the true God, he exclaimed: “It is more fitting for them to be called Angels, not Angles, for they resemble angels.” And from that very moment the desire to begin the holy work of evangelism in England sank deep into his soul. He sent several young Englishmen to Rome, trained them, formed them into missionaries, and finally, having become pope, managed to fulfill his long-standing intention: he sent them to England under the leadership of the monk Augustine. In 597, Roman evangelists landed on the shores of England and managed to establish themselves there and gain the patronage of the king. Their pious lives soon earned them general respect. They say that they performed miracles and healed the sick through prayer. Many believed and received Holy Baptism. Soon the king was baptized. He publicly declared himself a Christian, but added that his example is not obligatory for his subjects, and that everyone is free to profess a new faith or the old one. Multitudes of people were converted; in one day Augustine baptized 10,000 people. Divine services were held in dilapidated ancient Christian churches. The king gave land to the evangelists, and Augustine informed the pope of the success of the matter. From then on, new preachers came from Rome, the Church established itself in England, monasteries and schools were founded, and Christian education spread. Germany. In some areas of Germany the Christian faith began to spread very early; in the 3rd and 4th centuries there were already bishoprics in many regions, but these regions were constantly devastated by barbarians, sometimes the Huns, sometimes the Goths, sometimes the Vandals. All these barbarians were either pagans or Arians, and Christianity, barely taking root, could not withstand their stormy onslaught. Only in some places only faint traces of the former enlightenment remained, and paganism had not yet had time to firmly establish itself in these parts when the gospel of the Holy Gospel began again in the 6th century. The famous preacher, who earned the name “Apostle of Germany,” although he was not the first evangelist in these lands, is known in history under his monastic name Boniface. He was born in England and, having entered monasticism from an early youth, strove to become an evangelist. Having visited Rome, Boniface there solemnly swore allegiance to the pope and received from him, with the title of bishop, a promise of patronage. From Rome he headed to the Frisian region on the Rhine, where paganism was stronger next to the emerging Christian Church. Near the main city of the region there stood a huge century-old oak tree, dedicated to the thunder god, an object of superstitious worship of the people. Boniface cut down the sacred tree. The terrified pagans expected that the deity would take revenge on the daring; but when nothing followed, they were convinced of the powerlessness of their imaginary gods, and many people agreed to accept Baptism; The destroyed oak served to build a small church in the name of St. Apostle Peter. From this day Boniface began his ministry. The Pope granted him the title of Archbishop of all Germany and the right of supervision over the entire Church. Boniface actively took care of the education of the people entrusted to him and the destruction of the unrest and abuses that had crept into the Church. He preached, established churches, monasteries and dioceses, appointing zealous leaders to them, took care of the education of youth, established schools, from which his employees and assistants subsequently graduated. All his activities were a continuous struggle, first with paganism, then with secular and spiritual authorities, but with his firmness and tireless zeal he managed to defeat the resistance. By the end of his life and work, the German Church was already completely subordinate to the papal throne. Slavs. By the 9th century, Slavic tribes occupied almost the entire eastern half of Europe. While other peoples living about them to the south and west were enlightened by Christianity, the Slavs still remained pagans. But in the 9th century, Christianity began to spread between them. It is remarkable that all Slavic tribes adopted Christianity from Byzantium, therefore from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Two brothers, Saints Cyril and Methodius, were destined to become an instrument of God's will in the matter of enlightening the Slavs. Both of them were from the city of Thessaloniki. Methodius, the eldest, upon completion of his education, entered military service and was the ruler of a Slavic region, but soon left the world and accepted monasticism in a monastery on Mount Olympus. From childhood, Constantine showed amazing abilities and received an excellent education at the royal court together with the young Emperor Michael III, where he took advantage of the lessons of the famous Photius, later Patriarch of Constantinople. After completing his education, he taught