Слово 25. О трех способах ведения, о разности их делания и понятий, о вере души, о таинственном богатстве, в ней сокровенном, и о том, сколько ведение мира сего разнствует в способах своих с простотою веры

A soul that travels the paths of life and the path of faith, and often succeeds in this latter, if it turns again to the methods of knowledge, soon begins to limp in faith, and its spiritual strength is lost in it, which was revealed in a pure soul by the reciprocity of assistance 141 and, due to simplicity, was not included in the study of everything that is in it and to it 142. For the soul, having once given itself up to God with faith and having experienced His assistance many times over, no longer cares about itself, but is bound by amazement and silence and does not have the opportunity to return again to the methods of its knowledge and use them in action, lest otherwise, if they resist, it will not lose God’s providence, which secretly watches vigilantly over the soul, cares for it and constantly follows it with all ways - not to lose it because the soul has gone mad, dreaming that it itself can provide enough for itself by the power of its knowledge. For those in whom the light of faith shines no longer reach such shamelessness as to again ask God in prayers: “Give us this,” or: “Take that from us,” and they do not care at all about themselves, because with the spiritual eyes of faith they hourly see the Fatherly Providence with which that true Father, Who with His immeasurably great love surpasses all fatherly love, enshrines them, more than anyone else he can and has the power to help us to the point of abundance, to a greater extent than we ask, think and imagine. Knowledge is contrary to faith. Faith in everything 144 that relates to it is a violation of the laws of knowledge, however, knowledge that is not spiritual. The definition of 145 knowledge is that it does not have the power to do anything without searching and research, but, on the contrary, it seeks out whether it is possible for what it thinks and wants to be. What does faith do? She does not agree to abide in someone who approaches her in the wrong way. Knowledge without searching and without its own methods of action cannot be known. And this is a sign of wavering in the truth. And faith requires a single, pure and simple way of thinking, far from any tricks and search for methods 146. Look how they oppose each other. The house of faith is an infant thought and a simple heart. For it is said: “in the simplicity of your heart” you glorified God (Acts 2:46–47), and: “unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Knowledge puts a snare in the simplicity of the heart and thoughts and resists it. Knowledge is the limit of nature and protects it in all its paths. And faith makes its procession above nature. Knowledge does not dare to allow anything destructive to nature to reach itself, but moves away from it; and faith easily allows and says: “tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent” (Ps. 90:13). Leading is accompanied by fear. Faith is hope. To the extent that a person is led by methods of knowledge, to the same extent he is bound by fear and cannot be granted liberation from it. And whoever follows faith soon becomes free and autocratic, and as the son of God he freely enjoys everything with authority. He who loves this faith, like God, disposes of every created nature, because faith is given the opportunity to create a new creation, in the likeness of God, as it is said: “as you please,” and everything will appear before you (Job 23:13). Often it can produce everything from non-existence. And knowledge cannot produce anything without substance. Knowledge does not have such shamelessness 147 as to produce what is not given by nature. And how can he do this? The flowing nature of water does not accept the traces of the body on its ridge, and he who approaches the fire burns himself; and if he has the audacity to do so, then trouble will follow. Knowledge carefully guards itself against this, and does not agree to exceed the limit in this regard. Faith autocratically transgresses everything and says: “Even if you pass through fire, you are not burned, and the rivers will not cover you” (Is. 43:2). And faith often did this before all creation. And if knowledge had an opportunity here to tempt itself in this, then, without a doubt, it would not have decided to do so. For many, by faith, entered the flames, harnessed the burning power of the fire, and walked unharmed in the midst of it, and walked along the ridge of the sea as if on dry land. And all this is above nature, contrary to the methods of knowledge and showed that it is vanity in all its methods and laws. Do you see how knowledge preserves the limits of nature? Do you see how faith rises above nature and sets the path for its progression there? These methods of knowledge ruled the world for five thousand years, or a little less, or more than that, and man was not at all able to lift his head from the earth and recognize the power of his Creator, until our faith shone and freed us from the darkness of earthly work and vain submission after the vain soaring of the mind 148 . And even now, when we have found a calm sea and an inexhaustible treasure, we again desire to turn to small springs. There is no knowledge that is not in poverty, 149 no matter how much it becomes rich. But neither earth nor heaven can contain the treasures of faith. The one whose heart is strengthened by the hope of faith never loses anything. And when he has nothing, he owns everything by faith, as it is written: “Everything you ask in prayer as a believer, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22), and also: “The Lord is near.” Do not worry about anything” (Phil.4:5-6). Knowledge is always looking for ways to protect those who acquire it. And faith says: “Unless the Lord builds a house, it labors in vain to build it; unless the Lord preserves the city, it builds in vain” (Ps. 127:1). He who prays with faith never uses or resorts to methods of self-preservation. For knowledge praises fear in every place, as the Wise One said: “To him who fears the Lord, blessed is the soul” (Sir.34:15). What is faith? It is said: “They were afraid, and began to drown” (Matthew 14:30), and it is also said: “for they did not receive the spirit of work again into fear; but they received the Spirit of sonhood” (Rom. 8:15) into the freedom of faith and hope in God; and again: do not be afraid of them, and do not flee from their presence (see Eze. 2:6). Fear is always accompanied by doubt, and doubt is accompanied by seeking, and seeking by accepted methods, and accepted methods by leading. And in the research and search itself, fear and doubt are always known, because knowledge