his favorite science, philosophy, for some time at the main school in Constantinople. The most brilliant future was opening up before him, but his young life was striving for something else; a fire burned in his soul, kindled by the hand of God: those whom He predestined, those He also called (Rom. 8:30). In his 24th year, he left the noisy capital of the East, retired to the monastery in which his brother Methodius had long lived, and there, in the quiet of solitude, he remained in fasting and prayer, preparing himself for a task unknown to him, but known to the Lord. The lamp of God was burning; all that remained was to point it out to those seeking light. The Khozars, who lived between the Don, Volga and the Caspian Sea, turned to the emperor of Byzantium, asking him to send to them a bookish man, a scientist who could clarify all their doubts about the faith. It was possible to entrust such a task only to the brothers of Thessaloniki, and, at the request of the emperor, they sailed on a royal ship to Korsun*, a city adjacent to the Khozar region, where they stopped for a while to study the language of the Khozars. So, the evangelists of Christ, even before their journey to the Western Slavs, touched the borders of Russia, and their first sermon was heard precisely in Korsun, from where the light of Christ’s teaching was supposed to shine on the entire Russian land. It is touching that their stay in Korsun was marked by the discovery of the relics of Saint Clement, of whom the memory was alive in this place, where he suffered so much and the suffering of the afflicted, where his love and prayer were the joy and strength of so many unfortunates. The holy brothers worked a lot in the land of the Khozars, their preaching succeeded a lot, and the Khozars saw them off with honors and gratitude. Upon returning to their homeland, they again retired to the monastery, but were soon again called by the will of God to great service: the time had come, determined by the Lord - the Slavic peoples themselves wanted to accept holy enlightenment. The Bulgarian Tsar Boris sends to Constantinople for evangelists and priests; Ambassadors from the Czechs and Moravians come to Constantinople: “We have heard,” they say, “that from you the good law comes to other countries, take care of our salvation and send us mentors.” Great was the joy of the emperor and patriarch; A council was immediately convened for the necessary meetings, and again everyone’s eyes turned to the Thessaloniki brothers, and they were asked to take on the feat of preaching the gospel to the Slavic peoples. They agreed with joy, but one thing confused and saddened them: the Slavs did not have their own written language - and learning without the help of letters, St. Cyril said, is the same as writing on water... It was necessary to find letters, compose an alphabet corresponding to Slavic speech. Through prayer and forty days of fasting, Saint Cyril prepared to undertake this work. He believed that in weakness the power of God is made perfect - and it was given to him according to his faith: he completed his great task, the alphabet was compiled... The first words written in the Slavic language were the initial words of the Gospel of John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). This great work of Saint Cyril was joyfully welcomed in Constantinople, and a thanksgiving prayer service was served in the presence of the emperor. In 863, Saints Cyril and Methodius went to the Slavic lands, bringing to the Slavs a priceless gift - the Word of God in their native language. “Hear, all Slavs,” Saint Cyril told them, “the word that came from God, the word that feeds human souls, the word that strengthens hearts and minds... The soul has no life if it does not hear the words of God. Without light there is no joy for the eye to see God’s creation, and so it is for every dumb soul that does not know God’s law. Open the doors diligently with your mind, take up the strong weapon that forges the books of the Lord: the wisdom of Christ appears in letters, it will strengthen your souls!” XXII. Fall of the Western Roman Empire The beginning of the 5th century found two sons of Theodosius the Great on the throne: Arcadius in the East and Honorius in the West. Both were equally incapable of governing the Empire at such a difficult time, when it was threatened on all sides by strong and numerous enemies. Arkady, weak and spineless, completely fell under the influence of his unworthy favorites, who, having mastered him, incited him to patronize heresies and persecute the Church, while they themselves oppressed and robbed his subjects, while the Goths and other tribes devastated the northern regions of the Empire. He was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, Theodosius the Younger. Soon the king's sixteen-year-old sister, Pulcheria, was called upon to share her brother's throne and showed herself to be a worthy daughter of Theodosius the Great: she wisely managed internal affairs, and in relations with external enemies she knew how to maintain the honor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Her name is honored both by the Church and by history. Theodosius the Younger, brought up under her supervision, acted rationally only as long as he listened to his sister. The position of the Empire became increasingly difficult, and in the last years of his reign Theodosius was forced to pay tribute to the savage people of the Huns, who disturbed the area with their frequent attacks. After the death of Theodosius, Pulcheria chose Marcian as her wife and co-ruler, who courageously defended the dignity of the empire. When the king of the Huns, Attila, demanded tribute from him, Marcian firmly answered: “I have gold for friends, iron for enemies,” and Attila, leaving the East alone, turned his forces to the West. Marcian's successors also defended the Empire against its enemies, and the brilliant reign of Justinian (527–565) reminded the world of the ancient glory of Roman arms. The fate of the western part of the Empire was more disastrous, and already in the 5th century the fall of Rome took place. Under the weak Honorius, the barbarians incessantly attacked Italy and the neighboring regions of the Empire, which was weakening every day. In the early years of the 5th century, Alaric, king of the Visigoths, having devastated northern Italy, came to the walls of Rome. Amazement and indignation seized the proud Romans at the news that the barbarians dared to threaten the Eternal City; but the danger of their fatherland did not arouse them to noble courage. When famine began in the city, surrounded on all sides by enemies, then the Senate entered into negotiations with Alaric. Seeing the desperate situation of the Romans, Alaric made excessive demands. “What will you leave us, king, if these are your demands?” - said those sent from the Senate. “Life,” answered the proud barbarian. Negotiations, however, led to an agreement, and Alaric withdrew, taking a huge ransom from Rome. It didn't last long. The next year he was again at the walls of Rome; Rome surrendered and recognized the emperor appointed by Alaric; but soon, in 410, Alaric, having besieged Rome for the third time, entered the city victorious. Alaric professed Christianity, distorted by Arian errors; he ordered his soldiers to spare the churches and the lives of those who would find refuge in the churches; but the city was abandoned to the plunder of barbarians, who were helped by 40,000 freed slaves. The Goths burned many buildings, plundered the magnificent palaces of the Roman rich, took captives and put to death a huge number of Romans; but churches and church property were spared. Rome suffered great disasters during this terrible time. Many rich Romans, having lost all their property, were sold into slavery; others wandered as beggars in foreign countries; those of the Romans who still retained estates in other areas - in Africa, Spain - fled there. Soon all neighboring countries, and then distant ones, such as Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor, accepted the fugitives from Rome and heard the news of the defeat of the Eternal City. This news shocked the universe and filled all hearts with horror. Elder Jerome wrote from his wretched cell in Bethlehem: “There is nothing in this world that could seem durable; and time is nothing if we did not have eternity before us. Everything that is born must die, and everything that grows must grow old; and every work of human hands must perish by the hand of time. But who would have thought that Rome itself, rich in the spoils of the universe, would one day fall and, having been the mother of nations, would become their tomb; that the seaside of Africa and the East will be filled with fugitives from the ruins of the world capital, and even the wretched shelter of Bethlehem will provide shelter for the richest citizens of the whole earth! Oh, vanity of vanities - all is vanity! (Ec. 1:2)." The empire quickly disintegrated and lost region after region. She was forced to call her troops from Britain, and Britain was freed from her rule. Gaul was conquered from her by the Goths and Franks; Spain - Visigoths; Various Gothic tribes were constantly being pushed into Germany, and Vandals into Africa. The famous African Church, one of the most flourishing, glorified under the great Augustine, suffered final ruin and since then has not been able to recover. A little more than half a century had passed since the death of Theodosius the Great, and the Western Roman Empire, so vast under him, consisted of only Italy, which was constantly threatened by barbarians. The Emperors, who quickly succeeded each other on the throne, were unable to defend the Empire; they were glad to buy tribute to remove the barbarians; Proud Roman emperors gave their sisters and daughters in marriage to barbarian leaders. In 452, Attila, nicknamed the scourge of nations, approached Rome. Terror took hold of the city; but this time the disaster escaped him. Leo the Great, Pope of Rome, came out to meet Attila, begging him to leave, and, to the surprise of his troops, Attila retreated. A legend has been preserved that the patrons of Rome, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, appeared to him in a vision and threatened him with death if he did not leave. Three years after this, Genseric, king of the Vandals, besieged Rome. Again Pope Leo begged for mercy; Genserich promised to spare the lives of citizens, but the city was plundered; His troops burned and plundered for two whole weeks. All the jewelry of the Roman rich, the glorious spoils of previous victories, the treasures of Christian churches and golden statues of pagan gods - everything was transported by ship to Africa, where Genseric established his dominion. Many noble and rich Romans became slaves of the harsh victors, and many of them were again redeemed by the charity of Christians. Eastern emperors made unsuccessful attempts to free the West from barbarian rule, but it was only in the middle of the 6th century that Justinian achieved this goal. He took Rome from the Goths five times and finally established his power in Italy in 554. Then, for two hundred years, the emperors of Byzantium ruled most of Italy through their representative. And Rome and the entire surrounding region recognized the rule of the eastern emperor. Since the time of Justinian, historians have called the Byzantine emperors Greek. The Greek language in the East completely replaced Latin, which until then had been the language of government in Byzantium itself; The division between the Greek - Eastern world and the Latin - Roman world began to become more and more clearly visible. Already from the very first centuries of Christianity, certain features have been noticed in the Eastern and Western Churches, which gave direction to the entire course of church life: the Eastern Church, allowing the participation of reason in the matter of faith, clarified the Christian doctrine to believers; The Western, on the contrary, completely denying the participation of reason in the matter of faith, avoided any discussion about dogmas and shunned those abstract theological questions that were so important in the life of the Eastern Church. That is why the Eastern Church, when converting new tribes to Christianity, made sure that they had church books and services in their own language, which they understood, while the Western Church, fearing that the truth would not reach them directly, apart from the clergy, everywhere introduced services in Latin, a language incomprehensible to the people. The Western Church sought to completely subordinate the people to church authority and concentrate the entire life of the church in the clergy alone, while in the East the entire Church, that is, all believers as members of the Church, took part in this life. This difference in aspirations and beliefs divided the Churches, but still not so much that they considered themselves completely alien to each other; the cessation of communication between them could only follow in such a case when the unity of faith and church dogma was violated on the part of one of them. To the regret of the entire Christian world, the Roman Church violated its unity. XXIII. Rise of papal power Beginning of the division of churches At the first Ecumenical Councils, the rights of the five primate bishops of the Ecumenical Church were determined, and they adopted the name of patriarchs. Their rights were completely equal, and only according to the order of seniority of capitals and cities, the Roman Patriarch was named first and occupied first place, the Patriarch of Constantinople was considered second, the Alexandrian third, the Antioch fourth and the Jerusalem fifth. The Roman patriarch was called pope (a name that is still in the title of the Patriarch of Alexandria). But no advantage of power was connected with this number order. No matter how exalted the rights of patriarchs in church governance were over other bishops, in canonical terms they are all equal to each other: they are only different types of the same degree of episcopal. The distinctive rights of the episcopate: to ordain presbyters and deacons and conciliarly - bishops, to consecrate churches, antimensions, chrism - belonged and belong equally to all bishops. But over time, especially since the 7th century, the position of all the patriarchs changed due to external circumstances. The regions of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem suffered such terrible destruction from the Muslim Arabs and the Aryan barbarians that they could no longer recover. The area of ​​the Patriarchs of Constantinople did not decrease in size, but the patriarchate lost a lot of dignity and strength from the iconoclastic unrest that lasted a whole century, and from the persecution of unfaithful emperors. On the contrary, the area of ​​the Roman Patriarchate spread throughout Western Europe, and the power of the Popes increased. Rome was once the capital of the universe. After Constantine the Great moved the capital to Constantinople, Rome, of course, lost some of its importance; but in Rome, a new power, the power of the pope, grew stronger every year, as the importance of the imperial power fell. In the East, the recognized equality of the main sees did not allow one bishop to rule over the others, but in the West no one could challenge the primacy of the bishop of Rome, the ancient capital and the only apostolic see. In the eyes of Western Orthodox Christians, Rome was the main representative and defender of the true Nicene faith. For the barbarians, the name of Rome, the world capital, still had a strong charm, and the Bishop of Rome seemed to them the spiritual head of all Christianity. The new tribes, who founded new European states on the ruins of the Roman Empire, showed great respect to the Pope; and the clergy from Africa, Gaul, and Spain turned to the pope to receive protection. And from the East, during church strife and persecution, persecuted bishops sought protection and justification in Rome. Thus, the pope was presented as the protector of all Christianity and the only spiritual ruler in the West. His wealth was already significant and gave him the opportunity to provide generous assistance to those in need: during times of famine, flood, and other disasters, they turned to the pope for help; when the barbarians attacked, with his spiritual strength he tamed the rage of the harsh victors - and the population of Italy gradually got used to looking at the papal power as the only lasting power in these times of unrest and revolutions and to expect protection and help from the pope. The spiritual power of Rome was established on the ruins of the world dominion it had lost, and by the beginning of the 9th century in all Western Churches the pope was already considered the supreme judge and head of the Church. By the same time, a new canonical collection had appeared in the West, known in history as the “False Isidore Decretals”: ​​they confirmed all the rights and advantages that the pope wanted to assign to himself. Where exactly and by whom these decretals were compiled, which, as they were assured, date back to the first times of Christianity, to Bishop Clement, a disciple of the holy Apostle Peter, no one knew. Despite the obvious falsity of the decretals, they were introduced into church law in the West, and the popes began to point to them as evidence of that divine right, which placed them at an extraordinary height, making the pope the supreme bishop, from whose power every other power received its consecration: the bishops became only an obedient instrument of his will and obeyed him unquestioningly; he alone had the right to appoint and depose them; he convened councils, and decrees drawn up without his knowledge or consent could not have force; his power exceeded the power of the Ecumenical Council, for, according to the assurance of the pope, Christ Himself appointed him the head of the Ecumenical Church. However, the East did not recognize this primacy. The Eastern Church, strong in ancient tradition, constantly rejected the claims of the Roman high priests: to subjugate it became the main goal of their aspirations. In the second half of the 9th century, apparently favorable circumstances for this presented themselves: in the Church of Constantinople, barely resting from the iconoclastic storm, new unrest arose, and the warring parties themselves provided the pope with the opportunity to intervene in their affairs. In Constantinople, Saint Ignatius was incorrectly deposed from the patriarchal throne, through the machinations of the regent of the Empire, Vardas, whom the patriarch denounced for his lawless life and for open impiety, which caused great temptation to the people, deprived him of Holy Communion. When Ignatius was already deposed, then Photius, who had previously been one of the highest dignitaries of the state and known for his extraordinary talents and rare theological learning, was quite legitimately elevated to the patriarchal throne. The inhabitants of Constantinople, who had long been prone to church disputes, were divided into two parties: some stood for Patriarch Ignatius, others for Photius; This disagreement was supposed to be pacified at the Local Council of Constantinople, to which the Pope was invited. Nicholas I was Pope at that time. He, more than any of his predecessors, was animated by the thought of the omnipotence of the pope: he was the first of the popes to call himself the vicar of Christ on earth, authoritatively proclaiming that the entire Christian world was subject to his supervision, and to his judgment any violation of the moral law, no matter where and by whom it was committed, any violation of the order and decorum of the church. He himself did not go to the Council, but sent legates. The Council approved the elevation of Photius to the patriarchal throne, and the pope's legates agreed with this; but Pope Nicholas condemned his legates and arrogated to himself the power to cancel the council's decision, showing that he placed himself above the Council. At the request of the Bulgarian Tsar Boris, Patriarch Photius, who had special concern for the education of the Slavs, sent missionary preachers, Saints Cyril and Methodius, to the Bulgarians. They preached to the people in their native language, into which they translated both the Holy Scriptures and liturgical books for them, and with their preaching Orthodoxy was planted from the East in Bulgaria and Moravia. But these countries belonged to the area of ​​the Roman Church, which had long spread the false teaching that worship could be performed only in three languages ​​- Hebrew, Greek and Roman. Pope Nicholas I, with amazing boldness, sent Latin priests to Bulgaria, who not only expelled all the priests of the Eastern Church from there, but also declared invalid all the church sacraments they performed on the baptized Bulgarians. It was impossible to submit to such a claim of the Roman high priest, and it was necessary to expose all its lawlessness. Photius convened a council in Constantinople in 867, in which three bishops of the Western Church participated. This council, having considered the claims of the pope expressed in his message, declared Pope Nicholas unworthy of the episcopal title and excommunicated him from church communion. Following this, Photius wrote his famous district letter to the other Eastern Patriarchs, in which he denounced the illegal claims of the pope and pointed out deviations from Orthodoxy in the Western Church. The most important deviation was the addition to the Creed in the eighth member of the extra word “filioque” and the doctrine expressed in this addition about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son. This arbitrary addition to the symbol arose back in the 6th century, at a local council of the Spanish Church in the city of Toledo, when the Visigoths who conquered Spain adopted Christianity. In order to protect them from Arianism, which divided the persons of the Holy Trinity by nature, they invented this addition for a better explanation of the dogma; but it turned out that it gave rise to new heretical interpretations. The Ecumenical Councils approved once and for all the dogma of the Holy Trinity and decided to leave its presentation unchanged, so that new false interpretations would not be aroused. The Spanish addition to the Symbol spread in the Western Church, and this innovation was accepted by it as a dogma; but the Orthodox Eastern Church could not accept it: it remained faithful to the teaching of the Ecumenical Councils. In addition to this apostasy, Photius denounced many others in the Roman Church. This marked the beginning of the division of the Roman Church with the Eastern Orthodox Church. This division is regrettable for every Christian believer, and the Orthodox Church prays for its cessation - so that in the Church of Christ there will be one flock and one Shepherd. But she firmly believes in the One Shepherd and the One Head of the Church - the Lord Jesus Christ, and cannot recognize the Primate of the Roman Church as infallible and His vicar for the entire universe. So, amidst internal storms and unrest, in view of the danger that threatened from all sides, the Orthodox Church preserved the holy Christian teaching in purity and integrity. From her new peoples, the Slavic peoples, accepted the holy treasure of faith, and accepted it completely, without concealment or admixture, they accepted it, according to the Apostle’s expression: not as the word of man, but as the word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). They sought light for themselves in the East, and the Church gave them the Holy Scriptures, worship in the popular language, and taught them to submit not to the personal arbitrariness of one person, as was done in the West, but to the Word of God and the immutable decrees of the Ecumenical Councils. Byzantium completed its difficult feat: seven Ecumenical Councils clearly expressed and approved the teaching of the Church and defined church rites as a living expression of church dogma. Then Russia also adopted Christianity, which was to become the most powerful of the Slavic powers and the most faithful guardian of the truth entrusted to it. It was just beginning its historical existence, and the Christian faith formed the deep basis of its entire national life: to be a Christian people became its main aspiration. This was clearly expressed by its first chronicler, when, counting the customs of other peoples, he said: we have one law, imams: if we are baptized in Christ, we put on Christ.