does not succeed in everything at all times, as we showed before. For the soul often encounters various accidents, fierce attacks and many dangerous cases, in which knowledge and the methods of wisdom cannot help at all. But, on the other hand, in difficulties that are inevitable with all the forces and the extreme limit of human knowledge, faith is in no way overcome by any of these difficulties. For is human knowledge enough to help in any way in obvious battles with invisible natures and with bodily forces, as well as with many other things? Do you see the weakness of the power of knowledge and the strength of the power of faith? Knowledge forbids its disciples to approach everything alien to nature. But notice the power of faith in this: what does it offer to her students? It is said: “in My name demons will be given birth; the serpent will be taken away; Even if they drink mortally, it does not harm them” (Mark 16:17–18). Knowledge, according to its laws, proposes to everyone who follows its path to find the end before it begins and then begin, so that if it turns out that the end of the matter is found with difficulty within the limits of human strength, one does not work for it in vain and so that it does not become clear that the matter is difficult and impossible to accomplish. What does faith say? “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23), because nothing is impossible for God. What ineffable wealth, what a sea of ​​wealth - in the waves of faith and in the wonderful treasures overflowing by its power! What boldness, what sweetness and hope the procession with her was filled with! How light are its burdens and how much sweetness is there in doing it! Question. Who is likened in his deed to the one who was honored to taste the sweetness of faith and again turned to spiritual knowledge? Answer. To the one who found a precious pearl and exchanged it for a copper obol; to the one who left sovereign freedom and returned to a state of poverty, filled with fear and slavery. Knowledge is beyond reproach, but faith is higher than it. If we reproach, we will not reproach the knowledge itself. Let this not happen! But we reproach the fact that it uses different methods in which it goes against faith 150, and that it approaches the ranks of demons. Subsequently, we will consider this clearly, and also: how many steps does knowledge ascend to in these ways? What difference opens at each stage? By what thoughts is knowledge aroused in each method when it adheres to them? In which of these ways, when it follows them, does it resist faith and go out of nature? And what difference is there in it? And to what extent (when he returns to his original goal) does he come to his nature and take the step to faith through good living? And to what extent does the difference of this state extend? And how does one move from this to the higher? And what are the ways of this other, or first 151, degree? And when knowledge is coupled with faith, becomes one with it, is clothed with it in fiery thoughts, is ignited in spirit, acquires the wings of dispassion and from serving the earthly, using other methods, ascends to the region of its Creator? However, for the time being it is enough for us to know that faith, and its steps, and walking in them are above knowledge. Knowledge itself is perfected by faith and acquires the power to ascend the mountain, to feel that which is above all sensation, to see its radiance, elusive by the mind and knowledge of creatures. Knowledge is the step by which a person ascends to the height of faith and, as soon as he reaches it, no longer needs it. For it is said: now “we understand in part, we think in part” 152. “When that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with” (1 Cor. 13:9-10). So, even now faith, as it were, presents before our eyes the reality of perfection, and by our faith we understand this incomprehensible, and not by search and the power of knowledge. These are the works of righteousness: fasting, almsgiving, vigils, shrines 153 and everything else done bodily; love for one's neighbor, humility of heart, forgiveness 154 of transgressions, thinking about good things 155, studying the sacraments hidden in the Holy Scriptures, reflecting the mind on the most perfect deeds, how to keep the limits of spiritual movements, and other virtues performed in the soul. All this needs knowledge, because knowledge protects it and teaches order in it. And all these are just steps along which the soul ascends to the mountainous heights of faith; and these are called virtues. But the life of faith is higher than virtue, and doing it is not labor, but complete peace, and consolation, and words in the heart, and it is 156 accomplished in the thoughts of the soul. Her work also includes all the wonderful types of spiritual life, the passage of which gives a feeling of spiritual life, and sweetness, and spiritual pleasure, and lust, and joy in God, and everything else that in this life is given to a soul worthy of the grace of that bliss, and that, as if indicated by faith in the Divine Scriptures, is accomplished here by God, rich in His gifts. "Bewilderment". Someone will say: if all these blessings, and the deeds of virtue that have been enumerated before this, and avoidance of evil, and discernment of subtle thoughts arising in the soul, and struggle with thoughts, and opposition to irritable passions, and everything else, without which faith cannot show its strength in spiritual activity - if all this is accomplished by knowledge, then why is knowledge considered contrary to faith? "Resolution of Doubt". We answer: three are the mental ways by which knowledge ascends and descends; and there is a change both in the ways in which knowledge is conducted and in the knowledge itself; and through this it harms and helps. There are three ways: body, soul, spirit. And if knowledge in its nature is one, then, in relation to these areas of the mental and sensory, it becomes refined, changes its ways and the doing of its thoughts. Finally, listen to the order of this work and the reasons why it harms and helps. Knowledge is God’s gift to the nature of rational creatures, given at the beginning, at their creation, and by its nature it is simple and indivisible, like sunlight, but in accordance with its doing it acquires changes and divisions. That is, with all the actions of the soul. That is, audacity, arrogance. That is, submission to vanity, following the vain soaring of the mind. In the Greek and ancient Slavic translations it reads “to nature,” but in the Rev. Paisius we read “against faith.” That is, we partly know, partly we imagine. The text of the letter to the Corinthians says: “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” You might be interested in: